Jane's Motivational Video - Be Nice!

Do you know, that small bunch of flowers, handed to me as a kind gesture, had a most profound effect. All it takes to make someone's day is to be nice. A smile, a few words of genuine interest and a little gift that begs no return of favour, just the satisfaction of giving. Some people find it difficult to be nice, I bet if they tried it they would be so much happier. Try it next time you feel the urge to say something nasty about someone, think nice and feel better for it. You know what they say, "If you look for the worst in someone you will surely find it." So look for the good, you will find that too.

So, the New Democrats won the election! How will effect my life? We shall see. A loaf of bread is still one euro, a tin of Heinz beans is 1.40 in the supermarket in Neapolis, sugar is 1.09 e for a kilo bag, let's watch those three things. (Of course sugar is only 1.05 e at Liddle supermarket but the petrol from Vrahassi to there and back has to be taken into account) Petrol, by the way is more or less 1.900 a litre and 30 e doesn't quite half fill the tank in my car.

Tomorrow David and I shall attend the funeral of Steve who used to live near Sissi. I haven't seen the notices yet so I don't have a time. If you are on Facebook and want to find out, then as soon as I know I shall post it.

Thursday is coming round quickly, and I have not practiced my scales this week. Maybe tonight. Next is dog walking, then my 7 minute workout, and then, (hallelujah) it will be tea time.

Have a nice time being nice!
Love Jane x

Get Fit For Foggies - 7 Minute Workout

So, now my lovely visitors have gone, I have to work off all that good food and drink. It is back to the exercise! And back to my diet!

I have to say, I am feeling strong, and strong is good when the country you are living in is on the verge of catastrophe. Will the euro survive? Will the drachma return? It is the question on the lips of most people these days. The general election will be held next Sunday 17th June, and we await the results and the decisions of the Greek people. The advice we have been given, is plan for the worst and hope for the best, though what to plan for is a difficult question. Whichever way things go, there will be a future of hardship. Thank God the sun is shining and we can laugh about things. By the way, I am stocking up on porridge.

Hope you are laughing too, this video might help bring a smile.

Love Jane x

Meeting of the Environment Committee of the Region of Crete

The story of CRETE TV on yesterday's meeting of the Environment Committee of the Region of Crete about the proposed hydro-electric dam planned for Azilakodasos (The Oak forest) between Vrahassi and Krasi. As you can see the locals are not at all happy, and why should they be. Their land is about to be snatched from them, the total beauty of the place with be ruined, not to mention the destruction of the natural habitat of the Griffon Vulture and other wild birds and animals.

What if Greece Exits Euro?

Viewpoints: What if Greece exits euro?

If Greece left the euro, inflation and unemployment would probably rise

Greek politicians are struggling to form a new government.

There are powerful factions that do not want the austerity measures imposed on Greece by its international lenders.
But unless Greece can satisfy the demands of the European Union and the IMF, then they will cut off Greece's last remaining lines of credit.
Without that, Greece will not be able to pay its bills and could drop out of the euro altogether.
Below are the views of several experts on what would happen if Greece were to leave the euro.

Carsten Brzeski, senior economist, ING Belgium

Chaos. Greek banks would go bust. Greek companies would go bust. Unemployment would go up. The new drachma loses lots of value.
Food and energy prices go through the roof. It would be an explosive cocktail.
The turmoil would weigh on growth. The outlook for the eurozone would worsen.

Michael Arghyrou, senior economics lecturer, Cardiff Business School

The drachma would be devalued by at least 50%, causing inflation.
Interest rates will have to double and all mortgages, business loans and other borrowing will become much more expensive.
There will be no credit for Greek banks or the Greek state.
That could mean a shortage of basic commodities, like oil or medicine or even foodstuffs.
A lot of Greek firms rely on foreign suppliers, who may cut off Greek customers. Greek companies could be driven out of business.
Greece will lose its only reference point of stability, which was its euro status.
The country would end up in a volatile period. There would be institutional weakness.
The worst case scenario would be a social and economic breakdown, perhaps even leading to a totalitarian regime.

Sony Kapoor, managing director of the Re-Define think tank

I think that either the Greeks or European policy makers talking about an exit in a casual blase way are being highly, highly irresponsible.
Total cost versus the total benefit remains overwhelmingly negative, both for the eurozone and Greece.
In one shot, a Greek exit could undo a large part of good work in Ireland and Portugal.
If you are a Portuguese saver with money in the bank, even if there is a small likelihood of losing that money, it would make perfect sense to move euro deposits while you can to a safer haven, like the Netherlands and Germany.
There would be a significant deposit flight in peripheral countries.
It would immediately weigh on investment in the real economy, because corporations would be very reluctant to invest anything at all.

