the CHANIA POST
June 2015, Issue No. 25
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Offering a selection of local interest articles, interviews, news and ther views from around the region of Chania and Western Crete
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READ ALSO IN THIS ISSUE “The illustrated History Of Crete, the island’s great adventure through time”
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Social media, holiday advice and the Kalyves traffic problem
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Car Wash
Why Cretans live longer?
MEET... CHANIA in 18 pages
by Chania Post in collaboration with Chania Prefecture
Welcome! Bienvenue! Willkommen! Добро пожало вать! Velkommen! Välkommen Välkomna! Tervetuloa! 文化的天空, 人类的天堂
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The Turkish Minaret at the Old City of Chania
Genetics that protect your heart. A variant that decreases levels of bad fats is 40 times more common in an isolated Cretan population
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11:09 www.chania.eu www.incrediblecrete.gr
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Hope stays alive by Elpida “Hope” Katsarakis within us despite NEA TV Journalist all of our troubles and, like a small bird that sings in the face of the strongest wind and most powerful storm, hope never asks for anything from us--it is just there to help us when we need it. Hope, like the bird singing a tune, doesn’t necessarily speak to us in any conventional sense but is always present in us. Most important, hope is a permanent fixture of our being that allows us to conquer most of what life throws at us. The power of hope keeps so many peo-
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ple from despair and can overcome any suffering. When Emily Dickinson says in the third stanza of the poem “Hope Is a Thing with feathers” that the little bird, despite having to endure “the chillest land” and “strangest sea,” has never asked for any
payment, Dickinson is simply reminding us of hope’s inherent power--it is
CHANIA POST always there, requires no maintenance, and is strong enough to see us through our troubles. THE POEM “Hope Is a Thing with feathers” by Emily Dickinson That perches in the soul, And sings the tune--without the words, And never stops at all, And sweetest in the gale is heard; And sore must be the storm That could abash the little bird That kept so many warm. I’ve heard it in the chillest land, And on the strangest sea; Yet, never, in extremity, It asked a crumb of me.
Your local free paper by FTP Publications 73, El. Venizelou str., Chania, 73100 Tel. +30 6977 295075 Owner/Publisher: FTP Publlications Web: http://www.chaniapost.eu E-mail: info@chaniapost.eu FB: http://www.facebook.com/chaniapost Twitter: @chaniapost Editors: Pandelis Giaitsis, Elpida “Hope” Katsarakis, Pandelis Spiridakis, Petros Chatzistavros, Giannis Kriaras, Nicos Lazakis, Miltiades Markatos, Giannis Venetakis, Giannis Xamonakis, Petros Marinakis, Antonia Tsakirakis., Giorgos Atsalakis, Stavros Tsihlis, Manolis Karpadakis, Katerina Polizou. Advertising: Chania Post, 73, El. Venizelou str., Chania Tel. +30 6977295075 DTP: FTP Publications Printed in:
CHANIA POST... on the go Android Mac OS ECO friendly paper - Please recycle When you finish reading... give it to a friend Find CHANIA POST at the following points: CHANIA Municipal Market, Airport, Public Bus Central Station, Old Harbour, Municipal Tourist Information Desk PLATANIAS Central Square Infokiosk, Botanical Park KISSAMOS Gramvousa and Balos boats, Elafonissi, Falassarna KANDANOS-SELINO Paleochora Info Desk, Sougia, Kandanos SFAKIA Hora Sfakion Infokiosk, Loutro, Agia Roumeli, ANENDYK boats APOKORONAS Georgioupoli, Kavros, Vamos, Kalyves, Vrysses Also in Chania taxis, Limnoupolis Water Park and in selected cafes, businesses and shops throughout Chania Prefecture.
Hey
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editorial
Plachouristas of this summer …it’s now the time, of by Pandelis Spiridakis getting a splish gelamou.gr splash hero! I love this June feeling …admit it . It’s in you , the freedom spirit. Yeah , the one thing that you count days left up to the summer vacation. We have already realized the first tourists in the island and googled : «escape for this summer». Ηmmmmm so let’s face it – a new splish
Live @ Love @ Laugh
splash hero was born , the plachouristas generation! Just a sec , if you google again gavdos, gelly kallinikou …you will make the grande discovery, you will be stunned from the guts of the new mayor of Gavdos. People again …yeah, faces and women in the island of joy and tourism in the grey financial period still achieve great matters…Don’t ever give up and simple smile! She’s up for the smaller greek township
and the southest edge of Europe. Ok yes she is a mayor , but no, no, not the mayor with the suits that gives orders and appears to social events! In the congress that all the greek mayors had she left speechless everyone. She just decribed what mayor and the only deputy mayor usually do: «The one of us drives the garbage and the other one hangs as a worker at the lifter bins. Watermen, carrying fuel, operators, smudge at pumping stations, builders, builders, gravediggers and othes things that cannot cross your mind is the things that we do» Evaggellia Kallinikou lives in Gavdos since 2006 , she is an activist and tiler. She is certainly the ultimate summer face showing that this is the summer of joy, tourism , hospitality for a simple reason : she has worked for it with no second thought! So yeah this June feeling in Gavdos that summer is here, that Crete is a big choice certainly
owes to people like Evaggellia Kallinikou. And they are many , we only have to search, open eyes and brains! This is good news , summer is good news, splish splash people all over the country is great news coming… It’s the element of Crete, the raki…or the other thing? Do me a favour …I will certainly do it to welcome the season of happiness Get in a field, lift a watermelon with your hands and let it fall. It’s summer time fellows…LIVE IT ! @makeitworth - Pantelis
Why Cretans live longer?
Genetics that protect your heart. A variant that decreases levels of bad fats is 40 times more common in an isolated Cretan population Researchers have found a key piece
of the puzzle as to why an isolated population in Greece may live healthy lives. They have found that a genetic variant known to protect the heart is 40 times more common in this small Greek population than in other European populations. The protective genetic variant, known as R19X, was first seen in the Amish population in 2008. This study demonstrates the same protective behaviour of the R19X variant and shows that the increased frequency of this variant is not just isolated to the Amish community. The residents of Anogia and surrounding Mylopotamos villages live in mountainous villages on Crete.
Anecdotally throughout Greece, these people are known to be strong and live long and healthy lives, despite a diet rich in animal fat that should cause health complications. “The Mylopotamos villages residents have the same rate of diabetes as the general Greek population, but do not suffer from disease complications,” says Professor Eleftheria Zeggini, lead author of the study from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. “Genetic studies like this can help us begin to understand why this is.” The team, which includes collaborators at the Anogia Medical Centre and Harokopio University, took samples from more than 1,200 people living in Anogia and the surrounding villages (MANOLIS cohort).
They then used DNA microchip technology to survey more thoroughly regions of the genome that have relatively rare variants that can disrupt protein function. They found that R19X, a genetic variant in the gene APOC3, was far more common in this population than in other European populations. This variant decreases triglyceride levels, a blood fat that increases risk of heart disease, and increases levels of high density lipoproteins also known as ‘good cholesterol’, lowering risk of heart disease. In other European populations, this R19X variant is found in 0.05 per cent of people. But in the MANOLIS cohort, it is found in two per cent of the population.
“Our work exemplifies the importance of studying these isolated populations,” says Dr Ioanna Tachmazidou, first author from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. “APOC3 is a gene that is relevant to all populations. This type of study can increase the pace of new therapeutic treatments against cardiovascular and metabolic disease.” Studying founder populations, or isolated populations, such as the MANOLIS cohort is extremely important. These populations empower the study and search of for more news click on rare, clinically important http://cretepost.gr genetic variants associated with complex disease. The MANOLIS cohort is named in honour of Manolis Giannakakis, 19782010.
TripAdvisor Awards Terra Creta for the “Olive Oil Experience Tour – 2015”
About Terra Creta Terra Creta, was founded in early 2001, by two Cretan visionaries with extensive knowledge and experience in olive oil production and sales. Our first facility was located in the Souda region of Chania, Crete. From the company’s inception, Terra Creta’s founders focused on increasing exports and, at the same time, sustained a philosophy
of corporate stability, consistency and quality, with a deep commitment to the product’s organic characteristics. One of the first products produced by the company was the PDO Kolymvari Chania Crete Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This legendary olive oil as been recognized the world over, and the tradition continues today. A need for more advanced and spacious facilities emerged in 2007, due to the rapid increase in demand for our exceptional products. Since 2009, we have operated from our new site in the heart of Crete’s most renowned region for olive oil production – Kolymvari, Western Crete. Our state-of-the-art production facilities are equipped with the most modern production lines, high capacity stainless steel tanks,
and one of the most advanced olive mills available. We are committed to producing products of unsurpassed quality while adhering to the strictest international safety and cleanliness standards to ensure the complete satisfaction of our customers. At the core of our business is the production and promotion of superior quality extra virgin olive oil from the certified Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) region of Kolymvari, to international consumers around the world. In order to achieve this demanding goal, we have instituted the strictest international standards, having our Quality and Management System certified by the HACCP, ISO 22000/2005, ISO 9001:2008 and ECOCERT, USDA/ NOP, KRAV, IFS, KOSHER while being allocated with the EL-40027 code by the EU for the pro-
duction of exclusively Cretan Olive Oil. From our inception in 2001, our products have been recognized and awarded top prizes for their superb taste and aroma in more than eight International and Greek tasting competitions. Terra Creta takes great pride in providing important production information to our consumers. In 2006, we launched an innovative on-line traceability system, called the Traceability Tree. By entering a product’s five-digit lot number on our Traceability Tree webpage at www.terracreta. gr, consumers can view detailed information about harvesting dates, quality, bottling and packaging stages. They may even view satellite photographs of the very olive groves where the olives for their specific bottle of olive oil were produced.
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is delighted to award Terra Creta. The worldwide famous tourist web site honoured Terra Creta for the “Olive Oil Experience Tour – 2015” with the Certificate of Excellence. This achievement is a direct result of a consistently great reviews from TripAdvisor travelers (98% positive reviews).
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T ripAdvisor
Imputed Income (Deemed or Notional) Due To The Cost Of Living
Apart from the taxes on real income,
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an individual, who is tax resident in Greece or is not tax resident in Greece but has income generated in Greece, may he is liable to pay tax on IMPUTED (DEEMED) INCOME (notional or deemed income), that is assessed on the basis of living expenditure or acquisition of certain assets, such as those that are described in the following paragraphs: An individual despite how many days sp ends per year in Greece but has income generated from a on ck cli ws source in Greece (from for more ne r t.g os his personal work, for ep http://cret renting out his home, bank interest, etc) may be liable to pay tax on imputed income. Each expenditure or asset that an individual owns or uses is taken into consideration for assigning the presumed income that is earned each year. If the income that is declared is greater than the imputed income taxation is based on the declared income. If the declared income is less than the imputed income, taxation will be based on the imputed income. An individual tax resident, who doesn’t have any income in Greece, has to declare their worldwide income, in order to cover the imputed income. In this case they may be liable to pay Greek tax according the agreement of avoiding double taxation between Greece and his country of income.
eficiary name must be the owner or the co-owners of the assets. This means that if the property is joined to 3 persons, the bank account have to be joined with these 3 persons. Money must only be transferred to Greece via an individual’s bank account that he has been opened in Greece. In the past, any important amount of monies transferred on his person could be declared to the customs authorities at his point of entry into Greece, and they could issue to him a receipt. Since 24/3/08 the customs have ceased to issue this receipt. If money is withdrawn from ATM machines the bank cannot issue white or pink slips, so this money does not account towards covering the imputed income. Money must always to be transferred via a bank. The money must be transferred before any transaction takes place (i.e. before the purchase of property, car etc.) Money transferred after the transaction is not recognized by the tax office to cover the purchases and the tax will be charged on the imputed income. Individuals must ask from the Greek bank for the “white or pink slips”. The original of these documents must be handed to their accountant to use in filling in their tax return. The “white or the pink slips” are the most important document for a person that comes from abroad. Are unique and if you lost them cannot be issued again by the bank. P1) Purchase of some certain assets and
goods. The tax office requires ‘pink or white slips’ proving where you obtained the money when you purchase the follow items: a) Acquisition cost of a property, (i.e. Plots, houses, swimming pools etc.) b) Buying a private car or bike. c) Buying recreational boats, aircrafts, and helicopters. d) Buying movable goods to a minimum value of each one, of 10,000.00 euro. The cost and the expenses of the above items must be covered by an equal amount of ‘white or pink slips’. Failure to ensure this process prior to the transaction will result in taxation on deemed or notional income according the applicable income tax schedule (above). Example: Let’s say that three brothers have purchased a plot on 24/1/2015, with a total cost of 100,000€. If they have not previously transferred the 100,000€, from a bank of their country of origin to their joined bank account in a Greek bank, prior to the 24/1/2015 they will obtain “white or pink slips’ but not in time. So they become liable for taxation upon an imputed income of 50,000€ each. So according the income tax bracket each of them is liable to pay 13,000€ tax!!!. . In the event that the money has not been transferred via bank or the source of the money is not transparent ‘money laundry’ legislation may be applied. (end of part 1 - to be continued in July’s issue)
How to stay away from unlicensed “insurers” and avoid insurance fraud Insurance
fraud has risen in recent years, either by people pretending to be advisors or agents without a proper license. The by Stavros Tsihlis Insurance & Investment authorities even reAdvisor corded a case of a nonexistent insurance company! According to experts, partly due to the economic situation, there is an increase in all kinds of insurance fraud. These are either recorded as fraudulent claims or cases of unscrupulous scammers who pretend to be insurers. In the case of scammers, the following methods were used, as unraveled by law enforcement agencies in recent years: 1) The method of unsettled premiums: Scammers posing as insurers approached mainly elderly people and claiming that a person close to them or a relative owed the premium for their renewal managed to detach large sums of money.
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Transfers through international bank transfers (pink or white slips) can only be used to cover imputed income if the monies have been transferred and declared in the tax return during the first two years that they became tax resident in Greece. The tax office does not question money transfers during the first two years of moving to Greece. After those two years, monies that transferred will not be accepted by the tax office as been tax-free income (except if it can approve that this income has previously been taxed in his country or concerns sale of assets). In the event of failures to cover the imputed income, income tax on the imputed income according the relevant tax bracket table is liable. The imputed income is not applied to individuals that spend less than 183 days in Greece with the precondition that they don’t earn any income in Greece (neither bank interest). The tax office requires individuals to submit the original ‘white or pink slips’ that were issued by their bank in Greece, in order they prove where the money’ came from. Also “money laundry” regulations are applied. “White or pink slip” is a certification, that produced by the Greek bank, in which the individual has their bank account. This certification indicates the dates, the amount of money transferred, the country from which the money has been transferred and the name of the beneficiary person in Greece. The ben-
urance policies A second method of insurance fraud has to do with fake insurance policies that individuals had issued. They then approached a large circle of people offering insurance plans at bargain prices and persuaded them to sign up with the forged contracts. If it sounds too good to be true it probably isn’t! 3) The “foreign” insurance company Two years ago fraudsters, exploiting the fact the EU allowed insurance companies to operate in all EU member countries without requiring the physical installation of the company in each country, created an “insurance firm” pretending to represent a known Bulgarian insurer. They managed to set an entire network in Greece with offices in Athens and started to provide cover to hundreds of cars. After professional associations and insurance companies contacted the authorities, it was proven that the specific Bulgarian insurer had no representation or opera-
tion in Greece. What do you need to know in order to avoid one of the above mentioned methods of insurance fraud: Who is entitled to exercise the profession of the insurance advisor: Under the current law introduced by the Bank of Greece, an insurance advisor has to carry a professional qualification by the local Chamber of Commerce. In fact, you have the right to ask for these qualifications and it is now obligatory that the advisor has to present this certificate to anyone who asks for it! Furthermore, he/she should certified by the Bank of Greece. This will ensure that the person has indeed been trained and is qualified to offer insurance solutions. Anyone practicing without the above requirements is faced with a 60.000 Euro fine plus imprisonment of up to two years. I have paid my premium, how do I know
if I have cover or not?: Under the relevant legislation introduced last year, anyone wishing to have insurance cover has to pay the premium in time and to carry a copy of the insurance contract. For vehicle insurance in particular, the Hellenic Information Centre (HIC) has launched a website through which everyone can check in real time if their insurance plan is valid. (www.hic.gr) Which insurance companies are authorized to operate in Greece: The insurance firms that are based in Greece or have established a Greek branch are entitled to offer insurance services. Additionally, any insurance firms which are not based in Greece are also able to offer their services as long as they are registered with the Bank of Greece. Anyone can visit the Bank of Greece’s website and check whether his/her firm of choice is indeed authorized to operate legally in Greece.
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What
Social media, holiday advice and the Kalyves traffic problem
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would we do without social media? Would we forget the birthdays of our loved ones? The birthdays by Giannis Xamonakis of people we have never met? Would apokoronasnews.gr we be completely cut off from the rest of the world? Would we have to read newspapers to find out what’s happening around us? But most importantly, would we ever get in touch with long lost friends and acquaintances? And for the latter, bless you Mr Zuckerberg and all your friends. And so it was that only last month I got back in touch with an old colleague from 25 years ago, when we both worked in east London in the UK. After the routine catching up through several messages spaced over a couple of weeks, the talk got round to holidays. As it happened, they were coming to Crete, to Kalyves in Apokoronas, for their summer holiday this year. So there is a good chance we will meet over some food and on drink and have a long for more news click overdue catch-up. http://cretepost.gr They have visited Crete before, she said, the southern part of the island, many, many years ago and they have fond memories of the place. I know they are the sort of people who read their guide before they travel, so I was rather surprised to get the next message. “Do you have any tips for us?” she asked in between exchanges of brief snippets of information. Tips? Such as: don’t forget the sun cream and the insect repellent? No, more like what is going on over there, she said. Now, from what I can remember about this couple, both Mary and Allan are not the sort of people who believe everything they read in the papers. But when there is a foreign office warning, that’s another matter…. A small cloud of worry seemed to hang over their sun-kissed beach holiday in Apokoronas in the summer. The frenzy of alarmist reports week after week about Grexit, as deadlines for interest payments come and go, has eventually started to worry people in Europe more than it worries people in this country
who have heard it all many times before. Still the FO advice to British tourists to take cash with them if travelling to Greece does make some sense. UK banks charge an awful lot for cash withdrawals and transactions in a foreign currency and the exchange rate they give is not that good. And Greeks mostly use cash for transactions, large or small; most tavernas, bars, food shops and petrol stations cannot accept plastic and a contactless card transaction is still something from the realms of science fiction. So yes, take some cash with you, but not because Greece is about to stop using the euro – which in my personal opinion will not happen at this stage of the long and tragic saga of the Greek economic crisis – but because you will pay less of your hard-earned money to the banks in the form of charges. And with that piece of advice over, I volunteered the next one, before I had time to consider the consequences. Three weeks holiday? They must still be teachers, I thought, forgetting that three weeks of eating, drinking and lying on the beach can seem very attractive after a year of demanding work. So thinking that it might ease the tedium, I suggested they rent a car to do some sight seeing and exploration. “There is
so much to see in Apokoronas and,” I added, “renting a car is much easier and cheaper than it was when you were last in Crete.” Enter. Message posted. It was about an hour later, while driving to Kalyves, that I realised the full implication of my advice. Still early in the tourist season, there are already many terrified drivers on the country roads snaking around Apokoronas, trying to find their way to a destination recommended by ‘Rough Guide’. Then when I got to Kalyves, the road was completely blocked: the long overdue road surfacing had finally reached the village main road, something that had been on the long ‘to do’ list of the local government for at least four years. Not being able to park right outside the kafeneion in the square, where they enjoy a late morning refreshment and a chat, many of the locals, still in their cars, were hanging around hesitantly, behind the roadworks signs, wondering what to do and creating a bit of a traffic blockage. Until somebody helpfully suggested they parked their cars further down the road and walk. They obediently drove off, but I suspect many of them, rather than walk the short distance to the village square, chose to have their refreshment at an alternative venue. When I eventually parked in the vast
almost empty space by the sea, used as a car park only by a few bathers who braved the mid-May chill, I walked to the village square down a main street devoid of parked cars, a sight not seen before in all the years I have lived here. The street was full of shop and taverna owners who were out in front of their establishments complaining about the timing of the urgently needed roadworks. “They’ve had years to do it and they chose the start of the tourist season,” they all complained, adding that in this country, if it happens at all, road surfacing does not happen at night or at weekends and¬ - something that I have not yet been able to check – “it costs more than in the rest of Europe.” Every single person I spoke to, however, agreed that the next big problem that needs to be solved - and soon - is the traffic situation in the village during the summer. You see Kalyves, a sleepy village of 1600 people during the winter, has already got a traffic problem, even before several hundred additional rented cars are added to the equation. And that Kalyves has a traffic problem is something that is generally acknowledged by all who live, work or drive through the village, but nothing has yet been done to solve it. Any action by the council to alleviate the problem, judging from the reaction of the business people who spoke to me that day, will enjoy widespread support. And the council will definitely get support from all road users and people like me who, without thinking, add to the parking and traffic problems by suggesting that their friends might like to hire a car. And I will personally feel far less guilty if by the time my friends arrive in their hired car in August, the council, together with the residents, the traders and the road users in Kalyves agree to a long-lasting solution to the traffic problem. Have I forgotten that, as some of the angry shopkeepers almost proudly pointed out to me, “This is Greece and things don’t change”? No, I haven’t, but that’s not a good enough reason not to try.
