Bob's Three Month Cretan Adventure: VISIT THE CRETE FAMILY VILLAS

Monday, October 14, 2013

VISIT THE CRETE FAMILY VILLAS

Dear Friends,

Nestled in the foothills of Crete, only 30 minutes from the Heraklion Airport and only 15 minutes from the beaches of Amoudara, are the Villas Eleftheria (meaning “Liberty”), Kalithea (meaning “Good View”), and Irini (meaning “Peace”). The beauty and serenity of these Villas can stand alone, but one additional factor that makes them even more special is that they belong to two of our own. The Crete Family Villas, Eleftheria, Kalithea and Irini, belong to Andrew (Andy) and Jocelyne Kerrigan. Andy was assigned to the 2115^th Communications Squadron at Iraklion Air Station from 1980 until 1985. Andy worked atop Mount Edheri at the site better known to most of us as “Tropo”. After retiring from the U.S. Air Force, Andy now works for the Federal Aviation Administration and Jocelyne works as a school teacher.

Andy and Jocelyne built these three villas in 2005 on the edge of the little picturesque village of Pendamodi. It is a small, quiet village with a population of about 250 inhabitants. On any given day, you can walk through the village and see old men passing time by playing backgammon (tavli) outside kafeneios (coffee houses) while women shop in the markets buying the freshest of vegetables and meats for the daily meals. The only sounds that emanate from the village and the surrounding area are the bleating of sheep or goats, the occasional automobile that passes through, and the delightful cries of children playing European football (soccer).

In 2012, I had the very distinct pleasure of visiting Pendamodi and the Crete Family Villas of Eleftheria, Kalithea and Irini along with my Dutch friends, Hans and Henni, and Theo and Coby. Jocelyne stood waiting to greet us at the door of the Villa Eleftheria. Villa Eleftheria is situated on one level and can be easily navigated by small children and those with mobility limitations. The interior of Villa Eleftheria reflects a warm and inviting atmosphere, accented by stone and wood and exposed beams. There are two bedrooms and two bathrooms and can easily accommodate up to a total of six people. This villa is well-appointed with a corner stone fireplace, satellite T.V., Wi-Fi access, DVD and CD players, a dining area and a fully equipped kitchen with a full-sized cooker, microwave oven, dishwasher, refrigerator/freezer, toaster, kettle and a coffee maker. There is also a washing machine in one of the bathrooms. Outside, there is a shaded terrace overlooking the private swimming pool, which is the perfect place to enjoy that morning cup of coffee or just to sit and contemplate the surrounding beauty of the vineyards and olive groves, or the hills and valleys below.

Because the other two villas, Kalithea and Irini, were occupied, we were unable to go inside; however, Jocelyne escorted us around the outside of these two beautiful villas. Both are on two levels. Villa Kalithea boasts of having two bedrooms and two bathrooms, and can accommodate up to six people easily. Villa Irini is a little larger and features three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and can sleep up to eight people comfortably. If the interiors of Villas Kalithea and Irini are anything like Villa Eleftheria, then they must also be absolutely gorgeous inside! I might also add that Villas Kalithea and Irini each has its own private swimming pool just as does Villa Eleftheria. And, just to make the stay more enjoyable, Crete Family Villas are situated at an elevation of 335 meters or 1,100 feet. This makes for even lower humidity and cooler temperatures during those hot summer months!

The little village of Pendamodi reminded me of the small mountain villages that I used to visit in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s when I was also stationed on Crete. There is a relaxed atmosphere that speaks of a time gone by...a time when herds of sheep or goats sometimes blocked the roads...a time when old men sat sipping wine or raki while deftly twirling their worry beads (komboloi) through their fingers...a time when every meal was not just for eating, but a time for socializing...a time when time was not measured by the hands on a clock, but by the smiles that were etched in memories and laughter that echoed endlessly throughout the adjacent hills and valleys below.

So, when you are planning your next trip to Crete and you want to stay at a place where you can get a genuine feel for the local Cretan culture and customs, and a place that is relaxing, slower paced, and surrounded by nature, please give the Crete Family Villas serious consideration. For more photographs of Crete Family Villas, or for additional details regarding availability and prices, please go to the following website: www.cretefamilyvillas.co.uk And for additional information, or if you simply would like to re-establish contact with your Air Force friends, Andy and Jocelyne Kerrigan, you can E-Mail them at the following address: Jocelyne@cretefamilyvillas.co.uk I am sure they would love to hear from any of you who might remember them from when they were assigned to Iraklion Air Station. When you contact them, just tell them that “Bob Armistead” sent you!

