Within the past year we have gotten to know the foreign community here on Crete. There is quite a variety of different cultures living together here and everyone seem to get along very well. A large percentage of foreigners are from Albania and Germany, there are also some foreigners from France, England, Holland, Norway and other parts of Europe. Apart from their mother language, most of these people also speak English.
(continuation at "Guest on our Island")

CRETE:

WOW!!!! we are still very much in love with this place. everyday we discover more and more about it. Joern and I do many long walks together, at times we take the kids along, but sometimes the walks are too long for them. what they enjoy most is going swimming at the beach and snorkeling. Every morning after they are off to school I take a 1 hour walk through the olive valleys or up a mountain all by myself. It is absolutely amazing!!!!  You can walk the same path a thousand times and each time you discover or see something you did not notice before.

The most amazing part about this Island is the quiet, the peace, the solitude, that it offers. It gives each individual the space and freedom to find themselves and spend time alone with themselves. If you are the kind of person who has to be busy doing, all the time, 24-7, this might not be the place for you. Here you can go for days with absolutely nothing to do. If you can wake up and feel okay about just enjoying being without doing then you can try living here. Of course there are two sides to that rusty old coin. However like I always say, if you want something or to be in a certain place and you pray for it and them you get it, their will be no obstacles to stand in your way. If that thing or that place was not meant for you, you would not have gotten it in the first place. We have had some challenges being here in the past year,  (continue at "Guest on our Island)

The Greek community have their conservative ways , but are very pleasant and kind. I find that it doesn't matter where you live in this world, the main thing is, being in a foreign country, you learn to accept and respect the people and their way of life. Keep in mind you are not forced to be in that place you are in, you merely went by choice. In the village where we are living it is very quiet and simply. Our closes neighbor we have known for many years, we are more like family than anything else. Their son, whom joern has known since the age of 6, just got married in august. Unfortunately we missed the weeding because we were in Germany. Over 2000 people attended. Yes, you read right, over 2000, that's about the norm for a Greek wedding. They are BIG and just about every body get and invitation. The traditional way to give gifts is in the form of cash. Yes, you read right again, CASH!!!!!!!! you can give from $10. up to $100. depending on how well you know the couple. Can't wait for Bjorn's and Selena's wedding. just kidding!!! We will find a way to convince them that it is saner to have a wedding like their mama and papa....only 5 people were there, including the judge who married us.