Cretan Diary - Chapter 37

Friday 11th - Stormy Weather

December 11th, 2009

The thunder woke me just before 5am. I went downstairs to check on water ingress and to unplug everything from power, aerial and telephone sockets.

At 7am there was a flash followed by a deafening roll of thunder and the power went off. All the new street lights were off so I knew it wasn't just our own power switch that had tripped. The village was in total darkness.

I showered, dressed and went downstairs. I powered up my computer from the UPS, which gives about twenty minutes of emergency power. I transferred my current files to my iBook then shut down the main computer and UPS. I connected a 120 Watt inverter to my fully-charged "leisure" battery and plugged the iBook and the router into it. The broadband was still working so I was able to do my morning's work before disconnecting.

We had arranged to go to a coffee morning at Kaleeves that opened at 10:30am at a taverna there. We had sandwiches then drove to Vamos and tried to give Vageeleea the 50 Euros that we owed for the central heating but she refused it. I asked about the prices of the petrol-fuelled electricity generators that they stock. They have nasty Taiwanese generators starting at 120 Euros and good quality ones at more than 400 Euros. She's going to ask her husband (Spiros the plumber) if he can source something inbetween.

We drove towards Xaniá and turned off to visit a couple of furniture shops. It was raining really hard and we could still see lightning behind us. Both shops had a shelf unit that would serve to store my "junk". (Essential items that I use infrequently.) We made a note but didn't buy anything other than a wine glass (to replace a broken one) and a string of "LED lights" which were obviously not LEDs but ordinary bulbs. But they will do. (Imagine the hoo-hah if a shop in the UK sold "LED lights" with ordinary bulbs.)

I phoned Geoff Needle and asked him where he'd bought his mobile phone Internet "dongle". He told me to go to the mobile phone shop in Kaleeves, next door to the book shop.

We drove back to Kaleeves and stopped outside the COSMOTE (mobile phone company) shop. The girl inside (Atheena) was very helpful and I bought a USB broadband "stick" that will give me fast Internet access. I'm paying for 5GB of data per month, which is more than enough for occasional use when the phone isn't working. It will also let me use my iBook laptop almost anywhere within Greece.

She mentioned that fibre optic connections are on the way but I can't wait.

The coffee morning taverna was deserted so we assumed the event had been cancelled. We drove to our favourite taverna in Almereetha. It, too, was deserted apart from an elderly man who spoke no English but beckoned us in. Then he made a number of phone calls, presumably to get the staff in.

While I was in the toilet, one of the waiters arrived and Jenny told him we wanted only drinks. This seemed a bit ungrateful since, by now, we had three people waiting on us AND I was hungry! So we ordered omelettes, which were delicious. The sea was rough!

We returned to the COSMOTE shop where my USB "stick" was ready for collection. In order to pay for it, using a Visa card, I had to produce my passport and car registration document (which has my tax number printed on it).

Back in Apokoronas the street lights were on. I don't know if this was because it was so dark or because the power outage had stopped the timer and someone had omitted to reset it.

In the IN-KA supermarket, Paul (an English helper) explained to me that the electricity supply has no lightning protection at all. So, every time there's a strike, the main fuses blow and, on a bad day, several houses' electricity meters explode!

Back home nothing had exploded and the power was on. However, there was water coming under the doors and dripping from the electricity switch box in the kitchen. I thought I'd cured that, but apparently not. We mopped up.

I plugged the USB "stick" into my iBook, installed the (Mac) software and it worked as soon as I'd typed the PIN. Very fast and a good signal. I'm impressed. I disconnected it and set the computer back to using the OTE broadband router, which was still working.

Saturday 12th - Powerless again

December 12th, 2009

We awoke at 8:30am to the sound of the UPS bleeping. The mains power had just gone off. Luckily, the house was still warm so we dressed, had breakfast, then I hooked up my iBook laptop to the battery again and checked my emails.

We drove to the "Simple City" furniture store near Xaniá and bought a tall cupboard. Well, we actually bought a flatpack kit. They couldn't deliver because it cost less than 200 Euros and we live outside their area anyway. However, the shop assistant spoke English and helpfully suggested that we drive to the warehouse door and see if the packages would fit into our car.

We were met by an old gentleman who asked me to help as he had a bad back. I said "to eetheeo" (the same) and pointed to my own back. He apologised profusely but I said it was OK and we would manage. He seemed keen to practice his English, which was certainly better than my Greek!

He said that he'd previously been manager of the National Bank in the city, then worked at the American naval base at Souda Bay for four years, before "retiring" to work at this shop, which was owned by a younger relative. He had a vineyard of 120 trees but this season had been poor and he had no olives worth harvesting. He asked if we had any olive trees and I said "yes".

