"Pandemic" is almost an anagram of "Medicane"!

 

... and they have both had a dramatic effect on late September!

With so few tourists and some "interesting" weather the beach daffodils have thrived. 

The build-up to medicane Ianos was dramatic! Through Thursday and Friday the sea became increasingly rough and far-reaching on the sand. There was wind, too, so walking to the cantina was a bit of a struggle, but Greyrocks did so, and speculated with others as to whether sandbags would be needed. Several websites showed live satellite images and the projected path, so many phones were the focus for animated discussions in bars throughout the village. We ate early on Friday and with an eye on potential cover, but the rain didn't happen, and we passed the time until curfew in the traditional manner with old friends at Cosmogonia!

There's something in the air!

The inevitable happened at 9.50 next morning! The thunder and torrential rain started. Later in the morning there was a pause, and Bob went to inspect. Already one of our access lanes was impassable. Bob met a neighbour who suggested the dry window would only comprise half an hour. He was right and we missed it, so we could not venture out until another couple hours of the storm (now with lightning) had passed. We waded to the only viable taverna for a late lunch as we feared the evening option was dodgy! This was Veggera - a place we have eschewed since it first opened following an unpleasant stifado and poor service! In these special circumstances, however, it was perfect! It was almost empty and had a solid roof! We had a couple of light dishes and stayed after the rain resumed! For a one minute view of the conditions click here!

In a another brief pause we made it home to hunker down with Netflix, then for the evening sought places with space and cover, Monika's Garden had its indoor area open, and the Vakakis Bakery was very full - mostly with locals - but did some good crepes.  As the evening progressed the view through the screens was dramatic! Well before the curfew there was another respite sufficient for the wade home!

The next day there was no rain, but it was too windy for the beach. When we did go there the day after the whole topography had changed - with yet more plates of rock exposed in some places, but an easy sea entry at our usual spot. There has also been damage to many of the parasols.

It hasn't been the best September metrologically, with the weather station statistics showing that on precisely half the days there was a gust of over 50 km/hr and an average over 15 km/h.  The month ends with another run of days with high winds and sea too frisky for Greyrocks.

The main beach at midday!

Nonetheless - and in spite of travel restrictions and multiple fears - there are still plenty of sunseekers on the naturist beach, with regular German and Scandinavian child-free visitors coming at this much later date, and -as usual - the favourite restaurants doing well. Our long-standing circle evaporated yesterday, and we have been working on our own exit strategy - with a solution found and secured only yesterday - but more of that later:- we still have ten days!

The expiry date for the midnight curfew rules for restaurants and bars came and they were extended into October. We are living with them, and are probably fitter and richer for them! It is all much clearer than the hotchpotch in England, but it is seen as "unfair" when our prefecture has had no new cases for over a week, and neighbouring Rethymnon has regular figured on the list with one or more! As for Crete as a whole being on UK's "quarantine list" with its consequences for tourism it looks as if the rest of Greece may join it there very soon as national data breaches the British criteria. 

Greyrocks is exceptionally pleased to have been able to spend the summer here!

Expecting!

 

This Wednesday's masterpiece created by Hassan on the sandy beach (near the boundary rock between Pachia Ammos and Limnaki) Since mid-July he has delighted passers-by with a new work almost everyday. Mostly the subjects have been animals or sea creatures, with the occasional mermaid or human figure.  Unlike in Corralejo - where the main purpose appears to be collecting cash -  Hassan creates and disappears to the back of the beach seeking nothing but admiration and having given great pleasure. The proportions are so accurate and the attention to detail is stunning! This is presumably because he is a trained vet!! What, then,  is he doing living on the breadline?  The clue is in his spoken communication, for he is from Syria! Unfortunately by yesterday morning it was long gone - thanks to the impending storm. (Read on!)

