It's been a long hot Summer and although Summer means lots of good times, sun and sea, you can have too much of a good thing. It's been a Summer of relentless high temperatures on a daily basis. Frikes, traditionally the village one needs a jacket at night, had the night warmth, usually only experienced in Kioni and Vathy. Ithaca overted fires, even during windy, hot days, when the mercury hit 40C, but the island is showing the signs of this relentless heat with sunburnt groves from south to north. The earth is thirsty and cracking under foot, so the rain and the thunderstorms these past 2 days has come just in time to nourish us all with a refreshing downpour that has cleared the mist from the sky and lethargy from our bones. The weather isn't too great for the visitors or the restaurants however. After heavy downpours, restauranteurs and staff scuffle around making everything look ok again, even when drenched fabric dries quickly and Canopes protect most of the tables from the rain. The rain puddles into temporary streams on the road and visitors splash through them as they scatter for the nearest dry place to wait it out.

Saturday 20th - Right - It's a grey and cloudy day, but the colours of Kioni go quite a way to brighten things up on the island. Over the past few years, home owners make statements with the colours they paint their buildings, making Ithaki look quite different to the other blue and white islands around Greece. The Venetian architecture, which is traditional on Ithaki, also adds to the distinction between Ithaki and other islands. Below Left - Now and then the sun shines through the cloudy sky revealing the sea glistening below.