CV News Archive August 2004

Cretanvista Site & Local News - August 31st 2004 Issue 19
No links to sites with adult content accepted	AUGUST WEATHER ... Fabulous all the way. Click on any weather service information link and you will get some super .giff images of a smiling sun, sometimes a cloud or two and temperature readings. Get yourself over here and you can have the real thing - but in August bring lots of sun cream and a big hat! Bathing suit and walking boots. Gudrun Harms Our intrepid German Language interpreter Above: Cretanvista's German language magician, Gudrun Harms, whose normal abode is in Dusseldorf, Germany regularly comes to Crete where she and her husband Klaus have a holiday home. She is working hard on the German Language version of our site. Gratis. Free. Apart from that - she is a very fine lady, although she did not believe we could make a good image of her. What do you think? Astratigos Village life... In the February edition of CVNews (CV News February 2004) I rambled on a little about loud-hailers - "MEGAPHONES! The original, long lasting, lifetime guaranteed (and guaranteed to get you attention), all-American bullhorn!! Often with an insidious twist - being connected to an amplified tape recorder.... You can't hear the sheep; goats; pigs and chickens for them!!" I said at the time.... Well, I was wrong - you certainly can't hear the sheep, goats and chickens for them, but the pigs? Oh yes, you can certainly hear the pigs - bullhorn or no bullhorn.... And that isn't all... A few weeks ago a nice red pick-up arrived in the village square and switched on his bullhorn. The vehicle itself was fairly quiet and the speech short and not too loud. Piglets. The guy was selling piglets! There were a couple of dozen of them, each about the size of a small dog. Clean. Pink. Looking very healthy. And the only smell was from the obviously new straw coating the bed of the pick-up. A new version of 'Stop me and buy one' - like 'Davenport's Beer at Home' - delivered to your door - (beer, now at every supermarket no more than 5 miles from home sweet home!) - these piglets are available direct from your local village square! Not noisy. Very nice. Very civilised. And piglets are pretty..... Today, about four weeks later, we had the same red pick-up. The same crew. The same loud-hailer. But the noise from the vehicle was a combination of squealing piglets, too many revs, screeching brakes, and a 240 decibel appeal, yes - I said appeal - for us to buy (Please and quickly). Before, I presume, the now adolescent and greatly enlarged piglets took over his vehicle. I half expected to see one sat smiling in the drivers seat, leaning through the open window - one elbow resting on the door and loud-hailer microphone in the other trotter! My neighbour Michaelis and I were stood outside his garage, about 8 feet above the pick-up. The Albanian driver asked if we wanted to buy.. Not knowing if he meant the entire rig, piglets and all, or just the animals, I left it to Michaelis. It was very hot. His air conditioning (the open window) was obviously on the blink and he was sweating profusely. He was also bothered, being unable to find Rodopos - the next village - and was now sat over-heating in the wrong village... The pigs had grown quite large in the intervening weeks, maybe to St Bernard dog size. Able to consume food (money) and water like oversize waste disposal units. Something else was becoming rapidly obvious as the heated air rose - the food going in more rapidly was also coming out the same way! More rapidly that is. Along with the smell.. I wondered idly about mushrooms - having once read somewhere that hot moist compost was good for them. But I couldn't remember whether it was horse or pig compost so I decided not to mention it. Nil. Same for Michaelis please.. I could see the driver's dilemma. He had probably come to Crete to start a new and (he hoped) better life. Now he found himself here in Astratigos, lost and over-heating - himself, (unsold) pigs and pickup. With the latter rapidly becoming untenable, indeed unbearable, as the food conversion continued remorselessly in the close-to-him rear of his vehicle. Lost - only 10 minutes (if only pigs could fly!) from his destination.... He snapped! Nervous breakdown-wise. Face contorting with effort as he hauled on the steering wheel and did the most amazing three point turn before he roared off. In the completely impossible-to-take wrong direction! We haven't seen (or heard) of him since! But is that a smell I see in the approaching haze? Picture Strip: We had intended to bring back the picture strip this month and indeed have some superb wide-angle pictures and village life scenes which would suit the slot. We had forgotten, in the euphoria surrounding the first two weeks (17 days really) that as soon as the first excitement was over the paralympics would begin! The picture strip - September edition.	