Thu 23 Aug - Above - Andonia Lekatsa (left) is a walking encyclopedia on Exoghi. Whatever you want or need to know, this is the woman to ask. She was born in the village, but now lives in Patras for the winter where she has 2 sons and 2 grandchildren. We caught up with her talking to her neighbour Maria.

Fri 24 Aug - Left - George Morfessis, the founder guru of Ithaki online through the NY USA connection, is here with his family - wife Effi, daughter Stella and son Victor. They come to Ithaca from New York as often as a family of 4 will allow them. George was the first person to show Ithaca to the world through his now defunct Ithaki.com, which was initiated through the Ithacan Society in New York. Before Summer Lodown and ithacagreece.com, George gave whatever he could muster to the Ithaki addicted around the world. His site, was for many years, the only place one could get a glimpse of the island when it was too far away to see in person. Effi is a Nafpaktos native and although she loves Ithaca too, her emotional strings are securely tied to this bayside town on the mainland where her parents still live each Summer. A Greece holiday for the Morfessis family is thus split into 2 - Nafpaktos/Ithaki. Stella and Victor look like they're just happy to be in Greece generally, taking a bite out of a fig instead of a big apple.

Right - Also from New York USA are Kathy (Tzomou) and Petros Grivas, Just married last year. Kathy and Petro met in New York, but their parents grew up together on Ithaca. Kathys roots are in Vathy and Petros' in Perahori. We caught up with them in Frikes having dinner with friends and Kathys' grandparents, Katerina and Giorgos Tzomos, who still live in Vathy. Kathy and Petro are just a couple of the dedicated who log onto ithacagreece.com on a regular basis. It's great to see the faces behind the ip address and to meet the people who make this site worth doing.

Left - John and Leonie are here from the UK. They are having a good look around Greece and some of the previous Eastern block states, looking for a piece of paradise. We caught up with them after a meal in Frikes and conversations with an ex-UK bank manager who is now serving up watermelon for dessert at one of the restaurants instead of approving loans.

Tue 28 Aug - Above - Sue and Dennis Comino are here from Brisbane Australia and staying in the mountain village of Anoghi where Sues family have their Ithacan roots. Sue is the twin sister of Dennis Katsamas who is currently President of the Ithacan Philanthropic Society of Melbourne Australia, and has for years also been the resident photographer for IPS. Below - Melanie is on Ithaki from Sydney Australia. Her only connection to the island are the friendships she made on her last visit when she fell in love with the place.

Above - This family have the infamous surname, Metaxas. L - R - Gino, Mary, Marguerite and Evangeline are regular visitors to Ithaca, coming every 2 - 3 years. Gino was actually born in Vathy and left the island with his parents when he was only 1 year old. Ithaca pulls at his heart strings when he is away, so returns as much as he is able with a young family to consider . Marys' roots stem from Crete and Kastoria. The Metaxas family are also regular visitors of ithacagreece.com so it's only fitting that their 2007 trip is recorded on the site for prosperity.

Above - L - R - Roula, Dimitri and mum Olga (Rossolymos) Chassoulas are on Ithaki from Johannesburg South Africa. Olga is the daughter of Dimitrios Rossolymos and Argiro Koutsouvelis, and is a 3rd generation Ithacan living in SA. Roula, Dimitri and Olga proudly proclaim their Anoghi roots.