Greetings. What a long time it has
been since the last blog. In that time, we have tried to do all
sorts of exciting things but have been a bit hampered by a few bugs
and nasties. But enough of all that for now.
Crete has been hot, hot, hot for the
summer holiday period and water is beginning to run a little short because the supply is diverted to the hotels
and complexes nearby the beaches to ensure visitors' holidays go
well. This means that villages in the interior can have unexpected
water cuts at any time. There are plenty of alerts for forest fires
and the hillsides are crackling and desiccated in the long hot days.
After five years of living here, we are now used to this and always
have at least 4 great containers of water for emergencies at any
given time and the hosepipes on standby (for fires anyway). The
small bridge over the stream where the bamboo used to grow has been
completely bulldozed and a new bridge built. This must have
accounted for some of the water cuts and we wonder if the job will
ever get finished as the road surface is extremely bumpy still.
However, as Pa and Ma Crozier have had long term tummy bugs during
this period, things have been a bit dicey and we are in the process
of getting ourselves checked out, in case it is something out of the
ordinary. Five weeks and counting is over the top for these sorts of
complaints. Ma Crozier spent two of the five weeks in the UK and had
a miserable time formulating an appendix to the Lonely Planet Guide
to the loos of Devon and Staffordshire, whilst on the move.
Here in Crete, Panormo is ultra full
and busy, our village is full and busy. The square is full of newish
cars with top boxes which means that people are staying in the
village for August holidays. We have just returned from a meal at
the big kafeneon in the Square, where Christina, the Mayor's wife and
Vasso, her daughter in law have cooked us a lovely meal of chicken,
fried potatoes and salad and explained that she had been up early
this morning cooking a variety of breakfast for 18 people
simultaneously. Everybody wanted something different. Busy, busy,
busy but good for getting the bills paid! By contrast, Perama was
practically deserted this morning because all the locals were at the
Monastery in Margarites for Panagyri.
We braved Rethymno on Thursday because
K needed to have his big three monthly hormone jab (eeeek!) and I
attempted to attend Makers Group which seemed to have been shouldered
aside by some other display of crafts meaning that our table was not
available and people kept turning up and leaving again as there was
nowhere to sit. Several weeks back, the Makers had agreed to put
together some brightly coloured drawstring bags with patchwork
pockets so that the next time the CIC makes a presentation to the
Autistic School, we can present the personal items/toiletries/art
materials wrapped in items to make the gifts a bit more individual
and special. I have made eight so far and I think we need about 30.
Early in the morning, we met up with long term friends Dimitri and
Michelle and their daughter Kiki – not having seen them for 12 years since
their move to Luxembourg. It was great to catch up. Later on
Thursday evening, we were honoured to be invited by the family of
Geoff Hope to the committal of ashes down at the sea's edge in Bali at
sun down. It was the most beautiful evening with shadows over the
hills and a light breeze. Sad times, with a family and loads of
friends who will miss him for a long time to come. The evening went
well and livened up with a beautiful meal for many guests and Greek
dancing at the village taverna in Exantas later on that evening.
As for the UK, it was interesting to
spend time in Staffordshire and Devon. I had three magnificently
sunny days staying with a good friend in Totnes and going to talks at
Dartington at Ways With Words. The shopping in Totnes was brilliant
with very few chain stores and lots of independent traders – a full
array of tea shops, coffee shops and arts/crafts/sewing stores. I
was in my element, apart from the tummy situation and we even managed
to squeeze in a visit to a wonderful pottery in the back of beyond
and an amazingly attractive lady artist – who was once the model
for Picasso! Meanwhile, poor K was stuck at home doing very little
at all.
Once back in Stone, I took myself off
to the Pottery Museum in Stoke on Trent to see what the UK had to
offer to compare with all the marvellous museums in Greece. The train journey from Stone was a bit of an adventure and I seemed to get embroiled in the adventures of two people delivering vehicles for a living, who has missed a vital train and wondering whether they would get home before midnight. Not wishing to share taxis or delay any longer I raced to the taxi rank to get a ride from the station to the Museum and spent 20 minutes trying to get the driver to identify which Museum I wanted to go to as there are an array of museums to choose from. When I got there, I hoofed around murky rooms full of a quantity of highly embellished stuff in dark sticky
looking glazes. Literally thousands of cow creamers and ugly vases. Crinoline ladies, shepherdesses lined up in their dozens, teapots and plant stands filled every corner. Venturing into another room to see the Staffordshire Hoard was enticing but this surely could not possibly
have been the full collection of the Hoard. What I saw was miniscule and needed magnifying glasses to examine
the pieces properly. At the risk of being labelled an 'Archaeology
Snob', I will say no more than it was a bit disappointing. Note to
Self: Try the Wedgewood Museum next time.
On my return to Crete, the deadline to
download Windows 10 caused consternation. Our perfectly good computer was whirring
all night and downloaded 99% refusing to go any
further. So we are still running on the 'old' system. If it all goes quiet for a lengthy period, it is
because we are both still scratching our heads and trying to decipher
advice from the “Help Community”. All this unnecessary stuff is
keeping us at full stretch!
Wishing you a very good Summer wherever
you are.
