October 2014, Issue No. 19 www.chaniapost.gr
the CHANIA POST Reach thousands of readers every month
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Cretan scientists stunned everyone in East Asia FORTH gets three awards at 2014 Taiwan IIST
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A. ENTRANCE & EXIT 9-11, Grigoriou 5th str. (Kolokotroni Square) B. ENTRANCE & EXIT Markou Botsari str.(opp. old cinema “Apollon”)
24 Hour Guarded Parking
Car Wash
The Mayors... answer!
Women guarding 2,300 year old tomb revive Greek hopes
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Tel:+3028210 86066 - Fax:+3028210 86076
What will they do for our every day life problems? What about municipal cleaning services? Is there a plan for next year’s tourist season?
Read all about it in a special article of Chania Post on p.3
It was presented in ExpoCreta at the International Exhibition Center
Cretan students made the “Car of the Future”
Public Bus Service is the Best Affordable Way to Travel to... Chania, Rethymnon, Heraklion and to all Southwestern Crete
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New and Young, Fresh, and... Interesting!!!
Hope is...
Sports radio on the web... www.sportfmxania.gr
www.gelamou.gr... only the good news !!!
p
... aying tribute to Pablo Nerouda, to one of Latby Elpida “Hope” Katsarakis in America’s most NEA TV Journalist influential poets of the 20th century. Chile recently celebrated 41 years of the death of the great poet and Nobel Prize for literature in 1971, renowned for his political work inside and outside Chile. Today, 41 years after his death, we remember Pablo Neruda through one of his distinguished poems: Ode to Hope. Neruda wrote this poem to encourage his people - and himself. We publish this poem, hoping it’s an inspiration for all those who need one..
Oceanic dawn at the center of my life. Waves like grapes, the sky’s solitude, you fill me and flood the complete sea, the undimished sky, tempo and space, seafoam’s white battalions, the orange earth, the sun’s fiery waist in agony, so many gifts and talents, birds soaring into their dreams, and the sea, the sea, suspended aroma, chorus of rich, resonant salt, and meanwhile, we men, touch the water, struggling and hoping, we touch the sea hoping. And the waves tell the firm coast; “Everything will be fulfilled” (translated from the Spanish by Maria Jacketti)
It’s
just like a woman, isn’t it? You admire her when she is young, looks fresh and has an interesting mystery for you to discover! Don’t forget that the word “newspaper” in Greek language is a female, so Chania Post is a woman! And I have to admit that I am in love with her (I hope my wife will not read that!). by Pandelis Giaitsis CHANIA POST chief editor
So, our decision was simple. Let’s make a change!!! We have to look young, new, fresh and interesting! The newspaper you are holding in your hands is the result of our... MERAKI (there no such word in English... sorry about that), which means that all of us in Chania Post and ChaniaPost.eu, are trying our best to give you something new, fresh, young and interesting throughout the year. Spread out the news, share the newspaper with your friends and tell everyone that you have something in common. This is our new Chania Post, this is your new Chania Post... your local free newspaper... all year long!!!
Live @ Love @ Laugh
Inspiration
is the one thing that… smells October all over the city, the life, the by Pandelis Spiridakis house Cooking, gelamou.gr writing, talking with friends, discovering Crete ’s destination to travel out… … such an October life sign Are you nuts enough out there? Cause winter is calling us to move a liiiiittle more our sensations! Live – with Inspiration Love – with Simplicity Laugh- with a Happy Mood Drugging myself from road to road in the old town of Rethimno, I suddenly met Nikos – the guy in the foto… As you can see he creates tradiotional Cretan music instruments , an art of many generations… INSPIRATION -…is his last brilliant idea! His store is the most loved corner for all the visitiors in Rethymnon. Nikos Papalexakis created a giant lyra according to the characteristics of a classic Cretan traditional lyra, which produces the exact same sound of a cello. The amazing is that this lyra has taken part in real concerts… Love – with Simplicity Gianna Bulmer – well known musician – stopped at the store and played the giant lyra, which attracted all the passengers and took photos of the mo-
ment. She loves classic music and takes part at concerts in German, so she didn’t miss the chance to try playing the unexpected giant lyra. Laugh- with a Happy Mood And in my Happy Mood… I had this de javu!!! The very first time I met Nikos Papalexakis. It was about 2006 when Greece won the Eurovision Contest with “My Number One” and Elena Paparizou… You remember the music theme with lyra on the European stage?… made by the hands of Nikos Papalexakis from Rethimno! And then I whisper inside me Live – with Inspiration Love – with Simplicity Laugh- with a Happy Mood… and somehow this will bring a brilliant idea, an astonishing idea “USE YOUR BRAINS”, a better day to start, a faboulous October to happen… Shall we? Be my guest guys!!!
CHANIA POST
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, Niki Voulgarakis, Antonia Tsakirakis, Costas Nitse, Christos Panagopoulos. Advertising: Chania Post, 73, El. Venizelou str., Chania Tel. +30 6977295075 DTP: FTP Publications Printed in:
CHANIA POST... on the go
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.
Chania... monthly shot
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editorial
(by Pavlos Mpouzis)
• What will they do for our every day life problems? • What about Municipal Cleaning Service? • Is there a plan for next year’s tourist season?
The Mayors... answer!
ANASTASIOS VAMVOUKAS Mayor of Chania The biggest problem in Chania is traffic jam and the lack of parking spaces. What are you planning to do? Traffic jam and lack of parking spaces are two different sides of the same coin. I agree that this is one of the most severe problems in Chania. During the local elections period, I made a clear commitment that the municipality of Chania will proceed to several initiatives in order to control this problem. It’s still one of the major priorities for me and the municipal team therefore, we intend to propose a number of solutions. The new urban planning especially for the city center, the construction of new public parking infrastructures together with the private ones, the strengthening and rescheduling of the public transportation system and the cycling promotion are some of the initiatives we are going to take in the next period. The Municipality has other five municipal units (Akrotiri, Keramia, Kidonia, Souda, Therisso), having major problems, such as cleanliness and citizens everyday life. What are your intensions? First of all, we intend to change the whole existing model of municipal intervention for resolving problems of the local communities. The citizens of Therisso or Keramia for example will not be alone anymore as far as concern their everyday life issues. Apart from our strong political will, I have given specific instructions to the municipal services and our municipal team to keep a day to day run procedure and stay close to all local communities. Some days ago, we had our first meeting with all the members of the local councils and we coordinate our actions and put the first priorities. We all know that it’s not an easy task but we have the will to succeed.
Τourist product of Platanias, along with its agricultural products, are the most significant financial shafts of the Municipality. How are you planning to assist them? The history, culture and civilization of Platanias is inextricably linked. These pillars have always been the local agricultural products which are an integral part of the internationally recognized for its comparative advantages, Cretan Diet. The consumption of local agricultural products in the hotels of the Municipality can be a very strong tourist attraction, thus creating a new form of tourism: visitors, who come to platania not to live there for some days not but also to “taste” it. Undoubtedly, this can be a powerful marketing tool if used properly, providing important benefits of dynamic linking our primary production to tourism. There are a lot of public works on the way, especially at the seafront from Kolimbari to Platanias. When will be completed? The pavements between Gerani – Maleme will be completed till the end of 2016. The pavements between Platanias village – Agia Marina will be completed till the end of 2016 The pavements between Platanias village, Gerani are already completed. The pavements between Kolymbari – Maleme are planned about the next period. THEODOROS STATHAKIS Mayor of Kissamos Kissamos used to be the western “gate” of Crete. There is a major problem with the ferry link to the Peloponnese? What are your intensions? We strongly believe, as Municipal Authority of Kissamos, that the ferry link from Kastelli to Peloponnese and the islands of Kythera and Antikythera is a crucial prerequisite for the development of Kissamos but also for a large
section of southwestern Greece, given that the Port of Kastelli, in conjunction with the “Ionian Highway”, is the western gate of Crete with Europe. It’s obvious that we are totally opposed to any action or attempt of abolition this maritime line, as something like this will cause serious problems, not only in the movement of people and goods but will also bring a huge damage to local economies and development prospects of the mentioned areas. Our priority, as Municipality of Kissamos, is to assert and to ensure, not only the operation of this ferry line but also its enhancement, by upgrading the infrastructure of the port, which actually is responsibility of Harbour Management Organisation of Chania. In this context, it’s crucial for the Port of Kastelli to be classified, at last, as National Importance Port (connection gate of Ionian Highway and Trans-European Network), in order the necessary infrastructure projects may be eligible to receive funding through EU Structural Funds. Moreover, we consider that it’s time to be promoted the construction of a new marina in the area of Kissamos as provided by the development plan of the port.
The Municipality of Kissamos covers a large area, including Elafonissi and Balos. Are there any plans for the next 5 years for those two impressive tourist destinations? As you know, Balos and Elafonisi are two of the most striking areas in Greece which are protected under the Natura 2000 network. As top tourist destinations, both beaches attract thousands of visitors every year. Due to this large number of visitors, both areas face several problems related to the management and protection of the environment. Our primary goal, as municipal authority, is to ensure the environmental sustainability and protection of Balos and Elafonisi by implementing a new integrated management plan of these areas with the collaboration of all relevant local authorities and stakeholders. Especially for the beach of Elafonisi, the necessary interventions will take place in collaboration with the Municipality of Kantanou -Selinou which is the co-competent Municipality, responsible for the management of the above area.
PAVLOS POLAKIS Mayor of Sfakia
People say that “a winning team never changes”. It is generally accepted that the Municipality of Sfakia has changed. It is also known that you are never satisfied and you always want to do something new. So, what are your plans for the next for more news click on 5 years? http://chaniapost.gr We certainly continue with the backbone of our municipal “team” since the 2011. But there are also newly elected young people. Don’t forget that citizens of Sfakia recognize what we have done for the last three years and voted for us, getting an historically high rate of 96.5%. The major objectives of the next period are summarized as follows - continuation and expansion of social infrastructure that we have created, such as Public Primary Course, Municipal Open University, full operation of the Regional Health Center of Sfakia by recruiting permanent medical and other staff, continuation of the program “Help at Home” - completion of the redevelopment program to all settlements of the Municipality - completion of all biological treatment plant effluent needed by our municipalities (ac Roumeli, Loutro, Sfakia, Fragokastello) (cont. on p. 4)
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we posed some specific questions to the newly elected Mayors of Chania Prefecture. Here are their answers...
GIANNIS MALANDRAKIS Mayor of Platanias
in the spotlight
In September’s issue of Chania Post,
- reconstruction and rehabilitation in the form as the Turkish occupation of the Venetian fortress of Fragokastello, in order to have a military museum and organize cultural events - construction of large reservoirs of 750 acres on the plateau of Askifou, to support the productive reconstruction of our country - expansion of the port of Sfakia and the extension of the existing piers at Agia Roumeli, marinas and port construction in the western part of the bay of Agia Roumeli which will finally resolve the issue of traffic in the area. ANTONIS PERAKIS Mayor of Kandanos-Selino The most significant problem is the overcrowding in Palaochora, even though the Municipality of Kandanos-Selino covers a large area. Are there an yplans for the development of the inland and especially to simplify every day life of citizens?
We know that our country is facing a severe economic crisis. The Local Government (municipalities) is requested to carry out a five-year program by reporting both to the central government and the citizens! It is a very difficult try for us! But hopefully, with hard work, unity, solidarity and mobilization of all, we
For the last two weeks, we have been
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news & articles
by Chris Panagopoulos Ermocratis.com
bearing witness of several road accidents either in or outside of Chania. The latest incident occurred in the city’s center, with a 70-year-old man being trampled to death by a 38-year-old motorcyclist, who then abandoned his victim helpless, with the former having sustained fatal wounds. I keep wondering myself: is it the tree or the forest, which makes the difference? Is it a national road link’s quality that matters the most or is it our driving behavior that needs to change radically?
will be able to solve chronic problems of our country and to give impetus to development projects which will contribute to the development of our municipality and especially to the development of the hinterland. Our municipality has rich environmental and cultural heritage! Beautiful beaches, beautiful mountains, beautiful gorges, wonderful scattered historical monuments (many ancient cities like Elyros, Hyrtakina, Lissos, Vienna, Syia, Kalamidi, Kandanos, Pikilassos, Doulopolis). Moreover, the Venetian fortress in Paleochora, Byzantine churches with frescoes of leading painters such as Pagomenos and El Greco) and also agriculture, livestock and fishery. Our main concern is to protect the environment, the protection and enhancement of the antiquities of our municipality, improvement of roads, the upgrading of health benefits of the Health Centre Kantanos and regional clinics, improving school buildings and students transportation! We need that coordination and cooperation for a joint action plan of all authorities of our area (scientific associations, cultural associations, business associations) aiming to... all problems are our problems and solutions are a benefit for all! The key factor in the development of a region is economy. Employment growth in these areas is a priority for us. Along with the upgrade of the quality of life, we believe that we will contribute to the
wellbeing of residents and demographic stabilization of these areas. CHARALAMBOS KOUKIANAKIS Mayor ofApokoronas A few years ago, almost all tourists were choosing Apokoronas -and especially Kalives- for their summer vacation. Today, on the contrary, Apokoronas has a major problem to attract tourists. What are you planning to do? This year there were a lot of tourists in Apokoronas especially during August. Apokoronas however needs more than an increase in the number visitors, it needs to look for ways of opening up new areas of tourism that will bring lasting and sustainable benefits to the economy of Apokoronas. So, we are looking at developing alternative tourism opportunities at Kournas Lake to host water sports events, getting a Blue Flag for every beach in Apokoronas, and developing an artificial reef to increase fish production and open opportunities for diving tourism are all part of our plan towards attracting tourism in Apokoronas. We also aim to create nature trails and thematic tourism opportunities. As for Kalyves, we have already set in motion an upgrade of the fishing ports of Kalyves, Almyrida and Georgioupolis. In Kalyves the upgrade includes dredging the port, replacing the bollards, new benches and waste bins along the quayside. It will also include resurfacing the North Quay and building a new wall across its length. The planned work is part of the wider plan
An unlearned code of conduct
Alcohol and speed mix up in a very dangerous combination; in the end, the very thing we should protect the most, apart from our lives, is focused in one word: respect. It is a fact: we Greeks like to show off; it’s either our “brand new car” or the new perfect spoiler or exhaust, we like to throw a show for our friends, colleagues and neighbors. “Do you know to whom are you talking to? Do you know who I am?” (Greek word “μαγκιά” – pronounced maghiá, a two-bit hero). Of course, I know who you are! You are my
neighbor, my friend, my colleague. But, above all, you might be the next victim, for Heaven’s sake! It is you, who likes to brag, while drinking coffee with your friends, that you bribed the x or y official to give you the driving license. It is also you, who honks every time at the very first second the light gets green to the driver in front of you, never respecting driving priority, making extremely dangerous manoeuvers. “Who gives a damn about the others? Why should I care?” you keep mumbling but don’t know when
to improve the infrastructure of Kalyves and to upgrade the fishing port facilities offering a safer and more pleasant experience to visitors and fishermen alike. We have also appointed deputy mayor to promote tourism, set up of a committee for tourist development and plan to open a municipal tourist office in Apokoronas. Many people from other countries have chosen to live in Apokoronas. They have much to offer. How do you think these people will come closer to the new Mayor and propose him a plan for their every day life in the villages of Apokoronas? I have always said that we owe a lot to European and third countries residents who chose to live in Apokoronas. We appreciate their contribution so far and hope that they can contribute more in the future. For that reason we have appointed a liaison officer to improve access to services and open new channels of communication and a new platform for considering suggestions and ideas from European residents. Waste collection has run into some problems last summer in some parts of Apokoronas at the peak of the visitor season. We took over the running of the council on 1st September and we have already started the clean up. Earlier in the month residents would have noticed council workers collecting plastic bags and bottles and other rubbish along the banks of the Vryses to Kalyves road. That was only the beginning of our clean-up plan. We are aware that the problems with rubbish can damage the image of Apokoronas and we intend to continue to make every effort to keep Apokoronas free of rubbish.
