10th September 2018 - 3 degrees of separation (If you are Welsh)

Thought for the day:"How many opticians does it take to screw in a lightbulb? 1... or 2.... 1 or 2...."

So, back into the real world, and the coolness of Wales.
Of course, coming back to the UK reminds you how small the world really can be...
There we were yesterday morning, staying with my daughter and son-in-law and family, and as they are having an extension built it seemed only fair to assist with some of the additional labouring that they are doing to keep some of the costs down a little.

If you wish more details - they are listed yesterday together with the account of the aches and pains...
However, the more interesting point is that as we worked away - Susie got in conversation with the builder - who was clearly from Scotland ( Aberdeenshire in fact )  and therefore of course had no more connection with wales than - say, me from Glasgow - however wales cropped up in conversation - and that led to more detail - such as Burry Port, and Llanelli, where he had been regularly, and the Moonraker - where Susie was probably working when he was around, and then to people, and to Robert and Margaret Campbell from Burry Port and his best mate Ian (their son) ...

Well - Rob, or Jock Rob as he was known to our family, to distinguish him from Motor Bike Rob (or Jock-strap Rob who was named that as he decided that he would teach our daughters their first words - and he was determined that they would say "Jock-Strap" as their first utterances - but that is another story!!) - so Jock Rob was a colleague who worked with me on Car Beast 4 and 5 in Llanelli when I was a constable - and remains a good friend though we do not see is wife and him that often - mainly when walking the dogs or is Tesco - and so we ended up discussing lots of history for a good while.

They say that there are six degrees of separation - that is that within 6 people who know each other you will always find a link or chain - I have always felt that if you are Welsh ( or living in Wales) there are only 3 degrees - everyone knows everyone - and it is a known experience that when you meet a Welsh person they will hound you until they have found that lick and placed you firmly in a box in their mind....   So - small world....

Meanwhile - a retrospect of Crete

Vollsanger sings "Stewball the Race Horse" at Friends - Dories

and a few photos from the Areti Monastery ...

The monastery was founded at the end of the 16th century by Markos Papadopoulos, who also bequeathed it great wealth, enough for the upkeep of twelve monks. Notary documents confirm its peak during the 17th century as they mention the multitude of its transactions with other monasteries or individuals.

Despite its destruction by the Turks during the revolution of 1821, it continued to function, renovating a part of its buildings ­towards the end of the 19th century, until 1930 when it was deemed soluble. The monastery was reconstituted in 1955-56, while during the 1990s it was ­restored in its entirety.

The building complex develops at a gradient ­because of the sloping ground and forms around two courtyards. Around the smaller of the two, the south one, where the main entrance is found, are workshops and ancillary spaces, such as the olive-press, the wine treadle and the stables. In the central courtyard is the large catholicon dedicated to the Holy Trinity, renovated in 1880-81, and the chapel of St. Lazarus, possibly of a funerary nature.

Around the catholicon in two-storey buildings are the cells and the remaining main spaces of the monastery. In the ­catholicon are preserved noteworthy icons of the Cretan School, of the 17th century, with those of the Holy Trinity, the Lady of the Angels and Pentecost, which were all painted by the hand of the same anonymous painter, being the most important.

Cheers !