"Click" on any photo below to obtain a larger image.

Your Friend and Fellow “Silent Warrior”,

Bob Armistead

Jocelyne Kerrigan stands waiting to greet us
just outside the Villa Eleftheria.

View of the Villa Eleftheria.

Swim or just relax by the private pool
of Villa Eleftheria.

Spacious Master bedroom with double
bed in the Villa Eleftheria.

Shower and sink off the
master bedroom of the
Villa Eleftheria.

Two single beds provide comfort
in the second bedroom of
Villa Eleftheria.

The full bath provides all amenities
in the Villa Eleftheira.

Whether you are a "sometimes" cook
or a full-blown chef, you'll find
everything you need in the well-
equipped kitchen in the
Villa Eleftheria.

The ever-consummate hostess,
Jocelyne Kerrigan entertains guests
in the spacious living area
of the Villa Eleftheria.

The beautiful fireplace in
the corner of the living
area of the Villa Eleftheri

Lovely Villa Kalithea waits for you
at the end of a beautifully
landscaped path.

Villa Kalithea offers that rare
balance between convenience
and privacy.

Villa Kalithea sleeps
six comfortably and
boasts of its own private
swimming pool.

Beautiful Villa Irini sleeps up to 8
guests comfortably and is situated
on gorgeous landscaped grounds.

Just one of the many captivating views
enjoyed by guests at the
Crete Family Villas!

You can swim, relax at poolside, or
simply enjoy the distant vistas from
the Villa Irini.

1 comment:

Unknown said...: Hi Bob,

I've been thinking about going back to Crete since I left in 1973. Hard to believe it's been 40 years. Always glad to see your posts. Great pictures and blog. Keep the faith!

Lynn Beene
http://lynnbeene.blogspot.com/

X1 - Able Flt., Crete I.A.S. (1971-1973); October 14, 2013 at 7:14 PM

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FIND IRAKLION AIR STATION ON GOOGLE EARTH!

If you download Google Earth on your computer, you can access satellite photos of the base. After downloading Google Earth, go to the empty bloc in the upper left-hand corner of the opening page that has the identification, "Fly To". Then enter the following co-ordinates: 35 19' 46.96N, 25 17' 02.20E in the empty bloc, then either click on the "magnifying glass" icon, or hit "Enter" on your computer. These co-ordinates will take you to the rooftop of the Security Compound on Iraklion Air Station. If you enter: 35 20' 11.60N, 25 04' 11.70E in the empty bloc and then hit "Enter", it will take you to the rooftop of the La Stella Apartments where I am currently staying in the seaside village of Amoudara.

Bob

Excerpts from "ZORBA, THE GREEK", by Nikos Kazantzakis:

"I climbed a hill and looked around. An austere countryside of granite and very hard limestone. Dark carob and silvery olive trees, figs and vines. In the sheltered hollows, orange groves, lemon and medlar trees; near the shore, kitchen gardens. To the south, an expanse of sea, still angry and roaring as it came rushing from Africa to bite into the coast of Crete. Nearby a low, sandy islet flushing rosy pink under the first rays of the sun.

"To my mind, this Cretan countryside resembled good prose, carefully ordered, sober, free from superfluous ornament, powerful and restrained. It expressed all that was necessary with the greatest economy. It had no flippancy, nor artifice about it. It said what it had to say with a manly austerity. But between the severe lines one could discern an unexpected sensitiveness and tenderness; in the sheltered hollows the lemon and orange trees perfumed the air, and from the vastness of the sea emanated an inexhaustible poetry.

" 'Crete,' I murmured. 'Crete...' and my heart beat fast."

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"I was happy. I knew that. While experiencing happiness, we have difficulty in being conscious of it. Only when the happiness is past and we look back on it do we suddenly realize - sometimes with astonishment - how happy we had been. But on this Cretan coast I was experiencing happiness and knew I was happy."

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"I looked at Zorba in the light of the moon and admired the jauntiness and simplicity with which he adapted himself to the world around him, the way his body and soul formed one harmonious whole, and all things - women, bread, water, meat, sleep - blended happily with his flesh and became Zorba. I had never seen such a friendly accord between a man and the universe."

