23/04/23

[Maik]

Today’s bank rates:
1 €UR = £0.9080 GBP
1 €UR = $1.1272 USD
£1 GBP = 1.1013 €UR
$1 USD = 0.8872 €UR

Based on Alpha Bank exchange rates, these are widely used by exchange agencies in Greece.
Other banks likely to offer a different rate which may be marginally higher or lower.
Banks and foreign exchange offices normally charge standard 2% commission.
You may get a better rate changing your holiday money in advance at e.g the Post Office.
NB: some f-ex agencies advertise "No Commission".
Invariably, they deduct commission before they (don't) advertise the rate.
Foreign exchange offices are businesses, not charities.

Ten day weather forecast for Kefalonia:
This is an overall forecast, due to the mountainous terrain the weather can be very localised.
Updated forecast @ weather.com

Day, Date   Hi°/Lo°   Wind sp   Wet   Forecast
Sun 23/04   18°/11°   12 km/h   05%   Mostly sunny
Mon 24/04   19°/13°   14 km/h   14%   Mostly sunny
Tue 25/04   19°/13°   16 km/h   15%   Sun & cloud
Wed 26/04   18°/12°   22 km/h   24%   Mostly sunny
Thu 27/04   18°/12°   24 km/h   08%   Sunny
Fri 28/04   19°/12°   15 km/h   08%   Mostly sunny
Sat 29/04   19°/13°   16 km/h   08%   Mostly sunny
Sun 30/04   19°/13°   15 km/h   14%   Sun & cloud
Mon 01/05   19°/13°   16 km/h   24%   Sun & cloud
Tue 02/05   19°/13°   19 km/h   32%   Showers possible

[Maik]

5 little known facts about St George

https://www.history.co.uk/articles/little-known-facts-about-st-george

No dragons were harmed in the creation of that myth.

[Maik]

On Sunday 23 April 2023 at 3pm, there will be a national test of the UK Emergency Alerts service.

[Maik]

Hearing aid users warned to disconnect them before emergency alerts

Charities say the 3pm siren, designed to test whether the system could be activated in a real national emergency, might damage people's ears

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/04/22/turn-your-hearing-aids-off-for-emergency-alerts-public-told/


I'm guessing that if your cell phone's out of the UK today it won't get an alert?

[Maik]

Could be a slow news day for the Telegraph, they're echoing a Which? report on the 'Hi Mum' scam - reported by Which? back in September, 2022.  It's the one where scammers claim to be a family member, usually an adult offspring, who's in desperate need of money. Nowt new but worth remembering it's still doing the rounds. There's also a variation on this theme: scammers pretend to be parents in urgent need of money from 'their' adult offspring.

Telegraph article / Which? report

[Maik]

Lots of articles on the 'net re the emergency alarm test later today, haven't read 'em all so only just noticed it will only work on 'phones on 4G or 5G networks. According to gov.uk/alerts,

Emergency alerts work on:

*  iPhones running iOS 14.5 or later
*  Android phones and tablets running Android 11 or later

And sometime in the future scammers are bound to send fake emergency alerts.

[expat]

I reckon it will work on any smart phone that gets 4 or 5 g,  one of my phones is android 9, i am convinced it will get it, i would put money on it, we shall see shortly.

[expat]

Yup, both phones got it, although ours were 15 minutes late!

[Maik]

Nowt on an old 'phone running Android 5.1.

Mind you, it hasn't got a SIM card in it 

[Maik]

Michael Gove: Holiday homes are turning seaside towns into ‘permanent Airbnbs’
Interview: Housing Secretary says crackdown essential to keep properties for locals

Holiday home owners are turning coastal towns into hotels with an “almost permanent Airbnb setting”, Michael Gove has said.

In a full-throated defence of his plans to force second home owners to seek planning permission before renting out their properties as holiday lets, the Housing Secretary insisted that “the issue there is a simple one of fairness”.

Speaking to The Telegraph, he said: “We're not saying that people shouldn't be able, when they themselves are on holiday or away for business, to let out their home through Airbnb. Of course they can.

“But there is a phenomenon. And it does occur in coastal areas, and in some of our most attractive tourist areas; where you will have institutions buying up properties, and then having them in almost permanent Airbnb setting.

“And what they've done is that in effect, taken local housing stock – that local people expected it to be for them – and turned it into a sort of rival hotel.”

The trend “causes local people a degree of angst” as well as putting second home owners using Airbnb at a competitive advantage relative to the owner of the B&B or the owner of a small hotel, he said.

“I'm not saying that people shouldn't be able to run a business like that. But if it is a business rather than a home, then we should recognise [that].”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/04/23/holiday-home-seaside-town-airbnb-michael-gove/

Airbnb... ain't they the ones that advertised "live like a local" or something similar? What friggin' locals?
 

[Maik]

Reports in the media that the alarm test was hit and miss: Telegraph / Independent / Guardian

[Maik]

Aegean 20% Off Flights From Italy, Spain & UK To Greece July 1 – November 30, 2023 (Book By May 3)

https://loyaltylobby.com/2023/04/23/aegean-20-off-flights-from-italy-spain-uk-to-greece-july-1-november-30-2023-book-by-may-3/

https://en.aegeanair.com/flight-deals/offers-competitions/visa-offer/

[Maik]

Two die after waiter flambeing meal sets restaurant on fire

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/04/23/flambe-pizza-fire-kills-two-madrid-restaurant/

[Misty]

Lots of articles on the 'net re the emergency alarm test later today, haven't read 'em all so only just noticed it will only work on 'phones on 4G or 5G networks. According to gov.uk/alerts,

Emergency alerts work on:

*  iPhones running iOS 14.5 or later
*  Android phones and tablets running Android 11 or later

And sometime in the future scammers are bound to send fake emergency alerts.

Just wondering if they get any/many fake alerts in Greece, it must be a similar system that's already in use over there