Underwater adventure? If you see Connie, head honcho of Stay Wet Diving Center, limping around, don't believe her if she tells you it's a "war wound" from a chance encounter with a great white or a mishap while exploring some long-lost sunken German U-Boat. She actually dropped a door on her foot and fractured a couple of toes. . .

       
 
       
 

Where's Angelina? Rumours that Brad Pitt was spotted in some of Kokkini' Hani's hottest spots, was proved false when an excited young girl approached him for an autograph, and he signed it Dex Horrow. Dex, (left) is actually the 20-year-old son of Renie Spijkerman, of Gournes, who is in town for an extended visit from the U.S.

   
  Island Hopping: A big Ko-Go welcome goes out to Marilyn and Barry LeBrun, newly arrived in Crete from the Isle of Jersey. The LeBruns have taken up residence in the village of Gournes . . .

Family Reunion: Sara Gunn of Kalo Horio is having her hands full this month – but pleasantly so. Her children and grandchildren are in town for a visit. Two of her offspring, Ryan (right) and Rachel, are ex-expats, having lived and worked in the Tri-Town area for several years before moving back to Great Britain. And, congratulations to Rachael on the birth of her son, Redd . . .
       
 
       
 

Confucius Say: "May the future of Crete always resemble its weather, bright and alluring." Well, actually, that bit of fortune-cookie wisdom was proclaimed by Wu Bangguo, a top Chinese official who visited the Tri-Towns last month while checking out Iraklion as a site for a "major transit hub," and Gouves for a few more Chinese restaurants . . .

What else is new? Not to be outdone by OPEC, the Greek government has implemented a special consumption tax on petrol this month which results in a 2-cent per litre increase for regular unleaded fuel . . . Fore: What's the answer to Crete's tourism woes? Why, it's more golf courses, of course! Attracting more golfers will be one of the chief tourism targets over the coming years, according to Tourism Minister Fani Palli-Petralia – which is leaving local shop owners really teed-off!

  

 Illegal Alien? It's poor Mary Lou Mead of Ontario, Canada, who's been living in Gournes for the past two years, but forgot to get a residence permit. She was rudely reminded of that fact by a customs agent when she was about to board a plane at Athens airport. He relieved Mary Lou of 1,200 Euros in fines and stamped her passport in red and she was banished back to the wilds of Canada, where the wild geese go, for three months. She's baaaaack – and she's already had a set of visa photos taken . . .

   
 
   
 

No name: We would love to tell you about the local bar owner who is rumoured to be marrying his long-time girlfriend, but we've been forbidden to print his name. Tsk, tsk. So, we won't mention it – we'll only say: gelukwensen . . .

Spell your name, please:: Development Ministry inspection teams will step up market checks in the area with an emphasis on tourist places in a bid to keep a check on the quality of services offered and stamp out profiteering. The inspectors are ordered to apply the law strictly and publish the names of violators in order to inform consumers about them . . . Starting a business? Good luck! According to European Union data on the 15 original EU members, Greece lay in 13th place on the length of time it took to approve the setup of a new business, currently 38 days. This survey was based on official figures and, as experts acknowledged, a rather idealized situation which hides the months-long hassle that awaits would-be entrepreneurs . . .

 
 

 
 

Great audience: Keith Eardley, talented musician and quipster, had his wife, Meg, in stitches during a recent holiday. Keith is a vocalist and plays harmonica and several other instruments with the Dustbowl String Band, a five-piece band which performs blue-grass music in the Warwick, Leamington, Coventry area of England. He sat in with several other musicians at a swinging jam session at the Neraida Restaurant in Kokkini Hani while here on one of his regular annual visits . . .
       
 
   
 

Treasure hunt: Robert Ballard, the American oceanographer who discovered the Titanic's resting place, is diving into Cretan waters in search of Mediterranean sea trade routes, and recording ancient shipwrecks . . .

Congratulations: A Ko-Go salute and poli kala goes to University Hospital for realizing there are thousands of citizens here who have a tough time with the Greek language – especially with difficult medical words. To ease the way for foreigners the hospital has installed all signage in both Greek and English. Hopefully, the other hospitals, and places like the motor vehicle and tax offices, will follow suit . . .

   
  Mine's bigger than yours: Soon–to-be mums, Sarah Paolucci (left) of Gournes, and Catrin Johansson of Analipsi, compare tummies during a recent meeting at a Kokkini Hani restaurant . . .

 Another O'Connor? Jackie O'Connor of Ireland took over the shop in Gouves previously owned by Patty O'Connor, but she's quick to point out that "we're not related!" While Patty had an Irish pub, Jackie's shop is called "Little Treasures," and offers an array of unique gifts and collectables, many imported from Ireland.