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"How beautiful Crete is...Ah! If only I were an eagle, to admire the whole of Crete from an airy height..."
Nikos Kazantzakis

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Opening remarks made by Bob Armistead at the first Charlie Flight Re-Union

June 22, 2007

WELCOME HOME, “CHARLIE FLIGHT”

"We were the eyes and ears of the United States Air Force Security Service. We served during a time when it was not popular to be in the military; nevertheless, we served, and we served well. We were sent to another part of the world to serve in a country where we had never been, and on an island that some of us had never even heard of. When we arrived on Crete we became the best of friends, but by the time that we left, we had become more like brothers.

"We were sworn to a code of secrecy and silence - never able to share with our families or friends the details of the work that we did. And, consequently, never able to be fully recognized by our country for our contributions, our sacrifices, or our achievements to the cause of freedom and world stability. Some have referred to those of us who served in the Air Force Security Service as "Silent Warriors". I think that is a most fitting and proper title which all of us can wear with dignity and with pride.

"We came from a most diverse background. We were of virtually every race and ethnicity, but to most of us that didn't matter. We were rich and poor and middle class, but most of us just didn't notice. We came from almost every social and cultural background imaginable, but most of us didn’t care. We were Jewish, Protestant, and Catholic, but most of us just chose to worship each in his own way. We were Republicans and Democrats and Independents, but we were always Americans first. We were well educated and not so well educated, but we were all smart. We were farmers, mechanics, store clerks, college students, and construction workers, but we became morse and non-morse intercept operators, analysts, telemetry operators, linguists, code breakers and teletype operators. We were first termers and "lifers". And, if one of us wanted to infuriate one of our peers, we would just call him a "lifer". But in our hearts, each of us had only the highest admiration and most profound respect for those who had chosen to make a career of the Air Force.

"Each of us did a job that was no more important to that of the fellow working next to us, but each was vitally important to the peace and security of the United States and the free world. While the rest of the world slept, we were awake and keeping watch – 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year! Perhaps our legacy is the fact that, while we were on watch, there was never a terrorist attack on the United States! And when our overseas duty was finished, we quietly came home. But none of us returned to the sound of bands playing, crowds cheering, or small schoolchildren waving tiny American flags.

"We smoked a lot, drank way too much, and used language that would make our dads chuckle, and our mothers cringe and blush. We did all of those things that young men do when they're away from home and out on their own for the very first time. We worked hard and played hard. And we laughed a lot. We made fun of everything and everybody. No one was safe and no subject was sacred. We even poked fun at ourselves! We were as different as different could be, but we were all united by a common cause, and stood side by side and shoulder to shoulder. If you took on one of us, you took on all of us. Truly, we were brothers!

