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Crete welcomes Russian Cosmonaut as a Fallen Ikaros

Thanassis Avgerinos (left) with cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko (center) and Alexandros Agelopoulos, owner of Aldermar.

The whole point of my report his goes beyond cool news of Russian astronauts kicking back on Crete. What’s interesting for me, and surely for property managers on Crete, is the potential conduit in between Russians and new places they’ve probably not heard so much about. In the case here, one of Russia’s most famous space heroes gets to be an emissary as well as a test pilot of Crete therapy.

Greece tourism and the Crete hospitality industry just got a rocket boost from Russian Space Agency Roscosmos. Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko’s landing, first on planet Earth, and then on the Greece’s biggest Island, has put Greek hospitality to the test. Here’s a mission update on Malenchenko’s progress recuperating and on his experiences so far, in the land of Filoxenia.

I reported for Sputnik (how appropriate is that?) last week on a new program for treating cosmonauts’ post mission fatigue, which Malenchenko is helping to conduct. Now, after a week on Crete, the stressed of a 6 month mission aboard the International Space Station seem to be melting away on the face of the 54 year old Russian space man. Accompanied by his wife Catherine and daughter Camilla, along with Roscosmos medics, Malenchenko spent his first post mission days at the new Anemos Grand Luxury Resort in Chania province. In my earlier report revealed a joint post-mission cosmonaut recovery experiment organized by Roscosmos doctors, longtime Greece-Russia friendship emissary Thanassis Avgerinos of the “Agora” agency, and Eyewide digital marketing.

The media has covered the story fairy extensively now, but some fascinating aspects of the new “cosmonaut” therapy end-mission are particularly interesting, including this “Filoxenia” aspect. For those unfamiliar, the Crete people are  world renowned for their “love of strangers” since ancient times. According to Malenchenko’s doctors, this, and the Cretan diet, played a big role in Roscosmos selecting Crete. Personally, I can attest to the healing qualities of the place myself, having spent time recuperating there after an illness a couple years back. Filoxenia is a reality, and so the Cosmonaut story caught my eye.  

Malenchenko is most famous for having married his lovely wife, Ekaterina while on a previous mission in space. His most recent mission was as the Soyuz spacecraft commander, that carried he, NASA’s Tim Kopra, Tim Peake of the European Space Agency aloft and back. Today, after relaxing at Anemos, and having experienced a good dose of the local sights and hospitality, Malenchenko has now moved up the coast to the Aldemar Royal Mare Resort near Hersonissos. This resort is world renowned as one of the 10 best Thalasso treatment centers, which use seawater as therapy. I caught up with Malenchenko and the organizers this morning, to check on his progress.

Minas Liapakis, whom I had connected with previously, reported Malenchenko paying a visit to the Skinakas Observatory, of the University of Crete. The image above of Malenchenko with the university’s rector, Dr. Odysseas Zoras, was shared by the university and the observatory. The facility, usually closed to tourists, was opened especially for the cosmonaut to inspect Crete’s best astronomical observatory.

Previously the Malenchenko family visited one of the world’s most beautiful stretches of sand at Elafonisi Beach, as well as the world’s oldest living olive tree at Voulves, near Chania, while staying at the Anemos property. Liapakis also conveyed the news of Yuri and family taking part in a Cretan wedding with more than 2,500 people in attendance. I bring up this point to illustrate something I learned earlier from organizers. Apparently, 6 months in space has a strange, if logical effect on astronauts. On first arriving, Malenchenko seemed very reserved, at least according to his hosts. Interestingly, on immersion with locals, the Russia cosmonaut reverted rather quickly to his old self. At list this is what I was told, and it seems typical for all travelers to Crete. Of course this sounds a bit promotional, but I assure you I met people who traveled to Crete for a first visit, who never left. The place is that welcoming. 

The whole point of my report his goes beyond cool news of Russian astronauts kicking back on Crete. What’s interesting for me, and surely for property managers on Crete, is the potential conduit in between Russians and new places they’ve probably not heard so much about. In the case here, one of Russia’s most famous space heroes gets to be an emissary as well as a test pilot of Crete therapy. The resort and other visitation organized for Malenchenko are wonderful to be sure, but I assure you they are also typical in many regards. When we were on Crete, it was as if we were adopted. I venture to say I paid for two meals in a whole month while there. Everybody on the Island is generous to a flaw. 

Summing up, last year when Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov and his medical team came to Crete to establish this rehabilitation program, expectations were high. Most people have no conception of what we mean when we say “the rigors of space”. To give you an idea, this report on Space.com, from NASA astronaut, Canadian Chris Hadfield speaks volumes about the strange transition from space to terra firma. According to the first Canadian to walk in space, on returning to gravity he could literally feel his lips and tongue, and having to learn to talk again. Hadfield was on the ISS a month less than Malenchenko’s team, so one can imagine why Yuri’s demeanor was not originally open and chatty. Pointedly, NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston is recovery central for American and Canadian astronauts. And in the past places like Bali and typical touristic destinations were chosen for the Russians. Now, real research into the effects of this “Filoxenia” aspect are already revealing a re-introduction smoothness not existent in the past. Furthermore, this NASA story about astronaut Scott Kelly’s readjustment after almost a year in space sheds light on why Russian doctors considered the Cretan diet in deliberations. Not many think about how strange space food is, and fewer imagine having to adapt to eating back on Earth. The reality is there though, as this Telegraph story about Yuri’s crewmate Tim Peake tells us. Recuperation of the complete human system is what we are talking about here. I guess it all boils down to ideal situations, and from my experienced (Filoxenia) standpoint, few places hold more rejuvenative value than the Island where Zorba taught us to dance. And just as sirens on Crete lamented legendary Ikaros falling to Earth, Crete holds a strange power of terra firma.

Editor - Pamil Visions PR | + Posts

Phil is a prolific technology, travel, and news journalist and editor. An engineer by trade, he is a partner in one of Europe’s leading PR and digital marketing firms, Pamil Visions PR. 

He’s also a Huffington Post contributor on many topics, a travel and tech writer for The Epoch Times in print and online, and for several magazines including Luxurious. 

Phil also contributes regularly to TravelDailyNews, The official Visit Greece Blog, and is an analyst for Russia Today and other media. 

His firm has done all the content for Time Magazine’s top travel site Stay.com, as well as other online travel portals such as Vinivi out of France. He’s also a very influential evangelist of social media and new digital business, with a network of some of the most notable business people therein.

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