What a mess Greece is in.

tagged: bahalo, Greece, IKA,pensions, queues, stopped

Please keep taking your holidays in Greece, it is the most beautiful place, is full of beautiful people, and those people need your help.

Thousands of troubled Greek seniors form long queues after pension stop

Posted by keeptalkinggreece in Society

Thousands of pensioners at the verge of brain-stroke and heart-attack formed long queues outside the offices of Greece’s biggest insurance fund IKA on Friday morning. The troubled seniors had rushed to the local branches of IKA because their pension had been stopped. Just like that. The seniors must have been in shock on Thursday when they went to bank to pick up their pension money for June – and to see that there was no money on their account.

08:07 a.m. waiting in Chios

For one simple reason: they did not receive their pension for June, when they went to the bank the previous day.

Greek media report of several reasons as to why the pensions were not paid out: missing insurance and tax numbers but also money shortage.

A total of 96,333 pensions were stopped: 54,193 main pensions and 42,140 supplementary due to missing or wrong  tax- or general insurance registration number.

Another reason is that IKA missed 21 million euro for June pension payments due to calculation mistake. Poverty allowence (EKAS) was to paid out retrospective.

Many pensioners have reportedly received also less pension after new criteria for the poverty allowance were set in April.

IKA had announced that pensioners whose pension had been stopped, would contact directly the local branches of the insurance fund. There, they could correct the wrong data and receive their pension.

  waiting, waiting  and still  waiting...

Worth mentioning: ΙKA pensioners had to participate in pension census already twice in the last two years. Why the insurance fund did not informed the persons involved that data was missing or it was wrong on their submitted census-papers is something that only the Greek state can know.

When will state disorganization and bureaucracy stop troubling the citizens? Good question … with no answer on the horizon.

People of Vrahassi Object to Hydro Electric Plant

The following is a brief translation of what happened at the meeting last night. For a full report in Greek please see the blog Anavloxos in the side bar right.

A meeting of the local community of Vrachasi convened Thursday 29/3/12 at the invitation of local clubs, to expresse opposition to the siting and licensing of a renewable energy industry facility in the local community of Vrachasi without any information and without any permission from the local community.The local community are flabbergasted that no one from the local self-governing bodies appear know anything, given production licenses for huge industrial-sized RE: Two hydro hybrid, a station with 13 turbines, with a request for permission and a further 9 wind turbines.And all this in an area protected as a special protection network Natura 2000 and as a wildlife refuges.Indeed, the huge hydroelectric hybrid position Koutralia (100 mw power the largest in Greece) is sited adjacent to and in rare Azilakodasos, a rare forest of oak quercious ilex, that similar does not exist anywhere in Greece.
We declare our opposition to this and ask all local government bodies to support us in our fight to prevent these devastating circumstances.
In this context we shall set up a Committee to do all that is necessary to express our opposition to the practice and prevent the destruction of the natural wealth of our country.The protest committee will consist of: D. Kiriakakis, G. Kostakis, G. Miliara, G. Manousakis, Ang. Souladakis, Ang. Vidali, Mich. Kyriakakis, S. Vrontino, M. Lydaki.

Feeling On Top Of The World!

Now I ask, what did this poor dog do to deserve such bad living conditions?

This was taken after heavy rain, and bitter cold.

Our dog Zouki enjoyed the puddles though!

And this billy goat gruff is seemed happy enough amongst the old ruined houses, eating the fresh grass with his family.

I meanwhile feel on top of the world, a bit chilly, but with a hot mug of tea to warm the cockles I am enjoying the mountain

So, all I can say is that I am glad I wasn't fated to be a Cretan sheep dog. The one in the photo is a sorry sight, but he will get fed every day, and he has company, on the other side of the road was his mate in an old oil can. They have not been abandoned, and whilever the shepherd can use them, either to guard his land, or to round up his sheep, they will not be poisoned. Our dog, Zouki, is almost ten years old now, and that is remarkable for a dog in Vrahassi, or Sissi, or most of the places in Crete. Even though it is eligal to put poison down, the practice still goes on. This week there were reports of someone's pet in Sissi eating poison on the roadside. It is part of a great dog and cat cull that goes on every year before the tourist season begins. Surely there is a more humane way of dealing with stray animals. When we took Zouki we knew that she would have to take a chance, we lost our little dog who took a piece of cheese from a neighbour, brought it home and within seconds was convulsing, and within minutes, was dead. Some of our English friends have bought muzzles for their dogs, some carry an antidote injection, you can never be too carefull. And Greek people lose their pets too, a few weeks ago in Sissi a Greek friend of mine had her two lovely dogs poisoned. There are some very unfealing people about. All I can say is be aware of this and do the best you can for your pet.

