!!!!!!! PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU POST !!!!!!!!!!

If you are in Halkidiki (or been in Halkidiki during the last couple of days) and you have information about the situation please post it here.

Post just the facts.

!!!!!!! PLEASE DO NOT POST ANY QUESTIONS HERE !!!!!!!!

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Nikos
Forum Admin
nikos at halkidiki.com



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/2006 05:00AM by Nikos.

I would just like to inform anybody that is about to depart for their holidays to Halkidiki that there is no danger and don't be put off coming.

Was it bad? Yes it was.

Is it a disaster? No it isn't. Everybody WAS running scared wondering whether they WERE in danger, if their homes/businesses/cars were on fire andif they would ever recover from such terrible events.

How are things now? The effort of the locals to restore order and normality has been outstanding. Everybody taking part in their own little clean up operations. After a meeting with the local shop owners, everybody is converging on the square at 7AM to clean up any remaining damage or anything affected by the smoke and ash, not fire. I can count on one hand how many hours sleep my wife has had in the last 3 days. Many of the villagers risked their own lives keeing Hanioti village the beautiful and safe holiday destination that it was and still is. We owe them a debt of gratitude. The very night after the main fire, as soon as we had electricity and water, we were open. The next night, everything was open. So things are pretty good considering....

What about the smoke and ash? Yes the last few days have been affected by smoke but every day gets better and better. A little smoke was to be expected as thousands of square metres of countryside went up in flames. The ash, well, nothing a good hosing or sweeping hasn't sorted.

I am speaking for Hanioti but I am sure this is being repeated up and down the peninsular by other villages.

So, if you are planning to visit, there is a friendly welcome waiting for you and please dont abandon us for the sake of a lot of exaggeration and sacremongering.

Leigh & Eleni

The Hot Goblin

I do not want to be alarmist, and I was hoping all was OK, but I have spoken with Morfy at the Sweet Coffee Shop in Kriopigi this morning and she is quite distressed, and said there were a few more smaller fires occuring today and about ten planes trying to put them out, including around Kassandra Palace hotel, Mola Kaliva and Kassandrino area.

She has said that most hotels are almost empty and that the atmosphere is still very smoky. Morfy has not interest in making things sound worse, she has her own business and obviously wants tourists over there, but I am sure she would not tell me, as a good friend, anything that was not completely true.

We need some more info please from others actually over there.

What a terrible shame for such a beautiful area. There are reports over here that arson may be to blame. These land developers need to know the reason so many people go to Halkidiki is because it is so green. If it all becomes just a totally built up area without the greeness it will not have the same appeal, so they are killing off the tourism by doing something like this, that is IF it is arson of course. I am not sure when we will know for sure, but I do hope I don't see lots of houses being built when I next go over in place of the forests. It would certainly spoil it for me.

just got back from hanoti this morning after being evacuated from hanoit on tues. We wanted to be transfered to somewhere else as we had only started our holiday on monday but was informed by reps in thessalonka that they have been informed by the foreign office to get everyone out as there are still fires burning all over. I have to say when we was driving through on our way out we could see new fires all around pass kasandra. We had to spend the night on the beach on monday and it was an awfull experience with fire and smoke all around us. So I dont think people were panicking it was just very frightening

We have just returned back last night from Hanioti after being evacuated from the Hotel Pella Beach on Tuesday evening (after waiting 5 hours for a coach to pick us up!!! ) and taken to Thessalonka.As we left Hanioti the whole place was still surronded by smoke and you could still see fires in the hills. Ash was still constantly falling.After arriving in Thessalonka we were being turned away from hotels as as they were all full of evacuees, it took three attemps to find a hotel for our coach party.After watching Greek T.V. at 2pm yesterday afternoon in the hotel then, as far as we can see , then no -way is this fire yet under control, as the pictures were still alarming.We don't want to alarm people, but we are just so releived to be back home safe. The tour operators just were not able to cope.We would not like people to have to go through what we have gone through without being warned.

The fires are under control and there is no danger.The hotels are still open and the holiday companies are bringguests back to the hotels.
Most TV and newspapers concentrate on the sensational stuff when in reality the towns were largely unaffected by the fires apart from smoke and ash.
I am still in the area and I can tell you it is a bright clear sunny day and no danger so come on and enjoy your holiday

Please can anyone advise how things are in Kalitia?

We are due to fly out for 2 weeks at the Nostos Hotel. Although we would dearly love to come still I suffer from Asthma and do not want it to be aggravated by smoke/ash in the air.

Thanking you in advance

Tina

Agree with you Roy the newspapers and tv want to keep it as sensational for as long as possible, they dont want to hear about the place returning to normal it doesnt interest them.

