Life in Mochos

Change to location of blog

2011-03-16T22:02:00.000+02:00

I have moved the blog to a Facebook page as it is easier to integrate information and media from others there... The Page is on the following link

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Life-in-Mochos/188188724549726

Please pass this information to anyone you think would be interesting in following the day to day life of the village.

Thank You
Margaret

Tomorrows Concert

2010-08-09T17:30:00.000+03:00

Tomorrow night there is a concert in the village. Take a look at the following link.
http://www.facebook.com/?sk=messages&tid=1267391244909#!/event.php?eid=141661452523743

The annual backgammon (ταβλι) Championship

2010-08-09T17:26:00.000+03:00

Yesterday was the annual backgammon championship.....most of the men here play and it is taken very seriously as you can see from the turnout for the championships....Pictures courtesy of Alex Vogiatz.

Guiness Record Attempt

2010-08-08T15:56:00.005+03:00

Last night was the Guiness record attempt for the most people Cretan dancing at once (Pentouzalis)....there were people dancing from Chania to Ayios Nikalaos on the side of the highway. Due to one or two organisational slip ups, some people missed it so I am not sure what is happening with the record. The main thing is that we had fun, and showed both tourists and others living here that we have a community spirit and pride in the culture! Take a look at one or two pictures...

Dancing in the three squares

2010-08-07T16:31:00.002+03:00

Last night there was music and dancing in three local squares St Georges, Upper Panayia and the new square at Lower Half....I havent got any photographs, but Alex has given me permission to use some of his, thanks Alex!

Apology

2010-08-04T15:54:00.000+03:00

Hi Everyone
A really big apology for not having posted for a while, but this was due to personal reasons. I am back and there is lots going on in the village at the moment to keep me busy posting.....
Sorry again

ASDA home delivery supreme.....

2009-06-04T10:33:00.001+03:00

I have tried supermarket home deliveries in the UK, but this is the first time one has come to me here. Joanne, pictured arriving in the village square, brought me two big bags of goodies from ASDA, including 8 kilos of my favourite breakfast cereal (ASDA crunch with raisin, honey and almonds). Thank you so much Joanne.....if anyone else is coming out I can e-mail a wish list ;-)

Demon Huntress - a first!!

2009-06-02T20:27:00.000+03:00

Well Jessica the demon huntress has excelled herself....in one day she brought a bird home....nothing unusual there you might say....but then after I went to bed, she came home and dropped something on the bed. It fluttered and I thought Oh dear a bird, I better get it out quickly....went to pick it up and it BIT ME! confused I tried to understand how it had done until I turned on the light and realised it was a BAT!! Well it took until this afternoon to free it from the house and I now have all my friends watching in case I start to froth at the mouth...

RIP Ginger

2009-05-03T14:52:00.001+03:00

Easter started off as a really happy time and we all enjoyed the special time and the spectacle that is Easter here. I went to the church on Saturday night to light my candle and then came home to put the cross above my door to bring good luck. This obviously did not work this year. When I came home the cats, Ginger and Jessica, were hiding in the back bedroom despite the TV being on loud to drown out the noise of the bombs. I then went to my friends to eat and returned home around 2.30 am. In the time I was gone, Ginger went out. She still has not returned and no-one has seen anything of her. I am very sad to say that I have to conclude that something really bad has happened and that she is now dead. Poor Ginger, she was such a wonderful cat, very loving, with a fantastic temperament and such a good mother to her kittens (pictured above at around 2 weeks) despite her only being a kitten herself at the time she had them. Jessica, her daughter that we kept (pictured front right of the picture above) is distraught and keeps crying for her all the time. A very very sad end to a celebration.

It's started!

2009-04-17T11:09:00.003+03:00

Well, the quiet of Lent has now officially finished. At seven this morning the Church service started.....and the bombs....and the Church bells....3 and a half hours of it.....I couldn't hear the service over the loudspeakers for the other noise, but will be attending the service tonight and following the cross, walk round the central churches. More later.

Carnival kids programme

2009-03-01T17:56:00.005+02:00

We are underway and the Kids are really enjoying themselves, some of the parents are partying already too......here are just a few photos to keep you going. I am not sure about how tonights pictures will come out in the dark, but I will try!

Carnival - second attempt!

2009-03-01T14:33:00.005+02:00

Well it is the re-arranged Carnival day and the sun is shining, the village is full of people already and the atmosphere is buzzing....I have taken a few photos this morning, one of my neighbour and his grandson going up the the square with a little tractor carrier thing and some of the sound system and lighting rigs being taken out of plastic ready for tonight. I then went for a walk with it being such a nice day. I took some photos of the Lassithi mountains looking beautiful with all the snow on. Look out for more pictures late afternoon, which should be of the childrens events and the Cretan music and dancing. Then I am going to party....the pictures from tonight should be loaded up tomorrow.

