Archive for September, 2008
Dominican Monastery
St. Peters on the waterfront of Heraklion is being reinforced with concrete and new buttresses.
Add comment September 30, 2008
NASA Landing Site
I heard recently that somewhere on Crete, NASA has built a 4 mile runway for the Space Shuttle in case of an emergency landing. After a little digging I discovered that this is now Chania International Airport! This was as disappointing as learning that the world’s largest solar-power station, advocated by Gorbachev himself for Crete, never materialised.
Other construction rumours include the Cretan light railway that would run the length of the island and is a ridiculous proposition. However the Chinese super-port, enabling China to avoid Dubai, is more likely and if enough brides are offered will be built regardless of the environmental destruction.
And while I’m at it; I heard that the ski resort was built in an unsuitable location owing to local corruption and the motorway linking Heraklion to Agios Nicholaus is incomplete to appease the local banana farmers (regardless of the fact you have to sit in traffic in Malia for an extra hour in summer)
Your inside man 
2 comments September 29, 2008
St. Petersburgh
I am away for the weekend, so a bit of filler.
This was taken on our extraordinary school trip to St. Petersburgh in 1996. Like all photos of me taken at school, I think: what the hell was I wearing?
I suppose the answer is a rolled-up balaclava, a Carlisle United scarf and an Russian trench coat.
www.jamieincrete.wordpress.com
Add comment September 28, 2008
Guest Post: Danae’s View
Insightful information on long-time relationships. Jamie recently has started to fart loudly in the morning. He blames the beans/ meat/ or whatever it is that we’ve had for dinner the previous night… But we all know the truth. We have been past the barrier of 5 years together. Who knows what lies ahead for me in the future… Please. Give your girlfriends a break. Be nice.
Have a look at the video.
Add comment September 27, 2008
I Am Not The Heraklion Port Authority.
About once a day someone rings me to inquire about the boats to Santorini. (Our telephone number is only slightly different to the port authority). Whereas in the past I used to get annoyed, especially by the 6am calls, I now use it to practice my Greek. So the would-be travellers get interviewed about their lives before I inform them I’ve no idea if the boats are sailing today, tell them the correct number and hang up. 
Add comment September 26, 2008
Under The Stairs
There’s something living under our stairs. We’ve no access to that area and I’ve no idea what’s there. But I can hear something nesting. It’s moving stuff about.
Danae said, “If it’s not paying rent, it’s not staying here”.
I completely agree, it has to go. But how?
Add comment September 25, 2008
E4: Day 2
Falasarna To Afrotolaki
The day started badly as I convinced Whiteside to take a short cut that I’d discovered on Google Earth. It turned out to be a cliff.
Chastened, we stuck to the coastal roads, endured the world’s longest hairpin bend, deferred from staying in Kampos and headed down to the coastal resort of Afrotolaki. Marked on the map as a sizeable village, it turned out to be 2 houses. With no food we travelled on, into the unknown….
Fortuitously there was a hotel a kilometre away, where we drank with a couple of young Bulgarians, before they were evicted for having no money.
35km
Add comment September 24, 2008
E4: Day 1
The E4 is a path that runs from Portugal to Crete.
In August Whiteside and I started the Cretan leg.
(Re-jigging the route a bit)
Balos To Falasarna
Balos is hyped as paradise-on-earth, and it’s certainly pretty, but as we swam in the blue lagoon, genuine brown floaters, well, floated passed.
From there we walked South down the Gramvousa peninsula, went over the hill to Falasarna, then down a bit, before fortuitously finding a taverna and camping beside it. About 25k
Add comment September 23, 2008
Paterakis Protos
Christos came from Athens to race his bike at the airfield in Tymbaki, and won! (He’s Danae’s ex btw – but we get on fine I think)
This isn’t him, we arrived late and missed his race
But not the prize giving.
Add comment September 21, 2008
