Souda War Graves, Jo Colwell

2011 Battle of Crete 70th Anniversary

Saturday 21 May 2011 will mark the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Crete.

It will no doubt be well-attended by high-ranking dignitaries from Greece and abroad, as well as large numbers of people who will travel from all over the world to be there. The list of events and services has been confirmed and  the Red Arrows team  will once again mark a Battle of Crete event with a display over Crete.

The land where the cemetery is situated is so low-lying that as one looks out to sea it is almost as if the sea is a continuation of the land.   And in the distance one can see battleships anchored in the bay, a reminder of the strategic importance of this natural harbour.

It was here that, during the war, a local Cretan buried a British soldier in his vineyard. The land was later bought by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and, gradually, more and more servicemen were laid to rest.  Today there are three full-time gardeners, and the entire cemetery bears the signs of careful stewardship.  For lawns must be mown and rose bushes pruned, visitors looked after and gravestones, walls and buildings maintained.  Indeed for many, a visit to the cemetery marks the end of many years of pilgrimage in the search for the graves of loved ones, and in this the Commission plays a vital role and performs a valuable service.

One of the veterans attending the 2010 commemorative events was Doug West, who in the war served in the 151st Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery of the 51st Brigade, Royal Artillery.  His battery landed at Souda Bay in November 1940, charged with the defence of the bay.  The locals were very hospitable towards the Allied forces.  He recalled with amusement how they would be offered raki (an aniseed-flavoured spirit) and wine, both of which, in their lack of knowledge of Greek, the British soldiers called ‘krasi’, or wine.

At the time of the German invasion he was manning 3.7 inch guns at the Sternes position on the Akrotiri Peninsula.  He and his fellows had camouflaged their positions well in an olive grove.  They hid the ammunition under the trees, and covered the gun walls with sage brush.  This meant that when the German search-planes flew over in advance of the invasion, they remained undetected.  Importantly, they also held fire at this point. They had also employed a clever trick tactic, whereby long poles were placed against walls made out of sandbags, and these dummy guns were fired at by the search-planes.”

Later they were taken prisoner in the village of Sternes, following the surrender by his Commanding Officer, Major Milne.  He was among the 6,576 British troops who were captured during the Battle.”

Sunday 15th May 2011
11.00a.m Kantanos (Municipality of Kantanos-Selinos)
Memorial service & laying of wreaths

18:00 hrs. Centre of Mediterranean Architecture (KAM)
Inauguration of photography exhibition

20:00hrs. Dockyards (Neorio Moro)
Inauguration of philatelic exhibition
Monday 16th May 2011
18:00 hrs.  Harbour of Nea Hora Memorial:
Memorial Service in memory of the inhabitants of Nea Hora, who died for their
country & laying of wreaths

Retired Navy Officers’ Club:
Photography exhibition of ships that took part in the Battle of Crete

20:00 hrs. Monastery of Aghia Triada:
“The role of the clergy in the Battle of Crete – The Occupation and the
Resistance”

Tuesday 17th May 2011
11:00 a.m.  Kasteli (Municipality of Kissamos)
Memorial service & laying of wreaths

Wednesday 18th May 2011
11:00 a.m.  Hora Sfakion (Municipality of Sfakia)
Memorial service & laying of wreaths

20:30hrs. Cultural Centre of Chania: 
Event organised by the Regional Unit of Chania and the Municipality of Chania
Thursday 19th May 2011
11:00a.m. Kolymbari. Army Cadets Memorial:
Memorial service & laying of wreaths

Orthodox Academy of Crete:
“The Armed Forces and the Security Corps in the Battle of Crete”

19:00hrs.  Ramni
Memorial service & laying of wreaths

Friday 20th May
10:00a.m. Firka Fortress  Official flag hoisting.  