Carnival

2009-02-22T16:34:00.001+02:00

Well we were not sure if it would take place, but the weather was looking better so we started.....the souvlaki (just a few!) arrived and were distributed round the stands were they were to be cooked and sold.....a few hardy people turned up in fancy dress ready....and then the heavens opened.....and it poured.....and poured.....and the water got into the sound system wiring....it went down....and took all my side of the village with it.....they sorted that out....and...then very sadly a lady visiting the village for the carnival had a heart attack and died....needless to say, everyone agreed that the carnival would not take place.
Hopefully it will now take place on Sunday 1st March, if the weather is too bad this day, then we will not have one this year.
It was a sad day, both for the family and friends of the poor lady who died and for the committee of the carnival who had worked so hard to get everything ready. If anyone reading this knows the family of the lady involved, would you pass on my condolences?

Will it or won't it?

2009-02-21T13:17:00.002+02:00

Well, its Carnival day and the weather is really bad.....we are still waiting for final confirmation that it will go ahead....the outlook is that the rain and hail we have had this morning will turn to snow overnight and through Monday/Tuesday....here are a few pictures of the stalled preparations...the fire is going (but has already gone out once today) and the soup is on the go...nothing else to do but wait.....

International New Year Party

2009-01-01T15:23:00.000+02:00

Delia and Antonis had an international new year party at their new home. There were Greeks, Germans, Irish, Scottish and English. I organised party games which totally confused the Greeks as they havent played grown up party games before.We took pictures of some of the more sedate games, the rough ones we have to remember. Just before midnight we went up to the square to let in the new year. We were greeted by Papa Manolis singing under an umbrella in the middle of the square. At midnight fireworks went off and the tavernas closed leaving bottles of whisky on the tables for anyone visiting. Most of the party then went back to the house until the early hours. We all had a great time, Thanks Delia and Antonis.....

Mum and Daughter

2008-11-13T22:02:00.000+02:00

Most of my regular readers will remember Jessica, the demon huntress. Most will not know her mum Ginger as she is very afraid of people and will not stand still for her photo taking. I took these as they were curled up asleep together because they look so cute......Ginger is on the left and Jessica on the right...

Its Raki time again.....

2008-11-06T21:44:00.001+02:00

I got a phone call yesterday morning to say my friend Manthos was going to be making his Raki at the other Raki factory (not the one I photographed last year) and he would like me to take some photos for the Blog. Always ready to oblige I scooted off. The Raki making had already started.....

The finished stuff....warm....tasty...and lethal!
Kath checking they are doing the job right...
Yiannis and Dimitra who run the Raki factory starting to dismantle the still to put more stuff in....

First the pipes come off....
Then the dome....(well I dont know the names, do I?)
The branch is there to stop the grape mulch from floating.
Pushing the used pulp out of the still ready for the next lot..
There it goes...steaming hot....

All used up.....
The next batch waiting to go in...
There it goes....
Yiannis laughing as he spots me taking his picture...
And of course they have to make a party of it....
Michaelis is cooking as Manthos sorts out the meat....
Just one or two people to keep company while the Raki brews...

A really good time was had by all, and it was really good to sit outside in the sun, eat, drink and talk with such interesting company. Thanks everyone.....

Mums 80th

2008-10-27T21:29:00.000+02:00

Well it was my Mums 80th Birthday yesterday, so I had to come to the UK for the party. Tomorrow is also my niece Vickys 18th so its a big week. Here are some piccies from Mums party.......a good time was had by all....even if the "oldies" scandalised the young ones.....

Little Kitty

2008-10-16T20:35:00.001+03:00

Just to let you all know that the little one has been re-homed today, with my friend Jackie who has an ouzeri with her husband George in Stalis (Stalida). Her son Nico was looking after him when I left. Thank you everyone for your good wishes on his future....

Mochos v Chania

2008-10-12T20:34:00.000+03:00

The boys did well at the football match today beating Chania 2 - 0.....well done lads!

New Mummy/Daddy wanted

2008-10-11T17:30:00.003+03:00

Hello, I don't have a name but I need a new mummy or daddy as i was left in a carrier bag under a car. I am about 4 weeks old and healthy and love to explore and cuddle. I can wash myself very well too, except sometimes I fall over washing my feet! Margaret has some baby milk for me until I am big enough to eat grown up dinner. She would love to keep me, but is going to England on the 21st and so cannot. If you can be my new mummy or daddy, please ring Margaret on 6946025103. Thank you x x x ps I promise to be good and give you lots of cuddles.