the “darkest hour” will come to you. Being polite, acting and, moreover, driving with respect to other drivers, with whom we share the same asphalt road doesn’t cost a thing; in fact it costs more to end up in a hospital with severe wounds, not to mention something worse than that. We need to change our code of conduct; we must unlearn and learn again from the beginning to respect the Highway Code. The latter should be taught from the primary school. As for the benefit? Well, just hold on a moment and think about it…
If I were to classify the local people
of a certain age I meet in Crete in terms of their relationship to the past, I would say there are two types: the ‘story tellers’, delightful people who do not miss an opportunity to tell you a story, embellished with colourful historical detail about an event or a character from their youth, and the ‘amnesiacs’, those who find that life in the past was so hard that they want to forget it; consequently, they have suppressed their memories and cleared their homes of all reminders of their past. “Why would you want to know all that? Life was hard then,” they say as they offer you another glass of tsikoudia. They don’t even want to talk about their own youth, the way they travelled to school and, for some reason, they particularly avoid talking about life in the sixties. It is worth noting, however, that often the loss of memory is in direct correlation with how closely the stranger-listener is linked to the place, event or people to which the story relates. The Cretans are a naturally reserved people who, as a result of many years of occupation, have had instilled into them the principle of avoiding careless talk. And you do not need to hang around the local kafeneion to meet a ‘story teller’… Taking advantage of the low air fares in late September, I went for a brief visit to Athens to see my last surviving relatives. Two days and nights of traffic noise, congestion and pollution and people yelling at each other at all hours of the day and night were enough to satisfy my nostalgia and I was soon on my way back to Crete. The short flight home to Crete lasts around 35 minutes and on the few occasions in the past that I have flown to Crete from Athens, I spent my time in an empty row of seats looking out of the window. This time, however, there was another passenger in my row - a small, wiry, clean-shaven elderly gentleman with thick, neatly cropped white hair who arrived holding his boarding pass
news & articles
by Giannis Xamonakis apokoronasnews.gr
“The story teller and progress” and a large holdall. After a short struggle with his hand luggage, he took off his suit jacket and placed it neatly in the empty seat between us. “I don’t think anyone else is expected here?” he half asked, smiling, and cheerfully introduced himself as Vangelis, who was returning from a visit to his daughter in Athens. He was a natural ‘story teller’. He had recently retired from his teaching job in Chania “just at the right time” and moved to the family home in Apokoronas. Now he spent his time visiting his children in Athens and working on the family plot, neglected after so many years of living and working in the city. “It’s a small plot,” he said, “as most of the land was sold decades ago in the sixties, for a handful of drachmas.” No, he had no desire to travel, he had lived all his life in Crete and with the exception of his years at university in Athens and the few visits to see the grandchildren, he had no desire to go anywhere else. “Crete,” he said, “is my home. I ask for nothing more.” It would seem Vangelis is a man who thinks that the modern way of life, ‘progress’, has eroded the traditional values that people lived by in the old days. Prompted by my questions, he described how life used to be when he was a boy, when he had to walk miles to school and all the children behaved themselves and had respect for their teachers. He talked about progress in the way people travel and confessed that even though he was a frequent flyer, he had never been on a big intercity train. In the past, he had used the ferries but now, he said, flying was quicker and easier - one of the changes, along with better toilet facilities, that Vangelis conceded was life-improving and, therefore, a positive aspect of progress. He recalled his earliest memories of travel, in the back of a war-time British army Bedford QLD truck – there were several of them still in use, he said, even though the war had been over for nearly twenty years, and every boy had admired them at some point as there were
not many cars around. That particular truck was owned by his uncle, who, in the sixties, was in the business of moving goods unloaded at the port of Souda to their inland destinations. Vangelis went on to describe how elegant his mother looked coming down the accommodation ladder of the passenger ferry at Souda, in her double-breasted coat she had made herself from British herringbone wool, when he, his father and uncle collected her and her father – Vangelis’s grandfather. I tried to imagine the scene in sepia monochrome. At that time, passengers were lucky to come off the steamer on to dry land as often they had to be ferried ashore by rowing boats, he said. It was not until the SS Heraklion disaster, a cargo ship converted to carry passengers and lorries, which came into service in 1964 and sank in December 1966 shortly after leaving Souda in a 9 Beaufort gale with the loss of 200 people, that the port was enlarged and ferries started to come in line with modern safety standards and specifications. To have anything done in this country, Vangelis added, you need a major disaster first. A reflective pause and Vangelis was ready for his conclusion. He tried to pinpoint a time: “Things started to go wrong when everyone got their own car,” he began; but then came the warning ping for the descent and beneath us the lights of the airport. Vangelis stopped talking, either because of landing nerves or the excitement of returning home. I asked him where he lived, a village near me – what a coincidence – and no, he didn’t need a lift, his nephew was waiting to collect him. Time to disembark so we say our goodbyes and I accept the offer to visit him and look at his old photos. The drive home takes a little longer than the flight from Athens. Quiet roads, unpredictable driver behaviour, speed cameras. I drive slowly to avoid potholes and strain my eyes to see the road in the inadequate street lighting.
Famous singer Sakis Rouvas wearing a traditional Cretan costume
Famous Greek singer Sakis Rouvas and mod-
el-actress Katia Zygouli baptized their daughter on Sunday, Sep 21, in a ceremony that was held at UNESCO advocate Marianna Vardinoyannis’ house at the small port town of Ermioni. Mrs. Marianna Vardinoyannis, the Godmother, named the child Ariadne, as the mythical person who helped Theseas to kill the Minotaur of Crete and get out of the Labyrinth. Sakis Rouvas was wearing a traditional Cretan costume and danced along with dancers from Traditional Cretan Dancing Group of Asi Gonia.
A Cretan translator who speaks 32 languages fluently! Ioannis Ikonomou learned English at five!
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Greek translator Ioannis Ikonomou is one of
the few people around the world -maybe even the only one- that has mastered 32 languages and can speak them fluently. The 49-year-old from Crete, currently working at the European Commission, learned English at five, German at seven and Italian before he turned ten. And he hasn’t stopped since… Ikonomou speaks 21 of the total of 24 official EU languages. “I forgot my Lithuanian, and I didn’t have time for Gaelic or Maltese.” He understands not only modern languages, but also various old ones — Latin, of course, but also
Old English, Mayan, Old Irish and Old Iranian. Ikonomou wrote his Harvard dissertation on a text by the prophet Zarathustra written in Avestan, a form of Old Iranian. The translator says that his love for learning new languages began at an early age and probably out of curiosity. “My friends all listened to the same Greek songs and ate souvlaki,” he told Die Welt and added “But I wanted to get away from souvlaki, from my culture, from my roots. I was the opposite of Odysseus.” Die Welt
The road takes me through Kalyves, one of the larger villages in Apokoronas which also carries the distinction of being the first village in Apokoronas to get electricity, in 1928. Even though there are no visible signs of the Venetian origins of the place, its main street was planned at a time when there were very few cars on the road. In many parts, it can hardly accommodate two cars side by side, and that is after most of the pavement area has become part of the road surface. So the drive through Kalyves can be quite trying, even at this time of the year when there are fewer rental cars on the road. The situation is made worse by inconsiderate parking, delivery vans and tourist coaches trying to squeeze through the village, competing for road space with pedestrians. I think of Vangelis’s last comment. Is this progress? I ask myself. And as I wait for the driver of the pick-up truck blocking my way to return with his takeaway gyros, parked just opposite a delivery van that does not appear to be delivering anything, I have the time to give myself an answer. Kalyves is not the only old town to have traffic going through it. Other places manage by imposing parking restrictions, setting up pedestrian-only zones, diverting traffic and restricting the hours of goods’ deliveries. And even using park-andride schemes during the busy summer months. Perhaps a public consultation and an awareness campaign are needed, backed up by gentle law enforcement where necessary. Unfortunately, those with the power to implement a solution to what is considered by all residents, shopkeepers and visitors to be a problem in Kalyves, are a bit slow to catch up with the times. Or they hope that the traffic problem will go away if ignored for long enough. Unfortunately ’progress’ does not come packaged with its own solutions to the problems it presents. But we can always find solutions if we try. In the meantime, we should be thankful that no one is really in a hurry to be somewhere by a specific time….
Cretan scientists stunned everyone in East Asia
S
FORTH gets three awards at 2014 Taiwan IIST
cientists of FORTH (Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas), based in Heraklion, got three awards in 2014 International Invention Show & Technomart in Taiwan. They presented three interactive platforms (described below) and impressed everyone in the show. Asian businessmen and mass media have shown their interest for Greek high tech inventions. There were more than 600 exhibitors from 22 countries, preon senting more than 2.000 ck cli ws ne e or for m r .g inventions. st po ia an ch http:// iEAT… AN INTERACTIVE RESTAURANT TABLE iEat is an innovative smart restaurant table that aims at enhancing restaurant customers’ experience in terms of entertainment, socialization, food selection and ordering, providing the users with natural interaction with the table itself, as well as with physical objects placed upon its surface. User interaction is supported through moving or placing plates on the table, as well as through infrared lightpens, which are stylus-shaped, LED-based, infrared light (IR) emitters. Selecting dishes and ordering Customers can explore the restaurant menu: dish thumbnails of the selected menu category are displayed around the empty dish which is nearest to the customer. The option for ordering the plate is also readily available. The order list summarizes all the dishes that have been added by the two diners, providing facilities for removing a dish from the list, view more details for a particular dish, order a specific dish and order all the dishes in the list.
news & articles
Playing The iEat table features interactive games played using the empty plates and the lightpens. In the current prototype, a breakout type game has been developed. Decorating and Communicating The iEat table supports facilities for decorating the table surface, through a library of alternative virtual backgrounds (tablecloths), as well as highly customizable drawing toolset. Users are able to post their drawings to their Facebook and Twitter accounts. Target Domains iEat addresses the food and beverage domain, providing a unique experience to restaurant, cafeteria, and bar customers. INTERACTIVE WALL The Interactive Wall supports games that can played by one, two or more players simultaneously, using their entire body, in a space of about 3 x 3 m
and advertising tool (i.e., “advergaming”) targeted to public spaces, exhibitions and points of sale. Up to now it has been installed in 7 large public exhibitions, 2 airports and 2 ports in Greece. Furthermore, the system can support active, fun educational activities for all ages. An educational version of the game, where players have to differentiate among old (i.e., museum items) and contemporary objects, is currently being installed at a museum in Chania, Greece.
Target Applications The system is a very effective marketing
INTERACTIVE DOCUMENTS The interactive documents system
New route to Heraklion from British Airways
New routes from Gatwick airport
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comprising a large projection area. Players control the game using their “virtual” shadows which are projected on the screen and follow their body movements. The rationale for using the players’ shadow is two-fold. On the one hand, it is easier for people, especially “non game-players”, to identify their shadow rather than an avatar, thus achieving a higher level of control and immersion. On the other hand, this approach allows for maximum flexibility regarding the number, posture and size of players, as well instantly joining and leaving the game, thus maximizing the opportunities for social interaction. Players have to use their shadows to direct specific items in (e.g., products) or away from (e.g., garbage) their baskets. Also, in some game variations players may also have to put different items in each different basket. During the game, the players get photographed by the system. At the end of the game a small printer prints out a voucher containing score information, a web address from which players can download their game photos as well as information about items for gifts or promotions earned during the game. In some, in installations an additional touch screen is also used as a means of seeing and immediately sending the photos to an e-mail address. An app version of the “Interactive wall” system is also available for Android, iOS, and Windows 8 mobile devices (smartphones and tablets).
to Heraklion and Rhodes schedules British Airways for next summer. The British airliner also schedules new flights to Bodrum and Dalaman, Turkey and Cagliari in Sardinia, Italy.
In addition, from March 2015, B.A. starts flights to Seville-Spain, Funchal/ Madeira-Portugal and Las Palmas on the island of Gran Canaria-Spain. Booking has already started since Thursday, September 25.
Additional Information Up to now the game has been installed in numerous events and public spaces and has been experienced by more than 5.000 distinct players with ages ranging from 2 to 78 years old. Permanent public installations: • Heraklion Airport • Heraklion Port • Chania Airport • Chania Port • Residence of Eleftherios Venizelos, Chania Temporary public installations: • Metro, Syntagma Station, Athens • “Tastes & Life” Exhibition, Zapeion Megaron, Athens • Athens Plaython, Gazi, Athens • El. Venizelos Exhibition Centre, Αthens • “Crete, The Great Meeting”, Tae Kwon Do Center, Athens • World Tourism Day 2013, Eleftheria Square, Heraklion, Crete
augments printed documents that are placed upon a surface (e.g., a plain table) with multimedia content and interactive applications. Such content is dynamically displayed in augmentation to the currently open page of the document, and is aligned in real-time with its 2D orientation upon the table surface. In more details, physical documents become interactive, as soon as they are placed upon the table surface, while users can select any of the interactive hotspot areas of the document in order to view related multimedia content (e.g., images or videos) or deploy interactive applications. Interaction with the documents, the provided multimedia content and applications is achieved using touch. Temporary public installation: ITB Berlin 2014 Target Domains “Interactive documents” is a versatile system that can accommodate various applications from different domains. Indicatively, it can be a useful educational tool for primary, secondary and life-long learning, augmenting books with complementary multimedia information, and providing interactive playful exercises related to the open book page’s content. Another application domain is commerce and marketing. In more details, printed advertising material can be enhanced with multimedia information and interactive applications that aim to provide better comprehension of the promoted product to the customers.
Speed cameras… on target, all over Crete!
Four speed cameras in Heraklion,
two in Lassithi and one in Chania have been destroyed so far on the National Road. As creteplus.gr reports, two speed cameras at Kokkini Hani are the last…
“victims” of fury, by unknown people who shot them! This new incident was added to many that have been made since the first time it was announced that the cameras are switched on.