Free Museum Visits at the
•        Naval Museum
•        War Museum
•        Historical Archives
•        National Resistance
•        Museum in Theriso
19:30hrs. Galatas – New Zealand Memorial:
Memorial service & laying of wreaths
Events organized by the Municipality of Chania

Saturday 21st May
11:00a.m. Keriti Memorial (Alikianos):
Memorial service & laying of wreaths
18:00hrs. Souda Bay Allies Cemetery: Memorial Service
Event organized by the British Embassy

Sunday 22nd May
(RED ARROWS DISPLAY – time & place see the arrows website )

10:15a.m. Metropolitan Church of Chania – Official doxology
Requiem Mass & Memorial service
13:00hrs. German Cemetery: Memorial Service
Event organized by the German Embassy
19:00hrs.  Maleme Airport: Main event
- memorial service & laying of wreaths
- Veterans and Armed Forces March
- rehearsal of the Battle of Crete

crete villas with pools

Wild flowers in the White Mountains

Villa specialist Freelance Holidays is highlighting May Villas in Crete as the perfect ‘collision’ of early sun with low prices. 

“Daytime temperatures are in the mid 20s,” says the company’s Managing Director Paul Fogg, “perfect for sightseeing and walking on an island carpeted with wildflowers: the foothills of the White Mountains are a sea of colour in May.”

 A perfect base for nature lovers, Barba Yannis is a newly-renovated house in the hill top hamlet of Kastellos, with breath-taking views to the north coast, seven kilometres away.  The high, beamed ceilings and terracotta tiled floors keep this townhouse cool.  The romantic double bedroom is tucked into the eaves overlooking the living area and boasts not only a dressing room but its own small terrace.  A second, small double is also available. 

With winding steps down to the free-form pool (shared with three other similarly-converted properties), Barba Yannis is a perfect off-season hideaway.  Villa Rental in May is just £85 per night for the fully-equipped townhouse, or £595 for a week’s stay.

Also new for 2011 season, Villa Amvrosia, boasts an indoor Jacuzzi pool – ideal for early season visits when the outdoor, unheated pool may be chilly.  Amvrosia is just outside the village of Armeni, between the White Mountains and the sea: foodie heaven with three first-class tavernas and a well-stocked delicatessen, with a daily delivery of fresh bread and a choice of simple cafenions.  

Sleeping up to five, the villa in crete  is on three separate levels, with an open-plan first-floor living area, the outdoor pool set in decking at tree-top level and the Jacuzzi pool on the lower level.   At £121 per night in May, a week’s villa holiday for five is £847.

Flights and car hire are not included.  Crete is well-served by EasyJet, Jet2.com and charters including Thomsonfly, Avro and First Choice. 

Freelance Holidays can arrange car hire at any of its 75 properties in Crete.

01789 297705, www.freelance-holidays.co.uk

- ENDS –

Freelance Holidays’ press contact is Paul Fogg 01789 297 705

Release issued by Jane Williams at Beacon PR 01572 748 800

Wish you were.. here? Villas in Crete

..Villas in Crete

Wish you were.. here? Villas in Crete

..Villas in Crete

1. Villa Faye, stunning villa in crete

Near the hamlet of Vrisses and a short drive to the beach of Georgioupolis, this Cretan farmhouse has been sensitively converted into a three-bedroom villa in crete.

You’ll find open fires, barbecues and lots of original details. Stylishly decorated and equipped with professional appliances throughout, Villa Faye offers all the amenities of a luxury villa in the calm of the heart of one of Crete’s most traditional villages. Outside, there’s a jasmine scented garden and a private swimming pool.

The deal A week’s villa rental from April 22 costs £495.

More information about Villa Faye and other luxury villas in Crete : www.freelance-holidays.co.uk  01789 297705.

Head off to Crete for a magical Easter with processions and nightlong celebrations as the island celebrates in style.

Late April means that the weather is starting to warm up as this is the most southerly of the Greek islands which means it also gets the most sunshine.

The final bonus – no-frills flights – mean crete villa holidays can be affordable.

Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/advice/travel/2011/04/03/wish-you-were-here-villas-in-crete-115875-23035651/#ixzz1IXiqHIcn

 Just one more week to go before the first arrivals kick off the start of the 2011 season, which means lots of driving around & dropping off information books & doing the final checks on the properties before the arrivals. Yesterday I went down to Agia Paraskevi where the five traditional cottages are located to drop off the books & meet up with the owners. As you can see from the photos, spring is in the air and lots of flowers a-blooming!  The hillsides are lovely and green with all the rain we had over the winter & the White Mountains are warming up making the snow on the peaks is slowly melting & trickling water down all the riverbeds. It’s a lovely time of year here on Crete everything feels fresh, birdsong in the air & the locals getting excited about the new season ahead.

I normally do these trips on my own, but being Sunday my husband decided to come along. It tickled me that he even started to notice the pretty flowers & stopped the car on several occasions without me screaming ‘stop’ so I could take photos. He is usually quite impatient when it comes to this sort of thing, but even he was appreciating them by the end of the day.

Our last stop of the day was in Rethymnon for a well deserved late lunch. With several cafes & tavernas to choose from on the bluff just below the fort & overlooking the sea, we chose Passas Taverna.  It was quite busy, but it was Sunday and the Greeks like their outings on Sundays.  Having worked up an appetite after the drive & nothing to eat since breakfast, as you can see I’m trying to justify the amount of food.   We ordered: fresh lettuce & spring onion salad- a typical ‘winter’ salad, tzatziki –no meal here should be without, fried pumpkin- quite unusual on a menu, proper chips- the real potato fried in olive oil, shrimp saganaki- a yummy tomato & feta cheese sauce with shrimps, kalamari- squid rings fried in olive oil….At first I thought it was way too much for just the two of us. But I hate to admit it but we managed to clear the lot! Oh I forgot to mention the complimentary pannacotta for desert. All that & a couple of  drinks the bill came to 35€.

Did I mention that we had a 160 degree view of the sea as well! Ok, there were tents to protect us from the sea breeze, but it was still lovely to see even through the tents. Halfway through the meal it dawned on me that this was our first ‘alfresco’ dining for 2011 and it is only March.

So back in the office today & will probably be out again at the end of the week for the next deliveries of files & hopefully more photos too!

With any-day arrivals and flexible durations, Freelance Holidays’ villas on Crete can be mixed and matched with low cost Easter flights for a last-minute bargain. 

And with Greek Orthodox and Western Easter dates coinciding, there’s a host of local celebrations that can be enjoyed during the holiday.

 For example, arrive at Villa Faye on Friday 22 April and a seven night stay is now £495 for six people – less than £12 per person per night and saving a total of £309 on the original price.  A 10-night stay during the same period is down to £707 from £1,173 – saving £466.

 This old house on the north-west coast – less than 15 minutes’ drive from the Blue Flag beaches of Georgioupolis – has been painstakingly restored to create a luxury villa with polished wood floors, beamed ceilings and exposed stonework. 

 A double and twin room upstairs share a bathroom and sitting area, while there’s a further double room and bathroom downstairs, making Villa Faye perfect for a three-generation holiday. 

 An open fireplace is a welcome feature for early season evenings, and while the outdoor pool may be cool at Easter, the terraces soak up the sun and offer panoramic views over the olive groves.

 Other Easter deals include Villa Artemis, where a 10 night school holiday stay starting 10 April is now just £707 for a family of up to six, saving a massive £520, while other durations are also discounted.

 Flights and car hire are not included.  Crete is well-served by EasyJet, Jet2.com and charters including Thomsonfly, Avro and First Choice.  Freelance Holidays can arrange car hire. 

 01789 297705, www.freelance-holidays.co.uk

- ENDS –

Freelance Holidays’ press contact is Paul Fogg 01789 297 705

Release issued by Jane Williams at Beacon PR 01572 748 800