We have spent a week away on the mainland visiting Delphi, Meteora and Athens. We cashed in 'Sea Miles' from Minoan Ferries, enabling both of us and the car to travel both ways totally free of charge. The weather on the mainland was very good, albeit slightly cooler than Crete.
Back home now I have spent the day finishing off yet more jobs which the builders failed to complete! Cathy has been outside on the patio reupholstering her favourite chair. We took breakfast and lunch outside in the sunshine ( 21 degrees). We are still using solar heated water most days but we do put the central heating on for about 1 hour each evening. We have just had a water bill covering 1st May to 31st December (I know it is only the 1st today - that is Greece for you). The bill was 29 Euros for our small house. Add that to the last 9 Euro bill for the first four months of the year (when it was only a holiday home) and the total bill for the year is 38 Euros or about £27.00. Houses with swimming pools and large irrigated gardens can expect a bill 4 or 5 times higher. Electricity so far is working out at about 25 Euros a month (£17) but we still have the worst of the winter to come. There is no separate TV licence or domestic rates - apparently it comes out of the electricity bill. Our central heating is oil fired and that will be expensive at around 75 cents (52 pence) per litre. However with the shorter and milder winters we get here the total cost should not be excessive. The cost of unleaded petrol has increase by 20% since we arrived in May with at least half the increase happening in the last 4 weeks. Prices vary more between garages here than they do in the UK but the average cost per litre at the moment seems to be around 1 .17 Euros (82 pence)
We have been attending state run Greek lessons for the past three weeks - very enjoyable but also very difficult. Luckily we have a good teacher but the syllabus is very intensive - I don't think my memory is up to the job of memorising all the grammar.
Winter is now approaching fast. Short sharp rain showers occur a couple of times a week and the winds are blowing. However between the showers the sun still shines and most of our hot water is still supplied from the solar panels. The photograph above was taken during the latter part of October. Note how the geraniums are still in full bloom. Day temperatures are currently around 20 to 22 degrees. This week we paid the car road tax for 2008. For our car (1600 cc petrol) the annual tax is 168 Euros (£116). All cars are taxed from 1st January to 31st December. The price doubles if payment is made after this date. To avoid the long queues in December many people pay early as soon as the notification arrives via their accountant or lawyer.
Bad news and good news: The bad news is that this week a female Greek driver decided to reverse into our car whilst talking on her mobile phone,; The good news is that I am learning all about how Greek motor insurance claims work!
October was the month of family visits, both our sons visited with their families at different times. Now is the time we start planning our winter trips back to the UK.
The weather was not too good in Crete during the third week of October (Thunderstorms and strong winds) and many of the cafes and restaurants closed early for the season. From yesterday the tourist provision on the island closed for the winter. There are still a few tourists around but in general the roads are quiet again.
The last week or so we have been back to good weather a reasonably strong southerly wind ensuring pleasant temperatures both day and night. Yesterday the day temperature was 26 degrees.
We still have 100% blue skies every morning. Temperatures during the day are around the 25 - 28 degree region but the nights are now becoming very cool. Sunrise is about 7.30 am and sunset 7.30 pm. - The last real rain we had was in mid-May although we had a couple of very short showers and three windy days with a small amount of cloud in September. Walks around Roumeli this week have taken longer than usual as the 'Raki' is currently being distilled at the various stills in the village. The traditional hospitality of the Crete villagers is as strong as ever and we find that we are always being invited to sit down and enjoy a Raki and peanuts with the family and friends of the still owners.
Another busy week behind us. The usual rounds of meals out , pool parties, BBQ's and visitors etc. We are trying to restrict the number of times we eat out each week but it takes a tremendous amount of willpower to cook a meal at home when it can be almost as cheap to eat out. The main problem is not the food but the temptation to drink alcohol with every meal as well, and that can make eating out regularly an expensive way of living.
We drove to Carrefours and Makro in Heraklion yesterday. In between sessions in the Jacuzzi, Cathy is driving the car more and more and her confidence is growing accordingly. We are looking forward to the time when the tourists have all gone home. The Greeks may be mad drivers but the real danger on the roads is from the tourists in the hire cars! It was interesting when we returned to the UK last month; having got used to the Greek way of driving we really found British drivers in the UK to be every bit as bad but in different ways.
Yesterday I spent about three hours in the heat of the afternoon digging a trench to re-route some 20 cm drainage pipes away from the house. Despite drinking countless glasses of water during the afternoon I still managed to sweat off a couple of pounds. By the evening I was dead on my feet, however overall I am certainly fitter now than when I was working behind a desk all day.