_______________ MORE FUN & SERIOUS PLEASURE PLEASE! To our visitors who have taken the time to tell us that they have found our site enjoyable/ informative/ helpful/ or otherwise complimented the site - very many thanks. We are trying very hard and it's really good to know that you like it". Besides, my wife notes that many of you are ladies! Please don't stop!! GUEST BOOK LINK NB. Please don't use the Guest Book to place website links - any URLs - or contact style messages, are automatically disabled/removed in the interests of minors. Questions can be sent to us privately at: cretanvista.gr _______________ More Welcome visitors to Villa Georgios, Astratigos From Staffordshire, UK Toni and Peter Sloan, together with their super children Charlie and Tommy (Left to right) made our quick photo-call welcome at the end of their holiday here in north western Crete. The boys were reported missing from their beds at 6 am on the first day - enjoying an early morning swim in the Villa pool. Pity we forgot to get their e-mail address.... We need it for the photo.... Click Photo to Enlarge. _______________ __________________ Here's another Guest Book comment.......... Remote User:13 OCT 2003 Time:23:41:25 comments: .....Alle schreiben in englisch jetzt einer in deutsch wir lieben west kreta kommen schon seit 1986 hierher und kommen bestimmt wieder danke an alle die uns immer wieder freude bereiten besonders an Signed: 'Haris, Tula, Aris, Maria, Monikaki; Jörg, Toni, Koko, Gorgo, Joana, Dimitri, Manolis und und und........ *Well..... hello 'Htammjtkgjdmuuu' (strange name - maybe code) you obviously did not pay attention to your English teacher! You obviously cannot spell - 'englisch' (English) 'Deutsch' (German) and lord knows what Freud - 'freude' - would have said...!! But don't go away, we are producing a German Language version for you... (Sorry!- But I really enjoyed it...WB) ____________________ (Oben: Cretanvista`s Sprachzauberin, Gudrun Harms, die normalerweise in Düsseldorf, Deutschland, lebt, kommt regelmäßig nach Kreta, wo sie und ihr Mann Klaus ein Ferienhaus besitzen. Sie übersetzt die deutsche Version unserer Seite. Gratis. Umsonst. Abgesehen davon – sie ist eine sehr nette Person, obgleich sie nicht glaubte, dass ich ein gutes Photo von ihr machen würde. Was meinen Sie?). ____________________
House FOR SALE... Cretanvista is a free site. We accept neither cash nor gratuities and sell nothing. We don't carry paid for advertising. But we do try to give you information which you might want to know about. If you are looking for a house in Crete here is a private sale in SPILIA by an English couple - a house and an attached apartment suitable for holiday letting. No Agents involved. We know this couple - have a look on the following link.. www.crete-house-sale.com Accommodation in Astratigos FOR RENT.... For rent - the first house on the left as you enter Astratigos from Afrata - a magnificent cream and green affair sporting two balconies and a small pool at the front and containing two holiday apartments - is now for rent. Winter in Astratigos maybe? Tel: 00 30 28240 222243. You can see inside at: www.villa-astratigos.co.uk TWO HOLIDAY VILLAS... .. Another local owner has carried out some superb traditional renovation on a ruined house - and has renovated what was his own accommodation - maybe for your holidays! Book and check availability at:- Holiday-rentals.com In Kolimbari - right on the beach near the tavernas:- The Grand Bay Beach Hotel Visit Interdynamic's website. ______________ www.provencebeyond.com Well worth a visit if you are interested in France, especially the southern parts.
FERRY SERVICES Both ANEK and Blue Star Ferries have car ferry services between Souda Bay and Piraeus. Although an obvious competitor to the resident Anek Lines the Blue Star service times do not conflict from Souda. Anek currently leaves Chania at 9.00pm whilst Blue Star leave at 11.30pm. WEBSITE LINKS
Moving to Crete - Practical Advice.. 'Notes on Greece' is a British Embassy publication which gives information on matters relating to Greece. Obtaining a copy first hand from the British Consulate in Iraklion (Heraklion) will ensure that you have the most recent edition - and professional contacts with up-to-date and wide ranging knowledge on matters relating to Crete. Contact the consulate via:- : crete@british-consulate.gr An e-mail copy is available as a Microsoft word file - a very fast email of very useful information. COPYRIGHT All material on the site is strictly copyright. Any use in mass distribution - in print or on websites for example, needs our consent. Please respect!		A little more German - Otto Rehhgel! And that does include Otto... Last month we reported that Greek President Costas Stephanopoulos had made it clear to German football coach Otto Rehhagel, coach to the Greek National team, that Greece would welcome a decision to remain here following their magnificent E.U. Cup victory... Germany wanted him back to coach their national team for the 2008 world cup... The news is that Otto remains here in Greece - don't expect the world, but don't be surprised in the future! ____________________ Olympic Games Websites The links within the official Olympic websites (Olympic and paralympic) seem to have changed a little with the start of the Paralympics. The official links below will still take you to the appropriate home page - but take care cheek that you are on the correct page before continuing to click. The left hand column on their home page has the main links - read it carefully.