Kazantzakis “For Sale” house caused a commotion
French real estate agency sells the house of N. Kazantzakis in Antibes
A real estate agency in France is
istry of Culture, in an effort to buy the house of one of the biggest litetary writers in Greece. President of the International Friends Union “Nikos Kazantzakis” contacted and informed the Museum director of “Nikos Kazantzakis” of the unpleasant situation. The Union president Mr. Michalis Sinatsakis will first visit the French town and will contact the real estate agency and after he will visit the Greek consulate in Marseilles.
about to sell the house of Nikos Kazantzakis in Antibes. The starting price is 540.000 euros. After his death, his wife Helen sold the house. Now, the owners want to resell it. A fan of Nikos Kazantzakis visited Antibes a few days ago and informed the Municipality of Heraklion. Deputy Mayor of Heraklion, Mrs. Aristea Plevris, also informed the Min-
Two hotels in Crete among the nominees at the 1st Annual World Golf Awards
The list of nominees for the 1st an-
nual World Golf Awards, the only global initiative to recognize, reward and celebrate excellence in the golf hospitality industry, includes seven Greek Hotels and golf courses that compete in two different categories. It should be noted that this initiative is part of World Travel Awards, which is heralded as “the Oscars of the travel industry”. “We made the decision to launch World Golf Awards in reaction to overwhelming demand from the golf industry for a program that was fair and transparent,“ said Chris Frost, Managing Director of the World Golf Awards. Awards will be made across a range of categories during the red carpet event, with leading golf tourism destinations competing for titles including Best
• •
Course, Porto Carras Grand Resort – Olive Grove Course and The Crete Golf Club.
Nominees for Greece’s for more news click on http://chaniapost.gr Best Golf Hotel 2014 • Porto Carras Grand Resort, • Porto Elounda Golf & Spa Resort, • The Romanos Resort, Costa Navarino and • The Westin Resort Costa Navarino. Golf Resort, Best Golf Course, Best Golf Tour Operator, and Best New Golf Course. The World Golf Awards 2014 event will take place at the Conrad Algarve, Portugal, from November 13th16th. Take a look at the list of Greek
nominees below. Nominees for Greece’s Best Golf Course 2014 • Corfu Golf Club, • Costa Navarino Golf – The Dunes
There are now just four weeks remaining for voters to cast their ballots, as voting for the event closes on October 2nd, with World Golf Awards urging supporters to make their voices heard.
Archaeologist launching book about British navy ships sunk in Crete on November 27. The TLC vessels were commissioned by Winston Churchill in 1940 for combined military operations. Mr Bendon’s research involved countless hours of trawling through official war documents to learn more about why the boats were built and the role they played in the war effort. “They were secret ships and listed as minor vessels so they didn’t have logbooks,” he said. “In the official histories they are virtually overlooked, so it was hard to iden-
tify individual crafts and crew members.” As part of his research into the boats, Mr Bendon interviewed the captain of TLC A6 John Digby Sutton. Mr Bendon said what started as a passion project had become his life’s work. “I like WWII because it’s more of a tangible time period for me and I want to be able to share this knowledge with future generations, who will be carrying on the legacy.” For more about Mr Bendon and his book visit forgottenflotilla.com.
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for a lunchtime dip while working in Crete has led to the startling discovery of two ships which played a pivotal role in saving Australian World War II diggers. Mr Bendon, of Rhodes, said he stumbled upon the sunken ships while working in Crete six years ago. “I was working with a friend on the land and we used to go swimming at lunch times,” he said. “We swam over the wreck and I asked my friend about it, who thought it was
from WWII. I did a bit of research and found out two boats were still listed as lost by the British.” The two tank landing craft (TLC) vessels — which had no names — were used to evacuate around 2500 Australian and New Zealand troops from Souda Bay in 1941. He has published the book called The Forgotten Flotilla, which provides a detailed history on two prototype British ships that were sunk in 1941 in the Battle of Crete during World War II. Sydney University will launch the book
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Archaelogist Michael Bendon’s love
Both aquariums of Crete among the best in the world
Visitors
on for more news click .eu st po ia an http://ch
to Greece may be more accustomed to seeing sea life with the use of a mask and snorkel,
but for a visit to a world-class aquarium one could do far worse than take a trip to Crete. The island hosts two of the top 25
Huffington Post to open Greek page on November 20
Huffington
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Post, the successful American online news aggregator will launch this fall in Greece, according to an article published by the Wall Street Journal. Huffington Post CEO Jimmy Maymann told the WSJ that Greece was an obvious next step for expansion, as there are signs of a turnaround in Greece following its economic collapse. “We’ve already launched in the five big markets in Europe and we hope that HuffPost can be a platform to start conversations about how to rebuild the economy,” Mr. Maymann underlined. Arianna Huffington, is a Greek-American author and columnist is the president and editor in chief of Huffington Post Media Group. Regarding the expansion, she told the
WSJ that ever since the Group decided to expand globally, she has wanted HuffPost to come to Greece especially given the challenging times Greece has been going through. “However, but we wanted to do it in a way that made sense from a business point of view,” Ms. Huffington underlined, adding that for her, it’s the ultimate homecoming. 24Media, a large digital media company based in Athens will contribute to the management of the Greek site. The Huffington Post began to expand overseas in 2011. It began with HuffPost Canada and HuffPost U.K and the site continued expanding through partnerships into France, Spain and Italy, the following year. In 2013, it created editions for Japan, Germany and North Africa and in 2014 it expanded into Brazil and Korea. According to data released by the site, 49% of its global traffic now comes from outside the U.S.
aquariums world-wide according to the popular tourist ratings site Tripadvisor, which recently released its 2014 Traveler’s Choice Awards, drawing on millions of customer reviews. Aquaworld Aquarium, located in Hersonissos came in 6th place worldwide, beating out other world famous aquariums such as the Vancouver Aquarium (8th place) and the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland (12th place). Slightly further down the rankings is the Irakleio Aquarium in 14th place. The aquariums are not the only watery top destinations in Greece however, according to Tripadvisor. The country also boasts several of the top 25 water parks in Europe.
A
Splash Fun in Tsilivi on the island of Zakynthos and Star Beach, in Hersonissos, Crete are ranked 13th and 17th respectively while Aqualand in Corfu also made the European list, coming in 20th place. Acqua Plus, also in Hersonissos, squeaks in the European ‘best of ’ list at 23rd. But topping the rankings in the category for Greece is Water Park in Faliraki, Rhodes which was ranked the 4th best in Europe and 18th best in the World. More traditional Greek attractions also rub shoulders with the best in the world in other categories. Elafonisi in Crete is ranked as the 17th best beach on the planet.
Aegean, Ionian and Cretan Sea… the “cemetery” of warplanes
historic treasure lies down at the bottom of the sea around Crete, but also in Aegean and Ionian sea. Warplanes from World War II have been found almost everywhere in Greek sea. A group of scientists and researchers created a unique web site (www.aviationarchaeology.gr), with stunning photos and videos. What has been found so far: • Junkers – Ju52, Kea • Junkers – Ju52, Faliro • Junkers – Ju52, Leros • Junkers – Ju52, Kos • Junkers – Ju87 “STUKA”, Antikira • Junkers – Ju88, Gulf of Patras • Junkers – Ju88, Psathoura, Sporades • Messerschmitt – Bf109, Souda, Crete • Messerschmitt – Bf109, Maleme, Crete • Messerschmitt – Bf109,
• • • • • • • • • •
Heraklion, Crete Arado – Ar196, Iraklia Savoia Marchetti – SM79, Poros Bristol Beaufighter, Limeni, Lakonia Bristol Beaufighter, Ithaca Bristol Beaufighter, Naxos Bristol Beaufighter, Sitia, Crete Bristol Beaufighter, Kardamili, Messinia Bristol Beaufighter, Fiscardo, Kefallonia Vickers Wellington, Sifnos Β-24 Liberator, Corfu
From the United Europe to a divided series of financial zones?
The unprecedented economic crisis
in Greece has stood rise to numerous comments, analyzes, reviews, criticism, but proposals to tackle global reach. We all now accept our sinful past: tax evasion, smuggling, kickbacks, fake statistics, client state, dissolution of the productive fabric... There is no doubt, mistakes must be paid but surely not in an unevenly way. “Mom Europe” as a conscientious mother, scolded us, has been punishing us six years now… Europe is wagging her finger towards us enforcing policies that raise unemployment, poverty and suicides. We patiently endure our punishment because are convinced on we have the blame, but ck cli for more news we can’t stop wonder.eu st po http://chania ing… Is it possible that “mom” Europe is itself a mechanism set by our traditionally “strong” partners?
by Katerina Polizou NEA TV Journalist
The armament supplies, telecommunications and other sort of ‘goods’, were very much a product of pressure and bribery? Did «mother» stop us from lying? Was there a rejection when we gave corrupted data, or perhaps Europe silently approved our methods? The foundations of a family are built by the parents. They are the ones teaching the principles and ethos… Otherwise, their share of guilt is much heavier. The foundations of the EU were loose. Nothing but an unregulated structure. Despite the efforts of so many years through the established institutions, Europe has lost the real meaning of «Union» and appears today as a broken mechanism rather than as an entity. The crisis in the countries of the South
and much more in Greece highlighted the weaknesses and structural problems within the EU. The purpose of the EU was the economic and political union of member states. Neither one nor the other was achieved as evidenced by history. The adoption of a common currency and open borders for the free movement of goods, services and factors of production should be the bases and not
the outcome of the EU. We, the Europeans, should have never forgotten precious solidarity and human values. Nowadays, the individual interest outweighs the total, the design of any policy response to the crisis we find that based on the specific interests of particular leader and German Chancellor Merkel, only seeking better ways to impose a new hegemony on the continent. Europe was not only unprepared to deal with the global crises… It was set wrong… Greece, through the suffering that exists, has a historic opportunity ahead: to shake off the bad in their past and build a new solid foundation for its reconstruction, but not on the ruins of a powerless and bankrupt society. Europe on the other hand, has its last historic opportunity to leave behind its daemons and move towards a united, strong EU in terms of real social, political and economic union.
It was presented in ExpoCreta at the International Exhibition Center
Cretan students made the “Car of the Future”
The first electric car charged by a
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uHydrogen Fuel cells Stack was made by students and teachers of the 6th Vocational School of Heraklion. It was presented in ExpoCreta at the International Exhibition Center of Crete in Gournes, Heraklion. The project took a whole year to be made, while there was a financial support by the Municipality of Heraklion. The car of the future is a Smart for Two, which does not consume fuel (petrol or diesel) that pollute the environment. Instead of the conventional tank, the car has an electric socket for charging. The innovation consists at the fuel cell unit, constructed by students and teachers, which charges the electric car. This unit gives full autonomy for the car to run multiple distances than the ones indicated from the factory. This unit is a complete system of Elec-
tronic and Electro-mechanical control of all security systems, as well as an integrated navigation system which can communicate with local and remote mobile devices, transferring data and operational data via internet. The fuel used is hydrogen, which is stored in two bottled metal hydrides. The electrical charge of the car is achieved through the fuel cell and a modified Inverter DC/AC. Factory features – Electric Power: 35–55 kWatt, – Torque: 130 Nm – Max RPM: 12.000 RPM. – Consumption: 15 kWh/100 km – Max Speed: 125 km/h – Acceleration: 0 – 60 km/h in 5 secs, 0-100 km/h in 12 secs – Fuel autonomy: 450 km – Power Inverter: 5 kW/230 V A.C. – Power Fuel Cell Unit: H2 5 kW/72 V
D.C. – Two botttled metal hybrides for hydrogen storage, 2×3 m3. Hydrogen used is producted after an electrolysis of water (H2O) through
Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and specifically from photovoltaic panels. Thus the system is environmentally friendly without polluting the environment.
When
Women guarding 2,300-year-old tomb revive Greek hopes
Greek archaeologists brushed away sandy soil to reveal two female statues guarding a tomb in Amphipolis this month, they put more than the 2,300-year-old town on the map. After six years of recession and belt-tightening, a country riveted by the finds from the vast circular burial mound has put funding for culture back on the agenda. Ever since Prime Minister Antonis Samaras scrambled over the site in mid-August heat, dwarfed by the 1.5-meter sphinxes at the outer entrance, speculation has swirled about whose tomb it may be: Alexander the Great, his wife Roxana or perhaps on ck cli for more news his successor Cassander. .eu st po http://chania For culture ministry officials meeting in a darkened amphitheater in Athens two weeks after Samaras’s televised tour, it didn’t really matter. The public interest, stoked by near-daily press releases and photographs, has put the ancient world back in the spotlight and thrown into sharp relief the diminishing amounts archeology and culture in general get from a shrinking pool of resources. “It doesn’t matter who’s inside,” said Lina Mendoni, the culture ministry secretary-general. “Amphipolis has already won because it has this important monument. The crisis has had its effect on cultural sponsorship. But culture, especially Greek culture, always draws the attention of people.” Europe’s austerity drive cut spending on everything from museum exhibitions to site guards. In Greece, the crisis epicenter hit by austerity measures it accepted in exchange for 240 billion euros ($311 billion) in loans, officials like Mendoni are now making the case that money for renovations, restorations, digs and exhibitions will have a knock-on effect on growth, tourism and jobs.
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‘A Necessity’ The culture ministry’s funding has been cut by half since 2010 as money has been diverted to reduce a budget gap that soared to nearly 16 percent of output. The economic downturn also shrank the pool of funds available from private donors. Foreign archaeological schools, some in Greece for centuries, have had funds cut in their home countries. Culture officials are now seeking a piece of European funds set to be distributed for the next six years. Greece has already had 730 million euros allocated for some 640 cultural projects from a previous funding program.
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All year round, you constantly ex-
pect something to come. First it’s Christmas and everything it entails (songs, spirit, presents, lights, food, unique atmosphere). Then it’s Easter when the flowers bloom in the countryside and people emerge out of their “cage”, feeling a kind of rebirth, just as nature does. Of course, there is summer too. Summer in Greece is just fabulous and includes everything: sea, excursions, relaxation, joy etc. But when summer is gone, what should
“Funding for culture is not a luxury,” Mendoni said at the August 28 seminar, citing European studies that show the cultural sector added 4.5 percent to the region’s gross domestic product, more than the car industry. “It’s a necessity.” Investments in culture are a driver for the economy, creating jobs and spurring private investments, she said.