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29/5/2015 2:19:38 ΟΟ
Varoufakis: Agreement on 14 regional airports ‘a matter of days’ Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varo-
ufakis reassured the Greek Parliament that the government will reach a deal with its partners over the next few days and at the same time an agreement for the exploitation of 14 regional airports in the country with much more favorable terms for the Greek state and private investors as well. Speaking in Parliament, in response to a question by ND deputy Eleftherios Avgenakis, Varoufakis said that the government will continue this process and that it was already in negotiations with its partners over on ck cli ws ne e the issue. or m r fo r t.g os ep et cr :// tp ht
“I assure you that as a negotiation was reaching its end over the next few days, so will this issue,” the Finance minister said, adding that this process will be based on three criteria: – investments must be higher. “A commitment for 23.5 million euros in investments for four years per airport is very low for me,” he said. – there must be a share for the state. “The state must hold an asset which can be exploited in the framework of a development bank, a development vehicle, through leverage with other development banks such as EIB to maximize synergies from the exploitation of state property,” Varoufakis noted.
NSA Souda Bay personnel offered clothes and toys to St. Nektarios Church and Soup Kitchen
Tipping the scale at 520 pounds (be-
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news & articles
fore the Sailors also stepped aboard to pose for the photo), everything from children’s toys to sneakers to clothes for all ages were collected and delivered to St. Nektarios Church and Soup Kitchen. Sailors, the Chaplain and Navy Munitions Departments at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Souda Bay organized a base-wide clothes drive to benefit the church’s efforts to support those in need. St. Nektarios church is located in the Pachiana section of Chania and supports a soup kitchen and a Girls Care Center. Volunteers were treated to traditional
biscuits and orange juice and learned about the thousands of letters inside the glass enclosed shelves all around the reception room. Letters from around the world are sent to thank the church’s patron saint, Saint Nektarios, for miracles or healing in one form or another. NSA Souda Bay Sailors enjoyed interacting with the local community in a variety of ways; and this successful clothes drive is just one of those opportunities. Thanks also goes to the directors of the Navy Exchange and the Morale, Welfare and Recreation departments for supporting the drop boxes in their establishments. It was a Team Souda effort.
Varoufakis strongly criticized previous privatizations saying they proved to be catastrophic even for private investors since they were rejected by higher courts or competition authorities. He added that Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund offered contracts and agreements to private investors that were finally unsecured. “This must change. You will see that with the completion of negotiations the terms will change. Contracts will become more positive both for the state and for private investors,” Varoufakis reassured. He noted that his colleagues in the EU responded negatively to his question
whether they would agree to a 40-year concession without any provision for that state, or regional authorities. “They would not agree under those terms,” Varoufakis said, adding “this is not an issue of contradiction but an issue of national strategy”. He said that as an economist “he has a problem with the idea of selling 14 regional airports to the same company,” adding “I don’t know any country where such a thing happened”. Varoufakis said that the Greek state has a continuance and that the government has pledged to respect any legal procedure currently underway. ANA – MPA
Fin Min Stathakis in Chania Airport: “Privatization of Greek Regional Airports will be completed”
F in Min Giorgos Stathakis visited
Chania Airport “Daskalogiannis” and had a meeting with the aiport master and employees of the Civil Aviation Authority. Mr. Stathakis said that the privatization of 14 Greek Regional Airports (including Chania Airport) will be completed. “Privatization of Greek Regional Airports is a part of our deal in Brussels. We are trying to achieve better terms in our deal. I can not say anything else right now”, said Mr. Stathakis. Representatives from the local Association of Employees in CAA told Mr. Stathakis that he forgot what SYRIZA was saying before the elections… “You were telling us that you are against any privatization of Greek Regional Airports, because it is not advantageous for Greek economy”. Expansion of Chania Airport As for the public works for the expansion of Chania Airport and the possibility of a stopping work from
the contractor, Mr. Stathakis said that, although there is a payment delay, the contractor has to continue working. “All payments will proceed right after the new agreement with our lenders. There is a payment delay, but the contractor should not threaten with a possible stoppage of works. No other public work in Greece has stopped. Everything will be paid normally and the expansion of the airport will be completed by the end of the year”, said Mr. Stathakis. Debts to Suppliers As for the lack of supplies in Chania Airport, Mr. Stathakis said that there will be 2 mil. euros available for all Greek airports, to be given to suppliers and cover a part of the debt, which exceeds 20 mil. euros. As for the importance of Chania Airport… it has to be mentioned that “Daskalogiannis” had 62 arrivals today, more than any other day this year. The “arrivals record” is 80, from the summer of 2014.
Although
Kissamos In Five Best Coastal Towns of Greece
the taste of eggnog and turkey stuffing might still be on your lips, the reality is that we’re already barreling into the summer season and it means it’s time to make holiday plans. on ck At this point, many turn cli ws ne e or for m r t.g their heads to the warm os ep et cr http:// shores of Greece and its islands, and for good reason. With a hot, but not uncomfortable climate, beautiful seas and vibrant culture, there’s enough on offer to keep anyone satisfied on their weeks away from re-
ality. However, such variety also causes a dilemma, where should you set up camp? The most popular options are those that sit on the coast of either Greece’s beautiful mainland and its exotic islands. Why? Perhaps it’s that ocean breeze, the soft Mediterranean sand or tropical-esque beach huts. Or maybe it has to do with the history of Greece, its proud naval tradition and bustling trade ports eventually evolving small settlements into the vibrant and
prosperous towns we know and love today. Whatever the reason for their popularity may be, here’s our pick of the best Greece has to offer: • Athens • Oia, Santorini • Chora, Mykonos • Old Town, Rhodes • Kissamos, Crete Crete is home to many wonders and is an island not to be missed. On its northern coast sits the town of Kissamos, a secluded place perfect for absorb-
ing the smorgasbord of sights, sounds and smells that Crete has to offer. A short distance away from the awe-inspiring Balos Beach, the village itself has quite a few things to offer, including its own exotic beaches and its wine-making reputation. One of the quieter towns in Crete, Kissamos is a truly authentic Greek village, with traditional culture, stunning landscapes in the distance and a wide variety of archaeological history. greekreporter.com
“THE illustrated HISTORY OF CRETE, the island’s great adventure through time”
C RETAN
COMICS editions are happy to present Panos Giakas’ graphic novel, “the Illustrated Histor y of Crete”, a mind-blowing narration which runs through time, from the first formation of the island up to our days, the events of World War II and the settling of the Hippies at the Matala caves. Histor y is given simply and humorously, and through the endless expressive possibilities of graphic narration, this book becomes the ideal guide both for ignorants or connoisseurs of cretan histor y. Knowledge and entertainment become an explosive combination which proves that learning histor y can be also ex-
citing and escapist. The five chapters of the book are the five main parts of cretan histor y, • [A] prehistor y, mythic era and ancient times, • [B] Roman and Byzantine epoch, • [C] Venetian era, • [D] Ottoman conquest and the revolts, and • [E] the events that occurred during the 20th centur y. The illustration of each epoch uses its own iconographic style, transforming the “Illustrated Histor y of Crete” into a great adventure of a land full of legends, traditions and myths that exceed the foamy borders of the island
and become part of the common human heritage. The narrators of the stor y are its own protagonists, Mother Earth, the Minotaur, Daedalus, St Paul, Erotokritos, Kazantzakis or its temperamental habitants, hospitable, deviant and explosive both during their sorrows or joys. Intending to educate, entertain and call for more questions, the “Illustrated Histor y of Crete” is above all an exciting narration that unfolds throughout the centuries, ideal for small and big children and inspiring as any optimistic stor y.
Prices plunge for self-catering holidays for Brits
Mini-marts on Crete are more expensive than supermarkets
Prices have plunged for Britons on
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self-catering holidays in Europe, according to a survey. The cost of groceries at supermarkets has dipped as much as 45% in some resorts compared with this time last year, the survey by Post Office Travel Money showed. Also involving holiday company Cosmos, the survey looked at the cost of 20 typical grocery items for one week for a family of four on a self-catering break, with 10 popular European holiday destinations covered. The 20 items, including beer and wine, cost the least (£37) on Spain’s Costa Blanca, while the priciest resort was Limassol in Cyprus where the items cost £69. The survey also showed that those on self-catering breaks are far better off shopping at supermarkets than at local mini-marts. The 20 items bought at a mini-mart in Crete, for example, were more than 60% more expensive than at a supermarket. Mini-mart prices were cheapest on the Costa Blanca, where the items cost £45, and priciest in Crete (£104). Beer at a mini-mart on the Costa del Sol in Spain, for instance, was 143% pricier than at a supermarket, while instant coffee in Crete was 259% more costly at a mini-mart. Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money, said: “This year’s report reveals that it’s not just restaurants and bars that are cutting costs to attract custom.” travel.aol.co.uk
Samonas Traditional Villas Samonas - Apokoronas - Chania - Crete - GR 73003 mob: +30 698 678 3030 - fax: +30 2821 055 213 website: www.samonas.gr - email: info@samonas.gr facebook: /SamonasTraditionalVillas online availability: https://samonas.reserve-online.net Samonas traditional villas is a completed renovated neighborhood in the small village of Samonas, at an altitude of 400m and a distance of 20km from Chania. Our homes are built in a hill slope and have such an orientation that they offer an impressive mountain, valley and sea view.
Samonas is a peacefull picturesque village which still preserves
its authentic character. Here you will experience unique moments of relaxation and complete tranquillity in an authentically traditional area,
without missing any of the comforts of the today way of living, which we have quietly incorporated in all our dwellings.
Cretan food. Nowadays it has conquered the gourmet cuisine and is considered an ideal complement to a balanced diet. The rusks contain no preservatives, but they usually contain salt. The materials and techniques, as well as their designation vary according to their region of origin, for instance the Cretan rusk is also known as “dakos” while the island of Kythira is largely known for its “ladopaksimada” (rusks baked with oil). Rusks are usually made off wheat, barley, whole wheat and rye. The history of rusk goes back for centuries and the basic need that led to its creation, was maintaining the bread for a long time as well as the difficulty in daily kneading. It is said that the first rusk was made by the byzantine baker Paxamos and that’s why in Greece a rusk is called “paximadi”. The “precious” rusk ... it looks humble, but for centuries has “saved” farmers and sailors in many islands of Greece, satisfying their hunger. The “barley” rusk ... barley, a key element of the diet in Greece from the Minoan era, still exists in our table. The “Cretan” ... rusk, Crete has dominated our imagination in Greek rusks and has established the paternity of rusks in our minds. In general, the rusks should be moistured with water or olive oil in order to be eatable, and this resulted in unique Greek dishes, like the delicious and of high dietary value, cretan dakos, which is a round rusk softened with oil, topped with fresh chopped tomatoes, various herbs and crumbled white cheese. Types Today, a single walk in the bakeries of Greece shows that the rusk remains a key asset of our diet. The bakers prepare many different types. In Crete, we
can find rusks in all shapes and sizes , seasoned or plain , with or without sesame and in Karpathos they are fond of using many seasonings. In the bakeries of the island, the starring rusks are with cumin or onion. The main types of rusks however, are three, and are based on the raw material used to bake them. Thus, we have the barley rusk, the wheat flour and the rye. Of course, these types of rusks, depending on the production and processing of their raw material, are also available in wholegrain versions, with more fibers. How they benefit us The rusks have a high nutritional value. Depending on the raw material from which they are prepared, they have plenty of nutrients to offer us. Rye rusks The rye nuts are an excellent source of B vitamins, containing magnesium, manganese, selenium, amino acids (such as tryptophan), fibers and antioxidants (such as lignans and selenium).
Barley rusks The barley rusks also contain B vitamins, the main ones are folic acid and vitamin B6, fiber, antioxidants, silica (helps regenerate and protect our bones), chromium (whose adequate intake is related with better glucose control for diabetics), amino acids, magnesium and phosphorus. Because barley has less gluten than wheat, it dries quickly and can be maintained for a longer time. Wheat rusks Wheat is one of the key ingredients of Greek food. It contains proteins and amino acids and the prominent one is tryptophan. Tryptophan is essential for teenagers and children who are still growing, but also for athletes and seniors. The grain is also rich in B vitamins, fiber, magnesium and manganese (essential for the operation of our enzyme systems and power supply), which are necessary ingredients for people who have intense daily activity and athletes.
For all hours of the day The rusk can be an ideal complement of all our meals during the day. Power Breakfast. Its high content of carbohydrates, fiber and vitamins gives us energy, for more news click on helps to improve bowel http://cretepost.gr function and prepares the body for physical and mental work day. Ideal snack. An easy and practical solution for intermediate snacks, and has just a few calories and helps to keep blood sugar at good levels. A perfect lunch. It’s a meal that is full of nutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrates). Rusks and a salad cover ideally the ratio of carbohydrate that we should have for our the basic meal of the day. A healthy and light evening meal. A light meal- particularly at night should include foods low in fat and low in calories, making them more digestible. The rusk, together with some cheese, tomato and olives is exactly what you need for a light, delicious and hearty dinner. with info from cretan-supplies.gr
“CHANIOTIKA RUSKS... tradition meets flavour...”
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The rusk is a gourmet trademark of
Cretan rusks... Twice a bread
Traditional Cretan Rusks
A plurality of rusks in shapes and sizes located in Crete, with spices, herbs and various fragrances and other materials The main types are defined but the main material, the raw material used for their preparation. The whole grain rusks, the rusks and barley rye rusks. All types of nut available in derived wholemeal, that most plant materials. The rusks are made with whole grain wheat flour, one of the main ingredients of the Cretan diet.
You may find a variety of our products ONLY to all local markets and cooperative
supermarkets
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You can also try something different. Taste our rusks, made from: Carob Oaten Wheat Rye Barley
A new jewel to visit
It all began with a few people getting
together around a swimming pool. They talked, swam and also said some prayers and read the Bible together. Out of this small group under the leadership of Tony Lane came the church and congregation of St Thomas Kefalas, near Vamos. There are many church buildings in Crete but this one is a very small chapel, too small for the people who come, and a tent…….. Yes a tent. It is called the Tabernacle and it is an old threshing floor which has been tiled. The roof is a heavy on ck cli for more news duty plastic supported r t.g os http://cretep by steel poles and in the winter it has plastic walls with windows and of course heaters. It is a lovely space and if you haven’t been there you must come and vis-
St Thomas Church - Kefalas
it. In the summer ..as we worship we look out at the White Mountains, we hear the sounds of sheep clanking their bells, the insects buzzing and the light breeze wafts in the beautiful scents of warmed plants like thyme. In the winter and Spring it is surrounded by beautifully blue lupins, green olive trees as the clear birdsong accompanies our hymns. In the small garden around it amongst olive trees we have barbecues and parties. It was dedicated in 2007 so it is very new. Its an Anglican Church but it welcomes everyone from all denominations with their doubts as well as their faith. We meet at least every Sunday for a service of Holy Communion at 11:00 am and then stay and chat afterwards. A chaplain serves us, which is me. I came
in July 2014 and before that I was a rector and vicar of various churches in England and a canon at Truro Cathedral. So where are we? If you come from Vamos direction towards Kefalas after Xirostirni and the monument to St Phanourios and the builders yard there is a sign on the right pointing to St Thomas’ Church down a small lane on the left. You go past some holiday apartments then a house and immediately on the right of the house there is a gravel drive and the church is a few metres down there. Revd Canon Philip Lambert, Anglican Chaplain, Crete. www.theanglicanchurchincrete.co.uk E-Mail: creteanglicans@yahoo.co.uk
Pamako
Our
passion creating a superior & extraordinary olive oil, from century old olive trees located in the mountain area of Selino – Crete, reward us with an exceptional and surprising result While using traditional methods of cultivation and harvest, encounter the usage of technological novelty in milling, conservation and bottling, “Pamako” was Born. The word “Pamako” is the translation of the ideograms... and its meaning is medicine. The stem of these ideograms is from Linear B syllabic script, the first know written language of Europe.
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About us We are a newly founded company guided, from our pure unlimited passion for olive oil. More than 4 generations grow among these grooves and lived creating the healthiest lifestyle of “Mediterranean diet”. Founded at 2014 from Eftychios Androulakis, with the help of his family and Dorotheeas Ritter companion, and after 2 years of constant research, developing the way of harvesting ,milling and conservation “Pamako olive oil” was born. A chemistry combined of youthful passion and the experience of the oldest producers gave us strength to start and continue creating a Superior Ultra Premium Olive oil. A Challenging and painstaiking procedure began in a rocky mountain area with century old trees. Remembering what our Grandfathers advice us: “respect the trees and they will give u back this love”, Pamako is officially one of the few worldwide olive oils to have a - Certified - Health Claim on its label. Our products Due to chemical analysis, of the department of pharmacy, pharmacognosy & natural products chemistry of National University of Athens at March of 2015 ,the evaluation of both, our olive oil show some impressive results. The levels of Oleocanthal and Oleacein present in, “Pamako Monovarietal’’ & “Pamako blend” ,are higher than the average values of international university studies till now performed. It should be noted that Oleocanthal and Oleacein present important biological activity and they have been related with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cardi-
When olive oil becomes... art
oprotective and neuroprotective activity. Also due to European regulation 432/2012,standards, the hydroxytyrosol derivatives that “Pamako” has, is over than 5mg/20gr olive oil. Such a result leads that a daily consumption of 20gr of “Pamako” protects the blood lipids from oxidative stress. For maintain all this characteristics we use dark bottles with a mirrorized, out layer, film so that the light cant effect this quality and for keeping these aromas well preserved we cap our bottle using the best quality natural cork with a wooden finish. We are proud to announce these results, that makes our product range stunt out of the usual olive oils and supply our “tasters” with all the health benefits and aromas that a pure mountain, ultra premium, extra virgin olive oil can provide.
Our mountain century – old grooves Our grooves are located next to the ancient city of Elyros, in the rocky mountain area of Selino – Chania – Crete ,at an altitude from 500 to 700 meters, that mostly are very difficult to reach while no roads leads to them. Cultivation and harvesting are extremely challenging due to the morphology of the ground and the size of the trees. Following the traditional ways that more than 4 generations teached us and respecting what this mountain nature generously give us, we treat each one of the trees with different way due to its needs. In an average high of about 11 meters per tree while some of them reach the height of 20 meters, and an
average age of about 200 years old, each tree has a different “Personality” and that’s why we have to treat them separately. Our ally to this effort, is the ideal microclimate of the area. Sunny and windy while the trees start to blossom and cold – rainy days naturally protecting them from disease and feeding them, before harvesting. Varieties The main variety is Tsounati. It’s rare olive tree and has its “roots” from Minoan times while some trees in the area being monumental. Mostly these trees grow native around the rocks and being preserved throw the years as the height and climate makes it ideal growing. Secondary variety is koroneiki. Mostly was cultivated a century before and sur-
prisingly grow among Tsounati. These olive trees survived the wars as the villagers protected them more than their homes, become part of their lifes and grow generations creating the healthy lifestyle of Crete the Mediterranean diet. Both varieties now days, give us an olive oil high in polyphenols and full of mountain aromas. Harvesting, Milling and Conservation methods Challenging, Painstaking, Traditional, Innovating. These are the four words that describe the full procedure of creating an ultra premium olive oil. Because of the areas morphology its not possible the use of heavy machinery. Harvesting is made by hand , with electric sticks while climbing throw the tree and carefully harvest every time the fruits that have a light green color, before they start to turn. This procedure starts middle of October and last about 4 weeks until all the fruits are harvested. Milling is made the same day of harvest at low temperatures under 27 C and lasts for a maximum of a 50 minutes period for each portion. With this way we ensure that olive oil will keep all its aromas and valuable polyphenols, loosing quantity but gaining this extraordinary quality. At the end we store our olive oil in stainless steel tanks away from sunlight and under controled temperatures. Using also the method of filling the tanks with gas nitrogen,suitable for food, so that we will ensure olive oil will keep its first day characteristics for the longest time period possible.
