One day in Hania...

Taxi fares in Chania (Κόμιστρα για τα Χανιώτικα Ταξί 2010)

2010-04-23T00:06:00.020+03:00

UPDATE 12 June 2011: Greek taxi business set to change radically with new privatisation laws

*UPDATE 3 June 2011 - to calculate the indicative taxi fare for this year in Hania, use the indicative price list below, add 13% VAT, and then add 1 euro for every 0.10 cent rise in petrol prices. Since last year (last year, diesel fuel cost about 1.30 in summer; this year it costs about 1.55 euro).

It's that time of year again - everyone's thinking about their summer holiday, or at least, their right to two weeks' worth of Mediterranean sunshine, especially Northern Europeans, who get that much sunshine per annum but can't enjoy it because they are usually stuck indoors when the sun decides to shine in their country.

Economic crisis (or volcanic eruption) or not, those of you who want to come to Chania (or Hania - it's the same place) may be wanting some information about the taxi services here.

Keep in mind that taxi fares have gone up considerably. It used to be cheap for everyone (including us low-income-earning Greeks) to take a taxi and drive for miles. That's not the case anymore. Rising petrol prices, green-living policies and the austerity measures which introduced new taxation systems have raised the price of taxi fares to a level unknown before in Crete. Taxi fares now resemble the luxury that such a mode of transportation should be.

RADIO TAXI CO-OPERATIVE ‘ERMIS’

INDICATIVE FARES for 2010*

	CHANIA TOWN	AIRPORT	AGIOUS APOSTOLOUS	STALOS	AGIA MARINA	PLATANIAS
AIRPORT	€23	--	€32	€35	€36	€41
GOLDEN SAND BEACH	€7	€30	€7	€8	€9	€10
AGIOUS APOSTOLOUS	€8	€32	--	€8	€9	€10
KALAMAKI BEACH	€8	€33	€7	€7	€9	€10
STALOS	€11	€35	€7	--	€7	€8
AGIA MARINA	€13	€36	€10	€7	--	€7
PLATANIAS	€15	€41	€12	€7	€7	--
GERANI	€17	€45	€13	€10	€10	€8
MALEME	€20	€47	€15	€12	€12	€10
KOLYMBARI	€30	€48	€25	€22	€21	€20
KASTELI	€42	€65	€38	€35	€34	€32
OMALOS	€55	€78	€55	€55	€60	€60
THERISSO	€23	€45	€25	€30	€30	€32
ELAFONISI	€85	€95	€80	€75	€74	€73
PALEOHORA	€85	€108	€75	€75	€70	€70
SOUGIA	€75	€95	€70	€70	€70	€70
SFAKIA	€80	€97	€82	€85	€87	€90
RETHIMNO	€70	€87	€76	€78	€80	€85
PLAKIAS	€100	€115	€105	€107	€109	€110
HERAKLEION	€150	€160	€155	€160	€160	€165
LIMOUPOLI	€12	€35	€12	€13	€15	€17

KALIVES	€20	€30	--	--	--	--
VAMOS		€45	--	--	--	--

HANIA (town) to SOUDA BAY (ferry port): 10 euro
Hourly charge for day-trip hire: 35 euro/hour
Airport surcharge fee (due to arrival wait-time): 5 euro

RADIO TAXI COOPERATIVE – PREFECTURE OF CHANIA

ERMIS

Mournion 38 – Tel: 28210-98700

IR No.: 998454319 – Chania Tax Office B

You can also book our taxi: call 6977-399-306 (when you have arrived in Crete).

The table of fares lists the indicative prices for your destination. You pay what the meter says, which is what the pricelist is based on.

Luggage, scheduled pick-ups, telephone appointments at an arranged time and minimum fare fees also apply. If you have a disability or mobility problem, the Ermis Taxi company has a special van available for hire at no extra cost.

Happy Holidays to all our visitors.

For a romantic feel to your holiday, you can eat your choice of fish and any other Greek delicacy at a cheap taverna by the sea, where you won't know if the people at the table sitting next to you are package holidaymakers, or locals or millionaires; they will have come to the same place that you did for the same reasons, and chosen their meal from the same menu card that you did. And even if you are not a millionaire, you will feel like one, as you sit by the sea, enjoying your meal without anyone hurrying you away, with the waves lapping the shore close to your feet, under the warmth of the Mediterranean summer's evening sky.

You can find out more about Cretan food on my other site: Organically cooked.

