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Sun 3 Feb - Left - Paths through Pilakata towards Frikes. |
Over the past week Ithaca has had its innocence nudged toward suspicion and fear with recent events in Platrithia which saw a platrithia restaurant set alight during the night last Saturday week. Although the paperwork isn't officially in, the cause was arson. The perpetrator and motive have not been established, but the fire department and police are deep into investigations. |
Andy and Mark were in the UK, and on hearing the news drove immediately back to Greece. Although I will not go into specific detail of the fire just yet, so as not to hinder any investigations, I will tell you that this devistating act was a direct hit on the entire community. I was in two minds about putting this on the site and if it were just the fire, maybe I wouldn't have unless the boys had wanted me to, but it's the events that have happened after the fire that have me beaming with pride about this great community we live in. People from all over the island rolled up their sleeves the minute Andy and Mark set foot on Ithaki ground, and within no time, have cleared all remnants of fire from within the walls. Both young and old, |
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local and foreign, are getting their hands dirty and helping in whatever way they can. It's been a bitter sweet time for Andy and Mark who have been swept along in this wave of devistation and then hope with barely enough time to take in what has actually happened to them. Right - From the moment the fire was discovered, people came from all corners to see what they could do to help. There is no doubt we have all had our innocence severely dented with such a gross act of arson, but if there was ever any doubt about the community that is Ithaki, the way everyone is rallying behind the boys with selfless abandon and sheer goodwill, has put an end to them. In 3 days, the building has turned from burnt out to clean, repaired and undercoated. What a great achievement. |
Meanwhile, the perpetrator/s of this criminal act is/are still wandering loose. Let's hope not for too much longer. Ithacans may have their differences in politics and on other issues, but there is one thing that unites all and that is Ithaca, the idea of Ithaca and the reality of Ithaca, a safe place to live, one of the reasons we all choose to live here. It's not something any of us want to give up. There will be more on Yefuri in the near future so keep tuned. |
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Notice for locals or visitors here - Airsea Lines have are offering 39E for a return ticket to Patra and Corfu from now until 21 March. If you haven't tried the sea planes, now is a good time. Apparently it's alot of fun and only 20 mins to Patra. Planes fly daily except for Tuesday and Wednesday. To Patras at 11am and Corfu at 1pm. This offer is across the board with AirSea Lines. Call Margarita on +30 26740 33720 to book. 1 Days notice if possible, but if not, please ring before 9.30am of the morning you want to travel. |
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Mon 4 Feb - Inbetween the rain there was a Spring-like midday. Below Left - The mountains above Lefki. Below Right - Dexa Bayside.
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Tue 5 Feb - Below - Almond trees around Ithaki are thick with blossom. At dusk the blossoms radiate out from a darkening sky. Right - The Stavros Community Center. It's been a long time waiting for this renovation project to finish, but as you can see, the result is amazing. The' Ethousa' is the place for town meetings and gatherings and may also be the venue for town dances etc, as it was before the renovation. |
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Thu 7 Feb - Below Left - The pristine waters of the Ag. Ioannis coast with the big sister island of Cephalonia opposite. Below Right - Volunteers helping out at Yefuri one week ago. Photo by Rien Post. As you can see, the weathers fantastic here more often than not. There has been quite a bit of rain, but that seems to pass over Ithaki during the night, leaving the day blue sky and sunny. |
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Below - Lefki may not be one of the hotspots of Ithaki during the Summer, but it is the location of Ithakis traditional white-washed village that has the best vantage point for those who enjoy a great sunset and Cephalonia views, and for those who believe there can be nothing better than to be between mountain and sea. Below below - The heartbeat of Ithaki, Vathy, our colourful Capital. |
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Sun 10 Feb - It's quite chilly on Ithaca now, but as you can see, the sun is shining and signs of Spring are all around. High winds over the past couple of days have interrupted the ferry schedule, but today the winds have dropped and although the sea still has a bit of movement, ferries are back to normal. Below Left - Coming into Raxi. The sheep own the roads during the winter. Below Right - Coming into Kioni where wild flowers are carpeting the green fields. Very pretty under the sun. |
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For Kioni-ites and others, Sunday of course means breakfast at Spavento, although an Ouzo isn't out of the question either. Below Left - Locals Giorgos, Roula and Kostas get right into it with a the Ithacan spirit, the Sunday morning kind. Below Right - Recent local Mike, enjoys a laugh with Jennie, Spavento goddess and supermum.
 
Below Left - Gerasimos from Stavros and Sue (wife of other recent Kioni local Mike) take the opportunity to bridge the gap between Stavros and Kioni by meeting for a morning coffee. Below Right - The floating Frikes jetty goes to-ing and fro-ing over a bumpy sea.
   
Above Left - The Frikes jetty (the stable one) can take whatever battering the sea will give it. Above Right - The bayside village of Frikes looks a little abandoned in the winter during the day, but I do believe it's a buzzing hotspot at night with Fiorendino Bar and Piperato Restaurant still atttracting the locals out, even in the cold.
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