Just now in Crete - August

[paulh]

I've just noticed the white sand flowers have recently come through

http://www.flickr.com/photos/56856851@N ... 8/sizes/l/

[Clio]

Aren’t they lovely? Pancratium maritimum, aka sea daffodil, sea lily, sand lily. Apparently they flower from July to October but here in the south we don’t usually see them until early autumn.

[Clio]

Just now in Crete We are subsiding under a rising red and green tide, as everyone in the village kindly deposits yet another bulging carrier bag of surplus courgettes, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes at our door. We are about to make traditional Cretan Τοματοπελτές or bottled tomato puree which has now been almost completely supplanted by a pack of passata from the supermarket. If we had to pay for the tomatoes, we could find them in the λαικί today for as little as 30 cents a kilo. Barrage-balloon καρπόυζια were 35 cents a kilo in town, so we wished we’d got one yesterday in the Messara at 19 cents!

We are saying hello nicely to the Athenian visitors while wishing privately they'd hurry up and head home taking their gas-guzzling offroaders and their poncey little dogs with them!

[Clio]

We are checking the local weather forecast for a wind window. The melteme has been battering the south coast particularly violently this year and for what seems for ever. Yesterday was first time in days we’ve been able to get on the beach without being sandblasted. It was 5 Μποφόρ (Fresh Breeze), which is the maximum for beach comfort. For the week ahead it’s all sixes (Strong Breeze) and sevens (Near Gale/Moderate Gale) OK for us because we’ll still be here when it dies down and so will the beaches, but I do feel sorry for the poor tourists who just want to soak up the sun in peace without being blown into the water).

[paulh]

whereas those of us on the northern coast who live a righteous and godly life have ideal weather conditions for the beach........but I am not on the beach I am trying to get a machine to work properly then this afternoon I have 3 home calls to sort computer problems. I must have done something evil in a previous life.

[filippos]

Even up north it's been rougher for longer than usual. First pic below was taken 29 July and the second two days ago [11 Aug] and pretty much the same in between. People have fun in the water but not many swim. Near the water sunbathers get a cooling spray but further back the sand scours well, even on the road behind the beach.

I'm told today is much calmer and OK for a decent swim. ['Er Indoors went while I got on the bike.]

[Clio]

Like everybody in Greece we have been celebrating August 15, also known as “Summer Easter”, the feast of the Assumption, the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. And the name day of Maria, Panayiotis, Despina etc. The whole of Crete has been en fete, most of it either on the beaches or on the roads. Cafes and eateries heaving, butchers and zaxaroplasteia doing great business. Weather beautiful, sea calm, good time had by all - much more fun than a UK Bank Holiday. Icing on the tourta for some of us is the start of the Premiership season...

[Phaedra]

Just now in Cr..................... Sorry, I'm lying......................I mean just now in Switzerland


Just wanted to say Hi to everyone as I've been offline for Crete for some while due to moving house. If ever I hear of someone moaning about a new build in Crete I'll point out that they should try building a house here in Switz! Despite amazingly detailed plans etc we are now 2 months in the new house and all the floors are not finished and there are a myriad of small things that need finishing or fixing.

But, just now in Switzerland the weather is fantastic - sunny and hot (30 deg C forecast for today) - we just don't have the beaches and the sea ;-( Grass is growing like mad in all the places you don't want it to grow and not growing at all in the places you do want it to grow.

looking forward to being back in Crete at end of September.




Sorry for stealing the thread. You can spank me later.

[BrianS]

Just now in August... we have a pair of rats living under the roof tiles. I trimmed back the branches of the olive tree which they had been using for access to the roof. Picture the scene as they come out from their days siesta, running at full pelt across the roof and screeching to a halt when they discover a wide gap between roof and tree. I hadn't thought that a rat could look nonplussed, perplexed and frustrated but all of these were writ large on their rodent features. Later on I placed a plank in position to act as a temporary drawbridge which I sincerely hope they used and we will no longer have to listen to their noisy antics at 3am in the morning.

[Retired in Crete]

Just now in Crete I am wondering if BrianS will look upon his roof dwelling rats so fondly come the winter when the rain comes through his roof.

Yep! The little darlings just love to eat roofing felt. The last time we had them in our roof it cost us 160 Euros to repair the damage.

John

[SatCure]

I shall watch with interest if the rats manage to scale my 2 storey vertical walls and eat through the concrete and steel flat roof.
But maybe I should acquire a cat, just in case?

[baccybabs]

Today in Crete - we are taking friends to the airport after their 5 week stay in their house.....to say they are sad is an understatement

[Eleni13]

I shall watch with interest if the rats manage to scale my 2 storey vertical walls and eat through the concrete and steel flat roof.
But maybe I should acquire a cat, just in case?

Cats will acquire you, without too much encouragement, Martin.

[SatCure]

Oh, dear. We are leaving our cats behind with our son. I really don't want any more. (I was about to make a sick joke about poison but - realising that some sensitive people might think I was serious - I shall refrain!)

My wife loves cats. Although, since our 13 year old Norwegian Forest Cat became deaf and started to howl incessantly at night, I think her love has diminished.

[Brian c]

filippos
,,,nice photos, I'm not back over till october and every current photo helps ...yours are nice shots ..ty