Meanwhile, one Vrahassi farmer is doing the best he can for his goats. He has tethered them in the lane at the top side of our house, and they are munching away nicely, stripping all the weeds and grass from the lane, and making a very good job of clearing the path. Either Vrahassi needs more goats, or the Council needs to provide us with a street cleaner.

Speaking of street cleaning, I notice that the mess that was underneath the old pergola in the main square, has been cleared away. Maybe it is the beginning of something big!

That's all for now, the weather is warming slowly, and dry, so hope it stays that way. I do believe it has been warmer in England of late, but it is nothing new, every year at this time we long for summer.

Talk again soon,
Love Jane x

Heated Discussion at Vrahassi Council Meeting

People listen to a list of works read by Michaelis Petselakis

The meeting begins in a civilized manner.

David and I attended the Council Meeting in Vrahassi, last night, along with friend Lydia, and a good representation of people from Sissi, Milatos, and Vrahassi. It was chaired by the Mayor of Agios Nikolaos, and representatives from each village. Mr Michaelis Petselakis opened the discussion with a financial report and list of works to be done. Things discussed were, the neglect of repair of the roads in the area, the terrible state of the water supply, the absence of street cleaners, the irregulare collection of rubbish and the bad state of street lighting. I heard something about a football ground but couldn't understand exactly what.There were many grievences and few solutions. Hopefully the bad state of local government will be sorted out, and our villages will be improved. The discussion was loud and often vituperative, in one instance almost coming to fisticuffs. There was a distinct clash of personalities. Mr Dimitri Kiriakakis did talk about the company who have first permissions to erect wind turbines in the mountains across from Vrahassi and towards Krasi, but he got very little support for his objection to the destruction of what should be designated a National Park, from what I could make out.

Then all hell breaks loose

And it almost ends in a fight!

There are many angry people about at the moment, nerves are frayed with the economic situation, and the frustrations of inadequate services are adding to their grievence. Let's hope their voices have been heard, and the needs of the community looked to. 

And now it's time for my 7 minute workout before a healthy bowl of porrige oats, then a couple of hours cello practice, and an evening writing a bit more to my new novel. 

Bye for now,

Love Jane x

 

Living in the Clouds

Now who can go out and about in this! View from my window in Vrahassi.

Two Strangers Off To See The World!

It is 20 years since David and I discovered Crete. Today we went back to the campsite at Sissi, to see if it had changed as much as we have. The story below is taken from my writings back in 1992. It was a time we shall never forget.

...Now, some people go bankrupt and still seem to retain a basic standard of living. We were very naïve. With only a few pounds in our pocket we queued up at the office of the Social Security. We never made it to the desk. David’s pride would not let him resort to begging money from the state, and he dragged me out of the office, saying, “I won’t do it. I’ll find some other way.” I was angry with him. What were we going to eat? Where were we going to live? He was adamant; he would not become a dropout of society.

Ashamed of our situation we stayed a few days with my father. That’s when we made our plan of the future. We could have been very depressed at that point but instead we decided that what had happened was, in fact, the best thing that could have happened in our lives. For now we had no money worries, no mortgage, no having to get up and work nearly every hour God sent, no children to support. We were free – and how good was that?

My father leant us 500 pounds. We didn’t want to waste it. This was our plan: we would set off and see the world, and find employment to keep us doing that for as long as it took. It was an exciting thing to do. Some would say a stupid thing to do. We were determined to turn the bad situation into a good one, and a few days later whilst sitting in the Salvation Army coffee shop in Oxford Street, London, we tossed a coin, whether to go to Morocco or Athens, both destinations of the Magic Bus. The coin fell for Athens and our future was determined.

           

 This is an edited version of the account of our lives which I wrote in 1992.