UPDATE 25 May 2010: Signs with inidicative prices (slightly different from the table I have posted above: some destinations have lower prices, while others have higher prices) of taxi fares covering the 2010 summer season have now been posted around the town. The one I have included below is found close to the Agora (the central market in Hania), therefore it lists prices to/from Hania. In the same manner, a sign posted at the airport will list prices to/from the airport.

*UPDATE 22 June 2010: As of 1st July, 2010, taxi fares will increase by 11%, because of the changes in the way taxi drivers will be taxed from this day onwards. In order to get an idea of the new indicative prices for the destinations listed in the tables above (in both the text and the photo), you need to add 11% to the price shown. (The VAT was increased by law to 13% in December 2010.)

*UPDATE 3 June 2011 - to calculate the indicative taxi fare for this year in Hania, use the indicative price list below, add 13% VAT, and then add 1 euro for every 0.10 cent rise in petrol prices. Since last year (last year, diesel fuel cost about 1.30 in summer; this year it costs about 1.55 euro).

©All Rights Reserved/Organically cooked. No part of this blog may be reproduced and/or copied by any means without prior consent from Maria Verivaki.

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T00:03:00.001+02:00

Dear Friends,

Another year has passed. Where did it go and what did I achieve in it?

You know the answer to that question better than I do. I want to thank all my readers from the bottom of my heart for your support throughout my writing and photography adventures over the past two and a half years. For me, blogging about the food I buy, grow, prepare and cook for my family, and describing the photographs of my hometown was a way to get me started in writing, and that's what I want to do now - I want to continue to write, with no limitations, because there is so much more that I want to write about, which I am sure you will want to read, eventually, that is, when I get it all written down.

Beach umbrellas stored away for next season

And that's my New Year's resolution: to keep on writing, to inform you, and above all, to keep you entertained. I will be closing this blog (but it will remain on the web), and continuing to write at Organically Cooked. My posting will not be as regular as before, but whenever you look me up, you can rest assured that you will leave with a smile on your face.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year,
With love,
From Hania, Crete

2009-12-29T10:40:00.003+02:00

And here is where yesterday's river flows into the sea - right before the little rocky island of Lazaretta; the little white building is a church, which is probably honored on a saint's day, so there will be a little feast held there once a year.

2009-12-27T10:39:00.002+02:00

The bridge over Kladissos river, on the outskirts of town. It pours into the sea at Nea Hora. These cars are headed west of the town.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T08:00:00.001+02:00

Merry Christmas to All!

2009-12-23T10:39:00.002+02:00

Rainbows are always an uplifting sight! This one showed itself by the town beach at Nea Hora.

2009-12-21T10:39:00.001+02:00

The garden shed - it's definitely a man's world in there!

2009-12-19T23:02:00.003+02:00

The fresh produce store - hardly anything is organic, but it is all local.

2009-12-17T23:00:00.005+02:00

Is it a twig? No!
Is it a turd? No!
It's a carob pod.

2009-12-15T22:46:00.006+02:00

"Don't mind me, I'm just parking some sand here in the middle of the road because I need to use it to build something in the adjacent field, but I'm not ready to do the job just yet, so until I do, you'll just have to put up with it here..."

2009-12-13T22:43:00.001+02:00

When earth is dug up in order to prepare the ground for a building project, the soil and rocks need to be moved or stored in some way. This fenced off property does just that: the soil is very fertile so it is sold to people who want to add it to their garden, and the rocks and stones make good value building materials for houses and decorative fences.

2009-12-11T22:56:00.003+02:00

Mind the gap.

Public roadworks - part of the new sewerage system.

2009-12-09T22:41:00.004+02:00

An old stone wall, acting as borders denoting land ownership. These are being replaced by ugly concrete and iron fences, so that one day, most traces of our past will be erased.

2009-12-07T22:37:00.004+02:00

The urban sprawl is evident, not only from afar in the rural suburb where I live, but right around me, as evidenced by the unfinished building projects and the new houses.

2009-12-05T11:12:00.002+02:00

Freshly harvested goat manure, ready to be spread over the garden...

2009-12-03T10:56:00.003+02:00

An old-fashioned hydrant for quick water supply when we need it, close to my house.

2009-12-01T20:02:00.001+02:00

Cretan symbols: blue skies, blue seas and olive trees.

2009-11-29T19:43:00.002+02:00

Disused nets under an old olive tree.