Comment by two british journalists at Selonica airport yesterday overheard by our friends ' that was the best 24 hours I've ever had'. Needless to say she nearly ripped his head off. It may have been a good story for them but for all the tourists and the locals that are still trying to get their heads round it I really feel for them.

Leigh and Roy speaking on this forum are both respectable people, and if they say the area is okay then it is.

Morfy is a respectable person too ! ! I am not sure if she was describing what it is like in Kriopigi with smoke, or in nearby Hanioti, Polichrono etc. What I am sure is that she said there were a few more fires this morning near Kassandra Palace hotel and kalandra, mola kaliva, and ten planes brought in to put them out.

Hello All

Can you tell me how things are in Paliouri? Was it affected by fire? What is now about smoke/ash? I understand the fire was a bit on the north and I am concerned about wind direction?

Thanks!

I have just heard from Tompson that they wont be flying to Halkidiki on Monday. I have been offered an alternative holiday somewhere else but no refund. I am well fed up, was really looking forward to staying at the Diana again :-(

Sorry about this. Tompson have changed from definitely no to definitely yes for Monday to fly to Halkidiki. They say there are only two hotels they are not going to and the Diana is OK. This may change depending on who you talk to at Tompson so please ignore my post.

KRIOPIGI RESORT - HOTEL LIST: ALL OPEN !!

Here is a Hotel list from Kriopigi resort.
As I said earlier at another post, none of the hotels, or the forest, or the village of Kriopigi have
been effected from the fire,as the fire did stop a few km away from here.
Here is a list from all the hotels ,OPEN in KRIOPIGI:

- Kassandra Palace
- Kassndra Inn
- Kriopigi Beach
- Aegean Apts
- Theo Bung.
- Kassandra Bay
- Kala
- Adonis
- Pighi
- Skendos
- Ilios
- Medusa
- Estia studios
- Alkion
- Aethrion
- Paradise
- Posseidon View
- Pashos
- Alexander the great
- Forest park
- Palladium
- Aegean Melathron
- Pallini Beach
- Athos Palace
As well as all the bars ,tavernas, restaurants, souvenir shops, rent a car, banks etc, ALL OPEN IN KRIOPIGI !! and at the near by areas.

ENJOY !!
Sakis
'Akropolis' restaurant
Kriopigi

PS
Plesae have a look at the User's Photo Album .You 'll see photos from the surrounding area of Kriopigi under the title:
'From my balcony' .
I took those photos Thursday 24TH AUG. at AFTERNOON.

Su tu nejakí Slováci, Češi, Poliaci, ktorí sú na Kassandre? Ozvite sa!!!

Can anyone translate ?

Well we arrived back yesterday.

I can understand some suggesting there was panic on Monday and that maybe people were over cautious, but hindsight is a brilliant thing.

I also would suggest that those with businesses in Kassandra would obviously try to underplay the danger. But I'll give you some facts from my perspective and then the judgement is in your court.

Monday afternoon my daughter and I had been to the Crazy Golf bar and on our way back the wind picked up and started to blow things around the centre. We got soaked by the fountain just as I took her photo in front of it. But no danger obvious. We heard sirens as we walked back towards the Angelo which for those who don't know is to the far left of the resort as you look at it from the sea and its garden area backs up onto the main road via around 20 steps. We stayed by the pool a while and then went in to get changed for our usual night out.

My daughter went out onto the balcony around 7.30 and said there was a smell of burning . There often was with barbecues, etc and we thought nothing of it.

So Monday night at around 8pm we were just setting out for the Maharijni Indian restaurant when we realised the wind had really got up and from the pool area we could see lots of smoke, and trees aflame with burning embers starting to float about. The vast majority there were families with children and with some babies. Many children were running about crying and definitely panicking. We weren't too sure what to do but the fire was certainly heading our way. I was trying to stay calm so as not panic my wife and daughter while I decided the best course of action This took minutes only. The blindingly obvious was that sea doesn't burn so we would head for the beach - which everyone else was also shouting at this point.