Megan Greene, director of European economics at Roubini Global Economics

You would see cascading bank defaults in Greece and everybody would take money out of Portuguese and Spanish banks.
A big part could be plugged by the European Central Bank (ECB) through a liquidity operation that would backstop the banks.
The ECB has already done that several times and it would step up to the plate again.
But that would not stem the political contagion or unrest. We have seen four elections in two weeks. In Greece, France, Italy and Germany, electorates have voted against austerity at home.
However, Greece is a small country and the rest of the eurozone has been making provision for this for a long time now.
The eurozone could survive a Greek exit. Depending on the choreography, the exit could be better for everyone involved if managed in a co-ordinated orderly way.
But if it were done by a unilateral default, an exit would be a worse option for Greece.

Jeremy Stretch, head of forex research, CIBC

In the currency market, we are already seeing money fleeing to safe havens.
The alternatives are few and far between for those who want to stand aside from the euro.
The dollar is performing relatively well. The dollar index - the dollar against a basket of other major currencies - is at the highest level in two months.
A new drachma would not be the most widely trading currency in the world and would probably drop in value by 50%.

Jan Randolph, head of sovereign risk, IHS Global Insight

What everyone is missing is a third possibility.
If credit is withdrawn by the EU and IMF, then Greece becomes a cash economy. It means the government can only pay what it collects.
The government starts shutting down, 10-15% of state employees don't get paid and unemployment surges from 20% to 30%.
But Greece can still use the euro.
It would be difficult for the ECB to keep banks afloat. The Greek banking sector would collapse as well.
That would cause more unemployment, as credit for companies would dry up.
What happens next is a political question.
European nations would probably not accept another Western European country descending into chaos and collapse.
The EU and IMF would probably negotiate some kind of aid. But Greece could continue with the euro.

Article from Ekathimerini today.

Music Soiree May 2012 - Year 4

My progress after three and a half years of study. I am looking forward to improving - onwards and upwards, as they say.

I'm just back from our Poetry Club meeting, we are still trying to establish a group, but today we did get a couple of visitors.

And now I'm going to relaxe for an hour before having a sort out in the back garden.

Byeeeeeee! Jane x

The Odd Poets of Crete

I'm feeling resurrected! I still have the dress, still got the mike, and plenty more poems to share. And now I have company too. I am pleased to announce that The Odd Poets of Crete officially met last week to discuss poets and poetry, and we shall be gearing up for a reading pretty soon. So, if there are any interested poets out there who would like to join us, come to Driros cafebar in Neapolis on Monday morning at 11 a.m. Bring some of your work, or a poem which you particularly like.

Jane x

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.

A Message For All Non-Greeks

 Ros Grypari puts it in words we can all understand.

A MESSAGE FOR ALL NON-GREEKS... by Ros Grypari

Although I am not Greek, I love Greece dearly and it has been my second home for nearly 40 years. Over the last two years I have watched a lot of finger pointing and accusations being aimed at this unequaled, beautiful cradle of democracy and I have one question for you: How would your country's people have coped, if your nation's history had followed the same path that Greek history has followed?...

Ironically, the Greeks, the creators of democracy, have only been a FREE, "democratic" nation for a mere 38 years, since their infamous junta fell in 1974! Think about it! For over 600 years the Greeks have not had any leaders that they could trust!... They were under a violent and barbaric Turkish rule for 400 years! The only way to survive was by bribery and corruption! Vastly outnumbered, they fought with unparalleled bravery from 1821 to 1829 to overthrow the Turks and they eventually won - but then - in 1831, the three great powers of Europe (Great Britain, France and Russia) decided that the newly independent Greeks should have a monarchy, so they sent them a 17 year old Bavarian/German prince to be their king, accompanied by 3 very austere Bavarian/German advisors! (Sound familiar?)... From 1863, thereon, the Greek monarchy came from Denmark. The foreign imposed monarchy was finally overthrown, after 153 years, by the military junta in 1967, after which the Greeks suffered a further 7 years of terror at the hands of the generals! The monarchy's permanent removal was, unsurprisingly, decided in a referendum by the Greek people in 1974.

Apart from the Turkish rule, the foreign imposed monarchies and a dictatorship, the Greeks also suffered terribly during the German and Italian occupation during WWII, which left them deeply in debt, devastated and destroyed, in spite of their courageous resistance. Once again, the Greeks had an immense struggle, being forced to use whatever means it took, just to survive!... Is it a wonder that they are sick of foreigners interfering with their affairs? What other nation in the developed world has been so oppressed, by so many other nations AND a military junta (which was ALSO imposed by a foreign power!) for the last 600 years?

