Plakias in the 80s

[Daskaloyannis]

Hello all,


I am new to the forum, but not Plakias!  I thought I would drop a line or two and gather some info re Plakia and intoduce myself a little bit.

I first arrived in Plakias in 1983..Myself and my friend Ian walked there from Rethymnon!....we then walked to Agia Galii via Spili, then got lost and ended up in Lasithi!

I last visited Plakias in 2002 as you may gather things had changed dramatically, however, it still had that dramatic beauty and lovely feeling of isolation, added to that most of the Cretans in Plakias come from Sphakian origins and they are renowned for their, shall we say indomitable spirit!

I remember the Youth Hostel being in Mirthios and there was little else but a couple of tavernas in Plakias, however, I did meet my first Greek Scorpion there - sleeping snugly in my boot.

Anyone else who remembers that Idyllic era please share your memories with me.

[Yannis]

Hello all,


I am new to the forum, but not Plakias!  I thought I would drop a line or two and gather some info re Plakia and intoduce myself a little bit.

I first arrived in Plakias in 1983..Myself and my friend Ian walked there from Rethymnon!....we then walked to Agia Galii via Spili, then got lost and ended up in Lasithi!

I last visited Plakias in 2002 as you may gather things had changed dramatically, however, it still had that dramatic beauty and lovely feeling of isolation, added to that most of the Cretans in Plakias come from Sphakian origins and they are renowned for their, shall we say indomitable spirit!

I remember the Youth Hostel being in Mirthios and there was little else but a couple of tavernas in Plakias, however, I did meet my first Greek Scorpion there - sleeping snugly in my boot.

Anyone else who remembers that Idyllic era please share your memories with me.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=2684\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Hey was nobody there in the eighties!

Daskaloyannis


My first visit to Plakias was in 1986 - there was a crowd of us in Malia on a booze fuelled holiday - two of the guys said they had some friends in Mirthios / Plakias so we all thought yeah lets go see some of old crete.

So unlike yourself we jumped on a bus or was it two and arrived in Mirthios a good few hours later. On the way it was deciced we would stay at the youth hostile in Mirthios - some of the guys had stayed there before and said it was OK - the rest of us were a bit apprehensive but hey it was a team holiday (all for one and one for all and all that). The first thing I remember is the stunning view of Plakias from Mirthios the second was the room we all had to share in the hostile basic or what! A cat in the corner having kittens no wardrobes no sheets no en suite what a shock!

Once we were settled it was time to meet Georgio or Big Geordy as we called him.
It was his Taverna below the hostile(its now a gift shop) he was really good to us and his mother did all the cooking so we ate really well and it was very cheap, but that was in the days of the dracma.

In order to get to Plakias we had to go down the donkey trail (try that after a few Amstels) where we meet Georgios brother Mannosous - he also owned his own Taverna in Plakis - that first year we had some great nights in Plakias and Mirthios all fairly young free and single. I dont have any recollection of getting back up the donkey trail but always woke up in the hostile or just outside or sometimes on the roof!

My wife and I have been to Plakias on several occasions with pals from 1986,  mainly in the1990's, all those holidays spent with Mannousos and his wife Tina and all their family, they always made us welcome with their unique greek hospitality.

We went back for a few days in July this year - first time in ten years - it was great to be back - so much so we are making plans for 2005

[hopper]

Hi Daskaloyannis
I tried last time to reply, but the message got lost.  . I was in Plakias in the 70 s and than again in 1988. I left various memories and comments on this forum, you should be able to retrieve them somehow. There is also some of my photos.
Good luck
cheers Hopper

[hopper]

PS: I think there is a lot of " Plakias Newbies" on this forum, (some may not think so); may be we are just old farts or shall I say veterans. I have tried before to catch up with some of the oldies, one (canadian) guy replied. He was there even before my first time (1975). Since the Junta fell in 1974, you would not get too many tourist before that period. Are you Greek ?
cheers Hopper

[hopper]

PS PS, yes you can get them. Just clck on hopper, then members posts and all the contributions of the last year are listed.
cheers Hopper

[Daskaloyannis]

PS: I think there is a lot of " Plakias Newbies" on this forum, (some may not think so); may be we are just old farts or shall I say veterans. I have tried before to catch up with some of the oldies, one (canadian) guy replied. He was there even before my first time (1975). Since the Junta fell in 1974, you would not get too many tourist before that period. Are you Greek ?
cheers Hopper
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=2710\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Hopper,

Thanks for all the info, sorry for the delay - I am busy trying to earn enough to live in Hellas and raise my own twin eagled flag on a pole outside the house!

