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07 November 2002 |
Nature's Worst
Having just told you about the beautiful autumn weather we have had recently, after an unnaturally rainy September, all changed yesterday, and we were reminded how changeable, unpredictable and violent Nature can be.
At 11am yesterday, we experienced an earthquake of 5.1 Richter, perhaps the 5th or 6th since the beginning of Summer, but probably the most dramatic. We were working outside, mixing concrete and laying a few paths. I was standing on the concrete cover of our vothros (French Drain), when I heard the rumbling, amplified by the hollow space below me, and then it was bucking and weaving below me. I looked over to Rory, who was standing underneath a small pine tree, and his body and the tree trunk were also swaying in unison, and the branches and needles of the pine were waving and bobbing in the air, for a good ninety seconds or so. Monty, our Albanian builder/painter was standing rooted, ashen-faced and silent. Jacqui came runing out of the kitchen to see if we were still there.
No damage to us, or to anything else in Zakynthos, as far as I am aware: this quake, like all the others this year took place under the sea. It is undoubtedly connected with the disastrous quake in Southern Italy a few days ago, and probably to the eruption of Mount Etna, which has had black ash raining down on Zakynthos, Kefalonia, and other parts of Greece for the last week (nice picture here from the BBC).
Then, early this morning, with an awesome display of lightning over the sea and crashes of thunder, the heavens opened and the rain poured down, making a quagmire of the parts of our plot that have not yet been grassed over, and particularly the disaster area where we had our old well re-excavated two weeks ago.
Hail stones the size of oranges in the suburbs of Athens, along with floods, and heavy snowfalls on the northern mountains means winter has arrived. Temperatures are forecast to fall sharply from tomorrow, and that balmy northerly breeze that has been our companion all summer will be transformed into an icy snow-fuelled blast, roaring down on us from the Pindus mountains to the north. We hope to have a few sunny days to finish cleaning up the plot, do some pruning, burn the clippings and other rubbish, before we escape to the big city (Athens) for some welcome big-city entertainment and culture, and maybe a short visit to a warmer climate, family and friends.
5:32:37 PM 
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Summer's Over
Just after 6am last Friday (November 1st), the last two outgoing charter flights flew overhead, engines straining and screaming to lift the weight of fully-loaded Boeing 757's over the mountains at the north of the island, and the even more formidable bulk of Mount Aenos on neighbouring Kefalonia. Our village is again desolate and deserted, a ghost town, tavernas and bars boarded up, chairs and tables packed away, a dozen or so seasonal supermarkets closed, the main street, which only a month ago was hive of activity, people and noise, now silent and empty, until the cycle starts again on or about May 1, 2003.
The locals are enjoying their relaxation, after working long hours, 7 days a week, since April 28, when the first incoming flights of the season coincided with the Orthodox Easter weekend, and the season frantically kicked off.
Down at the beach, it is peace, perfect peace, totally quiet and unvisited, apart from the hooting of the owls at night. We have been able to resume some of the building work which we couldn't do when there were tourists around, and have been focussing on repainting and waterproofing our little house in preparation for the winter, and getting the bar secured. We have had mostly beautifully crisp and clear autumn days, balmy and perfect, with a little chill in the northerly breeze to remind us of the winter chills to come (see my next post). While I was packing away and cleaning our sunbeds and umbrellas over the weekend, the guys from Tsilivi Water Sports were pulling their three speedboats out of the water, cleaning them, and lifting the buoys which demarcate the swimming and boating areas. The beach is now in its natural, wintry state.
We also are looking forward to a quiet winter, especially Jacqui and Rory, who had a murderous summer, working insane hours, with no nights off. We've still got lots to do, in planning and implementation, not to mention bureaucracy, before launchig our new business in the Spring, but the heavy work has been done, and we've got time to do it right.
5:00:00 PM
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I told you so (here)
What possessed Nasser Hussain to put the Aussies in to bat, and subject his team to humiliation and destruction on the first day of an Ashes series? Nasser, you dummy, your top-order batting is your strength, give them the chance to prove themselves, with Brett Lee not even there. Instead, your bowling attack, already without its backbone (Darren Gough) has now also lost its rising star, Simon Jones, and another 24 (probably less) days of misery loom for England cricket. And you gave Matt Hayden (186 not out) the opportunity to cement his reputation as the most awesome opening bat ever (helped by four dropped catches).
4:27:47 PM
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Any exercise benefits body
November 7, 2002 |
| An exercise programme can do your heart good even if you don't lose weight, says a new study that used advanced methods to take a close look at blood cholesterol levels. |
(Health24)
Sounds like good news for active fatties like me!
2:41:25 PM
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The US Elections
Generally regarded as a triumph for George Bush and his family, will this cause any reassessment regarding the president? He is widely portrayed as dumb, simplistic, lazy and spoilt. However, he has campaigned energetically, relentlessly and smartly in this election, and has shown quite an assured touch. As RW Apple asserts in the NY Times today:
 ike Ronald Reagan, who was underestimated by those who saw him only as a superficial actor, President Bush is often taken too lightly by opponents preoccupied by his mangled syntax and his seemingly shaky grasp of issues. That is less likely to happen after Tuesday.
More NY Times comment from William Safire.
A lot of the post-election reporting is very simplistic and doom-laden, focussing on the fact that Bush now has a freer hand to conduct war in Iraq, and other "unilateral" initiatives; on the other hand, it is reported today that the UN is close to a resolution on Iraq, and I think the president has played that hand smartly as well. I believe that the bellicosity is an important part of a strategy to gain Saddam's attention and get him to comply with US resolutions. Is it all about oil? Well, from what I've read, that is much more of an issue for France and Russia, and is driving their positions more strongly than the US.
As for the Democrats, they have been devastated and will have to go back to the drawing board.
However, the US is a democracy, Bush is not a dictator, he has an opposition, and is ultimately answerable to the Amereican public, who have clearly signalled their approval of his presidency.
12:50:07 PM
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© Copyright 2006 Robert C Wallace.
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