"How many?" I explained that we had two trees which had produced a total of five olives. He smiled at this. "Not much oil, then."

I agreed and juggled the car seats then helped him to heave the two packages inside. They fitted but only just. We thanked him for his help and went back into the shop to pay. Jenny had to sit in the back while I drove home.

We called at the IN-KA supermarket where there was clearly no electricity. Aspaseea told us that it would be off until 3pm because the men were erecting new columns.

"Columns? Do you mean poles?"

"Yes, probably, but in Greek we call them columns."

We went home and assembled the cupboard. Jenny did more than I did and her work was more constructive than mine - especially since I fell back onto the partly-assembled cupboard and cracked the back panel. Then I drilled two holes in the door for a second handle which wasn't supplied!

Jenny began to moan so I returned to my emails while she finished the cupboard drawers.

We stashed my "boxes of bits" inside. One day I'll get around to making a list of the contents. But, for now, the room is looking much tidier.

This cupboard replaced a much smaller one, that came with the house, whose door was jammed shut. We took it to Christos, together with the expanded polystyrene packing and some glacé cherries for Eleni. Christos is very artistic and likes to make things with polystyrene. He will be able to make use of the small cupboard, too.

After a drink of tea and a chat, we continued on our way and dropped off some rubbish in the recycling bin at Georgioupolis. We had intended to use the one at the "Bad Wolf" café (closed for winter) but the bin was already full.

We met the builder in Georgioupolis and he promised to do some more work on our house next week. Jenny bought a local TV listings magazine and we returned home for dinner.

The power was back on and Jenny's Christmas "LED" Lights running up the stair rail look very pretty.

She unboxed the Christmas tree that we had bought at "Jumbo" but, unfortunately, the stand is missing. We'll have to take the tree back for exchange.

Jenny went to bed and I worked at the computer. I heard Fred a couple of times. (Fred is our poltergeist. Well, not really. For some weeks, we've noticed a sharp "clack" from time to time. It's definitely coming from upstairs and I think it was happening before the central heating was installed. All windows, doors and shutters are firmly clamped down. There are no internal draughts; nothing mechanised; it's not an effect of heating or cooling. It's more noticeable at night but I've heard it during the day. It's a bit like someone dropping a toilet seat. Currently, the cause is a mystery, so I call it "Fred the poltergeist."

Sunday 13th - Disaster

December 13th, 2009

I think it ought to be Friday 13th!

We set off for Sunday breakfast in Georgioupolis as usual. I remarked to Jenny that the car was even noisier than usual, but thought nothing of it because it was a chilly morning and the engine is always very "tappety" when cold. Two kilometres outside our village, Jenny screamed "stop stop" and I braked hard.

"What, what?"

"There's snow on the mountains. I want to get a photo."

As we moved off again a thought struck me. "Did you check the tyres while you were out of the car?"

"No?"

I stopped again and got out. The rear tyre on the passenger side was completely flat. Darn! I looked in the boot and pulled out the spare wheel, the jack and ... oh, great ... no wheel brace! I had a 17mm ring spanner but it was hopeless. So I had to drive slowly home, by which time the tyre was totally destroyed.

I got my tool box from the shed, located a 17mm hex socket and wrench, and changed the wheels. Then I washed my hands and we set off again.

(Sorry, I forgot to take a photo.)

Breakfast was good but I was worried about my "on-line shopping cart". It hadn't been sending emails to customers since noon on Saturday.

At some point, Jenny had a phone call from her friend, Sue. She agreed that we would go to Sue's house to investigate why she had no working broadband. Ken, her husband, is in the UK right now so she needs Internet access more than ever. We drove home then hauled my shoulder bag with laptop and cables up the hill to Sue's house. I couldn't determine exactly what the problem was but I was fairly sure it was the fault of the telephone company. The router seemed OK, although I had trouble communicating with it from my iBook laptop. In the end I gave up and told Sue to phone the help-line.

The rest of the day is a blur. I'll have to ask Jenny.

Fred the poltergeist made noises just before I went to bed. It sounded like the shower door in the bathroom. I pushed it and it made the same noise. But it was heavy and there was nothing in there that could possible move it. A mystery!

Monday 14th - New tyres

December 14th, 2009

We awoke at 7am and I had a thought: "I know what Fred is!" I exclaimed. (I'd read "Sherlock Holmes" and I knew that, when you've eliminated all the likely possibilities, what remains must be the truth, no matter how unlikely.)

"Huh?"

