January 2000 edition

The villagers were in mourning over a period when normally there is much excitement and happiness. Because of the recent tragedies, Maroni remained in darkness and it was sad, when we looked at the surrounding villages which were beautifully decorated, especially Kalavasos. There had been plans to have a huge party in the churchyard including food, drink and music on New Year's Eve but in the circumstances this had to be cancelled, although a few enjoyed a barbeque and quiet drinks in the Youth Club.

We are sure next year will be different. Anyway some people believe that the new millennium does not commence until 1st January 2001. Will this year be the year of settlement, when we can celebrate with our many Cypriot friends anywhere on this beautiful island, now that would be some party !!

News from the Village Committee is that an area between Kountouri and Laksia is being prepared for the sheep and goat farmers, consisting of twenty sites and by the end of the year, those in the village will have moved to those sites. We will certainly not miss the flies but the restful ringing of the goat bells will be a loss.

We understand that the water rates quoted in our last edition, will remain at the present time and the annual rates on property, consist of a fixed sum amounting to £20 for refuse collection plus between £30 and £80 on your property depending on size and any land involved. This figure includes the cost of street lighting.

We have now completed our year's publications and many thanks are due to our advertisers and contributors, without which this newspaper could not survive. So please keep sending interesting articles, puzzles and recipes. We have decided that twelve pages are enough, including three to four of adverts. Therefore we have left out the page of important telephone numbers, opening hours of the bank and shops and bus times and will only announce amendments. Also the paragraphs on the "two months that were" and "next two months", if interesting we will include on the front page.

We apologise for the delay in distributing this edition, but unfortunately one of the team developed pleuro-pneumonia, very nasty, that put him in a clinic for ten days, just when the newsletter was being put together.

The first significant archaeological excavations in Cyprus in the second half of the nineteenth century were carried out with the aim of acquiring quantities of impressive-looking antiquities for museums and private collections. The early excavators were only following the fashions of the times, but modern archaeologists are horrified at the way their predecessors more or less ransacked sites and tombs in quest of jewellery, sculptures and fine vases, paying little or no attention to keeping records of the layers of soil in which the objects were found, the arrangement of objects and skeletons in tombs, and so on. One of the best of the amateur investigators described the activities of the others as "a mischievous pastime".

One of the most successful excavators (in my opinion), or worst offenders (in our modern view) was General Luigi Palma de Cesnola, an Italian who had served in the American Civil War, and became the American Consul in Larnaca from 1865-76. He claimed to have excavated many thousands of tombs at sites throughout the island and amassed a huge collection of antiquities. The Turkish administration was not inclined to give him (as U.S. consul) permission to export all this, but he fooled them by doing it anway in his other capacity as….Russian consul! After much haggling, most of the collection eventually went to form the nucleus of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Unfortunately he did not keep good records and probably deliberately falsified some of the details in order to make a more interesting story and more spectacular groups of treasure, so it is often difficult to be sure which of his antiquities came from which site. Maroni seems to have been among the many places where he worked, since a few fine objects are mentioned in his books as being found here, but confusion reigns as the same items are given different provenances in other books by him. The most important of his probable Maroni finds is an imported Mycenaean Greek vase, a "krater" for serving wine, which is one of the series of "chariot kraters" found in Late Bronze Age Cypriot tombs, and is now one of the treasures of the Metropolitan Museum's collection.

Mycenaean Greek vase , a "krater" for mixing wine, found by General Cesnola probably at Maroni.

After Cesnola, Maroni also received attention from the German, Max Ohnefalsch-Richter, a more serious archaeologist but one who also excavated for commercial gain, who dug a few tombs at Maroni and Psematismenos in 1885. Professor John Myres, the founding father of really "scientific" archaeology in Cyprus, acquired some antiquities in the area in 1894 and these are in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.

Later on the scene but far from least, the British Museum excavated at a number of sites in Cyprus, working at Maroni late in 1897. Typically only one archaeologist appointed by the museum had to supervise scores of workmen under their foreman Grigori. The British Museum people did keep rudimentary lists of which finds came from which tomb (although the finds sometimes later became mixed or misplaced), but they did not bother to keep any record at all of many tombs which contained "only" local Cypriot pottery. They also failed to provide any accurate map of the locations of their work at Maroni, and their reports mostly consist only of a few brief letters. Thus, modern archaeologists are still puzzling over exactly where their predecessors excavated.

