CIRCULAR WALKS

Happily, we have been able to get out and about recently both in the car and, more excitingly, on foot as we have discovered some beautiful walks round and about which are almost magical in the early Spring sunshine.

Early February was spent on an excursion to Heraklion where shopping, eating and visiting the Archaeology Museum were on the programme. The museum is excellent and never fails to excite us with amazing exhibits from the Bronze Age with expertly written descriptions and in stunning condition. The ceramics, which look so contemporary in design and shape, always blow me away each time I see them. We enjoyed a visit to the Curry Restaurant (rare in Crete) and even returned from Heraklion with two new carpets in traditional designs. Check out the doorway we spotted from the Curry place … it didn't look very busy for some reason but when we read it twice, we realised that we were at fault!!

One of the nicer things that has happened recently is that I have found a way of getting a good regular country walk with a nice lady who has similar interest in wild life and wild flowers, so we can go for leisurely strolls – usually a circular walk – for two or three hours once per week and enjoy the joys of nature as Spring gets under way. 

 The first walk around Roumeli and Achlade took us down through quiet olive groves where anemones and wild cyclamen were in bloom under the trees and we picked oranges and lemons which were hanging off the trees over the fences. Olive picking is over for this year and the various farmers we passed are now busy tidying up their gardens, cutting down the dead wood and storing logs for firewood. I arrived home with fists full of wild parsley, sage and thyme and promised myself to take some small plastic bags with me next time to collect some wild herbs.

The next walk took us from Panormo down country lanes to the Geropotamos river and we examined various stippled plants, orchids and carpets of yellow clover-like flowers under the olive and fruit trees. On reaching the river, we realised that the recent rainfall and snow-melt meant that the water was much deeper than we had anticipated. Other routes were tried and failed so we had to return to the crossing point and trying to waterproof our trainers as best we could. Finding discarded poly bags and trying to encase my trainers looked hilarious … Milan fashion it was not … and we crossed over with only a little dampness to contend with. The stroll along the river bank was magical and we stopped as fresh water turtles plopped from the muddy river bank into the stream and were just about visible as the sun shone over the slow flowing water. Pressing on, we came to a second crossing point where an old pallet and a few carefully placed stepping stones helped us to return to the other bank with a minimum of wetness (for me) and bit more effort and scrambling and splashing for my energetic friend. Uphill from here, past two lots of greenhouse businesses where tomatoes could just be spied through the cloudy poly tunnels, we arrived full circle just to the South of the national road. Just under the bridge and past the school to get home again. On days like this, we are glad to be alive and living in Crete. Footsore and weary I trudged to the car and was amazed to hear that my chum was now off to play tennis! Oh to be young and fit again!

Yesterday, K and I had promised ourselves to take a journey to the Amari Valley and set off early with the sun shining and all well with the world. We had a hilarious time with the SatNav lady who was having terrible trouble with Greek pronunciation of road and place names. She kept telling us to turn left or right onto a gobbledygoop road name when the road simply went round a sharp or hairpin bend. The Amari is absolutely beautiful and we stopped for a spell by the newish reservoir and spent a coffee break just looking at the water and enjoying the sunshine on our skin. K was happy, so I started a little sketch in my water colour book and enjoyed myself. We returned home by driving round the whole perimeter of the lake up and around a few mountain bends avoiding all the sheep and goats that seem to be moving around at the moment to the accompaniment of little bells and birdsong in the breeze. K really enjoyed his outing but we realised we need to go back a little later to catch the wild flowers at their best.

Rethymno is preparing for Carnival at the weekend and we have been invited to a party with the theme of Cretan Agriculture for fancy dress. Pictures to follow! After this weekend, and the customary kite flying on Clean Monday, a restrictive Lenten fast will follow. Having delayed any “must go on a diet” feelings during January and through all the cold, snowy weather, I think I might try the Greek Orthodox tradition of no meat, fish, dairy or eggs until Easter. We may eat soups, beans, sea food such as squid and shrimp, lentils, veggies, pickles, chickpeas and unleavened bread.  Watch this space!  

SNOWBALLS

Kostas with the Snowman!

