"As you were!"

That´s more like it!
The full moon was last Wednesday, and this signalled a vast improvement in the weather! It was followed by two nights with a red moon. The shore has gained a fair layer of sand, so the sea has been inviting! Musician friends have arrived for holidays with instruments various, so there has been jamming at the cantina and Christos! The card school is up and running again now that Duke is back from UK, and there has been a series of official music performances on the stony beach prom! One was a local rock band whose bassist used to play with Angelos Skordalis. Greyrocks had  a word  with him!

Previous to this there was an exhibition in the cultural centre of old photographs of  the village. Delightful! If it resonates readers will also enjoy Norbert Blok's site.

 

What goes round..!

Praying for a drop in the wind

 

Fortunately Greyrocks has no brief to promote tourism to Paleochora! It has been a historically long period of very high winds and deserted beaches. Popular sayings are: "This isn't funny anymore!", "We are going to have to look for somewhere else to go!",  "Imagine if this was your only week's holiday!" and "Still! Mustn't grumble!" (The last only from long-stayers and residents and through gritted (sandy) teeth!)

Just before the windy spell we saw our first praying mantis at the cantina. Apparently this brings luck. Something wrong there, then!



Better cover up that lamb, then!

 We are also, of course, emerging from the dreaded August Assumption onslaught, when moving around the village is impeded by flocks of Greeks tourists "parking" as only they know how. (Quadruple outside the supermarket, doors open while they visit the periptero, middle of the road while they look for rooms!) As ever the talk is of whether overall they are a "good thing", given that only the cheapest of restaurants see any benefit. Those that came for the beach will have enjoyed Thursday the 15th itself, which was fine. Yannis at the cantina organised the spit-roasting of two lambs, and the place heaved. Delicious! Since then, however, the weather has been a disaster, with heavy cloud on Saturday.
 

Blow out

After much texting, surfing and mind-changing we eventually got tickets for Chloë and Matt to fly out to us for a week. We had to get them a taxi as the flight was too late for the buses, and we got them a basic room next door to us. When they arrived (Tuesday 29th) we were having a very hot spell without too much wind trouble. After some initial chilling-out they wanted to spend some of each day  exploring the area on foot, so left us on "our beach" (of which more later) to see first Azzuro beach on the way to Gramennon, then on a fairly windy day to do the Anidri Triangle including time at the beach (Gianiskari). There was much talk of what to do as the "big day trip". By now the daily wind was a steady Force 5 Beaufort, and Chloë didn't fancy the long boat voyage involved in getting back from walking the (overly) famous Samaria Gorge. We had met veteran walker and author Bob Tait one evening and he suggested that the Agia Irini walk would be more pleasant so they planned that  - we thought -  for the Sunday, leaving them Monday to recover before flying home. (It is also cheaper by way of bus, boat and entrance)

 

In fact that didn't happen. After a late night they failed to prepare or set an alarm, so we later discovered them recovering, and planning to do it the next day. We had our own surprise when we got to the beach that day. Our "cunning plan" with sunbeds padlocked to the Blue Flag noticeboard had been scuppered by the removal of the board. (We assume this is so as not to draw attention to the loss of BF status!). This is not an issue for locking as there are other posts, but we had been using the shadow cast to avoid bringing other shade. Sunbathing was therefore curtailed even before the late afternoon gusts started.

 

Monday was a day of events! It started for Greyrocks with the realisation that - just as predicted - the wind was up to Force 7 with gusts. We saw that CandM had gone on their trip, starting with the 6.15 bus. Ruth went to play cards. This had to be inside because of the wind. An early topic of discussion was that it had been too inclement for the boat to run. This would mean no boat back from Sougia for CandM. For several hours warning text messages were sent to  Chloe's phone. They remained unanswered - mostly because the phone was in their room! The spectre of a taxi back loomed! Later in the day we heard that it was the Gavdos boat that had not run and all would be well. We monitored the Samaria  online, but because of the time delay on the site had to suddenly rush out as we saw it approaching from our balcony. Disembarkation was apparently tough, but the voyage had been OK, with the route taken rather closer to the coast than usual. They had enjoyed the day oblivious to the parental panic.

 Next day we had a leisurely departure for Chania. Greyrocks had decided to drive the "kids" to the airport and then have two nights in the favoured hotel in the Nea Hora. As we drove over the mountains the sky became quite cloudy, and it was certainly cooler on the North coast. Bob took them on a walking tour of the city whilst Ruth lay on the beach, then we all had a last lunch at the excellent Akrogiali before depositing them at the airport.

 

 With just a week in Crete Chloë had been keen to choose well for dinners! Also Greyrocks was paying, so we went for the most "interesting" restaurants. There are many very good traditional Cretan places (and some duff ones), and one day there may be a subjective analysis of them on this blog. We might also be moved one day to explore the vexed question of interpreting the meaning of the words "Fresh Local Fish" in Paleochora,  but for time being  here are three recommendations for something a bit different:

 

1. The Small Garden is a real favourite, and the Trip Advisor comments say it all! Offal lovers and vegetarians alike flock here!

 

 2. Kapetan Dimitris is the transformed Captain Jim, and what a transformation! High quality tableware, diner attention and toilets, and a pleasingly short menu of modern Greek "dishes with a twist"! Again.. read Trip Advisor and enjoy!

 

3. You won't find much about Cape Crocodile on Trip Advisor as something has gone wrong with the reference. (Georgios is trying to sort this out, and Greyrocks ought to submit something!). Its menu includes the usual things, and it is popular with locals for special occasions; but what make it a favourite are two specialities - huge racks of ribs, and delicious fillet steaks!

 

So once back from the airport  Greyrocks had two days and nights in Chania (including a meal at Suki Yaki), then did the three supermarkets run and returned home. There having been a Tuesday we found an influx of regular holidaymaker friends, and have thus had a week of far too many late nights at Cosmogonia, and a poor record on the "Moth Day" front! Nor did Catherine's birthday bash at Corali help!

 



Mike from Bristol thought the world should see this!

 On our return we were told that the wind had been very troublesome, and this week has not been the best for beach bums! On Friday we had forgotten about the shade issues, so had to abandon early. On Saturday we took down an old parasol to leave with the sunbeds, and Ruth was able to almost finish the Guardian Prize crossword encased within this Heath Robinson contraption! On Sunday there was no way it could be used as the wind was back up at Force 5, and we also had dramatically large waves and beach drenching. No sea dipping that day for dodgy knees! Monday was completely unstrandgebar (is that right, Günter, as a translation of "unbeachable"?). Only the very, very determined went anywhere near the beach, and Ruth couldn't ride her bike to Zygos for Scrabble. Bob did manage to ride his out to the campsite where most of France's female youth was amusing itself. The general consensus is that this is the worst August weather for many years. Oh dear!

Remembering absent friends

Also in July we have marked the passing of Stephen - as noted in a post in May. Earlier this month his grave was finished and a group of us was invited by Olga to visit the churchyard in Voutas to see it. Most of us had not been on the island for his funeral. It was a gloriously sunny day. Barry read  a piece of Stephen's poetry as he had done at the funeral, Olga said a few words and we toasted him in (of course) chilled white wine. The setting is breath-taking, and the headstone is simple, clean and tasteful:- as Stephen would have wanted it!

Published with Olga's permission

 



Just a few days later Greyrocks received a surprise e-mail. It was from the brother of Sean, who was originally from Belfast and has a long history with the village and Azogires. It explained that he had just gained access to Sean's address book and was informing his contacts of his death in September 2012, aged 64.

RIP

 

Watch this space for news of the little memorial we are planning for one of his preferred haunts:- the old Coconuts!