Mr H.B. Walters on behalf of the Museum excavated at Maroni from 3rd November to 13th December 1897, despite some very wet weather, mainly at Tsaroukas (on the coast SE of Maroni) but also at a couple of other sites one of which is probably Vournes. At Tsaroukas he recorded 26 Late Bronze Age tombs (1500-1200 B.C.), with about 430 listed objects. Many of these can still be identified in the British Museum's collections, while some are in the Cyprus Museum in Nicosia. The pottery finds included imported Mycenaean vases , both the large "kraters" for serving wine, decorated with painted chariots, bulls, goats, or octopuses, and smaller vessels which were traded mainly for their contents of precious oils or perfumes. Locally made Cypriot pottery includes the White Slip ware with decorative "ladder patterns" in black, and Base Ring ware jugs, cups and bull-shaped vessels. There were ceramic figurines mostly of beak-nosed large-eared ladies, and even unusual clay ship models, suggesting the importance of international trade. Many items of gold and silver jewellery included beads, ear-rings, brooches and decorated strips placed on the forehead or mouth of the dead. Other luxury items were alabaster cups, glass and faience vessels (some imported from Egypt or the Levant), ivory boxes, finely carved stone seals and scarabs.

Despite this apparently rich haul, Walters himself was not impressed with his results, writing disparagingly to his superiors at the British Museum, "I am much disappointed about Maroni - it has turned out a complete frost and a complete disappointment". Evidently he felt that the "treasures" from other sites outclassed the Maroni finds. Nevertheless, the finds in fact provided the basis on which Maroni soon came to be regarded as one of the major Late Bronze Age sites of the island together with other rich coastal trading towns such as Enkomi, Kition, Palalepaphos and others.

Setting off, brimming with confidence, having consulted an admitted rather aged road map to a village called Eccleston at the hour of 5 a.m. Getting very close to the "festering" season, it seemed a good idea to do, and avoid swarms of Saturday shoppers and other various non-showing traffic. All went well until maybe 10 miles from the actual venue I was looking for. Fog and a fall of snow obliterated any sign posts with possible hints of my location. Peering around I suddenly realised I reached a dead end up a single track road, and worse still I had a collection of vehicles behind me, similarly piled high with dog crates containing numerous assorted show hopefuls. Land Rovers, Range Rovers, various Estates and other large methods of transport. I managed to turn my little Mini round to a chorus of barking dogs, and honking horns and the sight of human mouths all shouting obscenities - (I can lip-read). At least the assorted canines were only sizing the possible talent of others, not giving me earache. Total gridlock, I believe is the modern terminology- the other drivers were less polite. The inhabitants of the few scattered dwellings in the vicinity watched the entertaining activity with undisguised glee, some even donned wellies and other nasty weather gear to issue a mixed bag of mocking instructions with fingers pointing mostly in the wrong direction. You could tell what they were thinking "Let's make this free entertainment last as long as possible". I got out past all this mayhem, mostly on two wheels up a hedge-back ! and made it to the show just in time. Some other exhibitors unhappily didn't. To prevent any further disasters of this nature, I armed my back window with a sticker reading "Don't follow me - I'm lost too". I was eventually forgiven for leading at least seven large vehicles, which had to reverse out, up a dead end. I had several tongue in cheek offers of German Shepherds and St. Bernards to act as future navigators. Thinking back, my show career was a series of miracles, in that I ever got to them - I can very easily get lost in Maroni.

Friday 16 April 1999.

Woke up to the sound of pouring rain - wrong, the sky was absolutely clear blue - discovered that the shower in the room next door had come adrift and water was pouring all over. Called Theo and Thea (Landlord and Landlady). What a panic, stop-cocks were being turned on and off to no avail, everybody shouting - oh so very Greek. Eventually, after one hour, plumber arrives, panic over…By now, too late to catch the bus (only one per day) so decided to walk along the coast to the next village. It was so beautiful, we walked through meadows absolutely bursting with wild flowers and birdsong. Everybody smiled and said "Kali-Mera". One Kephalonian actually stopped to talk and when he found out that we came from Cyprus he shook our hands - the relief for us was tangible. We happily strolled back to Sami and a wonderful lunch. Would you believe our waiter Paulos came from BelloRussia ? This delightful young man had a degree in history, was fluent in four languages (one of which was English - phew !). He could not get work at home and therefore was grateful for this job in Kephalonia. Can recommend a carafe of the local wine, both red and white are dry and delicious.