Such excitement we have had in the village this week. Within the village, that is, because for a couple of days, all of us were snowbound … and spellbound! Our fabulous neighbours, most of whom are upwards of 75 years had never experienced the deep snow that began to fall over the weekend. Kostas and Angeliki came out of their little kafeneon and played snowballs, Steph made a snowman outside her house and, for a while, we were deliciously marooned with stunning photoshots of the mountains, olive groves and surrounding folded foothills all covered in the white stuff. The elderly of the village said that they had never seen anything like it in all their days!!

What a difference a day makes - a thaw beginning ..

K and I had never experienced storms quite like it either because it started with a couple of days and nights of thunder and lightning which kept tripping out the power, deluges of very heavy rain which magically turned into light snow overnight and dollops of heavy and even heavier snow throughout Sunday. Local Facebook photos of everybody's gardens, swimming pools and views covered in snow abounded. This was followed by footage and snaps of blocked highways, bulldozers and steam coming out of the sea with snow on the beaches. Unusual shots of palm trees bowed down by snow, sands white instead of golden etc, etc etc! The locals were completely entranced by it and we didn't stop snapping away.

Of course, we were fortunate in being in a solid windproof house with a big log pile, but we were very anxious for those who were without a home throughout Europe while this winter freeze is on. The photographs from refugee camps are desperate and we were wondering whether tents covered in snow had any insulation qualities which would make them similar to an igloo. Bearing in mind my cold nose and ears and the need for hats, scarves and mittens inside the house in the mornings, I couldn't help but pray that there were a few angels close by to offer warmth and hot food and clothing to those who are displaced and need support.

Quite a lot of yesterday was spent on the tiled terrace which forms the roof of our kitchen. Over the terrace is a large sail which had caught tons of snow and was heavily stretched and weighed down with its burden. We are not sure it will ever be the same again, but there is nothing we can do about it at the moment. As the sun was at its highest in the middle of the day, the snowmelt was raining through the canvas and causing a deep pool on top of the tiles and, rather than leaks into the kitchen, a long period of brushing and swooshing water into the drain holes and clearing them both with a sharp stick ensued. This was good exercise! I kept at it for a goodly while and the snowmelt was still coming until the sun went down. I got soaked and had wet clothes to dry, but the kitchen has mercifully stayed leak free! All the January start up occupations of this week such as the local school, singing, shopping, Greek class and Makers are on hold for a spell. We are fortunate that our power has not been too bad and that the log burner and large supply of Christmas candles were all available - now that the roof and walls of the house are full of damp coolth, the house needs a lot more heat to keep warm. Our candle powered radiator in the bathroom has used up a sizeable number and it will not be long before our supply runs out. We hope that the shops will be able to restock our stores, if and when we escape to civilization.

As the 'girouna' has large, chunky tyres, Kimon actually managed to get the quad bike out yesterday afternoon while I was making a casserole on top of the log burning stove. The stove is worth its weight in gold this weather and wonderful with our flat bottomed casserole tin. Old and battered, this old tin cooks stove-top stews and soups very well indeed. We are finding that we need to eat much more while the weather is cold to fuel us up in the mornings, so cooking is a great way to keep warm. On Friday 6^th January, Steph and I attacked all the oranges which had been given us for a batch of marmalade. “Marmalizing” made a good, sociable morning as we stirred our saucepans, designed labels and nattered away while our mix was thickening up. It does seem to be a sticky, fiddly mess in the kitchen for four jars of marmalade each, but we enjoyed our cooking session and have little gifts on hand, should anyone need some zingy breakfast spread. There is nothing as good as freshly made marmalade on toast! As it was Epiphany, we decided to call it Magi Marmalade.

So as we haven't been anywhere or done anything much of interest, it is perhaps time to take my leave for now. New Year blessings and 'keep warm' wishes to you all!

