August 2010 >> Page 1 2
  
 
Sunday 1st - The island, along with the rest of Greece has been turned upside down the past week with a national transport strike. This means no deliveries to the island. No Petrol, No supplies food or otherwise. Not good for visitors who have hired a car, run out of fuel and still need to pay the week out. We have enough fuel to get to the petrol station once the pumps are turned on again, but other than that it's walk or ride a bike.
 
Below - Julia Woodgate sent in this photo of Michael Creedon's 50th Birthday bash at (blue) Spavento Bar a few years ago. Julia and Michael are regular visitors to Ithaki, even though they live in a veritable paradise themselves in Australia. Right - Amfitriti Gift Shop in Kioni.
 
 
Below Left - There's another new shop in Kioni town, Odysseia clothing, jewelry and accessories. They'll have a webpage on ithacagreece.com soon if you want to see more, or just go visit if you are on the island.
 
 
 
 
The word is that we should have deliveries of fuel by late tonight, but no one is holding their breath. We can but hope.
 
Tuesday 3rd - Late last night, petrol was delivered to the island, and just in time. Those running on Diesel and Leaded didn't suffer too much, but the rest of us were running on empty.
 
 
 
Above - Watermelon and refreshments at the First Krouvoulia beach outside Frikes is a locals enterprise to make a living during summer. Left - Dino carrying the load in Frikes for the month of August. Below - Gerty talks about the importance of cleanliness and the act of washing one's hands.
 
Wednesday 4th - In 2009 Wivianne Runske found Rien Posts (Rementzo Restaurant Grill Man) photo of the huge tree at Ag. Ioannis on the net and contacted him to use the photo for a book she was writing about Penelope and Ithaca. The book is now published. It's an historic novel. In Swedish.
 
"This novel keeps close to Homer concerning detail, but beyond a story we are told 3000 years later we are still dealing with men and women of flesh and blood, feelings and thoughts. How close can we get to them? Poems from an Estonian bronze age saga, Kalevipoeg, illustrate the story with details in a raw, dark, rhythmic way which might be congruent with a Greek or Troyan hoary bronze age past. Books and Internet have been used for facts. When Rien Post's photo of an old olive three was found, the story got its cover and final name: An Olive Three on Ithaka, a story about time – Penelope alone, a novel. The book a tribute to the story teller or to the cover photographer is still to be ascertained?" Wivianne Runske
 
 
 
Tuesday morning in Vathy town was unexpectedly quiet for August. I guess with the unsurities of strikes and the crisis, people don't want to risk missing connections or their flights to and from Greece.
Left - Another tribute to Penelope, Penelope Taverna in Frikes, run by the Vlassopoulos family. Below Right - Niko, Lazaros and Tasia (St. Elias Villa in Stavros) enjoy a warm summer night in Frikes.
Above - Symposium Restaurant in Frikes through to Rementzo. The Frikes bayside restaurants are buzzing with activity since the Calendar turned the page to August. Below - Avra Restaurant in Kioni has always been a popular eating place. This family run business has been running since before 1983 which was the first time I ate Pastichio there.
 
 
 
Above - Tehnima Jewelry is located in one of the oldest buildings in Kioni. The business has been running since around 2002 and just goes from strength to strength, supplying the discerning buyers with unique one off pieces of jewelry, hand-made by Dimosthenis G. among others. Left - The taverna and restaurant lights reflect on Kioni Bay. This bayside is no doubt one of the prettiest and picturesque in the Ionian. It's no wonder people who come stay in Kioni, very rarely leave for their entire stay.
 
Saturday 7th - Sortiros, Stavros Panighiri is as much about the locals celebrating Sortiros as it is about celebrating good friends that live many kilometers apart for most of the year, but get together occasionally on Ithaki. There's always talk of the Ithaki addictiveness, the pull of the island that gives people with such different backgrounds, financial status and cultural diversity the one major thing they have incommon regardless of any of their everyday realities. It's a gooey love type thing that doesn't come from a doctor's prescription or a bottle. It's a binding glue that has made friendships made on ithaki, last the kilometers and differences over the many, many years. Click Here or below for more pics.
 
 
Left - There's no doubt about it, the yachts are now flocking to the small picturesque ports around Ithaki. Left - Kioni.
 
Friday 6th - Yes folks, it's that time of year again. Sortiros is already on our doorstep. The Stavros Panighiri marks the height of the Summer Season. Click Here or on picture below for more pics of Day 1 of Sortiros.
 
 
Above - Another Lefki sunset. Really, you just can't go past the colours of sunset from the west facing village of Lefki. There's not much in Lefki, other than some accommodations and the main road that cuts through the entire village, but it's the only place where residents have sunsets to die for. Each evening the colours vary and the intensity increases as the dial turns to mid season. Right - In Frikes Primary School, an exhibition called 'Ithaki and the Sea' has been going on since the 4th August. Memorabilia and ship logs for those interested in the naval history aspect. The exhibition finished yesterday.
 
 
Monday 9th - A much cooler and somewhat windy day yesterday, not at all like August weather. Still the skies were mostly blue.
 
 
Thursday 12th - The island is buzzing now for August. People everywhere, morning, noon and night. Mostly the beaches are heaving, but depending on the time of day, you can still find a private little spot somewhere along the Ithaki coastline. Below - Daytripping from Sami to Ithaki.
 
Below - Frikes Grill-man Rien Post lights up his saintly aura. Grill-men around Ithaki sweat in high temperatures during August.
  
 
Tuesday 17th - No Anoghi or Platrithia Panighiri this year unfortunately folks. Erika has been very ill and still recovering. She will be back shortly. Demetri
 
 
Above - Vathy Bayside. Boats fill the harbour. Left - Kioni Bayside at dusk. Below - Anna, Rena and Kassiani, Melbournians with a strong Ithaki connection, join for a drink at Rementzo.
 
 
 
Friday 20th - I'm almost back folks, not 100% yet, but feel like I'm getting there. So for now go to page 2 for todays updates.
 
August 2010 >> Page 1 2