Understandably, ever since 1974, when "democracy" was finally restored, the Greek people have nurtured a deep mistrust of all their politicians and leaders. Greek citizens rarely get the advantage of tax breaks and rewards for being honest that one expects in a civilized, democratic society. Greek politicians, having been tarred with the same corrupt brush as their tyrannical predecessors, have always stolen from their people and used bribery and blackmail to get them to vote for them! Avoiding paying taxes has, largely, been an unspoken agreement between the RICH Greeks and the politicians, who had a mutual, unspoken agreement to turn a blind eye! But the rich and the politicians are NOT the ones who are paying the punishment for the mess that they have got Greece into! It is the poor, the pensioners and the middle classes who are being forced to pay - and they are on their knees!

The last nail in the coffin for Greece appears to have been George Papandreou, the most recently elected Greek Prime Minister (whose mother is an American!)... Mr Papandreou was born and raised in the United States, not even coming to Greece until 1974! Following his removal, last year, the Greeks have had yet another leader imposed on them by foreign powers!... A BANKER "technocrat", of all people! (There's no need to say whose side HE is on!)

This is a watershed moment for Greece. The Greek people are desperately fighting for change and for survival, yet again - but it is a bloody battle and this time they are up against the EU, the IMF, the ECB AND all the world banks! After all, Ancient Athens wasn't built in a day and modern Athens and Greece will, somehow, have to be re-built out of the ashes, with a new model of honesty, transparency and fairness. The Greeks have a very long and hard road ahead. From where will they find the strength do this on their own, when they have been so defeated and bled so dry? They really can't take any more pain and unless other countries do something to HELP the Greek people, sooner or later, your own country will be the next victim in the bankers' sights, in this sinister war of finance! (NB: The majority of the loans that you hear about, that are supposedly going to "help" Greece, are NOT going to the Greek people - they are going to the world's banks to pay the VAST amounts of interest that have been incurred on the relatively small amount of debt that is owed by Greece!)... It is a country of only 11 million people, so they need a lot of help and support! Capitalism appears to be imploding, worldwide, and it is the Greek people who are paying for it dearly, suffering more than anyone outside of Greece can imagine.

So, to those of you who, mistakenly, think that the Greeks have brought this crisis upon themselves - please think again!... The Greek people are NOT to blame! The combination of hundreds of years of foreign interference/imposition AND the corrupt and greedy bankers, worldwide, are the ones to blame! They have taken advantage of the corrupt government in Greece and have chosen the Greeks as the weakest and easiest victims to prey on for their first meal, using them as an experiment and picking the Greek bones dry in the process! However, there appears to be a tsunami of support building for the Greeks, which is beginning to spread across the world. It could be the last ray of hope for Greece!

Ros Grypari

Adventure 1992

Adventure 1992

By Magic Bus from London town

To Greece we were transported,

With nothing but our canvas home

Thus speedily exported,

And so to Athens, there to ‘find

Ourselves’ and ancient glories,

To bathe in culture; steep our bones

In characters and stories,

But cold it was on Zeus’s hill,

And round his temple blowing,

Had he’d ‘a’ been a Scotsman he’d

‘a’ found his knees a glowing,

“It’s further south for us my gal,

Our bits are frozen rigid,

If we stay here for much longer,

It’s bound to make you frigid,

“My God!” I cried, “We must make haste

Before you too feel chilly,

May Zephyrus watch over us

And warm your freezing willy,”

Post haste and to the sea we went

Together with our spiti,*

And bought a one-way ticket out

To that fair isle of Kriti,

Now very soon we realized,

That man needs more than passion

If he wants to keep his body

And soul in the right fashion,

It’s true our little paradise

Could not have been much better,

We had fresh fish and oranges,

Tomatoes, oil, and feta,

The campsite had facilities:

A bird could not be free-er,

And yet our lives were incomplete,

Because we craved for be-er,

Now to us Yorkshire folk, real ale

Has fans, just like a showman,

It’s second only to the balls

Of Boycot, Lloyd or Trueman,

To have to go without a drop

Can prove to be quite testy,

We tried retsina, raki too,

But that made me so chesty,

We dreamed of pints with creamy heads,

Of mild and dark, and bitter,

The fruitiness of Samuels,

How Dent would make us fitter,

And so we walked towards the sounds

Of Sissi, and located,

The tiny bar of Harbour Lights,

Where Bill and Marie waited,

And there we put aside our quest

For stories, songs and dancing,

We listened to the tales of men

Of Cretan folk, romancing,

Michaelis Postman sang to us

A song with Eastern flavour,

And Costas danced, and plates were smashed,

It was a night to savour,

Our adventure had just started,

Now we’re twenty years down line,

We settled in the Cretan hills,

Where there’s plenty of sunshine,

So, if you ever pass our way

Look for us in Vrahassi,

In the area of oak trees,

It’s not exactly classy,

But we love it up the mountain,

Where the Griffin vultures nest,

Our adventure 1992

Proved undoubtedly the best!

