Just the two of us....

Well, now that everyone from the UK has gone back it's been just the two of us for the past week or so and I thought there wouldn't be that much to write (we seem to have been relaxing a lot), however, looking back over my log it seems we have done one or two things after all.


opening slide from Jeff's talk - also in Greek !

A week ago Friday we went down to the village to listen to a talk given by Jeff Soles about the excavations and new discoveries on the island of Mochlos (Jeff is the director of excavations on the island at Mochlos, he's from the University of North Carolina but in the summer is based in Mochlos) .  The talk was in the Kafeneo part of Kokylia's taverna and was in Greek (because is was mainly aimed at the local residents).  However, it did have pictures so we were able to follow it (just about).   One thing we 'discovered' during the talk was the the fort on the top of the island is Byzantine and it's the walls surrounding it that are Hellenistic (4th century BC).


Mochlos island: dark blue is Byzantine, light blue
is Hellenistic (4th c BC)

The following day Panagiotis from Mochlos Mare invited us to join him (so also Sterie, Maria, Demeter & Giorgis) to go to a festival in Sfaka (the next village up the mountain and also where Panagiotis comes from).  So, early evening found us in the car with Panagiotis & Sterie setting off to Safka.  Once there we were charged an entrance fee (kindly paid by Panagioits), which gave us a free raki glass as a souvenir and covered the cost of the band.  Once checked in, we sat outside on long tables, had chicken, souvlaki and chips plus wine/raki purchased in plastic bottles - it was great and we felt really Greek!!  Everyone seemed to dance and I even managed to join in !

you can (just) see the band beyond the balloons and table

'our' table at the Sfaka festival

Giorgis gives me a dance lesson



dancing - Greek style

After a couple of quiet days it was time on Tuesday for Dudley to give a talk to the American archaeologists in the Kafeneo where Jeff did his a few days ago.  The main difference being Dudley's talk was in English !  Anyhow, before the talk there were drinks and food 'on the house' (well the Americans) and then around 9pm Dud started his talk - which was on early British travellers to Crete.  He concentrated on Thomas Abel Brimage Spratt (great name!), who had been the main focus of his PhD dissertation.  The talk seemed to go down very well, with quite a few people coming up to chat afterwards, and a Prof. Rupp, Director of the Canadian Institute in Greece, inviting him to talk in Athens. Another indication of it being a good night is that we didn't get home until just after 2am !

Dudley giving his talk (he's on the right!)

the night before the full moon rising

We then had just one more 'restful' day before we went back into the village to meet up with Nick, Heather, Willie & Liz from Istron (plus a couple of their friends) to have supper and watch the full moon come up over the mountains.  Unfortunately my pictures of the moon rising did not come out that well so I can only offer one of the evening before the full moon (1st August) and then one of the full moon over Nick's head !!

full moon table



getting in some rest and relaxation

So after all that excitement, it was time for some more rest and relaxation - could be another busy week ahead !