The Venetian port

The pretty old port of Hania, looking wonderfully inviting in the spring.

Don't you think this place should be a part of the protected heritage of the world???

The go-ahead for its restoration has recently been given; let's see how they will spruce it up.

Souvenirs

Souvenirs, anyone?

Various ceramics being sold at the old port of Hania, with the former mosque (now an exhibition centre) in the background. There's a lot more being sold than the last time I was here almost a year ago.

Twelve o'clock

This clock is found at the municipal gardens in the centre, across the road from the twon stadium; it is a meeting point for all the locals.



"Where shall we meet up?"
"How about by the clock?"

Hopefully, no one was looking at the time it said on the day this photo was taken, because it was neither midday nor midnight.

Surf's up

Once again, it's tourists and charter flights time in Hania.

Matt Barrett showcases Greece in his very well-written and functionally presented websites. He visited Hania just last month, and here is what he says about it:

It did not take me long to fall in love with Chania, Crete. Maybe all of ten minutes after I arrived at sunrise in late March 2009... Chania may be the best city in Greece. With a long history, a spectacular old city that surrounds the Venetian harbor and in the best part of Crete for daytrips to beautiful beaches, the famous gorges and scenic mountain villages, Chania is the place I recommend staying for anyone who is including Crete in their itinerary of Greece.

So there you go!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everybody!
Christ has risen!

Why are my red eggs speckled? A speckled hen must have laid them. The koulourakia (Greek Easter biscuits) are going like hot cakes, and this year...

... I used my tsoureki (Greek Easter tea bread) recipe in conjunction with Aussie Peter's idea of mixing the hot cross bun shape with the traditional Greek Easter bread; the result revived nostalgic feelings for my down under origins.

Χριστός Ανέστη!

Good Friday

Dear Martha,



It's Good Friday in Crete for one more time, in the Holy Week before Easter Sunday.

Once again, that horrific moment has descended on the town, when all sound stops, even the dogs stop barking and the earth holds its breath...

Before and after

That was then (March 2008) ...


A house was pulled down here in this central town street to make way for a new building to be erected on the section - probably an apartment block, as the rest of the street is full of them. Before the ground is dug up to lay foundations for the new building, the archaeologists move in first to check for remains of ancient structures. The remains will be recorded, and eventually the owner of the plot will be allowed to start building on the land.

UPDATE: The holes in the ground are actually made for testing purposes by the archaeology authorities to see if there is anything worth checking out - thanks, Zambia.

This is now...



Four stories high - all that remains of the former place are the walls that divide the surrounding properties.

Concert

This poster reminds me of the way I grew up in New Zealand. Every week, there'd be a showing of a Greek film at the local cinema. It is a meaningless poster to most people living in the area, but to the immigrant minority of Albanians in Hania, this is the night they're going to get dressed up to the nines.

Graduation ceremony

These students are studying at MAICh in Hania. Last week, they had their graduation ceremony. There's a lovely flower arrangement made of the flowers of the acacia tree in the middle of the tables (an al fresco lunch had been arranged after the ceremony), made by the participants of an Interflora worjshop at MAICh, which also organises conferences at its premises.

A pleasant time was had by all.

Ceramic urns

These ceramic urns are highly prized right around Greece. They may have been used to store olive oil or wine or othr commodities in thepast, but these days, they are used as flower pots.



These ones are being taken possibly to a new home by pick-up truck. I took this photo while waiting for hte traffic lights to turn green at Koumbe - check out the colourful building in the background.