When Platanias Met... Japan
The culture of sushi under the famous Mirai brand
Sushi is a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients, seafood, vegetables and sometimes tropical fruits. Ingredients and forms of sushi presentation vary widely, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is rice (also referred to as shari or sumeshi). Sushi can be prepared with either brown or white rice. Sushi is often prepared with raw seafood, but some common varieties of sushi use cooked ingredients or are vegetarian. Raw fish (or occasionally other meat) sliced and served without rice is called “sashimi”. Sushi is often served with pickled ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce. Popular gar-
nishes are often made using daikon. The word sushi is actually a combination of two Japanese words: su, which is the Japanese word for “vinegar”, and shi, which is a word (suffix) meaning “rice”. From this it follows fairly obviously that, contrary to popular belief, sushi does not mean raw fish. It also doesn’t mean seaweed, nor does it even refer to the typical combination of those things together in rolls or bite-sized pieces. When you get right down to it, the sushi is the rice (more specifically, the special “vinegared rice” used for these purposes), and the rice is what
determines whether anything really is “sushi” or “not sushi”. Unlike in the west, where rice is often considered (at best) a side-dish, rice is truly the most fundamental element of Japanese cuisine, on which everything else is built. In fact, rice (gohan) is so fundamental to the way Japanese people view food and eating that the Japanese words for “breakfast”, “lunch”, and “dinner” actually literally translate to “morning rice” (asagohan), “midday rice” (hirugohan),
and “evening rice” (bangohan). Everything else is incidental, but the rice is essential. It’s no great surprise, therefore, that the fundamental element of what makes sushi what it is is also the rice. This also gives us some immediate insight into one of the critical factors which makes for good sushi, which is often completely overlooked by those new to making it: Good sushi is about good rice. It doesn’t matter what you
put on top of it, if your rice isn’t up to snuff, neither will your sufor more news click on shi be. http ://cretepost.gr The good news is making good rice is not hard. Mirai is where connoisseurs of sashimi and maki (rolled sushi) gather to throw back cocktails between savory morsels of yellowtail and shiitake tempura lightly fried to perfection... It’s in Platanias.
How four Greek businesses are coping amid default crisis One of them is Terra Creta in Chania
The olive oil producer Terra Creta, an award-winning pro-
for high-quality Greek oil following widespread crop failures in Spain and Italy. But its prospects are once again clouded by uncertainty. “The worst of what we face is keeping the trust of our clients abroad,” said Constantine Angelopoulos, Terra Creta’s general manager. “Instead of asking about quality and prices, it’s about whether we’ll be continuing in business the day after [Greece leaves the euro].” “Clients in China even said they
won’t be able to work with us if we’re no longer a euro member state,” he added. Greece’s worsening liquidity squeeze means cash is tight. The Syriza-led government has frozen repayments of value added tax to exporters, while local banks have shrunk lending. “We had to become self-financing to be able to pay 800 olive farmers cash on delivery,” Mr Angelopoulos said. Financial Times
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ened as bailout talks between the leftwing Syriza-led government and the country’s creditors drag on, prompting fears of a Greek debt default and, possibly, a Grexit from the euro. But life —and commerce— go on. The profile of Terra Cretea illustrates how this business is coping with the uncertainty surrounding Greece’s future in the eurozone.
ducer of extra-virgin olive oil, marked the end of Greece’s six-year recession by splashing out €300,000 on a second bottling line at its processing plant on the island of Crete. The company, which is owned by three local entrepreneurs, made profits during the crisis by switching to exports, selling more than 90 per cent of its output abroad. Sales of Terra Creta’s branded olive oils were projected to double this year to 3,000 tonnes, partly thanks to increased global demand
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Greece’s business climate has wors-
Give a speech? No way!
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“There are two kinds of speakers,” wrote the great American novelist and humorist Mark Twain, “those that are nervous and those that are liars.” A gifted and well-prepared lecturer who spoke at meetings around the world, Mark Twain knew all about nerves. For those with no experience, even the thought of standing up in front of a group of people can be terrifying. According to research, the idea of speaking before an audience frightens many people even more than the thought of dying. But what if there was a way of learning the techniques of effective on ck cli ws ne e or m public speaking in a r fo r t.g os ep et cr :// safe and stimulating entp ht vironment? Gradually building skills through supportive feedback from the people listening to you? For 90 years, this has been the role of Toastmasters clubs. Imagine you are a guest at a Toastmasters club meeting. Friendly faces welcome you before a club officer hands you the agenda and explains how the evening will unfold. “There are three parts to a typical Toastmaster evening and the first is about to get underway; we call it “Table Topics.” There is an expectant hush as the club member who has accepted the role of running the meeting, the Toastmaster of the Evening, calls to the lectern the Table Topics Master. In turn, four members are asked, with no prior warning, to speak for two minutes on a topic she has chosen (until the 1970s, Toastmasters was men-only but now as many women as men are joining clubs). It is no accident that highly experienced Toastmasters are given a more challenging topic than newer members but all make a good attempt at organising their thoughts to speak coherently on the topic. One comments afterwards that it was good practice for an upcoming business meeting. Part two of the meeting, three prepared speeches around six minutes in length, follows seamlessly. The speakers have
chosen the topics themselves but each speech is actually a training project designed to develop the speaker’s skills in a specific aspect of public speaking. This evening, one speaker is focusing on vocal variety, using changes in the pitch and speed of his voice to maintain interest and emphasise key points of his speech on youth unemployment. Another has tackled the project on audiovisual aids, with a PowerPoint presentation on vehicle maintenance. For the third speaker, it is her very first speech, the so-called “icebreaker” designed to allow the speaker to introduce herself to the club, and the applause is especially warm because every Toastmaster remembers their first speech and how nervous they felt. “This third section of the meeting”, says a member beside you, “is what really powers the progress in learning to speak. We call it ‘evaluation’, and it is all about feedback. For every prepared speech there is an evaluator who stresses the successful aspects of the speech and makes suggestions for improvement. In some clubs, every person attending gives written feedback to the speaker.” Even as a guest, you can’t help noticing that the overwhelming tone is supportive and that the evaluator’s comments are striking a chord with other members as well as with the speaker. Toastmasters began in California, initially with the aim of helping young people to make the most of their potential by learning to express themselves clearly. For nearly half a century it remained an American organisation but recent years have seen it growing particularly quickly in other parts of the world, especially Europe and Asia. There are now 14,650 clubs in 126 countries. Growth of new clubs in Europe has been so rapid that two years ago it became necessary to split District 59, previously all of continental West-
The 4 senses restaurant... Follow the Path of an absolute gastronomic delight...
ern Europe into two districts. The recent district conference in Porto in Portugal drew more than 200 Toastmasters from the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Portugal, Spain and Italy. Although Toastmasters clubs once operated entirely in English, many are now bilingual and others operate entirely in the language of the country in which they are based. From my own experience in four clubs, two in Luxembourg and two in Greece, people join Toastmasters for a variety of reasons. Many have a fear of public speaking but know that they will soon have to give a presentation or a speech in a work setting or at a private function. Intriguingly, many of these people stay members for years after the event that initially terrified them. In an English-speaking club, many non-native speakers have joined specifically to improve their spoken English (just as I joined a French-speaking club to improve that language). Whether entrepreneurs, managers or academics, their career often clearly benefits. Quite simply, they have learnt at Toastmasters to express their ideas more clearly, while their greater fluency in English has then given those ideas
the greatest possible impact. These generally younger members in their 20s, 30s and 40s are in many clubs joined by retired people keen to keep their brains (and tongues…) active. In addition to learning speaking skills through a well thought out series of project manuals, a system that allows every member to progress at his or her own chosen pace, members also have the opportunity to develop leadership as they volunteer for the various roles in each club meeting (Table Topics Master, evaluator, timer, et cetera) and in the general running of the club. There are several flourishing Toastmasters clubs in Athens and more recently in Thessaloniki. As yet, Crete does not have a club but there would seem to be considerable potential for founding one. Among the many expatriates already living in the Chania area, for example, there may well be former Toastmasters and I would like to take this opportunity of asking them, and indeed anyone interested in attending a Toastmasters meeting, to contact me. Niall Finn niallafinn@yahoo.co.uk
We u s e a n d p r o m o t e l o c a l , quality products in combination with the revival of traditional flavours and new gastronomic proposals from 12:00 pm to 00:00 at midnight.
Platanias, Chania Tel. +30 6976 860573 www.olive-tree.gr
MEET... CHANIA in 18 pages
by Chania Post in collaboration with Chania Prefecture
Welcome! Bienvenue! Willkommen! Добро пожал овать! Velkommen! Välkommen Välkomna! Tervetuloa! 文化的天空, 人类的天堂
The Turkish Minaret at the Old City of Chania
www.chania.eu www.incrediblecrete.gr
GMT +2 Welcome! Bienvenue! Willkommen! Добро пожаловать! Velkommen! Välkommen Välkomna! Tervetuloa! 文化的天空, 人类的天堂
A few things you have to know about Crete
Crete, the 5th biggest Med Island, lies in the southern frontier of Europe. Crete combines mountains and sea, the new alongside with the old and ancient with contemporary history. It is a cultural crossroad due to its strategic geographical position. English, German, French, Russian and other languages are widely spoken in tourist resorts. The climate is a factor that greatly contributes to its attractiveness. It is mild Mediterranean – dry and warm, which means high sunshine all year round, very small seasonal changes in temperatures and no extreme weather phenomena. Tap water is safe for consumption, the consumption of bottled water is recommended. The international call code for Greece is +30.
www.chania.eu www.incrediblecrete.gr heavenly and tiful Chania, a au be to e m co Wel ral beauty, hisming with natu pure land brim is a land whose d and culture. It all its glory an tory, memory re rience natu in pe ex ill w rs to visi ghts. breathtaking si othy will encounter bordered in fr re ho as se of s he tc re d st auty an sanEndless nds of exotic be forbidding la is d an ts le in lace, foot of ed away at the dy beaches tuck gorges, holy mountains. t such majestic ye t bu e bl ns thickly tra Impene sh, green plai lu d an s er riv caves, blessed es. ive and citrus tre covered with ol
Остров Крит, колыбель европейской цивилизации, и его гостеприимные жители рады приветствовать вас! Мы обещаем вам незабываемые впечатления, независимо от того, в первый ли раз вы сюда приехали или посещаете Крит регулярно. Это место идеально подходит, чтобы отдохнуть или исследовать горы, море, города и деревни. Живите в ритме этого чудесного острова с утра до вечера. Откройте для себя Крит!
Välkommen til l vackra Chani a, ett himmel och äkta land skt fullt med natu rlig skönhet, toria, minnen hisoch kultur. Det är en plat s där besökare n kom turen i all dess majestätiska sk mer att få uppleva naönhet och möt enastående va ckra platser. as av Ändlösa sträck or av fasciner ande kust bild gränser i norr ar dess , söder och vä ster. In i mellan m öts man av ex otiska stränder i vissa fall gö och öar, mda bakom st ora imponera Likaså finns nde berg. här fantastiska raviner som genom bergen skär sig ut mot haven, liksom heliga spännande stal grottor med agmiter och al agmiter.
Velkommen til smukke Chania, en paradisisk og ægte egn fyldt med naturlig skønhed, historie, minder og kultur.Her vil den besøgende opleve naturen i dens fulde pragt, og komme til at stå overfor steder der tager vejret fra en. Endeløse bugtede kyster, eksotiske småøer og gemte sandstrande ved foden af de vilde bjerge. Ufremkommelige men fortryllende kløfter, hellige grotter, velsignede floder, og fredlige dybtgrønne sletter, beplantet med oliven træer og citrusfrugter. En egn selvforsynende med alt og rig på sjældne dyr og planter. I Chania vil den besøgende blive imponeret over de menneskelige værker. Velkommen til vakre Hania, et paradisisk og rent land full av naturskjønnheter, historie, minner og kultur. Det er et land der de besøkende vil oppleve naturen i all dens prakt og se steder som gjør en stum av begeistring. Endeløse kyststrekninger med skummende hav, små bukter og øyer av eksotisk skjønnhet og skjulte sandstrender ved foten av avskrekkende fjell. Vanskelig tilgjengelige, men majestetiske fjellkløfter, hellige huler, velsignede elver og rolige grønne sletter dekket med oliven- og sitrus trær. Et land som er selvnærende på alle måter, rikt på dyreliv og planter, endemiske (stedegne) og sjeldne.
Museums | Musée | Museen | Mузеи | Museer | Μuseot | 博物馆 Archaeological Museum of Chania 25 Halidon str. - Tel. 28210 90334. Open: 8.30-15.00 (except Mondays) Maritime Museum of Crete Akti Koundourioti, Venetian Harbour. Tel. 28210 91875/74484. Open: 9.00-16.00 (1/4-31/10), 9.00-14.00 (1/11-31/3) Μinoan Ship Moro dock, Venetian Harbour. Τel. 28210 91875. Open: Μay-Οct. Mon.-Fri. 10.00-15.00 & 19.00-22.30 (except public holidays) Historical Archives of Crete 20 I. Sfakianaki str., Tel. 28210 52606. Open: 9.00-14.00 (except Sat. & Sun.) Folklore Museum Gavalochori, Apokoronas. Tel. 28250 23222. Open: 9.00-20.00, Sat. 9.00-19.00, Sun. 10.00-13.00 Folklore Museum “Cretan House” 46b Halidon str. Tel. 28210 90816. Open: 9.00-15.00 & 18.00-21.00 Byzantine collection Theotokopoulou str. Tel. 28210 96046. Open: 8.30-15.00 (except Mondays)
Willkommen. Gleichzeitig is t Chania der Hauptort des gl eichnamigen R egionalbezirks, der ehemaligen Präfektur Chani a, der den gesamten Westen K retas umfasst. C hania war von bis 1971 die H 1841 auptstadt der In sel Kreta. Chania hat seit dem Ende der Fremdherrschaf in Schüben ve t ein rlaufendes star kes Bevölkeru swachstum zu ngverzeichnen. Die Markthalle von Chania stam mt aus den Jahr 1911 bis 1913 en . Der Bau aus Gusseisen mit em Dachstuhl offenwurde nach de m Vorbild der in Marseille ko Markthalle nzipiert.
Bienvenue. Bien qu’elle ait été bombardée pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, La Canée est considérée comme une des plus jolies villes de Crète, particulièrement le vieux port vénitien avec son phare du XVe siècle et la mosquée des Janissaires. La Canée bénéficie d’un climat typiquement méditerranéen caractérisé par des hivers frais et humides et des étés chauds et secs. Le marché couvert datant de 1913, basé sur les plans de celui de Marseille, est aux abords de la vieille ville et est populaire aussi bien auprès des touristes que des habitants locaux.
欢迎到美丽的哈尼亚, 一片天堂般的处女地； 到处洋溢着自然的美, 写满了历史 、美丽的 回忆和文化。 到访者都会感受大自然的伟大，这里的景色令 人惊叹。波光粼粼的大海一望无际。海湾，美 丽的岛屿，巍峨的山边海滩构成了一副绝妙的 风景画。百思不得其解的神 秘峡谷，天然溶 洞，天赐的河流充满着一派生机。美丽的原野 到处是橄榄树和柑橘类树种。这是自给自足的 沃土，分布着特有的动植物种群。 reikassa. Se on nia on kunta K ha C ! na m ko äl V kaupunki Irak toiseksi suurin imis nt lä n, Kreetan saaren kö si yk ja Hanian alue punki. Kunlionin jälkeen siköstä, pääkau yk ue al ä st ljä ennan mukaan män Kreetan ne 2011 väestölask en od vu muun ui as nassa ovat kotoisin ta. Chaniasta as uk ri El as la 0 aa 31 im 8 on 10 ikuttanut ik va sa as nj pa al ja kreikk ainmuassa Es a Mouskouri an N a aj a on ul la Greco, nizélos. Chani Elefthérios Ve s hania ie C om a. lti ss va io en joiden suos ili ka at m s yö anian kansainnykyään m ella sijaitsee H ol pu is ill ko n entojen lähtö- ja kaupungi on tärkeä lomal ka jo a, m se oa nt välinen le . saapumispaikka
Sights | Spectacles | Sehenswürdigkeiten | Достопримечательности Att göra | Nähtävyydet | Seværdigheder | Attraksjoner | 景点
Ekklesiastic Museums - Monastery of Holy Trinity of Tzagarolon, Αkrotiri. Tel. 28210 63310. Open: 8:00-20:00 - Gouverneto Monastery, Αkrotiri. Tel. 28210 63319 - Monastery of Chrissopigi, Chania. Tel. 28210 91125 - Monastery of Gonia, Kissamos . Tel. 28240 22313
Centre of Mediterranean Architecture Chania, 31 Αkti Tombazi, Venetian Harbour. Tel. 28210 40101/40201
War Museum Tzobanaki Cassern. Tel. 28210 44156. Open: 9:00-13:00 (except Sat. & Sun.)