2009-11-27T19:41:00.002+02:00

Documentation of dakos traps on the trunk of an olive tree, recording the date and number of dakos flies caught - the only problem was that the traps were missing...

2009-11-25T19:38:00.000+02:00

These have suddenly sprouted right around the rural district of Hania, but no one seems to be using them yet...

2009-11-23T18:48:00.006+02:00

Beehives...

... in amongst the olive groves.

2009-11-21T18:40:00.002+02:00

NEPO = water; we deliver.

Disused water truck close to my home.

2009-11-19T18:36:00.002+02:00

Plateia Dikastirion on a very wet day.

(I'm standing in front of the district court of Hania)

2009-11-17T18:25:00.003+02:00

The obvious signs of development in amongst the olive groves...

2009-11-15T17:35:00.001+02:00

The pinks and blues of dusk on an early winter's night...

2009-11-10T22:51:00.003+02:00

Here are some young Cretans going to school, located in a village: looks like fun, doesn't it?
The main building is not actually visible here; the visible building with the triangular roof is the original school building which is used by the kindergarteners.

Rain

2009-11-08T08:33:00.004+02:00

It's been very wet as of late in Hania. Last night, we had thunder and lightning, power cuts and 5 hours of non-stop downpours. And in the usual fashion for Hania, today has started off very bright and sunny...

Snow

2009-11-05T10:19:00.005+02:00

Finally, snow on our mountains.
Winter is here.

2009-10-26T14:08:00.001+02:00

An iconic symbol of Hania. We had taken a little boat trip round the harbour and I managed to catch a shot of the lighthouse from a different angle than the norm...

2009-10-16T14:30:00.001+03:00

A calm sea on an autumn day, 5km southwest of the town...

2009-10-14T09:54:00.002+03:00

Green fingers...

2009-10-10T16:14:00.004+03:00

This cafe owner is about to deliver some refreshments to his customers (office and shop workers). The tray is the typical method used in the inner parts of the city by traditional kafeneia and refreshment bars which do deliveries.

The most important thing to note about this man is that he looks cheerful - his face is always smiling whenever I see him.

2009-10-08T10:25:00.002+03:00

Have I ever shown you the interior of the typical Greek government office?

I much prefer my olives scenery...

2009-10-05T08:00:00.002+03:00

Dusk - the view from my house, not without the touch of a human hand - it was very difficult to get a large shot without electricity wires and poles making their appearance...

2009-10-02T15:03:00.001+03:00

Another olive photo, this time, an olive grove at dusk...

2009-09-29T20:04:00.002+03:00

I just LOVE looking at this sea of olive trees on the hills near my house...

2009-09-27T12:26:00.005+03:00

One of the most hideous fashions to hit my village: advertising an event like a birthday party or baptism with a bunch of balloons tied to the fences in the neighbourhood - pray tell me: WHY???

2009-09-25T16:21:00.001+03:00

A very gnarled olive tree trunk, in a healthy olive grove near my house.

2009-09-22T19:56:00.002+03:00

A view of the buildings by the Venetian harbour in Hania.

2009-09-19T08:54:00.002+03:00

A cool evening at a hotel seaside cafe by Ayious Apostolous beach.

2009-09-13T16:06:00.001+03:00

After our holiday in the north of Greece, we came back home to sodden earth, heavy rain and a garden full of rotting vegetables!

2009-09-11T14:00:00.000+03:00

If you've ever wondered what a Greek schoolroom looks like, here's a look at into a junior high school class. Most classrooms right around the country look just like this one and maybe worse. Greek schools start the new academic year today.

2009-09-09T13:00:00.003+03:00

This is the closest I get to luxury: I stay overnight in Iraklio (two hours away from hania) twice a year for work-related purposes and we are always put up for the night in this luxury hotel. I have always appreciated being able to experience of having breakfast by the pool, especially since the rest of my stay in that place is spent working until nightfall.

2009-09-07T14:00:00.000+03:00

This disused minaret, a remnant of Ottoman rule found in the town centre, for some reason always makes me think of Rapunzel and her golden hair.

2009-09-05T14:00:00.000+03:00

The red light district is just along this street to the left of the alleyway along the brick facade. I found the ladies having a little rest in front of this house before they got ready to tackle the evening trade.

2009-09-03T14:00:00.003+03:00

A view of the sea across the road from the disused Turkish fountains. The benches in a previous post are to the right of the fort.