As we said goodbye to our families and friends in England, we were neither sad nor regretful. We knew that the next few months would be a time to remember, and a time to forget. We had nothing left of worth except each other. Our bankruptcy had been traumatic. Too deep in the shit to crawl out, we had said, “Stuff it.” It wasn’t a bad deal really. The bank got the house and our slate was wiped clean. The financial slate that was, but I still owed David an awful lot!

               The coach pulled out with our rucksacks and small tent, bundled into the boot. After three days and nights of continuous travel, we arrived in Athens. It was February and knee deep in snow. At 6.30 a.m. in a very cold bus station cafeteria, we sipped strong, black, Greek coffee and warmed our fingers on the tiny hot cups. We had not expected snow in Athens. I felt like a homeless evacuee on some wartime film set.

                Our nerves were still a little frayed. The bus had made a mad dash through war-torn Yugoslavia, to avoid any trouble. We had been stopped twice by army patrols but the drivers had shouted, “All is touristic,” and we were allowed to pass. A woman teacher from Athens who was sitting across from us told us that her Professor had just returned from Yugoslavia with horrific pictures of the atrocities that were going on. Babies were being crucified; there was a mass slaughter of the Croatian people. Like day trippers to a safari park, we watched the world from our windowed cocoon, in the knowledge that we would be quite safe – after all, we were British! How pompous was that?

                On a budget of 3 pounds sterling a day we had to look for a very cheap hotel and then find a place to pitch our tent. It had to be somewhere warmer than Athens. In search of the sun we decided to head south as far as possible. The next evening we boarded a boat for Crete and by 7.30 the next morning we were standing on the harbour at Heraklion. As I gazed up at the mountainous skyline, I knew that I was going to like Crete.

                The sun was shining as we set up our small, two-man tent near to the little fishing village of Sissi, on the north coast. We were alone. It was out of season. There were no tourists. There, in our little paradise, we had nothing, yet we had everything. Perched on a sandy cliff-edge, with a view of the Aegean Sea and the occasional ferryboat on the horizon, we simply absorbed the total peace and harmony of the world. I built a bamboo wind shield while David made a campfire. We found an old table and chairs near the dustbins, even an old tattered parasol. Robinson Crusoe had been a good childhood teacher. I became queen of one-pot cooking, we ate spaghetti and wild greens that the locals picked. We read, and we reasoned. We had chance to talk to each other; to discuss those things that for almost twenty-five years we had kept deep inside ourselves - and the days became longer and warmer.

                Eventually, as the season approached, we found work. David helped out on the campsite; I got a job in a taverna. The local people were warm, open and smiling. We saw how people could live: without television, without cars, without washing machines, without expensive clothes, without all sorts of luxuries. Our new friends in Sissi showed us the kindness that Kings will seldom know and Christians often forget. When people have nothing, they need each other, and, what is more, they genuinely love each other. It took a journey of a thousand miles, and the abandonment of all material things, to make us realize what love really is.   

                Time is like the gentle lapping of the powerful waters, invisibly wearing smooth, rough-cut mortals. Time is for ever; people temporarily bathing in its permanence. If all I have learned is merely worn away by time, my existence means nothing. If my knowledge affects even the tiniest being, then time is worthwhile. If I respect time, then in the shade of a rocking olive branch, I will be happy. As we were leaving Crete, after spending three months in that little two-man tent, David said, “Jane, never forget this time.” We found love under a Cretan sky.  (Written in 1992)

               

We returned to England to be offered the wonderful opportunity of running a small guest house in the Lake District. After two years of hard work we returned to Crete to buy a small house in the mountains. That was eighteen years ago. Whatever setbacks we have had, we have just looked for the good side, and there has always been a good side. We never know where our next dollar is coming from, but while ever we can help someone out, we know that things will work out. David renovated our Cretan hovel and we now have a car, a washing machine, a television an inside bathroom, and yes, computers. We did it, and so can anyone else, but it didn’t all happen at once, the thing is, we never lost sight of the fact that one day we would have our own house again.  I know that God will provide and that all things are possible, once you accept that, life is such a joy.

                I have had several very vivid dreams; one in particular instructed me to read the book of Daniel in the bible; another prompted the story of Rhamu, a Minoan Prince. My book, Tears from the Sun – A Cretan Journey, is not an autobiography, it is a cameo of Cretan life taken from my experiences combined with esoteric knowledge. I am very proud of it, and I know that I was meant to write it. It has taken every penny I have to have it published and I’m back to eating wild greens from the mountain. But hey, I’m healthy; I have a wonderful loving relationship with David, and I have friends around me. I am definitely not poor. My goal is to share what I have learned with as many people as possible, and I want to build a guest lodge onto our one bedroom house so that my family and friends and anyone else can come and see what life half way up a mountain in Crete is really like.

