Comments for Crete

Comment on When to Sow Seeds in Crete by Cat

Cat — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:43:44 +0000

Hi Ray

fantastic! useful stuff you have. We are totally new to grow your own, so can I ask what month does winter start with in the above chart?

Comment on When to Sow Seeds in Crete by J Bar

J Bar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 06:15:31 +0000

You have an interesting blog here Ray. Sydney - City and Suburbs

Comment on When to Sow Seeds in Crete by maria v

maria v — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:19:07 +0000

very useful, thanks for the information

Comment on Birth of Crete – Venizelos by nancy snipper

nancy snipper — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:18:49 +0000

Yes, Theriso is one of my favourite places, and the statue of Eleftherios towers nobly over the thick green splendour of this remarkable palce. I liked your article, adn luckily is filled in facts that I did not undertand when explained to me in Greek by a kind young man who took me to Theriso.
Mou aresi polee Theriso and the Amari Valley. I wonder if the church of stone looking over a valley of Green is indeed hagia Anna. Can anyone hlpe me identify it?

Comment on Matala and Joni Mitchell. by Kev

Kev — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:55:14 +0000

I first stepped off the noisey fly filled bus from Iraklion Port in 1993, back then the bus would drop you off right in the square. Since then I have returned many times, the village hasn’t changed much in appearance and although the place still holds a similar kind of magic to Glastonbury I am afraid the attitude of current day visitors does deminish it somehow.
Up until the Drachma was replaced by the Euro Westerners could live on little money in Crete, I offer no opinion on whether this is a good or a bad thing but the days when an Englishman could travel to Crete and have a good night out on a fiver are over i’m afraid.
If you want to visit Matala today you will still find a few relics from it’s hippy past including a number of long standing residents such as as French Frank, Scotty and Yorgo the fisherman, although as the years wear on they have worn with them, as have the sculptures on Red beach.
I think the bar Gecofillia sat in when he saw the Mermaid sign was the Kreta Bar that was until 2007 run by an Austrian Landlady called Micky. I have spent many a good evening sat in the Kreta bar and to me it was the embodiment of the Matala spirit, everyone was welcome and you would meet people from every country under the sun, a worthy successor to the Mermaid.
If I am thinking of the right place the Mermaid is now part of the bazaar, a kind of a covered street or mini arcade (what the Yanks call a mall). One side of the bazaar faces out to sea and the other towards the square, the supermarket which is actually more of a green grocers shop is run by a nice elderly couple and faces the water fountain, i think it is next to snack bar or maybe a jewellers.

Comment on Raising Chickens in Crete by Dina

Dina — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:42:20 +0000

Hello again, Ray!
Geese as guardians, eh? Good idea. But then I would be afraid to walk where turkeys and geese watch.
Good luck with your chickens. You should visit my moshav, haha. Until recently, every member household was required to have a big chicken coop for egg production. Only about a dozen are left. But when the wind is wrong, we are reminded.
As a volunteer at Heifer Ranch in Arkansas, I worked in livestock and over the years raised (and slaughtered) many batches of chickens (for meat). Can you believe?! We would have to drive to town to the POST office to pick up cartons of newly hatched chicks, shipped by mail!

Then the hundred chicks were in an enclosure on the floor, under a heat lamp for some time. When big enough, they went out on grass. In the “pastured poultry” system that Heifer International recommends, we had to build big cages of wood or plastic and wire, with no bottom. Everyday, after the chickens pecked on bugs and grass, in addition to pellet food, after they added their fertilizer to the earth, we would drag the cage to a new clean spot.

If small predators got under and into the cage, we would have to electrify the pen at night.
I hope your system is more fun and less work! Enjoy.

Comment on Amari Valley – some pictures by Lucille Morrison

Lucille Morrison — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 02:04:13 +0000

Hello Ray– my oh my!!! Your blog indicates to me that you have taken a considerable amount of time to post such pictures and stories. Superb job!!! Way beyond my imaginations!!! Beautiful work. Lucy

Comment on Spinalonga – The Island off Crete. by Donna

Donna — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 22:26:16 +0000

To each his own Martha. I agree with Rhonda. Victoria Hyslop’s book, “The Island” was well researched and the story sensitive and compelling. It’s fiction, yes; but fiction detailing the horrible plight of victims of Hansen’s Disease and their family and friends.
If you are interested in reading another novel with very similiar circumstances with a Canadian backdrop look for “To All Appearances a Lady” by Marilyn Bowering.

Comment on Amari Valley – some pictures by Dina

Dina — Sun, 24 May 2009 14:56:01 +0000

Believe me, I hope that I can go there soon.
Thank you for the appetizer.

There is an agricultural school for young people right down in our valley too, in Ein Kerem. These are good things.

Comment on What passing bells . . . . by Peter McGrath

Peter McGrath — Tue, 19 May 2009 09:56:59 +0000

The orgainisers of this event in Crete have decided that the service will take place at 11am. GREEK time.