THE WRONG SORT OF CRACKERS

Greetings from chilled and wintry Crete. It had to happen eventually and the rains which had evaded us all year arrived a few days before Christmas with a vengeance along with violent crashes of thunder and lightning turning to sleet and snow over the past 48 hours! Fortunately, we had all our winter stores in and a good supply of logs, so we were as well prepared as possible. The biggest problem from our point of view is the power supply which cuts out very frequently during cold weather and needs someone to go out to the electricity meter and push a small red button to switch it all back on again. Through some antiquated rearrangement of our house and the one next door, our meter is on our wall which borders their garden, so we need to get into next door's garden to access the red button. Since that house has been empty, the gate has been locked shut, so we need to release the lower bolt and … sort of … break in two or three times a week, usually in driving rain. This is all highly inconvenient, so we made enquiries to get the meter moved. The electrician would charge us 100-200 euros for doing the work; the electricity company would charge us 500 euros for connecting it all back up again and doing next to no work. Such are the ways of living here and we are used to it. I could get into the whys and wherefores of getting a house that was legal five years ago, legalised due to a change in the law of property in the meantime, but it is all too expensive and depressing at the moment and Greece is too much in debt to worry about insignificant details like the passing of retrospective laws.

We had tried to think of something new to do over Christmas and, as previous Christmases had been reasonably warm and sunny, a short trip to the South of Crete seemed like an adventurous plan. We booked an apartment and tried to contact various tavernas in advance of our trip to see if we could book a table for our Christmas lunch and got no reply (which should have warned us) but the lady renting out the villas said that there would be a few places open. Short answer, there were not. Not on Christmas day, which would be spent with families (who can blame them?) The apartments we had booked were very nice, the owner turned up with a small Christmas tree for each of us on arrival and was very sweet. We had all sorts of bother trying to get the door locks to work and, as the weather closed in, we sat rather grimly in front of a radiant fire watching Greek TV, wondering what we were doing there. By some fluke of second sight, I had taken a scratch meal with us in foil containers which we put in the landlady's oven and cooked for 45 minutes after a bowl of mushroom soup and by some miracle it turned out OK. We had bubbles, we had loads to eat and mince pies to follow. It was OK but not really Christmas as we know it, although the discussion over crackers caused a bit of hilarity. We had crackers, but not the exploding kind.

Boxing Day was a bit brighter and we set off to the Youth Hostel in Plakias.  This has the accolade of being the best in Europe … and I can see why. It is in a lovely spot in amongst ancient olive trees which look like characters from “Lord of the Rings”. We were amused to see one of the notices attached to a tree which said “Please do not smoke in the hammocks!” (obviously put away for the winter as all we could see were olive trees.) The Plakias Lending Library were having a Boxing Day Party at the Youth Hostel and we met up with a goodly number of ex-pats who were in the mood for celebrating. Loads of buffet food and glasses of wine later, and armed with our raffle prize, we enjoyed our morning and scouted around to see one or two places open. Our saving grace was the Bakery Cafe on the corner with wonderful views of the snow covered mountains on one side and the sea at the other fringed with Tamarisk trees bent double in the cold winds. The kindly Baker opened every morning and we shared space with the elderly gents, all well wrapped in scarves and coats, who turned up early each day to drink their little “elleniko” coffees and yarn away for an hour or two. A large farm 4x4 truck pulled up to give one of the fellows a lift home and after a quick discussion, the Baker went out with a plastic bag and gathered armfuls of mandarins from the back of the truck to fill the bag. Returning to the cafe he put one orange in front of each person sitting. It made my Christmas because the fruit was straight from the tree smelling and tasting gorgeous. The Cretan version of a Christmas stocking!

Christmas goodies arrived in time for the New Year!

As there was a fine weather window on 27^th Jan, we decided to head for home early. All the forecasts were for the temperatures to go very low and for lots of snow, so we thanked and paid the lady, packed up our Christmas stuff and left earlyish to get home just after lunchtime. We were so glad we did this because back at home, the early thunderstorms had tripped the main fuse box in the house and as soon as we turned everything back on, there was an ominous bleeping from the freezer!

However, all was not lost as everything defrosted was lovely and cool and has been cooked between Christmas and New Year.    2017 will begin with a fresh start. 

Chronia Polla … Happy New Year to you all.

