Following link is not just in topic, but always about Crete birds and wildlife

http://www.koreus.co...r-eolienne.html

Bye
Armando

Very nice house and village!

No secrets, Dave!

It's Lendas, on the coast at South-East of Matala.
Sea and quiet life over the ruins of ancient Levin

Bye
Armando

No earthquakes at half March 2009 in South Crete
There cats eat .. when possible.



Bye
Armando

I'm sure Armando remembers those old roads.

Yes Tim.
First time I went there, in '82 with a friend and a car, the road was completely white.
The next year I went with my girlfriend (now wife ) with a road m.bike (KW 550 GPZ). There were works for asphalt pave the road, with many problems for us in order to keep open eyes for dust and to avoid to fall down in some streches particularly roughs.
One strange thing was to stay in the tavern .. the one in picture above. Not yet the new port at that time, but the rock of Kastri sheltering from wind, and the little bay, made a sort of "natural port" from which the name "Limani" also before. But in Limani did not arrive electric current, and the tavern had only two oil lanterns: the first for them, the second for first guest table ... and for next guests: to fengàri! (the moon) It was hard eating "koklioùs" at the quite-dark.

Tim .. we MUST have a Mythos/raki meeting there! :

Yes Roeland, there is a little canyon just near Chondros direction Kastri, an other over Keratokampos, and if I remember well, an other over Arvi.
Also in Asterusia mountain (the one at skyline in second picture of previous message) over Tsoutsouros and littlebit more far (near Tris Ekklisies) on the mountain.
These are little .. or "holes" .. while in other parts of Crete you can find bigger ones.

(I checked in this meantime on French site www.descente-canyon.com)

You can find the above, looking on this site for Greece - Crete - Iraklio, and choosing the names:
- Arvi
- Kaviousou
- Portella
- Paranimfi
- Tsoutsouros

Bye
Armando

Absolutely in accord with Tim! I forgot to say about Kastri (in effects the two villages are contigous), but also it is quite "our home"




Here we were at a tavern near the Kastri port, at 12 december '08! (please see the climate )


The beaches at West of Kastri (Listìs, Dermatos, ecc.) are really fantastic.






About "Night life": a "panegiri" (Agios Panteleimonas, 26-7) in Keratokampos:




Homesick message, for me.

Bye
Armando

I try to be impartial .. not easy as I really love Keratokampos.

In this village you can find very good people (as in all Crete, off course), wonderful and natural beaches and a quiet life, some good tavernas, but not so fun or nigh life



In Ierapetra (and some less in Myrtos) you can find more fun and resorts .. but also natural environment, if you move to beaches west of Myrtos, or bringing the ferry from Ierapetra to wonderful Gaiduronissi (ehm ... sorry: The Tourism demand the name "Chrissi" now )
From there you can rent a motorbike and go daily to Keratokambos / Tsoutsouros, not the contrary,

It depends on which kind of holidays you like more ..

At your disposition if you need some more info on K.

Bye
Armando

Γεια σου, Granita to Go
Thanks for your kind answers

I love to much Crete and I really appreciate the history, culture and the menthality of Cretan people, that we know a littlebit as we come for holiday since 27 years (not continously but ~2/3 of years).

For prices of houses and ground, however, in my opinion more then "Cretan pride ecc." is significant the conduct and the chooses of the agencies, that seems to be something so far from a "normal" market.
After my unlucky episode of "trying to buy a house" last winter (I can speak about it in PM, if you like) I spent much time in Internet real estates sites and I got contact, as I wrote, with some agencies for few houses interesting for me: in generale I recheived reluctant answers (repeating quite the same data as in advertisement) the first time, and sending sometimes a second request for basic information missing: for 50% no answer and for remaining 50% something similar to "if you come here, we can show you".
Then we postponed all activities to our next holiday in Crete (but not in 2009, as we already came there in Sept.08, Dec.08, March 09).
In this meantime, I checked the evolution of prices for some houses interesting to me and, as also Philw says, I noted that properties remain unsold, but prices increase 10K€ at a time.
Result: now with the amount available we are buying here a city flat that give us a yearly amount bigger then what we spend for lodge in our actual holidays; the next 3-4 years we'll come to Crete renting rooms and looking around.
But not only to Crete, may be: we know also other Greek regions (Mani in Peloponissos, i.e.) and this kind of lodging let us free to choose any year.
I think that "the isle" in general have had a loss in this operation.
If we'll have other money and more time avalability in the future (in 2013 I'll be retired from work) I'll try a second time to buy a house in Crete, I hope I could realise this dream, delayed at the moment.
I exponed above only as a sample of "potential buyer 'money-ready' who changed mind".

About some new houses, may be I did not explain well myself .. I dont think nothing opposite to concrete as material: it's obviously necessary for many (mostly?) structures. Only I dont like the design of houses that seem "cubes of concrete".
And, as architectural solution, I dont like the group of 8-10 houses identical (sometimes "cubes" as above ), in areas where no one could choose to have any house, that in the intention of builders should become "touristic resort" only for the swimming pool among them.
This is an abitative module, in my opinion, extraneous to Crete and that could feed the feeling of "hen-house for tourists" that many people perceive in some areas in Crete, mostly in north coast (hoping that the south coast could avoid this).
About swimming pools, I think it's clear that I feel just like you.

These are my personal opinions .. may be an other thinks differently
Sorry for criticize .... but is the love for Crete, also as "stranger", pushing me to speak

Bye
Armando

in English script

I dont think that it's English: in the toponyms the translitteration from greek to latin characters in the past was made following an old Cyprus Convention table (I do not remember the reference .. it was may be in the 50ties), similar to ISO 843



Now, as more Greeks know latin character set from English, some notations changed: is evident the greek "χ", before on signs written "ch" , that is now quite ever "h".