2009-09-01T14:00:00.005+03:00

Right across from the benches in yesterday's photo is a former Turkish fountain, now disused and in crumbling ruins. It must have been for cleaning the hands and feet before and after Moslem prayer times.

2009-08-30T16:09:00.000+03:00

Watch out for splashing waves!
Benches by the seafront at Koum Kapi

2009-08-27T09:33:00.002+03:00

This fabulous oak tree is growing in the middle of the outdoor dining area of a taverna in Armenoi, Hania.
It provides natural much-needed shade during the summer, and when the wind breezes through the trees, it's like a natural form of air-conditioning.

2009-08-24T14:15:00.001+03:00

Autumn is nearing in Hania. The weather has definitely cooled down, although there could be anotehr heatwave coming at any time in the near future.

This bicycle hasn't been used in a while. It's probably been left here (at MAICh, a graduate school for agriculture students in Hania) by a former student, to be used by a new student next year. All the leaves will start going red soon, which will show up the autumn flavour of the season really well.

2009-08-18T14:12:00.000+03:00

The good life; a relaxing scene at Falasarna.

2009-08-12T14:11:00.001+03:00

The clear sea of the Mediterranean, under a bright burning sun, makes it a very inviting place to be on a hot summer's day.

2009-08-06T13:10:00.000+03:00

One of the most beautiful beaches in Hania (Falasarna) is slightly marred by the appearance of so many greenhouses right along the coastline...

Staycating

2009-08-01T07:00:00.003+03:00

I need a blogging break, even if it is a staycation one. I'll continue posting on a highly sporadic basis.

Here's what I'll be doing in the meantime...

See you maybe in Hania!

2009-07-28T08:00:00.000+03:00

Sunset at Vatolakos, above the dam construction site.

2009-07-25T07:00:00.000+03:00

Trying to strike gold on the mountainside has been re-shaping the Cretan landscape for the last few decades.

2009-07-22T08:00:00.000+03:00

This dam project in Vatolako, Hania, looks well under way.

2009-07-19T08:00:00.000+03:00

Nearly sunset in Fournes, Hania.

2009-07-17T17:10:00.001+03:00

Remember these hills? Now look at them.

2009-07-15T11:02:00.000+03:00

The hills facing the port of Souda, with a long and windy road carved into them.

2009-07-12T17:08:00.001+03:00

A very alluring sunset above the port of Souda where the boats leave every night from Hania to take you to Athens. The large buildings to the right of the ferry boat are silos where grain and flour are stored (bread flour is not produced in Crete on a commercial basis).

I'm at a children's entertainment centre, hence the ping pong tables.

2009-07-09T16:59:00.001+03:00

The beautiful colours of a sunset by the harbour in Hania

2009-07-07T16:55:00.000+03:00

The marina in the harbour of Hania at dusk

2009-07-05T16:54:00.001+03:00

The lighthouse at sunset at Hania

2009-07-03T16:52:00.001+03:00

A very relaxing way to spend an evening in Hania

2009-07-01T16:50:00.000+03:00

A very sexy looking Old Venetian harbour in the sunset

2009-06-29T16:21:00.001+03:00

An artist's portrayal of the lighthouse in Hania

Exhibition

2009-06-27T12:52:00.004+03:00

A different way to view the olive tree

An exhibition about to open at Dromonero in a renovated old olive press.

Rubbish collection

2009-06-24T12:44:00.000+03:00

Just another working day...

The driver sits in the cab of the rubbish truck, and never gets out. He simply drives the truck. He's always Greek. The other two chaps riding on he back are the ones who do all the dirty work. Their work is always outside, they wear masks gloves, and they're nearly always foreigners (economic migrants).

When we visited London, we had the opportunity to live in a flat and watch everyday activities going on from below our street level residence. My husband was surprised to see a driver and his colleague both sharing the job of collecting the rubbish.

I used to take it for granted that this kind of democratic relationship between workers only existed in English-speaking countries...

Fish market

2009-06-21T17:11:00.000+03:00

Kittens feeding at the fish market in the Agora.

Cat owners whose cats have given birth often abandon the litter here. Some people call it animal cruelty to abandon animals, but I would have to disagree entirely. It's much more humane to dispose of your unwanted animals in this way than to throw them in the street litter bins...

Bombed shelter?

2009-06-18T16:38:00.003+03:00

No, it hasn't been bombed.

