When the Day Tripper ferry is ready to leave, everyone jumps. The last thing you want is to get caught with your pants down (short as they may be) and be stuck on the wrong island without clothing. Hurry Hurry!!

Left - You just never know what you will find, tucked away in a little corner of Ithaki. In the Yefuri area in Platrithia, you can find this lovely little gallery. We have some very talented people living on the island and some of them are sharing their talents. Catherine Andrews Rombotis is a local painter who has been painting Ithaki landscapes and seascapes for many years and has recently opened her gallery to the public. Catherine is there most mornings and evenings. Opposite Yefuri Restaurant in Platrithia. Get along and browse through the pieces she has displayed and have a chat. Catherine also has a wealth of knowledge about her little corner of paradise. Below - Still running for the ferry.

Tuesday 28th - After almost 2 months of heat wave temperatures, we finally got a little relief today when wind and an occasional cloudy sky, tempered the forecast 40 degree C. A welcomed cool change had everyone pulling out their cardies and whatever the equivalent is for the boys. The wind started from the south and by late afternoon had turned into a cooler northerly. Very nice. Sleep at last. The wind also changed the Day Tripper timetables a little. Too much blow to go to Fiscardo so the Frikes stop came earlier which meant hungry numbers coming off the boat. Money usually spent at Fiscardo. The wind blew a little luck Frikes way.
Left - Frikes Bay side. All the restaurants and Bars in one shot.

Above - Frikes Bay before the sea began to really swell.
Left - Afales yesterday. When it blows it usually means Afales Bay is churning up some wild (wild for Ithaki at least) seas. There was no beach to speak of with waves rushing and crashing onto shore for most of the afternoon. Some new pebbles on the beach today and a rearranged beach landscape too. The sea spray reached all the way up the steps leading down to Afales as the wind blew salt and sea spray into the fresh air. Waves crashed like thunder on the rocks. Eerie and magical, also a little awe inspiring too. There is nothing like an angry sea to remind us of just how insignificant we really are in the scheme of things. Nature's wild-side can really put us in our place.
Below - Frikes Bay.

News that Strintzi's ferry, the Eptanisos, is back in Vathy to rest overnight, was all over the internet this morning. Vathy was it's traditional night stop, but due to complaints and some political meandering, Strintzi's moved the night spot to Sami in Cephalonia, making Piso Aetos our main port for arrivals and departures both day and night. With the ferry docking in Sami overnight, we also lost a couple of afternoon services as the company saved itself some petrol money. Now it seems that members of the Sami community have had their voices heard with complaints about the noise the ferry makes while it's docked, and the smoke stack smell and pollution, to which Strintzi's has replied by sending the ferry back to Vathy to dock overnight.
This will please some and annoy others. The downside is that it's a longer trip to Patras and an earlier rising to catch the morning ferry. The upside is that Vathy is a lovely harbour to sail in to. I wonder whether the cut in service will now continue or whether we'll have our 6 full days per week with 2 services per day and 1 day with 1 service per day, back, just the way we are used to having it, or will the cuts in service continue. I guess we'll have to wait and see how it all pans out.
There have been some unexpected and radical changes in regard to ferry ticketing over the past few weeks. Delas Tours is now your ferry ticket agent for car/passenger, not Polyctor Tours. My guess is that having the ferry leave from Vathy instead of Piso Aetos will most definitely give the ticket issuer a little more time in bed. So there's another up-side for someone.
Left - Waves rushing over Afales pebble beach.

Wednesday 29th - Yesterday was such a great day. The heatwave had been blown away by the previous day to leave us with the perfect summer weather. Blue skies and clean fresh air (almost). There are still many people around. The numbers haven't dropped as dramatically as predicted by some.
Below Left & Below - Kioni Bay.

Left - The message IS the bottle. Above and Below -

Above - although many boats come into Kioni Bay through the summer, the bayside waters are still some of the cleanest and clearest you're ever going to see. Small fish feed on the scraps left for them by Spavento Cafe.
Left - Kioni has a record number of Day Trippers coming in to dock each day. It's one of the busiest small villages on Ithaki.

Left - Odysseia Boutique in Kioni. Over the past few years, Ithaki has shown with it's new businesses, that although it is still a traditionally satisfying island, we also have some quality shopping also. Diamanto from Odysseia has made a lovely boutique on the bayside of Kioni, joining Sentouky on the edge of Kioni, in style and excellent service.