7 DAYS GRAPE THERAPY WORKSHOP IN AZOGIRES WITH GRAPE DOCTOR GERARD VAN DER MEER

7 DAYS GRAPE THERAPY WORKSHOP IN AZOGIRES WITH GRAPE DOCTOR GERARD VAN DER MEER

Come join us in one of Cretes most breathtaking events ,and forget all your problems just by doing what Cretan have been for the past four thousand years .

Learn more about Crete and its ways of life ,take a dive in to local nearly forgotten and nowhere recorded history learn about the real life of Cretans and their secrets to longevity ,feel the presence of Ancient Cretans on every footstep you take.

The workshop starts on 9 September and finishes on the 15 ,seven days filled with adventure experience and everlasting knowledge ,you become one with the Cretan Earth drilling from its everlasting energies .

Doctor Gerard will take you on a step by step tour to the most virgin and wild Cretan villages , to collect grapes from ancient vineyards of Crete ,and feel the magic of grape therapy.

A therapy that has gone down from generation to generation with many secrets to be learnt , become one with the vineyards and enjoy the blessings they give you , the blessings and the presents of mother earth .

The seven day workshop will cost 40 euro per day per person and it includes your room with Cretan Breakfast ,and dinner at the local tavern

There will be 5 days of grape picking and grape stumping to make raki and wine ,two of the most precious presents a vineyard can give us and you will learn a lot more about grapes and grape therapy, then you will have 2 free days to either scroll around the area to discover Crete even more ,go to the beach , or you can join our two guided walks down mystic path ways and down gorges all the way to the sea .

For more information you can contact us at alfacafenion@aol.com or call at 0030 28230 41620 mob 6972138588 ,and to leran more about Azogires visit our blog Azogires-alpha.blogspot.com

2012 MUSIC EVENTS IN AZOGIRES

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2012 Azogires music events  .As always Azogires doesn’t sleep  at night the people are wild and they like to rock ,some of these rocking nights  took place last year  it all started in the beginning of the year ,with Burkhard elger.A real blues man   giving food to our souls with his pationate music  , he really is a man with a  heart of Gold ,then   middle of august with the glorious return of my good friend John from England ,who is an excellent and  very stylish violin player  with his iver 100 year old violin that he rescued from the tip ,he came up one afternoon and gave joy to our ears and harmony to our souls .And that was just the beginning our very own Johnny Human  gave a concert  with his romantic and heartwarming accordion   ,the café filled with people to listen to this remarkable man play the  sounds of love ,life ,and romance , it was a very peaceful and relaxing night for all of us ,he had with him his son Patrick who is his personal manager and stage organizer as you can see on the clips below he has the managing talent from youth. Few days went by when a man appeared from nowhere with a guitar in his car ,and said can I play something we all thought why not    he might just be worth it , not to realize that he was the unique and most talented George Iakovou ,who can play ten different sorts of music and songs in his magical guitar, he played blues, jazz ,rock and roll, hard, and soft, Rempetika ,Cretan  folk modern Greek, and heavy metal. He had us all dancing rocking jumping screaming all night long , until its was time for bed and we could not stand any more , just by shear luck Archie Lee Hooker was vacationing in our paradise village with his lovely lady ,and he took the chance too sing with his total blues  voice along with Georges guitar  ,tears came from my eyes all though I managed to hide them  as I can never forget Archie and Carl Wyatt when they played at my place in 2011 ,turning my little ghost town in to a large city  of blues party animals . lets see what 2013 has in store for us you will find out next year .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfuqIXvziHs&list=UU95bx15Ykqv3A_btH356GtQ

The First International Cooking Competition of Azogires

Last sunday in Azogires, all housewives, as well as housemen, were very busy. So busy they didn't even came out of their houses, until .......it was showtime!
They all came on the street as if it was a showdown on an old wildwild west cowboy movie, in stead of wearing pistols they were packing trays with food. Some of the most delicious meals ever made in this village, made with love, patience, attention and lots and lots of stress in order for them to be number 1. For those of you who don't understand what we were talking about; it was the first International Cooking Competition of Azogires. I personally had the honour to be one of the judges, as well as 2 others. One was the well known Horst Schaab who himself is an expert chef, trained by his loving mother, since he was 6 years old. Until he was 10, he knew everything about food, so we couldn't have had a better taster. And the third mister George from Kefalonia, he on the other hand probably is not an outstanding cook. But all his life he has been tasting some of the finest cooking of his mama.
There were 7 competitors, 6 different nationalities. And 7 of the greatest dishes in the world. First prize was Anastasia Tsouroufli, who made great soutzoukakia, 2nd prize was the loving Ioanna who made the tastiest sweet pancakes ever, third prize was my mother, but she made it clear from the beginning, that she did not want to win, so her prize went to Yanni from norway with the tastiest Quacomoli ever. 4th was Arthur Jarvis from England with a typical londresian meal of mashed potatoe, with beef and green peas, and heart shaped pasteries, putting his wife Diana3 on 5th place, she said she will never forgive him. And from now on he sleeps in the tool shed (that they don't have build yet..).

