36 replies to this topic

[harribobs]

Where is this exactly??

it's Agia Galini i believe

[Brook]

Stunning! I have never been but would surely love to visit.
Thank you!

[Wim]

To be more explicit it is Agia Galini

As an old Andartes member, according to your avatar, you should have been sure Bob . You know what harri means in Greek don't you?

[harribobs]

I must admit i have only been to Agia Galini once and stayed about an hour, very nice place indeed

no, i don't know what harri means in Greek??

[Brook]

Wim, I am stumped by what harri means. I know a bit of Greek but this eludes me. Can't wait for the reply

[Wim]

O.K.

The Greek word for hand is (o.a.), χέρι. Which is pronounced as Ghiarri with a soft G in combination with the H as a glottal.

So we can assume that harribobs is read by Greeks as "χέριβωβσ" (ghiarrivovs) since the b is pronounced as a "v" = vita, which means that the name, apart from the hand, is absolutely "Greek" for the Greeks.

[harribobs]

well i've been known to handy but my greek friends usually call me christou,

my wife got a new name a few years ago from a friend, a slight change from her given name, she's now Mandaki when she goes to Crete

[Brook]

Great story here about a name change... The first time we went to Crete with my wife and I was introduced to her family as Bruno (my birth name). A few of them decided to call me Brooklyn and hence my name on the site "Brook" for short. I am now known to many of her family members as Brooklyn. I often hear them ask "Ti kanis o Brooklyn", all I can do is sit back and laugh.

[Emma1310]

I actually thought you were female. The only other person I knew called Brook, was a girl also from Canada.

Bruno is very much a European name.

[Brook]

That is funny Emma! I never stopped to think that Brook may be interpreted as a female name but come to think of it, you are right! I am married to a wonderful woman who is of Cretan heritage and we both share the love of the island but am distraught over the comments about the changing face of Crete, especially with the overbuilding and commercializing.

[frans]

Yassas to you all!,

Finally summer kicked in in Holland, 30+ degrees, too hot, too humid! I also have heard about the developments west of Chania. When I travelled by bus from Chania to Paleochora (south west coast) some years ago, I noticed the developments too. Luckily, this is not the place where I stay. Paleochora is developing very slowly and my wife noticed in may that new buildings are at least surround as much as possible by green! My advise would be: Go ECO! Interested to see where this will all end with the ever rising oil prices. People who can afford an airline ticket in 5 years time must be pretty rich...
Question, has anybody ever driven by car from western europe to Crete? Which harbour did you drive to?

See you in Paleochora august 22nd!

[Wim]

Hi Frans,

That depends mainly on the time you want to spend travelling. I once used Ancona-Kerkyra-Igoumenitsa-Athens-Heraklion and another time the same route but with Otranto as a starting point. I used a week travelling to and from Heraklion. The advantage is that you see a lot of Greece e.g. the Meteora Cloisters near Kalambaka and the Pelopenesos (Delphi Sparta etc.)

I experienced it as a real treat.

[David and Glenda]

Frans, we completed a return drive out to Crete last easter - we drove down via France,Luxembourg ( cheap petrol!), back into France, Switzerland and then in to Italy to venice - We used Minoan Lines because at the time of booking we couldn't use the other ferry line, to Patras and then from Pireus.
The pireus leg cost us much as the Venice leg.
Taking hotels and fuel costs, it's not the most economical of ways to get to Crete and I'd only do it again if we have a lot of household stuff to take out.
From your point of view, you'd be better travelling down via Germany and Austria to get into Italy - you'll save a lot of Italian mileage! If we have to do it again, that's the route I'd prefer. I used that route when I drove out to Cyprus when I was posted there by the RAF, we used the same route coming back, except for diversions when the passes from Italy into Austria were closed because of snow!.

[Kritsa Yvonne]

We are setting off to drive to Crete 14 July - this time we will drive through France into Switzerland and down into northern Italy passing Lake Garda to get to Verona.

In Verona we will pretend to be sophisticated and go to the opera (up in the Gods). After enjoying a day without travelling we will go onto Ancona for the ferry to Patras, then drive to Piraeus for the ferry to Crete.

ooooo hardly excited at all

[Brook]

Wow, all these journeys sound exciting! Too bad there is no route from Toronto Canada to Crete

[David and Glenda]

Kritsa,
Look carefully at your maps for travelling down from Lake garda to Verona - we did that way and the leg across the italian border would indicate going via Como and then to Bergamo.
That is a very slow route inundated with slow lorries and very few passing places and some heavy industrialised areas.
On our way back we found going from Bergamo to the outskirts of Milan and Monza the far better route. The reverse direction for you may prove the same.

[poppypiper]

Hi,

Has Crete changed ? For a kick off it is now in the 'common market' and I am beginning to think the emphasise is on the word market. As many will know I am returning to Crete after some years and will be making a pilgrimage through about thirty villages to visit the civilian war memorials. My wife and I are into our 70's and perhaps prone to living in the past a wee bit. We have not made any definate arrangements for accommodation but on the several occassions I have emailed hotels informing them of our pilgrimage and needs but we have had NO REPLY. I am beginning to think there may be a reluctance to show any respect for Crete's proud history. Maybe some feel that my presence may upset 'some' tourists.

Please do not get me wrong. I am not going to push my 'remeberance' down anyones throat. We will just travel taking each day as it comes and laying our heads where God chooses.

I have had some good response from the majority of those I have contacted and reading between the lines I can expect apathy from the cities. I am assured that when I get 'into the hills' I will feel at home. We will see.

Yes Crete has changed and we can not blame the young ones for wanting to claim their share of modern materialism. Why should we expect them to don traditional costumes and dance about so that we can have two weeks a year living in the past ?

Bill Jenkins
Liverpool UK