WORLD TOURISM DAY IN AGIOS NIKOLAOS

Ladies of Vrahassi offer home made food to give a taste of traditional Cretan cuisine.

 After parading through the centre of Agios Nikolaos, the troop of flag handlers, trumpeters, and drummers perform their skills infront of a large crowd of tourists and local people.

Meanwhile, Julie (flute) and I play on to attract people to the INCO tent, where a variety of local crafts were for sale.

Dimitris, the head of Vrahassi village council trys to encourage people to buy my books, but the hat remaines empty.

This gentleman tells Dimitri that his family come from Vrahassi and he knows all it's history... hm!

Members of INCO and prospective buyers of their work.

And the band plays on...and on...and on... into the night way past my bedtime. It was a wonderful evening. There were lots of stalls handing out local products: cheese, honey, wine, raki, beer, and olive oil. David and I ended the evening with souvlaki and chips in one of the local souvlaki shops. We had friends for company, Tomorrow David and I are going to a classical music evening in Neapolis.

And to top it all, THE FISH SHOP HAS REOPENED IN VRAHASSI!

September has been a wonderful month, warm, still, productive. Temperatures have dropped to around 24 degrees, and today there are clouds in the sky. It is so good to be able to move around without being too hot. Of course, Vrahassi is that bit cooler than the coast, but if we get too chilly we are only 10 minutes away from a warmer rock. And now I have work to do and my scales to perfect.

I hope you have had a good September. Here's looking forward to a brilliant October.
Love Jane x

Schubert Standchen (ABRSM grade 5 cello exams 2011)

So...! I'm really trying! Honestly! Just not quite got the hang of it like this little girl. Oh well, how does it go? 'I CAN AND I WILL', watch this space.

Meanwhile, David has persuaded me to start this programme of exercise. It involves words like, 'biceps', 'chest and triceps', 'back and biceps', 'shoulders and abs', 'quads' 'thighs', 'hamstring and calves'. He is acting as my personal trainer - ah! we live in desperate times! The word 'dumbell' has taken on a totally new meaning, I mean 'heavy'. Anyway apparently I have to give over about 7 minutes every other day to tone my body. I just hope it improves my bow-arm technique. Time will tell.

By the way, the fish shop that opened is still closed. I did hear that it was a problem with the fish man's transport. Pity really, I was looking forward to a good supply of fresh fish.

There was a good arguement in our street a couple of days ago. Domestic, but stones were thrown. You can't beat a lover's tiff for drama in the morning. Probably all over money, or the lack of it. I suppose there will be more passion rent before the economic crisis is over. I hadn't realized that there is a soup kitchen in Agios Nikolaos. Children are without books at school, in fact there are not so many teachers either. Where will it end? How long will it be before the kids don't have any shoes to go to school in? Learn to grow veggies, that what I say. And start acquiring a taste for lentils.

Bye for now,
Jane x

The Snowdrops in Your Hand

It's a bit sad but today would have been my Daddy's birthday, so I play this in remembrance of him.

It is also my sister's birthday today, so not a sad day. And tomorrow will be our grandaughter Jade's birthday. It's a family week for sure, and I am looking forward to seeing them all very soon.

My dog Phebe, not content to have stollen my black hole (it is a piece of rubber that my cello spike fits into) and chewed a piece out of it, has destroyed David's work hat, and now what is left of it is in the bin. Meanwhile Percy has spent the afternoon listening to my music.

It has been another very hot day - lovely! And now I am going to prepare dinner and maybe take a look at my Greek homework.

By the way the poetry which I downloaded yesterday is very good, and in another class altogether. 'Must try harder,' comes to mind.

Tomorrow I will be out and about, shopping, visiting friends and generally getting more exercise than today. And boy do I need it. Methinks the summer wine has gone to my belly and I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO GET RID OF IT! When I've eaten all the icecream in the fridge I'm not going to buy any more. I'm still full of Christening cake from our street party on Thursday evening. Still it was a good 'naming of the child'. All in a good cause!

Have a pleasant evening all!
Love Jane x

SEPTEMBER IS WHIZZING BY

Hello everyone, and especially if your name is Sophia and you are celebrating your name day today, Kronia Polla.

Well, September is whizzing by for sure! I had the most fantastic August with my family and miss them so much, but I have to say that I have been so busy since they left that I have not had time to dwell on them being so far away. Best of all, since my visit to a chiropractor, the terrible pain I suffered throughout June, July and most of August, has gone, and I am so relieved to be able to work again without popping the paracetamol every 4 hours.

Vrahassi is quiet, but that is normal. The fish shop that opened a couple of weeks ago, seems to be closed, or is it just that I don't get up early enough and they have sold out by 9 a.m. and gone back to bed?

Will Yannis close the coffee shop? Some say 'yes' at the end of September. We shall have to wait and see.

The 27th of September is world tourism day, and there is to be an Arts and Craft exhibition, with stalls for handicrafts etc at Agios Nikolaos, near the lake. I am to create a little music - if all goes to plan.

There is also going to be a Doggie Day home made cakes etc to raise money for stray animals. That will be on the 1st October (I think) again in Agios Nikolaos. 'How much is that Doggie in the Window' being practiced daily. Hopefully on both occasions my friend Julie (the flute) will perform with me.

Then there is to be a gathering of writers. On Friday the 7th October Lou Duro, editor of the Chronicles newspaper, and yours truly, invite all those interested in forming a Writers' Circle, to meet at 8 p.m. in the Dali Bar in Anopolis. Do ring me for directions, or if you would like a lift, I have room for 3 people. If the location is a big problem, then ring me to discuss an alternative venue. We plan to meet once a month to discuss each other's work etc. It will be a very informal meeting of poets, and if you are a poet you will know what that means!

Well, now I am going to bed to relax and read Jane Holland's new poetry book, Boudicca & Co, which I have just downloaded onto my Kindle at a price of about one pound something. That's why I love Kindle, it is instant, you hear of a book one day; you have it in your bed the next!

I did hob nob a bit during the summer (see photo) - but I'm not entering politics just yet!

• Enjoy the weekend readers, and I promise to get back into the swing of blogging now that I am feeling soooooooooooo much better.

Love Jane x