Earthquakes. Wobbling Still.....

Earthquake activity in Greece continues as usual. There were only four reports of note reported during August, although the last was a little close to home:-

02 Aug: 4.1 Richter Scale 6.59am - Gastouni, north western Peloponnese. The epicenter was reported to be off the south-western coast of the island.

02 Aug: 4.0 Richter Scale --.-- - Two 'quakes. The undersea epicenters were reported to have been between the Peloponnese and the island of Zakinthos. Link to story.

03 Aug: Series of three earthquakes in the area of the Kos and the Dodecanese Islands:-

             4.6 Richter Scale 08.34am
             4.5 Richter Scale 12.40pm
             5.1 Richter Scale 16.00pm

The 'quakes were felt on several Dodecanese islands to some degree, including Kos, Kolymnos, Rhodes Nisyros, Symi and Leros.   Link to story.

04 Aug: Two further earthquakes in the area of the Kos and the Dodecanese Islands:-

             5.7 Richter Scale 06.00am
             5.5 Richter Scale 07.30am

The undersea epicenters were reported to have been in Turkish waters.

24 Aug: Another two 'quakes. The epicenters were reported to have been at Psachna, Evia:-

             4.5 Richter Scale 15.38pm
             3.5 Richter Scale 15.41pm

Link to story.

Earthquakes are a common feature of life in Greece and rarely cause any damage. The problem is that the ones that do are unpredictable. However, at least one professor believes that there will be at least 4 major quakes in the future. Story Link.

              ________________________________

A little site news...

Paul Smith, our site bird-watcher extraordinaire has (at last) listened to reason and obtained his first internet connection - and an up-to-the-minute computer to go with it .....

Paul has been contributing his page regularly with almost clockwork precision, since August 2001. Three years worth of regular monthly sightings here in north west Crete, lifted directly from his own diary.

We have never counted the number of sightings he has reported, or lots of other facts and figures he has accumulated.   E-mail - paulsmith@cretanvista.gr
             ________________________________

COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT
All of the material produced by Cretanvista is copyright and belongs to someone who has spent time, effort and money to produce it.

We are often willing to allow the use of our material to be used for personal purposes. For example our calendar photographs can be used to reproduce the pictures for your own calendars or to hang on granny's bedroom wall.

We will however, take action against anyone we discover using in our materials in any mass distribution exercise, especially for financial gain, unless specifically authorised by us and we are acknowledged as the source in the reproduction.
________________________________

In the News...

We don't mean to rub this in, again, but...
Didn't the Olympics just go so well? The Olympic flame arrived right on time at the Acropolis the previous evening, and was conveyed to the Olympic stadium likewise; the absolutely stunning opening ceremony complete with Greek Gods, the games themselves - 11,292 competing athletes from 202 countries - 75 of which took home a total of 5,780 medals and one athlete, Kelly Holmes of the United Kingdom, two gold medals of her own - in the womens 800 and 1500 metres. Emulating her countryman Albert Hill in the 1920 Antwerp Games. One of only six Britons to have ever won two medals at the same games - the last being Ethel Hannam (tennis), in 1912 at the Stockholm games.

