and at minimum, have its' current head of operations, sacked. Ithaca is in agreement. How do 18 pylons snap or blow down? The winds only blew 8 force. Why was there no information given to us? Why did faults disconnect their phone line most of the days and get angry at us for ringing for information? Why did they say we'd have power in 3 hours each time we did get through, when they knew the problem wasn't fixable for at least a month? Why was electricity doled out in Cephalonia, but not a spark on Ithaca? Why was there such a communication break down? Why were there no generators to be found on the island? Why the long waiting lists for personal generators and gas heaters? Why was there no notice of emergency power turning on? Why? Why? Why? And just how obvious was it that Vathy got an hour of power last night just as Mega TV stepped off the ferry. It's a disgusting way to run a business for the service we so depend on. Meanwhile, Ithaca went back to the 50's before there was power on the island. We were all busy, chopping wood and making sure we were warm and getting fed. There was no banking or business, hundreds of thousands of euros lost, no bread baked, no mobile phones, due to not being able to recharge the batteries, old people freezing and hungry, those with a bit of cash bought up big on generators and gas heaters before supplies ran out the first morning of the 'power out'. The island was without water to shower or flush the toilets because most of ithacas water supply is pumped electrically. Back to bucketing water from the Well. It's been exhausting work trying to get through the days and keeping warm. Ithaca was black in despair, but the community pulled together and helped eachother out. DEH incompetence has financially devasted Cephalonia and Ithaca, and they have actually said, outload, that due to this circumstance they will need to charge us more (what? more than the already unreasonable rates for a primitive service?) to make up for the fixing of a problem they are responsible for. This big brother (lame excuse for a Power Co) better watch out, they've pissed off a community that bites back with sharper teeth than they could imagin. Before I give you all the pics I took before my battery to the camera ran out, I'm warming myself up a bit, (my generator is coming on tonights ferry, just a little late, but no doubt valuable for the next power out on the island) but stay tuned for White Ithaca and more on the Power Out. Please excuse any typos, when I tell you my fingers are frozen, I really mean it. Ah heat. What a luxury.

Sat 28 Jan 12.30pm - The electricity is off again. No one knows why or when it will be back. The baker from Vathy said midday. It's past midday, Evi from Stavros says, 'tonight'. Speculation in the streets predicts tomorrow. The information line is closed so DEH is not saying anything, AGAIN. I picked up my generator and a gas heater from the ferry at 3am this morning and have just now fired it up. Hope that my UPS does its' job because the fluctuations are extreme, not that that's anything new, our main power grid has massive fluctuations, thus the regular stream of burnt out appliances on the island. While driving to VAthy, the sparkling street lights over on Cephalonia were like a punch in the nose. 3 am and they have street lights. I think they could shut them off and give us a little electricity to get out of bed with some comfort and hot water to at least wash our faces. In times like this, one thing is very evident, the community here on Ithaca really helps eachother out. The owner of Mazourka let me, my partner and 2 friends into one of her apartments with a fire place. Unfotunately the wood was running out, but we were more comfortable in those first few days than many on the island. This situation is very bad for all that live on Ithaca, but it could have been much worse. The sun is shining and that gives a little heat. With rain, this predicament would really drive people over the edge. Most of the snow has now melted, except for a few piles along the road through Lefki. Roof tops are still dripping there from melting snow and ice. There are many helping hands on the island, but also off the island. Poppy and Nektarios from Rementzo in Frikes were quick to send us a generator and gas heater from Patra where they're taking a little break, once they knew we hadn't fled the island and were in need. ithacagreece.com wants to thank them and Ms Sikiotis for her accommodation at Mazourka. A fully electrical house is a severe disadvantage on Ithaca. For anyone building and planning to stay more than a few holiday weeks, I strongly recommend your house has an open fireplace and gas cooking. That your water well is higher than your house, so that water doesn't need to be pumped electricially, and a few hot water bottles wouldn't go astray. In my house we couldn 't run water let alone heat it or cook with it. We are all nearing our limits on Ithaca, but young families and the elderly are suffering quite a bit more. We can only hope that enough pressure on DEH will make them give us back some normality in our lives. Right now we are all in survival mode.