YEAR END

Just last week we were puttering along through the olive groves in the sunshine weaving around large 4x4 trucks parked on either side of the road where the terraces of olives grow right down to the road-side. Indeed, this is a new road cut through prime olive growing land, so we are travelling through the thick of Milopotamos Olives. The open backed trucks sported all the trappings of the olive picking season: plastic crates, frayed baskets, big black nets, sacks and barrels, generators and long sticky whizzing things stacked in the corner along with trident like forks for hooking the leaves and branches and disgorging the olives. To be honest, the weather had been so dry that the olive crop looked to be very small this year, but everyone was out while the weather was fine to gather in what there was. Up until 30 November, we were surprised each day that the weather was blissfully sunny and fine. 

 Not until the last day of November did things change. The winter storm clouds gathered and the rains came with a vengeance with crashes of thunder and lightning flashes to cut out all the electrics momentarily before cutting back in again. It does havoc with the internet and anything happening on the laptop! However, we are masters at quickly unplugging everything we can reach because we have heard of households who have lost every piece of electrical equipment after a lightning strike! Scary!

Sleep is always very disturbed while the deluge is on. Water spouts from the flat roofs cascade into the alley ways below and pipes gush rivers of water down the hill. It’s a jumbo version of Japanese water torture. Driving the car, even on the National Road is a bit of an adventure with large lakes and rivers plunging down from the escarpments, washing rocks, mud and other slippery debris across the road. Usually police cars patrol up and down to slow the traffic to a reasonable speed but there are still lots of mad drivers going way too fast. Using a slower moving car as a pilot is a good way to deal with the conditions. In this way, you get a preview where rivers and plumes of water are likely to cause problems before you reach them. The rain has cooled the temperatures down rapidly and the mountains have disappeared between their grey cloud blanket for a goodly while. Boo Winter!

Cold weather means lighting the fire and doing stay-at-home things. Making Christmas cards and putting a new sewing machine through its paces. We have been doing a lot of home cooking and baking and have been busy round the house to keep the circulation going. It is amazing how quickly we turn from sandal weather to double socks and crocks attire!

Since many of our number are returning to Blighty for the Christmas season, many groups will organise early Christmas parties to catch people before they fly home. Therefore next week will be Christmas Party Fest with something happening nearly every day! I am soundly ignoring 2^nd December which is supposed to be my “Name Day” in Greece, because it is much too close to the festive season to get attached to.

Each time K visits the little kafeneon … nearly next door, he arrives home with a pocketful of oranges or mandarins. These are a free gift from Kostas, who must have orange trees somewhere, although we have never really found out where his trees and “zoa” (animals) live. We had a great afternoon last week pollarding the tree outside the house and, as Tassos (who is painting the house next door before his family move in) had borrowed our step ladder, we needed help from other people. Niko the Wood backed his ancient 4x4 Toyota (30 years old but still going strong) directly under the tree and started sawing bits of branches off. Then Tassos appeared with the step ladder and climbed further up the tree to do a bit of lopping under Niko’s loud, shouted instructions while we picked up the twigs as they rained down on our heads. Our friend Steph and I stripped all the leaves from the branches and put them in buckets for Angeliki’s goats. Finally, all the wood and sawdust was swept up and thrown in the back of the truck to be taken to the garbage bins at the edge of the village. It was great to have got that job out of the way and not have loads of dead leaves to sweep up every morning. By next Spring, the tree will have grown back as strong as ever and will make a handy umbrella of shade outside the gate.

Local produce!

This morning is the first time I have woken up to a cold start and realise that the woolly hat and bedsocks need to be sorted out. We are so glad for a good supply of logs this year and our trusty log burner. Kalomina! Keep warm in December!

CHANGING SEASONS

 Now is the time to look out fleecy dressing gowns and winter clothes because after a long, hot, dry summer we are now feeling the change of temperature in the mornings and evenings – even if the days are still remarkably warm for late October. Our vine has confused us completely by dropping all its dry and dusty leaves and sprouting new growth at the end of the old wood at the same time.

