Cretanvista Site News & Reviews - March 2012 Issue 111 | |||||
No links to sites with adult content accepted. |
MARCH WEATHER..... Continued to be very cold, and very wet. Several good days and more sunshine, but the 365/365 sunshine idea remained a myth! Our logs were now heading from low stock to none at all very rapidly. But the increasing sunshine raised optimism!
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First get the right week (it may take that long) - Megali Evdomada (Holy Week) is the one you want - the week leading up to Good Friday. Second, get yourself some arms - sorry -tools - the arms (and ammunition) come later - seriously! A good stiff broom and some sort of large cutting implement - a Greek hoe - which is used with a downward chopping action is a good start. You need these as the real action starts not with whitewashing but cleaning up outside the village church and the street outside your house - and anyone else's which may be overgrown with grass or weeds! Don't take this personally as the Cretan village is still community enterprise...
Fifth - get ready! Old clothes are the very best as you are going to get whitewashed - I mean it - whatever you do to stay clean and dry. Wet and white.....
At first you will think that you have fouled up the white mix during the making. It will look, on application, very very much like milk. And you can certainly see through it quite clearly. As it dries it will look like wet milk drying - not anything like whitewash. Now is not the time to concern yourself, whitewashing churches, houses and walls demands serious physical effort. You will sweat. This is normal. Especially as during Megali Week you should fast - or at least limit yourself to bread and fishes. Well, maybe a little wine.... No wine? Think about it... Easter; bread; fishes; water - Ok? Ok, make the water into wine! Make some! Just don't drink too much at once.....
By now it will be Friday. The village (and villagers) will be about three-quarters whitewashed and unless you have taken heed of the advice about the water - sorry - wine, perhaps a little overhung. But, having reached Megali Paraskevi (Good Friday) you can rejoice... Oh, dear, did I say rejoice? I meant mourn, for today is the day Christ died. Tonight we will carry the bier, covered with flowers around the village (or at least the church) to mark his death.....
By tomorrow, Megalo Sabbato, (Easter
Saturday) however, we will be eating Kalitsounia (cheese pies), maybe
drinking a little more wine, and getting ready for the church service
which marks the rise of Christ from the dead, (Christos Anesti), when at
midnight the Holy flame (flown in from Jerusalem - Athens - Crete et
al) will be shared with the congregation via their Easter candles. We
will then try desperately to carry the lit candles home without their
blowing out, and use them to mark a crucifix over our doorways. Good
luck for the following year! After burning Judas on a bonfire
during the service that is - and expending vast amounts of ammunition and
fireworks to mark his demise. Then, fasting over, we will eat, eat, eat
and drink - the wine of course... |
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Earthquake activity:
One of my very, very best efforts apparently shot out of
the sky like a really dead duck! Talk about lead bricks - I mean, how fast
can they fall? Probably a lot faster than my rapidly deflating ego. But
then, an inflated ego is probably not a good asset on Crete, where, in true
Greek fashion people tend to be equal. At least in personal dealings if not
other things. Freedom of speech is probably the most obvious trait - point a
TV camera and reporter at a Cretan and there is almost a cast iron guarantee
that the subject will move quickly into the limelight and comment freely and
directly about whatever subject is raised. Even schoolchildren demonstrate
these traits - not being at all reticent about coming forward. And nowhere
is this trait demonstrated more clearly than in the forthcoming
elections - it may be a while now before anyone can laugh....
If you think that this clouds the issue, it certainly does seem
to, with the traditional front runners, New Democracy (Leader - Adonis
Samaras) and Pasok (Leader - Evangelos Venizelos) both attempting to
convince the electorate that only their party can successfully lead Greece
back to the road of prosperity.
Kalos Ithate Stin Kriti. |
Site Content:- Last Change - additions to Wildflower galleries.
Photo
Galleries...
Wildlife Gallery - the first two pages -
48 unique photographs, including
some
rare specimens of the Cretan fauna. Some is quite beautiful, some a bit
scary/creepy, but all now add to our wildlife page and the ornithology
gallery pages. Remember that it is always worth checking where you
walk or sit before you do!
Start here. |
The Cretan
Vista Calendar Photos - Birds
The webmaster is at: Contact Form. |
Can this be you..... or yours... or mine?.. This
Month - Wilf B.
Until next month, best wishes from here on Crete. WB. |