Football season starts

2008-10-04T17:45:00.000+03:00

Well its that time of year again (lovely!) and the village hosted the first match of the season. The Mochos second team drew 1 - 1 with Episkopi. Apparently everyone played well.

Demon Huntress #3

2008-10-02T20:38:00.000+03:00

With the help of her mum Ginger, Jessica the Demon huntress strikes again. This poor rat was stuck up the wall in the avli, when I went out it was spreadeagled across the corner. It is around 6 or 7 feet up and clung on for over an hour until I managed to get it down and let it go outside. The look on its face tells it all.....

A different kind of wine making machine....

2008-09-20T20:38:00.005+03:00

My friend and local taverna owner Rodamanthis, his father in law Michaelis and his uncle George were making the family wine this afternoon. George has this ingenious machine which strips the grapes from the stalks before they tread them under foot to get the juice out. The first picture shows the stalks coming out of the machine into a crate (and a few empty crates too..)

The grapes after stripping from the stalks, then go into sacks for treading.

These are still waiting to go in.

George treading the grapes and Michaelis supervising.
Smiling for the camera (I told them they would be famous on the internet.)
The whole family operation, with Rodamanthis (Manthos) on the right.

Demon Huntress Mark 2

2008-09-16T20:34:00.000+03:00

Well Jessica has surpassed herself this time. I was very scared to take this off her, but also scared to leave her playing with it. I am not sure what kind of snake it was, but even though it was little I dont like them. If there are any clever clogs out there, they may like to tell me what it is.....

Prize Draw

2008-09-02T22:12:00.002+03:00

Those of you who know my website http://www.alternativecrete.com may have noticed that I have been running a Prize Draw for people filling in a short questionnaire. The draw closed on 31st August and was drawn today. The draw was made by Rodamanthis who runs the taverna of the same name in the village square.

The names ready to go in the draw (not many I know!)

In the basket ready to go.....

Its getting exciting now.....who will it be?

And the lucky winner is....... Susan Scott..... Thanks to all for entering and thanks Mantho for conducting the draw!

Very Special Visitor

2008-08-19T18:55:00.003+03:00

I am starting to get excited now as my daughter, Hannah, is right this minute on a plane on her way out for a weeks holiday with me.....I do love my beautiful girl...

Modern Wine

2008-08-19T18:24:00.003+03:00

The modern age has now arrived in the village.....most of the residents still make their wine the traditional way, by treading the grapes. My neighbour George had this contraption arrive and his wine was completed in an hour instead of a couple of days.....I do wonder though..what does one man do with so much wine???

Lunar eclipse

2008-08-17T12:43:00.003+03:00

Well I wasnt going to put these pictures up, because they are so poor (anyone who reads the blog regularly knows I need a new camera!), but everyone in England is complaining that they saw nothing and I decided bad pictures were better than not seeing at all.....so here it is.....The Lunar eclipse as viewed from my roof!
ps...if you click they get a little bigger.

Demon Huntress

2008-08-09T18:51:00.001+03:00

Regular readers will already know Jessica, my baby (well not anymore, but hey!) well this is her turned Demon huntress trying to catch a crocodile, which is a lizard so named because they look like baby crocs....does she look evil or what?
And yes, well spotted she is balancing on the top of the door.

Solar Eclipse

2008-08-01T14:28:00.004+03:00

The solar eclipse was only partial here in Crete, but interesting just the same. I took some (not very good as I haven't got a filter for the camera) photos for those who missed it. You can clearly see the moon moving into position ready to cover the sun and then moving out the other side. Unfortunately the ones of the actual eclipse are so bright you can see nothing....sorry..

Birthday party.

2008-07-10T23:00:00.000+03:00

Well, as anyone who knows me will tell you, I dont like my birthday, maybe because it reminds me that, at least physically I am no longer 25! My friend Jane has hers the same day and so she invited lots of people to our combined birthday party, leaving me no option but to go....
It was actually a really, really good afternoon, we had a pool party and Jane, Mark (who had his birthday a few days later and myself had a fantastic time. Not to mention one or two alcoholic beverages....honest I only had one or two....what - you kept filling up the glass? Well that explains it all then....
Anyway, for anyone interested the pictures are on Janes blog click here....

She gets everywhere....

2008-07-02T14:07:00.000+03:00

My Aunt and Godmother is called Norma, I thought this was an unusual name in England, so imagine my surprise when driving into the village I spotted this.......Do you think its telling you anything Auntie?????

