At my age those "Now I have seen everything!" moments usually apply to weird and wacky videos and photos on the internet.  This week, however, I actually learned something new about ancient Greece.

Thanks to Greek Food by Sam(He used to write a good blog but now just Twitters occasionally: @greekfood) I discovered the Pythagorean Cup.  Also known as a Tantalus cup it forces the user to drink in moderation only.  If filled, it automatically siphons the entire contents out the bottom.  Thus it can be used for practical jokes as well.

You might think this some modern gimmick using the ancient Greek theme but here is a photo of an apparently old cup.  The photo is from Wikipedia where you also can learn more about how the cup works.  Also shown are modern ones that you can find on Crete and Samos.

deTraci Regula just published a report on a trial program on Crete in which travelers will spend three days with a Knossos curator learning about the ongoing activities there.  It includes access to many areas not seen by the ordinary visitor including Villa Ariadne where Sir Arthur Evans lived while excavating Knossos.  See the detailed schedule and low cost in her post.
Of course this gives me the idea of doing something similar on Paros.  Along with the ongoing work at Despotiko which produces new discoveries every year there are several other active excavations on Paros that would produce more finds if they had more funding.  So, if you might be interested in spending one or more days up close and personal with an archeological dig on Paros, let me know.  If there is enough interest I will contact the various authorities to make it happen.
Painting of Blue Ladies at Knossos is by Victoria Papale who is conducting a workshop on Paros this year.
Feb 2012 Update:  More Archelogical Digging

As I have written before Paros has beaches of every description for every taste.  This photo is of  the largest, Golden Beach, at high season.

I call this a full service beach with wind surfing, kayaking and the like as well as food and drink on offer.  The last few years we have also seen a new service:  Asians giving low cost massages.  I have never had one but they do look like a pleasant way to break up the tedium of sun bathing. 

But evidently the bureaucrats don’t agree, on Crete at least.  So far this year on the beaches there they have arrested 25 foreign nationals for being unlicensed masseurs.  From my own experience I know it is next to impossible for a foreigner to get a business license without even getting into the expense.

This also reminds me of the crack down on street performances in Parikia years ago.  It used to be such fun to stroll along the harbour front watching the jugglers, dancers and musicians.  Then suddenly they were gone as the police were requiring a license.  No longer was there much joy or excitement along restaurant row.  Thankfully, however, either the license edict was relaxed or the police found something else to emphasize because the performers are back, though in smaller numbers it seems.

So we will have to wait and see if the licensing foolishness infects Paros beaches or if it is like most regulation in Greece, never enforced. 

If you are looking for a quiet beach on Paros go here

If you want to know more about clothing optional beaches go here

The following is a guest post by Fiona Hilliard who usually advises people about car rental Crete on award-winning blog http://blog.arguscarhire.com. Today though, she has taken some time out to share her top tips for driving in Crete…

Crete is the perfect place to drive as it is home to a wonderfully varied set of scenic routes that are just waiting to be explored. A brief word of warning though - when you drive in Crete, you should always take things SLOWLY and employ caution at all times – driving in a strange place requires alertness, but in Crete this is a MUST!

Danger! Danger! Dry Roads:  Seasoned drivers say there is no such thing as good quality roads in Crete. A large improvement was made to surfaced roads in Crete following road projects several years ago, but the level of grit/traction on many of these roads is still way below what many people are accustomed to. Worryingly, some of these road surfaces have mostly become polished by daily wear and tear, especially at dangerous parts such as corners.

Tip: Plan longer stopping times and lower your speed on corners.

Rockslides:  If driving in hilly or mountainous terrain, be careful of rocks which have fallen down onto the road. These roads are especially dangerous after rain or when goats play in the hills. Drivers should always be alert and check the road surfaces ahead.

Drive on the Hard Shoulder:  On roads where there is a paved lane, you should make like a local and drive on this part of the road to let other drivers pass or overtake you, whether you are driving behind or if other drivers are in the opposite lane, overtaking another car that is approaching you – just watch for the other drivers doing the same. You won’t find this information in the rules of the road, but it seems to come natural to locals, so go with the flow!