Pantheon, Colosseum Greece hasn’t been alone in sacrificing spending on culture with a slumping economy and falling government revenue. In France — home to the Louvre
Museum and the Paris Opera — the culture budget has shrunk by 2 percent in each of the last two years. The government has started seeking donations to restore monuments such as the Pantheon in Paris in exchange for a name inscription on a door of the building. In Rome, the Italian government has opted to lure companies and private sponsors to fund works on sites such as the Colosseum, the largest amphitheater in the world. “It’s something they have to start thinking about,” said Epaminondas Farmakis, who runs Athens-based Elpis, a consultancy for donors. “When there’s austerity the almost automatic reaction is to cut funding for arts and culture.” While Mendoni was watching the caryatids coming out of the dirt of Amphipolis on the weekend of September 6, Samaras was announcing the end of Greece’s recession about 99 kilometers (61 miles) away in Thessaloniki, the city named for Alexander’s sister. Growth will return in the next quarter, he said. Samaras’s Burden While the European Commission forecasts Greece’s economy to expand 0.6 percent this year, the first annual ex-
pansion since 2007, Samaras will still need to stay the course on budget discipline and other economic reforms as he works on capping a debt load that’s about 177 percent of GDP. Samaras knows all about the cost of cuts on the arts. As culture minister in June 2009 he had to scale back a gala opening of the New Acropolis Museum, built after three decades to press Greece’s case for the British Museum to return missing sculptures from the Parthenon. Just months later George Papandreou won elections and revealed that Greece’s deficit was four times larger
SpA, the luxury footwear maker, is financing the revamp of the Colosseum and Bulgari SpA is donating money to restore the Spanish steps. “We don’t oppose private sponsorship, we are careful how the sponsor will be promoted,” said Mendoni. “They cannot put up a banner on the monument that’s being sponsored by them.”
than European Union rules, sparking a four-year crisis that shaved a quarter off national output, put 1 million Greeks out of work and called into question the survival of the euro. Greece may now need to get over its aversion to corporate sponsorships for culture, which has long been a motif.
‘Regenerate Greece’ Farmakis said he’d like to see similar moves in Amphipolis. “There doesn’t seem to be a strategic plan on what will happen with Amphipolis,” he said. “In Italy they would run scenarios on what would be found so each scenario would have a business plan associated with it.” The time for a business plan for the site was never better, given the large-scale interest in the finding. The Greek public is fascinated by the two towering female statues in intricate sleeved chitons, with long luxurious plaits resting on their shoulders and traces of red and yellow paint still visible on their feet. Archaeologists have replaced economists and politicians on talk shows and news bulletins in Greece, in an echo of the intense interest sparked by the discovery of a Roman temple in central London in 1954, which captured the imagination of war-weary Londoners. “What’s missing in Greece is hope,” said Farmakis. “It feels like endless austerity measures. In Amphipolis they see the hope of something new and untouched that could regenerate Greece.”
Corporate Sponsorships In 1992, Coca-Cola Co.’s Italian office apologized to Greece after an outcry when it adapted the Parthenon’s white marble columns to resemble a Coke bottle, part of an ad campaign that transformed European landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Tower of Pisa into Coke bottles. Greece called the advertisement an insult to the Parthenon and international culture. Tighter budgets since have made the country more accommodating. The Stoa of Attalus, rebuilt by American archaeologists with funding from the Rockefeller family in the 1950s, is now available for corporate functions. “Excessive” permit costs for sites and museums for film crews and photographers were lowered in January 2012. Still, Greece has yet to embrace corporate sponsorships like Italy, where Tod’s
Private Money Stephen Miller, professor emeritus of classical archaeology at the University of California, Berkeley, has worked at the site of ancient Nemea since 1973 and has advocated allowing private companies to develop and protect sites. “Many archaeologists within the ministry, as opposed to those in the universities, regard it as shameful to make money from the antiquities,” said Miller, who worked briefly on the Amphipolis site in 1970. “They fail to note that their salaries depend upon those antiquities and that they themselves are making money from them.” The advantages of coordinated business planning are apparent in the New Acropolis Museum, said Farmakis. The museum has turned into the biggest draw-card among its peers in Greece, with adjacent pedestrianized roads luring tourists and locals alike to restaurants and bars, boosting the economy.
Bloomberg
Sweet October in Chania
(“Wake me up when September ends”) you expect to experience when October arrives? Well, actually, Crete (to my eyes at least) is even more beautiful in autumn. The scenery is idyllic. Clouds covering the sun rays up in the sky, beautiful colours reflecting on the surface of the blue sea, yellow leaves on the way to the countryside. Peaceful end serene landscapes, where the eyes gets lost in the distance. A feeling of serenity just when the crowds in the old harbour are only part of a memory and just few couples are
still seen wandering around to enjoy the view. The children back to their schools smelling their new books and of course the smell of the ground. The ground when it’s getting wet by the first raindrops. The sound of the first showers just when everybody seeks for a “shelter” to embrace his family. All this makes me feel that a new beginning is on the verge of the occurring. All the madness of summer is now gone and a time to readjust, take a deep breath and see life through a new
Mrs Pramateftaki Elissavet (Teacher) perspective, has now come. Perhaps it means to see the light at the end of the tunnel, look on the bright side of life, put aside all your negative thoughts and enjoy each moment as much as you can. After all, happiness is in every moment as long as you are willing to see it and experience it. Therefore, stop expecting things! Live every moment and at the end of the day you will realize that when your heart and mind is “open”, everything turns out as you have dreamed of. All your dreams can come true...
Nature Conservation Initiatives in Apokoronas
good habitat (to determine what can be done to save as much as possible) and initially to record and monitor certain species. There are two aspects to the initiatives: habitat recording and species recording. The more of the region that is recorded for habitats the better and the more data we get about species the more we can determine what is going on and what can be done to assist in their survival. We are looking for as many people as possible to assist in this project. To participate you will need a computer and if you wish to join in the habitat recording you will need to be able to access Google Earth.
required are records that are accurate. So if you are uncertain you would not add the record to your list, but what I can say is as you get involved you will be able to identify more and more. The species that are being recorded are: reptiles and amphibians, birds of prey (nocturnal and diurnal), butterflies, orchids and bee-eaters and golden orioles. The reason behind the last two is that we are trying to determine whether they breed within Apokorono. The easy aspect about these recordings is that they can be carried out at any time of year and can be made from your balcony, when out for a walk, sat in a taverna etc.
Species Recording This part of the project can be carried out all year and it is not essential for you to record every species on the list. You will need to have access to the grid system that can be used with Google Earth but this can be provided for you (by e-mail). More details will be provided (and maybe training, if necessary) if you wish to participate but the basic record consists of the date, the exact species, the grid reference of the 1 Km square and if you wish to add anything about the sighting. At regular intervals your records would be forwarded in electronic format (I do not have time to re-enter the data) by email. Do not be worried if you cannot identify every species within a group, the only records
Habitat Recording As mentioned, the main aim is initially to determine areas of high importance for Nature. You do not need to be an expert on habitats as training will be given and once you see the differences the rest will be quite easy but you will need to add the details to a map. In reality, each area (e.g. field, grove etc) consists of a code of two parts: the type of area (e.g. OG for Olive Grove) and your assessment of its importance. Unfortunately to be able to make useful recordings this process can only be carried out when there is live vegetation so is really limited to the months of December through to March/April. You may be able to record the first part of the code at any time of year but the
Summary and how to get involved The important aspect of this to consider is that you do not have to commit to a certain for more news click on amount of time and you http://chaniapost.gr can involve yourself in either or both sets of recording as and when you can. As mentioned species recording can be made at any time: I even make mental notes of owls I hear if I get woken up during the night. But the major part of habitat recording is restricted to the 4 to 5 months of the year when the vegetation is obvious. The more species records that are provided the more meaningful the results will become and the easier we will see if there is a sudden decline. It would be great to record the habitat situation in the whole of Apokoronos but the initial aim is to cover as much as possible. If you would like to or feel you can contribute to this project please e-mail me at david@artoncrete.me.uk. Similarly if you have a great interest in birds and would like to join the Hellenic Ornithological Society and maybe get involved (even outside Apokorono) please also contact me on the same address. Nature, whether in the sea, on land or in the air is under huge stress as at no other time and unless we can try and help in its survival there may not be too much left for future generations.
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organisms are, how many of them there are and whether their populations are dwindling, under threat or expanding. In the UK a large proportion of the essential recording work is carried out by thousands of volunteers and members of conservation societies. In many cases, these records stretch back decades and provide a huge amount of information that does indicate quite quickly where species are declining and maybe in certain areas. These data also provide a basis for considering where there is a need for complete conservation. Luckily for the UK, Nature societies can buy or lease land to protect species or habitats, people can leave money and / or land in their wills, local government bodies can buy and use land for conservation and areas of private land can be made SSSIs (Sites of Special Scientific Interest) by Governmental bodies restricting use of the land by the owner but protecting certain species or habitats, even underwater. About 30 years ago I was involved with the first comprehensive survey of land use in Devonshire. This work has been updated regularly since but even the first complete survey that I participated in showed that much had changed when comparing full reports with the limited information provided by maps from the 1950s (the Ordnance Survey maps, which visitors and residents of the UK know well). Here on Crete there are few data although there are detailed records for a few specific species in a few small areas. I participate in the Breeding Bird Census for the Hellenic Ornithological Society but the percentage of the island covered is quite small and the recording started only recently. The aim of the Apokoronos project is to determine how much of the area still contains
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Ithatmportant aspects of conservation need to be considered are where
by David Capon second part of the code is important for the project. This part of the project is also important, as without the right habitat species will not survive. And as you will understand as you get involved there are not too many good areas left: this will become more obvious as you see natural areas. Full training will be given and will include a walk into the countryside to see how to record and a view of good habitats to habitats that have been severely damaged.
From Crete to New Zealand
Farming couple controlling their own destinies Margery Ikonomakis’s father was born in Vrisses, Apokoronas He decided to return back to Chania after 25 years of hard work
Taranaki dairy farmers Aaron and
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Margery Snowden have shown it’s possible to buy a farm in the province without family financial backing. The couple are now in their second season on their 60-hectare, high-altitude, flat dairy farm near Tariki, where rainfall exceeds 3.5m a year. Before they bought the farm in June last year, average production was around 44,000kg milksolids (MS). Budgeting on 50,000kg MS last season, they actually bettered the farm’s best production of 52,000kg MS by alon for more news click most a third. http://chaniapost.eu “We got 70,000kg MS, 480kg MS per cow,” Aaron said. They supplemented the herd’s diet of grass and silage with 800kg palm kernel per cow. “I wanted to feed my cows properly and that’s what I did,” he said. “Once we build our equity, we’ll look at pursuing other options. Now we’re happy to be where we are. We’ll get this farm up to scratch.” Already he’s upgrading the races and fences and undertaking riparian planting on the banks of the two streams that traverse the farm. The couple didn’t quite follow the traditional pathway to farm ownership. Although they had previously been 50/50 sharemilkers, they were variable order sharemilkers when they bought the farm. So they also had to buy a 145cow herd and some farm machinery because all they had was a farm bike. After paying an average of $1200 per cow, they were satisfied with the production and empty rate of 8 per cent because some animals were unidentified. “Cows with no statistics can still be good cows. I’m always looking to improve the herd.” Margery said the farm was a stepping stone for the couple. “Unless you have parents to back you, buying a farm is difficult. We’re at the bottom end of farm ownership. “This is a small farm and maybe it’s looked on as a bit of a joke and that we’re lifestyle farmers. But we’re happy to sit here and enjoy what we’ve achieved. Getting here was tough. This is home - somewhere for the little kids to grow up.” The couple, who are both 36, have four children, Danielle 12, Joseph, 10, Karlin, 5, and Hunter 3. This season they’re looking at producing 65,000kg MS. “But it still has to be profitable. We have
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The Van Vlahakis’ Environmental
Excellence Award was established in memory of Earth Friendly Products’ late CEO, Van Vlahakis, and is open to organizations in California. The CleanTech OC, Sustainability Council of Orange County in conjunction with Earth Friendly Products, annually recognizes excellence in Environmental initiatives and Sustainability programs. The goal is to recognize outstanding
to farm it for three or four years before we know what it’s capable of. It’s a wet farm, so in the long-term we may look at a herd home,” Aaron said. As a schoolkid at Okato he used to join his father on relief milking jobs because he liked farm life. After leaving school, he worked on farms around the district and also did an automotive engineering course at what was then Taranaki Polytechnic. In 2002 when he was 22, he went to Ireland as part of a scheme that gave him a job as an assistant on what the Irish considered a large 140-cow dairy farm in Cork. When he arrived, the farmer was ill so Snowden ended up running the farm. He met Margery on a weekend visit to London and the couple returned to New Zealand early in 2002 to begin their journey towards farm ownership in Okato. At first, Aaron Snowden milled timber for his father, who used to tell his daughter-in-law her husband should be farming. Cue the coastal Taranaki grapevine and an invitation to the couple to become assistants on the farm of Bernie and Raewynne Lawn, who were looking for staff for their 420-cow farm after prospective employees unexpectedly rejected the job at the start of the 2002-03 dairy season. As a city girl who grew up in Wellington, Margery didn’t have a clue how to milk cows or how to do other farm jobs. “Bernie let Margery go in the shed and learn to milk,” Aaron said. “She learned the ropes and once she felt confident, she was able to work with me.” The Lawns allowed his wife to learn at her own pace, so the Snowdens took the opportunity to find out as much as they could about farming. Margery volunteered to help Raewynne rear calves.
“I wanted to learn, so we could do well and get good references to show the bank and to get other farm jobs. “It was a great introduction to farming and a pivotal part of our journey,” she said. While there, they began buying rental properties in town to build their equity and spent their time off doing renovations. “We went without so we could have something for our future.” After three years they were ready for a new challenge and wanted to progress in the industry, so they obtained a variable order sharemilking position on a Hawera farm with 180 cows. That was then they sold one of their rental properties so they could begin purchasing their own cows with a view to becoming 50/50 sharemilkers. “But it was hard to find a 50/50 position. Against advice, we made the mistake of taking what we could get,” she said. Although they obtained record production on that farm and completed their two-year contract, their experience there put them off farming. So they sold their cows, invested the proceeds in property and went travelling, taking their two children to Greece and Ireland before spending time in Australia with Margery Snowden’s family. “But we decided we were missing the lifestyle of farming. It was reflection time - time to think about what we wanted,” Aaron said. “Margery convinced me to go back dairy farming.” She was also missing the time her husband spent with the family because he was working in Brisbane all day. “It just wasn’t the same as being on the farm where the family could have lunch together or Aaron could take the kids eeling.”