Filming in Mochos - Pictures and write-up courtesy of Liz

2008-06-05T23:23:00.002+03:00

Today was an exciting one for the village. The film crew from the movie "Eden a L'ouest (Eden in West) were in the village to start day 49 of the filming. The film is about an illegal alien who comes to seek his fortune in the west and it follows his travels. It is due to be released early in 2009. The square was the main venue for filming and activity started early in the day with the arrival of the trucks full of the equipment needed. These were parked by the large supermarket meaning that no large vehicle could pass through the village. Local police were on hand to block the road and divert traffic. This worked very well until one of them was hungry and as he ate his lunch in the taverna, a big lorry tried to get into the square causing a commotion until it was removed.
Producers and staff were there to prepare the locals for their roles as extras as well as the main stars. The doctors surgery and the office next door were used for hair and make-up. A small disused house near the church was the set, prepared as a shop; outside a small market selling chickens and caged birds, a tractor and trailer and old trucks complete with wool, grain and straw completed the set.
The film, set in various places around Europe including Crete, Italy and Paris is being produced by Costas Gavras a very famous producer. The lead male is Riccardo Scamarcio, and one of the main ladies is Greek actress Dina Mihailidis. The producers and assistants have visited the village many times in preparation for the filming. Filming started at around 13.00 and finished around 20.30 with the set being quickly cleared afterwards. The local tavernas supplied food and drinks for the day and in the evening, the directors and producers, Italian newspaper reporters, drivers and crew ate at Rodamanthis Taverna. It was a busy and exciting day for many as most had never seen a film in production. The village children, of course, had a great day running round and sitting on set, with over 20 being included in the actual filming.

First Cretan night of 2008

2008-06-04T21:03:00.002+03:00

Firstly I will apologise for the poor quality of the pictures, I am having technical problems with taking pictures in the dark.
Today was the first Cretan night of the year and this year they will be very special. This year all of the musicians and dancers are from the village. In addition all of the dances are Cretan, with no Greek dances included. Nico, pictured below with Ritza, has been training the dancers over the winter. Niko is a wonderful dancer and talented Lyra player and singer. I think the dancers this year danced better as a team than previously, so well done all of you. Another thing I loved about this years dancing is the inclusion of the junior group who danced exceptionally well for their age.
If any tech bods out there want to advise me I have a Nikon Coolpix 3700 and cannot take moving pictures in the dark when there are lights around too.....

Babies Birthday

2008-03-14T15:36:00.006+02:00

Those of you who have been reading the blog for a while will know that my cat - Ginger - had babies last year. They are now one year old so I thought I would update you with birthday pictures.

This is Jessica, who I kept.

This is Ossie, Who Kath and Alan took.

This is Bella, also with Kath and Alan.

This is Ariadne (left) and Persephone (right) who live with Jill in Sissi.
Happy birthday all you babies - I will have to stop calling you that now eh?

Malia Street Carnival - the first in 4 years!

2008-03-09T17:38:00.000+02:00

More from the night - courtesy of Liz

2008-03-05T10:18:00.000+02:00

A few photos from the night

2008-03-03T20:28:00.004+02:00

This is the gang from left to right at the back, Alan, Kath, Penny, Peter, Liz and Bob front row Sigrid and me (the fairy godmother in white)

This is Jackie....

The Raki drip stand. It has IV drips full of Raki for people to drink from.

For some strange reason I didnt manage to get many photos on the night, but Liz has some so I will try to get copies and post them later. (what do you mean...was I drunk?....how could you think that?)

More from the carnival

2008-03-01T17:25:00.010+02:00

Just one or two speakers.....

The childrens entertainers had everyone enthralled.....

Celia, her daughter and twin grandsons.

I am not sure of the names of two of the guys on the slovaki stall but second left is Yiannis (remember him from the olive picking?) and far right is his friend Dimitris.
This is Volande and Rafael from my local taverna - Rodamanthis.

Just a few twigs to keep us warm!

One of my neighbours and his granchild.
Peace for a while at least until it all starts.

Waiting for the bouncy slide....

Its Carnival day

2008-03-01T11:47:00.004+02:00

Well it is Carnival (Apokreas) day at last and the preparations are under way. There is a lot of work to do to convert the village square into a party venue. Here are some photos of the start of the work, which will continue until this afternoon. The childrens evens start at somewhere around 4pm (well it is Greece!) and then the Cretan music and dancing from 7 - 9 followed by music from the DJ until around 5 or 6 in the morning. I will take as many pictures as I can so that you can get a flavour of the events, but may not get too many tonight (I wonder why?)

