Chronicles of the Week 14th May

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Week of 14th May (possibly)

Cretan Gardening News

It’s like a magic garden… everything seems to grow! Most of the fruit trees have had blossom, so we may even get some fruit this year. The vegetable patch is a topic of conversation in the village as it’s in the front garden, but it’s flourishing and gets the nod of the locals, though we probably do very strange things .. the English way. Even my hollyhock seeds seem to have taken!

Village News

Two invitations received, one to attend a wedding in Thessoloniki in June and the second, to join a neighbour on a shooting party in Sfakia. The first sounds fine, the second will illustrate my limited experience of guns to .22 rifles at the Dreamland funfair in Margate as a teenager! Not certain whether the prize will be the same cuddly toy?

Actually, I had a further invite by a neighbour to the killing of his rabbits this morning but I found another pressing engagement. Squeamish? You bet….

Jam Making

J has spent all afternoon putting her “O” level in Home Economics in to practice at long last, making home-made marmalade from local oranges. Maybe I’ll make a marmalade tart or something.

Bamboo

Now in England we used to grow tomato plants and support them with long weedy bamboo canes. We repeated the process here, only for it to be dismissed by our neighbour, M, who immediately took me in his pick-up into the wilds of the nearby countryside to cut proper canes an inch thick and four metres high from a reedbed, which belonged to who knows. M showed us how to construct a low frame which would support the weight of Cretan tomatoes. Just like Ray Mears bushcraft …… (I should have taken more attention to his TV programmes).

Every day life is certainly different here. So many simple things to learn.

Curious Weather

Just as we were patting ourselves on the back for having got an air-conditioning unit installed, the hot weather immediately changed to two days of torrential rain. Water pouring down the road threatened to pour into the saturated garden, but we escaped being washed away – though we had a front garden like the Somme. On the plus side, the house seemed to stand up to the test of heavy rain, with no signs of leaks!


Never on a Sunday

On the issue of water, the pressure from the taps seemed to drop dramatically on Sunday, and on enquiry, this is quite usual … so no showers on Sundays then?

Rufus nearly meets Shawn
It may be uncommon in Crete, but it would have certainly been unexpected in England to find a flock of sheep in your front garden! They must have jumped the wall from the road whilst being driven to a new field. Fortunately Rufus and Bufffy happened to be in the house at the time! Phew!

Sorry no photos yet

We have only dial-up, but will try again at the internet cafe ha ha

Chronicles Week of 6th May 2007

Week of 6th May

Like winning the World Cup

Burrells 1 v. OTE 0

Great success! We have actually got a telephone line. J’s determined phone call to OTE Vamos last Friday, conducted solely in Greek appears to have had a positive result. Two vans came this morning, lots of pointing by the men …. and then just went away. An hour later, another pickup appeared with two technicians. One of the guys seemed very agitated, gesturing furiously, and waving at the junction box nearby. J realised that the problem was a wasps nest in the box opposite and the was simply asking did we have a spray! Once dealt with, the line went up and now we await to see if it works tomorrow, as promised. Mind you, a hand set would be useful!

Update: Sunday morning 9.10 man from OTE arrives, walks in picks up receiver, and wow it all works! Hurrah

Six weeks into the Cretan Adventure

We still seem on track to settle here on the island, though there are still lots to do, like installing a cooker hood, air-conditioning etc., as well as buying things for the house. We are rather proud
of achieving what we have … sometimes against the odds. J’s working knowledge of Greek has helped significantly, even just getting to know people in the village.

Perhaps, we have learnt to cope with both the good and bad of each day and look for the positives. It would be easy to get disheartened or give up at times, but persevence is the watchword. The important things are done, so we can relax a little and find time to enjoy our new life. We miss our family in England, but we do not miss the life we had … especially work!

Maybe we will be able to go for a swim this week 8-) .

The Beach
At last , an afternoon at the beach. A visit to our old holiday haunt, “Mike’s Oasis” in Georgioupolis, for a welcome drink and eats and a touch of sun as well. Now this is what we came for, the lazy days without the fortnight flight back. Nice to be a tourist again

Chronicles Week of 30th April

Week of 30th April


It’s Raining

Today is May Day and a national holiday, with most of the shops in Vrysses closed. The internet café continues to be unable to get a connection for about 50% of the time, no really good for business? Guess what, this afternoon it’s actually raining – much to everyone’s surprise.
It’s Raining

Today is May Day and a national holiday, with most of the shops in Vrysses closed. The internet café continues to be unable to get a connection for about 50% of the time, no really good for business? Guess what, this afternoon it’s actually raining – much to everyone’s surprise.

Silence of the Lamb

Since we came here, several times we have seen a young lamb gambolling with children in the street with young children. Yesterday, the harsh reality of life hit home, when we walked past S’s house to see the freshly slaughtered carcass of the lamb being carried from the avli. Returning from our walk the lamb was hung from a tree in muslin. Just something to get used to.

Bananas

We brought a large blue fruit bowl with us from England. Since we have been here the bowl has almost perpetually remained full, thanks to the kind gifts of oranges and lemons from neighbours. Mandarins come from the “Tiri” (cheese) van which visits the village every Friday and now stops outside the Englishwoman’s house…. which leaves only bananas from the local INKA supermarket.

Chronicles Week of 23rd April

Week of 23rd April


The Accordion Player of Hania

On one of our trips to Hania, a slight change of turn down a lane in the old town, took us along the sea walls of the old fortress. To our delight an old accordion player was sitting “busking” by the walls. Such haunting and plaintive music, which brings back the sounds of Greece in the early twentieth century.