EFP Establishes The Van Vlahakis’ Environmental Excellence Award environmental performance, programs and projects and highlight the success of businesses, organizations and agencies, who go beyond the norm to advance Environmental Initiatives and Sustainability programs and to make these examples available to others who may emulate them. One of the most successful Greek immigrants in the United States, Vlahakis was the founder and CEO of Earth Friendly Products, the largest green cleaning products manufacturer in the
world. Born in Crete on January 14, 1935, Vlahakis came to the US as a young man ready to change his life and the world; and he did. He left Greece in 1953 to escape poverty after World War II had torn apart Europe, and went to Chicago, IL to study chemistry at Roosevelt University. He was going to school in the morning and straight to work after his classes in order to make a living. The man who was forced to live in
Back in Taranaki in 2009 they obtained a variable order sharemilking position milking 330 cows on the Lepperton farm of Steve and Rose Lepper. “It was a great time for us,” Margery said. “We had four years there that were also pivotal to our journey. We had the opportunity to enjoy farming and find what we liked.” Their two younger children were born while they were working for the Leppers. All the time they had a goal of buying their own farm, but the next step of finding a 50/50 sharemilking position was difficult. “There weren’t that many 50/50 jobs available. We always wanted to progress,” Aaron said. After their earlier 50/50 sharemilking experience, they decided not to apply for a job they didn’t want. “When we were at the Lawn farm we felt we could become owners, but at Lepperton we felt the opportunity was slipping away.” Neither an equity partnership nor a move to the South Island appealed, although they acknowledged both options were great stepping stones for many would-be farm owners. As a farmer for 20 years, Aaron said he’d done a lot of capital work. “But if I was going to dig a hole or put up a fence, I wanted to do it on my own farm.” They followed up on a suggestion to investigate purchasing a farm in Northland but none of the farms on offer appealed. Eventually they decided they could afford a small farm in Taranaki, so they sold the rental houses they owned for a deposit and bought the Tariki property. Owen Mills, of First National Mills and Gibbon, said of the 46 dairy farms sold in Taranaki last season, 14 went to first farm buyers. The previous year the number was about 10. “It’s great to see younger people back in the market. It’s good for the industry.” McDonald Real Estate rural consultant Linda McIntyre sold the farm to the Snowdens and said they’d bought it without family support. “They did it on their own. They planned carefully to get themselves to the point of buying a farm and are living proof that it can be done when many people say it can’t. “Buying a farm has never been easy, but it is possible.” Fairfax NZ - Taranaki Daily News
homeless shelters when he arrived in the States, ten years later founded the green giant known today as Earth Friendly Products. Today, Earth Friendly Products is the manufacturer of the #1 selling ‘green’ laundry detergent in the world. The green giant has also been recognized as one of California’s best employers providing the highest in the nation min. wage of at least $17 an hour, among other benefits. greekreporter.com
Tribute to Nikos Kazantzakis in French Festival
“Poetry... Post”
by Niall Finn
“The world’s oldest olive tree”
The International Insular Film Fes-
tival that took place in the French island of Groix, paid tribute to Crete and Nikos Kazantzakis. The festival was essentially dedicated to the Greek islands. It included the presentation of a documentary series about Ikaria, Lesvos, Makronissos, Tilos, Sifnos and Patmos, as well as painting and photography exhibitions.
ws for more culture ne iapost.gr click on http://chan
The Greek island of Crete was a major part of five different documentaries entitled: “Gavdos. Southwards” by Anthi Daountaki, “Hippie-Hippie Matala! Matala!” by Giorgos Varelas, “Cretativity” by Manolis Kritsotakis (where various artists talk about their lives in Crete), “Sayome” by Nikos Dagiadas (which presents the story of a Japanese girl in Crete) and “The Call of the Mountain” by Stelios Apostolopoulos, which depicts the story of a
Cretan sailor returning to the island and working with his family’s herd. Meanwhile, Ross Daly gave a Cretan music concert, while the President of the International Society of Friends of Nikos Kazantzakis, George Stasinakis, talked about the author’s travels in the Cyclades and Crete, his love for his motherland and the importance of his novel “Life and Times of Alexis Zorbas,” after a screening of the Michael Kakogiannis film.
Marine archaeologists begin dive at ancient Antikythera shipwreck
An international team of archae-
ologists returned to the ancient shipwreck of Antikythera on Monday to explore it anew using a revolutionary new deep sea diving suit. The shipwreck, between Crete and the Peloponnese, is the richest ancient wreck dating back to 60-50 BC but discovered in modern times by Greek locals in the 1900s. It drew French explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s attention in 1976, but hopes for a better view of the shipwreck were renewed with the creation of a hard
metal dive suit that costs $1.5 million and allows divers to reach depths of 1,000 feet and stay underwater for more than five hours. The Exosuit was built in Canada by Nuytco research. Archaeologist Theotokis Theodoulou, involved in the venture, told AFP that the suit expands the archaeologists’ capabilities, allowing them to perform delicate tasks. “I’ll be able to grasp, pluck, clench and dig for several hours.” In 1900, sponge divers had managed to salvage the so-called Antikythera
Mechanism from the shipwreck. The 2nd-century BCE device is believed to be the world’s first analog computer. Other antiquities found were a spectacular bronz statue of a youth and other items on display at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. The Exosuit, sophisticated robot mapping equipment and new advanced closed-circuit gas rebreathers will aid divers so that more artifacts believed to be underwater can be recovered.
Acropolis Museum among the 10 best rated in the world
The Acropolis Museum in Ath-
ens, Greece is 8th on the list of the best-ranked museums in the world compiled by website TripAdvisor.
- Books - Stationery - Consumables
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culture
Popi Loupassaki-eodoraki Crossroads to Galatas Old National Road Chania-Kissamos Tel.: +30 28210 32359
The Art Institute of Chicago tops the list, while the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City is ranked the second best worldwide. The State Hermitage Museum and Winter Palace in St Petersberg appears on the third place - Office supplies - Gis on the list, followed - Photocopies by the Getty Center in Los Angeles and the Galleria dell’ Accademia in Florence.
The top-10 1. Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago 2. National Museum of Anthropology (Museo Nacional de Antropologia), Mexico City 3. State Hermitage Museum and Winter Palace, St Petersburg 4. The Getty Center, Los Angeles 5. Galleria dell’Accademia, Florence 6. Musee d’Orsay, Paris 7. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 8. The Acropolis Museum, Athens 9. Prado Museum, Madrid 10. Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, Jerusalem
In Vouves stands an olive tree As wide around as it is high; Around 1000 years BC It first stretched up towards the sky. 3000 years of drought and storms (Though history doesn’t tell of them) That gave it all the twisted forms We see now in its massive stem. Just think the stories it could tell Of all the folk that passed that way Romans, Arabs, Turks as well Right back to distant Mycenae. When sprigs were cut for Athens’ Games To crown a winning athlete’s head I wonder if the famous names Who turned up there and wise words said Thought as the Cretan songs were sung The tree’s so old – I feel quite young! “1866 Square”
Platea 1866 Divides two sections of the mix That is Chania. Its southern end, Kidonias, is where locals spend Their hard-earned cash in little shops On side streets where the traffic stops To let old ladies cross the road, Their black-clad backs all bent and bowed, A plastic bag in each gnarled hand. Outside the cafe’s, youngsters stand And take the time to talk and joke While sipping their frappé or Coke. Quite different from the northern part Of “1866”, the start Of tourist Chania, signs for trips To Balos, or for snorkelling ships. And what’s on sale is different too A hundred T-shirts here on view Where Chalidon, on down the hill Towards the port, is never still. A swirling flow of flip-flopped feet And hats and caps across the street, German, Spanish, Swedish, Dutch All using English “It’s how much?” They come by bus and it’s a shame That so few wonder “why the name?” When rushing from or to KTEL For if they did, they’d pause a spell To stroll a little in the square And see the many statues there Of heroes with their great moustaches, Swords and pistols in their sashes. But on the other hand I guess It’s why it has its peacefulness. “Nea Chora” Unfussy, friendly little beach Plus kafenions within reach On whose verandas in the glow Of evening you can watch the show Put on at sunset, all for free, By blazing sun and rippled sea. Reflections lengthen, first a quarter Then a half, then all the water Reddened by the dying sun As you sit back, enjoy the fun And munch an olive; as you do so Someone brings another ouzo. As dusk then falls your eye is caught By movement near the fishing port It’s time to find some tasty dish Of tangy local fresh-caught fish.
Greek post office issues collectible stamps edition on El Greco
first-day circulation envelopes, which will be withdrawn on September 9, 2015. The Depiction of Death in the work of El Greco The Museum of Cycladic Art is presenting an exhibition tribute to El Greco.
It is the 400th anniversary of the painter’s death and the exhibition is entitled “The Depiction of Death in the work of El Greco”. The central showpiece will be El Greco’s painting The Burial of Christ of the National Gallery of Athens. The painting will be accompanied by two Pieta (Lamentation). The first one
Greece To Promote Cultural Heritage Through “Thematic Destinations”
The
Greek Tourism Ministry is planning to enrich and improve the country’s tourism offer through the promotion of “thematic destinations.” According to a recent announcement, Greece’s “thematic destinations” will focus on the country’s cultural heritage, natural beauty and monuments. The necessary actions to support such destinations were discussed during a recent meeting between Tourism Min-
ister Olga Kefalogianni and Stavros Benos, the president of non-governmental and non-profit organization Diazoma*. During the meeting, Mrs. Kefalogianni said that the promotion of a Greek monument and of the country’s cultural heritage is not a technical issue and that it requires a comprehensive action plan based on public-private partnerships and the cooperation of local communities.
The 4 senses restaurant... Follow the Path of an absolute gastronomic delight...
A program involving Greece’s “thematic destinations” is expected to launch by the Ministries of Tourism, Development, Culture and Environment. Greek regions will also have an active role in the program. *Diazoma is a citizens’ platform, which, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, tries to put the love for monuments and cultural heritage of Greece into practice.
belongs to the collection of the Hispanic Society of America and the second one to a private collection. Both works will be exhibited digitally in almost actual size. The simultaneous presentation of the works of El Greco along with the archaeological exhibition ‘Beyond’ invites the visitors to see together diverse masterpieces that touch upon a common, universal theme: death and immortality of the soul. The visitor will be able to find interesting correlations through a number of different prisms: time, religion, society. The exhibition will be open for the public from 14/11/2014 for more culture news until 8/2/2015. click on http://chaniapost.eu
“Reading... Post”
“Blue Crete - The beaches of the Greek island of Crete” From the very first step on Crete, the visitor gets surprised by the contradictionary images. The beaches of Crete could not be absent from there, very well hidden in the rocky and inhospitable shores, exhaust all hues of blue color.More than 450 beaches are hosted on an easy-to-use deluxe book with photographs and detailed information. The guide is ideal for everybody, from the expert local nature lovers to the visitors who come to Crete for the first time. • Pages: 416 • Dims: 17x24x3cm, hardcover • Languages: English, Greek • ISBN 978-960-93-3627-7
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
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Post (ELTA) announced the issue of a collectible stamps edition to mark the 400th anniversary since the death of Domenicus Theotokopoulos, the master painter of the Spanish Renaissance that was also known as ‘El Greco’. The series and various associated products (first-day circulation envelopes etc) will be on sale at post office branches from Wednesday and depicts details from El Greco’s painting “The Burial of Christ” – a painting acquired by the National Gallery in Athens. All philatelic products will be sold by the central philatelic shop (Lykourgou 5 & Apellou, Athens) and post office branches while stocks last, except the
culture
Hellenic
“Museum of Cycladic Art: The Depiction of Death in the work of El Greco”
EXPO CRETA 2014
Technology and materials of tomorrow... today!
by Petros Chatzistavros Civil Engineer (T.E.)
All the latest news and products in building and home improvement
Home
building and renovating were two of the main themes provided in EXPO Creta 2014, at International Exhibition Center of Crete in Gournes, Heraklion, from September 12th to 17th. Every new beginning requires new decor and Expo Creta provided all the potentials for this need. E-Oikos and Kofinas Prefabricated Houses presented all new building materials, using latest technology techniques. Currently in progress in Crete is the construction of ten new homes.
ergy construction. The choice of top raw material, com-
ern construction technology methods.
Energy Efficiency Kofinas construction, apart from the maximum thermo-insulation provided by the masonry with a factor that reaches as low as 0,11 W/m2K, can offer you a variety of options in order to further improve the energy efficiency of your new house, something that has not only an ecological impact, but also reduces the expenses of the household, since you pay less for heating, watering and electricity.
(example of a visible breathing roof)
E-Oikos is the exclusive partner and distributor of Kofinas Prefabricated Houses for Crete. New Technologies presented in EXPO Creta 2014
home improvement
bined with the breathing technology and the researched installation of each material on the roof, offer an excellent result: the insulation reaches the highest possible levels and the strength is unquestionable! Windows The frames will insulate the construc-
Masonry
Roofs The roof is another very important part of a passive house, since, combined with the masonry, it will provide the proper energy behaviour to the eco en-
tion and provide air tightness and water tightness, improving the thermal insulation as well as the sound insulation. Kofinas Company had chosen the top solutions implementing the most mod-
TSIGOS INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORTS Your partner since 1938
Movers, Warehousing, Distribution
exclusive partner for Crete
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183 B, Kazantzaki Av., Chania Tel.: +30 28210 - 79560
scientists to speak in public about the anti-seismic behavior of the constructions.
www.tsigos-metaforiki-chania.com
237 Pireos Av. & 25 Chr. Smirnis str., Tavros, Attiki Tel.: +30 28210 - 3459660/3451215
Leveling Using Laser Equipment The installation on the concrete base is done with absolute accuracy using laser leveling equipment, which can corner and align the masonry on the horizontal and vertical levels at a maximum accuracy level. Costant Scientific and Experimental Research Kofinas Company is not satisfied by a single theoretical research, but moves further, investing in the experimental research in collaboration with the National Technical University of Athens! In 2009, we tested the response of the building system of the company against seismic action utilizing the seismic simulator of the NTUA. The undeniable results confirm the sturdiness and the quality of our construction. In 2011, we move even further and we make a new experiment with a three-story construction with equally impressive results! No matter the objective certification that the above researches have already offered to the company, we keep moving further with new experiments to come… Anti-seismic Resistance The houses are proven to be (and not generally speaking) totally anti-seismic constructions. The company, being sure about the robustness of the masonry, did not rest on a theoretical level but tested and certified the strength through scientific researches. The screw, which is robotically placed on all the parts of the house, the metal brackets, with which we “tie” the construction, the oversizing of the bearing structure through mechanical study and the enforcement, at the stress points, through a special statical computer program, are the technological advantages that persuaded top
Health and Ecology All the materials used by our company are chosen so as to have the least possible impact on your health and the environment. That’s why our timber is furniced, not infused with chemicals, like the green-colored timber (click here to see our ecological timber certification), the Knauf gypsum boards are made of natural gypsum and have been biologically checked by an international institution and the glues are certified for use for house construction. We believe that the best way is the natural way and we apply this belief to each and every house we construct. Furthermore, our collaborating factory plants three new trees for every one that is cut, in respect towards the natural environment. Unlimited kitchen cupboards and bedroom wardrobes We offer you the capability to install unlimited meters of kitchen cupboards and bedroom wardrobes, without any extra charges. You can choose between bakelite and melamine, in order to equip your house according to your personal taste! Until 31/12/2014, you can choose your favorite electrical equipment for your kitchen, absolutely FREE OF CHARGE. It’s a gift from us to you and the trust you are showing to us all these years! The EXPO Creta 2014 Exhibition was also divided into several other themes, such as: • Food & Beverages • Hotel - Restaurant Supply & Equipment • Agriculture - Farming - New Crops • Family - Children & Education Women’s Beauty • Leisure Time - Pets • Car - Motorcycle - Accessories • Energy - Environment Technology - Alternative Energy
Fixing the Most Common Renter Accidents
Fixing a Hole in the Wall Maybe you were moving some furniture and accidentally put a chair leg through the wall (or a game of indoor football got a little out of hand). Whatever happened, there is now a hole in the wall and you don’t want to call the landlord to fix it. If the hole is small enough, say about
the size of a fist (no judgement), then you can go to a local hardware store and buy a simple patch kit. The kit includes mesh to cover the hole, a small amount of spackle and a tool for application. Larger holes require custom cut mesh and more spackle. If the hole is very large, then you it may best to simply replace the drywall. Cut out the drywall to the studs and place a new panel that fits using drywall screws, spackle and tape. Once the hole is fixed, no matter the size, wait for it to dry and sand it smooth. Once it’s completely smooth then prime and paint it. You’re good to go. Unclog a drain When a drain’s stopped up, you often don’t have the time (or the patience) to call your landlord, wait for him to call his plumber and then wait for the plumber. Or you can just unclog it yourself. You
can often unscrew the P-trap under a drain by hand, it’s just two nuts that hold and seal the pieces. Use a wrench or channel lock pliers if you have to and then slide the trap off the drain from the sink and the pipe from the wall. Incidentally, this is also what you need to do when something small and precious goes down the drain. Cleaning out the trap may be all you need, but if the clog is further down the line run a plumber’s snake down the drain on the end of a drill. These are easy to find at your local home center. Clear the clog, retrieve the snake and reinstall the P-trap. The whole operation could take you less than an hour. Loose or broken tile Sadly, rental units are often put together with spit and bailing wire. Landlords want to maximize profit, so
they use the cheapest materials. Over time, tile in the bathroom and kitchen can become loose or break. Don’t bother the landlord with this simple repair.