Double Check Red Traffic Lights:  Just because your traffic light turns green, it doesn’t mean you should be the first to get away from the lights. Instead, ensure that the oncoming traffic has stopped at their red light, once you know it’s safe, by all means take off.

Stick to the Speed Limit:  Locals seem to have a hard time sticking to official speed limits, but this doesn’t mean you can’t he a good, law abiding citizen. In Crete, the official speed limit is 90kmph on highways, 70km/h outside built up areas and 50 km/h inside built up areas such as towns and city centres.

Slippery roads:  Standing water on old road surfaces means you have to allow much more time to slow down for stopping. You may also have to drive at slower speeds than you would usually use for corners/winding roads.

One Way Streets:  Look out for people driving or riding motorbikes the wrong direction on one way streets. This happens mostly in towns and villages but is a danger nonetheless.

Wild Animals:  Giddy goats, pigs, piglets and sheep are a common site on country roads.

Tip: Lower your speed and they will usually move aside. If they are accompanied by a shepherd, he/she will normally try to move their animals out of the way for you, patience is a virtue – you might as well sit tight and enjoy the scenery while the animals cross the road.

This last autumn Greece had a popular TV series based upon the Victoria Hislop novel The Island.  Afterwards it was announced the islet of Spinalonga would re-open as a tourist attraction.  The novel featured this former leper colony, supposedly the last one in Europe.  It is located off the southeast corner of Crete.

Previously the island had closed from lack of interest but now the local municipality will be offering free boat trips on weekends through the winter and hopefully daily during the summer.

This photo is from the Spinalonga Island Travel Guide which provides a lot of information about the history and current tours to the island.

By the way, Karin read and enjoyed the book.

There is also a locally written and produced book:  Spinalonga, The Isle of the Damned by Victor Zorbas.  It can be found at Abe Books

Technorati Tags: Crete,Spinalonga,Hislop,leprosy

Greekophiles are all familiar with Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis as well as  the annoying little ditty played on many sites. Play  Nothing against the music, I like Mikis Theodorakis, just not while trying to gather info from a web page.

Now the Nikos Kazantzakis Museum in Myrtia, Crete, near Iraklion has opened a permanent exhibition on Nikos Kazantzakis.  He lived a fascinating life so I am sure this museum would be worth a visit. 

While I found Zorba the Greek a great read with insight to Cretan culture, most of Kazantzakis’ literature is heavy going. For a quick and easy lesson buy the video.  Cheers.

One of the longest gorges in Europe, Samaria on Crete, opened for the 2010 season on Saturday.

The 16 kilometre-long gorge starts at an altitude of 1,250 meters at the northern entrance in the settlement of Omalos and
ending at the shores of the Libyan Sea.  The actual walk through the Samaria National Park is 13 km long, but the trekker has to walk another three kilometres to Aghia Roumeli from the park exit.

This trek is only recommended for the experienced walker with hiking boots.  Also unless you take an escorted tour you have to be an adventuresome traveller because it is easy to miss the ferry and bus connection back to Chania, the nearest city.  This happened to Karin and I when we made the jaunt in 2001.  That was one of those days you can laugh about afterwards but was not pleasant as it unfolded.

--------

Part two of this post is follow-up on a previous post:  Another Paros Boy Makes Good in which I commented upon Greece government decentralisation.

Recently Yiannis Ragoussis, Minister of the Interior, etc. presented the “Kallikratis” plan for re-organisation of local government.  It is to create fewer municipalities with more power and funding, he says.

What was especially interesting to me was his admission that prior Socialist governments were part of the problem as well.  Here is the quote from the Athens News Agency: 

"There is now a general awareness that the wasteful, clientist,
centralised and inefficient state is the cause of the Greek problem as we experience this today," he said.

I think we are seeing the evolution of major changes in Greece.  Who said, “We are living in interesting times.” ?

I have not seen or done anything to post about. So I will pass you on --for today only, of course--to deTraci Regula's Greece Travel Blog.

We are always on the lookout for books and movies about expat life in Greece. Our Dutch friends recommended Who Pays the Ferryman? . This was a popular TV series on the BBC in 1977 and was also translated into Dutch. I included the graphic below but the DVD is currently out-of-stock. You can find a review of the novel HERE