"That loud 'clack' we keep hearing. It's caused by tiny earth tremors. They are so slight that we can't feel them but they make the shower door click. I'm certain because, last night, I moved it away from its usual position. The noise still occurred but it's a much duller sound. It can only be earth tremors because at night there's no draughts, no heating effect, nothing mechanised to make anything move."

Jenny was unconvinced; I could tell. But I'm fairly confident in my diagnosis. The shower door is broken and hangs from a single plastic clip. It's large and heavy but it's in contact with the adjacent screen. A tremor would make it click.

Jenny made breakfast and I drove to the tyre garage in Kaleeves, which had been recommended. I waited for Georgios to finish with another customer then explained "Eho mia veetha sto lastoko" (I have a screw in the tyre) "kai ee rotha eena chalasmenee" (and the wheel is damaged). It had a tiny dent in the rim.

He told me it was no problem but, on inspection, the other three tyres were old, perished and unsafe. I agreed with him so he quoted me 180 Euros to replace the lot. He spoke very broken English but it was better than my Greek!

I paid 180 Euros in advance on my credit card and he started to remove the wheels.

"Wee haf betterr tyres onlee a leetle more expenseev. You like to see?"

He showed me tyres 10mm wider.

"Only forrtee Euros more? Verree good you driveeng."

"No thanks. I'll stick with the same ones. Toh eetheeo, parakalo (the same, please).

"Endaksee" (OK) he shrugged.

"I made a mistake weeth thee credit cart. I haf to charsh you another ten Euros."

I proffered him a ten Euro note.

"Ohee, metá" (no. later).

He changed all four tyres, checked the pressures, balanced them with very modern computerised equipment, which must have cost a fortune, and fitted a new "kapákee" (cap) to each. I didn't begrudge the extra ten Euros. He'd earned it.

I called at the COSMOTE shop on the way back and collected my contract for the USB stick. Atheena got me to sign five separate papers. Goodness knows what I've committed to. She told me it was a 12 month contract but I had to tell her after 11 months if I wanted to cancel.

Across the road, two men were working up a "column". I was surprised to see that they were wearing hard hats and a belt harness.

At the IN-KA supermarket I collected our mail and that of our immediate neighbours.

Outside (1pm) it's 14 degrees. Indoors it's about 17 degrees. We have the central heating set so it "takes the chill off" during the day but goes up to twenty degrees in the evening, when I always feel colder.

Jenny has just taken the car to collect her friend, Sue, from the square. They are going to "Jumbo" to swap the Christmas tree, then into Xaniá to see the Christmas lights and do some window-shopping. Sue phoned the help-line this morning and her broadband is now working.

My on-line "shopping cart" still isn't sending emails so we're starting to receive complaints from customers. Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do about it. There's a fault on the server that's paid for and organised by my UK partners.

5pm in the UK and the server fault is fixed! I have sent emails to all affected customers. 7pm here so I'm going to out for dinner.

9pm - too much "raki" - sorry! <burp>

Tuesday 15th - Poltergeist Exposed!

December 15th, 2009

I decided to lie in wait for "Fred" on the upstairs landing. I stood very still and quiet. After only three minutes there was a loud "CLACK"! It came from a plastic panel that was screwed to the wall. I ran downstairs and returned with my screwdriver.

Here is the culprit. It looks like a bunch of taps for the central heating. I don't know their purpose but this is "Fred".

My seismic theory just got washed down the drain.

I thought you'd like to see Jenny playing with her balls.

She returned last night with a replacement tree that has feet.

At 1pm Jenny made sandwiches for lunch. We are going out to visit Sue, now. I've answered quite a few emails and made a few changes to the web site.

On the way home we startled a stray sheep, which tried to dive through the wire fence to get back into its field.

Wednesday 16th - Nothing to Report

December 16th, 2009

A boring day today. I bought bread and potatoes from the shop and spent most of the day working at the computer.

The sheep have disappeared from the field. The fence is hanging open so we don't know whether they escaped or were herded away. There's so little grass that they get moved from field to field frequently. (Ugh, aliteration, sorry!)

Jenny made a nice evening meal with chicken, garlic, potato and cabbage, with real gravy. (Greeks don't know about gravy.)

The weather has been decidedly cool with a strong wind, occassional drizzle and intermittent sunshine. However, I'm not complaining because a thunderstorm was forecast!

The central heating is working nicely. Our planned walk for tomorrow has been cancelled, due to lack of participants.

Thursday 17th - Nothing to Report

December 17th, 2009

Storm forecast so we didn't plan to do anything. However, the weather was mostly fine but windy. I went onto the roof and tied a plastic bag over the spinning thing on the somba chimney because it was making a heck of a din.