Ithaca Greece - Winter 2005 - 2006. Greek Island Holidays in the Ionian. Ithaca Ithaki, the home of Ulysses and Homer
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Winter on Ithaca 2005 - 2006
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October means fishing for Sardines and Olive picking

It's the first of October, so what better way to start off this working month than with the chore of peeling potatoes. No more 'Who's here' or dancing through panighiri time, just normal, everyday life going on around the island. There will be plenty of pics to review the Autumn and Winter of 2005 - 2006, so check back regularly to see if Ithaki is still breathing. Join hOME ithaca greece and be part of the online community on an island in hibernation.

Sat 1 Oct - The Sardine Festival at Polis Bay was a 'Wash Out'. Storms and rain overnight and through the morning closed in to make the first day of October very bleak, keeping boats in the harbours and people indoors. 7 Force winds expected today will make travel to and from Ithaca a little bumpy and a day at the beach, out of the question. Here we go into Winter with a roar.
Right - 10 minutes of the storm, looking at the mountain of Exoghi in the north of Ithaca. The fast moving sky paints a different picture every minute as clouds descend and lift and rain falls hard onto the island of Ithaki.
 
 
 
 
Good news for those looking forward to the Sardine Festival. Due to todays' weather, it's been postponed until tomorrow, 2nd October.
Sun 2 Oct - Power outage today from 8am - 1am. Major works which will leave the entire island off the grid for half a day.
 
 
 
 
Billowing clouds prepare to dump alot of rain on Ithaki and that's just what they did last night. Strong winds and rain made for the first real miserable day for many months. Frikes looked like a ghost town. Not a soul in the street, paper blowing aimlessly through the air, and only a couple of yachts docked at the quay. This weather is to continue over the next couple of days, but the forecast does have some sunshine in it also, just how much of that we'll see on Ithaki, who knows. Anyway, the Sardine Festival was washed out again for the second day in a row. The sun is now shining now, at 1.45pm, too late for the morning at Polis Bay.
With no power all morning, the cafes were full. The rain didn't seem to bother anyone, and boy did it pour down, but even the tourists were out and about. The Park in Stavros always has a line around these bits of Ithaki interest, especially the 2D map of Ithaca, at which the hordes of the Summer Bus tourers gather around to take photographs. Guess it gives them some perspective on where they.
  
It was raining and pouring, it was windy and miserable, but the temperature was still a very mild 24C. Now that the sun is out, and it looks like it may be here to stay, everyone has gone home to do the chores they couldn't do with the power out. The streets are empty again. Winter has come too soon for everyone. The weather bureau has classed this as unseasonably bad weather for this time of year, and all those wishing for rain, now regret it. It's easy to forget how isolated Ithaki becomes during bad weather days, and how the world outside of the island disappears from view. Anyway, the bad weather is on its' way to the mainland. Good riddens.
Tue 4 Oct - A great day yesterday, lots of sushine, but definitely a little cooler now. The Sardine Festival has been postponed again. They say ('they' being those who know more than I) it will be held next Sunday, others are sure it is to be held on the 28 October, a Public Holiday, which the organizers hope will encourage more people to attend, and then there are others who are certain the festival has been cancelled for good, well at least for this year. With this kind of organization, hOME ithaca greece is sure to miss it. These little fishes will be all grown up, had grandkids and gone to the big fishing trawler in the sky by the time we get to celebrate their arrival. One thing's for sure, it's the number 1 order at all the restaurants around the island. People just love them.
Above - Views across Aphales Bay towards Lefkada. The clear day made for clear views from all aspects of the island. People got out their tripods and easels to try to capture the glory of Ithakis views on film and canvas. Lovely.
 
Wed 4 Oct - Above - These simple people are simply enjoying themselves after a simply busy tourist season looking after Brits on Ithaca and Kefalonia. This group is celebrating their end of year bash in Frikes. L - R - Lilias, Kate, Simi, Kostas, Paul, Simon, Trish and Tina. Bottoms up.
  
 
 
Thu 6 Oct - With yesterdays' incessant rain, it was nice to see the sun shine through the stomry skies before it set. Today the skies are blue again and the temperature is just right for the beach. The suprise this month has been the flow of visitors still coming to the island. It's not over run, but a noticable difference to other years around this time. The Season has extended quite a bit for Ithaki, which is good for the businesses on the island.
 
Fri 7 Oct - Above - The expanding Capital of Ithaki, Vathy, has a great bayside. Colourful Venetian style buildings encompass the edge of the bay all the way around while hills and valleys spread south. Above on the moutain, Perahori (village beyond), cradles Ithakis' Eco consciousness with its' organic olive oil and wine production.
 
   

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Sat 8 Oct - Above - It's a dogs' life. On a Friday afternoon when the shops and banks are all closed, Vathy, the Capital of Ithaki resembles a sleepy town in the backwaters. Yesterdays weather, after a grey and cloudy start, emerged to be sunny and warm with many heading to the beach to take advantage of the endless sky and the glassy waters. Sail boats scattered around the horseshoe harbour, the sound of birds chirping in the trees and the rays of sunshine reflecting back into the sky, made Vathy the perfect place to contemplate life, love and the universe for those visitors finding themselves alone in the streets with little else to do..
 
 
 
 
 
A telephone on the edge of the Vathy Square around the Taxi rank, rings into the empty and quiet streets of the town. Ithaca still enjoys a mostly vandal free existence, which this 'open to anyone' telephone attests to, and is the reason so many who come to the island, love it, and feel secure here. By 3 pm most Ithacans are having their midday meal, or have had it, and then take their usual afternoon siesta, so this phone can ring as long as it likes, no one will answer.
 
 
   
A warm and clear October afternoon
 
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