Crete News of April 2006 - Page 4

Crete, The Healthiest Holiday Destination

The latest development in tourism for the Mediterranean region, and Crete perhaps more than most, is in Health Tourism. Visitors, it is foreseen, will be coming to Crete, in significant numbers, primarily for health reasons. A combination of the Cretan diet, exercise, the good climate and environment plus clinical attention to any ailments will be offered. Getting behind the plans to develop this branch of tourism, the Greek Government will still need to change certain legislation in order to provide the necessary incentives to companies who could develop businesses that address this growing market. The Government has stated that the future of tourism lies in diversification and initiatives such as these need to be encouraged and actively promoted. The rumour that raki may be issued an ‘appellation controlee’, a mark to signify its exclusive origins in Crete, may, or may not, aid efforts to promote the island as a healthy option.

Centre of Heraklion - facelift continues

After 400 and some years, it is not surprising that Heraklion’s centre, Liondaria, or Lion Square, is in need of a little cosmetic refurbishment. For the first time, work is being started to maintain the actual fountain that was once a symbol of Venetian pride in bringing water from the mountains to the island’s capital, an action that provided a solution to the age-old problem of water shortage. Previous work has concentrated only on the actual Lions, four stone beasts that balance a great bowl on their heads to catch the precious water. Built in 1628 by Francisco Morosini, a man who loved Heraklion, the fountain was in use for only 20 years before the Turks arrived at the gates of the city, beginning a 21 year siege, one of the longest in history.

Go-ahead for Dam in East Crete

Delays due to many causes have apparently been resolved to clear the way for the building of a major new reservoir and dam, funded by the European Union, for Eastern Crete. For the first time after many years, the Greek Govt has shown support for this huge project. This decision became known at the very moment that European money would have otherwise been lost.
Past problems included;

Difficulty in obtaining property from private citizens;
Local reaction to such radical change in land use;
Lack of solid, reliable planning, available to all interested parties, from the company contracted to undertake the project, as well as no real support from central government.

This fragma, or dam, will help to solve the water problem of Heraklion, but also the difficulties faced by all the towns, including Hersonnisos and Malia, that crowd the north coast from Heraklion to Agios Nikolaos.

Police Target Church Thefts in Crete

Churches in Crete are now usually locked. It was once unusual to find a church door locked. Now the opposite is true. It is a sign of changing times that police attention is now having to be paid to the relatively new crime of thefts from churches and graveyards. The subject becomes topical again as a gang, including Albanians and Greeks, are facing trial over the theft of three icons dating from the 15th Century stolen from the Monastery of Viannos about a year ago. Nine people have been prosecuted. During their time in prison, the accused have met with of the local Bishop, from whom they asked forgiveness.