SMOKEY SEPTEMBER

On 23^rd September, Pa and Ma Crozier had been married 44 years and considering all the adventures of recent years, each new year is given over to celebrating just being here. We decided to backtrack to The Emerald Hotel in Plaka which we had visited briefly in June and rebooked for a few more days over a long weekend.

In addition, we took delivery of a new (to us) car which came our way almost by accident but which was being offered by an English couple returning to the UK and being sold at a reasonable cost. We thought we would have a problem selling our little faithful run-about but there have been two or three interested parties, so things may work out happily all round. Anyway, we took the new car through its paces to Plaka – across a couple of mountains and down lots of hairpin bends to the coast and it performed beautifully. We were alarmed to hear that the original owners had it cleaned and valeted every two weeks and felt obliged to clean it on our arrival home in case it had been splashed by sea spray. We will try to keep it up, but life being what it is …..

Until last week the hot, dry days had continued and we were roused one afternoon by the sound of a helicopter zooming back and forth carrying a telltale bucket of water to deal with brush fires on the mountains. Four or five trips by the helicopter fire service banished the fire which we could see from the terrace on the distant hills disappearing into smoke and steam, but the following night, a larger and more serious fire took hold near to Rik the Builders house, but it was put out after an hour or so by two helicopters working flat out. The following day, everyone was relieved to welcome the first shower of rain for months to cool everything down a bit.

So now the weather is much cooler, which is rather nice. The second visit to Plaka at the end of the year meant that the gardens were less flowery, the hotel staff much more exhausted and the morning croissants slightly less crispy (!) we are getting a bit too fussy in our old age, but we had a wonderful rest and were glad to escape from the village where there seems to be massive amounts of activity now that the weather is on the change. When we arrived home, Kostas and Angeliki from the kafeneon had been hacking leaves off the lower branches of our tree outside so that the goats could get some fresh stuff to eat and most of the branches had been reduced to bare sticks. In a few days, we will need to set about pollarding all the branches and gathering up everything for disposal. Sadly the wood does not burn at all! Yianni the Painter finished waterproofing the roofs over one weekend, just before it rained and we felt to be ahead of the game for this year at least.

Sister in law Anna is beginning to get really fed up with being held up at home until the hardware is retrieved from her broken ankle and can only manage limited hopping on the “good” leg, whose knee is barely recovered from the last breakage. It is all very frustrating and in many ways a waste of the best part of a year. We hope that physiotherapy gets her up and moving as soon as the Doctor gives the go ahead and Anna is back up to speed again.

Our Makers Group meets at the Kimolia Cafe in a secluded little square in Rethymnon every Thursday at 11.00 am.  Makers and other friends have come up trumps with all the drawstring bags which we wanted to make for the children at the Autistic School when we next buy supplies for them. My old manual sewing machine inherited from my grandmother has developed a loud squeak from its hard work and I am wondering whether there is still anyone who would be able to service it for me in this age of electricity! K suggested WD40, but I have my doubts. Anyway, I now calculate that we have thirty (either made or on their way), so bravo to everybody who helped.

Uta, Carole, Femke, Anne, Steph and Trish busy making ...

Crete has two growing seasons, so after the long, hot summer and a few refreshing September showers many plants which have sizzled in the hot sun send up shoots and start to grow as if it is Spring again. In consequence, the garden and the outside stretches of the house all need a good “Autumn” cleaning to get rid of the Summer dirt and dust and changeover of furniture. The porch table and chairs are folded away and the pallets arranged ready for winter logs. All the dead leaves from the tree outside have to be swept into huge bags and retrieved from behind the big flower pots and dark corners where the wind lodges them. A few pots will need fresh plants and just cleaning the upstairs and downstairs terraces takes the whole of the day.

The tourist clientelle has changed now that all the schools are back, so that most of the tourists are our age (= over 60s) and enjoying the chance to enjoy less crowded beaches, set off on lovely country walks and take things in a leisurely way. We are vastly amused to see hired cars negotiate the very narrow alley ways as far as the small kafeneon and try to get any further. Whichever way they turn from the little plateia (tiny square), there is no way through, so watching them speed past along a narrow track always means that we nod to each other with knowing grins and, lo and behold three minutes later they reappear, very flustered trying to reverse their way out again. We really do need to put some “No Through Road” signs up but it would spoil all the fun. Very occasionally, the occupants ease out of the car bringing their maps with them and stop for refreshment before summoning up the energy to find their way out of the maze! When I first set off by car, I was heartily embarrassed and intimidated at directions given by at least three people seated around the little square all shouting at once. It reminds me of the day we bought the chairs, but that is another story and how much has changed since then.

