Spring blossom

"Isn't that tree beautiful?" The acacia in our garden bloomed so quickly that we hardly noticed it in the dull weather that we'd been having. After the rain and gloom of the last few days, our town has been dry-cleaned - whatever was wet is now clean and dry from the hot sun, which is the most common weather phenomenon in Hania: there's a 75% chance that it will be a sunny day in autumn, winter or spring (in summer that number rises to 95%). The acacia's blossoms last only a short time; let's enjoy them while we have them.

Multi-culturalism

We're in the Agora, the market square in Hania. The Asian peddler woman walked too fast for me, as we crossed paths in front of the souvenir shop next to the local products stall selling Cretan cheeses. I caught her wares in the photo: trinkets, torches, toys, tacky gifts, worry beads, all being carried in a box with a strap hanging off her shoulder. I wonder who buys this stuff?

Olive tabby

How cute, I thought, as I watched the tabby kitten sleeping on the top of a chopped bough of a pruned olive tree in my neighbour's garden. What a perfect photo shot.

I grabbed the camera, and clicked open the balcony window. I saw his ears twitching.

Please don't run away, I thought to myself; had I called out to him, he would probably have done so.

I slid the door open. He raised his head and opened his eyes, staring at me intently. I held the camera and aimed for the best shot. He stayed still, watching me.

Smile! I mouthed.

Flash! went the camera. And away he ran.

Shoe scraper

Back in the good old days, there was co tarmac on the roads, no concrete, no cement, just dust, dirt, mud and slush (and plenty of manure). Before they entered their house, people would scrape their feet on this metal blade, still found outside the main gate of many houses in the town centre, always placed diagonally. This street has been repaved - rather than pull it out, the workmen left the scraper as it was, to allow the next generation to wonder what its use might have been. The house this scraper belongs to is in a southern suburb; the house was probably built in the 60s, and is maintained in the most basic manner so that it can be let out to economic migrants. It was probably whitewashed in its youth, but now it has been painted over with green vinyl paint.

Flying the flag

25 March is a national holiday in Greece, commemorating the 1821 events that led to Greek independence. Greeks are very patriotic, and will even build a flagpost somewhere around their house to raise the flag on commemorative days. Here's my neighbour's flag, flying madly on a blustery day, amongst the scattered chairs and other objects which have been scattered about by a wind strong enough to cancel scheduled ferry journeys to and from the mainland...