Villa Koundourou (Youth Centre and Municipal Cultural Workshop) Chania, 2 Iroon Politechniou str. Tel. 28210 53730/40896. Open: 9:00-14:00 and 18:00-21:00
Chemistry Museum 34c Eleftherios Venizelos str. Tel. 28210 42504. Open: 9:00-13:00 (except Sat. & Sun.) Byzantine and Folklore Museum of Spilia, Kissamos Tel. 28240 22080/22357. Open: 17:00-18:00, Sat. 11:00-12:00
Institute of Cretan Justice Nearchou str., Chania. Open: 10:00-14:00
“Chrissostomos” Literary Association Chania, 83 Halidon str. Tel. 28210 53879 Municipal Art Gallery Chania, 98 Halidon str. Tel. 28210 92294/92419
Typography Museum, VIOPA, Souda Tel. 28210 51003. Open: 10:00-18:00
Venizelion School of Music 5 N. Foka str. Tel. 28210 43067/52582. Open: 8:00-14:00 and 17:00-21:00
Museum of National Resistance, Therisso Open all year round
Lyceum for Greek Girls 1 K. Mitsotaki str. Tel. 28210 42465/59444
House of Eleftherios Venizelos a. Mournies, Kydonia. Tel. 28210 93132/95250. Open: 18:00-21:00. b. Elena Venizelou sqr., Halepa, Chania (Eleftherios K. Venizelos Foundation). Tel. 28210 56008
Cultural Centre of the Metropolis 2 Ant. Giannari str. Tel. 28210 27807-9 Intellectual Centre of Chania 70 A.Papandreou str. Tel. 28210 40525
Mosque of Kioutsouk Hasan (Yali-Tzamisi) Venetian Harbour. Tel. 28210 83235/83232 Park for the Preservation of Flora and Fauna Technical University of Crete, Akrotiri. Τel. 28210 55988. Open: Mon.-Sat. Arts & Crafts Village, VIOPA, Souda Τel. 28210 80132/81410. Open: 10.00-14.30 School Life Museum, Νerokourou Τel. 28210 74764. Open: Mon.-Fri. 9.00-13.30, Mon. & Wed. 18.00-20.30, Sat. 10.00-13.00 Archaeological Museum of Kissamos Τel. 28220 83308. Open: 8.30-15.00 (except Mondays) Olive Museum-Institute of Olive & Subtropicals Τel. 28210 83476/83428. Open: 8.00-14.00 via phone arrangement Sea Life & Fishery Museum, Kolimbari Τel. 28240 23299. Open: 10.00-18.00 (exc. Sat.-Sun.) An. Skalidis Museum, Perivolia, Kissamos Τel. 28220 61052. Frontier Museum of Europe, Paleochora Τel. 28230 42265.Open: Οct.-Μay Mon.-Fri. 10.00-13.00, June-Sept. Wed.-Sun. 10.00-13.00 & 18.00-21.00
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Beaches | Plages | Strände | пляжи | Strande | Strender | Stränder | Rannat | 海滩 Numerous beautiful beaches with soft sand or coloured pebbles are found in the prefecture of Chania. All beaches have crystalline waters and look like paradise. Afrata: Type: Pebbles - Distance: 28km west of Chania town Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, parking, cafe, snack Agia Marina: Type: Sand - Distance: 9km west of Chania town Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, lifeguard, parking, cafés, snack, beach bars, tavernas, restaurants, water sports, accommodation, all Inclusive Hotels, pharmacies, doctors, ATM cashpoint machines, super markets, shops, car rentals Agia Roumeli: Village on the south coast of Chania prefecture, between Chora Sfakion and Sougia. Type: Pebbles - Facilities: Showers, umbrellas and sunbeds, cafe, snack, tavernas, accommodation, mini market, ferry boat trips Agioi Apostoli: Type: Sand - Distance: 3km west of Chania town Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, water sports, lifeguard, free parking area, cafes, snack, beach bars, tavernas, restaurants, accommodation, taxi station, bus stop, mini markets, super markets, tourist offices and car rental offices Almirida: Type: Sand - Distance: 23km east of Chania Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, lifeguard, water sports, windsurfing school, cafes, beach bars, restaurants, accommodation, mini markets, ATM cashpoint machines Balos Beach: Type: Sand - Distance: 55km west of Chania town Facilities: Canteens, umbrellas and sunbeds Chora Sfakion: Type: Pebbles - Facilities: Restaurants, cafes, shops Crissi Akti Beach: Type: Sand - Distance: 2.5km west of Chania town Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, lifeguard, water sports, volley ball courts, children’s playground, parking, cafes, snack, beach bars, tavernas, restaurants, accommodation, super markets, taxi station Drapanias: Type: Sand - Distance: 33km west of Chania town Facilities: Showers, umbrellas and sunbeds, cafe, snack, restaurants, tavernas, accommodation, campsite, bakery, mini market Elafonissi: Type: Sand - Distance: 75 km from Chania town Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, lifeguard, parking, canteen, cafe, taverns, accommodation, mini market Falasarna: Type: Sand - Distance: 59km west of Chania town Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, water sports, volley ball court, lifeguard, parking, cafes, snack, beach bars, tavernas, restaurants, accommodation Frangokastello: Type: Sand - Distance: 80km southeast of Chania Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, lifeguard, cafes, restaurants, fish taverns, shops, mini market, accommodation Georgioupoli: Type: Sand - Distance: 38km east of Chania Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, lifeguards, water sports, cafes, beach bars, restaurants, accommodation, mini markets, super markets, shops, ATM cashpoint machines Gerani: Type: Sand - Distance: 15km west of Chania town Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, water sports, lifeguard, parking, cafés, snack, bars, beach bars, restaurants, accommodation, all Inclusive hotels, shops, pharmacy, super markets Gialiskari/Anidri Beach: Type: Sand/Pebbles - Distance: 74km south of Chania Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, two canteens
Elafonissi
Kalathas Beach: Type: Sand - Distance: 13km north east of Chania town Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, lifeguard, parking, cafes, snack, restaurants, water sports, accommodation, mini markets, souvenir shops Kalives: Type: Sand - Distance: 19km east of Chania Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, lifeguard, water sports, windsurfing school, cafes, beach bars, restaurants, accommodation, mini markets, ATM cashpoint machines Kedrodassos: Type: Sand - Distance: 74km south west of Chania town Kisamos (Mavros Molos): Type: Sand - Distance: 36km west of Chania Facilities: Showers, umbrellas and sunbeds, cafes, snack, restaurants, tavernas, accommodation, shops, mini markets, super markets, ATM’s, doctor’s offices
Agii Apostoli
Kolymvari (Kolymbari): Type: Sand/Pebbles - Distance: 23km west of Chania town Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, lifeguard, water sports, parking, cafe, snack, tavernas, restaurants, accommodation, mini markets Koundoura/Krios Beach: Type: Pebbles - Distance: 80km south of Chania Facilities: Umbrellas, sunbeds, parking, canteen Kyani Akti Beach: Type: Sand - Distance: 18km east of Chania Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, water sports, parking, canteens, restaurants, tavernas Loutraki Beach: Type: Sand - Distance: 16km east of Chania Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, water sports, parking, cafes, snack, restaurant, accommodation Loutro: Type: Pebbles - Distance: 71km south of Chania town Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, cafe, snack bars, restaurants, fish taverns, accommodation, mini markets, souvenir shops Maleme: Type: Sand - Distance: 17km west of Chania town Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, lifeguard, parking, cafés, snack, restaurants, water sports, accommodation, mini markets, souvenir shops, pharmacies Marathi Beach: Type: Sand - Distance: 16km east of Chania Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, lifeguard, water sports, parking, cafes, snack, restaurants, accommodation
Falassarna
Marmara Beach: Type: Pebbles - Distance: 85km south of Chania town Facilities: Pachia Ammos: Type: Sand - Distance: 71km south of Chania Facilities: Umbrellas, sunbeds, showers, lifeguard, water sports, beach bar, cafes, restaurants, taverns, accommodation Platanias: Type: Sand - Distance: 10km west of Chania town Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, lifeguard, parking, cafe, snack, beach bars, restaurants, water sports, accommodation, all inclusive hotels, pharmacies, doctors, ATM cashpoint machines, super markets, shops, car rentals, playgrounds, mini golf courts Sougia: Type: Pebbles - Distance: 60km south of Chania town Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, parking, cafes, bars, restaurants, taverns, fish taverns, mini markets, bakery, accommodation
Balos
Stalos Beach: Type: Sand - Distance: 7km west of Chania town Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, lifeguard, parking, cafés, snack, beach bars, restaurants, water sports, accommodation, all inclusive hotels, pharmacies, doctors, ATM cashpoint machines, super markets, shops, car rentals
Glyka Nera Beach: Type: Pebbles - Distance: 75km south of Chania Facilities: Canteen, umbrellas
Stavros Beach: Type: Sand - Distance: 17km east of Chania Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, lifeguard, water sports, parking, cafe, beach bars, tavernas, restaurants, accommodation, mini markets
Grammeno Beach: Type: Sand/Pebbles - Distance: 75km south of Chania Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, parking, beach bars, restaurants, accommodation
Tavronitis: Type: Pebbles - Distance: 18km west of Chania town Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, lifeguard, parking, cafés, snack, beach bars, restaurants, water sports, accommodation, all inclusive hotels, mini market
Kalamaki: Type: Sand - Distance: 4km west of Chania town Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, water sports, lifeguard, parking, cafes, snack, beach bar, tavernas, restaurants, accommodation
Tersanas Beach: Type: Sand - Distance: 13km nort east of Chania town Facilities: Umbrellas and sunbeds, showers, lifeguard, water sports, parking, cafe, snack, restaurant, accommodation, mini markets, souvenir shops, pharmacies
Georgioupolis
Gorges/Caves | Gorges/Grottes | Schluchten/ Höhlen | ущелья/ пещеры | Kløfter/Huler | Klyfta/ Grottor | Rotkoja/Luolia | 峡谷/洞穴 The area enables the individual hiker to explore the nature and the beauty of the county via routes that are unparalleled beauty. The most appropriate to inform the interested visitor is the Mountaineering Club of Chania. The E4 Path begins in the Pyrenees mountains across Greece, arrives at Kissamos, across Crete to Kato Zakros and finally arrives in Cyprus. As far as the track is part of the prefecture of Chania, it passes from coastal areas and the White Mountains. The main routes of the European path are the following : Kasteli Kissamou – Sfinari (Length: 22,5 km, Best season: Spring – Autumn) Sfinari – Chrysoskalitisa Monastery (Length: 32 km, Best season: Spring – Autumn) Chrysoskalitisa - Palaiochora (Length: 22 km, Best season: Spring – Autumn) Sougia – Agia Roumeli (Length: 13 km, Best Season: All year) Loutro - Fragokastelo (Length : 19,5 km, Best Season: All year) Sougia - Koustogerako-Omalos (Length: 24,5 km, Best season: Spring – Autumn) Agia Triada - Gouverneto – Katholiko (Route Difficulty: Very Easy, Route Duration: 2 Hours, Visit Period : All Year) Gorge of St Irene – Sfakia (Route Duration: 3 Hours, Route Length: 8 km Visit Period : All Year , Route Difficulty: Normal) Paleochora - Sougia (Route Difficulty: Easy, Route Length: 14,5 m Route Duration: 6 Hours, Visit Period : All Year) National Park of Samaria (Route Difficulty: Easy, Route Duration: 6 Hours Route Length: 16 km, Visit Period : May-October) Gavdos (Route Difficulty: Very Easy, Visit Period : May-October) Douliana – Gavalohori (Route Difficulty: Easy, Route Duration: 1 Hours, Visit Period : All Year) On the Summit of Kigilos (Route Difficulty: Normal, Route Duration: 7 Hours, Visit Period : All Year) Agia Roumeli - Agios Ioannis (Route Difficulty: Easy, Route Duration: 5 Hours, Visit Period : All Year) Gorge of Polyrrenia (Route Difficulty: Easy, Route Duration: 3 Hours, Visit Period : All Year) Sasalos-Makronas (Halase gorge) (Route Difficulty: Normal, Route Duration: 4 Hours )
The Gorge of Imbros in Sfakia Route Duration: 2 Hours, Route Length: 8 km The Gorge of Agia Irini in Selino Route Duration: 3 Hours, Route Length: 7.5 km The Gorge of Aradena in Sfakia Route Duration: 2.5 Hours, Route Length: 5.5 km The Gorge of Elygia The Gorge of Trypitis Route Duration: 8.5 Hours The Gorge of Diktamou Route Duration: 3.5 Hours The Gorge of Therisso or Eleutheriou Venizelou Route Length: 6 km The Gorge of Chalase or Sasalou Route Duration: 4 Hours The Gorge of Prasse Route Duration: 2 Hours The Gorge of Kavi or Iligga Route Duration: 3 Hours The Gorge of Asfendou Route Duration: 3 Hours The Gorge of Kalikrati Route Duration: 3 Hours The Gorge of Katholikou Route Duration: 0.5 Hours Mountain Shelters Kallergi Capacity: 45, Route Difficulty: Easy, Route Duration: 1 Hours Visit Period : April-October Svourikti - Holiopoulos Capacity: 20, Route Difficulty: Easy, Route Duration: 3 Hours Tavri Capacity: 40, Route Difficulty: Very Easy, Route Duration: 1.5 Hour, Route Length: 7.7 km Volikas Capacity: 30, Route Duration: 3 Hour Caves Cave of Panos or Lera The cave “Panos or Lera” is developed in Mount Vardies, at an altitude of 70m., in the settlement Stavros Kydonias. It consists of an “antechamber” and four rooms with chiselled cavities, which have been explained as places for the welcome of statues. Cave of Asfentos The cave “of Asfentos” is situated at the position”Skordolakia”, at the westeastern part of the beginning of the gorge of Asfentos . Cave of Agia Sofia The cave of “Agia Sofia” is at the western walls of the gorgo of Topolia, at a distance of 47 km from the city of Chania. It consists of two rooms on different levels.
Gorges The Gorge of Samaria Route Length: 18 km, Route Duration: 7 Hours, Visit Period : May-October
We propose... you choose | Nous vous proposons ... vous choisissez | Schlagen wir vor, Sie wählen ... | мы предлагаем ... вы выбираете Vi foreslår ... du vælger | Vi föreslår ... du väljer | Foreslår vi ... du velger | Ehdotamme ... valitset | 我们建议...你选择 MUNICIPALITY OF CHANIA Municipal Market The Municipal Market of Chania, the large building of 4000 square meters in a surrounding area of 17.200 square meters, is the “heart” of the city. It is an original building that, apart from a business activity center, also provides a concrete image of the ancient Greek marketplace. Great for shopping tradiotional Cretan products. Venizelos Tombs One of the most popular spots offering a panoramic view of Chania are the Venizelos family tombs, a few kilometres east of the city, on the road to Akrotiri and the airport. Old Harbour Chania’s old Venetian Harbor is the most picruresque and world wide known site seen of the hole Crete. Lots of choices to drink your coffee, to have lunch or dinner in the restaurants or enjoy shopping time. Stavros Stavros is located on Akrotiri, only 13km from Chania, 3km from the airport and 10km from Souda harbour. One of the finest beaches for swimming. British Commonwealth War Cemetery in Souda Bay The War cemetery is a quiet and restful place for the allied forces who lost their lives here on the Battle of Crete in 1941. Aghia Marina Agia Marina is one of the most important tourist resorts of Chania. Great beach for swimming and lots of choices for shopping, eating and clubbing. MUNICIPALITY OF PLATANIAS Thodorou Just a few miles to the north west of the port of Chania. The island is a nature reserve and it is therefore forbidden to go ashore, except that is for one day a year (8 June), when visitors are allowed to take the path to the church and back in order to worship. Platanias The heart of tourism in western Crete. Everything can be found in Platanias... swimming, eating, clubbing, shopping. A “must” place to visit or stay. All days and all nights are different in Platanias and you will find out why. Maleme German Cemetery
The cemetery is 3km south up the winding paved road. The 4,465 men buried here fell in the Battle of Crete in May of 1941. The Germans landed at the small airport of Maleme when they attacked Crete. Samaria Gorge If you come to Chania and you don’t pass through the Samara Gorge then your visit is just... incomplete. The Samariá Gorge is a National Park of Greece, a major tourist attraction of the island and a World’s Biosphere Reserve. A must for visitors to Crete is to complete the walk down the gorge from the Omalos plateau to Agia Roumeli on the Libyan Sea. The village of Samariá lies just inside the gorge. It was finally abandoned by the last remaining inhabitants in 1962 to make way for the park. MUNICIPALITY OF SFAKIA Frangokastello The castle of Frangokastello stands since centuries. It reminds of the Venetians, Turks and Greeks, battles and blood, slaughters and sacrifices. The legends are still alive, taking us in their own world and left the “Drosoulites”, visiting us again some magic mornings. Sfakia The south-eastern region of the Prefecture of Chania is called Municipality of Sfakia and includes the villages Hora Sfakion, Anopoli, Agios Ioannis, Agia Roumeli, Asfendou, Loutro, Patsianos, Skaloti, Impros, Askifou and Fragkokastello. The distamce to Chania is about 70 kilometres. Entire Sfakia is characterized by the natural beauty of wild mountainous landscape which is combined unique with the sea. Loutro The village was named by the baths that were found there. The water was coming from Anopoli. Between the old buildings that you can see there, there is also the goverment building that was used during the revolution at 1821. From Loutro you can visit the ruins of ancient Aradenas with the Byzantine church of archangel Michail and Anopolis. Perfect place for a weekend escape. Aghia Roumeli It is a coastal settlement in south-western Crete and it allocates a wide beach while the access is feasible only with boats from Hora Sfakion, via Loutro and from Palaiochora or Sougia, while the village does not allocate road access. Constitutes popular tourist destination because it is located at the southern entry of the Gorge of Samaria, the biggest gorge in Greece and one of the biggest in Europe with a length of 18 kilometres.
MUNICIPALITY OF APOKORONAS Kalyves Picturesque village located about 20 kilometres east of Chania, in one of the greenest areas of Greece. The village It is surrounded by wonderful sandy beaches with crystalline waters like Kalyves and Kiani Akti. Good place for shopping with lots of traditional tavernas. Just 3 km away is Almyrida, with traditional travernas to enjoy lunch after your swimming. Georgioupolis A resort village 43 km east of Chania, about 22 km west of Rethymno. Formerly a small fishing village, Georgioupolis is very much a tourist town now, with many cafés, tavernas and small hotels and apartment blocks. MUNICIPALITY OF KANDANOS-SELINO Sougia Located in a distance of 70 roughly km south-western of Chania. It is built in the ruins of the ancient Syias where mainly in the Roman and first Byzantine period people lived here. Saved ruins are vaulted graves and water reservoirs from the Roman period and a church from the 4th century with eminent mosaics. Nice beach where you can have free camping. Paleochora Located in the south-western part of the prefecture. The distance to Chania is about 70 kilometres. It is built on a peninsula between two beautiful bays where it is rained by the Lybian Sea and it is right to consider it the “Nymph of the Lybian Sea” and “Land of the sun”. The movement in the region is high in summertime, on one side from the excursionists choosing it as the harbour of departure to the Island of Gavdos, Sougia, Agia Roumeli, Loutro and Sfakia and return from the Samaria Gorge, on the other from the holiday-makers that select it as a place of their summer vacations.Palaiochora has all the benefits the visitor needs as banks, doctors, supermarket, drugstores, police, post, Hellenic Telecommunications Organization, port authority, custom, cinema, bars, disco, and rented cars.
reserve. On the mainland the 17th century Chrysoskalitissa Monastery is approximately 5 km from the island. One of the best places for swimming in the whole world MUNICIPALITY OF KISSAMOS Falassarna May be the best beach on earth, as awarded by its visitors. The place to be for swimming. Also, don’t miss the great party the first weekend of August. Gramvousa-Balos At the north western point of Crete you will find Gramvousa, a small island with an impregnable castle, a fortress, a masterpiece of the 16th century, and Balos, the unique lagoon of Crete, with its blue green waters, it pink sandy beach and famous shells! An impressive and unique environment of steep rocks and cliffs, an immense blue sea and hidden sandy beaches, and the serene lagoon of Balos, combines with the remains of the long lasting history of the region: monasteries, churches and the imposing castle of Imeri Gramvousa. MUNICIPALITY OF GAVDOS Gavdos is a small island which is located 26 naval miles (48 kilometres) southern of Crete and it’s extent is 27 square kilometres. It is the most southern Greek and simultaneously European point with population of 98 residents. Perfect for a daily cruise.
Elafonissi When the weather is fine it is possible to walk to the island through the shallow water. The island is a protected nature
Culture | Kultur | Kультура | Kulttuuri | 文化 A first-time visitor to Chania is surprised by the great number of buildings and monuments on which can be found traces of its great history and rich civilisation. The old town, on and around the hill of Kasteli, was built upon the ruins of Minoan Kydonia and is surrounded by the Byzantine wall, the Venetian wall and the sea. The Minoan civilisation left behind grand tombs, interesting ceramics and objects. During its occupation by the Venetians and the Turks, people of different nationality, culture and religion co-existed. Christians (Catholic and Orthodox), Jews and Muslims, have left discernible traces and produced particularly interesting creations. In the neighbourhood of Topanas with its narrow paved streets, the visitor meets Venetian manors with elaborately decorated facades and Turkish houses with architectural protrusions. There we can find Fort Firkas, the Naval Museum and the church of San Salvatore of the Francheskan Monks (15th - 17th cent. AD) which hosts the Byzantine collection of Chania. The collection of ΙLΑΕΚ and many shops offering traditional
handicrafts can also be found there. In the old Jewish neighbourhood there is the synagogue and on Halidon street the folklore museum (Cretan house) and the church of St. Frangiskos. The church hosts the town’s archaeological museum and houses treasures from the Minoan to the Hellenistic period. Opposite there is the Metropolitan temple of Isodia (representation of the Virgin Mary) with its exquisite hagiographies and close to that are the old Turkish baths. In the area of Sintrivani, around the homonymous square, there is the mosque of Kiuchouk Hasan (1645) and opposite that the quay with the Venetian lighthouse. A little further away, 7 out of the original 17 docks (Neoria) can be found (14th-16th cent. AD). Eye-capturing is the Great Arsenal, which today is used as a convention and exhibition centre. Along the harbour, small cafeterias and restaurants create an inviting atmosphere. On the hill of Kasteli there are still parts of the old Rector’s palace and its court and the engraving on a lintel over a door
reminds us of the existence of Venetian Archives. Near there, the excavation of ancient Kydonia and the ruins of the church of St. Maria of Mirakoli (1615) are located. At the “stivanadika”, which is still characterised by Eastern features, one can buy leather goods. Next to that is the building of Chrisostomos and the new public Art Gallery. In the old Turkish neighbourhood Splantzia is the square of the former monastery οf St. Nicholas (1204) with a bell-tower and minaret. The small church of the period of enlightenment’s of St. Rokkos (1630) can also be found there. Near that is the church of St. Anargyroi (16th cent. AD) with its priceless hagiographies and St. Catherine’s church. Outside the walls, to the east of the old town, we come across Koum-Kapi where during the last years of the Turkish occupation, Beduins built a village. Today the area is a favourite meeting place for young people. In the neighbourhood of Halepa there is the palace of Prince George, the house of Eleftherios Venizelos, the French School
(1860), the church of St. Magdalea (1903) and the church of Evangelismou. From later periods the following places are of interest: the manor “Villa Koundourou”, a workshop of fine arts and a youth centre, the municipal park (1870) with its clock, the market (built 1913, cross-shaped building with hundreds of small shops), the park of peace and friendship of people, the court house, the prefecture, the Venizelion School of Music, the Historic Archives Museum, the War Museum and the Museum of Chemistry. In the neighbourhoods outside the walls there are many neoclassical buildings with beautiful gardens which smell of hyacinth, honey suckle and rose trees. At the border of the town with the cape (Akrotiri) are the graves of Eleftherios and Sofocles Venizelos. The town of Chania, the first capital of Crete, kept its historical heritage of so many centuries almost unaffected. Its atmosphere attracted scientists, philosophers, poets and artists of different origins and it became a cultural centre.