The competition was sponsored by the Koukoutsakis family, Alfa Enterprices. The winners each, received an title, as well as an monetary contribution. And everyone else got free drinks and off course loads of free tasty food!

AZOGIRES FIRST CYCLER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Early January, a bright and sunny day, but yet, winterish chilly. We were all sitting in the cafe with nothing to do and wondering between us, who will be the first to have an omelet this year.. Who will be the first to do anything this year? For in Greece the first of the year matters a lot, it matters what kind of person steps into your place of business or your house for the first time. If the person who steps in to your house on the first first day of the year is pure hearted and generous, then your whole year goes well. Many shops hide behind the curtain and don't open their doors, others go to more ancient traditions such as going to church to bring an icon home or to the field to bring a new born baby lamb in the house, cause it is just born and pure and innocent. And the house will fill with purity and blessings for the whole year. Enough about traditions and back to our story.
As we were sitting a man road up the road on a bicycle, so it was obvious this man WAS THE FIRST BICYCLER OF 2013 to step foot on Azogires ground. He sat down and ordered an omelet. It was no other then the Famous Dutch Children Story teller Gerard Groenevelt. A man who's passion for story telling brings him cycling into the smallest villages of Crete to learn and compare new and old stories. A man who can tell you with the last detail the origins of a story all the way back to ancient Greece. So rightfully we presented him with the title and the prize of  FIRST CYCLER OF 2013 IN AZOGIRES.

Christmas days in Azogires

It was a Christmas never to be forgotten, the tale of this Christmas could actually be told by the worlds greatest story tellers. Even miss Doubtfire herself. Some would say that Christmas in Crete this year would have been very poor due to the crisis. But here in Azogires we say; What crisis? We don't have. And everybody offers something. The month started with the joyfull Diana3 and Arthur1 (both residents of our village) who started giving their Christmas presents early. As early as the beginning of the month. Every day at 12 o clock Diana3 brought into the cafe a big pot of the most delicious and the warmest soups on Crete. And gave it away like in a homeless shelter, but in this situation not to homeless people, but to residents who needed their heart to be warmed by the Christmas spirit.

The presents continued coming, from Horsts wife Annamaria, she made cookies and applepie and sended to the cafe in the nights with her husband for all the village to enjoy. They were so tasty that the tray never stayed a second day full. Everybody thanked her, we know she did it from the bottom of her heart. But I think that there was more involved to it. It was a way from her to thank us for keeping her husband locked up in the cafe every night, so she could have some peacefull time. Off course? That's just my thought. Cause I like to piss him off, every chance I get. In reality she too was warming Christmasless Azogires hearts.

It all went on with Ioanna returning from Holland just to help decorating the Christmas tree, not only mine! But also my parents. Two Christmas trees that made me remember what Christmas was all about. At the same time Horst and his wife decorated their whole house with Christmas lights, that could been seen all the way from Paleochora road, reminding the passing by people that even though they tell us Santa Claus is no longer around. His spirit is definetely here.

Then came the time for the Christmas table of all Azogirians, like one big family, that they all are, and always will be. Despite their differences they stick together, especially in the holy days. My parents cooked wild goat with potatoes in the oven, fried meat Tsigariasto and pilafi. Even I who have been eating all my life their food admit that this time they exceeded every expectation. Ioanna made beautifull design salads, cooked lovely kalitsounia delicious sfakian cheese pitas with honey, as for me I made my speciality fried hotdogs with red peppers and onion. Old Tassia made delicious Melomakarona, a traditional greek sweet for Christmas. Diana3 made a lovely cake and Annamaria made a HOUSE? Yes, a house, in this situation one you can eat from ginger bread. For the first time of her life she made a greek house. How can you tell the difference? Greek roofs are never straight..everyone fell on it, like ants on a sugarcane. Everyone had a great time. Ioanna brought presents for all and we consumed pardon my language, shit loads of alcohol. As you will see on one of the lower pictures, on the end of the night there were only two drunken sailors left, who almost disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Even though they were not smoking.