*Spiti =house, in this case a tent.

©Jane Sharp 2012

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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Report of Council Meeting in Vrahassi

Met yesterday Vrachasiou Local Council dealt with a number of issues in our village.Unanimously decided to grant part of the plot in Sissi parking for construction of multipurpose Surgery, proposed by the Governor of the DOE and City Councilor Crete Agios Nikolaos Panicos Mr. Karatzas.Subject to the operation of the company by its Regional Director Chris Mamaloukos, who asked to join the Company with 20% of the sports club Vrachasiou.President of Operations and Regional Director Vrachasiou C. Fthenakis referred to the municipality for the participation of AO Vrachasiou essentially disagreeing with the possibility to join the team at the company's share capital.Also negative were the C. Fthenakis and the creation of RES in our region. In the same wavelength on this issue was Chris Mamaloukos while President Michael Petsalakis expressed the view that any investments of this kind should be made with absolute protection of the environment with respect to areas under a special law NATURA.The President also noted that in any case would be provided economic benefits to local communities and the City and agreed to the proposal by Mayor Nicholas St. to create a special zoning plan to regulate the installation of such units.The President of the Local Council asked for extensive information both by stakeholders involved (City, Region, Forest Service, etc.) and the Company to be informed in detail about the plans.

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Neapolis Carnival Sunday 19th Feb

Απόκριες 2012 στην Νεάπολη

'Οταν στη Νεάπολη λέμε αποκριές το εννούμε. μια μερα για ολους μικρους και μεγάλους με εκπληξεις πολλές πάρα πολλές, λουναπαρκ, ξυλοποδαροι, κλοουν, παιχνίδια, χορό, μουσική και κέφι για όλους μικρούς και μεγάλους! Για την μεταφορά απο την κεντρική πλατεία θα υπάρχει το τρενάκι, αντε παρκινκ στο ΕΠΑΛ και ΠΑΜΕ ΑΠΟΚΡΙΕΣ

 

When Neapoli says 'apokries' they mean a day for adults and children with many surprizes, fairground, clowns, games, music and entertainment for all!

See you there!

Jane x

Celebrate Clean Monday on Sissi Harbour

"Φασολάδα στο λιμάνι που ο νους σου δεν το βάνει" την Καθαρή Δευτέρα 27 Φλεβάρη από τον Αναπτυξιακό Σύλλογο Σισίου

You are invited to celebrate Clean Monday, 27th February, on Sissi Harbour, where there will be live music, dancing and frivolity! Hope to see you there. Jane x

Valentine's Day Water Marble Nail Art Tutorial

You probably all knew how to do this, but I've been living up a mountain for almost as long as Sleeping Beauty slept, and I found it fascinating.
It's always good to try something new!
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

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.

Waiting For Spring - A Poem by Jane Sharp

Waiting For Spring 

I have moved through the hours, a leafless tree,
Through the cold dark hopeless days of winter,
Waiting for a sun-kiss to warm my cheek,
To rid the meloncholy from my rings,

My drooping limbs, bowed boughs of December,
Like the arms of desperate ballerinas
Wanting to be swans, wanting to be swans
In that soft-cygnet white of virgin maids,

I am ready for the company of spring,
With its chattering sparrows, and rainbows,
And those tingling roots that make me want to
Reach out and touch the sky with my blossom.

Jane Sharp

The Crete I Love

If you were thinking of Crete for a holiday, take a look at the video for a taste of this magical island.

