Snow and sombas

The first snows have powdered the peaks of the high mountains of the Lefka Ori. These mountains are about 1000 metres higher than Ben Nevis, and even the mountain behind the village is 300 metres higher than Britain’s biggest mountain. Fortunately it is still too low for snow for the time being.

The weather is starting to get colder now and today the MINIMUM temperature was below 10 degrees for the first time. However it still managed to rise to 15 degrees during the day in spite of a spot of rain. Nevertheless, once the sun sets the temperature cools and we have had to light the stove (“somba”) in the evenings for the first time. I am warned to watch out for scorpions when bringing in the wood, but so far none to be seen. It will be interesting to see how we cope without central heating during the winter!

Actually off to buy an electric blanket tomorrow if we are lucky…..

Cretan wine

Cretan Wine

When we first came we were warned that Cretan wine was not as innocent as it may seem. The wines tend to be drunk when young and only special wines are laid down for any period of time. The latter are found in specialist wine shops in the cities, otherwise are bought from the supermarket or someone in the village. The supermarkets have a wide range of wines of differing prices, some quite cheap, but very drinkable. The village wines can be bought from the local kafenion or someone in the village, either way, it will come in old plastic water bottles or containers, but vary from verey drinkable to what can politely described as needing an acquired taste. Last but not least…and to be most wary of, are the wines bottled locally without labels and available from local tavernas. They are very palatable fortified wines of God knows what proof, and likely to do damage to head and/or stomach.

With renown Cretan hospitality it is not easy to decline the offer of these fearful wines. Personally, I have rather a liking for “Gazoza”, the local non-alcoholic fizzy drink …. But of course, there’s also Amstel, Mythos, Zorba and many other beers to try

Scorpion in my trousers

Scorpion in my trousers

Just when you think that you are safe, the other morning I went to put on my jeans only to find that as I put my leg in, a scorpion shot out of the bottom of the jeans…. much to the later amusement of others. Apparently, you have to have medical treatment if a scorpion stings you.

The village was in uproar last week as there has been a robbery in the village! An elderly neighbour had some money stolen by a sneak thief. Her house was partially ransacked, but the only other thing taken was a bunch of bananas. Now there’s an interesting clue for the police…

Talking of crimes and misdemeanours, it is reckoned that 80% of men on Crete possess guns, which probably means that I’m the only one in the village who doesn’t. I suppose that this is not surprising as young men are conscripted into the army at the age of 18, and consequently, are used to handling firearms, whereas, my experience goes back to firing a .22 rifle at funfairs when I was a youth. This week the Greek news is full of police going mob handed to the village of Zoniana (50 kilometres from here), which is in the “golden triangle” where the primary agricultural crop is cannabis. Several police got shot, and now there is a public outcry. Apparently they don’t mind tourists there, but I may give it a wide birth – I would not like to scrape the paintwork of someone’s new car there!

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