If the tile has fallen off, clean the adhesive or grout off the back and reuse it. If it’s broken, take it to a carpet and tile store to find a match. If it is loose, but still attached, then use a preheated iron to heat up the glue holding the tile in. Protect the tile with a towel between the iron and the tile. Don’t force it off, but let the glue warm up and gently pull it off with a scraper. Use a cloth and mineral spirits to get rid of the existing adhesive on the wall by scraping it off with a scraper. If the glue is hard to get off, use the iron again to heat it up. If it’s grouted in place you’ll probably have to break a tile that’s simply loose, but try and get it out cleanly with a flathead screwdriver or a small pry bar and a hammer. Clean out all the old grout from the surface. Apply fresh adhesive or grout and place the tile back into the hole. Press hard against the tile with your hand or roll a rolling pin across it to get rid of any air bubbles. Let it dry. If your landlord isn’t very responsive or
you don’t want to bother him with little repairs, then just follow these simple steps. doityourself.com
How to Properly Use Spackling Compound Spackling compound is an invaluable tool for repairing holes and gaps in walls and other surfaces. It is available in both powdered and paste form. When properly used, spackling compound can do a great job of fixing imperfections. It is made of gypsum powder and binders and is used to patch small holes, cracks and other imperfections like dents in drywall, plaster walls, and sometimes in wood. • • • • • •
Step 1 – Choose the Right Spackling Compound Step 2 – Prepare the Surface to be Repaired Step 3 – Using Spackling Compound on Large Holes Step 4 – Mix the Spackling Compound Step 5 – Apply the Spackling Compound Step 6 – Sand, Prime and Paint
Spackling compound is available in several different varieties, each of which is more suited to a different application. For example, some types are for repairing large holes and cracks, whereas other types are useful for smaller repairs. Certain varieties are better for outdoor repairs and will last longer outdoors as compared to standard spackling compound. Assess the damaged area properly and buy the spackle that is most suited to your requirements.
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the housing market in a shambles, many people are renting rather than buying a home. Renting an apartment or house for many years isn’t uncommon and during that time accidents happen as well as normal wear and tear. There are many small problems that renters can fix themselves without getting the landlord involved. For a landlord, no news is good news, so if you can do it yourself, then even better.
do it yourself
With
by Brock Cooper
Try to find the secret of longevity for Cretans
Autumn in Botanical Park & Gardens with traditional recipes A reference point on the map of “re-
by Petros Marinakis
Botanical Park & Gardens
fined” eating in Chania and all over Crete, this restaurant, located in the park, offers genuine local tastes through an “a la carte” menu and its unique characteristics. Enjoy your meal and relax on the spacious balconies of our restaurant, taking in the majestic view, our hospitality and food prepared with ingredients coming from our vegetable garden as well as herbs and fruit coming from the park. Cretan nutrition For Cretans, the secret of longevity is very simple. They eat anything that their rich soil produces! They consume a lot of fruit, vegefor more nature news click tables, greens, fresh on http://chaniapost.eu produce, legumes, cheese and bread. Cretans use herbs to add flavour to their meals; they make sweets/cakes with natural sweeteners honey and grapejuice syrup; while the excellent Cretan wine is an indispensable accompaniment to their meals. Cretans do not eat meat or, rather, they did not eat meat until a few decades ago. Meat has al-
A different restaurant full of colours, aromas and flavors
ways had a ritual quality in Crete, and generally in Greece. In modern times, they consumed meat only a few times a year, i.e. during festivities or, if wealthy enough, every Sunday. The ingenuity of Cretans exploited fully the entire spectrum of ingredient combinations, which resulted in volumes of recipes for meals and deserts. The Mediterranean diet is currently considered by Nutritionists as a modus vivende that endows people with longevity and sound health, with Crete at its epicentre, as supported by research conducted on an international scale1. It was established that the inhabitants of Crete manifest the lowest mortality indices with respect to cardiovascular
diseases and cancer. Researchers then focused their attention on the particular aspects of nutrition responsible for such robust health. The history of Cretan diet is very old; its roots lie deep in the Neolithic Age. Today science has no proof, only circumstantial evidence of the dietary habits of Cretans 5,000 years ago. However, a clear picture of those habits emerges from as far back as 4,000 years ago, when the Minoan civilization was at its peak. On the basis of archaeological findings, it seems that ancient Cretans, the Minoans, consumed pretty much the same products that are being consumed by modern Cretans today. Large clay jars (pithoi) were found in Minoan
palaces that were used for the storage of olive oil, grain, legumes, and honey. In various pictorial representations2 we can also see the magnificent world of Cretan plants and herbs. During the Byzantine period, the Cretans remained faithful to their dietary legacy and cooking habits. On the one hand, urban families were keen on preparing elaborate meals distinguished for their exceptional taste. On the other hand, the rural population subsisted strictly on products grown: greens, fruit, legumes, olives and olive oil. The Cretans, however, applied their accumulated knowledge and imagination to these lowly products producing delicious results. This practice sustained Cretans through adverse times, in periods of successive occupation by the Arabs (824-961), the Venetians (12041669) and the Turks (1669-1898). A turning point in the Cretan diet occurred with the introduction of new crops, particularly of the tomato, from the New World The conquerors came and went from Crete, but the Cretan spirit, religion, language and cuisine remained unchanged over the centuries!
Tips on how to use olive oil and keep it fresh
Extra Virgin Olive oil has always
by Manolis Karpadakis Terra Creta Marketing Mngr
been strongly associated with the daily life and dietary habits of Mediterranean cultures. Over the past few decades its popu-
Tip of the month
Professionals taste olive oil plain, from a spoon or small cup. They smell it first, noting aromas before tasting it. They then sip the oil and let it coat their mouths, noting levels of acid, pungency, and fruitiness. At home, feel free to taste olive oil by dipping a piece of plain white bread into the oil (baguette or ciabatta works well) or do as the professionals do and simply slurp it plain. If it’s turned rancid, as olive oil left in heat or light does quite quickly, it will have a sharp bite that isn’t the desired pungency. It will make your mouth pucker instead of the kick to the back of your throat that more pungent olive oils tend to have.
cretan nature
larity has grown far beyond the sundrenched regions of Southern Europe to every major continent. The secret of its success is understandable. olive oil’s numerous benefits, uses and universal appeal, including cooking, religious rituals, ancient traditions, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics make it, in our opinion, one of nature’s greatest gifts. In the writings of Hippocrates (460370BC), the father of modern medicine, he references using olive oil over sixty (60) ways, from medicinal uses to personal cleanliness using pure olive
vineyards, oil mills, wineries and exhibitions, trying to learn the secrets of Cretan cuisine and diet and aiming to promote Cretan olive oil to Chinese market.
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tains.
Culinary Recommendations Using fresh, extra virgin olive oil • •
•
•
Use liberally straight from the bottle on fresh salads and sautéed, stewed or grilled vegetables. Use as a light vinaigrette with fresh lemon, red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper as dressing for vegetables and salad. For breakfast or a healthy snack, mix together olive oil, lemon, a pinch of salt and dried oregano or other fresh or dried herbs as an excellent, cholesterol-free alternative for bread instead of butter. A good quality extra virgin olive
•
•
oil is essential for making fresh pesto with basil, garlic, lemon zest, grated cheese and pine nuts. As an appetizer, serve bread, olives, and Feta cheese drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with dried, Cretan oregano for a classic and simple Greek-inspired accompaniment to wine. The consumption of fresh, pure, unrefined olive oil is the best choice, not only for its many uses, but also its myriad of health benefits. Olive oil supports better digestion so that the body may absorb all the nutritional elements it con-
Chinese are “in love” with Cretan products and nature
A Chinese delegation visited groves,
Major
oil soap. From the Minoans to modern times, olive oil has been used as a nourishing moisturizer and nutritional mask for skin and hair. The olive is actually a fruit and natural, fresh olive oil can be enjoyed from the moment it is pressed. This contributes to its delicate aroma and preserves all of its nutritional elements. It needs no chemical processing, as many other vegetable and seed oils do just to make them palatable.
Chef Giannis Tsivourakis prepared delicious traditional Cretan recipes for our guests, who went to Anoskeli, Chania, and impressed by the beauty of Cretan nature. They enjoyed taking photos under olive
trees, collecting oranges and taste Cretan wine. They were also impressed by their visit to the oil mill in Anoskeli, where they were informed about the procedure of making olive oil.
Children cleaned the beach of Almirida
environmental action at Almirida, when children from all schools of the Municipality of Apokoronas, along with the Mayor of Apokoronas, Mr. Charalambos Koukianakis, Deputy Mayors, and several citizens, proceed to a voluntary clean-
ing of the beach, as part of the World Day of Coastal Cleanup. Mr. Koukianakis expressed his satisfaction for the participation of children and their environmental awareness and sensitivity. “The Municipal Authority of Apoko-
ronas is sensitive to issues of environmental protection and has been a key priority to maintain all our beaches clean. The Municipality of Apokoronas encourages such actions and is always alongside the volunteers”, Mr. Koukianakis mentioned.
How should we preserve olive oil? The flavor, aroma and all of the nutritional elements of olive oil can remain stable, if one is mindful of some simple storage guidelines. Light, oxygen and high heat should be avoided. 1. Olive oil must not be exposed to light and should be stored in a dark cupboard. 2. Olive oil must not be exposed to temperatures higher than 20⁰C (68° F). Otherwise the total quality will be affected. 3. If storage temperature is lower than 5⁰C (41° F), clouds and/or sediments may appear in the bottle that is normal, and will dissapear when the product will be placed in room temperature for at leats 24 hours. This condition does not affect the quality of the olive oil. 4. It must be stored in a dark glass bottle, a stainless steel or ceramic carafe, or the original closed tin can. Always avoid using plastic containers as they may contaminate the delicate olive oil with harmful substances detrimental to human health.
…where nature embraces the senses
The only one of its kind in Europe
το μοναδικό στο είδος του στην Ευρώπη
H
The area was reborn from its own ashes after the great fire of 2003.
undreds of different types of fruit trees, herbs and flowers in a uniquely landscaped area, offering you the opportunity to experience and get to know the blessed island of Crete in the most ideal way.
W
e are waiting for you in an area of approximately 200,000 m² to discover trees from all over the world, bearing edible fruit, as well as herbs, medicinal and ornamental plants.
www.botanical-park.com
A
n entertaining, educational park, ideal for walks.
Crete… a small continent
T
he area of the Botanical Park of Crete, 18 km from the city of Chania, at the foot of the White Mountains with its terrain and microclimate becomes a unique paradise for thousands of cold- and warm-climate plants!
T
he restaurant of the Botanical Park of Crete combines the revival of traditional recipes with cooking methods such a s t he he a rt h, wo o d burning oven, baking plate, etc, and flavours and products from the rich ground of the park such as vegetables, fruits, greens, garden produce, pulses, cheeses and bread... all flavoured with herbs from the park.