Sunday 18 April 1999.

Decided to leave Sami today and be adventurous and took taxi to Fiscardo, a small village in the North opposite Ithaca. Our cab driver, Iannis, was wonderful. After the inevitable joke (Greek and Cypriot) about white hair causing male problems in bed - Roger and Iannis both have white hair ! - we were off to the unknown. The route was truly beautiful and the scenery breathtaking and Iannis was the perfect tour guide, if you could understand his Kephalonian. We even met a herd of goats on the road, lovely creatures. The only sad part were the ruins of old stone houses obviously devastated by the terrible earthquake of 1953. A real tragedy and I feel the collapsed buildings were left as a memorial to those who died.

Finally arrived in Fiscado. A truly enchanting place. A small harbour surrounded by very attractive tavernas. No rooms available but found an excellent apartment with a wonderful view of Ithaca. That is all I will say, we were not exactly spat upon but the feeling of hostility was very real and we ordered "Iannis the Taxi" for the following day. Very sad, to leave such a lovely place, but very relieved to be returning to Sami.

Got such a lovely welcome from our landlord and landlady.

P.S. saw the goats again on the way down and took some photos. Went out in the evening to local coffee shop which appears to run a very active card school.

Met three most delightful Albanian children. These were the fortunate ones, their parents came to Kephalonia four years ago and the whole family were obviously very happy and secure. Could not help comparing them with the pitiful Kosovan Albanians thrown out of their homes with nothing.

Were then joined by coffee shop owner and had to listen to a two hour lecture on Serbia, Kosova, the propaganda put out by the B.B.C. etc.etc. Did not get provoked and went to bed absolutely exhausted.

Monday 19 April 1999.

What shall we do today ? The weather is not so good, lots of grey cloud and a very high wind. Decide to take the bus to Avgostili (the capital of Kephalonia). Again a beautiful trip up into the mountains and down the other side. The town is rather scruffy by the port and obviously not as wealthy as Sami, however…I can recommend the bus station. It is very clean, well run and has an excellent taverna, half the prices of Sami and the buses run on time. Returned to Sami for a carafe of wine, back to our room (they all knew where we had been, I swear they know what colour knickers I wear !!) to find two more lodgers.

A very young couple from Algeria who now live in France and have come here for a walking holiday. Luckily they speak English because our French has turned into Franco-Greco. However I did manage to translate our landlord's Italian/Greek into English. Hope they have a good time, is not France in Nato ? And are not the Algerians, Muslim ? Good Luck.

Went out at night and found a wonderful Taverna that made "crispy" Doner Kebabs and Kilos (??) of local red wine. Everything was fine and then the television was switched on.

The atmosphere changed and so did we…we have to go home to Cyprus. The anti-Nato feeling is building up.

Tuesday 20 April 1999.

Still very cold, have banana and coffee for breakfast. Buy phone card and try to change flights - no chance.

Book ferry to Patra for tomorrow 08.30 a.m. We are heartbroken to leave such a beautiful island.

Theodora, our landlady, brings us some cakes - she already knows we are going to Patra tomorrow…HOW ?

Have a lovely evening with our sweet Algerian couple. She is called Fifi and a real delight. Her work is concerned with literature, he is in international law.

Sadly say goodbye to them and to Pavlos, the boss, Capicano and go to bed.

Wednesday 21 April 1999.

Wake up early, full of trepidation, will we get home today? Will we get a flight ? Will we have to try again ? And finally will they take Visa cards at the airport ?

Board ferry at 08.30 a.m. and sadly leave "Correlli Land". Trip fine and book the Red Train to Athens. Definite lack of smiles on boat and train. Grab taxi at the station and three quarters of an hour later arrive at Athens Airport totally exhausted.

The Olympic Airways lady was fantastic, without any fuss, our tickets were changed and we were booked on to the 8.30 p.m. flight to Larnaca - we were so very lucky. Take back all my rude comments about O/A…will use them again !!

Grabbed cab at Larnaca and finally, thankfully, arrived home at 9.30 p.m. That was our longest day but we made it !!.

Hopes for a better 2000

Volume 1, Issue 6