The Raki stand and the hut which will be part of the carnival soup stand.

Manolis is helping as usual (remember him from the olive picking?)

The slovaki (kebab) stands start to go up. They will serve around 2000 tonight!

The sound system went in last night and was thoroughly tested (and is so loud you can probably hear it on the coast) before being wrapped up to protect it until this afternoon.
Look out for more later......

And it snowed!

2008-02-18T20:21:00.002+02:00

Well it does happen sometimes, and boy did it yesterday.....we had thunder and lightning, and then the heavens opened...with hail stones.....the sun came out.....then more thunder and lightning and BLIZZARD....lots and lots of snow.....force 10 winds........Oh Dear! Luckily the tavernas were open and we could get some Raki to keep us warm :-) And in the morning, what did this intelligent (!), organised and sometimes sensible woman do???? She locked herself out of the house for 2 hours in nothing but her dressing gown! Cold or what???? Its a good job I have friends who are good at breaking and entering and who will remain nameless...Alan....Ooops. I will leave you with just a few pictures so that you know I havent made it up.

Olive picking

2007-12-14T16:39:00.000+02:00

Its Olive harvest time here and everyone is working really hard to collect them in. It is a very heavy manual process still and so they are all very tired at the end of the day. The photographs show the Kritsotakis family collecting their olives.

All sorted and ready to start...

If only the generator would fire up......

At last...

Where did Manolis go? Oh...he's in the tree now! (look hard!)

Now there's a surprise, the woman has to do the tidying up....

The happy family, left to right - Manolis, Yiannis and Elleni.

The trees being harvested are some of the oldest in the village and the big one behind the family portrait estimated to be at least 400 years old. Yiannis tells me he has around 400 trees some of which he has had for about 25 years since his father gave him them. The average yield per tree is 30 to 40 kilos of olives, but in a good year could be as much as 100 kilos. 10 kilos of olives makes 1 kilo of olive oil.

Thanks to the family for their help.

Keep watching for the report from the olive oil factory.

And on the way home......

2007-11-09T19:53:00.000+02:00

On the way home from the Raki factory I bumped into two of my neighbours cooking the potato for their dinner on the little fire at the side of the road. It is normal for Maria - the lady on the right to cook here - usually with Katina who I think may be her mother (she wasn't there last night)

Its Raki time....

2007-11-09T19:21:00.000+02:00

This is my first experience of the Raki making, yes, I know I drink quite a bit of it, but that is very different to watching it being made! It was fascinating. They bring the leftovers from the winemaking and put them in a big vat with a dome shaped lid. The fire is lit and the Raki then comes out of the bottom of the still through a little spout. Everyone sits around eating raw green beans and jacket potatos cooked on the top of the fire box whilst tasting the Raki fresh from the still. I must admit the stuff they made was some of the nicest I have tasted. (for any interested brewers the specific gravity was 22) I wobbled home around 5.30 to try and cook my dinner.....

Ready for the Winter

2007-10-12T15:16:00.000+03:00

There we are then, ready for the cold weather to arrive. My Somba (wood burning stove) is cleaned and the wood has arrived and is stacked in the Yard. Lots of cosy nights in now.....

What is it?

2007-09-10T15:11:00.000+03:00

Did you get it right?
Its a tomato........a friend from Vrahassi Greek class brought some plants in and they were not tagged so she wasn't sure what kind they were....I have never seen a tomato like this before, they are only around one to one and a half inches long, but they taste delicious and are very sweet.

Cool for Cats.....

2007-08-29T15:05:00.000+03:00

You can tell how hot its getting here when the cat jumps in the fridge the minute its open!
p.s. no your eyes are not going funny, the picture is blurry.

New Doors

2007-07-21T14:37:00.000+03:00

At last...my lovely new doors are here and fitted.....complete with window to open when it is too warm inside, and I had the blessing of Papa Manolis who came to have a look at them and declared them "fantastico". He has also ordered some for his house remarkably like them - a result I think!!!!

A wedding in the village

2007-07-08T12:38:00.000+03:00

Yesterday was a special day in the village. The first summer wedding. Dimitri and Sofia had the most beautiful of weddings. It took place (unusually) in front of the church and was followed by music from a famous professional band and display dancing by the local Cretan dancing display team (including Dimitris' brother Niko who is not only a good dancer, but a talented musician) The bride naturally looked absolutely stunning, as did all the rest of the wedding party. Rafael (next to Dimitri on the photo) walked to the church with a little girl on each arm...a proper little gentleman! There are also photos of the wedding favours which are traditionally given to all guests. There is an almond macaroon, sugared almonds and honey and nuts (usually spooned in your mouth as you leave the church - this time in little jars with a D and S and a heart hand painted in between) The wedding was followed by fireworks and lots and lots of partying. Needless to say the village was very, very quiet on Sunday. Congratulations to the happy couple!!!