18th km of the National Road Chania-Omalos, Chania, Crete, Greece tel. +30 6976 860573
In the final weeks of December 2013,
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health & nutrition
Jahi McMath, a 13-year-old girl from Oakland, California, went into Chilby Miltiades Markatos dren’s Hospital & Research Center Pneumonologist Oakland for a tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, and removal of redundant sinus tissue. Tragically, complications ensued. Jahi was declared legally dead on December 12, 2013, following 2 assessments by the hospital’s neurologist and pediatric intensivist. The family requested that her care continue, but the hospital maintained that it was no longer obligated to continue providing medical care as the child was dead. Today, Jahi continues to receive care at a facility (name and location undisclosed) that agreed to for more health news click take her after Chilon http://chaniapost.gr dren’s Hospital released her body. The facility has fitted Jahi with a feeding tube, and her mother gives her a weekly manicure and pedicure. There is a Facebook page where people can write encouraging messages for Jahi’s family and for Jahi herself. Supporters of Jahi declare that her brain may improve. That is still her mother’s hope. As of this writing, there have been 26,444 “Likes” since Jahi’s mother joined Facebook on December 17, 2013, 5 days after her daughter was declared brain dead. The case has garnered widespread media attention and has led to a “legal quagmire,” Christopher M. Burkle, MD, JD, and his colleagues from Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, write in a review published online September 12 in Neurology. The Mayo Clinic physicians decided to analyze the pertinent medical, legal, and ethical issues raised by the McMath case to help doctors and others respond to questions about brain death. Brain death is irreversible and determined by absent motor responses, loss of all brainstem reflexes, and apnea after a CO2 challenge. It is not determined by further waiting. Support measures often fail and the ability to maintain a brain-dead body is “virtually impossible,” Dr. Burkle and his colleagues write. They add that brain death is a distinct clinical neurologic state and is different from all other manifestations of acute or prolonged coma, where patients
Why Brain Death is Death? may eventually be able to breathe on their own and when some or all brainstem reflexes are preserved. “In the medical judgment of practicing neurointensivists, neurosurgeons, and all neurologic and neurosurgical societies and academies throughout the world, brain death constitutes death of the person,” they write. Standards for determining pediatric brain death were established more than 25 years ago and have been adopted and revisited by the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Child Neurology Society. The diagnosis, in a guideline released in 2011, requires 2 examinations, 12 hours apart, by 2 different attending physicians in children 1 year or older. Adult brain death diagnosis, on the other hand, requires just 1 full examination, with optional confirmation by another physician. Dr. Burkle and colleagues acknowledge that they do not know the exact medical details surrounding Jahi McMath, but they do have access to the description of the neurologic examination of the court-appointed neurologist. That examination shows a full neurologic examination, apnea test, isoelectric electroencephalography, and a nuclear scan with no demonstrable uptake. The fact that Jahi is still supported by artificial means, although remarkable, is not exclusive of a diagnosis of brain death. “In exceptional cases, prolonged support is possible as long as oxygenation, circulation, nutrition, and treatment of multiple medical complications is provided,” they write. Jahi was declared dead by the hospital, and 18 days later, the Alameda County Superior Court judge upheld the declaration, agreeing that Jahi’s medical condition met the definition set out by California’s Uniform Determination of Death Act. That Act states that an individual, who has sustained either irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions or irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem, is dead. The judge also gave Jahi’s family time to find another facility and mandated that the hospital continue ventilator support until that time. Dr. Burkle and colleagues write that this case highlights the need for neurologic determinations of death and
state laws on the matter to be clear and unambiguous. “Many patients, family members, and the public at large remain confused about the differences between brain death (death) and other neurologic disorders such as coma or persistent vegetative state,” they write. They add that there is a strong consensus about brain death as a result of decades of discussion in medicine, law, and ethics. “If there is a lesson to be learned from this case, it is that there is greater need to communicate this consensus to members of the public and to those who report medical news. An informed public is the best defense against unanticipated outcry in aberrant cases such as this and we encourage our colleagues in critical care, neurosciences, and biomedical ethics to engage patients and local communities about matters related to brain death,” they conclude. Difficult Reality Writing in an accompanying editorial, James L. Bernat, MD, from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, Hew Hampshire, and Dan Larriviere, MD, JD, from Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, agree that brain death remains poorly understood, not only by the public but by health professionals. “I agree with the statements the authors made and do not have any significant disagreements, other than to point out to readers that there are scholars, physicians, lawyers, philosophers, theologians, and others who oppose brain death, even though it is generally accepted and has been the law of the land, and, in many physicians’ minds, is uncontroversial,” Dr. Bernat told Medscape Medical News. The reality of brain death can be very difficult for families to come to terms with, he said. “There are counterintuitive aspects to brain death because the patient’s heart is still beating, blood is circulating. Patients do not look like they are dead in terms of the traditional understanding of what a dead body looks like. That is one factor that can make brain death hard to understand,” Dr. Bernat noted. “The second is that many cases of brain death are from traumatic brain injury, for example in a young person. They go from being in superb health one
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
moment to being in this condition the next moment and that’s very hard to accept. “The third aspect is that there is confusion about the term ‘brain death.’ It’s not a good term, it is misleading. Many people confuse it with coma and they have read newspaper accounts of people believed to be in an irreversible coma who recover, and that adds to the scepticism or gives them hope that their loved one will simply recover. That does not happen if the diagnosis of brain death has been made accurately,” Dr. Bernat said. The proper term for brain death would be “death determined by the absence of brain function,” Dr. Bernat suggested. “This would be to show that it is death, it isn’t just that the brain is dead, but that the person is dead. But there is no clear way to say it short-hand. All of the clearer descriptions are a sentence or a long phrase, so brain death has caught on as a short name. It’s in the vernacular, so it’s not something that is going to go away.” Explaining that a loved one is brain dead to a family can be difficult and requires sensitivity and compassion on the part of the health professional delivering the news, Dr. Bernat said. “These are poignant and emotional conversations and often take place over time. It isn’t something that you just swoop in and say, and then leave. It requires reinforcement and questions and answers, calmly and compassionately,” he said. “The points that need to be communicated are that it’s hopeless, irreversible, and that there is no benefit for any type of treatment. It’s accepted as death in the law and it offers an opportunity for organ donation.” The possibility of organ donation should be raised but carefully, he added. “There is a lot of discussion about the optimal way to do that. The opportunity for organ donation provides a transcendent good that many family members feel is very meaningful. The fact that their loved one’s death would contribute to the survival of another person can be sustaining. But one needs to make sure that organ donation is not driving the brain death determination. It is a very difficult communication, and something that I think requires a lot of experience to do well,” Dr. Bernat said.
a week, certain day and hour, after the toilet, on the same scale, in order to have a check for your progress and a self-monitoring. Furthermore, keep a diary of food, liquids and physical activity, as it is a very useful tool. Because it helps to locate errors and habits that led you to this situation, also it is a kind of commitment that you will follow a nutrition program which is designed by your dietitian. You primary goal is to lose 10% of body weight, which is associated with the reduction of chronic disease risk factors and improve your health. The recommended rate of loss is 0.5-1 kg per week in order to lose fat and not to loose muscle mass. The American Dietetic Association (ADA) confirms that a negative energy balance is the most important factor which affects the rate of weight loss over time. In addition, research shows that even small reductions in energy intake (~ 100 kcal), in combination with increased physical activity, can help to reduce weight and it is more likely to maintain in the long run. Regarding to eating habits, high consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy products low in fat, fish, lean meat, nuts and olive oil, along with the reduced intake of meat and a diet low in fat can help in losing and maintaining weight. Reduce your intake
A Cretan-American Scientist Participates in Creation of Innovative Blood Test
Greek
Americans Gabriela Fragiadakis and Monica Nicolaou are part of a group of researchers in the United States who have developed a blood test that can determine the time a patient needs to recover from surgery. The blood test detects the non-apparent reactions of the immune system at the cellular level, estimating the expected recovery time. Each year, about 200 million surgeries are performed around the world. Al-
though most of them are not serious surgeries, they often cause inflammations that extend the patient’s hospital time and complicate recovery. Scientists haven’t yet found out why
Increased attendance at the Emergency Department in Chania General Hospital
Economic crisis has increased the patients in hospitals
Most of Greeks can’t afford to pay
for a visit in a doctor. Economic crisis has increased the patients in hospitals by 10% to 15%, according to a data survey of Chania Hospital, presented at the 2nd Meeting for Emergency Medical Situations in Megalo Arsenali. Ministry of Health announced that more than 6 mil people have visited Emergency Department of all Greek Hospitals for 2013. In Chania Hospital Emergency Dpt are coming more than 250 people every day, meanwhile in Heraklion Hospital people reach 500 to 600. Almost 30.000 people have gone to Chania Hospital Emergency Dpt this summer, according to Dr. Stelios Kastrinakis, increased by 25% to 30% compared to 2013.
“People are dying in Greece because they can’t afford a doctor”
As Deutsche Welle reports, an analysis published recently on the website of German television network RTL chal-
lenges the effectiveness of the austerity programs and the role of troika in Greece. More specifically, the columnist states that “Greece is considered the weak link of Europe. The German press likes to paint the picture of the lazy Greek who wants to be saved by the money of German taxpayers, is a tax evader and buys property in Berlin. Certainly the Greek elite has contributed with its mindset to the creation of this image. However, a look at the current economic data and at the state of ‘normal’ Greeks shows that the austerity imposed by the Troika is catastrophic for the citizens.” The columnist criticizes the earlier statements of the German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble, who had stressed that there are no excuses “not to take the unpleasant decisions that have to be taken.” “One thing is clear: People die in Greece because they can no longer afford a doctor. And, incidentally, Schäuble’s party calls itself ‘Christian’,” states the article.
some people recover quickly – within a week, for instance – while others, after the same surgery, may need a month or more to fully recover, and do so while suffering pain, fatigue and mobility problems. The researchers, led by professor of microbiology and immunology Garry Nolan and Brice Gaudilliere, clinical instructor in anesthesia at Stanford’s School of Medicine, analyzed blood samples from 32 patients aged 50-80 years old. All had undergone orthopedic surgery.
of salt, sugar, flour and their hidden sources. Limit saturated and trans fats, fast food and processed foods. Furthermore, breakfast is the key in order not to skip meals. People, who regularly eat breakfast are slimmer than those who start the day with an empty stomach. It is reccomended not to skip meals, because the small frequent meals help to manage appetite and reduced fat storage. Also, the quantity of food is very important and of course the correct por-
tion size (http://megethosmeridas.gr). Finally, drink plenty of water because it detoxifies and stimulates the metabolism, many times you confuse thirst with hunger, sleep at least eight hours per day, sleep helps regulate appetite and metabolism. It should be noted that in order to win this bet, it is required a balanced hypocaloric diet, adequate levels of physical activity and change eating behavior. Conclusively, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is a lifelong commitment, a general change in lifestyle and adopt healthy eating habits. Have a nice autumn and take care of yourself !!!
The research, published in “Science Translational Medicine,” shows that there are specific “signals” in the cells. Until now, these had gone unnoticed. Now, they can be used to provide some indicication on patients’ required recovery time. According to the researchers, there is an immunological “signature” to recovery, different for each person. Consisting of a group of biochemical markers, these “signatures” can be measured in the blood within 24 hours of the surgery. greekreporter.com
We really rocked at Embrosnero on Sunday 7th September
Apokoronas Friends of the Chania Red Cross
Well, it was a truly fabulous night,
at Embrosneros and a real team effort. Great musicians and singers put on fantastic performances and a team of volunteer helpers made it all happen off the stage. The people who came to enjoy the evening. The total finally raised is 4,150 euros. Our best year yet. So far 200 euros has been donated to the Syllogos at Embrosneros for the use of the amphitheatre and all their support 750 euros has been earmarked for the Apokoronas area, and a request has been made for the purchase of equipment for the nursery schools. The shopping list has arrived and we will tell you which schools have been helped. Remainder is for
by Niki Voulgarakis Nutritionist – Dietitian
the Red Cross in Chania who are now stocking their cupboards in preparation for the winter. From the bottom of our hearts we thank everyone who came, performers, volunteers, those who bought a ticket but couldn’t make it on the night everyone who bought draw tickets and helped to make the night such a success. We cannot do it without your support. Ann & Ian Clayton
p.27
and improve your health? If you are reading this article it means that you make the decision to “get rid of ” that which makes your life difficult. However, healthy nutrition can become reality, as long as you have a strong motivation to enter the weight loss process and make a bet with yourself that you will succeed. If the incentives are not relevant for your health, either not so strong, or if you believe that money will give you the motivation, you can visit and check the programs which are presented to certain websites. Their aim is to give a boost to those who are trying to loose or maintain a healthy weight, using the prize as a reward, if you get the expected loss - weight maintenance. On the other hand, if you do not achieve the goal, either you loose money, or they go to charity. First, choose how many pounds/kilos you want to loose, how much you want to bet and they tell you how much money you will win if you achieve your goal. As bigger the goals are the more money you recieve. Adittionaly, whatever you want to achieve it takes time, determination, faith in yourself and in your strengths. At the same time, the desire for change must come from inside you. If you’re ready for something new, no matter what you try, it will not work. There-
fore, if you are in the appropriate phase and ready to try to put your life and diet in program you may try : Firstly, remove from your mind the word “diet”, most of you combine dieting with deprivation. Therefore, deprivation will mathematically lead to overeating - bulimia - weight gain. Gradually, change the old “bad” habits, so the new eating habits become your second nature. Make a commitment to yourself. Recognize that making an investment in physical and emotional well-being, it will be important both for you and for your family.Take time for yourself. Reward yourself when you achieve your goals for a week or more. Give yourself something special (preferably not food). Go to the cinema, do a manicure or a massage, go to the car wash. Ask yourself, what do you likeon you? Moreover, focus on the positive rather than the drawbacks and do not blame yourself if the scale tends upwards. Whereas, the well-developed abs and buttocks require private chef, dietitians like me on a regular basis, psychologists, plastic surgeons to correct imperfections, good lighting, makeup, tanning, Photoshop etc.. “What you see is not the reality, nobody is perfect”. Studies have shown that people who weigh often manage to reach their goal and keep it. Weigh yourself once
health & nutrition
Do you really want to lose weight
Win the challenge of weight loss
The dog beach party in Chania, first time in Greece
The first dog beach party took place successfully in Chania. The turnout of people was exceptionally big and contributed to the success of the celebration. The party was an animal celebration, with which we wanted to emphasize symbolically that the animals do not pollute the beaches, since the Ministry of Navigation delays unduly to answer to the documented request of the Panhellenic Animal Welfare and Environment Federation for the withdrawal of the ban-prohibition of the animals’ entrance to the sea – when all the law preconditions are obeyed. Our fellow citizens together with their leashed dogs and their medical books, gathered very early at the central beach in Agioi Apostoloi. In the area there were multi colored balloons and a bazaar for the financial aid of our Association. Member of our Association and a positive trainer for animals answered to questions of the dog owners and a lot of informative printed matter was distributed around.
by Giannis Venetakis Zoo Technician
for more pets news click on http://chaniapost.eu
Rather than reinventing
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pets & vets
the wheel, or perhaps the leg, robotics engineers have sought to copy the modes of transportation seen in the animal kingdom. Now to add to robotic dogs, fish and ants, we have a robot that moves like an octopus. Cephalopods, including octopodes, have developed multiple ways of getting around. Their tentacles can be used to both swim and walk, and in an emergency cephalopods can use jet propulsion, although this becomes inefficient for larger creatures. The robot version was built by the Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH) in Crete, from flexible silicon webbing and presented at the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems in Chicago. “Speeds of 0.5 body lengths per second and propulsive forces of up to 10.5 N
Under the motto “we swim, we do not piddle”, our quadruped friends competed in groups and fought for their prize. We awarded the greatest, the most fearful and the most fearless swimmer. The animals swimming together with their owners created an enthusiastic atmosphere and the whole mood was very happy. Champions of course were the Labradors crediting their fame as water fans! No episode occurred and the tourists on the beach were enthusiastic by the Association’s initiative. No person was complaining. The only protesting person was the lifeguard of the central beach, being afraid that the animals would swim there and ruin the peace of the place. The police and the port police presence were very discrete and from their face expression we realized that they were enjoying the whole event. All our four legged (some were three legged…!) friends took their balloon and were awarded treats which were brought by our friend Irini to celebrate Boubou’s birthday (Boubou being the puppy
that many years ago was found in the streets...) No fights were noticed and regardless the difference in the number, size and color of the dogs no problem was created. Members of our Association passed out necessary bags and tissues to clean up after their loving doggies and before the end of the party the place was cleaned thoroughly and remained cleaner than before. There were also specific garbage boxes for the dogs’ …poop! In our effort to promote the electronic identification the award for the winners was the free chipping. After the contest, everybody continued to have fun, listening to the music, swimming and drinking their beers together with friends. We had to increase the number of awards because the participation was bigger than what we had thought and also because most of the contested four legged friend were marvelous swimmers, proving in this way their love to the sea and water – a relation that we are trying to deny to them , because we are still full of prejudices. They we truly happy!
