The annual backgammon (ταβλι) Championship

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

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

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

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.....

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!!

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

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.