Kalo dromo! Go to the good!

SCORCHIO!

A couple of nights this week have cooled down with breezes through the open windows and we unearthed thin woollen blankets for the early hours when a single sheet is just not quite warm enough. Although the days are lovely, the hillsides are now the colour of burnt earth. What a relief that it will be getting cool enough to get some exterior painting on the go without the poor person on the ladder burning to a crisp and the paint drying on the brush.

Yianni the painter just dropped by the house and asked; did we want to have the roof painted on Sunday (his day off!). A resounding reply, “Yes, please!” from us came back without hesitation as the Autumn rains can't be far off, the swallows have already left and we noted long lines of geese flying in formation this week from East to West on their migration. We have the paint supplies all ready and Yianni has helped us this year paint both upstairs and downstairs so that we look half way respectable at last. Yianni has been taught, by my earstwhile husband, a few words in English which he greets us with every time he sees us. “Hello baby, are you with anybody, do you drink red wine?” This greeting is always followed by a quick smack from me in the direction of earstwhile husband and the query, “why on earth couldn't you teach him something a bit more useful?” Anyway, we have been made over a bit; disposed of some clutter and the walls look good – albeit temporarily – until the coatings catch a load of winter dampness and slide off the walls again. It all makes work for the working man to do! K is negotiating already (even while the daytime temperatures are scorching) for the winter wood supply. We're well in the groove now!

All in all it has been a bit of a week. Our feet haven't touched the ground and long, lazy days on the beach are almost a distant memory back to our first summer here. Last weekend, our friends Mike and Felicity celebrated their Ruby Wedding with a huge barbecue and instead of gifts requested donations to the Red Cross. Their village priest is a Red Cross volunteer and initiated a great round of Greek dancing and with many of their friends over from England, we had a wonderful evening.

Unbelievably, sister in law Anna fell down at home for the second time and having just recovered from a broken knee and gaining a bit of confidence to get out and about again broke her other ankle in two places. She has been in hospital for 12 days, bolted and plated and the hospital has been good, but its terribly boring. Thank heavens Rik the Builder was working nearby and able to come to her rescue when it happened.

There must be an EU Plum Mountain somewhere which landed in the middle of our village last week. An overwhelming supply of dessert plums arrived in crates and were stacked outside the taverna in the Square. Apostoli, the Mayor, urged everyone to take one or two crates and we have all been bottling plums and devising (in my case) some DELICIOUS plum sauce. Bring on the crispy duck! We still haven't finished all the bottled peaches from last summer, but it has reminded me to get them out of the cupboard and use them before it is too late.

Then we have a new arrival in the village, Liz's sister Steph, who can turn her hand to anything and is trying to earn a bit here and there by decorating, tiling and furniture construction. We have been trying to help her settle in a bit and find her way about. By some miracle, she has two decent jobs already - painting the school and helping paint another large house. Quite an achievement for a newcomer in this village.

If this wasn't enough excitement (for a small, sleepy village) a new car for us turned up unexpectedly as some people we know are returning to the UK and need to sell their motor. The bureaucracy will take us most of the day on Monday with photocopies of all our ID and car documents which are entered into the system and then getting each other back to their respective homes once it is all complete. Steph is very interested in our old runabout, which would be a very practical motor for her and solve quite a number of problems in sourcing and getting supplies for work. RESULT!

K and I had just realised that it had been AGES since we had spent a day on the beach and were tentatively making plans when a phone call came to scotch that idea and I had to jump in the car and drive to Rethymnon. However, I stopped off on the way back at Panormo and K took his trusty quad bike down the steep slopes to the Limni beach. Kostas who runs the taverna there was so glad to see us after months of absence that he sent over an extra bottle of Retsina as a free gift. So nice of him, but we really had had enough already and it made getting home a bit worrisome. It meant spilling some accidentally on purpose to drive home in one piece.

Near Georgopolis - not Panormo!

The beaches are still full, mostly retired tourists at this time of year. I was mightily amused by Grigoris, our taxi driver, when he said that the elderly folk who came early and late in the season were easily the best customers as they usually gave generous tips! Basking in such appreciation and September sunshine, we leave you to your September pursuits and wish you a very Happy Autumn!