CHANIA... THEN (a photographic journey through time by G. Fantakis-St. Aggelakis/ART STUDIO, 18 Dimokratias str., +30 28210 43150)
Santrivani Square
Venetian Old Harbour
Dimokratias str.
Archbishop’s House
General Tzanakakis str.
Halidon str.
Band playing music just outside Papadakis Patisserie
The Old Town Hall at Santrivani Square
The Halepa Neighborhood
Santrivani Square
Venetian Old Harbour
Dimokratias str.
Archbishop’s House
General Tzanakakis str.
Halidon str.
No band playing music today, but our harbour is always magic
The Old Town Hall at Santrivani Square
The Halepa Neighborhood
AND... NOW!!! (same places but different time by P. Mpouzis)
IA TO FROM CHAN RETHYMNON
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www.e-ktel.com email: info@e-ktel.gr 13/5/2015 10:21:45
Cretan flora and fauna | Flore et la faune crétois | Kretische Flora und Fauna | Kритские флора и фауна | Kretiske flora og fauna Kretensiske flora og fauna | Kretensiska flora och fauna | Kreetalainen kasvisto ja eläimistö | 克里特岛动植物 The climate and t he conf igurat ion of t he l and ma ke t he count y of C hani a a p aradis e for t hous ands of pl ants and anima ls. L i lys of t he s e a (p ancrat ium mar it imum), l avd ano (l avd anum), c ycl amen (c ycl amen cret ic um), Cret an tu lips (tu lip a cret ic a), maple (acer cret ic us). The endemic and unique ditt any (or iganum dic t amum), ma lot ira (f ider it is cret ic a) and matzourana (or iganum maiorana), are me dicina l b oi ling pl ants w hich are abund ant. On t he pl ain of Oma los you c an f ind st amnagat hi (ci hor ium spinosum). Dr ie d or f resh ly c ut, t hes e sp e ci a l me dicina l herbs
c an b e found in t he Public Market or lo c a l shops. O ver 1742 unique Cret an pl ants c an a ls o b e found, 10% of w hich exist on ly in t he count y of C hani a. The proud Cret an b e ast (c apra aegag r us cret ic a) lives f re ely on ly in t he Samar i a G orge. There and els e w here, you c an s e e Cret an e ag les (aqui l a chr ys aetos) and p ar t r idges (a le c tor is chukar). Fer rets, skun ks, we as els, hares, haw ks etc. c an a ls o b e s e en in op en pl aces. There is a ls o an ende avour to prote c t an are a on t he nor t h shores of t he count y esp e ci a l ly for t he tur t les (c arett a-c arett a) t hat live t here.
Conference tourism | Le tourisme de conférence | Konferenztourismus | Конференц-туризм Conference turisme | Konferensturism | Conference matkailu | 会议旅游 St. Sofia Foundation - Agii Pantes Tel.: (+30) 2821057043 Orthodox Academy of Crete in Kolympari Tel.: (+30) 2824022060 Fax: (+30) 2824022245 Email: oac@otenet.gr Http: www.oac.gr Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania Tel: (+30) 28210 35081, 35080 E-mail: baouraki@maich.gr και confer@maich.gr http://confer.maich.gr Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/
Cultural Centre Of Chania 70, A. Papandreou Street, Hania Tel.: (+30) 28213 44400-4
Information | Informationen | информация | Tiedotus Informasjon | 信息 Emergencies 112, 100, (+30)2821028746/25791 Police (+30)2821025700 Tourist Police (+30)2821028750/25931 Ambulance Service 166 Hospital of Chania (+30)2821022000-9 Naval Hospital of Souda (+30)2821082538/82414 Gavrilakis Clinic (+30)2821070800 Kapakis Clinic (+30)2821052688 Tsepetis Clinic (+30)2821027633 Health Centre of Vamos (+30)2825022580 Health Centre of Kandanos (+30)2823022550 Health Centre of Kissamos (+30)2822022222 Fire Brigade 199 Airport (+30)2821063171/63264 Tourist Information Centre (+30)2821092943/92624
Cultural Center of the Metropolis - Hania Tel.: (+30) 2821027808 Fax: (+30) 2821027823 Email: imka@grecian.net Http: www.imka.gr Centre of Architecture of Mediterranean (Megalo Arsenali) Tel.: (+30) 2821040201 Fax: (+30) 2821027184 Http: www.kam-arsenali.gr
Tourist Information Centre of the Municipality of Chania, (+30)2821036155/36204-6 Weather Forecast 1448 Οrthodox Cathedral (+30)2821043802 Catholic Church (+30)2821093443 Evangelist Church (+30)2821022365 Synagogue (+30)2821086286 Mountain Rescue Club (+30)2821044647/44359 Foreign Embassies: Great Britain (+30)2810 224012 Denmark (+30)2810 243714 Finland (+30)2810 284270 Norway (+30)2810 225991 Sweden (+30)2821060605
Transportation | Transport | Tранспортировка | Kuljetus | 运输 - Airlines: a. OLYMPIC AIRWAYS, 88 Tzanakaki str., tel. 80111 44444, airport: 28210 63818/63633/66088 (www.olympicair.com). b. AEGEAN AIRLINES, 12 El. Venizelou str., tel. 80111 20000, 28210 51100, airport: 28210 63366 (www.aegeanair.com). - Sea Lines: a. ANEK LINES, Sof Venizelou sqr., tel. 28210 27500 (www.anek.gr). Souda to/from Pireas daily. Ticket office (Souda port) tel. 28210 80050/1.
b. ANENDΥΚ (20.30 Promitheos str. VIO.PA Souda), tel. 28210 95511/95530 (www.anendyk.gr), e-mail: anendyk@anendyk.gr, info@anendyk.gr . Sea links between the south ports of the county. - Port Authorities: a. Chania, tel. 28210 98888, e-mail: chania@chg.gr b. Souda, tel. 28210 89240, e-mail: souda@chg.gr c. Kissamos, tel. 28220 22024, d. Paleochora, tel. 28230 41214, e. Chora Sfakion, tel. 28250 91292. e-mail: xsfakion@chg.gr
- Local buses (blue): Departures from Municipal Market sqr. and 1866 sqr. to all districts of the town and surrounding areas, Akrotiri, Souda (port), beaches, etc. Tel. 28210 93345/98115.
- Car and motorbike rentals: There are many international and domestic companies. Information at the Tourist Information Centre of the Greek National Tourism Organisation, 40 Kriari str., tel. 28210 92943/92624.
- Long distance buses (green): Main Bus Station (KTEL), Kydonias str. To Rethimno-Iraklio, Vrisses-Chora Sfakion, Kasteli, Εlafonissi, Kandanos-Paleochora, Sougia, Omalos-Samaria etc. Also to Thessaloniki (via the port of Pireas). Tel. 28210 93306/93052.
- Taxi: Tel. 18300, 28210 94300 (service for disabled people too). - Aeroclub of Chania: Magical flights around the county and the Aegean islands by qualified pilots (or using your own license) in Cessna 4-seat aircraft. Tel. 28210 27272 (www.aer.gr).
Samonas - Apokoronas - Chania - Crete - GR 73003
www.samonas.gr email: i n f o @ s a m o n a s . g r facebook: /SamonasTraditionalVillas website:
online booking: https://samonas.reserve-online.net
Churches/Monasteries | Eglises/Μonastères | Kirchen/Klöster | Церкви/монастыри | Kirker/Κlostre | Kyrkor/Κloster | Kirkot/Luostarit | 教堂和修道院 The Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegic Monastery of Chrysopigi lies a short distance from the town of Chania on the route to Souda harbour. Operation Hours: 08.00-12.00 and 15.30-18.00 Telephone: (+30)2821091125, (+30)2821029840 The monastery of Agia Triada of Tzagarolon is one of the richest and most beautiful monasteries in Crete. It is built near the airport of Chania, in the position Tzobomylos of the Cape Melecha and at the foothills of Stavros Mount. The distance from Chania is only 15km. Gouverneto Monastery. The actual Monastery complex was built from 1537 till 1548. According to tradition, it was connected with miraculous St John the Hermit, and was used for the housing of the Saint’ s pilgrims. Telephone: (+30)2821063319
Katholiko monastery is located 20km east of Chania, near the northern shores of Cape Akrotiri. It is located near the exit of the gorge Avlaki, at a short distance from the sea. The monastery of Panagia Chrisoskalitissa is located 72km south of Chania, very close to the magnifi cent lagoon of Elafonissi. It operates as a nunnery and reminds of a fortress, perched on a 35m high rock with boundless sea views. The Monastery of Saint George in Karydi (in Apokoronas Province) is located about 2km east of Vamos village. The monastery was abandoned for many years but was restored in 1996 and today it is operating normally. Monastery of Pasinos. It is a complex of monasteries built during the Venetian rule (16th century). It architectural style is western, the church being placed in the centre of the complex.
St George of Mythimna - Kisamos. The single-room, vaulted church of St George in the archeological site of Methymna, near Drapania of Kisamos, was built during the fi rst half of the 15th century, in the place of a late Roman Bath. The Holy Monastery of Partenon or Life-Giving Spring was founded by the Bishop of Kisamos & Selinon Anthimos Leledakis in 1905-1910. It was renovated between 1962 and 1965, by Bishop Irineos Galanakis. Early Christian Basilica at Almyrida Apokoronou. It is an early Christian three-aisled basilica of the second half of the 6th century. The church of St George in the centre of Kournas, a settlement with interesting folk architecture. It was built at the end of the 12th century.
Places to visit | Lieux à visiter | Orte zu besuchen | Места для посещения | Steder å besøke | Steder at besøge | Sevärdheter | Käyntikohteita | 景点
Ancient Aptera This site is located 15 km South-east of Chania, near the village Megala Chorafi a. The strategic location of the city with two ports, Minoa (modern Marathi) and Kissamos (near Kalives today) at the entrance of the natural bay, which guaranteed the possibility to control the movement of trade, boosted its growth. Ancient Falasarna The site of the ancient Falassarna located on the western edge of Cap Gramvousa the west coast of Crete. The town was surveyed again in the 19th century by English tourists, who identified the village and closed the port. Ancient Lissos The ruins of Lissos are saved between Paleochora and Sougia. It
was the port city of Dorian Elyros. It fl ourished in the Hellinistic, Roman and the fi rst Vyzantine period and destroyed by the Saracens Arabs. It also issued its own currency, as Lissos. Ancient Tara (St. Roumeli) The ruins of the ancient city Taras found at south coast of Crete near the village of Agia Roumeli. The city fl ourished particularly during the Roman era. They found the remains of a temple, possibly dedicated to Artemis and Apollo. Souda’s Castle The castle is built on the islet of Souda, and protected the port of Souda and Chania. It occupies almost the entire island. Built in 1715 and surrendered to the Ottomans in 1715. On February 14 the Greek fl ag was raised, lowering the Turkish and giving the signal that there is now the Greek sovereignty over
the island of Crete. Archaeological site of ancient Anopolis The archaeological site of ancient Anopolis located 87 km south of Chania. Anopolis was an independent city during the classical times and fl ourished during the Roman and Byzantine times. Firkas Castle Castle Firkas was built in the 16th century by the Venetians to protect the city of Chania. There Venizelos declared the offi cial union of Crete with Greece. Today it hosts the Maritime Museum and a small theater. Intzedin Castle Located 14 km east of Chania. Has been characterized as his-
torical monument. Built in 1872 in the position of the tower was built in 1646 by the Turks, who drove the Venetians. The name comes from the name of the son of Sultan Abdul Aziz Intzedin. Has been used as a prison for political prisoners, among them which has been the El. Venizelos. During the dictatorship of Pangalos many dissidents jailed, and when the dictatorship fell, Pangalos was imprisoned there too. Finally, from the isolation rooms of Yaros, in 1948, the fi rst communist political prisoners were moved there.
Ancient Polirinia The ancient city was Polirinia in place of the village Polirinia Kissamos, 49 km west of Chania. At the top of the hill was the citadel of which was T-shaped, from where the view was immense, from Crete to the Libyan Sea, which stretched the realm.
Cultural events | Evénements culturels | Kulturelle Veranstaltungen | Культурные мероприятия | Kulturarrangementer | Kulturelle begivenheder | Kulturevenemang | Kulttuuritapahtumat | 文化活动 May: - Celebration of the battle of Crete. It includes events commemorating those who were killed and several cultural events. - “Koresia” athletic games Canoe kayak at Kournas Lake. Beginning of summer: Venizelia - Track events at the National Stadium of Chania. May - September: Athletic events in Nea Kydonia which include: Beach volley Beach Soccer - Beach Handball and racket games. July - August - September: - Cultural Summer Events of the municipality of Chania. It includes music and stage performances at the theatre of Eastern Trench, Public Garden, Venizelio music school, Park of Peace and Friendship and other events in several neighbourhoods of
the town. - Cultural summer events are also organised by the municipalities of Kisamos, Apokoronas and Kandanos-Selino. June: - Cherries Festival in Karanou. - 24 June: Festivity of St. Ioannis Klidonas, in Fres, Akrotiri, Perivolia, Therisso, Vamvakopoulo. - 29 June - 6 July: Naval week festival. July: - Festival of Kalitsouni cheese pie, in Kandanos.
Religious events | Evénements religieux | Religiöse Veranstaltungen Религиозные события | Religiøse begivenheder | Religiøse begivenheter Religiösa evenemang | Uskonnollisiin tilaisuuksiin | 宗教活动
Asi Gonia, St. George’s Day, April 23rd or after Easter Day: A big festival. All the shepherds of the area bring their animals to the mass in order to be blessed, then they milk them and distribute the milk to the pilgrims. Agios Ioannis Sfakion, St John’s Feast, May 8th: Traditional festival of Sfakia. Azogyre, The Holy Fathers’ Feast, October 7th: In the beautiful village with the visitable impressive cave of the Holy Fathers. Elos, Agios Dikaios,May 6th: Extraordinary view and a unique fair. Lissos, St Kyrikos, July 15th: The pilgrims start arriving ancient Lissos on foot or in boats from Sougiaγια early in the afternoon of the previous day. A real fair of Selino in a mythical place. Sembronas, Apopigadi, St. John’s, June 24th: One of the feasts, that take place on a very high location, with an incredible view. Sougia, Harey, St. Antony 1-2 of July: Unique traditional fair at the seaside small church which is situated in Harey. The route on foot from through the E4 path that lead from Sougia to Agia Roumeli lasts two hours with the unique background of the Lybian sea and piney slopes. It is possible to go there also by boat from Sougia. Overnight stay outdoor.
Therisso, Assumption of the Mother of God, August 15th: In the beautiful village where Eleftherios Venizelos declared the revolution of 1905.
- Naval week in the old harbour and every second year in Palaiochora and Georgioupolis. - 21-28 July: Elafonisia - Municipality of Kissamos. Including memorial service at the monument of Elafonisi, athletic games, performances, festivity in honour of the elderly and traditional treat. - 26 July: “Promotion of Kisamos” - Club, Grambousa pilgrimage excursion from the port of Kisamos to Balos and to
the island of Grambousa. - 30 July: “Pottery Festival” in Nohia.
- 30-31 July: Wine festival in Vouves. August: - First Sunday of August: Blessing of the fruit of the earth at the Monastery of Archangel Michael (Rotonda) Kato Episkopi. - 8-9 August: Wine festival in Vouves. - 1-10 August: Venetian Harbour of Chania photography exhibition for Chania Music Tradition. - 16 August: Honey Festival in Afrata. September: - 1-10 September: Sardine festival in Nea Chora and in Souda. - 27 September: World Day of Tourism. Festive events at the old harbour of Chania. End of October or beginning of November: - Chestnut festival in Prases and Elos.
<< The little sea village of Loutro, just 30 minutes from Chora Sfakion by ANENDYK Ferries. Excellent choice for a weekend “escape”. Great beach and good tavernas all over the place.
Sfakia, Thymiani Panagia, last Sunday of May. Chrysoskalitissa, the Assumption of the Virgin, August 15th: At the beautiful monastery, which is a real «balcony» to the Lybian Sea a famous festival takes place. Frangokastello, St. Nikitas’, September 15th: Big festival during which riding races take place. August 6th, the Transfiguration: Ksirosterni, Tzitzife, Karres of Kissamos, Sassalo August 15th the Assymption of the Virgin: Voulgaro Panagia of the Summit, Kolympari Gonia, Pemonia, Fre, Eksopolis, Litsarda, Alikampos, Kefala, Kalikrati, Koustogerako August 29th,John the Precursor’s: Rodopou Gionas, Douliana, Stylos, Kournas September 8th, Birth of the Mother of Christ: Gavalohori, Tzitzife, Sassalo September 14th, Feast ofthe Holy Cross: Nippos, Rodovani September 15th St. Nikitas’: Kampia
Imeri Gramvousa. There is an old ^^ shipwreck of a small cargo ship dating from 1968. << Everyone who comes to Crete is going to Platanias, the most famous place in Chania Prefecture. Full of tourists every summer, with sandy beaches, lots of stores, night clubs, restaurants and cafes.
PLATANIAS THEN AND... NOW!!! (photos taken by the book of Timoleon Fragakis “Platanias of History and Memories“)
A very rare photo of Platanias from Henri Turot (1897)
Platanias coming from the east by the old road (1900)
Pano Platanias and the island of Thodorou (1975)
The restaurant “MYLOS TOU KERATA” (1982)
The village of Platanias (1916)
That’s where you can find “MYLOS CLUB” today (1889)
A view of Platanias and Agia Marina (1972)
Panoramic view of Pano Platanias from the yard of the school (1973)
Cretan flora and fauna are... remarkable
The diversity of the Cretan flora and
fauna is due to the geographical position of Crete and its mild climate, as well as to the morphology of the ground (there is a large number of valleys, plateaus and gorges). Flora of Crete To get an idea of how rich the biodiversity of Crete is, just consider that Crete has almost as many species and subspecies of plants (about 1750) as the whole Britain (1450), even if it is 35 times smaller. This diversity is not only reflected in the total number of species but also in the number of endemic species, which grow only in Crete and nowhere else in the world. In Crete, there are about 160 endemic species and subspecies, which means that 9% of the plant species of Crete do not exist anywhere else in the world. The Cretan flora has adapted itself so as to resist human interventions and especially the free grazing, which has been a traditional practice in Crete for thousands of years. The plants have developed ways to resist grazing, like thorns or bad taste. There no large forest areas, like for example in Macedonia or Epirus. This is partly because of the grazing and the climatic conditions. However, Crete has some of the rarest biotopes in Europe, like, for example, those of the palm trees (Phoenix theophrasti). There are some biotopes, which, despite being very small - like, for example, the seasonal lake of Omalos - have amazing biodiversity. The forest species that prevail on the island are the pine tree (Pinus spp) and the cypress (Cupressus sempervirens), which are coniferous species with large adaptability to extreme conditions, and the evergreen
maple-trees (Acer sempervirens). There are also other species, like the Zelkova abeliceae, which is one of the rarest trees in the world and grows almost exclusively in the White Mountains in small populations. The Cretan flora includes the Cretan ebony (Ebenus cretica), an impressive bush that is found only in Crete, the crocus of the Cretan mountains (Crocus oreocreticus), the ladania (Cistus creticus), the bush from which the rockrose is collected, the Cretan bell (Campanula cretica), a rare and very beautiful plant that is found only in the prefecture of Chania, the oleander (Nerium oleander), a very beautiful and impressive bush that often grows on street sides, many species of very beautiful orchids and a lot more. The most characteristic plants of the island are the aromatic herbs that thrive here. Because of the essential oils that they contain, they are used as ingredients in cooking, in the preparation of teas and as medicines. The thyme (Corridothymus capitatus), the sage (Salvia futicosa), the mountain tea (Sideritis syriaca spp. syriaca), the wild marjoram (Origanum microphyllum), the dittany (Origanum dictamnus) are only some of the herbs that one can see and smell on the island. Fauna of Crete The Cretan fauna also includes thousands of species. It has been estimated that the endemic animal species are about 1.000, most of which are invertebrate, like spiders, insects etc. Many of them are endemic. A typical example are the spiders, the endemism of which is more than 40% on the island, which means that almost half of the spider species on Crete exist only on Crete and nowhere else in the world.
