Messages

1

Plakias / Goodbye Plakias

« on: June 09, 2014, 07:03:47 AM »

This will be my last post. My wife and I took the decision to move away from Plakias with some regret. But Plakias has changed. Everything does of course and that change either suits you or it doesn't. For us now Plakias is too commercialised. There is too much focus on greed. Surprisingly we are now on the north side of the island just outside Kokkino Chorio. Much less commercialised than Plakias. Gentler in some way. Incredible views across Souda Bay with the White Mountains behind us. The naval base is just opposite so I watch the ships and submarines come and go. And the beaches here have beautiful soft sand. And an ice cream parlour has opened in Almyrida run by Italians who make their own ice cream on the premises. Ice cream to die for. Try the coconut and cream. Or the fresh strawberry. Or anything!
Plakias is now a tourist resort not much different to elsewhere. What it does it does well. But it is not the place of twenty years ago.

2

Plakias / Re: Flies in Plakias

« on: January 23, 2014, 05:45:04 AM »

This morning is another stunningly beautiful day. Not a cloud to be seen. But we need rain. We drove to Rethymno yesterday. As we went through the gorge I looked down and there is virtually no water in it. Last year it was much fuller. Our bougainvillea is shooting and last year it was March before it did that. Last summer was HOT and went on right to the end of October. Climate change? I don't know. But the weather pattern over the last two years has been unusual.

3

Plakias / Flies in Plakias

« on: January 22, 2014, 03:58:26 PM »

It's January. The weather here has been very warm and sunny. It should be much, much colder. The good side is that one can go to the beach. The water is still warm enough to swim in. The bad side is the flies. Colder weather would have killed them all off. The other morning I swatted over 40 of the little buggers in our kitchen. And that was before breakfast! They are of the 'bitey' variety and have a habit of going for your face. But they keep our cats amused. Our little female cat is very agile and leaps up and catches them in mid air!!!

4

Plakias / Epiphany in Plakias

« on: January 07, 2014, 07:19:07 AM »

Epiphany in Crete is important. It is the day when the sanctification of the water takes place. Yesterday (6th January) in Plakias hundreds of locals came into the village and down to the harbour. A priest spoke at length in ancient Greek and then threw a cross into the water thus blessing the water. Then about a dozen young men jumped into the water to compete in retrieving the cross.
I think the ceremony is an appeal to the Gods to protect the fishermen during the forthcoming year but if anyone knows more about it perhaps you could put up a posting.

5

Plakias / Re: Storm damage to The Far End

« on: January 05, 2014, 12:38:45 PM »

And for anyone interested I have uploaded a video of the 'far end' onto Youtube showing the damage done to the tree. Just follow the link:


http://youtu.be/k5VMFJAFcqs







 

6

Plakias / Re: Storm damage to The Far End

« on: January 05, 2014, 10:44:39 AM »

I forgot to post a picture of the beach. So here it is. Doesn't it look just amazing?

7

Plakias / Re: Storm damage to The Far End

« on: January 05, 2014, 10:27:14 AM »

A few pictures I took this morning of the damaged tamarisk tree and the beach. Very sad about the tree but the beach at the moment looks fabulous. Lovely soft sand and clear blue water gently lapping at one's feet.

8

Plakias / Storm damage to The Far End

« on: January 04, 2014, 07:33:06 AM »

Before Christmas Crete experienced some very strong, cold winds. The worst that anyone could remember. Plakias got off quite lightly but for those of you who are familiar with the far end you will be saddened to hear that the big tamarisk tree that many people use for shade has been virtually destroyed. For the moment it has just been left there. Next time I go down there I will take my camera and then post some pictures of it on here.

9

PlakChat / Re: CHRISTMAS BREKKIE

« on: December 04, 2013, 02:15:41 PM »

Eggs Benedict does it for us.

10

Plakias / Re: Plakias in slow decline

« on: November 21, 2013, 11:49:44 AM »

Reporting unpleasant facts can get one disliked. But if you continue to blind yourselves to the truth about what is happening to Plakias then one day you will wake up and find that your beloved Plakias has gone forever. So perhaps rather than getting cross with me you can all give a bit more thought to helping keep Plakias the way you like it. Because that it what I'm trying to do.

11

Plakias / Re: Plakias in slow decline

« on: November 14, 2013, 02:21:39 PM »

and where else apart from Crete can you walk along the coast and watch an eagle soaring above and have beautiful surrounding countryside? The latter will hopefully never change, and therefore I fail to see any problems for Plakias.

Sorry happyashellas to burst your rose tinted view of Crete but the beautiful surrounding countryside has changed considerably. The main harvest used to be sultana grapes but Turkey decimated that by flooding the market. Overgrazing by goats has denuded many a hillside. The olive harvest failed which will provide even more encouragement for the locals to cut down the olive trees for firewood because over winter they will need to keep warm and the locals are more likely to kill an eagle for food than to stand and watch it soaring high above.

But the main problem Plakias faces along with the rest of Crete is an increasingly downmarket tourist is here with less money in their pocket and poorer social values.

12

Plakias / Re: Plakias in slow decline

« on: November 13, 2013, 03:44:34 PM »

Because last winter was mild and dry the olive harvest has failed. Normally at this time of year the taverna owners shut up shop and go and collect the harvest along with the waiters they employ. But not this year. No harvest means no employment for the coming winter. No employment means no money. Both ex-pats and locals are suffering. Because of this for the first time ever we are being advised to keep everything under lock and key. There is a simmering anger at the government. On the surface things may seem the same as ever but they are not.

13

Plakias / Plakias in slow decline

« on: November 07, 2013, 07:30:38 AM »

It is sad to say that the best days of Plakias as a tourist destination are in the past. Businesses have closed this year and it is likely that more will follow next year. Whilst the number of visitors to Plakias may have stayed the same, the amount they spend has gone down. The Russian and Eastern European tourists have helped to keep the numbers up but their budget is very small and too many of them lack politeness. So stores such as Forum take out all the quality stuff and fill the shelves with the tacky stuff because this is what now sells.

Different nationalities come at different times of year so it is still possible to come to Plakias and think that it is the same as ever. But it isn't. All very sad.

14

Plakias / Re: Just Returned

« on: November 02, 2013, 09:50:03 AM »

As regards the slightly unfavourable comments posted I would point out the following. I have worked in the holiday business. In April one is raring to go and every tourist is smiled at and made to feel welcome. But in October, after having worked non-stop for six months, one is tired and grumpy and can't wait for the end of the season to come and the tourists to leave. That is the downside of coming late in the season. The service may be poor and the waiters bad tempered.

15

Plakias / Re: car hire

« on: November 02, 2013, 09:31:17 AM »

Hello,

A bit late to help you with your holiday but should you come again to Crete then you can't do better than Autoway. My wife and I hire a car for the year from them. For an economy car we pay 2,800 Euros for the year. An up front payment of 1,400 Euros and then a further 1,400 after six months. This works out at less than 8 Euros a day. Car parking at Heraklion Airport when we go back to the UK is free. We just drop the car off at their parking bay at the airport. Whilst you can't rent a car from them in Plakias if you go on line they will have the car ready and waiting for you at either Chania or Heraklion airport.