Heatwave and the fire engine.

2007-06-28T12:27:00.000+03:00

We have had a heatwave here now for over a week, with temperatures well into the mid 40's but also a wind from the south. Those of you in England will be familiar with a wind chill factor. This is the same in reverse. The temperature is 44 but it feels more like 54!!! This has a number of drawbacks:-
1) Its too hot and sticky to do ANYTHING!
2) The amount of extra electricity to power the air conditioning in the resorts blacks out the whole island as the grid cannot cope.
3) We get fires.....sometimes caused by idiots discarding fag ends without realising the risks at this time of year.....
Yesterday there were a number of local fires, the worst being in Elounda, consuming 700 Stremma (a Stremma is 1000 square metres) of land and houses, and taking two days to put out. Very scary! The photo above is of the local fire engine flying over my house on its way to deal with the fire. There are a number of planes and just the one helicopter, they pick up water from the sea and drop it on fires.
Well done all the men who worked so hard.....

End of Term

2007-06-15T12:21:00.000+03:00

Well it is end of term at the local schools and to celebrate they held a competition for art and poetry on the theme of Peace. Prizes were given for the best in each age group at a party in the square. Traditional Cretan music and dancing was provided and went on until around 12 o'clock (very early night here!)

Bored !!!!

2007-05-12T23:57:00.000+03:00

Well I just got back after a long day, to and fro from the hospital where my poor mum has ended up while she is here on holiday to find that sweet little Jessica obviously got bored while I was out. She managed to shred an entire toilet roll over the floor and looked really pleased with herself when I opened the door and found her !!!! I wonder if Andrex will pay me for the photo :-)

Back Home

2007-05-05T21:07:00.000+03:00

Well Ginger has had the op and is back home safe and well. She has also been re-united with Jessica, her lookalike kitten. At least now she has stopped crying and looking behind all the furniture for the babies!!! The only problem is she appears to have reverted to kitten herself and is leaping around playing as if she is Jessica's sister not her mum.......why can't Mums grow up and act their age eh? ;-)

May Day

2007-05-01T21:01:00.000+03:00

Well its May day and we all go picking flowers....Margarita's to be exact and as they have my name, all my neighbours made sure I knew what to do. Bunches appeared on the car, under the pipe from the electric meter and a garland of flower heads sown together has pride of place above the door to give good luck throughout the year. Chronia Polla !!!!!

Empty Nest !!!

2007-04-29T11:36:00.000+03:00

Well it is so quiet here, its wierd! The babies have all left home now. Gilly has taken the three coloured one and the tiny one (still waiting for an update on names for these two), Alan and Kath have taken the Pale ginger boy (Ozzie) and the dark grey girl (Jezebella or Bella), they have also taken Jessica (the one who looks like Ginger) for a holiday until Sunday as Ginger has to go into hospital to make sure we dont get babies every three months. Its good to be able to walk without looking what might be under your feet, but to be honest I am really missing them. Ginger is too, she is alternating between crying for them and looking under the kitchen cupboards, behind the wardrobe and bookself etc and tramping it with the guys all night.....good job the Op is on Thursday I think ;-)

Oh Yes what a match !!!!!

2007-04-15T20:14:00.000+03:00

The boys did it in style today. The annual grudge match between Mochos FC and Archanes took place and this time it was more critical than ever. If Mochos won they move up a league, lose and its all over for another year.......
In the 1st half Mochos did not play at their best and went in for the break 1 - 0 down.
In the 2nd half Mochos got a penalty in after 15 minutes...now it was 1 - 1 and you could feel and hear the tension. The noise from the football ground could be heard all over the village so no-one was in any doubt what was happening. 10 minutes later Archanes scored an own goal, which it is said would have been the best goal of the match if it had been at the other end! Now it was 2 - 1 to Mochos. At this point Mochos found their normal good form and scored another goal, 3 - 1 to Mochos. The noise was incredible and Manthos knew it was all over so went back to the taverna to get ready for the invasion......
Needless to say, car horns, air horns, goat bells, bangers, bombs, gun fire, chanting........what appeared to be around five hundred cars and pickup trucks full of men through the square....and big, big celebrations......Mochos will now be promoted from "A" local league to "D" National league......we ARE the champions!!!!!!!!!

Babies dinner

2007-04-12T19:11:00.000+03:00

The babies had their first taste of dinner today.....they followed mummy and the three coloured one accidentally stood in it. She then tried to lick her paws and promtly fell over.....April entertainment sorted then!!