An octopus... made in Crete!
were achieved, with a cost of transport as low as 0.62,” the research team claim. The cost of transport is a measure of efficiency, calculated as P/mgv where P is the power input and m, g and v represent mass, gravity and velocity respectively. According to the robot’s creators, most traditional aquatic robotics take inspiration from the ocean’s swiftest swimmers, such as dolphins, fish, and even eels. But what about the nimble and clever octopus? The researchers, from FORTH have apparently been studying locomotion and other aspects of the octopus for some time, and the ultimate result is a soft-armed robot that can gracefully coast through the water. “The final robotic octopus will be ca-
pable of locomotion on different substrates, of dexterous manipulation by coordinating the flexible eight arms, or of anchoring in order to exert forces on external environment varying arms stiffness,” the team behind the OCTOPUS program reports. With so many species out there to draw on, the team had lots of ideas on how to improve their first prototypes. “The researchers report that the addition of a soft and supple silicone web has nearly doubled the speed of the roboctopus, and not satisfied with that, the scientists have also taught it to crawl, carry objects, and swim free in the Aegean Sea,” wrote Evan Ackerman of IEEE Spectrum. The benefits of the web are visible in
One Labrador ignored completely the contest and when he entered the sea he… disappeared! We were worried, but his owner reassured us telling us that each time his dog enters the sea he swims at least for one hour! And really, after one hour he appeared very happy and joyful! Was it possible not to award him, even though he didn’t follow the rules? The most impressive thing was that he was still full of energy and he continued to play all the time with a ball. We do not know how many hours he must have slept afterwards… The hole event was covered by the local media and the people around was asking us when we will repeat this celebration. We would like to thank Mr. Eftihis Maniudakis (Evita Studio) for covering the event with photographs and the DJ Stelios (www.djstelios.gr) for supporting us with the audio equipment.Whoever wants to obtain photos of the event or his dog during its action, can come in contact with Mr. Manioudakis and buy the photos at a price of 60 cents each. www.animalscare.gr
the video below. Note also the capacity of the octopus to carry a ball while swimming. Before adding the web, the octopus’ cost of transport was 0.85. While the improvement is noteworthy, it should not be forgotten that humans have a COT of 0.1 when walking, and half that when cycling. The inventors think a robot octopus could be a useful way to study marine environments, noting that fish seemed surprisingly unperturbed by their creation. Traditional hard robots are, by definition, less flexible than softer ones, only able to bend at specific joints. Thus, they can become trapped in small spaces and easily damaged in collisions. The moment appears to be right for these sort of flexible robots. At the same conference, a team from MIT presented a snake-like robot inspired by an octopus tentacle.
Greek wineries among the best in the world
Wine & Spirits magazine has re-
Canadian “Ottawa Magazine” (September 2014 issue, an insert in the “Ottawa Citizen” newspaper) praised Greek wines. Leading Canadian wine journalist and educator David Lawrason, who had in the past expressed many doubts about the quality of wines from Greece, finally changed his mind during a presentation of excellent white wines at the Greek restaurant “Volos” in Toronto. Lawrason’s article presented varieties of white wines such as Assyrtiko, Malagouzia and Moschofilero, with particularly positive comments and high ratings. The enthusiastic critique has created a positive environment for Greek wines in the Canadian capital.
Rural Development and Food Ministry launches 16 mil euro programme for the promotion of Greek wines The Ministry for Rural Development and Food has called a tender for a new 16-million-euro programme regarding the advertising and promotion of Greek wines in markets outside the EU, such as the USA, Russia, China and Switzerland. Private and cooperative wineries that are interested in the programme submitted their proposals for the promotion of their wines until September 30.
by Antonia Tsakirakis Cook
honey, olive oil and lemon juice. “It was really fun. We tried to prepare an ancient recipe we didn’t even know”, said 12 year old Jessica Fraser.
Luscious Olive Oil, Lemon, Yogurt Cake
Ingredients (for 8-10 servings): • 2 ½ cups sugar • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour • ½ tsp. salt • 1 tbsp. baking powder • 1 cup Terra Creta Estate Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil • ¾ cup lemon juice • 2 tbsp. Greek yogurt • 4 eggs • 1 tsp. vanilla extract grated • zest of 1 lemon or 2 tsp. lemon ex-
•
tract 1 ½ cups powdered sugar for garnish
Preparation: Heat oven to 325°F (163oC). 1. Using a stand mixer, add sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, olive oil, lemon juice, yogurt, eggs, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Blend at low speed until moistened, for about a minute. Then beat 3 minutes at medium speed.
2. Lightly grease a 12-cup, non-stick, bundt pan with EVOO. 3. Pour batter into the pan. 4. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Remove cake from the oven. 5. Invert cake onto a serving plate. Cool completely and dust with powdered sugar, if desired. Serve with fresh berries. for more food & wine news Enjoy!! click on http://chaniapost.gr
Greek Food and Wine Expo in the United States The event featured a wide array of excellent Greek products, mezedes, and Greek wine tastings as well as information about visiting Greece
GreekEat organised a Greek Food
and Wine Expo on Sunday Sept. 28th 2014, from 1:30 pm to 6:00 pm, along with the Harvard School of Public Health’s Initiative for Productivity and Health Management and the Cambridge Medical Care Foundation, with the support of the Consulate General of Greece in Boston, featuring a wide array of excellent Greek products, mezedes, and Greek wine tastings. The event was held at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral Center, 162 Goddard Avenue, Brookline MA, a wooded, hilltop venue overlooking the Boston skyline. To accompany the gastronomic tour, the Expo featured diverse Mediterranean sights and sounds and information about visiting Greece. The event was held in conjunction with
the acclaimed academic conference on Mediterranean Diet and Workplace Health. This unique and innovative conference featured lectures, panels, and select chef-supervised meals to increase the awareness, appeal, and understanding of Mediterranean dietary habits as a vehicle for improved workplace and school health. Workplace Health,” as part of an on-
2014 Mediterranean Diet & going Initiative for Productivity and Workplace Health Conference Health Management, held on SeptemThe Occupational and Environmental Medicine Residency (OEMR) at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) in collaboration with the PBS show, The Cooking Odyssey, held the conference, “Mediterranean Diet and
ber 27th & 28th at Boston, MA. This unique and innovative conference featured lectures, panels, and select chef-supervised meals to increase awareness, appeal, and understanding of Mediterranean dietary habits as a vehicle for improved workplace health.
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Leading Canadian Wine Journalist Praises Greek Wines
the magazine celebrating the wineries that ‘delivered the best overall performances in W&S tastings throughout the year’. The event also raises money and awareness for the protection of water resources.
S
tudents from Oxford participate in a program, leraning how to cook recipes from Ancient Greece and Rome. The program started on Monday, September 22, and the first lesson was dedicated to Cretan diet. As candianews.gr reports, students learned to prepare recipes for sweets of the Minoans! Their first sweet was “gastrin”, a famous recipe in Minoan Crete, made by nuts,
food & wine
leased its ‘2015 Wineries of the Year’ list and it contains heartening news for the Greek wine industry. Three of the country’s wine producers have made the list, rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest names in wine the world over. Specifically Gai’a, Argyros Estate of Santorini and Domaine Gerovassiliou of Epanomi Thessaloniki will be represented at the award ceremony in San Francisco in a month’s time. On October 21st the 11th annual ‘Top 100 Tasting Event’ will be hosted by
British students learned how to make the sweets of the Minoans
JUDO: A true martial art and an explosive Olympic sport
SUPER LEAGUE MATCH DAYS (October)
Match Day 6: 4 & 5/10/2014 OFI - Ergotelis (Heraklion) Panthrakikos - Platanias (Komotini) Match Day 7: 18 & 19/9/2014 Ergotelis - Olympiacos (Heraklion) Panathinaikos - OFI (Athens) Platanias - Skoda Xanthi (Chania) Match Day 8: 25, 26 & 27/10/2013 Atromitos - Ergotelis (Athens) A.O.K. - Platanias (Kerkira) OFI - Asteras Tripolis (Heraklion) for any changes click on http://www.superleaguegreece.net
FOOTBALL LEAGUE MATCH DAYS (October) Match Day 2: 5/10/2014 Chania - Fostiras (Chania) Day off: Episkopi
Match Day 3: 12/10/2014 Chania - AEK (Chania) Episkopi - Panachaiki (Rethymnon) Match Day 4: 19/10/2014 Episkopi - Iraklis (Rethymnon) Paniliakos - Chania (Pyrgos) Match Day 5: 26/10/2014 Ermionida - Episkopi (Kranidi) Chania - Kallithea (Chania) for any changes click on http://www.http://www.epae.org
for more sports news click on http://chaniapost.gr
J
udo (jūdō, meaning “gentle way”) is a modern martial art, combat and Olympic sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the objective is to either throw or takedown an opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue an opponent with a pin, or force an opponent to submit with a joint lock or a choke. A judo practitioner is called a judoka. Besides being an exciting Olympic sport, Judo played a key part in the development of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and modern mixed martial arts. Mitsuyo Maeda, a legendary Japanese judoka, a newaza (ground fighting) expert and a prizefighter in no holds barred competitions, was fundamental to the development of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu through his teaching of Carlos Gracie and others of the famous Gracie family in Brazil. Maeda won more than 2,000 professional fights in his career. His accomplishments led to him being called the “toughest man who ever lived” and being referred to as the father of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, the most effective ground fighting martial art in the world and a very effective form of self-defense. The first modern Judoka to become a champion in a major Mixed Martial Arts organization is Ronda Rousey, who is the first U.S. woman to win a medal at the Olympic games since
by Kostas Fantaousakis, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Instructor (Brown Belt IBJJF) women’s judo became a medal sport style and he didn’t disappoint as he in 1992, Rousey won a bronze at the stormed to the gold medal, defeating 2008 Olympic Games on the heels Hungary’s Krisztian Toth in the final. of her silver medal finish at the 2007 The Greek fighter first announced himself to the world as an athlete of World Championships. She is the first and current UFC unlimited and lasting potential when Women’s Bantamweight Champion, he won Olympic gold in Athens in as well as the last Strikeforce Wom- 2004. en’s Bantamweight Champion. She is Six years later he would win another undefeated, having won eight of her major title as he took silver medals in ten fights by armbar. Rousey became the world championships in 2005 and the first American woman to earn an 2007. Olympic medal in Judo at the Summer He proved he is a force to be reckoned with by winning back-to-back world Olympics in Beijing in 2008. Rousey is the consensus #1 pound- titles in 2010 and 2011 and having for-pound female MMA fighter in the world, according to MMAWeekly, and other publications. She is ranked #1 at 135 pounds according to the Unified Women’s MMA Rankings. As of August 29th, 2014, she is the #10 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC. taken bronze at the London Games has now earned his third world crown, A Legend in the making throwing Toth for ippon after just two Greek Judo star, Ilias Iliadis If there is anyone in the world of minutes of the final. modern Judo that deserves the title of “Oh that’s so good to win a third world title and to sit here among the best “Phenom”, it is Ilias Iliadis. The Greek star proved once more he athletes in the world. I don’t consider has what it takes to be a champion as myself as the best of the best but today he claimed his third world title in the was my lucky day,” said Iliadis. under-90kg category in Chelyabinsk “Most of the favourites were defeated and I took my chance. Of course, now on Friday August 29. Iliadis is one of the biggest stars in I feel confident enough to run for anjudo due to his aggressive, relentless other Olympics.”
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sports & leisure
Grecotel Amirandes Ladies Open 2014 Grecotel, the leading Greek luxury hotel
group, has announced sponsorship of the 3rd Crete Ladies Open, which will take place at the Crete Golf Club from 10th – 12th October 2014. 84 leading professional golfers will compete in the 54-hole Grecotel Amirandes Ladies Open over three days to share a total prize of €30.000. Invited guests of Grecotel will have the chance to play in the Pro-Am tournament on the 9th October. Guests and players will enjoy the hospitality of Amirandes Grecotel Exclusive Resort, the leading 5* resort in Crete where official events will take place. The 2014 Ladies European Tour Access Series consists of 16 tournaments in 12 different countries and the Grecotel Amirandes Ladies Open will be the penultimate event of the season. At the end of the year, the top five players from the LET Access Series will earn their status on the Ladies European Tour for the 2015 season.
Sports in Minoan Crete and Minoan Civilization
Minoan Crete is the first culture in the Aegean to provide us with ample iconographic evidence of sporting activity held in the Bronze Age
to iconographic restrictions. In both sports the athletes had elaborate coiffures, wore sandals and necklaces. Wrestlers wore a special kind of helmet with cheekpieces, whereas boxers had their heads uncovered. The winner is portrayed with his left hand raised, a possible posture to demonstrate his triumph. The defeated is shown in various postures, either on his knees or while trying to avoid the opponent’s blows. In all available scenes, high quality performance conveys long periods of practice and well-developed athletic ability and training. The famous fresco from Thera (ca. 1550 BC), depicting two young boys boxing, proves that training was a main concern from an early age.
Bull leaping” fresco (painted plaster) from a wall of the Palace at Knossos. A male and female. 17th-15th centuries BC. Origin: Palace of Knossos. Height of restored fresco 78.2 cm.
Each of the boys is wearing a girdle and a boxing glove only on his right hand. Bull-leaping scenes imply absolute precision in action and highly developed acquaintance with the dangers encountered during physical contact with the animal. Acrobatic exercises and wrestling scenes show exercised bodies with narrow waists and well-trained bodies with strong muscles. The consistency and precision in movement shows that athletic activities were organized activities of repetitive nature in Minoan times. Bull-leaping is a motif of Middle Bronze Age figurative art, notably of Minoan Crete, but also found in Hittite Anatolia, the Levant, Bactria and the Indus Valley. It is often interpreted as a depiction of a ritual performed in connection with bull worship. This ritual consists of an acrobatic leap over a bull; when the leaper grasps the bull’s horns, the
The boxing boys fresco is one of many well preserved frescoes from the island of Thera (Santorini). Thera was destroyed by a violent volcanic eruption, probably in the 16th century BCE, preserving much of the art there. This was discovered by Greek archaeologist Spiros Marinatos at the Akrotire site on Thera. The boxing boys were found in House B. The crossing of the blows helps make the action more natural and realistic. The boy on the right has landed a hook, but has exposed himself to the right jab of is opponent.
References: - www.fhw.gr - wikipedia.org
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in the Aegean to provide us with ample iconographic evidence of sporting activity held in the Bronze Age. From the representations on stone vases, frescos and sealstones it appears that the Minoans practiced a number of sports, such as boxing, wrestling, bull-leaping and acrobatics. The famous relief on the rhyton from Hagia Triada, dating to the 16th century BC, is divided into zones where different sports such us wrestling, bull-leaping and boxing are depicted. Eventhough the actual rules of boxing remain unknown, the postures are suggestive of the following practices: competitions were probably always held in pairs. Noteworthy is the absence of interference by a judge; a fact probably attributed
bull will violently jerk his neck upwards giving the leaper the momentum necessary to perform somersaults and other acrobatic tricks or stunts. Based on these observations we tend to assign a rather religious character to the athletic activities of Minoan Crete. It appears that they formed part of a ceremonial initiation rite (rite of passage) of noble youths. Alternatively they formed FIFA World Ranking (Sep ‘14) a type of religious spectacle, organized by the palace. Such spectacles would entertain large crowds of people in the vicinity of the palace. B u l l - l e ap i n g is thought to have been a key ritual in the religion of the Minoan civilization in Bronze Age Crete. As in the case of other Mediterranean civilizations, the bull was the subject of veneration and worship. Representation of the Bull at the palace of Knossos is a widespread symbol in the art and decoration of this archaeological site. The assumption, widely debated by scholars, is that the iconography represents a ritual sport and/or performance in which human athletes literally vaulted over bulls as part of a ceremonial rite.
sports & leisure
Minoan Crete is the first culture