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Get the BBQ on- I think I have caught something! |
We are finding that we rarely put the TV on out here, Cathy is spending time using a computerised dress making programme and I am learning to edit videos using Apple's Final Cut Express software. I have also authored a couple of small web sites for people (e.g. www.exantas.eu and www.roumeli.eu) We keep promising ourselves we will start learning the Greek language but somehow we never seem to get around to it!
On 15th July we set off for a drive back to England. Whilst there we sold our Peugeot 307 SE (which we shall miss - it was a fantastic car). We flew back to Crete with GB airways last weekend and have now started driving our new car - the Fiat Sedici. First impressions are good but the 1.6 litre petrol engine seems sluggish having previously had a 1.9 HDI engine in the Peugeot. Perhaps when we have clocked up a few kilometres the engine might loosen up a bit. Yesterday afternoon we set off down to the South of the Island at Sougia via the roads over Lefka Ori, calling in at the beginning of the Samaria Gorge on the way. We returned via Kantanos which was a much faster road. We stopped for a meal in Georgopoli and we arrived home just before midnight. The total round trip was 350 km, it does not sound a lot but over those mountain roads it was some drive!
For the first time in two months we have some clouds over Roumeli. It is still a sunny day but it is unusual not to have a completely blue sky. The temperature at 11 am has already reached 29 degrees - very pleasant. Life is still hectic - we seem to have less free time than when we were at work. Hopefully I will find time next month to re-design this web site, on the other hand I may just spend more time in the Jacuzzi on the roof, sitting on the beach or watching the sunsets from a restaurant balcony on the coast - difficult decision; perhaps the web site will have to wait until winter!
Spent a couple of hours yesterday watching the fire spread across the hills south of Rethymno. We were at least 15 kilometres away and could see the flames with the naked eye. We feel so sorry for the people living in the area. Looking through our telescope we were able to see how rapidly it was spreading. The fire burnt most of the day. By early evening it had crossed to the other side of the hills and the smoke was becoming less. The aircraft dropping water/retardant did a fantastic job.
The builders 'snag man' has arrived today to change some cracked tiles on the roof.
The tourist season is now in full swing here in Crete and we even experience the odd traffic jam on the way in and out of Rethymno. On a couple of occasions recently I have had to queue behind as many as five cars at a road junction :)
The weather is now back to 'normal' for this time of year - peaking between 28 and 30 degrees C each day and with a pleasant cooling breeze. BBQ season is in full swing with lots of socialising etc. We have had a car-port built just in time for the delivery of a new car. All furniture has now been delivered, with the exception of one wardrobe door promised for the day after tomorrow. We are settling into a routine and have even promised ourselves a couple of 'days off' (It is hard work being retired!) There is always something to be done and there is absolutely no risk of boredom.
Next month will be the first anniversary of taking possession of our property and much of the work which was outstanding then has still to be addressed. We have undertaken most of the minor work ourselves.
Temperature cooled by a degree or so today reaching just over 41 degrees Celsius (106 Fahrenheit.) in the shade. Watched the news on Sky TV and decided that our heat wave was preferable to the UK rain and floods. Even the Greeks are suffering in the heat - all public sector workers are only working until midday on the orders of the government.
Since getting our residence permit earlier this month we have spoken to several other Brits around the island whom have had no delays or problems getting their permit either. The horror stories we had been fed on the forums etc are obviously not representative of the experiences of many. There may have been problems in years gone by, and undoubtedly there will be occasional problems even today, but in general it seems it should not take any longer to get a permit that in does to pay the telephone bill.
Shade temperature today was in excess of 111 degrees Fahrenheit. According to various internet weather sites Crete was the hottest place on the planet today, equalled only by Mecca and Tripoli. The temperature in Rethymno was between 42 and 44 degrees depending upon which service you refer to. For the first time since we arrived I did absolutely no work on the house at all today.
The temperature is now exceeding 32 degrees each day and is expected to rise rapidly as the week progresses. It is a very pleasant type of heat but it is amazing how early in the day the maximum temperature is reached. Night time temperatures are going down to about 22 degrees. By about 9 am the temperature is climbing through 27 degrees, and by 10 am has already exceeded 30 degrees. We have electronic thermometers which give readings from the outside and inside at the same time. Inside temperatures seem to range from 24 to 26 degrees depending upon the time of day. As soon as the outside temperature exceeds the internal temperature we have to close windows and shutters to prevent the internal temperature rising rapidly. Once the temperature outside drops below the internal temperature, normally by about 10 o'clock at night we throw open all the windows and put the fans on in an attempt to cool the house down. We do have air conditioning but, like the majority of people out here we rarely use it. We switch it on in the bedroom for about 10 minutes before we retire to bed.
