Wednesday 23rd - A strange sort of day today. A little cloudy, a little sunny, a little chilly and a little warm. For walkers, it's ideal. Everyone seems to be commenting that it's rather quiet for this time of year, but it is only May and each May the same comment is made. No doubt profits are down and things are a little tight in regard to tourism, fear and the unknown consequence, but when we're talking Ithaca, Ithaca really hasn't changed that much over the past few years either in terms of prices or lifestyle, and although we are not underplaying the political and economical predicament that the country is in, we do want to give a balanced view of what it means at the ground roots of the island. Don't believe all the bad press you read warning that your holidays will be less than what you expect should you come to Greece, as alot of it is BS. There are people right now standing outside their businesses, be it tourism or restaurants etc, ready to welcome the visitor to the island. I say this again and again, Ithaca is one of the safest environments you could hope to visit with some of the friendliest people you could hope to meet. Greeks aren't the only ones suffering financially. I could go down the list of countries and communities suffering from an economic downturn, but what does it actually mean for you, the visitor, the traveler.. Well, from what I see, you will all get very special attention because with the state of things the way they are, Ithacan's don't want to lose what they make their livelihoods from. I've received emails from people who are nudged away from coming to Greece by 'over the top' reports in the media. I can't guarantee nothing will happen to you, who can. You might bite your tongue eating fresh calamari from the grill and need stitches. I can guarantee however, that our beautiful environment will be waiting for you to enjoy. Left - Karamela Cafe in Vathy is a popular hang-out for locals and visitors alike. They boast some good prices and are open for snacks.

Left - Quite a few more yachts sailing into Ithaki's bays now. Vathy was quite active this morning.
If you're wondering about the tents, I can tell you that some restaurants have put them up again and some have kept the umbrella's. The cafes in Vathy Square are still under umbrella's, while in Kioni, the tents have all gone up again.

If you're looking for something to do, try taking a day trip to one of the beaches that are only accessible by boat. Above Left - Vathy Bayside. Left - Kanelata in the distance, a region of Vathy.

Left - A local Frikes fisherman, tenderizes a octopus on the pier. From the Ionian to the grill and onto the plate. Now that the weather is fine again, local fisherman head out each day for their catch.

Left - Stella Papadopoulos and her son Alexi were taking it easy in Frikes this morning, while enjoying a coffee at Fiorendino Cafe Bar. Stella and Alexi are always looking in on ithacagreece.com so it's nice to get an opportunity to look in on them and to meet them. Although their roots are from ithaki, their lives have been in South Africa up until now. Alexi plans to move on to Australia in the near future.

Just a reminder that Papoulaki is on again in Stavros on the 26th. It's a great traditional parade from Ag. Barbara church down to Sortiros. If you want to capture something traditional with your camera, this would be a great opportunity.

Friday 25th - Had the opportunity to get up early yesterday and caught the sunrise. Makes not getting enough sleep actually worth it. What a strange weather week we've had. It's actually been very chilly when the sun isn't out and when the sun is out, all the extra clothes come off because it's so hot. Early Thursday morning it rained as some mild thunderstorms passed over. The bureau says it's going to fine up again from today/tomorrow. Let's hope so. The bout of early summer we had a few weeks ago, has left us ill prepared for the cooler temps we've been having this past week. Left - Sunrise over Frikes Bay as seen from Apostolata, Stavros. Below Left - Sunrise from Apostalata Stavros looking toward Lefkada island in the distance.

Left - Just outside Lefki heading south and looking across to Sami in Cephalonia. The water was like glass early in the morning, but chopped up again just after midday. Below - Yachts head back out to sea after a night in Ithaki's capital of Vathy. The sky looks ominous. Bon voyage.

One thing that was immediately noticeable in Vathy is the amount of people walking around the town. A definite increase in numbers this week. It's very colourful and buzzing, just the way we like it in Summer. T-shirts and ice-cream. The north of the island is still quite slow. Not much going on in the streets or around the villages, but that should also change soon. Lots of yachts coming in however and now that the ferry to Lefkada is running from Frikes again more often than not, the mornings have some activity. Yesterday a Day Tripper brought 40 people into Frikes. Not many. But once 300 get off, everyone will be wishing for the 40 again. Left - O Nikos from O Nikos Taverna in Vathy was cooking up a storm in the kitchen yesterday. He's touting good evening crowds at his restaurant. Below Left - Vathy behind the square. Below - Pine cones. Nothing to do with anything really, just felt like taking a pic of them.

Left - Yesterday, the day started quite nicely (weather-wise), but soon turned darkish and cool by lunchtime. Below Left - The Day Tripper leaves Frikes and heads back out into the Ionian.

For anyone interested in leasing the Marina, head along to the KAPI in Vathy on Friday 1st June, where tenders will be considered from initial price of 7000 euro with 10 year contract.

In Stavros on the evening of Sunday 27th May, The School of Byzantine Music Metropolis of Lefkas and Ithaca will be presenting Byzantine hymns and traditional songs at the Stavros Community Hall at 19.30 hrs.

Tonight, Friday 25th May, you can get some free entertainment by the Ithaki Choir who will be honoring Ithacan Sailors with music. Held at the Cultural Center in Vathy, beginning at 21.00 hrs. Admission is FREE.

Saturday 26th - Mostly fine day yesterday. The sun was shining again, albeit it was a little cool when the wind blew. A Kioni day tripper bought some business into Kioni village at lunchtime and of course the visitors weren't disappointed. Kioni is one of the gems of the Ionian with its colorful and picturesque bay side (Left).

Left - Stavros is a living village that goes on all through the year, not only in Summer. It may not have the bayside, but it has wonderful views down to Polis Bay and a community that always makes you feel welcomed. It's also the village which has the BIGGEST Panighiri (Summer Festival) which goes over 2 days, 5th and 6th of August. Live music, dancing and eating. Sortiros church stands at the heart of this village and is the destination of Papoulaki tomorrow at around 6.30 which starts at Ag. Barbara.

Above - More eThiaki postcards added. As you may have noticed the side-bar has a few additions. They are not ads, but merely here for easy access. The ithacagreece.com mobile phone application is free as are the virtual postcards. I made it just for fun and to give me something else to do with all the photographs I take on a daily basis. As you can see, ithacagreece.com is also on Facebook. Even you if you don't have a facebook account, you can still access all the photographs etc as the profile is set to Public. I use it as a means to post larger photos than I can manage on the website.

Sunday 27th - Yesterday it really began to warm up again. A relief for us and for those visiting Ithaki. Lots of warm sunshine. Left - Frikes Bay at dusk. There were only a few yachts in the bay, but that's pretty normal for a Friday and Saturday. Yachts have client change-overs on these days.

There are so many people that fall in love with the island and come back year after year. The rituals of food and wine are part of that love affair.

Whether you love the north or the south of the island, there are places to sit and eat no matter what your budget or taste. All sea side villages offer tables with a view, but as many who visit Ithaca discover, there are a wealth of really good tavernas also in the back streets, and what they lack in sea-side, they make up for with personality and character, not to mention, good food.

Above and Below Left - After a winter of wind and rough seas, the beach at Frikes Bay occasionally gets washed into a corner. Each year it's relocated back to where it's supposed to be, but when another wave hits after the superfast ferry goes by, the newly laid beach stones and fill, turn into mud and gets washed out again. It will take a little settling, but eventually, it will stick.

May 2012 >> Page 1 2 3 4 5