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#1
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Crete May 2010
For a while, what with between the strikes and the ash cloud, we
wondered if we'd ever get there. On arrival at Heraklion Airport we stepped of the plane and there was another nearby. It was somewhat windy, blustery, but the heat was like being passing between two, closely parked, very warmed up trucks. I thought it was the planes' heat. But it wasn't. I learnt later that it's a wind locally referred to as Gaddafi's wrath, or his revenge, or some flaming thing or other. It was lovely heat, but right then it was definitely mixed with scent d' aviation fuel. As we drove away from the airport I noticed what looked like a gigantic dirty, scattered, semi-disorganised slum. Romany Gipsies apparently. There must be thousands upon thousands of them and they make the place look very trashed. further down the road, long after the temporary dwellings and makeshift tents were out of site, there was the evidence of fly- tipping, what looked like bombed out houses, or derelict at the very least and the whole impression was one of a lazy, dirty, slovenly people, who tear the guts out of the countryside and then just couldn't be arsed... It is an entirely false impression, but it lays a powerful veneer on one's first impressions; The main route heading west now hugs the rocky coastal areas. This is eminently wise, as it doesn't waste valuable fertile land, but such is the impression of , well, stagnated poverty, that the very plants themselves, seeking to etch out an existence between the rocks and looking not unlike inspirations for prized Japanese works of art, or Chinese tableware design, end up echoing in depression, rather than offering glimpses of beauty http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=e7h1ja&s=6 Whereas more inland there is plenty evidence of the populations character of productivity and love for their land. Such as this little montage (using paintshop pro) Apart from that, there does seem to be a little bit of a problem with strewn shopping bags. They're al over the country side and, well, the only place I didn't see much of them was on the beaches themselves. Shops there provide customers with plastic bags. Not being in that sort of environment for quite some time, I had forgotten how being giving all your goodies (or just the one) in a plastic shopping bag is a bit like paying for them, but somehow the shop assistant is giving you a little present. One the one hand Cretens need to give this problem some serious consideration because it is a bit of a problem. Perhaps they have but are keeping with them for commercial, tourist-linked reasons. I guess they'd fear losing sales to tourists who, in the absence of handy shops' bags won't buy if they haven't travelled with a handy shopping carrier sack of their own. But my wife does. Overall, nice place. (setting aside the holiday club touts' scams) Would go again. |
#2
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Crete May 2010
On Jun 6, 7:04*pm, aquachimp
wrote: For a while, what with between the strikes and the ash cloud, we wondered if we'd ever get there. On arrival at Heraklion Airport we stepped of the plane *and there was another nearby. It was somewhat windy, blustery, but *the heat was like being passing between two, closely parked, *very warmed up trucks. I thought it was the planes' heat. But it wasn't. I learnt later that it's a wind locally referred to as Gaddafi's wrath, or his revenge, or some flaming thing or other. It was lovely heat, but right then it was definitely mixed with scent d' aviation fuel. As we drove away from the airport I noticed what looked like a gigantic dirty, scattered, semi-disorganised slum. Romany Gipsies apparently. There must be thousands upon thousands of them and they make the place look very trashed. further down the road, long after the temporary dwellings and makeshift tents were out of site, there was the evidence of fly- tipping, what looked like bombed out houses, or derelict at the very least and the whole impression was one of a lazy, dirty, slovenly people, who tear the guts out of the countryside and then just couldn't be arsed... It is an entirely false impression, but it lays a powerful veneer on one's first impressions; The main route heading west now hugs the rocky coastal areas. This is eminently wise, as it doesn't *waste valuable fertile land, but such is the impression of , well, stagnated poverty, that the very plants themselves, seeking to etch out an existence between the rocks and looking not unlike inspirations for prized Japanese works of art, or Chinese tableware design, *end up echoing in depression, rather than offering glimpses of beauty http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=e7h1ja&s=6 Whereas more inland there is plenty evidence of the populations character of productivity *and love for their land. Such as this little montage (using paintshop pro) sorry, forgot link. http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=f2b8x&s=6 Apart from that, there does seem to be a little bit of a problem with strewn shopping bags. They're al over the country side and, well, the only place I didn't see much of them was on the beaches themselves. Shops there provide customers with plastic bags. Not being in that sort of environment for quite some time, I had forgotten how being giving all your goodies (or just the one) in a plastic shopping bag is a bit like *paying for them, but somehow the shop assistant is giving you a little present. One the one hand Cretens need to give this problem some serious consideration because it is a bit of a problem. Perhaps they have but are keeping with them for commercial, tourist-linked reasons. I guess they'd fear losing sales to tourists who, in the absence of handy shops' bags won't buy if they haven't travelled with a handy shopping carrier sack of their own. But my wife does. Overall, nice place. (setting aside the holiday club touts' scams) Would go again. |
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