Last week I saw two new born lambs, and the almond trees are in blossom, that delecate, baby pink, a warm rouge on the wind swept hills of winter. And the orange trees of the village are so full of golden baubles that they could have been dressed for a shop window. Snow is melting from the mountain tops to give way to green shoots, and spring rain is a welcome gift of water to last through the long dry summer. Who could not be happy in such a place?
But the reality is that so many people are unhappy here. There is a gloom, a meloncholy sitting over Greece. Young families have no hope for the future of their children. Prices have risen, wages have dropped, and unemployment is rising. There is little opportunity for anyone. Self employment is a nightmare that I have only ever seen end in disaster. Debt is like a terminal illness hanging over the heads of so many. There are soup kitchens in most big towns, calls for second hand clothing, help for families who are about to have their electricity cut off. Dogs are being put out onto the street because owners cannot afford to feed them. How long before it is children on the doorstep of the Church?
So, if you do come to Crete for a holiday this year, try to be aware that behind all those lovely Cretan smiling faces, there is real strife. The problems are not going to disappear, but people may. How long will it be before doctors, dentists, teachers, and other professionals are forced to leave in search of a better life somewhere else. Hotels may close down, shops and restaurants too. They all need help!
Years ago my sister had to attend a school in a mining area of Yorkshire. My parents said that the school was not educating its pupils, but turning them into labour for the mines. What will the children of Crete be turned into? Their parents will not be able to afford English lessons. Higher education will be ruled out. The son of a friend of mine has stayed on at school for 3 extra years, and the only job he has been offered is that of a pizza delivery boy. The basic wage for under 25s has been cut by 30% to just over 3 euro an hour.
So, come to Crete for your holiday, choose it because it is a beautiful place to come, be happy, laze in the warm sunshine, and swim in the clean, clear blue Cretan Sea. And know that by spending your well earned money in Crete, you are helping towards the future of these lovely people.

And if you do come over to Crete, make your way to Vrahassi, and while away a few hours at one of the taverna's in the centre. I might meet you there!
 
Love Jane x

Full Moon Trip to Heraklion February 2012

No expence spared for our romantic full-moon outing! Despite the rain, we had a good time. Lots of sales but not many shoppers. Great gyros pita, and lovely glass of wine.

The music is that of Jaqueline Du Pre playing Haydn - Enjoy!

Love Jane x

Strike in Athens Today

Strike protesters burn German flag

7 Feb 2012

Hundreds of protesters chanting "Nazis Out!" clashed with police outside parliament during a general strike rally against austerity (Eurokinissi) Hundreds of protesters chanting "Nazis Out!" clashed with police outside parliament during a general strike rally against austerity. Police used pepper spray against the protesters, who burned a German flag, during a brief flare-up of violence at the rally which was joined by some 25,000 people despite the heavy rainfall. The generally peaceful rally, organized separately by general and communist trade unions, was called against widely reported plans by the government to slash the minimum wage and impose other drastic cuts. Unions and employers have already rejected calls to cut the minimum wage, currently at 751euros per month, arguing that it would make the country's four-year recession even worse. "This is a crime against the nation," Vangelis Moutafis, a top strike organizer at the country's largest union, the GSEE. "They are driving wage-earners into absolute poverty. They are wiping out the unemployed and retired people ... They are selling off the state for nothing. This must not continue. It's a crime and it must be stopped now." (Athens News/gw)

Cretan Traditional Almond Drink - SOUMADA

Soumatha is a soft drink made from almonds and sugar. This video is well worth watching; it shows how the drink is traditionally made in the area of Neapolis, which is our local town. And if you would like to try making it yourself, here is how:

Ingredients:

• 500 grams almonds (skins removed)
• 60 bitter almonds (see note)
• 1700 grams sugar
• 1700 grams water

Preparation:

Remove the skins from the almonds by boiling them for a minute or two. The skins will slip easily.
Dissolve the sugar in half the water and boil until you have a syrup consistency. Set aside. Using a food processor or blender, grind the sweet and bitter almonds into a fine powder. Combine the ground almonds with the remaining water.
Using a strainer lined with cheesecloth, strain the liquid from the ground almonds and reserve. Kyria Anna passes the ground almonds and water 2 or 3 times through the cheesecloth to extract the most flavor.
Combine the strained almond liquid with the sugar syrup and heat on the stove, being careful not to allow the mixture to boil.
To serve, add about an inch of syrup to a tall glass with some ice. Add water and enjoy.

 A bit more information about soumada (pronounced soumatha)
 Mastic resin is exported throughout
the world for confectionery, distillery
and pharmaceutical purposes. In
Greek cuisine, masticha is used in
cakes, cookies, drinks, liqueurs and
candies. In the summertime, Greeks
enjoy a masticha drink called
soumatha. To make soumatha, a
syrupy almond milk is made from
pounded almonds, sugar and masticha,
which is then mixed with an equal
part of water.

It has been a fantastic day in Vrahassi today, blue skies, sunshine, about 15 degrees. The moon is coming up to full on Tuesday so I'm looking forward to our 'full moon' outing. Not sure where to yet.

Have a good week.
Love Jane x