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| Wed Dec 29 - Left - Bemeni gets a halo for comforting young locals mid week with a Big Winter Wednesday. A great distraction on a wet and stormy night. After New Years' Eve, Bemenis will be shut again until next Season, but until then, the hills are alive with music, as it echoes and bounces from Frikes peak to peak. |
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| Answer - The heavy rains are playing havoc with internet connections. Question - Why are you not putting much new stuff on the site? Other reason is also - there is not that much to put on and it's a good time for me to have a little break. |
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| Ithaca has mountain goats as all Greek islands, but also mountain cows, bulls and calfs. Magic hoofs on our rocky slopes and slippery roads. A traffic jam with a difference. |
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Bottoms up! |
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| After a week of non-stop rain it was great to get out and party the New Year in at Spavento Bar in Kioni. From Kioni to Vathy parties were going on until dawn. As is tradition, the last hours of the year are spent at home with the family around, but once the clock strikes 0.00, it's on with the dancing shoes and party clothes. Stomachs are well lined after big New Years Eve meals, to take on the svinakia and other dangers poured across the bars of Ithaki, a world wide constition that leaves trails of limp bodies strewn across the fields and along the beaches of the island (kidding) after a well lubricated welcoming of the New Year. |
| click on photo left for more pics of New Years Eve at Spavento |
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A present for the New Year |
Anastasia was born 9th November to Niko Vasilopoulos and his wife Julia Andrianatou (Antikeimeno Tzoylia - Jewellery in Frikes) and Ariadne was born 5th December to Nektarios Vasilopoulos and wife Poppy Pagoulatou (Rementzo Restaurant - Frikes). One can guess that it was a happy Christmas for the Vasilopoulos family. Parents and grandparents (Anastasia and Lazeros Vasilopoulos, Yiannis and Marina Andrianatos, Vagelio and Andreas Pagoulatos) are of course very proud and very excited about the new additions to their families. |
Friends and relatives span the continents. Greece to Australia, the UK, South Africa and the US, so what better way to share than via hOME ithaca greece website. Happy New Year to everyone. |
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EPIPHANY DAY |
Thursday 6th January |
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Introducing (left) Ariadne and (right) Anastasia Vasilopoulos. |
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This Greek ritual takes place all over the world. It's the celebration of the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist and on Ithaki, it brings the communities out of their winter comfort to take part. |
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The mild winters day, bathed in lots of sunshine, helped the young men to brave the cold waters of Ithaki when it was time for the ritual diving in to retrieve the cross from the sea. |
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Around VathyIthaca - Monday 10th Jan 2005 |
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Jan 10 - A beautiful day around the Ionian. Just the thing to get outside and meet with some friends over a cup of Greek coffee. The Vathy town square was buzzing with activity. If it wasn't for the winter coats, this day could easily be mistaken for a summers' day. The old locals say that it's usual to have this weather in January. A two week solstice from the cold February ahead.
Jan 21 - Ithaki is very, very quiet at the moment. Lots of rain, but with many sunny breaks and of course breathtaking views. The cold is also keeping people indoors. It's agreed that this winter is very mild however. No -8 degrees like last year, and so far no sign of snow on the mainland peaks in the distance . Sundays seem to be the time for Spavento in Kioni where a BYO Ouzeri has become the attraction for those cold and lonely days. Winter fun. Here's Frikes on a rainy day.
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CLICK ON PHOTO ABOVE TO ENLARGE Sun 23 Jan - What a great day. Clear, brrrrrr cold and cloudless. Locals were out sightseeing the island and why not, it was the perfect weather for it. Snow covered peaks in the distance, calm blue seas all around and lots of sun. |
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Wed 26 Jan - Below. Look what dropped into my garden this afternoon. Click on pic for big 1 |
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Not much news from Ithaki. It's cold, it's raining, everybody's having or had babies and are staying indoors. Anyone looking to start a business on the island should consider setting up a Creche. Over the next week I'll see if I can tear myself away from fame story to check out the new Bar with Asian food in Vathy. For all you Kioni fanatics, you'll remember Dimitri, who worked at Spavento Bar for many years, well he's relocated to Vathy and is now serving up his usual chatter there. |
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Sat jan 29th - Below - Chez Manu in Vathy. It was a cold and stormy night, but the new eating venue, Chez Manu had a warm and inviting atmospheres, delicious, fresh Asian food, silent movie screening, good music and happy patrons with chop sticks in hand. Who cares it's stormy. |
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Emanual, Owner and Chef, but also a friendly host, cooks up a storm inside. |
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For 5 euro per exquisite dish,except for prawns which is 7, makes eating at Chez Manu a great change to the traditional fare. |
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Silent movie screen above and Christos Raftopoulos' collection of 'the Children of Ulysses' photographs display proudly on the walls of Chez Manu. You no longer need to wonder what could possibly be done with the old IKA offices. Just go look for yourselves. Very impressive from every angle. Chez Manu is situated in the narrow back street behind the the Vathy Post Office. |
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For those wondering what has become of this winters Cinema programme, the answer is, there is none. Complications with equipment transfer have halted this season for the movie goers of Ithaki. |
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February will see a mass exodus of locals as they head off for their holidays. On Ithaki it's a must to break up the lonely winter with a trip to anywhere. |
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Sun 30 Jan - Last nights thunder storms must have broken the volume record. While hail pounded the pavenment, each crack of lightning sucked the electricity from the atmosphere. It was a wild and furious night! Today the sun is trying to break through and the horizon is finally visible again. No snow on Ithaki yet. It is cold, but nothing like last years' bitter chill. |
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| Congratulations to everyone who got through January ok because here comes February. It's worse. |
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