But don't lets forget the others at the games. The architects; the builders; the volunteers; the entertainers; the press; and not least the spectators who came to watch. The latter deserve a collective 'gold' for attending in record numbers from all over the world in spite of the doom and gloom soothsayers predicting Armageddon to anyone setting foot in Athens. Ticket sales won a Gold. The entertainers; artists; dancers; choreographers; and musicians were absolute magic. Gold. Athens Metro; tramcar; electric rail and urban transport. Gold. And how did most people arrive and depart Greece? Athens International Airport. No contest. Gold! GOLD! The broadcasters? 4 billion people across the world came to at least a part of Athens for at least a little time courtesy of TV broadcasts. Undisputed Gold.

ATHOC - Gold. Samaransk who originally announced the IOC decision to award the games to Athens - I shall never forget the TV presentation - "and the winning city is - Athens!" he proclaimed. He was absolutely right... Athens was the winning city; Greece was the winning country. The whingers - moaners - the "I placed a dud in the Olympic stadium" bombers, well, most of them have apologised. Gold to Ann Killion of Mercury News.com.

Just a couple stood out from the crowd as being unable to get their pens' round it - so both - along with the Mexican news men attempting a re-enactment of "Plane-spotters II" - get my gold medal medal awards for sour grapes. And Leonidas Sabanis, the weight-lifter stripped of his bronze, was telling the truth when he said he did not take drugs - no one believes that he did and I hope that eventually he gets a Gold for proving it!

The closing ceremony was magic, and the handing over the Olympic flag by Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki (via Jacques Rogge IOC President) to Wang Qishan, mayor of Beijing, China, was followed by a stunning display of Chinese culture. I have already read what may be the first derogatory news report about the next games, so if they follows the line taken on Athens, Beijing should be good. See you there. Kalo Taxidi!!

Live People...Paralympic Games...
Olympic volunteers can be found almost everywhere you can find people and their main objective is to assist visitors.

A word of Caution - Still needed...
But do remember - no public official should ask you for payment of any kind. Indeed, remembering cases such as fraudulent police; fraudulent bus inspectors; and unlicensed taxi drivers which have occurred, what you have in your wallet is entirely your own concern - don't let anyone 'help' you with it. Keep your passport secure and make credit card payment for goods, especially in restaurants, only in your presence!! And don't forget the receipts....

I'm off to watch the paralympic opening ceremony! If you miss it don't worry, it will be replayed for years to come!

Olympic Lost Property..
If, like me, your best (hand made by your wife) sweater is (hopefully) still at Athens International Airport or anywhere else en-route to or from the Olympics Games sites try the official site link first.
________________________________

Well, that's about it for now.....
We seem to spent a good deal of time on the Olympic Games which are taking place mainly in Athens.

But don't let that fool you. The Pankritiko Stadium in Heraklion is a new football stadium - built specially for the Olympics, was where the Iraqi football team, who left home in a RAAF Hercules wearing bullet-proof vests - beat the Australian team 1-0 on Saturday 28th August.

Then we have our own renowned Eleni Daniilidou, only 22 years old and from our own City of Chania. Eleni was knocked out in two straight sets by the Russian Anastasia Myskina, who went on to take the bronze medal. But by that time there were only 15 players, including herself, left. Eleni had previously beaten Catalina Castano in 2 straight sets in the first round and Magdelina Maleena 2-1(Bulgaria)in the second. Not bad. At all..

Well - did you believe the original inventor/s of the cuckoo clock? (Last Month -this space) Or did you enjoy the biggest and best Olympics in their history? And where did you think they got the olive wreaths? Crete of course! A lot of them anyway.

Kalos Ilthate Stin Kriti!
________________________________

E-Mail Requests..
I receive some brilliant e-mails - really - and they are very welcome. But sometimes there is no acknowledgement that our answer has been received. We don't mind, but worry occasionally that someone may not have received an answer from us and think the worse of us! We will ALWAYS reply to e-mail so please, if you have mailed us and not received an answer - resend your mail - we didn't get it or have somehow overlooked it. Our response time is usually within 48 hours.