             A great energy comes out of adversity doesn’t it? If people would only use that energy to some good, put hate behind them, forgive the wrongs of the past and concentrate on making a better world for themselves and others, then they would find a peace of mind that is eternal. Love is the key; always find the good in every situation. Just now, there will be many Greek people as short of money as David and I were back in 1992. I hope that they can find a way through their problems.

Jane Sharp

2010

To find out more about Jane’s life in Vrahassi and her book Tears from the Sun – A Cretan Journey see:  http://janesharp.org

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It's Carnival Time - Time to Party!

Greek Carnival Celebrations Across Greece

By Stella Tsolakidou on February 13, 2012 in News

The Triodion is open… as they say in Greece, and along with it comes joy, fun and lots of kefi in each town of Greece. The Carnival is considered to be a hyper national celebration, since it has become an attraction for more and more people despite their financial status or age over the years.
The celebrations of music, masquerade, dance and colors mark a unique three-week-long period in Greece that dates back to antiquity and the worship of the god Bacchus, or Dionysus, god of wine and celebration in the Eleusinian Mysteries.
Today, there are many different carnival parades going on all over Greece. Hundreds of groups take part in those parades, and anyone who wishes to participate can just join a group.
Patras Carnival
The biggest festival has taken place in the city of Patras for the past 180 years, and the regular attendance of young people in the great parade is approximately 40,000. That’s why this festival is considered to be one of the greatest in Europe and is a meeting point for all carnival enthusiasts around Greece.
Just like in Rio de Janeiro, people in Patras spend the whole year preparing for the coming Carnival celebrations.
Bearing the strong influences of the Italian traditions, the carnival of Patras has already begun. With the “Treasure Hunt”, the restless dancing, the music bands strolling the city, the famous chocolate war in the city centre and the night parades, the Carnival will reach its peak on February 26 at 3pm, with the biggest chariots parade and the burning of King Carnival at night.
Xanthi Carnival
Xanthi’s Carnival is the biggest festival of Northern Greece, and has been taking place yearly since 1926. Approximately 20,000 visitors go there every year to get a taste of fun, imagination, creativity and music.
Among other common Carnival celebrations and games, Xanthi’s carnival participants burn the King of the Carnival on the Kosinthos river waters, while children have to grab a piece of the kris pudding pie with their mouths (their hands are tied behind their backs) before joining the celebrations.
Moreover, there is the famous Baldafun, which is actually a disco club just for kids, who eagerly wait for it all year.
Naousa Carnival
In Naousa, Northern Greece, Apokries are a time of enthusiasm, spontaneity and warm welcomes to all visitors with unorganized satiric carnival celebrations.
The custom of Giannitsaros and Boula is the most renowned happening in Naousa, which is only performed by young men. One of them plays the part of Giannitsaros and another man the female part of Boula, while the parade is accompanied by the music of traditional instruments.
During the custom a lot of famous Naousa wine flows in the cups of the participants and on the last Sunday a big feast is held at the Alonia Square.
Corfu Carnival
The famous Carnival of Corfu is 450 years old and has its roots in the Middle Ages, when the Venetian conquerors of the island brought this custom back from their homeland. Today, the Carnival of Corfu closely resembles the Carnival of Venice and includes many fun happenings.
The most famous happening of the Carnival is the Great Parade that takes place in Liston and Spianada square. People dressed in strange customs join groups and spread to the entire island a spirit of festivity. The parade is accompanied by local music and dancing.
At the end of the parade, there follows the burning of King Carnival, which is said to carry the sins of the locals. The King Carnival is burnt in a bonfire among great partying and dancing. An interesting custom associated with the Carnival is the enactment of the Corfu Petegoletsia, which means “the Gossip”. This is a form of a street theater, where actors sit in windows overlooking the alley of the Old Town and exchange gossip, in local dialect. This gossip might refer to political authorities or local scandals.
Rethymno Carnival
During the Carnival of Rethymno, Crete, the city gets in a festive mood with its young people dancing in the streets from dusk to dawn. The Carnival dates back to 1914 and reminds the residents of a former era, when the island used to welcome “the King”.
The King Carnival, however, is also surrendered to the flames on the last Sunday of the Apokries.
The Carnival of Rethymno includes the Treasure Hunt, night parades, chariots and dance groups joining the big parade on February 26.
On the following morning of Kathara Deftera, Greeks tend to go fly their kites in hills and beaches across Greece, while they enjoy the delicacies of taramas, lagana and beans.