These apartments are found on the outskirts of town, near the new Nea Hora traffic lights.

There are many cases of unfinished buildings in Greece; they are homes and offices that were started many years ago. Although they're being lived in, the owners never got round to executing tasks like painting and anything to do with aesthetic appeal. Laws have changed this situation; a building must now have a certain amount of necessary features before it is allowed to have electricity running through it.

Sattelite city

2009-06-16T21:38:00.000+03:00

Our economic migrants like to keep up with what's going on in their own countries. These satellite dishes help them to keep up with what's happening beyond the Greek borders.

Closed for the summer

2009-06-14T21:34:00.004+03:00

Skouteliko music cafe wishes you a happy summer; see you again in October.

These sorts of places are based in town, and they close down for the summer, since everyone who wants to hear live music in the summer heads to the beach bars and outdoor centres.

This place is found across the road from the stadium of Hania.

Bench

2009-06-12T12:00:00.000+03:00

RuneE invented the Friday bench photo meme. When he sees my photo today, he may be wondering where the bench actually is. But the rhododendron more than makes up for the lack of bench space.

This bench is located outside the stadium of Hania.

Hills and mountains

2009-06-11T09:00:00.000+03:00

The mountain views from our house are a mixture of both tame and wild.

The foothills of the mountains are very verdant and strewn with houses, while in the distance, the Lefka Ori are stark and bare of snow now that it's summer.

The large building on the left is our general hospital.

Winner!

2009-06-09T00:01:00.001+03:00

Here are the answers to the quiz in a previous post.

1. Olives - they'll be green in October, turning black by December.
1. 2.
2. Carob - this is where your chocolate substitute comes from. It is used as pig feed in Greece, but it was once the only 'chocolate' a Greek child would have tasted if it were born in a village (my father told me this one). It is still (but alas, not frequently any longer) made into a refreshing carob drink, haroupia, in some villages in Crete.

3. Figs
3. 4.
4. Camomile

5. Cactus figs (prickly pears): they'll be orange in September.
5. 6.
6. Mustard greens - the leaves are eaten when fresh and tender

7. Pomegranate
7. 8.
8. Wild asparagus

9. Oranges will start growing soon on this tree.
9. 10.
10. Mulberries - this is a mulberry tree (μουρνιά - mournia), commonly grown for its foliage (it gives shade in the winter, and the leaves are eaten by sheep and goats) rather than its fruit, which, when ripe, is either white (like this species) or purple.

11. Grapes - grape must, wine, raki and petimezi can all be made from this fruit.
11. 12.
12. Avocado - a relative newcomer to Crete, it grows well in our climate and the fruits are profitably marketable; they are mainly exported.

Thanks to all for taking part (on both my blogs). The winner of this book was chosen randomly, regardless of whether they were able to answer all the questions correctly. I wrote each name on a piece of paper, scrunched it into a ball, placed it in a bowl, and let my son dip his hand and pick one. He chose the piece of paper with the name Allison Parker.

Congratulations! Now email me your address (mverivaki at hotmail dot com) and I'll send you the book.

©All Rights Reserved/Organically cooked. No part of this blog may be reproduced and/or copied by any means without prior consent from Maria Verivaki.

Decay

2009-06-07T21:37:00.001+03:00

Decay is inevitable.

European elections

2009-06-07T15:38:00.006+03:00

Today Greece elects her European Parliament representatives. I got in early and voted for my preferred candidate. To vote, you have to be registered in an electoral district. To register in an electoral district, you must have been living there for at least two years, and be a Greek citizen. Proof of identity is provided by your Greek ID card, or a passport, or a driver's licence, or a social security booklet (ie your health insurance provider).

After showing your card, your name is crossed off a list, and you're given a wad of white papers indicating the names of the political parties and the list of the names of the candidates. Voting in this case did not entail indicating your preferred candidate, only your preferred party. You simply chose your preferred party (in a curtained polling booth), folded the paper to fit into the envelope provided, and inserted it into the slot on the ballot box.

We went as a family. Our children came into the booth with us. They folded our choice into the envelope. Then they took away all the other papers and whatever other papers from other voters that were found in the polling booth, came out of the booth, dropped the envelope into the slot, and we went home.

Are you allowed to abscond with other people's voting papers??? No one batted an eyelid as we did this...

The results will be out in the evening. But don't count on the best party winning; in Greece, it's simply a rehearsal for the general elections.

Don't forget to take part in the quiz!