We ran straight down the road outside the Angelo and there was chaos. Cars trying to get out, people running, cars reversing out of hotels and blocking the roads, people shouting, kids crying, etc. My daughter's leg was caught by an ember leaving a small burn. Some people were carrying bags - even large suitcases! We got to the beach which was thronged with people from all nationalities - Kassandra seems to attract a lot of visitors from former Eastern Bloc countries, Serbia, Croatia, Russias, Romania, etc and sorting out languages is far more difficult than with French. German, etc. We felt very much alone in the groups. We walked along the beach away from the trees towards the centre of Hanioti. As we looked back the fire came right down to the beach and burned out the Beach bar. Eventuially we walked further along until we came down to the area where the dry river runs down to the beach and we stopped there when we met another couple of English people. While there all the electric went off. While we were talking to them a voice behind us spoke up asking if we remembered him - he was the owner of the Maharijni and had recognised us from two nights earlier. Gutu (I think) gave us water, fruit juice, brought sheets, food, etc and checked on us later. He was brilliant! We also met up with the Clark family from the Angelo and we stuck together from then on. All the while we could see flames in the background and a bright orange sky. The wind was strong from behind us and blowing to the left now so we hoped blowing the fire away from us but the wind dropped and changed directions on several occasions so I never relaxed. The smoke was heavy and many were covering their faces with damp cloths. We stayed on the beach til 6.00am - others left but initially we expected to have lost everything because we thought the hotel would have gone. When Bob Clark and son Andrew went up at about 2.00am they found all intact and we were amazed. However the sky was still red and we stayed on the beach for safety. At around 6.00 - when it got light - we went up to find the Angelo staff sleeping on sun beds by the pool. They had managed to control small fires including on which burnt a corner of the bar/reception roof.

Many others would have stayed and helped out on the night but they had families to look after and no way was I leaving my wife and daughter to look after themselves. We did go back in to Hanioti and found Gutu to return sheets, towels and to offer help but he was sorted by then. We went back to the hotel as our rep had told us to stay there until we got news. We had no water or electricity at this stage of course. As the day went on the smoke got worse and you could see fire in the distancxe with buildings on the hills ablaze. More worryingly was the wind blowing our way again. The debris was dropping like snow with clothing and cases covered in white powder. For anyone with chest problems (asthma) it was especially uncomfortable. OUr rep from T Cook arrived and we were given 10 minutes notice to pack to be evacuated (Foreign Office insistence) at about 16.00 and as we threw things in the cases the electric came on. We then took our bags to the roadside and waited. After about 2 hours another T Cook rep drove up and apologised for the delay, said they now had the coaches organised and would be with us in 1/2 hr.

Eventually at 21.30 the coach arrived. People were fairly dischuffed by now. Many took out that frustration on reps. They took us to Thessaloniki for a meal (about 23.30) and we queued outside a taverna for a free meal (salad, bread, chips, pork/burger, beer/pop which filled a gap for some who had little to eat that day. We were then taken to the Holiday Inn in Thessaloniki. We were told we might go back to Hanioti on the Weds! I said no way unless you can totally assure our safety and as we were coming home Thursday Am we really could not see any point. We stayed, and we are home.

I'm really sorry for the great people of Hanioti if this hurts their business but anyone who spent Monday and Tuesday as we had just wanted to get home. They certainly didn't seem to have it under control Weds as we saw lots of fire engines/police heading towards Kassandra and the reps admitted we wouldn't have gone back. Our rep suggested we would get no compensation because it was a "natural disaster" but the police were suggesting arson was possible so that isn't natural. We are happy to be home and safe. Easy now to say we panicked but having nver been involved in a fire before I can tell you we did what we believed was the safest thing for our families. Thanks to everone who helped and was supportive. We made some good friends that first night! More about hotels, restaurants, Central Cafe, etc later when I get the smaell of smoke from everything!

Cheers, Graham

Wow Graham that's an excellent post that puts things into perspective, glad to hear that you're all well though. It's doesn't bear thinking about what might have happened if this wind change had happened in the middle of the night rather than in the evening.

Fingers crossed for everyone with businesses left to pick up the pieces. See you all in 2007.

Just wanted to dsay I was there in May and I wish everyone all the best, its a wonderful place with wonderful people, hot goblin and kelfos especially (Ross from Rhondda)

Graham, excellent, descriptive posting that absolutely describes the situation that occurred. Spoke to our friends in Afitos which was unaffected for the most part by the smoke etc. and they agreed that Hanioti had been damaged quite badly but that things were getting back to normal. Here's looking forward to visiting Halkidiki in 2007.

Just to say that our friends Lee and Charlie (Charlotte) left the morning of the fire and were extremely complimentary about Hot Goblin and we were planning to go there ourselves at their recommendation! Unfortunately we never got the chance. I'd recommend Central Cafe as a place to people-watch in style having being introduced by Steve from here (hope you are OK Steve?) Afros is quite nice too for a beer and has internet access. To be honest we hadn't been massively impressed by many of the restaurants or food - we have 20+ years experience of the Greek Islands - but we didn't have any bad meals. The Mediterranean was excellent and of course the Maharanje - Indian, from the Punjab and open May to October, was superb for a change!

Yours,

Still smoked like a kipper!

Graham