Then came Christmas day. Which is the day of Clinton's Birthday. Clinton has been in our family since december 25th of the year 1998. Making him a little bit over 98 years old, yes, he is an old man now. But he is still part of the Azogires family. in case you haven't realised, Clinton is a dog, but not for us in Azogires. He is a part of the family. He was never trained, but he understands everything you say and everything you do. he even opens the door, when he wants to come in. The problem is he never closes it. On the above picture you can see him with all his birthday presents as they were inspected by him.

Then suddenly it was New Years Eve, a quiet evening in the cafe watching Charlie Chaplin. Eating a variety of dishes included Dutch sweets made by Ioanna's parents. The night went quietly and unnoticed. Suddenly we were in 2013, wishing everyone and eachother a prosperous, healthy and happy new year. We cut the traditional cake, the Vasilopita. A traditional greek cake that has its origins all the way back to Casery of Capadokia, when a proud leader and a man of piece that we Greeks call Saint Vasilis had his territory invated by an army of thieves. In order to save his people and avoid the blood shed, he went out and begged for money from everyone. They all gave him gold coins and jewelery in order for him to pay off the raiders to leave his people alone and not killed them. But it was not nesassary cause the raiders lost the battle. So he descided to give all the gold back to his people, since he was not a gready man. But how could he do this? There was no record of who gave what, so he gathered all of his countries bakers and they made small breads each one holding one item inside. A normal coin, a gold one, silver, neckless, rings whatever. And every resident of Capadokia got one bread. An in this manner the wealth got back to the people. Maybe not equal but fair. Since that day Vasilis is the Santa Claus of the Greeks, and on the New years day every greek household cuts a Vasilopita. And one person gets the coin, that is hidden inside, a happy new year to all of you, and we wish you to be able to visit Azogires this year at least once to feel the magic and enjoy nature.

THE LOSS OF A GOOD NEIGHBOUR

For years now, Ninian was a good friend, good neighbour and good guardian to me. His family brought him to the village 6 months every year. For those 6 wintermonths every day he was guarding his family and mine. He was the fluffiest, softest and sweetest dog around. But I don't want to refer to him as a dog, he was more like a human. Every day I would pass to go to my chickens, he would run down those stairs to give me a hug. When he was on the street taking his daily walk, and he would happen to meet me, in that moment his eyes would fill with joy, and he became a baby again, and he ran into my arms. Sometimes due to his massive size and his overraided love I would fall to the ground, as he would try to lick me, his way of giving me a kiss. A little bit less then a month ago he was eating a chicken bone. As dogs in Greece do. My dogs for example, have been eating chicken bones all their lives. But Ninian was not used to it, since his mammy and daddy raised him with European standards, so he got a little wound in his mouth, causing him to bleed. His family took him at once to a doctor to give him the proper antibiotics to avoid any infections. BUT THIS DOCTOR who I do not wish to express my real thoughts about him, found out that Ninian had throat cancer. A small tumor, somewhere near his main arteries of the neck. And he demanded that they bring Ninian back to him for surgery, so he could earn a miserable couple of hundred euros. They brought him back, gave him his surgery and returned him home. Ninian died that night next to his mama. He is buried and resting under Azogires' soil. We are all very sad, we will not get another dog like this. And everyone misses him. For me he is always alive in my heart. FAREWELL, DEAR NINIAN

BOOK SIGNING DAY IN AZOGIRES

A great success, not only for Azogires and Azogirians alike, but even greater success for all the fans and fanatic supporters of the author Julie Griffiths. We were all so excited for the 7th of October to come, cause it is not only one of the days of the festival of the 99 holy Fathers, it was also the day Julie Griffiths came to Azogires to sign copies of her book for friends and family. People that couldn't come gave a big list to Bob Tait also a very famous author of our area.

To buy books for them with special dedications straight from Julies hand and heart. We all got drunk with joy and happiness. Not to mention the raki and popcorn. Julie on her speach mentioned she is writing a second book 'THE NEW ADVENTURES OF LUCKY' which will be out by next year. Since her first book 'THE ADVENTURES OF LUCKY' is nearly sold out all over the world!