New tricks to take your money

WE have grown accustomed to the screen washers, the headlight cleaners and children playing little accordions in attempts to take your money from you - begging by any other name, but there is now a new twist.
  On virtually every corner of the roads around the main city of Heraklion and in the main areas of the city, you will be confronted by all of the above, now they are after the sympathy votes - using little puppies to tug at you heart-strings.
  We were in the city today and saw more than four such new challenges. Usually the beggars are Albanian or Bulgarian and even Bangladeshi, but the new ploy is to hold a small puppy in their arms. It's not unusual in England to see beggars with dogs, but they generally are either older, or well looked after.
  Of course the puppy knows nothing of what is going on. It thinks its being looked after, held close to the person with a piece of string or cuddled in their arms as they approach you.
  We were however surprised when they actually tried to sell the puppy of unknown origin, there are so many dogs already abandoned, so we assume that these latest arrivals will be dumped as they grow bigger or start to cost them money to be fed.
There is nothing that the police can or will do, as they are not actually breaking any rules, other than being moved on sometimes. One has to feel sorry for the puppy - the whole reason that they are going down this route - they will really do anything to get passer by to part with some money,

Good day for a dip!!!

TODAY, January 6th is Epiphany throughout all of Greece. After the local church ceremony it is tradition that the priest will go to the local harbour and blesses the waters and then throws the sacred cross into the waters, where young men challenge for the collection, a sign of good luck.
   There were hundreds gathered at Hersonissos harbour to celebrate the day, blessed with warm winter sunshine, but, we are told the water was still very cold as 12 brave souls vied for the wooden cross pitched into the sea by the priest from the brow on a boat.

  We go along, meet friends there, and enjoy the activities, and stay on for coffee and a chat, but the ceremony is still to be admired as they retain their traditions. 
   Epiphany is an important religious celebration for all Greeks and Orthodox Christians. The day on which Jesus was baptized symbolizes the regeneration of man and that is why Epiphany used to be celebrated, until the mid-4th century, as New Year’s Day. Epiphany, or Fota as this celebration is otherwise called in Greece, is associated with the removal of evil spirits, human fertility and land fertility.
 It is also considered that the celebration of Epiphany brings catharsis. The waters are sanctified and evil is driven out of them. During earlier centuries, villagers considered this particular day as the biggest celebration of the year when they would wear their new clothes in order for them to be sanctified!
  There was also a myth that on the eve of Epiphany, the heavens opened and people could get anything they requested.