The E MESS – "Your Makrigialos Fix"

Quote from Matt "it’s a state of mind"

ISSUE NUMBER TWELVE COMMENCING SOMETIME END OF JULY 2001

Hello once more from Sunny Mak, which at present strongly resembles a suburb of Athens! The silly season is here with a vengeance now - parking in Mak presents serious challenges - a bicycle is the most useful asset right now. For example is you drive to the harbour [presuming you manage to park there] then drive back to Villea and try to park again you will probably end up halfway back to the harbour. Not a lot of gossip to report at present everyone is very busy - sometimes even those of us who are the best of friends don't have a conversation from one week to the next. Everyone is looking forward to September when we will have plenty of regular visitors back. For the next few weeks this little missive will be on a bi weekly basis - otherwise I will send you all to sleep with the non events and non gossip of Mak. TRAVEL TIPS If you happen to be staying in a Cretan apartment with two of those pine beds, that, when pushed together leave a gap down the middle we have a solution- roll up the blanket you will find in the closet and insert it between the two mattresses et voila double bed. TIMS BICYLCLE I am sure all the regular readers have missed this section but until this week Tim's Bicycle had spent most of its time propped up by the ford in Aspro Potamos and recently propped up by the Villea car park entrance. Some fiend in the night had thrown Tim's Bicycle into Villea pool - it came out quite clean but Time says it squeaks more now than it used to. THE WINE GUIDE & QUOTE OF THE WEEK Len to Sue at Fisherman Jacks "After all the years you have been here you should a least be able to pronounce Amethystos Fume correctly"

BIG MAC INDEX Its good - last week Daniela and Andonis went to Makro in Heraklion and came back with Big Macs - still warm Wow!! Then a wonderful surprise last night - went into Apotheke and Daniela had Big Macs in the fridge - Cold Big Macs taste brilliant for breakfast.{Thanks are due to Jason} CRETA WAGGED HER TAILCreta had a new experience last week she met her first peacock - Peacocks make this rather strange sort of trumpet sound which induced Creta to "go flat dog". The peacocks were at a wonderful little "rent rooms" place called BayView somewhere between Zakros and Kato Zakros - strangely enough they breed peacocks there - or at least there are bunches of adult peacocks and lots of small biridies in a cage with special lighting so, I suppose, they are baby peacocks. RON AND MARGARETS WEDDING No news again I am afraid - however Ron was ill last week caused we believe by the fact he still thinks he's 21runs about Villea non stop and does not understand the concept of day off.. He cannot be 21 as if this was the case Papacostis [the local priest] would not be lecturing him on his marital status. Progress on Ann and Marks House - Work continues apace and you can see where the doors and windows are going to be. Ann is in UK returning next week with Mark - looking forward to seeing them both back in Mak BEACH PARTIES Glenn's birthday party last Thursday was held on Diaskari Beach - a bonfire was lit and a wild time was had by all who attended. The survivors wandered into Sailing at 2 am - that’s party animals for you.

FISH There are three left now one white one and two gold ones - its always a sad morning when I do a head count and find its short. FISHERMAN JACKS Try a Sardine Surprise this is a winner - best time to try it is Happy Hour - two of them give you a real buzz!! There is also a marvelous cocktail with the motto " eel never get up in the morning" GREEK IN 35 YEARS Apergia meaning strike - this is relevant since the museums and archaeological sites were on strike for four days last week - go figure. There are two words for mountain - And here we will do some advanced Greek we shall do singular and plural - one mountain is either Vourno or Oros and more than one mountain is either Vourna or Ori. That is why Oreino in the mountains near Koutsouras is so called. While we are in the mountains we shall also learn Xioni - snow and it does snow in Oreino! Fidi is a snake - nice word that and finally Tasaki which means Ashtray. CULTURE August the 15^th Is "Panagia" which is St Mary's name day - as you will all know there quite a few people called Maria in Mak. It is also a National holiday. SHOOTING STARS The most amazing shooting star was spotted from the terrace at Robinsons - straight down in the east finishing with a magnificent bright red glow - or was it a UFO landing in the sea off Goudaras?  Villeavillage@ Yahoo.com Telephone 0843 51697 Fax 0843 51697 Theemess@hotmail.com