"And, then there were the sights and sounds and smells of Crete. Who could forget the odor of Greek cigarettes? When I first arrived on Crete and walked into the old airport terminal, I immediately noticed a yellowish-brown haze that floated in the air like the Angel of Death and smelled like a mixture of smoldering straw and sweaty socks. My first thought was, "My God, these people are smoking marijuana." My second thought was, “Hmmm, wonder if they’ve got any more?” And what about the tiny Greek villages with the white-washed houses that dotted distant mountain sides like small white patches of snow? And do you remember the sound of herds of sheep bleating by the roadside and blocking traffic as they crossed from one side of the road to the other? Then there was the beach that we had nicknamed "twelve point five" because it was exactly 12.5 kilometers east of the base. You would never have even known it was there unless you stopped and walked to the edge of the road and looked over a cliff that dropped down about 60 feet. There was a steep and winding rocky path that led down to the beach - unspoiled and pristine. We spent many a four-day break there - camping out and drinking and cooking over an open fire. When we left, we always made sure that the only thing we left behind was our footprints in the sand. Now even those footprints have long since been washed away by the tides of time just like we were never even there. And then there were the little stands in downtown Iraklion that sold souvlaki for about 5 drachmae. And who could forget Minos wine? Or Ouzo the national drink? It was crystal clear but when you mixed it with water it turned a milky white. Or what about Raki, their equivalent to moonshine? It burned going down...and it burned coming back up. There was no way that stuff would stay on this boy's stomach! One of us even put some in a Zippo lighter...and it lit! And do you remember old Greek men in black knee-length leather boots with their white hair, and their white mustaches that were curled up on the ends; and, old women in their long black dresses and heavy black stockings, and head-scarves that wrapped around their heads and across their mouths hiding wrinkled, toothless smiles? And do you recall the children in the slums of Iraklion - the ones with dirty faces and tattered clothing, but with sparkling dark eyes and smiles as bright and warm as the Cretan sun itself? And how curious they were. They used to look at us like we had just stepped off of a flying saucer! And what about the minoli carts that zipped around Iraklion, and motorscooters that carried Papa, Mama, and two or three little ones hanging on for dear life as they darted in and out of traffic? Or the Greek Orthodox Priests with their long black smocks, dark beards and black cylindrical shaped hats? Do you remember the peak of Mount Ida and how it would be covered with snow until June or even July? And what about the crystal clarity of those turquoise-blue waters of the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas? And do you remember those purple, and lavender and red sunrises that reflected on the early morning waters of the Aegean Sea? Some mornings I used to get up before daybreak and walk down to the base beach with my Nikon camera and just stand in awe and amazement as God put on a spectacular and different show almost every single morning! And who could forget "midnight chow" or the lowering of the Greek and American flags at the end of the workday, and how you had to stand at attention and salute until they were lowered? And what about the music we loved - rock n' roll, blues, soul, country, gospel, and yes, even classical? Then, there was Christmas. On Christmas Eve fifteen or more of us would crowd into someone's room in the barracks and we would listen to Christmas music - Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas", and Elvis singing "Blue Christmas". And we would talk and drink....mostly drink. Each one of us would wear his best artificial smile and try to act like it was no big deal to be away from home and our families on Christmas. But I'm sure that when each of us went back to his own room, each went to bed wondering if our loved ones missed us as much as we missed them. And, I can remember some of the young first-term airmen who were married and living in apartments off base. We thought they were so lucky! Sometimes they would invite several of us single airmen over to a good home-cooked meal prepared by their wives. To you ladies who were there, you will never know just how deeply we appreciated your kindness, your hospitality, and especially your good home cooking!

"But then, gradually it all came to an end. One by one, we left. We left Crete and we left the Air Force, taking with us a few souvenirs and many memories. We returned to our families, and our friends, and the girls we had left behind. We went back to school; we got jobs; we settled down; we began new lives; we got married and we started families of our own. But, we never forgot - we never forgot the Air Force, Crete, "Charlie Flight", or each other. Now, for most of us, we are back together for the first time in about 35 years. We've all changed. For many of us, our hair has turned grey or even white. And for others, it has turned loose! Most of us now have wrinkles when we smile and crow's feet etched at the corners of our eyes. Some of us may walk a little slower; our gait is not quite as lively; and, we may not walk quite as tall or straight as we once did. Some have put on a little weight, and others, well, the weight has just shifted. But if you look deep into our eyes, I mean really, really deep...past the tiredness and beyond the years, you will still notice a certain sparkle when each of us talks about Crete and "Charlie Flight" and each other. Now, we've come back together. Welcome home!"

HERE LIES A SILENT WARRIOR

by Bob Armistead

We served in silence, never breathing a word
Of the things we'd seen, or that which we'd heard.
We worked by a code that few have ever known,
And we served in countries that were far from home.

We left all our friends and familes behind
To perform the work to which we were assigned.
We manned our positions - every hour of every day.
Our work never stopped, and we never did sway.

We did all that was asked and we did it with pride;
We stood shoulder to shoulder and worked side by side.
If I'm ever asked, "Would you do it again?"
I'd just smile and say, "How soon can I begin?"

The time which I've served, I'll never regret.
And the men whom I've known, I'll never forget.
Now time has passed and our hair has turned gray,
And our ranks are thinning with each passing day.

So when my bell tolls for the final time,
And the echoes fade from the very last chime,
And my eyes are closed and I've been laid to rest,
Just be assured that I've served with the best.

Please drape my coffin with the American Flag,
And on top of my casket lay out my dog tag.
With my dog tag as my I.D. and the Flag as my shroud,
I'll go to my grave...an American...and still proud!

I'll trek to that place to join all the others,
My comrades in arms: My sisters, my brothers.
I'll be with my friends who have gone on before
And are waiting for me beyond Death's door.

So, when I'm gone, shed no tears for me,
For I've died as I've lived - an American and Free!
And once I've traveled to my Eternal home,
Just carve the following on my gravestone:

"HERE LIES A SILENT WARRIOR"

Copyrighted 2009

*This poem was written as a tribute to all who have ever served with the U.S. Air Force Security Service, or its subsequent command names.

Bob's Three Month Cretan Adventure