Living in Crete :: Q&A : Did Ancient Greeks Introduce Wine to France?

The answer to the question: Did the Ancient Greeks Introduce wine to the French? is a resounding MAIS QUI!

We all know of the consummate passion in France for wine as the "l'eau de la vie". It may come as a surprise to know that it is all down to the Ancient Greeks. That is what a recently published Cambridge University study discloses, anyway.

Unrelated to the survey but as you know Crete is the cradle of European civilization and the origins of wine and olive oil, so let us assume the Cretans had a hand in being part of the collective "Ancient Greeks".

The Cambridge University study concludes that original makers of Côtes-du-Rhône are none other than descendants from Greek explorers who settled in southern France around 2500 years ago.

The study's chief supporter, Prof Paul Cartledge, suggests that the world's biggest wine industry might never have developed had it not been for a “band of pioneering Greek explorers” who settled in the South of France around 600 BC.

What is more, the study found that it was following the founding of Massalia by the Ancient Greeks, now known as the port city of Marseilles, wine helped Massalia become a major trading site, where local tribes of Ligurian Celts (.. those Irish were everywhere!) undertook friendly bartering.

The original newspaper article on the Cambridge University study that shows how the ancient Greeks gave the French their l'eau de la vie" is at http://www.telegraph.co.uk

I wonder if the French pride is just a bit dented, perhaps even galled over the revelation that the Ancient Greeks introduced wine to their culture? If I recall correctly, the French along with the rest of Northern Europe favour using the Roman name of the "God Of Wine" which is Bacchus but in Greek he is known as Dionysos or Dionysus or Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος . In view of the latest Cambridge University revelation perhaps we should also use more appropriately the Greek name of Dionysos.

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Living in Crete :: Any Offer for a Micro Pig?

Any Brits with Micro Pigs on Crete or elsewhere in Greece?

I am not talking here of micro pig in pork form for brisola or souvlaki eating.

Get this: Micro Pigs are the UK's Latest Pet Craze! I thought by now we would have a couple lurking somewhere on the wonderful Island of Crete where pigs really are porkies for the pot and barbecue!

But while these micro pigs may be minuscule, their price tag is anything but. These are a Pet with a difference at £700 a time. They are a must-have collector's item for the celebrity elite with dosh to throw around. Yet, these micro pigs are the size of just your average cat!


This description sums up the micro pigs: "Sitting on a haystack, I'm gazing into the eyes of either the world's most gorgeous pet - or its most expensive cooked breakfast." A headline spotted somewhere or other. Maybe it was in the LA Times.

Must Know Stuff
This tiny breed of pig is born the size of a teacup and is the hot new pet among British celebrities. The weight of a micro pig is about nine ounces.

How about tea cup piglets?
Just do not call them teacup micro pigs

Micro Pigs are Low Maintenance
"Micro pigs make fantastic pets as they are very low maintenance. You don't have to take them for walks and they have very few health issues ...

It seems the Micro Pigs got a huge boost in publicity from the daily mail and its article "teacup sized pigs".

Got You Hooked?

More reading for Crete Wannabe Micro Pig owners?

Intrigued about the Micro Pig craze?
Here's more listening/viewing:


I wonder what Crete Animal Welfare groups would say about all this ... Answers please in the Pets and Animal Welfare section of the BritsinCrete Forum!

Honk! Honk!

For our Greek friends reading this: Forget the brisola and souvlaki.

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Living in Crete :: BritsinCrete.Net Forum Back

BritsinCrete Forum was offline for nearly three months. We came back as strong as before in early September but a bit lighter in the online files department due to the web attack on the website. Members kindly came back too.

Of course, some others, jealous of the success of Brits in Crete continue to lambast and lampoon any and everything they can about the Brits in Crete community website hosted at www.britsincrete.co.uk .

There is a very childish group of Brits who happen to live in Crete including a person of Swiss origin who continues to give BiC lengthy online publicity by their copycat Monty Pythonesque behaviour in several forums.

Let them carry on. I am laughing all the way ....

The joke is on me.

Perhaps by mentioning Monty Python though I am doing the authors of that very British creation: Monty Python's Flying Circus a disfavour in their 40th anniversary year as the Cretan version is lame in comparison. (Old Monty Python thingy videos on iTunes)

in reference to: Blogger: Error performing your request (view on Google Sidewiki)

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Crete Forum Offline

To let members and followers of Brits in Crete activities know that BritsinCrete :: Crete Forum as well as www.cretepropertyuncovered.com are currently offline.

The announcement from the webhost states:

8th June 2009 - 15:56
All of the Citruszebra network has been taken offline while we investigate some issues with the software used to control our hosting nodes.

The main website britsincrete.net is working normally as it is located on a different host server company.

Sorry but this is another one of those events to do with strengthening security.

Interestingly in the UK this week, the credit card companies are tightening security on online transactions. If you follow BBC News you will be aware of the publicity surrounding the closure of 150 scam websites related to car sales and other selling activities including removal and haulage companies. How you may notice the tightening of security is the double layering of an extra box to complete while carrying out an online purchase. Be prepared that your credit card company may be giving you a new card and number.

FYI

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Living in Crete :: Olympic Airlines Safety First Video

Living in Crete or just visiting, there is every chance that as a British or Irish expat at some point you will have to take an Olympic Airlines flight getting to Athens. To anyone who has flown from Chania or Heraklion Airports you will know the chaos (a Greek word) of it being rush, rush, rush, a scrum to get through Olympic Airlines check in, x-tra security - that means doubling back to put checked luggage through the x-ray machine after you have checked in, if you understand what I mean .. and then the snaking line going through personal security check at the x-ray screening departure point. You also encounter the throw away bin with a pile of hundreds of discarded plastic PET (not the four legged kind) water bottles and desperate looking guys clutching their belts in one hand, and trousers/jeans in the other. The guys noticeably quake on sighting the burly, dragoness guarding the security gate... and if they are lucky, their e-ticket bits of paper getting soggier by the moment between their teeth as they slowly inch forward to countess dragula.

Suitably adjusted and if no further discussion over the removed gels from the ladies bags there is the wait in the claustrophobic departure area before the fresh air of the tarmac.

After the split second of transit time of being bussed to the aircraft, you climb up the aircraft steps to get on board your flight. For the purposes of this dissertation, it is an "OA" not "OK" designated flight number prefix. The momentary relief at actually having got this far is quickly overtaken by the need to push past a well proportioned Greek mamma mia with facial hair notably in the nostrils and sported above the upper lip.

You clamber into your seat. Next thing you know you are off,wheels rolling but not before the Olympic Airlines Safety Video:






Your Olympic Airlines experience has begun. Do we Brits and Irish fly Olympic ever again in getting to and from Crete? You bet. We are all masochists at heart ..... especially those of us who are living in Crete. After all when we are away, we can't wait to get back to Greece for more of the same. Kalo Taxidi.

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