Cretan Dogs

I mentioned previously Rufus taste for olives, but also interesting is the disappearance of Buffy’s arthritis in her hindquarters. In recent years she has suffered and has been taking Rimidyl tablets to ease the condition. Suddenly, in warmer climes, she is moving freely again and we have reduced her medical by 50%. Indeed, like us the dogs have changed their habits, Buffy no longer a couch potato, now spending most of the day dozing in the dapple sunlight under the olive trees.

More trees
At the weekend we purchased from a new garden centre in Vrysses seven fruit trees for the garden – orange, lemon, mandarin, nectarine, apricot, cherry and pomegranate. We have planted four of the trees around the final loping of the big tree. The lemon has one fruit and the orange looks to be forming fruit as well. Despite a contradiction of opinion we are hopeful of some success. M. helped plant the nectarine, demonstrating how pathetic our own attempts had been with the others.

However, J did get praise for her tomato plants and others….

S in the Kafenion, gave J a surprise present of his seeds for our garden when we went for bread and the post. Maybe we have been forgiven for the tree?


Wild West

Since we arrived, Vrysses has resembled a wild west town with an extremely wet, potholed and muddy main street. On Monday, the whole street was dug up closing it to all but the most determined motorist. I think that I will give it amiss.


Day of the Donkey

A donkey has arrived to graze in the field opposite, much to the interest of Buffy and Rufus. The donkey seems to be vying with a yaya for the best horta. S’s cat seems to delight in stalking its game on the wall parallel to the garden, which irritates B & R no end, but the cat takes no notice of the barking. Gav and Gav next door seem to frighten any intruders away, but the dogs largely take no interest.

Slave of Time

I think that it was George Woodcock, TUC leader in the sixties and seventies, who spoke of British workers being the slave of time. Fortunately, it is the exact opposite on the island. The cheese van may visit the village on Friday or not, the buses may arrive at 11.30 or not, so I have not worn a watch since we arrived and the alarm clock is our only insurance of getting up in time to go any where. In fact, the whole day ends when the tasks are done for the day, and the evening meal finished.

Weekly chronicle 16th April

Week 16th April 2007


Efforts to purchase a car thwarted by lack of Residence Permit. Having failed at Vrisses Police Station on Friday as the manager was away in Athens – come back in May – G, the Toyota salesman, plus M, took us to Rethymnon police station to try again. Using his sway to reduce the time lag from three weeks to one week, we think that something is happening. It is a little unfortunate and somewhat off-putting that the police look and dress as one would expect criminals to appear!

On the plus side, and every day seems to have one, we found our way back to the electrical shop (thanks to the kind help of a local) to purchase a vital electric kettle. Can’t be bad. We also attempted to buy replacement light bulbs with less success.

The donkey passed by this afternoon as it has done every day since we came and maybe Rufus has stopped barking at it at last.

Rufus has taken a liking to olives which he finds fallen to the ground…. Don’t know about the stones yet? Buffy just lazes around in the sun, though only 22 degrees today - cloudy.

M's sheep have been in the field for a week now, but the two pigs at the back of the house have disappeared, presumably having met their fate.

Yesterday we drove up to Embrosneros to see the amphitheatre, we’ll probably return when we have time again.

HP Sauce

Scouring the local supermarkets throughout the Apokoronas area for brown sauce, I eventually found the elusive grail in a butchers shop in Georgioupolis whilst buying meat for dinner –in Greek.

Murder in the village

…and it was me who done it or at least engaged the assasin. I wanted to please our neighbour my removing a large olive tree in the front garden. Whilst S suggested loping the thing M and I decided to get rid of the thing and he found me a mechanico to do it for 35 euros an hour and 200 euros for the machine. Today, Friday, work started with the wood cutter turning up with chainsaws and wife. Soon branches can crashing down fortunately missing the house (Goal no.1), the branch overhanging the power line in the street hung precariously for a few moments entangled with the wire before dropping to earth (Goal no.2).

Then things started to go awry. Our English speaking local who was an ex-seaman, passed by on his motorcycle but stopped to pass the time of day, telling us firstly that he remembered the tree as a boy sixty years ago, but also that he thought it was about 500 years old. What have I done! Even J held her head. Murdered the oldest tree in the village after only three weeks here.
However, the tree will get its revenge as it is likely that it’s roots are entwined with our underground electric cable. So now there is as great debate as to whether it can be done, but in Greece it appears that once a process starts it is unstoppable. So oil lamps and candles to the ready. I am assured that it will be fine but a phone call to our architect has given him/her kittens.
No doubt I will die a noble death.


Riding shotgun


S and his wife have gone to Malta on holiday leaving the three-year-old twins with their nanny. I have been charged to accompany her to deliver and pick up from kindergarten in Maze. She has a driving license from Bulgaria but rarely drives so journeys are mostly at 20 kilometres an hour but we get there and back safely – though she tends to use the car horn (to klaxon) much the way that Madge Simpson does!


Sunday Best

The guilt of the tree hangs over us, and we remain uncertain how to continue though the power line is a major issue – if only we could convey this to our axeman. However, we did drive to Souda to locate the vets outside Champion super market, if ever needed. Traffic lights continue to baffle me but we managed to get there are back in one piece. We went with H to P’s home over the shop in Vrysses for coffee. Gleko, honey and cheese marked the hospitality of the occasion with K and son, M. This afternoon we drove over to Georgioupolis just to relax by walking along the new promenade,with its piles of new sand to replace that washed away, The beached digger has now vanished.