To your question am I Greek? .....Alas no, but the name I chose is one Cretans especially know about....in my choice of name I was trying to discern if anyone on this website was as much a lover of Greece as I was.

Truth be told I have a family and the plan is to live in Crete.  I am a Classics graduate of many moons, so I have a rudimentary knowledge of Ancient Greek, and I can converse in modern.   However, I belong to the old school of Patrick Leigh Fermor and Lawrence Durrell, and I would never dream of purchasing a holiday home like the scheme being promoted in Plakia.

I do not associate with the people who think this is a good idea....progress for progress sake is not a healthy situation.  The people of Plakia will not benefit from the disintegration of their village - only the greek investor or foreign tourist who sublets will have some satisfaction in their income, but to the total distruction of another Cretan village and the loss of more Cretan culture -which is worth more?

To finish, I have a friend who is half Scottish/Polish (what a mixture!)  who was in Crete during the Junta, he was stopped after curfew in Heraklion with (and you can guess what with) Ouzo, Beer and Whisky, he was held at gunpoint and asked what he was doing/going...a bit silly really when you are speaking to a 6ft 2 Scots Pole with bright red hair!, he replied  believe this or not " I have a thirst" ..needless to say (thankfully) they laughed and let him go...he now runs a pub in Islington...


Postscriptum

I was last in Crete in 2003, I visited the grave of John Pendlebury in Souda, I then popped down to Plakias for the day....I shall be returning (with family) on the 28th June 2005 for two glorious weeks....and I will promise to view this site more frequently!

[sheryl]

PS: I think there is a lot of " Plakias Newbies" on this forum, (some may not think so); may be we are just old farts or shall I say veterans. I have tried before to catch up with some of the oldies, one (canadian) guy replied. He was there even before my first time (1975). Since the Junta fell in 1974, you would not get too many tourist before that period. Are you Greek ?
cheers Hopper
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=2710\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Hopper,

Thanks for all the info, sorry for the delay - I am busy trying to earn enough to live in Hellas and raise my own twin eagled flag on a pole outside the house!

To your question am I Greek? .....Alas no, but the name I chose is one Cretans especially know about....in my choice of name I was trying to discern if anyone on this website was as much a lover of Greece as I was.

Truth be told I have a family and the plan is to live in Crete.  I am a Classics graduate of many moons, so I have a rudimentary knowledge of Ancient Greek, and I can converse in modern.   However, I belong to the old school of Patrick Leigh Fermor and Lawrence Durrell, and I would never dream of purchasing a holiday home like the scheme being promoted in Plakia.

I do not associate with the people who think this is a good idea....progress for progress sake is not a healthy situation.  The people of Plakia will not benefit from the disintegration of their village - only the greek investor or foreign tourist who sublets will have some satisfaction in their income, but to the total distruction of another Cretan village and the loss of more Cretan culture -which is worth more?

To finish, I have a friend who is half Scottish/Polish (what a mixture!)  who was in Crete during the Junta, he was stopped after curfew in Heraklion with (and you can guess what with) Ouzo, Beer and Whisky, he was held at gunpoint and asked what he was doing/going...a bit silly really when you are speaking to a 6ft 2 Scots Pole with bright red hair!, he replied  believe this or not " I have a thirst" ..needless to say (thankfully) they laughed and let him go...he now runs a pub in Islington...