There are also about 130 different species of snails, half of which are endemic, while the Cretan shrew (Crocidura zimmermanni), a small insect-eating mammal that is similar to a mouse, is the only endemic mammal of Greece and lives only in the White mountains, Psiloritis and Dikti. In Crete there are three species of frogs, the green toad (Bufo viridis), the tree frog (Hyla arborea) and the Cretan lake frog (Pelophylax cretensis), which is an endemic species. There are also eleven species of serpents, and one turtle species, the striped water turtle (Mauremys rivulata). There are also three species of slow-worms, four species of lizards, one of which is endemic, and four species of snakes, none of which is dangerous for humans. There are also 17 species of bats, like the dwarf bat of Hanak (Pipistrellus hanaki), which is abundant in the gorge of Samaria and is one of the smallest mammals of the planet, 7 species of mice, 2 rabbit species (the hare of Crete and the wild rabbit) and 5 carnivorous species, the most famous of which is the wild cat of Crete (Felis sylvestris cretensis), a species with very small populations that was believed to have been extinct, until one individual was found in 1997. Maybe the most well-known mammal is the wild goat (Capra aegagrus cretica), which used to live in all the mountains of Crete until the early 20th century. Today, however, after the use of fire guns became more widespread, their habitat has been confined to the White Mountains and it is endangered by hybridisation with domestic goats and by human interventions that have fragmented its habitat. It is threatened with extinction and measures for its protection and
the recovery of its population have to be taken. The Samaria Gorge has to be declared a protected area. This species lives in the high and mountainous ar- by Petros Marinakis eas of the White Mountains. It feeds on Botanical Park & Gardens plants and it is very skilled at moving in steep areas. It has very acute senses. One of its most impressive characteristics is that the males have very strong horns that can reach up to one meter in length. As Crete is a station during the migration of birds, one can observe about 350 species of birds. More than 80 of these species are reproduced in Crete, like the “kokkalas” bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), which has in Crete the only reproductive population in the Balkans. This species, which is one of the rarest birds of prey in Europe, lives exclusively in mountainous ecosystems and feeds almost exclusively on bones. Moreover, for more nature news the largest numbers of click on http://cretepost.gr vultures (Gyps fulvus) exist here. Other species of birds one can find in Crete are for example the little egret (Egretta garzetta), the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), the island partridge (Alectoris chukar), the raven (Corvus corax), the goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis), the bee-eater (Merops apiaster) and the white owl (Tyto alba). The Cicada. Greece’s summertime soundtrack. The large and harmless insects are all over Crete as well, mostly in olive groves, but their characteristic song will tell you they are always nearby. After mating, the female cuts slits into the bark of a twig, and into these she deposits her eggs. When the eggs hatch, the newly hatched nymphs drop to the ground, where they burrow until late spring.
How EVOO Helps Prevent Colon Cancer “We found that the hydroxytyrosol — a component of olive oil — is successful in awakening the “sentinels” that allow our body, particularly in the intestine, to defend us from some cancers, such as colorectal cancer. “Therefore, EVOO contains a substance that can improve our ability to ward off cancer, acting as a so-called ‘tumor suppressor’.” He further explained that this occurs through a mechanism called ‘epigenetic’, by which olive oil changes some of our genes, not breaking them up or changing them, but making them more or less readable — a bit as if it opened an instruction manual on one page rather than another, in this way, protecting us from the onset of tumors. And what were your discoveries? “The primary news is the fact that we have identified that the target of hydroxytyrosol is type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1)” (which carries this name because it also responds to plant derivatives present in hashish and marijuana, in substance the cannabinoids). “The second relevant factor,” Maccarrone continued, “concerns the way in which the hydroxytyrosol is able to activate CB1 to a larger extent in the cells, thanks to its epigenetic control of CB1 gene.” At this point, it is important to know that the molecules behind the effects of olive oil have various activities and biological implications and they are connected, for example, to the haphazardness of soft drugs since the latter alter metabolism and action of their endogenous counterparts (so-called “endocannabinoids”).
These findings have definitely influenced the definition of EVOO quality, showing the benefits of choosing one richer in this substance in respect to a poor quality olive oil. “In this way,” Maccarrone said, “we can determine whether a typical certified product has different quality and quantity of these active components compared to a low quality and low price olive oil that you can find in the supermarket.” Prof. Maccarrone said he is conducting research in this context (and again in collaboration with Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Dr. Cinzia Rapino from University of Teramo and Prof. Giovanni Pacioni from University of L’Aquila) also on Tuber melanosporum, the black truffle from Abruzzo. Another element of the endocannabinoids (called “anandamide”, from the Sanskrit word ananda for inner bliss) is present in this type of truffle, which can give particular pleasure in consumption, making the animal that eats it a faithful customer that comes back for more. The curious thing is that breast milk contains the same substance. Take it out of the milk and babies like it less, which would naturally affect growth and development. “So it is interesting to note how these molecules through which the oil protects us and have many implications in the development of tumors in various areas of our body, ultimately also serve
by Manolis Karpadakis Terra Creta Marketing Mngr
as a reward and that nature used them to stimulate babies to feed,” Maccarrone considered. Returning to experiences with EVOO, Maccarrone said. “Sometimes,” he said, “I wonder how it is possible that some extra virgin olive oils are so low priced. They clearly lack in quality! This must serve as a warning for consumers since true quality undoubtedly implies an additional cost, which should not be exaggerated but adequate. “Appreciating the true value of a genuine product. Demonstrating it scientifically has proved to be the best incentive both for consumers’ enjoyment, as for producers to go more and more in the direction of achieving high-quality EVOO production.” Further scientific support to state with certainty that higher quality olive oil is better for us, and demanding quality helps us keep healthy. (article by YLENIA GRANITTO www.oliveoiltimes.com )
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over the years a number of studies have established and confirmed the importance of its daily consumption. There is still, however, much to discover about the mechanisms through which these healthy actions are carried out. Researchers directed by Prof. Mauro Maccarrone from the University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome and Dr. Claudio D’Addario from University of Teramo have been working in this direction, revealing how certain elements abundant in high quality extra virgin olive oil function to protect from colon cancer. The research conducted in collaboration with the University of Camerino, the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and the Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS in Rome, reveals new details on the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil. The Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, despite its recent foundation, today has become a center of excellence. I reached the kind Mauro Maccarrone, professor in Biochemistry and dean of the Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition, at his studio in the heart of the extended University area in the southern sector of Rome, to discuss his study. First of all I asked him how his research began. “The basic idea was to understand if EVOO — cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet with various beneficial properties — had some ingredients with active properties verifiable on a strictly scientific basis,” he explained.
cretan nature
EVOO is an ally of our wellness, and
Four days at the Beginning of May Dawn arrived on May 1st and the day
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news & articles
was bright and sunny and visibility was excellent - a perfect Bank Holiday day. For once I was able to join a trip organised by a local σύλλογος (cultural / community society), as usually these trips take place on a Sunday. So it was at 9:00 I waited for the coach to take us for a trip to the Omalos Plateau. I was picked up en route but was welcomed by everyone on board. I suppose there was a split of about 60/40 between local Greeks and other nationalities (including a few visitors) and everyone seemed happy. Yes there were problems with the language as any ‘narration’ was in Greek. I did my best to explain what I could to those next to me. But I think the majority of people worked out some of what was going on although not understanding the full significance of the localities or buildings. on ck cli Immediately I could ws ne e for mor r t.g tell this was going to be os ep et http://cr a fun day. Within ten minutes of sitting down and watching out of the window, cake was distributed to everyone. This was followed quickly by a tot of raki or honey raki – 9:30 in the morning! Yes, this was going to be a good day. After a while we stopped at Prases. There we were able to look at the views, have refreshment and a walk around the village. The sun continued to shine and the mountains looked marvellous because of the clarity. Back on the coach and another raki was offered, but I, like most, declined. The coach climbed into the mountains but slowly. This enabled us to marvel at the scenery, despite the eventual intrusion of the wind turbines. Slowly we dropped into the Omalos Plateau and I enjoyed seeing the many tulips in flower before we stopped again, this time at the top of the Samaria Gorge. With the visibility so good the views were magnificent and I explained to a few of our party that it seemed strange seeing the entrance at midday as before then I had only ever been there early in the morning. We returned to the coach and travelled to the centre of the Plateau for lunch. Here, the party split into different tavernas. I was with a group of about 17 or 18 Greeks and I was the only nonGreek among the group. I think some were worried that I would feel left out and also not understand anything. They need not have worried and I felt I was with old friends. There was a lot of banter (most of which I understood), chat and laughter over the excellent food and wine. At the end of the meal there were cheese pies and honey and (“Oh yes!”) local raki. Back on the coach, the views remained spectacular as we moved slowly downhill. In the main aisle of the coach a few were dancing. At one point the coach stopped and a snake of dancers exited through the doors to continue on the mountainside. This appeared to cause some confusion to a few tourists driving past (one could almost read the words on their lips “Mad Locals?”). The slow journey provided splendid views before we made two final stops: one at Lake Agia and another on Akrotiri. The return home was ‘shortened’ by a draw before I heard over the coach’s speakers “David” with a very Cretan lilt. I had to go to the front of the coach and I explained in Greek and English about the students’ exhibition
and my own exhibition. I had a very enjoyable and memorable day and I urge people to support these community activities. As I saw on that day, the language barrier need not be a barrier to enjoyment and communication. I do hope that I may be able to join another trip during the year. Two days later, I was up early again – this time to oversee my Art Groups members’ exhibition. The weather, again, was perfect and there were plenty of visitors. What is always pleasing is that both members and regular visitors notice the continual improvement in the art. As in previous years I gave members a theme in order that they could enter one anonymous painting into a competition. The idea behind the anonymity is that visitors (who are invited to vote) vote for the painting and not the person. There are a few other general rules to ensure that everyone has an equal chance. Last year we had a three-way tie for first place but this time there was one clear winner. Visitors voted for their preferred painting and their second choice. Seventy percent of visitors voted for Glyn Bryant’s painting under the theme of “Behind the Secret Door”. As always, this was a tiring day for me but a rewarding one for everyone. Another two days later and I was again up early; and again, the weather was perfect with sun, clarity and no wind. My day this time was to be spent at the Orthodox Academy of Crete at the other side of Kolymbari. The day, arranged by Revd Canon Philip Lambert, the Anglican Chaplain for Crete, was to see how the Academy was working with the environment and Nature and I was pleased to receive an invitation. The
Academy is a magnificent set up with a huge conference hall and museum. After introductions and a summary of the plan for the day we saw a group from Scandinavia at the end of their holidays during which they were extending their knowledge of icon painting. As a professional artist, I was interested in seeing how they made some traditional colours from the rocks and soil. After some information about how the Academy works with ecology and science we watched a video on the work of the “Green Patriarch” and his international work in trying to get the World and other faiths to understand the need for the protection of the Earth and Nature. Following this there was a discussion between the 18 or so members of our visiting group and the key personnel. I am an ecologist and conservationist, as regular readers of this newspaper will know, and the views of the Academy were interesting and I am sure that I may be able to assist in their environmental and educational aims. Following a delicious lunch we then relocated to the Orthodox Community at Chrysopigi. Here we learned how the new Monastery was built using materials that were on site and how the Community is involved in environmental education and organic farming. Before I moved to Crete I had been a contributor and editor of a conservation magazine. For one edition I asked members to advise me of their favourite five or ten birds. In order to help their thoughts I included a top ten of mine and for the top five the reasons why. In my list were birds such as the magnificent Osprey and the Buzzard. Top of my list was the Bee-eater, which is a very rare visitor to the UK, and I remember
by David Capon
explaining that it was not just that it was a beautiful bird but also the wonderful cheery babbling that was unique. I regularly see bee-eaters on migration in April and September but I had not seen any until 3 days after my visit to Kolymbari. There were 9 and they were not around for long, presumably because they were late in their migration. I was alerted by the chattering between the birds so I stopped what I was doing in order to admire them. I watched the bee-eaters sit on the electric cables across the valley and scan the area for flying insects. One would take off and then return to near enough the same position. The bird would then try to concuss the insect by thrashing it on the wire. This, in some instances, took almost a minute. The insect, mainly bees, could then be swallowed head first without danger from the sting. I was amused by one bird that had caught a large white butterfly. Every time the bird tried to manoeuvre the butterfly in its mouth the insect would flap its wings m move in the opposite direction. Eventually the bird managed to turn the butterfly in its mouth so that it could bang the head on the wire. I think this was quite a mouthful. I now have to wait until September before I see more bee-eaters and I hope I see many and that they stay around for some time. I do hope that the lack of numbers this spring is not due to a large decline in populations. I remember writing for a Nature magazine in the UK that my favourite month of the year there was May. Here, on Crete, I think my favourite is April but these four separate days in early May were special.
Cretan knife or dagger: A weapon of honour and gallantry One of the first tools manufactured
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by man, which helped him survive in the long and difficult era of the dawn of civilization, is the dagger, the first edged weapon. In manufacturing it, man imitated the shape of the nails of wild animals, with which they catch and kill their prey. One of the most ancient specimens of daggers in the form we know them today was found in Gebel El Arak , Egypt . It is made of processed obsidian stone and it has an ivory hilt, decorated with embossed portrayals of scenes inspired by war. This dagger was manufactured circa 3.400 BC and is kept today in the Louvre Museum. However, daggers approaching the age of 5.000 years have also been found in China , Mesopotamia and Iran ‘s Luristan. Exquisite ws ne re ltu double - edged bronze cu e or m r fo r t.g os and copper daggers ep et cr :// tp click on ht were manufactured in Mycenaean Greece from 1.500 BC onwards, which were brought by merchants motivated by profit to many other distant regions in Europe , since the export trade of weapons thrived during the Mycenaean age. However, in classical Greece too, there was a flourish in the fabrication of numerous edged weapons, mainly daggers, which were used in the innumerable wars that ravaged Greece during the classical age. At the heyday of Mycenaean civilization, daggers of notable quality were manufactured in Minoan Crete, which bequeathed to us many brilliant works of an advanced and, at the same time, singular civilization. However, few specimens have survived to our days. Among the exhibits of the Heraklion Museum there is a Minoan age statuette of a warrior from Sitia, armed with a dagger presenting certain similarities to modern Cretan daggers. It should be mentioned that, according to ancient Greek mythology, edged weapons and war helmets were first fabricated in Crete , since it was the Couretes, Zeus’s retinue, who were considered to be their inventors. The defence needs of the biggest Greek island resulted in the development of
metallurgy and, by extension, the manufacturing of weapons in Crete during the classical age, when the island’s archers enjoyed high renown throughout Greece and Asia Minor for their skill in using their weapons. During the Roman era, the Romans had a bitter experience of the Cretan’s battle skills and the accuracy of their archers during their efforts to occupy the island. In the Middle Ages, and specifically in the 9th century, Crete was occupied by the Saracenes, who came from Spain . Using the island as base of their operations, they plagued the entire eastern
military forces, defense was reinforced by a local militia of Cretan archers, renowned throughout the East, and by the forces of the Greek and Italian landowners of the island. The latter forces were certainly armed with weapons manufactured on the island by Cretan craftsmen. Written sources referring to the revolution of the Psaromilingos, which was a noble Cretan family, against the Venetians in the mid- 14th century testify to the use of daggers for military purposes in the Middle Ages. During that revolution, the Cretan rebels were armed with arches, spears,
Mediterranean with their raids. The Saracenes of Crete manufactured various types of weapons on the island and used them to arm their ships and crews during their naval raids. After the victorious campaign of Nicephorus Phocas and the vanquishment of the Saracenes of Crete, the island was restored to Byzantine rule, under which it remained until the early 13th century, when it was vested in the Venetians as their valuable booty from the share - out of the Byzantine Empire ‘s lands, after the latter had been dismantled by the Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade. The Venetians kept Crete under their domination for more than 450 years. This was made possible by the excellent organization of their administrative machine and by the defense system they had deployed on the island, whereby, in addition to the powerful regular
bludgeons, large knives and axes’. According to the oral tradition, during the Venetian occupation there were dagger manufacturing workshops in Heraklion of Crete, established at exactly the same site as they are today. After the conquest of the island by the Turks, the island’s metallurgists continued to fabricate exquisite metallurgical products, including daggers, which acquired special value during the 19th century repeated revolutions of the Cretans, who thirsted for freedom. The sentimental and, at the same time, practical value of the Cretan dagger in battle did not perish in our century, since the Cretan dagger was the necessary complement of every gallant Cretan youth’s armament in the struggle over Macedonia, the Balkan Wars, the Asia Minor Campaign and even during the Second World War, when the weapons of Cretan partisans included the
traditional Cretan dagger, symbol of Cretan gallantry and the spirit of Crete’s resistance against any conqueror. The typical Cretan dagger with the form it preserved todate was born in the late 18th century and has a shape reminding of a dart. Its distinct shape was adopted by the Cretans with enthusiasm and resisted the course of time. Fire, anvil, steel, hammer, long-handled pliers and the dagger -manufacturer’s dexterity are the necessary elements for manufacturing the Cretan dagger. Its steel blade is sturdy and has only one edge, while the side opposite to the edge, the dagger’s “back”, is flat, reinforced in its base and it grows gradually thinner on approaching the tip, ending at a very sharp point. The blade’s shape is straight; the side of the edge, a little before the end of the blade, curves sharply and ends at the point, which has a slight upward gradient. The blade’s length varies. In the mid -19th century Cretan dagger manufacturers fabricated oversized daggers, the length of which could reach 80 cm. These huge daggers could be used as sabres too. The manufacturing singularity of the Cretan dagger’s point endows it with great penetrability. The part of the dagger opposite to its pointed part is called “root” and this is where the hilt was fixed, earlier with six pins (pertsinia), today with only three. The Cretan dagger’s hilt is called “manika”. Its shape varies. However, three are the dominant types. In the first the hilt’s end resembles a bird’s beak, in the second the shape of the hilt’s end is the same as in the 18th and 19th century cutlasses and in the third, which is the classical Cretan type, the hilt’s end is V -shaped. The V- shaped hilt is the most common and appears only in Cretan daggers, endowing them with a singularity of type, since in no other place in the world are daggers with a hilt of similar shape manufactured. This peculiar hilt is always made of animal matter, horn or bone, while in the most lavishly manufactured daggers it is made of ivory. Hilts which are not made of this precious material are made of white bone, derived mainly from ox feet, which the dagger manufacturers,
necks as talismans, so that the Grim Reaper would not take them too.
ons. Daggers with dark - coloured hilts are called mavromanika. Each bone or horn suffices for only one hilt. Great aesthetic value lies in the silver “foukaria” (scabbards) of the silver-sheathed daggers. The distinct perfection of the Cretan silversmiths’ art is concentrated in these objects. The same holds good for their singular artistic expression, manifested in a vivid and expressive manner on the cylindrical surfaces of the daggers’ silver scabbards.