Donations Wanted to Restore the Old School in Vrahassi

Η πρόταση για το παλιό Αρρεναγωγείο στο Βραχάσι ύψους 260.000€ από τη Βελγική Σχολή

Old School in Vrahassi to be Restored by Belgium Archaeologist

Great news, the various Councils involved have given the go ahead for the renovation of the old school in Vrahassi. For a full report in Greek please see: http://vrachassi.blogspot.com
This is very good news for the village. The building will eventually become a store house for archaeological finds from the Minoan site on Anavlochos, as well as a place to exhibit photographs. The project is the brainchild of Prof Jan Driessen, the chief archaeologist for the Belgium School, who in recent years have been excavating a site in Sissi, known as the Sarpedon Project. With Mr Michaelis Petselakis at the helm, Vrahassi is going places.

It's very exciting!
Love Jane x

ΤΙ ΦΩΝΗ ΜΟΥ ΜΠΡΕ ΚΑΛΛΙΕΡΓΩ

Here's a little video that might amuse. (not my neighbours, I might add - but somebody's I suppose).
And, having found nothing of particular interest in the newspapers to write, about except maybe how bad the weather is, and how bad it is going to be for the next week or so, I can only say, try to keep as warm as you can, in any way that you can. That is what I am going to do.
I know that I shall have to be careful not to overdo it with the carbohydrates these cold Vrahassi days. I've resisted sweet stuff for a couple of weeks, but I do feel a sponge pudding and custard coming on. Hot drinks seem to do the trick, but there is only so much tea you can drink in a day. Layers of clothing help combat the cold, of course, and my exercises do warm me up (it's only temporary though). The best thing to do is walk the dog, it's bracing and the house certainly feels warmer afterwards. Only a few months to the better weather!
Hope you like the video, it made me laugh anyway.
Happy Sunday,
Love Jane x

5.3 - Earthquake Rattles Crete and other Islands.

5.3-quake rattles Crete and other islands

26 Jan 2012

(File photo) An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 rattled Crete and other islands in the south Aegean Sea.   Authorities have reported no injuries or serious damage.   The undersea earthquake occurred at 6:24am. Today, according to the Geodynamic Institute of Athens, some 244 kilometres south of Athens. A 4.4-magnitude aftershock in the same region occurred two hours later.   Earthquake expert Eftymios Lekkas, a professor of geology at Athens University, said the aftershock pattern from the earthquake was normal and not a cause for concern. (Athens News/gw)   Well, we didn't feel a thing in our house. So, no cracks, burst pipes, or shaking crockery to report.  The dogs were quiet too. 4 in a bed and the little one said... I had my first cello lesson of the year, today, and excited about learning a new piece, Vivaldi, Sonata in B flat (47) Hope the dogs are not too disturbed by it! Love Jane x

CRETAN CUSTOM CUTTING OF THE NEW YEAR CAKE JANE'S VRAHASSI

Thanks to our teacher, we had a break between classes to participate in the Greek custom of cutting and sharing the New Year Cake. A coin had been placed inside the cake, and the winner received a Greek/English dictionary. Afterwards we all got to work again. If you are interested in joining one of the classes, simply turn up at the Oasis cafebar in Neapolis on a Saturday afternoon to ask for details.

And now I am going to Agios Nikolaos to pay my electricity bill before I'm cut off!

Jane x

Catholic Church Bazaar in Heraklion

One for the road - may all your wishes come true.

My wish came true when I was asked to the Catholic Church Bazaar in Heraklion.

The streets were busy and there were plenty of Christmas lights.

Lydia lent me a festive jumper and I wore my mistleoe tiara.

Thanks to the organizers I was able to have my wish granted. And they enjoyed the music so much that they have asked me back for Easter.  (It was worth all that practice!)

