Life in Mochos

ASDA home delivery supreme.....

2009-06-04T10:33:00.001+03:00

I have tried supermarket home deliveries in the UK, but this is the first time one has come to me here. Joanne, pictured arriving in the village square, brought me two big bags of goodies from ASDA, including 8 kilos of my favourite breakfast cereal (ASDA crunch with raisin, honey and almonds). Thank you so much Joanne.....if anyone else is coming out I can e-mail a wish list ;-)

Demon Huntress - a first!!

2009-06-02T20:27:00.000+03:00

Well Jessica the demon huntress has excelled herself....in one day she brought a bird home....nothing unusual there you might say....but then after I went to bed, she came home and dropped something on the bed. It fluttered and I thought Oh dear a bird, I better get it out quickly....went to pick it up and it BIT ME! confused I tried to understand how it had done until I turned on the light and realised it was a BAT!! Well it took until this afternoon to free it from the house and I now have all my friends watching in case I start to froth at the mouth...

RIP Ginger

2009-05-03T14:52:00.001+03:00

Easter started off as a really happy time and we all enjoyed the special time and the spectacle that is Easter here. I went to the church on Saturday night to light my candle and then came home to put the cross above my door to bring good luck. This obviously did not work this year. When I came home the cats, Ginger and Jessica, were hiding in the back bedroom despite the TV being on loud to drown out the noise of the bombs. I then went to my friends to eat and returned home around 2.30 am. In the time I was gone, Ginger went out. She still has not returned and no-one has seen anything of her. I am very sad to say that I have to conclude that something really bad has happened and that she is now dead. Poor Ginger, she was such a wonderful cat, very loving, with a fantastic temperament and such a good mother to her kittens (pictured above at around 2 weeks) despite her only being a kitten herself at the time she had them. Jessica, her daughter that we kept (pictured front right of the picture above) is distraught and keeps crying for her all the time. A very very sad end to a celebration.

It's started!

2009-04-17T11:09:00.003+03:00

Well, the quiet of Lent has now officially finished. At seven this morning the Church service started.....and the bombs....and the Church bells....3 and a half hours of it.....I couldn't hear the service over the loudspeakers for the other noise, but will be attending the service tonight and following the cross, walk round the central churches. More later.

Carnival kids programme

2009-03-01T17:56:00.005+02:00

We are underway and the Kids are really enjoying themselves, some of the parents are partying already too......here are just a few photos to keep you going. I am not sure about how tonights pictures will come out in the dark, but I will try!

Carnival - second attempt!

2009-03-01T14:33:00.005+02:00

Well it is the re-arranged Carnival day and the sun is shining, the village is full of people already and the atmosphere is buzzing....I have taken a few photos this morning, one of my neighbour and his grandson going up the the square with a little tractor carrier thing and some of the sound system and lighting rigs being taken out of plastic ready for tonight. I then went for a walk with it being such a nice day. I took some photos of the Lassithi mountains looking beautiful with all the snow on. Look out for more pictures late afternoon, which should be of the childrens events and the Cretan music and dancing. Then I am going to party....the pictures from tonight should be loaded up tomorrow.

Carnival

2009-02-22T16:34:00.001+02:00

Well we were not sure if it would take place, but the weather was looking better so we started.....the souvlaki (just a few!) arrived and were distributed round the stands were they were to be cooked and sold.....a few hardy people turned up in fancy dress ready....and then the heavens opened.....and it poured.....and poured.....and the water got into the sound system wiring....it went down....and took all my side of the village with it.....they sorted that out....and...then very sadly a lady visiting the village for the carnival had a heart attack and died....needless to say, everyone agreed that the carnival would not take place.
Hopefully it will now take place on Sunday 1st March, if the weather is too bad this day, then we will not have one this year.
It was a sad day, both for the family and friends of the poor lady who died and for the committee of the carnival who had worked so hard to get everything ready. If anyone reading this knows the family of the lady involved, would you pass on my condolences?

Will it or won't it?

2009-02-21T13:17:00.002+02:00

Well, its Carnival day and the weather is really bad.....we are still waiting for final confirmation that it will go ahead....the outlook is that the rain and hail we have had this morning will turn to snow overnight and through Monday/Tuesday....here are a few pictures of the stalled preparations...the fire is going (but has already gone out once today) and the soup is on the go...nothing else to do but wait.....

International New Year Party

2009-01-01T15:23:00.000+02:00

Delia and Antonis had an international new year party at their new home. There were Greeks, Germans, Irish, Scottish and English. I organised party games which totally confused the Greeks as they havent played grown up party games before.We took pictures of some of the more sedate games, the rough ones we have to remember. Just before midnight we went up to the square to let in the new year. We were greeted by Papa Manolis singing under an umbrella in the middle of the square. At midnight fireworks went off and the tavernas closed leaving bottles of whisky on the tables for anyone visiting. Most of the party then went back to the house until the early hours. We all had a great time, Thanks Delia and Antonis.....

Mum and Daughter

2008-11-13T22:02:00.000+02:00

Most of my regular readers will remember Jessica, the demon huntress. Most will not know her mum Ginger as she is very afraid of people and will not stand still for her photo taking. I took these as they were curled up asleep together because they look so cute......Ginger is on the left and Jessica on the right...

Its Raki time again.....

2008-11-06T21:44:00.001+02:00

I got a phone call yesterday morning to say my friend Manthos was going to be making his Raki at the other Raki factory (not the one I photographed last year) and he would like me to take some photos for the Blog. Always ready to oblige I scooted off. The Raki making had already started.....