emony, it would be able to counteract any “spells” that might have been cast on them aiming at the solution of the marriage. Finally, after the wedding ceremony the newly - wed couple had to etch a cross on the threshold of their house with a black - hilted dagger, so that evil spirits would be prevented from entering and haunting it. The symbolic significance of the dagger and its great metaphysical value in protecting humans against the fiendish powers of the invisible world and “ill - fated moments” was deeply rooted in Crete . Tiny black - hilted daggers were used in manufacturing talismans for young children and talismans for protecting epileptics from the bad influence of the moon and the possessed from the pernicious influence of demons. Furthermore, when a woman lost one of her children, she used to hang small black - hilted daggers with crosses etched on their hilts around her other children’s
malicious power inside the circle they had traced with their dagger. The dagger should not have been used in any other work before this procedure. The tracing of the circle and the invocation of demons that followed constituted, according to tradition, the consummation of the sorcerer’s magic skills. The tracing of the magic circle with black - hilted daggers was exercised by the island’s sorcerers mainly during their meetings with demons, called “davetia”. The most typical description of the tracing of a magic circle with a black -hilted dagger in Crete for obtaining a magic purpose is provided by Nikos Politis in his description of the instruction of the lyra - player by the Fairies, so that he would be able to play the lyra with great virtuosity: “Whoever wants to become a good lyra - player should go to an isolated crossroads at midnight. First he should trace a circle on the ground with a black
The Cretan Dagger in Manners. Customs and Popular Beliefs of Crete: The importance of the Cretan dagger’s symbolic value in the social life of Crete survived even until recently. One of the nuptial customs in Crete required from the future bride - groom to offer his fiancee, in addition to the other gifts, a small silver dagger, the argyrobounialaki. This small dagger, which was part of the Cretan women’s costume, was
The Cretan Dagger and Magical Ceremonies: Daggers, always black - hilted, since black - hilted daggers were feared by the demons, played a leading part in the practice of magic in the sublunar world of sorcerers. The sorcerer, master of love and hatred, in proceeding with his work of magic according to his wishes or those of the man or woman who had requested his assistance, used a black hilted dagger in his spells and rituals of any nature. In their effort to dominate over the powers of nature, to transgress against its known laws and to control the lives of humans with the help of demons, sorcerers used black - hilted daggers, with which they traced a circle on the ground and then poked it in its centre. Then they entered the circle and uttered some cryptic words and secret names. In this way they summoned the demons and ordered them, according to their wishes, protected from their
- hilted dagger, then enter it, stay there and start playing the lyra. A little later the Fairies will come and start hanging around him. Their purpose is not good, they want to do him harm, but since they cannot enter the circle, which has been traced with a black - hilted dagger, they try to lure him out in every possible way. They use blarney, they sing him nice songs, they wheedle him in a thousand and one different ways, but if he is wise, he must remain calm and continue to play the lyra without leaving the circle. If they fail, they invite him out of the circle in order to teach him how to play the lyra better. He must refuse. Then they will ask him to give them the lyra. The lyra - player should give it, cautious to let his arm or other part of his body out of the circle, because it will be amputated or he will go insane. Then a Fairy starts playing the lyra with great virtuosity and afterwards they return the lyra for more culture news to him, hoping that click on http://cretepost.gr he will be persuaded
to leave the circle and they will be able to harm him”. According to the description of Nikos Politis, the continuous interchange of the instrument between the Fairies and the lyra - player, without anyone of them passing the limits of the circle traced with the black - hilted dagger, continues all night long until the first cock crows. Then they ask him to give them something of his own and they promise to teach him how to play the lyra like them in return. The lyra - player usually gives them one of his nails and they in turn teach him how to play the lyra with great virtuosity and then disappear at daybreak. For this reason, in earlier times, if a lyra player played his instrument with outstanding virtuosity, he used to say: “What do you think? I learnt to play the lyra at the crossroads”. by Bob Armistead http://bobscretanadventure.blogspot.gr
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thereafter worn by the Cretan girl on her waist, tucked inside her long blue red silk sash, exactly as men wore their own, in all balls and celebrations. From a semiological point of view, the dagger indicated to other men that the girl was betrothed or married and that she belonged to one and only man. As a symbolism, it reminded the girl herself that she ought to be devoted to her husband and that the price she would pay for any infidelity would be her own life. However, in addition to its symbolic significance, the dagger also had practical value, because the young Cretan woman would be able to defend herself and her dignity when in danger. For the success of the wedding ritual and the stable foundation of the new family, Cretan customs prescribed earlier that a small black - hilted dagger be placed on the bride’s shoe before and during the wedding ceremony, so that the “spells” of those envying her fortune would not work. Earlier, they used to believe in Crete that if the couple held a black hilted dagger during the wedding cer-
culture
even today, boil in a mixture of water, ash and lime for about five hours, exactly as they used to do two centuries ago, so that it will acquire a bright white colour, and then they grind it before using it. More rarely, however, daggers had deep- coloured hilts made of horn. The numerous flocks of sheep and goats of Crete and the stout horns of its buffaloes still provide today ample raw material for the horn-made hilts of daggers, while, more rarely, hilts are made from the island’s wild goats’ horns, known as kri - kri. The stoutest and most durable horns for making hilts are the ram’s and the billy-goat’s. Among ram horns they prefer the “gold - coloured ones, with undulations”, while buffalo horns are more glossy and lustrous, but they wear out faster than ram horns. Dagger - manufacturers leave nothing to chance. They choose carefully the animal horns that they will use for making the manikes (hilts). They mainly prefer those of male animals, which thus offer their horn weapons for the manufacturing and embellishment of human weap-
“Transport of delight” by Niall Finn
Just spare a thought for those of us Who sail by night to Pireaus.
“Alice”
by Anthony M. Whateley
“How Do You Know”
“Ode to Cluedo” by Niall Finn
Can one sleep well upon the ferry? From my experience – not very!
I saw an old man bent with a stick, ragged and grey, blind in one eye, and deaf. But I didn’t know he had explored the Amazon in his youth. ~~~~~~~~~~ I saw an old man bent with a stick, shaky and frail, limping from pain. But I didn’t know he had been a circus acrobat in his youth. ~~~~~~~~~~ I saw an old man bent with a stick, mumbling and dribbling, stopping to rest, giving a toothless grin. But I didn’t know he had been a pearl diver in his youth. ~~~~~~~~~~ I saw an old man bent with a stick, shuffling and sad, coughing and red, watering eyes in the wind. But I didn’t know he had hunted elephants in his youth. ~~~~~~~~~~ I saw an old woman bent with a stick, wrinkled and frail, fingers crooked and thin, with red eyes that smiled. But I didn’t know she had flown Spitfires in her youth. ~~~~~~~~~~ I saw a young boy with a ball, blonde and fresh, jumping for joy, playing in warm summer sun. But I don’t know what he will do.
“I’m Colonel Mustard, Mrs White. Please join me in my task tonight
At least if you’re among the many Who have to watch each cent or penny.
Of finding clues to help us track The murderer of Mr Black.
Which means no cabin just for you By paying for the space of two.
Yes, progress will be rather slow; You see, we’re not allowed to know
And if you share, you can be sure All night you’ll hear your room-mate snore.
by Anthony M. Whateley
He was sitting alone when I saw him, so frail, old and grey. But where he was really was something I just couldn’t say. ~~~~~~~~~~ The curve of a warm, balmy ocean perhaps, with the sound of a loose flapping sail, or high on a mountain cold, deep snow in a gale. ws ~~~~~~~~~~ for more culture ne ost.gr ep et cr :// tp The heat of an African ht on click plain perhaps, with dusty wind whistling through thorn, or riding hard over moorland, dark woods in a dawn. ~~~~~~~~~~ The press and throng of wild people perhaps, with oily black bodies and paint, or lost, silent mist, alone somewhere, stumbling and faint. ~~~~~~~~~~ The cockpit of a fighter on fire perhaps, struggling to remain in control, or rafting a rapid, smashed paddles and pole. ~~~~~~~~~~ I asked him as he sat in the sun alone, so old, frail and grey, where he had been, and yes, I had meant now, today? “I have been with Alice,” he murmured, a tear in his eye.
If he was bludgeoned, stabbed or shot Or swinging from a hangman’s knot.
The less expensive ATS Or “air type seat”? Here I would stress
It’s also not exactly nice To be dependent on the dice
The strain on bank and neck, which burn Like flying ‘Tokyo and return’.
To move from room to room to trace Just where the dreadful deed took place.
So pick a patch of carpet that Gives you the space to stretch out flat
And as for suspects, Reverend Green Must be the oldest priest I’ve seen
(The softer benches were all scored By people earlier on board).
So not a candidate for blame (His alibi’s his Zimmer frame). My money’s on the other three; A Miss as scarlet as can be, That Peacock woman, aptly named, And Plum, “Professor” so he claimed.
With bunched up clothes to rest your head You can make something of a bed. To sleep you need to block the light That shines throughout the long, long night
So all in all, I hope we’ll find That justice isn’t colour blind. Imagine, though the frightful fuss.
Until at five (by shipboard clocks) Loudspeakers cry “our ferry docks!” The compensation, for the purist, Is being a traveller, not a tourist.
“Bittersweet Symphony” (Memories of the past) Traveling back through time makes
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culture
by Elis. Pramateftakis Teacher
you recall thousands of memories and offers knowledge about the past which is without doubt always exciting and enlightening. It helps you find out more about your great ancestors and appreciate life more and what you now possess. This is exactly how I felt when I first visited the Museum of School Life in Nerokourou, Chania. The old wooden desks, the various objects – small blackboards, the small bell, wooden schoolbags and so on – as well as the picture of the students in the 1930’s made me think of life back then. Various images came to my mind. Images of students sitting silently on their desks, some very poor and others with bear foot. Teachers being really strict, trying to teach seventy students in a single class. They used to be severe, punishing children either for their behaviour or for their lack of knowledge or for not be-
ing clean! Still they were respected and looked up to for their role in society was of outmost significance. Also there were few books, no notebooks, and no means of transport which meant that they all had to walk long distances so as to acquire knowledge. Difficult years with poverty, German occupation, fear. Past generations confronted all the above with a smile, with the Greek family being united, our church being helpful and the faith being strong. All the above make me recall my own childhood. I still remember those days when we all played as kids carelessly in a huge area – where you can now find ugly building and enormous streets. We had fewer possessions, no pc, no DVDs or mobile phones but we were truly happy. Our parents were not worried for there were open doors all around the area and we felt protected. All the families would gather in the evening out in the neighbourhood and share their food. And we would play till late
at night…… have actually lost ourselves!! Nowadays, things are so different. We So what is left for us to do? We must apall have so much and we still ask for preciate what we have and feel satisfied more! Our non-stop quest of well-be- with only a few. We must enjoy each ing is totally related to the acquisition and every moment and teach our chilof material things. Children rarely play dren to do the same. Never pout, nevout in the fields. They get stuck in front er lose faith or hope. Happiness lies in of a pc, having to deal with dangerous small things as long as we are willing to “encounters” without being fully pre- recognize it. So walk out of your doors, pared. Either deliberately or not, they offer a hug to your beloved ones, smile are not encouraged to go out and run and fill your hearts with kindness. After or ride a bike or just lie down and en- all, as they once said, tomorrow is aljoy nature. Families, at the same time, ways another, a better day and we must rarely gather at home for parents work live it as much as we can. long hours so as to make ends meet. Life moves so fast. Everyone – adult or child – is constantly “on - Books - Office supplies Stationery - Gis the go”, in activities, obli- -- Consumables - Photocopies gations and lessons. And by the end of the day, we all realize that we have Popi Loupassaki-eodoraki to Galatas done so much but in such Crossroads Old National Road Chania-Kissamos Tel.: +30 28210 32359 a chaotic situation we
Keeping Your Home Safe While on Vacation Don’t let the anticipation of a well-deby Petros Chatzistavros Civil Engineer (T.E.)
served vacation blind you to the risks of leaving your home unprotected. Go ahead and plan your acation, but take precautions before you leave. Preventing burglaries and other problems when you are away takes a minimal amount of planning and can increase your peace of mind greatly while you travel. Experts in home security say that the key to keeping your home secure while on vacation is simply to make your home the least appealing target on your block. Following the tips below, you can make your house harder to break into, and give yourself peace of mind that you have taken all the precautions for home security.
home improvement
Shhhhh...Stay Quiet While using personal pages on the Internet may be a convenient way to keep in touch with friends, sharing your itinerary can cause problems while you are away from home. Show some caution when you talk about your trip. Your blog isn’t the best place to announce that you’ll be away from home for a month. Being aware of who’s around when you discuss your trip in restaurants and even at work isn’t a bad idea either. Make sure that your children are discreet, too. No one is saying that you should be suspicious of everyone you meet, but even a chance remark has the potential to lead to unintended and unfortunate consequences. The less information you put out there, the less likely it is to reach the wrong ears and eyes. Tip: TheIntelligentCruiser.com recommends only notifying key people that you will be away and avoiding posting your vacation plans on Internet sites, answering machines or voice mail messages. Lock Up Before you leave for vacation be sure you physically secure and check all windows and doors. This seems so obvious, but hey, it’s easy to forget. If you keep a window unlocked to allow the cat easy access, or never bother to turn the deadbolt on the kitchen door, now’s the time to clean up your act. Locking your home makes it less attractive to opportunistic burglars. If you don’t make it easy, there’s a better chance that when you get home,
your house will be in the same condition as when you left it. Tip: If you have an alarm system for home security, don’t forget to arm it before you go on vacation. If you need to, make a list of things you need to do before leaving the house the day you leave for your trip, so that you make sure to set the alarm. Unplug Electronics Disconnecting the power to some of your electronics, like your desktop computer, coffee pot and television can save you money while you’re gone and eliminate the worry that you’ve accidentally left them on by mistake. Turning off your garage door is also an effective way to keep thieves from opening it with a universal remote. Tip: Don’t leave a portable GPS in your car when you use long-term parking at the airport. It’ll alert thieves that you’re not home and give them a convenient map to your house. Maintaining Appearances If your house is obviously uninhabited, you may be at risk of becoming a target for a burglar. An occupied home looks lived in. Lights go on and off, and cars come and go. When you’re away, everything stops. To help create the illusion that the residence is still occupied, invest in timers that turn on the interior lights for a few hours every evening. If you can get a neighbor to take out your garbage and put the cans back after the garbage pickup, it’s another way to send the message that everything is proceeding normally at your house. Paying someone to keep the yard mowed while you are away is a good idea if you will be gone for a significant amount of time in the spring or summer. Parking a car in your driveway also can make it appear as though someone is at home. Tip: Don’t close your blinds when you leave on vacation if you usually keep them open. The more normal your home looks, the better. Mail Delivery Piles of mail and newspapers can make it clear that you are away. While you can temporarily stop mail and newspaper delivery while you’re on vacation, the In-
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Tip: Ask a friend or relative to pick up mail and newspapers daily to prevent telltale piles from accumulating. Protecting Your Home A burglar alarm, while not foolproof, helps secure your home. While alarm systems are expensive, the Insurance Information Institute reports that a sophisticated alarm system can result in insurance discounts of 15 to 20 percent. If you don’t have an alarm system, installing deadbolts on doors and windows can make it more difficult for thieves to enter your home. The Insurance Information Institute also recommends turning your computer off and locking up important documents to prevent burglars from accessing financial and personal information. Locking up expensive jewelry and small electronic devices before leaving home will help you avoid the theft of your most valuable possessions. Tip: If you have a home security provider, make sure to notify them that you are going to be on vacation. If you’re going to be gone for longer than a week, notify the police, who will keep that in mind and possibly drive by your home if in the area. Enlist the Help of Neighbors Tell your closest neighbors you’re going out of town and ask them to watch your home. By leaving them a key they can enter the home if there’s an emergency or even turn lights off and on periodically. If you have a neighborhood watch group in your area, you can ask them to keep an eye on your home, too. It’s another way to make sure someone reliable is paying attention to the premises while you’re gone Tip: Keep track of all the keys to your home and make sure they’re in safe hands. Locking your doors is important, but up to 50 percent of burglaries involve the use of a key. Don’t hide a key outdoors in a protected spot, either. Burglars know the best hiding places better than you do. Be sure if you do keep a spare key hidden that it’s in a very uncommon place.
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telligentCruiser.com doesn’t recommend this practice because newspaper or postal workers will know you are away. Failing to receive regular deliveries also can tip off burglars that you aren’t at home.
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Consider Hiring a House or Pet Sitter The best way to make sure your house is safe while you’re gone is to have someone you trust still living in it. You may be lucky enough to have a tidy and conscientious relative who’ll move in temporarily and water the plants, feed the pets and pick up the newspapers. If not, there are services you can use for house-sitting and pet-sitting while you’re away. This can be a pricy option, but it’s a solution that touches all the bases. Tip: If you have a number of pets, it may be more cost- effective to have a pet sitter come to your home than board your furry friends. In many areas, a pet sitter can cost about the same amount as a stay in a kennel for two or three animals. You’ll be cutting down on the pet stress and resentment that way, too. Preventative Maintenance Burst or leaking pipes can make you quickly forget all about your relaxing vacation. Shutting off the main water supply may help eliminate the possibility of plumbing problems when you are out of town. Insulating pipes and keeping the heat on during a cold snap will help prevent burst pipes. Returning from Vacation When you get back from your trip, be sure you inspect your home upon your return. Look for signs of entry or missing items. If you notice anything stray, be sure to call the police immediately. It’s a good idea to wait outside the home until help arrives and when they do be sure to allow them to collect fingerprints. Be sure not to allow anyone to walk on the lawn until the police have left as well. http://traveltips.usatoday.com/home-security-safety-vacation-14385.html http://www.pepper-spray-store.com/relatedinfo/vacation-security.shtml http://www.homesecurityadvice.com/ tips/disguise-on-vacation.html http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/10tips-for-keeping-house-safe-while-on-vacation.htm
• •
Driving • All-In-One Driver Kit: Will typically include a ratcheting driver and a whole universe of driver bits. Spring for a kit that includes Philips, slotted, square, Torx, and hex head. When you encounter some sort of crazy screw that needs to be driven or removed, you’ll be glad you did. • Adjustable Wrench: For tightening or loosening nuts and bolts of varying sizes. Commonly known as a Crescent wrench (a trade
name) or C-wrench. General • Hammer: There are dozens of different types of hammers on the market, all intended for different uses. For most typical DIY projects you’ll only need one of three hammers. For trim and finish applications, you will want a 16 or 18-ounce clawed hammer. For framing applications, you will want something in the 18 to 26-ounce range. For demolition, a mini-sledge or “lump” hammer is the way to go, although I think you’d be hard-pressed to find any contractor who would yell at you for using your framing hammer for demolition as well. • Tape Measure: In a forty-hour week I might extend my 35-foot tape measure past the 20-foot mark once or twice. For your DIY home tool kit, I’d recommend a good 16inch tape measure. It’s lighter, more compact, and less cumbersome for most common home projects.
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Chisels: Consider keeping a few sharp wood chisels of varying sizes (between 1/4 and 1-inch) on hand, as well as a masonry chisel, in case you find yourself needing to chisel some concrete, brick, or mortar. And for Pete’s sake, please don’t use your wood chisels as concrete chisels (see above notes on safety and damaged tools). Torpedo level: Good, compact level suitable for leveling small accessories like picture frames and towel bars. Pry Bar: The pry bar you decide to use will ultimately depend on what you intend to be prying with it. If you’ll be removing moulding with the intention of re-using it, go for a small flat bar. Big demolition project? You’re probably going to want a wrecking bar on hand. Pliers: For gripping pretty much anything, from a nut to a stripped out screw, to a nail you’re just trying to start without bashing your fingers.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask This is by no means a comprehensive list of every tool you should have in your home toolkit, nor do you need to go out and buy it all at once. Take it on a project-by-project basis – it’s the most economical way to amass a collection of the “right” tools. Don’t think you’ll ever have to use a tile saw ever again, but still want to use the right tool to cut your bathroom tile? Consider renting one from your local big-box hardware store. And if you’re ever in doubt as to what the right tool for your particular project might be, put it to the staff in the tool department. Most times they’ll be able to point you in the right direction. Just remember, people don’t fly and screwdrivers don’t pry – stay safe out there! by Christopher Lawrence
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Cutting • Chop/Miter Saw: For precision
•
cutting (to length) anything from a 2x8 to a piece of crown moulding. Will typically cut angles to 45 degrees, and sometimes to 60 degrees. Circular Saw: Typically best for rough cutting framing and sheathing (e.g. dimensional lumber and plywood). Table Saw: For precision cutting or “ripping” material to width. Jig Saw: For cutting curves or intricate cutouts.
do it yourself
We’ve all been there: twenty feet up a ladder or contorted under a kitchen sink only to realize that you’ve left the one tool you need on the ground or up on the countertop. Before long you’re using a screwdriver as a pry bar or the butt end of a chisel as a hammer, celebrating your ingenuity while trying not to feel too guilty about it at the same time. If you’ve never worked in the trades, chances are probably pretty good that you’ve never been lambasted for tool abuse before coworker and homeowner alike. I can promise you that as a young helper or carpenter it’s not something one soon forgets. When I was younger it struck me as an eccentricity most bosses held in common, but I eventually came to realize that there are some legitimate elements at the core of this popular tradesman’s pet peeve. First, tools are engineered to perform specific tasks. Now it seems that asking a tool to go outside its comfort zone seems akin to your high school track coach saying, “Nice job on that relay – now how ‘bout we go to the top of those bleachers and see if you’re any good at flying.” I’m not suggesting that every misused tool will end in bone-splitting, blood-letting disaster, but yes, occasionally ugly (and typically preventable) accidents do happen as a result of using the wrong tool for the job. Aside from the mild to moderate risk of personal injury, misused tools typically sustain some sort of damage as a result of their misuse and consequently end up being less effective at their intended function. So what does using the right tool for the job look like? Below are a few scenarios any DIYer might encounter and some friendly suggestions on what “the right tool for the job” might look like.