Another bird's eye view

2009-06-06T07:00:00.001+03:00

While I was getting a few jobs done in the town, I chanced on this view from one of the taller buldings in the town (none of which are much higher than 6 stories high). You can see the old town looking out towards the harbour. The large long building on the right is the left wing of the Agora market.

Don't forget to take part in the quiz!

Traffic

2009-06-03T09:26:00.003+03:00

Bird's eye view of the traffic outside the Agora, Hania. Koum Kapi and the hills of Halepa can be seen in background.

Don't forget to take part in the quiz!

Quiz

2009-05-31T07:59:00.000+03:00

Foodies. Apparently, they love food. But do they really know what they're eating, and where their food comes from in the first place? How many foodies can score full marks on this quiz?

1. Here's a really easy one: what colour are these little green blobs going to be in October?
1. 2.
2. This isn't so easy: what are those fresh green pods (and old brown ones) hanging on the branches?

3. These green apple-shaped balls look good enough to eat now, but they won't be ripe enough until late August.
3. 4.
4. If you cut and dry these now, they'll make a mild relaxing tea in the winter.

5. What colour are these spiky balls going to be in late September?
5. 6.
6. What wild leafy greens grow from the seeds of the plant that gives this bright yellow flower?

7. These beautiful pink flowers bring out one of the sexiest fruits imaginable. What are they?
7. 8.
8. No, it's not a walking stick. It's edible, but you know it in a much shorter form.

9. What are these white blossoms going to be when they grow up?
9. 10.
10. What are these furry worms going to turn into when they get older?

11. What can be made from these tiny green blobs?
11. 12.
12. These little buds will grow into a very large crop. What is it?

Leave a comment on this post with the numbered answers and you may win this book,
which is filled with similar recipes that I have already written about. Now you won't have to drag the laptop in the kitchen or print out the recipe when you want to cook Cretan food.

This competition will run for a week. The winner will be announced some time in the following week, where I will also give the answers. If you want to take part, please make sure I can track you down (ie don't leave an anonymous comment). The winner will be picked randomly, even if they don't know all the answers; hey, neither did I until I came to live here!

©All Rights Reserved/Organically cooked. No part of this blog may be reproduced and/or copied by any means without prior consent from Maria Verivaki.

Dragon lily

2009-05-30T07:00:00.002+03:00

Drakontia, also known as arapis ('the Arab', meaning 'black'), in my neighbourhood

When I first came to Hania, I came across this lily, and fell in love with it immediately. With its deep purple colour and impressively patterned leaves, I thought it would make a beautiful centrepiece. My aunt took one look at it and screamed in horror: "Get it out of here!" I quickly discovered that, despite its unique appearance, drankontia (the dragon flower) is so stinky and toxic that not even animals will touch it, which shows how much cleverer they are than the uninitiated human being. Flies are its pollinators: the flower traps them overnight so that they can perform this job; maybe they serve as temporary fly traps in orchards, allowing the trees to maintain their health.

Olive tree

2009-05-28T07:00:00.002+03:00

This olive tree is very old. It must be close to 100. It's located in an olive grove not far from my home, among many other very old trees just like it.

View north

2009-05-26T07:00:00.003+03:00

The view facing north from the road near our house. We would have this view if our house were one more storey higher than it was built. But if we walk two minutes up the road (before it starts going down), this is what we see.The road leads through fields until it comes out on the main busy road skirting the beach.

The view

2009-05-24T07:00:00.001+03:00

A lovely clear view from the balcony of our house. Can you see the ferry boat? (A building slightly blocks its full view.) We can see it leaving from the harbour every night. Not only that, but the view is clear enough for us to discern which ship from the ANEK fleet is tied up every day.

Garden cafe

2009-05-22T07:00:00.000+03:00

Kipos cafe, in the municipal park of Hania; a great place to rest and people-watch, but at a price: these two items came to 6.20 euro (never mind the fact that we have about 600 orange trees in our village fields). At least the toilets were worth it.

Halepa

2009-05-20T07:00:00.001+03:00

Looking from Koum Kapi to the suburb of Halepa.

Less than a hundred years ago, the suburb of Halepa, just one kilometre east of the town, was filled with high society. the grnadeur of the place can still be seen by the large buildings with their neo-classiscal architecture. This is where foreign embassies were once located. Hania was then the capital of the island state of Crete (a title it lost in 1971 to Iraklio), which had not as yet formally joined the union of states that formed the newly created Hellenic Republic, what is now known as Greece. Crete joined Ellas in 1913, after which foreign embassies were no longer needed on the island.

