A Month to Remember!

Last night and the previous there were glorious Red Moons, and this brought to mind that the last one (four weeks ago, of course!) was during the Wedding Week, and there have no Greyrocks posts since then. Our regular reader will understand that blogging opportunities have been sparse during August 2018 with its several events that will never be repeated! To date there is an emergent 15 minute video of the "do" itself on - 2nd -  waiting for a soundtrack. (As we are experiencing a rainy few days there is hope for completion) The video is destined for showing to recently-arrived friends next week, and at the September Bristol Party. Here is a link.

Facebook users will find plenty about the week on the group page: Jack & Chloe Paleochora 2018, but this is the parental take.

Palm Tree Pork Shank - enough for 4!

There were some early arrivals - notably Neil and Maggie who would have to leave the morning after the party to go to another wedding and had used Heraklion and a hire car! After initial orientations (and some wine) we largely left them to their own devices through the daytime hours, but took them to selected eateries for the evenings. First it was Red Moon Night so we went to Marias for some typical food and the view, and the next day to Monica's Garden followed by The Palm Tree/Finikas. With sommeliers in the family they had come with recommended quality local wines in mind and both places rose to the challenge :- in particular Valentino aerated and gave a discourse on a very pleasant bottle - a process repeated for the second bottle!

Sunday was A-Day with a fleet of taxis arranged to meet Gatwick and Bristol flights and those who had been overnight in Chania. Ruth was up early to meet one drop-off at Castello. We took some goodies round to the up-market accommodation booked for Chloë and Jack and waved to them from the balcony as they left the minibus. We later went to the welcome drinks meeting at Zygos which had a decent turnout with everyone seemingly happy with arrangements. We then went to Tassos with Neil, Maggie, Janet and Grant and waited until the last bus arrival at about 10 pm to greet Chris and Penny, who had come in from Pisa:- the previous stop in a complicated holiday trip involving Genoa and Marseilles! Getting them into a room at the now-closed and dark Castello was an interesting venture, that left Greyrocks needing a drink at Cosmogonia!

Chloë had planned (and we had on-site facilitated) a series of additional recreation activities for the period. After a planning meeting with key people at Atoli we had some beach time and then prepared fora meal at Small Garden with our two special guest couples, whilst over thirty went for a pizza meal (tightly orchestrated) and then came back to Zygos for Quiz Night. Predictably it started late, but Chris did an impressive job, there was much hilarity, waiter Eleanor worked madly and participated, and we were eventually left to fend for ourselves. Janet somehow managed to get contributions that matched the bill, Our team came last: - with Ruth having fallen asleep!

Other notable daytime events were Felix and Lucas jamming at the cantina, with some numbers from Rainer (and Brazilian Emmanuelle), Ruth teaching George to play tavli, thus starting an obsession, and a scratch game of Pétanque on the beach. Volleyball didn't happen owing to the wind, but Tim led a trip to Elafonissi and posted drone footage on YouTube.

On Wedding (Party) Day itself a team of helpers were around from the point at which Atoli would let us start decoration. It took hours and there were some misunderstandings to resolve with Manolis, but the effect was stunning as can be seen in the slideshow.  Some folk set off to forage for greenery, flowers and free lemons. The latter failed and the greengrocer had to be used, whilst the rosemary (a traditional symbol) was easily solved with a whole bush from Vicky. )The foragers used two baskets - later needed for the "favours" - which had been a headache to source. Having failed to find any in Chania and trying to borrow just a couple of days before, we saw that the Roma had turned up again on the beach road and we commissioned two to be hastily made - later returned as too bulky to travel and thus providing a charitable donation to said nomads!) Charlotte had arranged a programme of hair and beauty appointments for the female helpers, and thus it was that at 5 pm assembly of the beautiful began on the beach. Greyrocks believes the slideshow is document enough of a delightful event! Later on there were two accidents - one requiring a full taxi trip to Chania General - the other a trip next day to Kandanos Health Centre, but details are inappropriate here!

Friday was a day of recovery! A scheduled family (and treat for George) meal at Houmas was abandoned and late in the day we discovered that Chris and Penny would be leaving on the evening bus to go for tests in Chania. Many folk also wanted an early night as they would be walking the Samaria Gorge next day. Taxis and a minibus would be leaving at 7 am. When we woke (as definite non-participants) we received a text from Chloë and Jack and thought the serious wind might have meant no boat back and another plan ditched,, but in fact it was just over-sleeping and caution. Twenty-seven sturdy souls - including a couple of seniors  - had gone. Several parties waited that evening at bars near the jetty for their evening return, and there they all were:- virtually unscathed!

Sunday was departure day for quite a few, but over twenty carnivores shared a whole lamb on the spit cooked especially for us by the brothers at Gonia ton Gefseon, followed by late drinks across the road at Cosmogonia. We went to see off the happy couple as they left next morning for their real honeymoon, and we collapsed. For the aftermath see next post!