The weather is now getting extremely hot - already flirting with 30 degrees Ordered a new car today for delivery within a fortnight. We decided to go for the Fiat 4 wheel drive Sedici. Basically the same vehicle as the Suzuki SX4. List prices for cars here are very similar to the UK. Initially several dealers tried to tell us that it was not possible to negotiate discounts in Greece and that all they could do was give us a few free 'presents' (such as reversing sensors). However with persistence we found that discounts are available just as in the UK. Money laundering and tax avoidance are major concerns here in Greece and therefore there were several forms which we had to sign in the presence of a policeman or another similar official to certify our identity etc.. We organised this without any problem within an hour or so. Every visit to the police incurs a cost for the 'official stamp'. The cost varies each time - for us it has been one or two euros each time. Fully comprehensive car insurance is expensive here. Several dealers have told us that Greeks never insure fully comprehensive, and they normally only insure for six months at a time. Most Brits however do take fully comp. Our quote for 12 months works out at around 840 euros, assuming full UK no claims bonus upon commencement. This equates to approximately £575, or roughly twice what I was paying in the UK for a similar sized vehicle. On a pension that hurts! We may look around for an alternate quote if time allows.
The living room and study furniture are fitted although we are still awaiting a couple of doors which arrived incorrectly sized. We still have a two seater sofa on order - all other furniture is now in place.
Today was 'Resident Permit Day'. I had been putting this moment off as I had been warned that it would take a lot of time and effort to get the permit. As so often happens of course this was not the case. The whole process took less than 45 minutes. I arrived at the Peramo Police Station at 8.30 a.m. expecting to be chased from pillar to post. By 9.15 a.m. I emerged with my Resident Permit in hand. The process could not have been easier, no visits to lawyers, no running from one office to another, they did not even want the photocopies of the documents I had prepared. All they needed was my passport, my bank book and my UK Health Card, plus 4 passport photographs. I had these items with me and waited whilst the gentleman in the office made the copies. Then a few simple questions (parent's names, wife's name etc), paid the princely sum of two Euros for the official stamps and the job was done. They even provided me with a comfy sofa to sit on whilst the paperwork was completed! Maybe I was very lucky, or maybe we only hear the horror stories when things go wrong whilst the silent majority have no troubles at all.
We have spent the last couple of days in and around Rethymno. The Thursday market in particular has become an essential place to visit each week. Tomatoes at around 30 cents (21 pence) per kilo and large carrier bags crammed full of oranges for one Euro. (It took us a couple of weeks to learn not to buy oranges from the roadside traders who charge tourists five Euros for the same size bags). Crete is now filling up fast with tourists, you can spot the Brits and Germans a kilometre away!
We managed to find time to get the video camera out for the first time today, the intensity of the colours in the strong sunlight is amazing and makes filming a pleasure.
We are starting to meet more and more people and make a few good friends out here now, although as expected it was difficult at first. We anticipated having some problems adapting to Greek/Cretan culture, however we have found the Cretan people to be very helpful, friendly and (surprisingly) acceptably efficient. Don't believe all the stories you hear about inefficient Greeks, stories are often exaggerated for effect - it can often be quicker and easier to get things done here than it is in England.
The one exception to the above is our building company - but that is not really Greek!
Weather back to normal. Very busy - don't know how we ever found time to go to work! Roof pergola now doubled in size. Two trees planted (Mulberry). Countless geraniums potted. Gate made in wall. Bedroom units now fitted - awaiting a fitted study and built in furniture for the lounge.
We have had a couple of spells of heavy rain in Crete over the last few days causing some flooding and erosion in places.
We have now settled in our new home in Crete . We have ordered fitted units in the bedroom, lounge and dayroom which should be installed within the next two or three weeks. Our Satellite TV is up and running, our telephone and broadband are connected, and our sun beds have been purchased! Cathy is already in contact with friends and family using MSN Live Messenger and Skype as appropriate. I also have Apple iChat available. As in any new home we have lots of minor tasks to undertake, curtains to be made and put up, a garden to be planted and builders to be chased to repair 'snags'. It is a busy time. We are eating out more nights than we are staying in and are also finding time to travel around the local area discovering where to buy bacon, who supplies the best bread etc. etc.
On 20th May we traveled to Maleme, west of Chania to participate in a memorial service remembering the invasion of the Crete by the Germans in 1941.
Cathy and myself are keeping most of the email addresses we were using in the UK. Only the 'blueyonder' addresses have been dropped. If you wish to contact us and do NOT have an alternative email address please try webmaster(at)creteinternet.com. Obviously you must replace the (at) with the correct email symbol. However this email address will eventually be blocked once it is picked up by the spammers so please use one of our normal email addresses if you have one.