Personal Information..
We have been asked in the past to help locate people. We would love to be able to assist but regret that are unable to do this. There is fuller comment in previous issues of CV News.

Questions and Answers..
Quite a lot of questions are received here at Cretanvista and, as with e-mails and other forms of communication, we do our best to supply valid answers. We never respond "Off the Top of our Heads" but always research the answer - even if we already have one (things change) before passing the information on. We provide links to appropriate alternative sources where we have them. The answers are given with the proviso that recipients are responsible for any action taken by them.

Guest Book. E-mail links are accepted. Website URL, Bulletin board and chat-room style links are not. Website links are removed automatically to prevent inclusion of sites without agreement.

Book Reviews.
Because each book review is original - we steal nothing from the book covers or the reviews of others - it takes a little longer to deal with each. No point our reviewing the reviews when what readers really want to know about is the content! 'Books and good reading'.

View Cretanvista Calendar Photos 2003
(2004 Calendar Photos en- route) We have still not yet decided this years format or theme. Certainly we have enough photographs to choose from - and we are also, in addition, trying to build a specialist calendar of birds - photographs are always welcome. (Please email us first).

Bird Watchers.
Paul Smiths' bird watching diary page remains very popular and hopefully Paul is well into his September 2004 diary. We are sincerely indebted to visitors who have supplied photographs. Currently we are displaying these in CVNews, (no room again this month). Hopefully we will receive enough to start a gallery of Cretan sightings.

mailto:Webmaster@cretanvista.gr

Book Review News. Newly completed.

*'Eleni' by Nicolas Gage. Published by Harvill - (ISBN 1 86046 346 0) first published 1983. Reprinted.

This is his true story of a son seeking to avenge his mothers murder by ELAS Guerillas during the Greek civil war. Real. Compelling. Harrowing in the extreme. Revealing the Greek psych as nothing I have ever read. But, unless you have no feelings, it could haunt you forever...... 'Read the review'.

EDITOR: The review, preparation interrupted by my illness, was, as promised, completed by our reviewer Ann Lisney. The real-life climax, when Nicolas Cage finally tracks down and confronts the man he holds responsible for the murder of his mother, is left totally for the reader. Superb. Don't miss this.

*'Patouchas' - Ioannis Kondylakis. Kondylakis died in 1920 but his story of the rites of passage from uncouth shepherd youth to civilised villager has become a classic. Cretan throughout. Read the review

Making a Garden on a Greek Hillside - Jaqueline Tyrwhitt - Isn't this just what we all want to do?! Superb plant detail. The story of buying a plot; building a house: moving in; making a garden; Greek life - feastings, fastings, festivals and name days are a real bonus. Read the review.

Land of Crete - George Meis. Brilliant photography, superb artwork. Beautiful photographic genius from George Meis. Unfortunately we can't show you as we have yet to receive permission to publish a few pictures. But watch this space...   Read the review.

Still the Best Nature - 'Moments of Cretan Nature' by Anastasios Sakoulis, (ISBN: 960-91979-0-6) "Stigmotipa Tis Kritikis Freesis" in Greek - is a super book with some magnificent photographs. Our review is accompanied by a small photo gallery - our first review to do so. Our site pictures (from the book - with permission) are, we think, nice! The printed pictures in the book are in almost all cases very much bigger, nicer!

Reviews in Preparation...

Can this be you.....or yours?
Every so often when I am out and about taking photographs I come across someone who could be you - or something which could be yours (or theirs!!). Maybe passing in the opposite direction on a full tandem bicycle (yes, that happened); an unattended car with foreign plates; something which catches my eye and leaves me not knowing......... Either there was no one to ask or they were moving too quickly! I thought that perhaps site visitors might like to see or be able to help identify one or two 'unknowns' which have left me wondering who, or what I have missed.   Is this yours?



           Near the Venetian Fort, Rethymnon, Crete

  Probably scrap by now - Manufacturer/Year Unknown
    (Information is gratefully received and databased)

Until next month, best wishes from here on Crete. WB