So, what a way to end 2011 (okay it isn't over till the fat lady sings). Lydia and Mark have organized a party at the Cosmos Bar in Vrahassi tonight. It is New Year's Eve and raining, but we are determined to end 2011 in style, somewhere. I have to say that from past New Year's Eve events in Vrahassi, I do know not to expect too much. I remember the Millenium, when the whole world was partying - Vrahassi was dead. There was no-one in the streets and I was so disappointed that we went home and set the keyboard up on the roof. Come midnight David and I had our own party and I blasted out new-age music over the rooftops. I wont be doing that tonight.

I am happy to be moving forward into a New Year. 2011 did have its moments though. We had a wonderful summer with our daughter and grandson, and their friends Sooz and Eliza, and then Jack's dad John joined us for a week. And in October we went to England where we spent time with our son, David, and his lovely family, Tracy and two granddaughters, Star and Jade. And, what a wonderful thing it was to be able to see our daughter Joanne receive her degree at Greenwich University. My sister, Joanna and her family looked after us so well, and we even managed to see our dear, dear friends, and other members of the family. If we missed you out, sorry, but there is only so much you can do in a couple of weeks.

2011 has been a year of hard work and no work. It has been a year of two dogs then four dogs. It has been a year of bad health and brilliant health. The Greek austerity measures have hit us financially, but hey, it costs nothing to smile. I have been touched by the actions of one or two people, I can tell you.

So, onwards and upwards! Our motto is 'Just Do It' so watch out 2012. There's a lot of 'Doing' to be done. I have this wonderful vision of book number two being finished, and being a big hit. I can see myself playing in Heraklion again, maybe next time with other musicians. My body is shaping up with the continuing exercise programme - remember the 7 minute workout? Well watch out for photos of the new me. I am going to grow my hair long and face the future with attitude. Attitude that shouts out 'I AM SO LUCKY'.

I hope you all have a great New Year's Eve wherever you may be. And I hope you get all you wish for in 2012. And remember, there is always some poor sod worse off than you are.

Love Jane x
P.S. I'll try to get some pics of the action but my camera is on the blink. I'll just have to vision a new one, it really is as easy as that.

Punch and Judy

Christmas Pantomime. One for the memoirs!

Greeks Seek Rural Life

7. STRIKES Pharmacies will be closed across the country today in a 24-hour warning strike called by the Panhellenic Pharmaceutical Association, which has also threatened to suspend all credit to social security funds – meaning they will charge customers the full price for medicines - as of New Year’s Day or earlier .

Will Vrahassi begin to grow again?

Crisis-hit Greeks leave the cities for a new rural life

By Eve Szeftel
Uprooted by a national debt crisis and a deepening recession that has eaten up their jobs, incomes and pensions, many Greeks are now returning to their families’ rural past in search of a future.
Just as young graduates are moving abroad rather than risk joining the 18 percent of Greeks who are out of work, families struggling to maintain their living standards are looking for a simpler life away from the city.
Elisabeth Kokoreli and her husband Vanguelis Tsaprounis quit Athens earlier this year to live permanently in their second home on the island of Evia, where he grew up.
Although they had long been thinking about a change of lifestyle, they were forced to act after the cost of raising a family in the capital, at about 3,000 euros ($4,000) a month, far outstripped their earnings.
Now, their two daughters are settled in the local school in Vassilika and Tsaprounis, a 42-year-old painter, has set about learning the farming skills needed to make the most of the land that he has inherited.
”I am very happy,” said Kokoreli, a 40-year-old dance therapist. ”We have a better chance at a future here. In Athens, it was a constant struggle.
”It has been a big change for me, but I like this new way of life.” Her family is part of an increasing exodus from the cities to the villages, reversing a trend dating back to World War II which has seen the population of Athens triple to four million -- two-fifths of all people living in Greece.
Agricultural labour has surged seven percent since 2008, while people who work on the land now make up 12.5 percent of the active population, compared to 11.3 percent in 2008.
Many of these new recruits are middle-aged, like Ambroise Santamouris, 50, and his partner Adriana Flores, 52.
They are both journalists but have seen their industry decimated by the recession, which will next year enter its fourth year.
Santamouris lost his job at a private radio station in 2010, and in January they decided to move to the island of Tinos in the Cyclades, where he has inherited a house by the sea.
For the couple, the move was a ”question of survival”, he says, as well as an opportunity to change the way they lived.
”Most of the things that we thought were important, and which reflect your position in society, turned out to be worthless. And we couldn’t afford them anyway,” Santamouris said.
Although he would rather have retired to the island when he was ready, the prospect of finding another job in Athens, where a quarter of the 8,000 journalists in the city are set to lose their jobs this year, forced his hand.

