Matters Lavatorial most Greek sanitory plumbing is done with 3 inch pipe, not the 4 inch we use in England. This means that it blocks easier if paper is put down it.

Outside of major towns there are no sewers, just cess pits, ours is a chamber cut out of the chalk and capped. These can last for ages, but fill up considerably quicker if you flush lavatory paper down them.

So most people put used lavatory paper in a bin by the lavatory (usually lined with a plastic bag). Then they put the bag in the big communial rubbish bins that are dotted along all urban roads.These bins have lids to keep the rats out and stand in the full sun.

No matter what you do with your lavatory paper, it's a good idea to hold your breath when dumping your rubbish, or when walking by.

Dogs like most continentals the Greeks think that dogs are no good unless they bark, so make sure that they do. They bark at anything at any time. If one dog barks then they all bark. If they all bark then they keep on barking because there are dogs barking. This can go on for hours at any time of day or night.

Dogs are noisy, but mules are deafening.

Avrio, you either love it or you hate it, it means the same as the Spanish manyana, but without the urgency.

Things that bite there are snakes, we know someone that trod on one and was bitten, but he was considered very unlucky. My wife claims to have seen snakes in the field next to us, I haven't.

There are scorpions, supposedly they are not very deadly, more like a very bad bee sting. I always wear gloves when moving stones so I do not know if that is true.

Mosquitoes of course, these like cover, but then so do the Greeks who provide shade outside taveras- so you are most likely to be bitten having dinner.

Ticks but then they also exist in England. Crete is sheep and goat country, if you walk in the long grass, wear long trousers.

Euphorbia In England the sap of this plant can give you a rash, in Crete it can be far worse and some of the Cretan versions are spiney. When handling wear protection, especially protect your eyes, click on the pic for a larger version

The Climate 'he's flipped', your thinking, but you have to take into consideration that there aren't any prolonged freezing temperatures in the winter, but there are periods of cold with high humidity. Respiratory problems are common.

In the summer the slightest graze can cause problems, we use tea tree oil extensively.