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Sat 12 April - Left - Last night Lisistrati, the ancient Greek play about love, war and sex, which has been adapted in a modern way, premiered at the Cultural Center in Vathy to a full house. It was excellent folks!! Even if you don't understand Greek, you can still enjoy this fantastic play. It's funny, it's musical, it's over the top 'out there'. Stelios Sofos and Pericles Vasilopoulos, the directors, really got the group to throw off their inhibitions to enjoy their performances, and it was so evident. Forkis Theatre groups absolute commitment to the play entranced the audience, involving them and moving them into fits of laughter. As there have been many photos of this play published during the rehearsal periods, I went along last night to do some video snippets. It's ended up around 8 minutes so unfortunately if you don't have broadband, you won't be able to see it. Copyright restrictions have also made it necessary to exclude music, so I've had a little fun with the clip myself. Click here or on photo left for the video. |
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If you are sensitive or easily offended then please choose not to watch this video. Lisistrati the play, has rather large (enormous actually) appendages being bandied around the stage. Please do not try this at home. The performers in LIsistrati are trained and qualified in handling dangerous objects. |
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Mon 14 April - Left - The skies over Ithaki have been looking a little depressing over the past week with the African weather syndrome filling the sky with dust and sand, blocking out the sun. The weather has been humid and very warm for this time of year, but this afternoon a change, that will hopefully push this suffocating front onward, finally arrived on the island delivering rain and a little wind to give the dust a shove. |
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Tue 15 April - After yesterdays weather change, the temps dropped back to what's normal for this time of year and this morning the skies began to clear away all that dust that had hovered almost motionless over the island over the past week. Now we have patches of blue mixed with some grey. |
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Below Left - The Communist Party doesn't get a chance to hang its propaganda in many places on this planet, but it's not an unusual sight on Ithaca. Below right - The Air Sea Plane heads off to Patras from Vathy Bay. It also goes to Corfu. Locals are taking advantage of the speed and the ease of travel via this method. It's easy to do an overnight trip to Corfu or Patras now. No more waiting for ferries. |
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Left - Polis Bay. This morning the skies were clear and the views pristine and vibrant. The winter has been good to the island as you can see by the lush fields and green mountains and valleys. Over the past week there has also been more acclivity in the streets with visitors already coming to the island. Many new and strange faces around. It's not long now until Greek Easter, people are looking a little pale from abstaining from their usual meat diet with Lent and many are talking about the Easter Sunday lamb on the spit already. For the vegetarians on the island, it's been quite a good period with restaurants catering more for the 'non meat eaters' at this time of year. |
Thu 17 April - Below - Spring is looking just wonderful on Ithaca. Everything is green and lush and the wild flowers are budding from hill to glen. Lush beds of colour wherever you look. In Exoghi in the northern hills of the island, the wild flowers and backdrop of Afales bay below make for a vibrant scene. Although today was mostly cloudy, yesterdays' skies were clear and blue, facilitating crisp views over Ithaca. If you feel like a quick drive around the north to take in some views CLICK HERE for a video. |
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Right - Looking toward the bay of Frikes and on to Mavrona Bay from lower Exoghi. If you've never been to Ithaca in Spring then I strongly advise you do it just once. It really is a wonderful time on the island. We almost have paradise to ourselves. |
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Fri 18 April - Below - A couple of nights ago Yefuri owner and chef, Andy Papas thanked locals and friends for the help they gave to get his restaurant back on its feet after the devastating fire, by throwing a little party for them. Yefuri Season starts tonight. The restaurant will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday for now. |
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Right - Margarita from AirSea Lines Ithaki office. The sea plane route has opened up the Ionian to Ithacans and has made it easier than ever for independent travelers to get to the island from Corfu and Patras. |
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Sun 20 April - Left - It may have been too warm to go walking today, but living on the wildside (as we do on Ithaca) it's never too hot to take in the views the island has on offer. Click here or on Photo Left for more (Including a video on page 2). |
For a video of around Vathy and Frikes, Click here |
Wed 23 April - Seems a major power pole caught fire at Piso Aetos on Monday. Serious fault. Over the past couple of days DEH crews fixed the problem restoring full power to Ithaca (I hope), but not before the entire island was left without electricity for approx 10 hours over Monday and Tuesday. |
Greek Easter is just around the corner, so the influx of ex-pats, Ithacans living away from home and the first Seasons' visitors is quite noticable. Things are definitely revving up around here. The Easter show begins on Friday when Judas gets his usual grilling in Kioni. The community set fire to a stuffed likeness of the informer to watch him go up in flames. |
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Above Left - Spiros from Lahos cuddles up with a couple of his favourite friends at Piso Aetos port. Above - Brothers Giorgos and Yiannos come all the way from Cyprus to taste Ithaki wine at Rementzo in Frikes. Left - Uli and Werner take time away from Vienna to enjoy a Greek Easter week. For a virtual Piso Aetos port experience Click Here for the video. |
Thu 24 April - MEGALI PEMPTI. Below - After it was measured, it was discovered, no one in Vathy, had a bigger one than this. |
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Left - Angela and Ray are here for 1 week after a 9 week stint around the Mediterranean, which has also seen them visiting places like Spain and Portugal. They come all the way from Northcote, an inner suburb of Melbourne, Australia. Despite the weather bureau predicting storms w and rain, Angela and Ray have been lucky, as Ithakis skies have been nothing but clear and blue. |
The big Easter week starts today with Megali Pempti. Tomorrow night in Kioni, Judas is set alight outside the church. Easter liturgy around 8pm with Judas going up in flames after that. |
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