I cannot let yesterday go by without mention of the fact that David and I once again spent the day at the Court in Neapolis. Of course it was he who shall not be named, rearing his ugly head. This time the case was thrown out. I think the words were to the effect that there was no case to answer. Still it was a bit of a strain on us. We did have a celebratory drink with friends after, and we were in bed by 8 o'clock. It was funny really, because by 3 a.m. we were wide awake. Back to normal today - whatever that is!

I am busy practising for Christmas Eve morning, when Julie (the flute) and I shall be playing Christmas Carols in Neapolis. So, back to it.

Love Jane x 

TRAGIC DEATH IN VRAHASSI!

Kiria Maria, age 74, lived alone. Her body was found by firemen early this morning, after a fire engulfed the whole of her house. She had not been well for some time. It is a possibility that an electric heater was the cause of the fire. Rest in peace, Kiria Maria.

 

Δευτέρα, 12 Δεκεμβρίου 2011

Τραγικός θάνατος ηλικιωμένης μέσα στις φλόγες στο Βραχάσι σήμερα το πρωί

Άσχημα ξεκίνησε η εβδομάδα στο Βραχάσι του Δήμου Αγίου Νικολάου.. Μία 74χρονη γυναίκα βρήκε τραγικό θάνατο μετά από φωτιά που εκδηλώθηκε στο σπίτι της κάτω από άγνωστες μέχρι τώρα συνθήκες ..

Η πυροσβεστική Υπηρεσία κλήθηκε λίγο πριν τις 6.00 το πρωί και όταν το κλιμάκιο που έσπευσε κατέφερε να σβήσει τις φλόγες αντίκρισε το αποτρόπαιο θέαμα της νεκρής γυναίκας..

Στην περιοχή σπεύδει και ο ιατροδικαστής...

Σύμφωνα με τα μέχρι τώρα στοιχεία η φωτιά μάλλον ξεκίνησε από την σόμπα που είχε στο σπίτι η ηλικιωμένη προκειμένου να ζεσταίνεται . Να σημειωθεί ότι η 74χρονη έμενε μόνη της

JANE'S CHRISTMAS POEM 2011

This is what I was doing yesterday, when I should have been doing the ironing!

TOTALLY NATIVITY

The lights were twinkling on my tree,

As Christmas Eve descended,

I’d made the cake, the Christmas pud,

And praises duly rendered,

A tot of rum for Santa Claus,

And a lovely warm mince pie,

I placed beside the burning fire,

For that hungry passer by,

And then I noticed something wrong,

It was quite a mystery,

A little sheep had disappeared

From the toy Nativity,

Joseph still watched over Mary,

Jesus was there in the hay,

A small group of shepherds gathered

With wise men from far away,

The cattle were lowing softly,

A bright star above them shone,

Every character had its place,

Except the sheep, which was gone,

We can’t have Christmas without her,

I thought, she’s there every year,

The stable has to have a sheep,

Without it, it looks quite bare,

So I started to search the house,

For that little missing sheep,

I rifled through cupboards and drawers,

I upturned things in a heap,

I looked around the skirting board,

Down the sides of the settee,

I emptied the waste-paper bin,

Moved things underneath the tree,

The sheep had spirited away,

And the house was upside down,

I just couldn’t understand it,

The thing was not to be found,

And then Dave came home from the pub,

As happy a man could be,

He looked at the mess. I explained,

‘I can’t find the sheep, you see.’

‘Ah the sheep’, he said quite coyly,

There’s something you need to know,

I took it for a little walk,

For a change of air, Ho! Ho!”

He pulled his hand from his pocket,

Clenched his fist tight, gave a sigh,

Then slowly opened his fingers,

To reveal the sheep inside,

I was so happy to see it,

There was no anger at all,

We both just fell about laughing,

And placed the sheep in the stall

We shook our heads and looked around,

Our home was in disarray,

What mattered most, the lost sheep was

Found, in time for Christmas Day.

©Jane Sharp

2011