The whole village breathes again!!

2007-04-09T19:09:00.000+03:00

The whole village is breathing again after a nightmare two days. Yesterday at 11am a 9 year old autistic boy, visiting from Heraklion for the Easter celebrations with his family, went missing in the countryside after slipping away from his mother whilst she was on the phone. The whole of the police and red cross resources as well as a massive number of villagers searched all afternoon, night and most of today. At around 1pm the police asked that everyone stayed within the village boundary as they were bringing in the helicopter with thermal camera to try to track him down. Shortly before 6pm it was announced by the church bells ringing that he had been found, cold and I believe slightly injured but otherwise unharmed. For a community which lives for its children as this one does this has been visibly devastating to everyone and I suspect the celebrations will continue for another night to mark the little ones safe return.

Its Beirut !!!!

2007-04-08T12:12:00.000+03:00

Well Easter arrived with a bang....or several hundred actually...The church service started around 11pm and as it continued the bells got more and more urgent and soon there was a big queue to get into the church. At midnight everyone came out and the bonfire with the effigy of Judas Iscariot was lit. Someone obviously used a bit of poetic licence when dressing him, as I don't think sunglasses and a glass of beer are the regulation accessories! As the bonfire went up (fed with what looked like whole bushes) the bangers and mortar bombs reached a level where you could no longer hear them, you felt them with your whole body. As a finale Manolis had saved the biggest bomb of the lot and even the locals nearly had heart attacks!!! You can maybe see on the (not very good) photos the smoke surrounding Judas is not from the fire, but from the mortar bombs.
After this the priest brings out a flame which has been passed along from one flown to Greece from Constantinople and everyone lights their candle from it. Some of the candles are plain and some are very ornately decorated, there are even childrens ones with Spongebob squarepants on. The trick now is to walk home, with your candle still lit and make a cross in the smoke above the entrance to your house. This is to bring good fortune for the next year.
I lit my candle, got it home and made a really big, strong cross in smoke over the door, so I am assured a wonderful year now!!!!

An Early Easter miracle !!

2007-04-07T11:50:00.000+03:00

Well it had to happen, I went to church last night!! My friend Kath encouraged me to go into the church with her whilst the Big Friday service was going on. It was actually really nice and both the mens and womens choirs were singing. It seemed like there were hundreds of people in there and as more came in some left to make room. I lit a candle and enjoyed the spectacle. The miracle is that the church is still standing! At 10pm everyone left the church to walk the streets of the village and visit all the central churches. The entire evening was accompanied by special sound effects provided by bangers and mortar bombs, which were throw in gardens, empty buildings and drains along the route with seemingly hundreds thrown into the centre of the square when we got back there. After an hour and 45 minutes we arrived back at the church, where they prayed for another 10 minutes before disbanding.
I returned home at 1.30 to find that Ginger had abandoned her kittens in their box and was hiding under the kitchen sink unit in absolute terror. I think I will have to leave the TV on tonight to deaded the noise as it promises to be an even bigger night!!

Oh my poor ears already !!!!

2007-04-06T10:27:00.000+03:00

Well Easter started last night.....gone is the quiet calm of Lent.....at around six the locally made "bombs" started...they are like English bangers but around 100 times more powerful, a bit like a mortar bomb.....they throw them in the middle of the square and some were so loud my windows shook.
Then a little bit of a lull overnight until just after 8 this morning....more bombs and the church bells have been ringing constantly for the last two and a half hours. I think they will keep going now all day. I will be going on the walk around the Churches tonight for the first time and will report on that later.

A New Home

2007-04-05T20:24:00.000+03:00

The babies finally have a new home. I persuaded Ginger to move them to a box in my bedroom from the drawer under the back bed. Maybe now I can get to my computer equipment and do some work.....

Independence Day

2007-03-25T20:31:00.000+03:00

Today was both Annunciation and Independence day here and the whole village turned out in their best clothes. A church service was followed by a parade of locals in Cretan traditional costumes and school children in their Blue and white outfits. The parade stopped at the Cenotaph to lay wreaths and then continued to the village square where it disbanded and everyone sat and drank coffee and wished each other χρονια πολλα (Chronia polla - many years - a traditional greeting used for all celebrations)

A brief background to what its all about!
In 1821, Greeks vigorously rose up against the oppressive Ottoman Empire which had occupied Greece for nearly four hundred years, embarking on the ultimately successful war of independence. Bishop Germanos of Patras boldly raised the Greek flag at the monastery of Agia Lavras, inciting the Peloponnese to rise against the oppressors. While the exact date probably was not March 25th, it did occur in late March and it was gradually associated with the religious feast of the Annunciation.