Postscriptum

I was last in Crete in 2003, I visited the grave of John Pendlebury in Souda, I then popped down to Plakias for the day....I shall be returning (with family) on the 28th June 2005 for two glorious weeks....and I will promise to view this site more frequently!
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=2776\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

[sheryl]

OOPS SORRY  
dont know what i pressed to get the above post - but obviously it was a mistake.

going on the what i've read i'm probably classed as a newbie compared to you, although i have been in plakias every year since 1991, and i cant agree more with the quote

 "I do not associate with the people who think this is a good idea....progress for progress sake is not a healthy situation. The people of Plakia will not benefit from the disintegration of their village - only the greek investor or foreign tourist who sublets will have some satisfaction in their income, but to the total distruction of another Cretan village and the loss of more Cretan culture -which is worth more?"

if the plans go ahead the place will be ruined.  i'll stick with the cretan culture thanks.

[hopper]

Daskaloyannis
This is all very profound. It was predictable that development occured, we could already see it in 1977, when similar thoughts were discussed in the tavernas. However, you could not convince the old greeks who carted everything from pumpkins to toilet bowls on donkeys and who's children did not get a proper education.
Apart from developers, a lot of ordinary Greeks have benefitted from the change, which was I guess caused by us. We came from industrial countries to the romance and beauty of a country, which was quite behind. We enjoyed the lack of development, because it looked nice, felt nice and was cheap. When I came to Greece from Germany, my money tripled, and I could live well.
However, the Greeks worked their guts out, which was not fair either. Despite all this, they were the most generous, humble, helpful and honest people imaginable.
As long as they kept these qualities things should still be good in Crete.
Cheers Hopper

[tlovins]

Hello all,


I am new to the forum, but not Plakias!  I thought I would drop a line or two and gather some info re Plakia and intoduce myself a little bit.

I first arrived in Plakias in 1983..Myself and my friend Ian walked there from Rethymnon!....we then walked to Agia Galii via Spili, then got lost and ended up in Lasithi!

I last visited Plakias in 2002 as you may gather things had changed dramatically, however, it still had that dramatic beauty and lovely feeling of isolation, added to that most of the Cretans in Plakias come from Sphakian origins and they are renowned for their, shall we say indomitable spirit!

I remember the Youth Hostel being in Mirthios and there was little else but a couple of tavernas in Plakias, however, I did meet my first Greek Scorpion there - sleeping snugly in my boot.

Anyone else who remembers that Idyllic era please share your memories with me.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=2684\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Hello!  I visited Plakias two times in the 1980's -- 1986 and again in 1988.  Sadly I have not returned, though I have never stopped dreaming of Plakias and the magical time I spent there.  I stumbled across this forum while trying to track down a Plakias local -- Stellios Kaudis.   If any of you run across him please tell him that Terri from Seattle (and the 80's!) says hello.  I will definitely return to this forum when I have more computer time!  

-Terri

[reddiablo]

Hello all,


I am new to the forum, but not Plakias!  I thought I would drop a line or two and gather some info re Plakia and intoduce myself a little bit.

I first arrived in Plakias in 1983..Myself and my friend Ian walked there from Rethymnon!....we then walked to Agia Galii via Spili, then got lost and ended up in Lasithi!

I last visited Plakias in 2002 as you may gather things had changed dramatically, however, it still had that dramatic beauty and lovely feeling of isolation, added to that most of the Cretans in Plakias come from Sphakian origins and they are renowned for their, shall we say indomitable spirit!

I remember the Youth Hostel being in Mirthios and there was little else but a couple of tavernas in Plakias, however, I did meet my first Greek Scorpion there - sleeping snugly in my boot.

Anyone else who remembers that Idyllic era please share your memories with me.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=2684\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Hello!  I visited Plakias two times in the 1980's -- 1986 and again in 1988.  Sadly I have not returned, though I have never stopped dreaming of Plakias and the magical time I spent there.  I stumbled across this forum while trying to track down a Plakias local -- Stellios Kaudis.   If any of you run across him please tell him that Terri from Seattle (and the 80's!) says hello.  I will definitely return to this forum when I have more computer time!  

-Terri
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=2798\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]