New life in reality is expected down near the shore in front of the Europa, where the presence of a nest of turtle eggs is marked with this stick structure and a "Do not Disturb" notice. Last year there was one very near "our tree", and when we asked the then sunbed Yiannis why it was not openly protected he said he feared theft of the eggs. In that case he came across the hatching process one early morning and the hatchlings were taken by experts to a suitable sea entry point. Perhaps this has already happened this time.

The structure caused some perturbation last week, when a long-staying French naturist settled down between it and the outcrop that marks the unofficial but well-established boundary of the naturist beach. When told by one of our friends with no French that this could cause real trouble for the community he seemed to believe the notice was said boundary!

We are all now expecting trouble from Ianos -the name given to the weather phenomenon that has already caused notable effects here and is due to hit us seriously tomorrow! It is classed as a medicane - contracted from "Mediterranean hurricane".   Things went a bit strange on Wednesday afternoon with a lot of cloud, a tiny amount of rain and the sea becoming rough. Yesterday there was no rain and fairly normal wind (for Paleo) but as rough a sea as Greyrocks has seen. We managed to make it to the cantina after Ruth's Scrabble - and back again, but sunbeds have been stowed ready for the onslaught, which might not be until Tomorrow (Saturday) The lashing of the waves is clearly audible from our apartment as this is published. Watch this space! Or watch this: 

That September Thing!

They kept coming through the horror of Beaufort 7!
See below! 

 Greyrocks has noted most years that September here has a different flavour - particularly after a crowded and chaotic August. What would it be like in the "Time of Covid"?

For us it started with a continuation of August as Chloë and Jack still had a few days left in town. This then led into ten days or so with our German musician friends and the Oxford crew.  Times at the cantina or Jetee became much more animated (and longer) with a special occurrence on 7th with the first  (and so far for us sole) socially distanced jamming session at the cantina. We stayed until well after sunset and struggled back along the shore attempting to avoid the hazards with minimal lighting. It was just like so many other years!

No sooner hd that phalanx moved on than the "usual September suspects" amongst our friends began to arrive. There had been doubts about who would and who wouldn't. The date of 8th was to be significant for this and the English (sic) government announced that those returning to that place from seven Greek islands after 4 am on 9th would be required to quarantine. In fact the only known no-shows as a result were the two sons of the friend in the YiayiaGaga Club whose 70th birthday we celebrated soon after. So now the club is at full strength except for the French (who cannot come at all) and our Goa-also chums from Cheshire grace the beach and cantina.

New cases over ten days to Sept 13th.

The various UK quarantine rules - all four listing Crete - have angered most folk here! Ruth had been monitoring for weeks the moving averages of new cases in all of Greece, and they were well below the alleged threshold! Now we do have a smattering on the island each day - mostly in the Heraklion prefecture. Where does the blame for these irrational decisions lie?  Youth partying in Malia, ignorance in British civil service or just victimisation of Remainers? Meanwhile the schools return today, so perhaps ... 

Down on the beach September is under way! Gone are most of the families and sunbeds (especially those with parasols ) are at a premium. Yiannis is on the point of planting more, but there is tension in the air:- not helped by some anti-social behaviour in terms of dogs, music, mobiles, loud conversations and "reserving with towels"! Also typically September tourists have more dosh, so the cantina is doing very well, and in response they have decided to serve some grilled meat occasionally.

By way of contrast on Wednesday they did not open at all! That day was the worst of a run of very windy days! It had been expected, with Force 7 showing the forecast. This was possibly the worst wind Greyrocks has ever experienced here! We eventually ventured out to Atoli, where we were given substantial mezedes with every round!

 

Jolly clever Covid seating plan, Teach!

The wind has eased since then so it was not a problem at the 70th birthday party at The Wave. Fifteen "boomers" - of whom nearly half had been teachers - were cunningly arranged to meet Crete's Covid restrictions but see everyone else! Unfortunately plans to borrow at least one guitar fell flat, and no-one thought to bring a speaker so musical activity was a bit limited. And of course everything had to stop at midnight! So not quite like all those other YiayiaGaga socials!