IT'S A MESS BUT IT'S PROGRESS!

NO I'M NOT SAILING AWAY, this is the latest venue for Greek classes, not bad eh?

and...

'YES' KITCHEN CUPBOARD DOORS AND...

A TELEVISION! Just a few home improvements now and we shall be ready for the family to visit us. Whoopee!

KALO MINA! COLD AND WET NOVEMBER!

It was 5.30 p.m. dark and drizzly but we had to venture out and leave our lovely wood burning stove to go to the shop. In the centre of Vrahassi was the 'shoe man' who passes through now and then with work boots and shoes. I didn't see any punters. The bus that passed us was a tourist bus maybe an excursion taking in the villages - it did not stop. We popped in to the cafeneo for a coffee before going to the supermarket. Most of the fellas in there were watching TV the others were playing backgammon. We have just got back to our house, it is all nice and cozy inside but chucking it down outside.

MY FRIEND NIGEL 'ANGELO' OF KRITSA

OK, we haven't been friends long but we hit it off straight away. This is Nigel the sculptor who has his workshop in Kritsa. Gillian, my cello teacher introduced me to him and together with John, her husband, David and I were treated to a tour of his shop and an explanation of 'work in progress'. The horse's head that Nigel is working on at the moment is a commissioned work made from a block the very best marble but it is in good hands. Nigel's work has won several awards not least this year's Touch Festival in Agios Nikolaos. Below is a selection of his best pieces. The last picture on this page shows Nigel's other 'work in progress' which is number 10 of the 'Stations of the Cross' which has been commissioned by the Abbot of a Monastery in the south of England.

'OXI' DAY - WHEN GREECE SAID 'NO' ITALY.

I just missed the service around the statue of Konstantinos Sfakianakis, the villagers were singing the national anthem as I came down the hill. However I managed a few shots as they were dispersing.

Today is a Bank Holiday in Greece to commemorate the day that 'Metaxa' Prime Minister of Greece refused to bend to Mussolini's request for Italian troops to pass through Greece after conquering Albania. Mussolini ignored the refusal, marched into Greece and thus started a bloody war between Italy and Greece bringing Greece into the 2nd World War. After a few days of very heavy fighting the Italians were repulsed back into Albania by the Greek army. Not wanting to see Mussolini defeated, Hitler then came to his aid and invaded Greece.

As you can see it was a bit of a rainy morning but as I spent the morning in Agios Nikolaos (bright and sunny) I missed getting wet.

BROKEN DOWN BOB-CAT IN VRAHASSI

When David saw the black fumes coming out of the exhaust he said 'please don't break down at the front door.' But no sooner were the words off his lips than 'STOP' it did. We did manage to get some of the rubble away though. Yeah!

Do you remember 'Jane's Soiree' evenings? They were very popular. Creative talent joined together for an evening to share, poetry, music, song, and here we see the chairman of the Vrahassi Cultural Committee treating us to a rendering of Mandinathes, the traditional Cretan rhyming couplets. Dimitri has paved the way to integration between the Cretan people and the growing English community. He should be applauded but instead has been heavily criticized. Well, I for one, say 'Bravo' Dimitri!

SHOP LOCALLY!

This is how we shop in Vrahassi. Yep it's relaxed, yep it's in the centre of the village and yep we love it.

And there are two mini markets to choose from with fresh veggies, a TV so you don't miss the weather girl and always a courteous smile.