The finished stuff....warm....tasty...and lethal!
Kath checking they are doing the job right...
Yiannis and Dimitra who run the Raki factory starting to dismantle the still to put more stuff in....

First the pipes come off....
Then the dome....(well I dont know the names, do I?)
The branch is there to stop the grape mulch from floating.
Pushing the used pulp out of the still ready for the next lot..
There it goes...steaming hot....

All used up.....
The next batch waiting to go in...
There it goes....
Yiannis laughing as he spots me taking his picture...
And of course they have to make a party of it....
Michaelis is cooking as Manthos sorts out the meat....
Just one or two people to keep company while the Raki brews...

A really good time was had by all, and it was really good to sit outside in the sun, eat, drink and talk with such interesting company. Thanks everyone.....

Mums 80th

2008-10-27T21:29:00.000+02:00

Well it was my Mums 80th Birthday yesterday, so I had to come to the UK for the party. Tomorrow is also my niece Vickys 18th so its a big week. Here are some piccies from Mums party.......a good time was had by all....even if the "oldies" scandalised the young ones.....

Little Kitty

2008-10-16T20:35:00.001+03:00

Just to let you all know that the little one has been re-homed today, with my friend Jackie who has an ouzeri with her husband George in Stalis (Stalida). Her son Nico was looking after him when I left. Thank you everyone for your good wishes on his future....

Mochos v Chania

2008-10-12T20:34:00.000+03:00

The boys did well at the football match today beating Chania 2 - 0.....well done lads!

New Mummy/Daddy wanted

2008-10-11T17:30:00.003+03:00

Hello, I don't have a name but I need a new mummy or daddy as i was left in a carrier bag under a car. I am about 4 weeks old and healthy and love to explore and cuddle. I can wash myself very well too, except sometimes I fall over washing my feet! Margaret has some baby milk for me until I am big enough to eat grown up dinner. She would love to keep me, but is going to England on the 21st and so cannot. If you can be my new mummy or daddy, please ring Margaret on 6946025103. Thank you x x x ps I promise to be good and give you lots of cuddles.

Football season starts

2008-10-04T17:45:00.000+03:00

Well its that time of year again (lovely!) and the village hosted the first match of the season. The Mochos second team drew 1 - 1 with Episkopi. Apparently everyone played well.

Demon Huntress #3

2008-10-02T20:38:00.000+03:00

With the help of her mum Ginger, Jessica the Demon huntress strikes again. This poor rat was stuck up the wall in the avli, when I went out it was spreadeagled across the corner. It is around 6 or 7 feet up and clung on for over an hour until I managed to get it down and let it go outside. The look on its face tells it all.....

A different kind of wine making machine....

2008-09-20T20:38:00.005+03:00

My friend and local taverna owner Rodamanthis, his father in law Michaelis and his uncle George were making the family wine this afternoon. George has this ingenious machine which strips the grapes from the stalks before they tread them under foot to get the juice out. The first picture shows the stalks coming out of the machine into a crate (and a few empty crates too..)

The grapes after stripping from the stalks, then go into sacks for treading.

These are still waiting to go in.

George treading the grapes and Michaelis supervising.
Smiling for the camera (I told them they would be famous on the internet.)
The whole family operation, with Rodamanthis (Manthos) on the right.

Demon Huntress Mark 2

2008-09-16T20:34:00.000+03:00

Well Jessica has surpassed herself this time. I was very scared to take this off her, but also scared to leave her playing with it. I am not sure what kind of snake it was, but even though it was little I dont like them. If there are any clever clogs out there, they may like to tell me what it is.....

Prize Draw

2008-09-02T22:12:00.002+03:00

Those of you who know my website http://www.alternativecrete.com may have noticed that I have been running a Prize Draw for people filling in a short questionnaire. The draw closed on 31st August and was drawn today. The draw was made by Rodamanthis who runs the taverna of the same name in the village square.

The names ready to go in the draw (not many I know!)

In the basket ready to go.....

Its getting exciting now.....who will it be?

And the lucky winner is....... Susan Scott..... Thanks to all for entering and thanks Mantho for conducting the draw!

Very Special Visitor

2008-08-19T18:55:00.003+03:00

I am starting to get excited now as my daughter, Hannah, is right this minute on a plane on her way out for a weeks holiday with me.....I do love my beautiful girl...

Modern Wine

2008-08-19T18:24:00.003+03:00

The modern age has now arrived in the village.....most of the residents still make their wine the traditional way, by treading the grapes. My neighbour George had this contraption arrive and his wine was completed in an hour instead of a couple of days.....I do wonder though..what does one man do with so much wine???

Lunar eclipse

2008-08-17T12:43:00.003+03:00

Well I wasnt going to put these pictures up, because they are so poor (anyone who reads the blog regularly knows I need a new camera!), but everyone in England is complaining that they saw nothing and I decided bad pictures were better than not seeing at all.....so here it is.....The Lunar eclipse as viewed from my roof!
ps...if you click they get a little bigger.

Demon Huntress

2008-08-09T18:51:00.001+03:00

Regular readers will already know Jessica, my baby (well not anymore, but hey!) well this is her turned Demon huntress trying to catch a crocodile, which is a lizard so named because they look like baby crocs....does she look evil or what?
And yes, well spotted she is balancing on the top of the door.

Solar Eclipse

2008-08-01T14:28:00.004+03:00

The solar eclipse was only partial here in Crete, but interesting just the same. I took some (not very good as I haven't got a filter for the camera) photos for those who missed it. You can clearly see the moon moving into position ready to cover the sun and then moving out the other side. Unfortunately the ones of the actual eclipse are so bright you can see nothing....sorry..