"Ne'er cast a clout!"

Well, May went out at midnight, and we have been in Crete for two weeks casting clouts, and then rapidly putting them back on again!
The first few days were quite sunny at times, although the sea is icy and the evenings are distinctly chilly! Blankets are still needed at night! Then last week as predicted by the forecasts we lurched into a horrible few days. We had a series of dramatic thunderstorms, some high winds, deserted beaches and plenty of daytime bar activity! By this Saturday things were a bit better and down at the Jetée there was a non-traditional Greek wedding reception with beautiful flowers. In fact flowers here are glorious. The winter was apparently more "normal" than recent ones, but with a lot of rain, making the terrain very green, and on the bus ride down we saw glorious gorse and poppies.

The changes in the village since we left in September are neither numerous, nor drastic! Here we go:-

• Michaelis has finally closed the pastry shop in the main street. He now hangs aound his son's one on the sea-front, which - like many establishments - is still rather quiet.
• Meanwhile the slow church-wards shift up the main street in terms of evening activity continues with the opening of a new pastry, crepe and ice cream place on the corner where the fish shop once sat. It is very popular with the locals.
• The old periptero in the main street has been removed and the new one further down has opened. The circular paving outside the town hall has been finished and we await the re-instatement of "the statue" so familiar to many children who always played around it. The bust of some local hero disappeared last year (or was it more?)  pending all the prettifications. On our first day back we saw a hollow concrete plinth strategically placed and half-covered with stones. Shortly thereafter the stones had been stripped! Watch this space!
• Tassos is back running his Seagull after several years
• "The Hole in the Wall" - as in Giorgos - looks as if it could open any time, but hasn't when we are about.
• No new enterprises have opened, but several new buildings - homes and rooms- have been started, and there has been some investment down at the Jetée with extended and upgraded decking and plantings.
• The new clinic on the sea-front has never opened.
• The old Livicon has been fully renovated to form council offices, and looks very good. Doctor George is back as mayor now - with a considerably enlarged domain which now includes Kandanos.

• Finally - the Hatch/Match/Despatch news is that there has been an outbreak of fertility and in August and September we expect babies for Tonia at Zygos, ex-Kosmar Diane, and our neighbour Young Popi. Sadly in early May we lost Sam Reed, who was a stalwart Paleo writer, walker and character. Bob met Lucky from Azogires in the Post Office, and he was desperately upset. See his last encounter with Sam here! RIP.