Happy Birthday: It's those Spykerman kids making news again, and for good reason. Family and friends, numbering about 30, turned up for a birthday barbeque blast at Neraida Restaurant to wish them best wishes. Dex turned 20, and was in town visiting his mom on summer break from his university studies in Florida. Sister, Vienna, is now 14, and resides in Gournes with mom Renie, who, by the way, is a Ko-Go columnist.

       
 
       
 

It's official: After almost one year since opening its doors to the public, the CretAquarium had its "official" inaugural ceremonies with a host of dignitaries descending on Gournes for the event. Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas described the public aquarium, one of the largest in the Mediterranean, as a "motivating lever for elevating the region."

   
  Tourism season shows increase: Unfortunately, the increase is in beach umbrellas and sun beds, not tourists. Martin Coates, the Ko-Go's official umbrella counter, reports that this year the number of sun beds plaguing our towns' seashore is well over 5,000 – a jump of almost 12 percent over last year – while beach umbrellas have reached more than 3,000. At the same time, local observers estimate that the number of tourists is down by at least 20 to 30 percent. The largest expanse of sun bed wasteland is in the Tobruk area, which has about 2,000 sun beds and 1,000 umbrellas. Runner-up is the Kokkini Hani beach adjacent to the Arina Sand Hotel, and third place goes to Gouves.
       
 
       
 

Going to the dogs: The Heraklion Canine Society is holding its 2nd International Dog Show (CACIB) on Sunday, September 24, in the Gournes Exhibit Center. Last year 130 dogs, representing 40 breeds, competed. For ticket information check out its website at www.koh.gr.

   
 
   
 

From Paris, with love: Guylaine Mazeyrat (left), a Paris attorney, was in town for one of her many visits with her partner, Nathalie Deum, a long-time resident of Gournes – and a well-known photographer. Guylaine will return again in September, then, after the season, Nathalie will take her turn in Paris for a month or two. We hope these two get frequent-flyer miles.

 
 

 
 

Welcome back: George McLaren, long-time resident of Gournes, who moved back to his native Scotland last year, was back in town for a holiday – and, of course, the event was highlighted by another George-ism. Departing his hometown of Fort William, George, known for losing a cell phone a week, picked up around about 450 Euros from the bank then hopped a bus to London for his flight to Crete. All along the way he kept patting his pocket to make sure the money, folded in a bank envelope, was still there. When he arrived in London he reached in his pocket to pay a bill and pulled out his folded bus ticket – which is what he had been patting all along. His 450 Euros? Long gone, sure to be making some fellow happy traveller even more happy.

       
 
   
 

Kiss and tell: Who is too busy doing the Highland fling while her long-time boyfriend is off having a fling of his own? Sorry, we'll never tell. And, as long as we're running "blind" items, here's a message to the Gournes guy known to frequent Iraklion's house of ill repute. It's still there; they just re-painted it to a lovely yellow and blue. But the light above the door is still the same colour.

   
  More kiss and tell? Our inquiring photographer thought so when he caught Sami Takakis and Nick Altobelli at a corner table in Neraida. But, alas, it was not to be. They were there to watch a World Cup match while their spouses were at work – in fact, Nick's wife, Jean, even served them – she's one of Neraida's two super waitresses.

 Nurses needed: Crete hospitals are among those that will benefit from additional hospital staff to be hired on permanent contracts later this year. Also, there will be more hirings next year, bringing the total number of new staff recruited to some 5,000.