On this day in the Orthodox calendar, the archangel Gabriel appeared to the maiden Mary and announced the news: she was pregnant with the divine child. Bishop Germanos chose this day to deliver a different but not unrelated message: a new spirit was about to be born in Greece. The churches celebrate the Festival of the Annunciation with pomp, ceremony, and joy.

Instant Family

2007-03-14T20:43:00.000+02:00

On a personal note I now have an instant family of five. My Γατακι (little cat) has just had five kittens in my shoe drawer under the back bed......she kindly allowed me to sit with her the whole time. Here is a picture of them when she had just finished giving birth and one when she had cleaned them all up. They all look healthy so its just a matter of finding homes for them now!!!!

Carnival day

2007-02-11T21:53:00.000+02:00

Last night was the village carnival and the locals have been fundraising all week to pay for the festivities. The programme started at 3pm with the childrens activities including a bouncy castle with slide, a clown and a magician.At 7pm the Cretan music with professional dancers started and at 9pm it was the main carnival. All the drinks are free and needless to say, most people enjoy one or two (or maybe more!).The sound has to be experienced to be believed because as you may notice on the photograph the whole church front is covered with speakers and the lighting rigging. There are souvlaki (kebabs) stands and a really big bonfire in the middle of the square to keep everyone warm. Most people dress up or if not at least wear silly wigs. There are people working the carnival who go round and black everyones face with burnt cork (all the workers are volunteers and wear an orange uniform). It is estimated that around 5000 people attend the carnival in Mochos as it is the only one still running in the local area. Many only start to arrive around 12 or 1 in the morning. Mochos carnival is actually held the week before the main carnival at the end of Apokries as this is when everyone goes to Rethymnon for the National carnival parade. Here are one or two photos to give you an idea, but as I was partying I didn't manage to get too many good ones once it got started for some strange reason!!!!

Tsiknopempti

2007-02-08T21:48:00.000+02:00

Today is Tsiknopempti and marks the Thursday of the second week of Apokries, where everyone eats meat. Tsiknopemti means tsikno = smell of burning, pempti = Thursday. This is the day everyone cooks meat in thins strips until is is crispy and starts to smell burnt. The whole village smells of cooking meat. yum yum.

Apokries

2007-01-26T21:37:00.000+02:00

In Greece the carnival possibly started to worship Dionysos, God of Wine and Feasting. Apokries (sometime spelt Apokreas) means goodbye to meat Apo = from, Kries/kreas = meat. The latin Carnival means the same Carne = meat, valle = leave
Today is the start of Apokries which is the three week period leading up to Lent and this year runs from 26th January to 18th February. This week starts with the opening of the "Triodion" or three Holy sacraments.
The next few weeks are very important in Greek tradition and are followed very actively in the village. Keep watching for further posts!

Oops.....

2007-01-25T19:50:00.000+02:00

I just realised how big the photos go when you click on them, will have to try to work out how to do them properly.

At least you won't need a magnifying glass! :-))))

They finally got the new Doctors surgery

2007-01-25T17:44:00.000+02:00

After much hard work and pushing by Doctor Michalis we finally got a new surgery in the village. It is just round the corner from the post office in the newly renovated old village square. The two priests to the left of the first picture are Papa Nektarios (wearing all the gear), the main priest in the area, and a colleague from Heraklion. On the right wearing the red shawl is Papa Vangellis from Stalis and wearing the Gold shawl is Papa Emmanouil (Manolis) from Mochos. After prayers were said, Holy water was sprinkled on the cross using Rosemary branches. Everyone then kissed the cross and were sprinkled on the head with Holy water too. After that it was the speech from the local mayor and then a party with lots to eat and drink.

First Timer !

2007-01-24T15:56:00.000+02:00

Hi everyone,
This is my first time at this so please be patient and feel free to get in touch and comment on anything here. I am looking forward to keeping everyone in touch with village life.

Peace, Love and Light

Epiphany

2007-01-06T16:00:00.000+02:00

Today was Epiphany and being a total heathen, I have no idea what it is about. I am sure some of you God fearing folk will enlighten me though!

Anyway, the Priest (Papa Manolis) and all the villagers go to church and then go down to Mochos lake. Then Papa Manolis throws the cross into the lake three times and usually the young men of the village jump in and race to be the first to retrieve it. Of course this year it was cold, so nobody jumped in. Sorry girls, but no exciting pictures of young men in swimming trunks. They all went to swim in the sea in Stalis and Malia apparently!