One morning during the week, I was woken by a pneumatic drill outside the house and wondered why the electricity company was excavating the foundations of the telegraph pole outside the house. As the water supply and the electricity seem to go on and off without the slightest warning at frequent intervals, we are used to the utility companies doing strange stuff at will. Anyway, for some reason, they have done this to all the telegraph poles in the village, I'm not sure that anyone really knows why. By co-incidence, there was an enormous explosive crash immediately overhead later the same morning and, convinced that the telegraph pole had crashed down on the house, I raced up to the roof … only to find a clear blue sky, fluffy white clouds and all well with the world. We think it was either a supersonic boom or some sort of air force manoeuvre going on. Every one we know, wherever they were, thought that the sound came from immediately overhead. It was deafening.

Some lovely friends arrived for a holiday in Crete during October and admonished us for saying that the weather was so much cooler since they had weighed down their luggage with lots of warm jumpers! It was hard to explain that the weather (still in the high summer values of the UK) was cold by comparison with the summer just past and that, after a few years of healthy Cretan diet that our blood was much thinner and we felt the cold more easily! I think, however, that there were a still few times when they were glad of some extra layers. Steve and Liz were last here when K was stuck in hospital and we felt forever grateful for all the help they gave us then right in the middle of their holiday. It is wonderful to have such good friends. As our old car was still available, they managed to get out and about, as well as travelling down to Kato Zachros and round the South Coast of the island for a week or so and had a great time. It was fun for us to have some laughs and catch up with all the news from home.

 Our Greek conversation class at Achlade, a nearby village, is progressing well with Dimitra, our teacher. She is so patient with us and I am trying to learn by heart the phrases which we are writing and practising every week. I think my brain is just not as retentive as it used to be, because I seem to forget stuff so quickly and have to revise a lot. We have been bringing questions with us to the class about buying zips, getting coats dry cleaned and waterproofed, paying phone bills and asking for help and directions. Progress is horribly slow. Marina at Vinzi's Coffee Bar in Panormo always looks so amused when she wishes me a good afternoon and after a long pause for brain cudgeling, I eventually respond with “επισεs” (and the same to you!) It's pathetic when foreigners learn English so easily.

We have been partying in the village and the arrival of a new English lady living close by and her relentless energy meant that we had a street party in the small square outside the kafeneon of Kosta and Angeliki last Sunday. Lots of people were galvanised into action: one family brought the village trestle tables and chairs (a collection of hundreds - usually used for village parties and weddings) delivered to the right place the day before the event and collected the day after. A great village resource, which we wished we had known about when we moved here. However, you live and you learn! Five of us gathered round a collection of work tops and prepared salads, the men from the local Albanian families produced two huge barbecues and a lively meal of meat, bread salads wine, raki and cake ensued so that Steph could thank the locals for their kindly welcome. It was lovely. The little girls of the families jumped up when some Cretan music was put on the turntable and put on a performance, the barbecue went well and we all enjoyed ourselves.

After bitter experience with all-night festivities of Greek weddings at the local Kentro where traditional music keeps us awake and we resort to sleeping with ear plugs, we realise that our choice in music varies considerably! We had to share our amusement at differing taste across the nations. Aegean Greek music, much enjoyed by the “Brits” with its beat and melody left our Cretan neighbours completely cold, but some Cretan lyra music woke them all up with sighs of appreciation and the move to stand up and dance. As there was a friendly Scottish lady in our number, we tried out the Scottish Country Dancing CD a bit later on and did a few rounds of the 'Gay Gordons' (or whatever they call it these days) for good measure, but it seemed to produce the movement for all the villagers to rise from their seats, clear tables and get ready to leave. It is not the first time across our years in Greece we have noted that Scottish dance music has had this unfortunate effect!!! However, we all had a great time.

A few of us did the trek to Church in the new car last Sunday. The weather was still very hot and it was good to catch up with our fellow parishioners (albeit so far away) and hear about the plans they have for Christmas. The car made the journey really comfortably and it was a great opportunity to have long 'putting the world to rights' chats on the journeys to and from Kefala.

There are still loads of tourists in the big towns but things are slowing down and cooling down week by week. The hot weather lasted just until 28^th October, Oxi Day – long enough for the village school children to march to the memorial in the big Square and since then we have battened down the hatches for some very welcome rain. All the farmers and gardeners are delighted and we have excavated our wellies for the forthcoming torrents!   Let Winter commence!

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!