End of an era Dismantling of Meltemi

[beachcombers]

We had the idea of a night in the meltemi in about 13 years when our children are old enough to join the party [or to stay at home  ] Long time ago it was a great place to meet up with friends, to shake our bones on the dancefloor and have a few drinks... And the best thing after this was to jump out of the clothes right into the sea for a night swimming under a full moon lightened sky.
 
As a visitor and tourist we might have to be just consumers. But due to our deep respect and interest for the cretan culture, the beauty of the land and the gratitude for being welcomed with a smile [especially in the awareness of the despicable crimes done during WWII by german occupants] it hurts to see what we do to the land. Probably nobody will die when an old rotten dancehall is replaced by a new hotel [I might have been crying the day they built the club and calling it a ruin for the lovely and quiet plakias...  ] It's still a difference between building a multibillion Project like the "Timbaki-Harbour" with deepest impacts to the whole area or if someone offers banana-riding on the plakias beach. But the causes are the same: we get what we want. Or better: we want what we're told  to want.
And the way to protect things from being wasted for short-distance profits of the few big players in the tourist-industry is to spread the welfare of tourism amongst the many small family-driven enterprises from the donut-man to the taverna in the smaller villages. And to tell them that you love it the way it is!


Shinaria
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Found following poem from Jeff Winchell (forum member from the USA):

[a href=\"http://winchell.org/Hope.htm]http://winchell.org/Hope.htm[/url]

It tells it all?

Leen

[compage]

... And the way to protect things from being wasted for short-distance profits of the few big players in the tourist-industry is to spread the welfare of tourism amongst the many small family-driven enterprises from the donut-man to the taverna in the smaller villages. And to tell them that you love it the way it is!

Shinaria
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=5356\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Hear hear!

[shinaria]

Yours sincerely

hobby-preacher  
Shinaria

[Mike G]

One day, I hope we will make some local connections and have stronger ties with Plakias (we were saddened that Ariadne was closed last Sept.).

I agree Ariadne used to be good, but we were blatantly overcharged there last May. See here. Once a taverna starts doing this its days are numbered as people aren't fools. Fortunately we then found Mousses.

Mike

[Santa]

We had the idea of a night in the meltemi in about 13 years when our children are old enough to join the party [or to stay at home  ] Long time ago it was a great place to meet up with friends, to shake our bones on the dancefloor and have a few drinks... And the best thing after this was to jump out of the clothes right into the sea for a night swimming under a full moon lightened sky.
 
As a visitor and tourist we might have to be just consumers. But due to our deep respect and interest for the cretan culture, the beauty of the land and the gratitude for being welcomed with a smile [especially in the awareness of the despicable crimes done during WWII by german occupants] it hurts to see what we do to the land. Probably nobody will die when an old rotten dancehall is replaced by a new hotel [I might have been crying the day they built the club and calling it a ruin for the lovely and quiet plakias...  ] It's still a difference between building a multibillion Project like the "Timbaki-Harbour" with deepest impacts to the whole area or if someone offers banana-riding on the plakias beach. But the causes are the same: we get what we want. Or better: we want what we're told  to want.
And the way to protect things from being wasted for short-distance profits of the few big players in the tourist-industry is to spread the welfare of tourism amongst the many small family-driven enterprises from the donut-man to the taverna in the smaller villages. And to tell them that you love it the way it is!


Shinaria
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Found following poem from Jeff Winchell (forum member from the USA):

[a href=\"http://winchell.org/Hope.htm]http://winchell.org/Hope.htm[/url]

It tells it all?

Leen
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=5357\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

[Santa]

Just one question- do the locals not have a right to sell some property and make a buck after years of scratching out a living? or are we being selfish?
Santa

[sheryl]

santa - the meltemi hasn't been sold.  the land it was built on belonged to the alianthos hotel.  and after 22years they have decided they wanted there land back and have took away someone elses bussiness and jobs by doing so - its alot more complicated than what it seems, they have been to court about it.....if bussiness was great and the alianthos needed another hotel you could kinda understand it - but they cant fill the hotel they've already got

[Santa]

santa - the meltemi hasn't been sold.  the land it was built on belonged to the alianthos hotel.  and after 22years they have decided they wanted there land back and have took away someone elses bussiness and jobs by doing so - its alot more complicated than what it seems, they have been to court about it.....if bussiness was great and the alianthos needed another hotel you could kinda understand it - but they cant fill the hotel they've already got
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=5395\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Sheryl- OK you win -feel better? I am going to enjoy an ouzo now .
Santa

[Jeff Winchell]

Found following poem from Jeff Winchell (forum member from the USA):

http://winchell.org/Hope.htm

It tells it all?

Leen

It's interesting that I randomly happened upon this. I did have other plans tonight besides ego surfing, but then I guess you know about me and plans.  

Well, back to learning German, or should I say, hoping to learn German (and hoping to add Greek to that list someday).

[Voloudakis]

I know this is a Graveyard thread but just wanted to share a Photo from the 1980's and as it is now.

[JackieatUrbanAgenda]

Really sad.....I had some great evenings (nights ?) there in the late 80s when it was one of the only music bars in the area but it was also sad to see it there in ruins.

I suspect the 'activities centre' will be closely limited in what it can do. I remember a discussion with a former mayor about a ban on things like jetskis and watched a couple of years ago when a visitor to the village was asked to remove his jetski as it had left a very smelly and horrible-to swim through film of fuel over the whole bay. OK, so kite surfers (there was one last year) and windsurfers (we've watched several over the years and yes, there was a wind surfing school) need space that could compete with swimmers but they often go further out and, at least, they are eco-friendly and quiet. I think there are also limits on what can be built on that are...something to do with archaeological remains...although I don't think its anything to do with the Lamon Palace as that's further up the hill.

I will be playing some Bob Marley and sinking a raki in memory of the Meltemi bar later on......