Kites dot Clean Monday skies
Encouraged by strong winds, thousands of Greeks took to low hills and open fields yesterday to fly kites in the traditional celebration of Clean Monday, the first day of Lent. Athenians flocked to the hills of Philopappos and Tourkovounia, while many risked congested areas with low electricity lines. As a result, several 10-minute power cuts caused by caught kites affected the southern coastal suburbs, Piraeus and the Perama area, but no injuries were reported. There were long traffic jams again yesterday on the main roads leading back to the capital, as tens of thousands of Athenians headed back after the Carnival and Clean Monday three-day holiday. Traffic police opened extra lanes for Athens-bound vehicles, while trucks over 1.5 tons were banned from heading for the capital. Carnival festivities wound up on Sunday, with large parades in the northwestern Peloponnesian town of Patras – Greece’s major Carnival destination, which received over 250,000 visitors over the past three weeks – Athens, Piraeus, and various celebrations in towns and villages across Greece. NSF has disputed the validity of the letter, submitted in photocopied form, and sued, alleging forgery on April 4, 2001. Sectro still must produce the original.