Evagelistria church can be seen on the left (the blue dome), while the large looking building on the right located on the coastline is a function venue (called Honolulu). The older buildings and houses are clearly discernible among the newer high rise apartment blocks, which are all built around the older part of the area, stretching up into the hills.

Disappearing snow

2009-05-18T07:00:00.003+03:00

The snow on the Lefka Ori has almost but disappeared.

This shows how hot it has been all of a sudden for the past two weeks. Even though the snow fell very late this season, and there was a lot of rainfall, other years have seen snow stay on the mountains until mid-June, which is still a month away.

Postcard from Crete

2009-05-16T00:01:00.001+03:00

A postcard view of Greek spring time: whitewash, stone walls and wildflowers growing in amongst the rocks. Summer is only round the corner...

Menu board

2009-05-13T21:07:00.003+03:00

Konaki Restaurant by the old harbour was sporting this mantinada:

"What you are going to eat, my friend,
In the company of the Lyre,
Staka and Wedding pilaf rice
Which is the Greek Viagra."

(Please excuse me for the out of focus photo)

Graveyard

2009-05-11T20:12:00.003+03:00

The beautiful Byzantine church of St Nicholas in Kiriakoselia, a village in the Apokoronas region, retains a small very well kept cemetery within its yards. The village itself has almost been wiped off the map, but the graves are still lovingly tended by the families whose ancestors are buried here. The actual church was built in the middle of the 10th centruy, and is one of the most intact remnants of this time period in Greece.

The most notable part of this particular family tomb is the photographs of the older generation, wearing the trdaditional Cretan costume. The fact that these people were photographed shows their important status in the society of the time.

Greek tombs are never very elaborate. They usually state only the names and dates of the deceased and contain a small closed box where photos, candles and incense can be placed, as well as oil for lighting a lamp in memory of the dead. The handles on this tomb are there simply to make it easier to lift the marble to add another member of the family when it is their turn...

Coffee with a view but not a smell

2009-05-10T07:00:00.006+03:00

Enjoying a cappuccino and a good book at Koum Kapi.

The housing settlement on the promontory in the left hand side of the photo is relatively new. The houses in this area, called Koumbeli, are very modern, nearly all of them less than 15 years old. It is considered a rather posh area, mainly due to the middle-class (and above) residents.

It is also the smelliest area in Hania; there are days when the 150 privileged people who live there cannot open their windows due to the retching stink that pervades the air. Koumbeli is located just above the waste management plant where the waste of the whole town is 'cleaned' before being thrown into the sea...

Al fresco menu

2009-05-08T18:31:00.002+03:00

Outdoor dining in Hania - great place to chill out.

Sunset at the harbour

2009-05-06T13:34:00.003+03:00

Sunset at the harbour, after two days of rainfall.

Spring rain

2009-05-05T07:00:00.002+03:00

After all the sunshine and good weather that we have been having recently, we got just what we had been hoping for: a good rain shower.

In Crete, it stops raining some time in May, and not a drop of water falls from the sky until at least mid-September. We love it; it cleans up the town and ensures our water supply over the summer period. Only the tourists might have been disappointed.

This particular shower lasted from early evening Sunday until early afternoon Monday, and it was very heavy, as can be seen by the state of our recently planted garden.

The old port

2009-05-03T15:33:00.004+03:00

We took a stroll down by the old port of Chania last night. It was full of happy people enjoying a perfect evening. A close-up will reveal that nearly every cafe, taverna, bar and restaurant had business. That's a very democratic spread of the trade.

May is one of the best times to visit Hania. The weather is warm without being too chilly and the outdoor entertainment areas will have been painted, renovated, cleaned or spruced in some other way just two months before, after the few cold months when tourism in Hania goes into hibernation, so that everything in the tourist areas looks fresh.

Without using any photo enhancements, I managed to capture the lights of the various businesses around the port casting their reflection in the water.

Bench

2009-05-01T18:29:00.007+03:00

Seen outside a deserted house in Ramni, Hania, Crete, where we celebrated Protomayia (1st of May).

The Venetian port

2009-04-29T17:00:00.000+03:00

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

2009-04-26T21:40:00.003+03:00

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

2009-04-25T00:01:00.000+03:00

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.