Using the Right Tool for the Job
Dirsuption of Sleep in Children Could Hamper Memory Processes
Sleep disordered breathing can ham-
per memory processes in children, according to a new study. The research, which was presented at by Miltiades Markatos Pneumonologist the Sleep and Breathing Conference (16 April 2015), found that disrupted sleep had an impact on different memory processes and how children learn. Eszter Csabi led a team of researchers from the University of Szeged and Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary. They analysed 17 children with sleep disordered breathing aged between 6 and 12 years. They looked at different memory processes compared to a control group of 17 children of similar age without any sleep disorders. A story recall task was used to measure memories that can be consciously recalled, known as declarative memory, and a refor more health news action time task was click on http://cretepost.gr used to assess how the children learnt new skills and sequences, known as non-declarative memory. This is the first study to compare the
impact of sleep disturbances on these separate memory processes in children. The children were assessed across two sessions: a learning session and a testing session, which was separated by a 12hour period which included sleep. This allowed the researchers to understand whether the children consolidated the information they learnt or had forgotten it by the next session. The results found that children with sleep disordered breathing had a lower declarative memory in the learning and testing phase, suggesting that sleep can not only hamper how a child consciously learns but can also have a negative effect on whether they remember this learning after a period of time. The learning of new sequences and skills using non-declarative memory was not hampered by sleep disordered breathing in either session. The authors conclude that disruption of sleep can affect the memory in different ways but is likely to hamper the declarative memory processes more than
non-declarative processes. Lead author, Dezso Nemeth, said: “Our results show that sleep disturbances have an impact on the developing brain and could affect the way children learn. It is crucial that we identify and diagnose any sleep problems early in childhood and properly treat them to prevent this. Our results have also helped us to pin-
point declarative memory as the memory process that is most affected. If these findings are confirmed in larger studies, we can tailor the training and rehabilitation therapies we provide to children with sleep disordered breathing by focusing on improving the conscious memory processes.” www.europeanlung.org
Mediterranean Diet with Olive Oil or Nuts Improves Cognitive Function
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health & nutrition
Results of a randomized clinical trial, published earlier this month in the JAMA Internal Medicine, revealed that long-term consumption of the Mediterranean diet supplemented with either extra virgin olive oil or nuts improved cognitive function in older adults. Although previous observational studies reported a positive relationship between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and improved cognitive function, they compared intake of a control diet versus intake of a Mediterranean diet without a baseline evaluation of the subjects before and after consumption of the Mediterranean diet. In contrast, findings of the new study are based on repeated neuropsychological assessment of the subjects who consumed a control diet or a Mediterranean diet supplemented with either EVOO or nuts over a four-year period. Conducted on a small sub-sample of Spanish subjects enrolled at the Barcelona-North PREDIMED center, the study started with 447 cognitively healthy subjects who had either Type 2 diabetes or risk to cardiovascular disease in 2003. However, only 344 subjects completed the study in 2009. The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of an antioxidant-rich Mediterranean diet on cognitive function of
the subjects. The enrolled subjects were randomly assigned to one of the three diets: a Mediterranean supplemented with one liter of extra virgin olive oil per week; a Mediterranean supplemented with intake of 30 grams mixed nuts that included 15 grams of walnuts, and 7.5 grams each of almonds and hazelnuts; or a control diet with advice to reduce fat intake. Cognitive function of the subjects, whose average age was 67 years, was assessed by several neuropsychological tests that were carried out at the beginning of the study to provide baseline data and again, at the end of the study. Three cognitive composites were constructed from the neuropsychological tests that included memory composite (based on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test and the Welchler Memory Scale); frontal composite that measured attention, cognitive flexibility and working memory; and global composite that assessed changes in all neurological tests conducted. At the end of the study, results revealed that subjects on both variations of the Mediterranean diet had improved cognitive function while those on the control diet showed a decline in cognitive function. Furthermore, the investigators found that the observed changes
were consistent in all subjects irrespective of factors such as gender, age, energy consumption, and other variables. More specifically, results showed a significant increase in memory composite in the group who consumed a Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts, while those on the Mediterranean diet with olive oil improved frontal and global cognition composites. Increased intake of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents that are naturally present in the Mediterranean diet may be responsible for improving cognitive composites of the subjects, according to the authors of the study. In addition, the phenolic-rich compounds in extra virgin olive oil and nuts may also be protective against neurodegeneration as they act as antioxidants, increase blood flow to the brain and increase neuron synthesis. In spite of several drawbacks of the study such as a small sample size re-
A life changing visit to our pharmacy can make you change the way you see life and put your body and mind in harmony. Have you ever visited a pharmacy to taste health? A different pharmacy in the centre of the old town of Chania is waiting to share with you secrets of well being and longevity. Taste the biolo gical honey, the royal jelly, tea from plants carefully chosen in therapeutic recipes, high concentration and purity juices of pomegranate, cranberry, aloe. Orthomolecular nutrition with suggestions on detox programs and a carefully selected range of supplements, vitamins an gluten free products from all over the world. In the same premises you can find a live homeopathic lab with 6.000 homeopathic remedies in stock and the ability to produce any kind of homeopathic form i.e. pills, granules, solutions etc Evangelia Sakka is the pharmacist in charge who has created that special pharmacy and will be happy to introduce you to that fantastic world but also suggest whatever will be more settable for you. Our philosophy doesn’t stop on food and supplements but we want you to think of your mind and body as well. That’s why we have created next to our pharmacy the Green Care SPA. A SPA that helps to uplift your mind and body with biological face an body treatments, reflexology, reiky, su jok and moxa treatment, Bach flower remedies, homeopathy sessions, bowtech as well as nail therapies. We are waiting for you to restart your life at Daskalogianni 43 - 45, SAKKA Pharmacy www.my-pharmacy.gr / www.greencarespa.gr
cruited from a larger study with different objectives, results of the study showed that the Mediterranean diet supplemented with olive oil or nuts protected against cognitive decline. In an interview for JAMA Network, Emilo Ros, MD, PhD, senior consultant at the Endocrinology Department, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, said, “The two Mediterranean diets counteracted age-related cognition decline compared to the control diet.” Ros further emphasized the importance of this study as the first randomized clinical trial and suggested that intervention with Mediterranean diet supplemented with EVOO or nuts at the pre-clinical stage would be beneficial before the onset of development of memory complaints and cardiovascular health problems. Olive Oil Times
Conjunctivitis Conjunctivitis is common during sum-
Hello to all... let us get to know each
other, I’m Despoina Karamanlidou and my love for people prompted me to find out how I can express this love. The way of expression that I found is anatripsis- Kneading of the body, because touch, which is the first of the senses that develops in humans one can communicate. Studies have shown that contact – touch heals, the fact is that when there is pain somewhere the ferst movement we make is to touch the aching point with our hands. All of this theory has led me to give life to my dream and to create ΥΜΩΝ (Imon) Analgesic Anatripsis. To take things one at a time, anatripsis is a massage technique which is exerted on the body with strenuous repetitive musculoskeletal rubbing (tripsis). This relievew aches and stress symptoms, and acts as prevention in various diseases, mainly on muscle tissue, Hippocrates the father of medicine, first
Preventive measures for eyes -Wear sun glasses, which are 100% UV protected, when out in the sun. -Avoid direct AC hitting to your eyes -Restful sleep for six to eight hours
mer. It is characterised by redness of eyes, pricking sensation, discharge and watering in eyes. Immediate treatment is important as it will prevent the spread of infection to other people and worsening of the eye condition. STYEs Eyelid swelling, redness and pain occurs when a bacterial infection of the
eyelids occurs. Dry eyes Dry eyes syndrome is common during these months due to increased temperatures and rapid tear film evaporation. Increased exposure to UV radiations With more number of hours spent in the bright sun, our eyes along with the skin is also exposed to excessive UV
by Nick Lazakis Optical expert
helps rejuvenate your eyes in a natural way. -Simple eye exercises s also do wonders if problems are detected in early stage. -Puffiness of the eyes and redness can be removed by washing eyes with the splash of cold water few times in a day. -Relax your eyes with a slice of cucumber on them for a while -Introduce foods such as green leafy vegetables, fruits, carrots, liver, cod liver, nuts in your daily diet.
Healing the Body, healing the soul used the term “tripsis” and its beneficial effects of these on our body. Someone will very correctly ask. Why have massage- anatripsis? The answer is known to all, we simply pretty much forget from the grueling demands of work and everyday life. For many of us stiffness and pain is a way of life which we have become accustomed to and only when we have or give a massage do we become aware in this way that our muscles are stiff. This technique can become our own journey to getting to know ourselves and giving ourselves at the same time the opportunity to experience the enjoyment of a body that can breathe, stand and move freely. The ΥΜΩΝ Analgesic Anatripsis can provide you, your body and soul with the possibility of an variety of services such as : - Analgesic anatripsi, duration 30 minutes - Anatripsi, duration 60 minutes
- Relaxing anatripsi, duration 60 minutes - Aromatherapy, duration 60 minutes - Singing Bowls (By Peter Hess), lasting 30 or 60 minutes - Relaxing anatripsi and Singing Bowls (By Peter Hess), duration 90 minutes Thank you wholeheartedly for your
time, I am at your disposal for any information. 2, Eleftherias Sq. Feidias Mansion, Building 1- 1at floor Tel. + 30 28210-28198 Mob. +30 6974 041420
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Eye allergies Allergic disorders of the eye increase during summer. Increased temperature and pollution make one (especially children) prone to eye allergies, which can cause itching and redness along with a burning sensation.
radiations which can cause dryness, pinguecula, and even precancerous conditions of the ocular surface.
health & nutrition
Summer brings along with it a host of problems, apart from the sweltering heat and constantly soaring temperatures there are also eye problems one has to deal with. Summer has all the factors that can adversely affect the eye and cause vision problems. While we use sunscreens to protect our skin, let us also not miss to protect our eyes, one of the most important and delicate part of our body. Eyes are more prone to get infected during summers, which in turn can lead to various eye disorders.
Take care of your eyes in summer
Keep your dog safe in the summer Summer is a terrific time to be a dog owner. It lets you run, swim, and play with your dog in nicer weather than any other time of the year. However, summer also brings unique risks to your dog’s health that you should keep in mind throughout the season. These summer dangers include:
by Giannis Venetakis Zoo Technician
1. Heat stroke Heat stroke occurs when your dog’s body temperature rises dangerously high. It is most common when dogs are left in a car for too long, or when they exercise in the heat. Never leave your dog in the car in hot weather, and always remember that a cracked window is not enough to cool a car. Your dog always needs access to shade outside. Muzzling interferes with a dog’s ability to cool itself by panting and should be avoided. 2. Sunburn Dogs can burn in the sun just like people can. White, light-colored, and thinly coated dogs have an increased risk of sunburn. Sunburn causes pain, itching, peeling, and other problems. To prevent sunburn, apply a waterproof sunscreen formulated for babies or pets. Be sure to cover the tips of your dog’s ears and nose, the skin around its mouth, and its back.
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3. Burned foot pads Sidewalk, patio, street, sand, and other surfaces can burn your dog’s footpads. Walk your dog in the morning and at night when outdoor surfaces are coolest. Press your hand onto surfaces for 30 seconds to test them before allowing your dog to walk on them. If it is painful for you, it will be painful for your dog.
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pets & vets
4. Dehydration Prevent dehydration by providing your dog with unrestricted access to fresh and cool water both indoors and outside. Ice cubes and frozen chicken or beef broth encourage your dog to take in more fluids and help keep it cool. You can also feed your dog wet dog
food during the summer to increase its fluid intake. 5. Campfires and barbecues Your dog may try to take burning sticks from the fire, which are hard to retrieve since they think that you are playing when you chase them. Food that is stuck to barbecues after cooking can tempt your dog to lick the barbecue and burn its tongue or mouth. Lighter fluid is a poison and should not be left where your dog can reach it. Keep your dog away from barbecues and campfires unless it is on a very short leash. Watch Cesar’s video on how to set up a successful BBQ that your dog can attend. 6. Fireworks Some fireworks look like sticks, which makes your dog think that they are toys. The loud noises and sudden flash of fireworks can disorient and startle your dog, causing it to run wildly. If you cannot avoid being around fireworks, then keep your dog on a very short leash. 7. Parasites Ticks, fleas, mosquitoes, flies, and oth-
er insects are at their peak during the summer months. Talk to your veterinarian about appropriate protection such as collars, sprays, shampoos, dips, and other products. 8. Chemicals in the water It is no secret that most dogs love to swim. Swimming can be fun for you and your dog and helps prevent heat stroke. However, chlorine can irritate a dog’s skin and upset its stomach. Rinse your dog with fresh water after swimming in a pool and do not let it drink more than a small amount of pool water. Standing water, such as puddles, can also be dangerous for dogs to drink due to the presence of antifreeze or other chemicals. Provide your dog with fresh water to drink whenever possible. 9. Seasonal allergies Fleas, mold, flowers, and other potential allergens are common during summer. Allergies cause itching (and with it, excessive scratching), coughing, sneezing, discomfort, and other problems for your dog. Keep your dog away from allergy triggers when possible, especially if you know it has a par-
ticular allergy. Ask your veterinarian about whether your pet would benefit from a canine antihistamine or other medication. 10. Getting lost Take care when traveling with your dog during the summer to prevent it from becoming lost in unfamiliar surroundings. Always have someone watching your dog if it is off its leash. A collar with a contact information tag should be considered the minimum safety precaution. Microchip your dog if you desire more reliable identification. These summer safety tips apply to dogs in general, but no one knows your dog better than you. If your dog is well behaved around food, for example, then it may be safer to let it be near a barbecue. Do not be afraid to let your dog off its leash to run and enjoy summer, but do be aware of what possible dangers may be nearby before you do so. If you have a fun summer dog story or know a summer danger that we forgot to mention, tell us in the comments. http://www.cesarsway.com
Garden Colour Combinations • Yellow and blue create an exciting combination that makes you think of spring. • Yellow and purple can combine to create two different effects. If a bright yellow is used with a deep purple, the effect will be dramatic.
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If you choose a pale yellow with a lavender color, you will create a classic, subdued look in the garden. White and green lend a feeling of lightness and a restful look to the garden. These colors are also very effective when placed into a grouping of boldly-colored plants. They will prevent the strong colors from overpowering the garden. Red and yellow together create a bold, attention-grabbing color mix.
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Orange and purple produce an energetic contrast that will definitely clash. If you want to be bold and different, this combination may work for you. Pink and blue combinations are one of the easiest color schemes to work with because of the abundance of flowers to select from. This color combo can create a garden that is easy on the eye. White and blue is another easyto-create combination. There are a wide variety of plants to choose from that will make your garden
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light and cheerful. Blue and purple are cool colors that look wonderful in shade or partial shade. To make this color combination pop, use in front of a light background. Red, white and blue make a wonderful patriotic display in your garden. Don’t forget green. Green is restful to the eyes and does not compete for attention or dominate in the garden. Green creates a void that allows our eyes to travel from one part of the garden to the other.
for more gardening news click on http://cretepost.gr
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the flower garden of your dreams is easier than you may think. By using a few basic color and design concepts, your outdoor plantings can be just as dramatic as your indoor decor.
plants and gardening
Having
The Colours of June by... “En Kipo” Garden Center
Recipes of the month...
Boureki Ingredients: by Antonia Tsakirakis Cook
For the dough • 1/2 kilo flour • 3 teaspoons olive oil • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1 glass red wine • 1 glass tepid water For the filling • 1 1/2 kilos potatoes, cut into thin rounds • 1 1/2 kilos courgettes, cut into thin rounds • 1 bunch spearmint • 1 glass flour • 1 kilo mizìthra cheese • 200gr kassèri cheese, grated
on for more news click r http://cretepost.g
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1 cup olive oil 1 glass milk 2 eggs 4 tablespoons stàka Sesame seeds for sprinkling Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation First, prepare the pastry dough by combining water, olive oil, salt and wine with the flour and kneading well. Allow to rest for 30 minutes. Divide the dough in half and roll out two moderate pastry sheets. Lay one pastry sheet on a large greased baking pan. Layer the potatoes, courgettes and mizithra cheese. Sprinkle each layer with a little salt, pepper, spearmint,
Traditional Cretan Taverna
Drakona, Kerameia (20 km from Chania)
“Tzaneris & Archontissa”
Tel.: +30 28210 75997
Summer Strawberry Pimm’s Cake
Ingredients: • 350 grams butter, very soft but not melted • 350 grams caster sugar • 350 grams plain flour • 2 teaspoons baking powder • pinch salt • 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice • finely grated zest 1 orange • 6 eggs • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 2 tablespoons Pimms Pimm’s syrup • 1 cup Pimm’s • ½ cup caster sugar • juice 1 orange and 1 lemon • 2 good sprigs mint To assemble • 200 grams mascarpone • 1 cup cream • finely grated zest 1 orange • strawberries and orange segments • fresh mint leaves •
2 x 20cm cake tins, greased and bases lined with baking paper
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Makes 1 cake
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food & wine
Preparation Preheat the oven to 170°C.
flour and the grated kasseri cheese. Whisk the eggs with milk and staka and pour this mixture on top. Pour with olive oil.
Top with the other pastry sheet, brush it with a little oil and sprinkle sesame on top. Cut the patty in square pieces and bake for 11-15 minutes at 180oC.
www.tzaneris-archontissa.gr
Mob.: +30 6973 210487 / +30 6973 786747
by Marilou - Chief executive chef at Marilou Cupcakes and more. info@marilous.gr
Cake: Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a standing mixer or a large bowl and beat until the batter is smooth. This should take a maximum of 1 minute in a standing mixer. Divide the batter evenly between the tins and smooth the tops. Bake for 20–23 minutes or until the cakes are golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes then turn out onto cooling racks. Remove the lining paper and cool completely. Syrup: Put all the ingredients in a saucepan, bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes or until reduced and syrupy. Remove the mint. Gradually spoon half of the hot syrup over the smooth side of each cooled cake, letting it soak in between spoonfuls. To assemble: Beat the mascarpone, cream and zest together until thick. Don’t overbeat or the mascarpone will curdle. Place one cake, smooth side up on a serving plate and spread with half the
cream mixture. Top with the second cake. Spread over the remaining cream and
top with the strawberries, orange segments and mint.
Snorkeling and Scuba Diving in Crete Take advantage of the good weather
northern part of the island), ready to serve divers of all categories, in any period, with safety and responsibility. The bottom of the Libyan sea in Northern Crete, with crystal clear waters everyday throughout the year, has a rich marine life and the most interesting rugged seabed terrain in the Mediterranean. Enjoy the beautiful underwater world of Crete, which includes lots of diving sites. Sites where diving is permitted (in.gr: Agrotourism Sports: Scuba Diving) •
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Heraklion: Along the coast of Fodele’s Gulf, at the Hersonissos Cape, northern of the region Gournes and at the cape Diakori Lasithi: Along the coast at a distance of 500 m east from the region Panagia Rethymnon: Along the coast “Koriakou” and in the western part of Panormos Chania: Along the coast of Megalou Sfakou Bay to Afrata Bay
Location names: •
Heraklion: El Greco Cave, El Gre-
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co Reef, Mononaftis, Stavros Cape, Megali Agyra (i.e. Big Anchor), Galazio Spilaio (i.e. Blue Cave), Dia island, Kori, Agios Georgios, Agia Varvara, porto for more sports news Sisi, Anchor Valley, click on http://cretepost. Milatos gr Chania: Cave of the Elephants, God’s Cave, Koutalas beach, Karga island, Ombrogialos beach, Lighthouse Wall, British Wreck, Marathi Islet Rethymnon: Karavos coast, region of Kefalas Lasithi: Agios Nikolaos, Elounda
Crete is ideal for snorkelling and scuba diving because: • Visibility in the seas of Crete is excellent. In summer the average visibility is 30 or more meters. • The water temperature in summer ranges from 22 to 27 degrees • There is a great variety of fish and sea-plants • There are no currents • The seabed in most beaches in Crete is rocky and this means a wider variety of sealife. with info from incrediblecrete.gr and explorecrete.com
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average temperature around 20 °C. The Greek seas constitute one of the most important archaeological sites, as sunken cities, coastal prehistoric settlements, towers, shipwrecks and ancient ports lie in their depths. But apart from these sunken cities, the ordinary swimmer can easily discover the beauty of the seabed and the rich marine life in most of the beaches of Crete. There are many diving centers operating throughout Crete (mainly in the
sports & leisure
and the sun in Crete and get ready to meet the turquoise crystal clear waters. Why miss the great opportunity for snorkeling or scuba diving while you are in Crete? Whatever is your level, beginner or expert, Crete offers you an unforgettable experience. The island of Crete, fifth in size in the Mediterranean, is situated between the Ionian, the Aegean and the Libyan Sea. It is a very popular destination. Under the sea level there are gorges, rocks, vertical walls, plains, caves and ship wrecks, hidden under the quiet surface. The abundant waters of the Atlantic that supply the Mediterranean lose a large part of their components and evaporate until they arrive here. As a result, the sea water in Crete is low in nutrients and has a high salinity. This means that the populations of fish are smaller but the biodiversity is not affected. The waters are extremely clear. In fact, they are clearer than the waters in the world’s most famous diving destinations. The morphology and the relatively small surface of the Mediterranean render the tides and the consequent strong currents virtually absent, offering the divers the ideal conditions for pleasant diving experiences. Furthermore, the temperature is high both in summer and winter, with an