I fully agree that to have a double notation on signs is very useful and kind for tourists

Geia sas
Armando

In my opinion it could be a souvenir of Crete .. looking at the "survey image" with the name of the isle and at the typical Cretan Knife hanging
Bye
Armando

Here a little beach near Xerokampos:



Have nice holidays
Armando

Thanks Yannis

I fully agree!!!!

I signed here
http://www.parthenon...om/petition.php

Armando

A question:
Is it possible in Greece for an owner of a small boat (inflatables etc.) without VHF to call the sea rescue in different way?
For instance: in Italian coasts for small nautical purposes is operating the "blue number" 1530 for handy phones, in addition to "official" 16 and 12 channels on VHF, that is mandatory for bigger boats. There is may be something similar in Greek Seas?
Thanks
Armando

Will The Crisis Affect Your Next Summer Holidays?

I dont think so, this year: we just booked ferry from Italy to Greece on 25/6 coming back on 11/7 .. after spending some days with our friends in Mani, at 90% we'll come also to Crete with Gythio-Kasteli line .
Only few days, like last years: work here in Italy and our sons need our presence .. for the moment .. but within 4 years I plan to be retired, increasing after the time in Crete ..

Pictures are quite funny

http://www.repubblic...-arresti/1.html

May be many cretan (also italian!) agencies dont understand when their prices are out of marks
Some months ago I had to buy (quite agreed) a little house in south, but the transactions stopped when we came to Crete and realized that the house conditions were not aligned with the price. But after this experience I enlarged the search in agency sites on the Net.
The results seem to be:
- many veritable ruins, left years ago from previous inhabitants, in obscure villages at 10-15 Km from sea, are proposed at prices enough high to buy, in Italy, a good city flat with 2 bedrooms.
- It's very very difficult to find anything for sale near to the sea: is written "sea view" for properties that catch sight of some "blue" from 5-6 Km.
- The style of new constructions in Crete is in general horrible: enormous, or ripetitive, cubes of concrete at "only 10 min drive from sea", inexorably hanging over a common swimming pool ; may be Athens people like them.. but the architects think that we make 2000-3000 Km and accept living in a sort of condominium for have the chance of a swimming pool? We have as many s.pools as we want also here; but we need the sea.
- Prices of ground plots, and of many properties, make us thinking that some agencies did not change the amounts of advertisements from Dracmes to Euro
In Sicily or in Sardinia with ~150.000 € is possible to buy a 2-3 bedroom house with small garden, at 70-100 meters from beach! OK OK, in general I do prefere Crete for many reasons ... but I am not even a chicken to put in the oven.

Now I am changing mind, and beginning to think if could be better to put corresponding euros in some little property easily rentable here, and use the annual revenue for rent in holiday time some flat - house in Crete near the sea, also for more time each year in the future when I'll be retired; also taking in account maintenance charges, the need or a Greek "tutor", etc. and some risks coming from an environ not so "rules protected" and "stable".
I am really in doubt .

Γεια σας
Armando

Thanks Ton, I know about the new line of Superfast, receiving the SF news as customer. I remember also, in july-august previous years, some additional runs (Minoan ecc.) starting in the afternoon from Pyraeus.
But we prefere start in the evening ad 21.00, arriving in Crete on early morning (of course others could rather differently)
In these lines, that we use from 1983-84 with older and slower ships, it's habit that people sleeps quite everywere, then there are no problems for the night also without cabin: usually we point the best bar, spend ~2-3 hours drinking something and reading, and after we sleep on the bar sofas.

Accidents: I am sure that you can find this kind of terrific "YouTubes" also for other vegetable-Republics
Anyway I keep my 40 years driving, about 30-35000 Km/year mostly in Italy for work or for fun, including 24 summer holidays trips in Greece (2 in motorbike, 3 in car, others in camping car) without accidents; and I think that it's a normal curriculum.

Bye
A.

For information, these are typical prices of coffees in Italy:
- espresso: € .90
- cappuccino: € 1.40
These prices are in northern Italy in a "normal" bar, standing up at the bank; 10-15% less in southern Italy.
Some more in touristic cities and resorts, and if sitting at the table.

I agree with boycotting action un general, but I dont think that only one day is enough

x David & Glenda: we live in Brescia (not far from Milan direction Venice) go to Greece since many years, but prefer in general start from Ancona instead of Venice: is less expensive and the timetable is easier for us. Companies are Superfast or Minoan.

x Ton: here a webcam on the segment of CBRH Milano-Venezia (")

http://www.autostrad...mera.do?tlc=176

Geia sas
Armando





* CBRH = Crazy Banana Republic Highway

Do they offer fresh orange juice to the patients?

May be .. or may be the patients pay the doctor fee with fruit!
(.. in Arvi with bananas)

That's the topic:



Geia sas
A.

I need a Boston robot to get back there!

Dinny
may be you need a "Cretan Robot" as the one in the picture

Bonjour Roubaud

J'ai essayé a verifier sur le "pages blanches" de Chania s'il-y-a des abbonés au telephon avec nom de famille "Roub-" o similaire ("Roub-", or "Roump-" in Greec parce que on ecrit la "b" avec "mp") mais je n'ai trouvé personne qui pourrait etre colliguée.
Peut etre dans le cemetière francais, comme tu dis.
Bonne chance

Armando