Above and Below - The changing view on a stormy day.
Below - Peter and Maria Razos
Below - Frikes River fills with water from flooded land
Below - Lahos
Below - Frikes
Below - Frikes
Below - Kioni Bayside
Below - Lahos
Below - Yurt in Lahos with Pre-Loved clothing sale
Below - Yurt Interior
Below - Above Dexa
Below - Road to Marmarospilia
Below - Aetos
Below - Pilikata with view to Exoghi
Below - Platrithia looking to Stavros
Below - Lahos
Below - Vathy
Below - Vathy | Right - Vathy Primary School with it's painted walls.
Below - Vathy Bay
Below - Above Dexa | Right - Marmarospilia
Below - Dexa Bay | Marmarospilia, opposite Cave of the Nymphs
Below - Marmarospilia
Below - Lefki looking toward Kefalonia.
Above - The driver of this huge truck has some talent. Jack-knifing while reversing up a narrow uphill street in Stavros and then straightening out on a coin has to be applauded. Now that's what I call reverse talent.
Above - Looking toward Sami kefalonia | Below - Vathy
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Below - The Gabbo area behind Vathy
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November 2012 - Thursday 1st - Kalo Mina to all. What a way to start a new month. Torrents of heavy rain, lashing winds, enough lightning to power Greece for a week and roaring thunder for most of the day. The weather almost sucked all the colour out of the day as the sky closed in and fell on ithaca. It obscurred everything and kept most people indoors. Photos left are taken within a 5 min period.
The new timetable for Ithaki to Patras return seems to be confirmed, although there is still no official timetable posted on either Agents or Ferry websites. The new service will definitely be undertaken by Ionian Ferries, Andreas Kalvos ferry. Quite a bit smaller than what we're used to, but if the travel time estimations are correct, it's not that much slower than the Eptanisos, which said goodbye to Ithaca yesterday, leaving behind the now unemployed workers of the ferry. It was actually quite a sad day to say farewell to Strintzis, who have up until now, been very good for the island. Times they are changing and we'll see alot more companies dissolve as we head into our future.
The proposed new austerity measurea for 2013 are harsh enough to cripple any country, so hold your breath, we're in for a tough ride. Let's hope that behind the madness there is a silver lining for the people of this country, not just a lining of pockets. Greece has so much to offer. People have enjoyed their vacations and trips to this country for many, many decades. They come for ouzo and cheese, not for schnitzel and dumplings.
Tuesday 2nd - Peter Razos married his long time love Maria in Melbourne Australia on the 31st October. Many Ithacans and quite alot of transitional Ithacans know Peter, thus a photo of their special day to share with all their friends. We wish them a long and happy life together.
The Andreas Kalvos ferry (Ionian Ferries) had it's first service for Ithaca today and went off without a hitch it seems. Check How To Get There for timetable and prices. For now we have 1 service per day. Hopefully that will change to 2 again in the future.
Today the weather settled again, making for a mostly fine day, although cloud did build up as the day went along. The next few days will be the same. A little cloud, but mostly fine with no rain forecast.
Just a note for olive pickers - The Vathy mill is now open for business.
Not many people realize that the river that runs down into Frikes bay can actually get very full. In summer we only see it dry, but when there is a deluge of rain, then the river turns into a torrent, water flooding down from hillside properties running directly into it before it washes down into the bay. Yesterday, the river was a torrent. Low lying and flat properties flooded under the deluge.
Above - Polis Bay. There was so much rain on 31Oct that many houses leaked or flooded, as did land and roads in the low lying or flatter areas around Ithaki.
Special thanks to Loukas Anagnostatos from Nostos Hotel in Frikes for letting me use his photographs.
Saturday 3rd - Anothe glorious weather day today. Apart from the chemtrails, the skies were blue and the sunshine, warm. The olive harvest has started in ernest this weekend with fires burning around the island as the olive picking begins.
Yurts are more native to Mongolia than Ithaca, or Lahos for sure, and as a boutique with pre-loved clothing, even more rare I would suspect, but here it is anyway. The Lahos Yurt, selling pre-loved clothing for very, very cheap prices in this crisis time. Money collected from sales is going to the Stavros Primary school and to the Argos Foundation which looks after cats and the neutering program. Ingrid a Lahos temporary resident and yoga instructor in the north and south of the island, has opened up this opportunity for all to participate in if they wish. Good quality pre-loved and new clothing is a nice idea in our current financial situation. You can donate or buy or both. The yurt is open each Saturday from 10am - 5pm and is located behind Dimos, the taxi drivers house in Lahos. Just go on through.
Monday 5th - Already nearly through the first week of November. Time is zipping by. A rainy, dark sky day today. It's not cold and flowers are sprouting out in the fields like it's Spring time. Strange.
The island is so green after all the rain over the past month or so. Very beautiful.
Tomorrow night, there is a meeting at Vathy Cinema for concerned citizens of Ithaca, against the shutting down of government departments (among other important issues) on the island. Organizers are urging residents to take an active role in the island's future by showing their concern and support for actions against the rulings of the goverment and Troika. Meeting starts at 5pm.
Tuesday 6th - Mostly fine day today, although overcast and cloudy in the afternoon. Yesterday I took so many photos, we're going to continue with them today.
The forecast has some chilly weather and high winds on the way again from Wednesday/Thursday on. A big cold front holding alot of water. It's hard to imagin it getting very cold. We've had such warmth for over 7 months so far.
Wednesday 7th - A very meloncholy weather day today. Grey and still, a little drizzle and very quiet.
Second day of Sailors striking, leaving Greek ferries in their ports today. When ferries don't go, they don't come either, which means no food coming to the island, no mail, no petrol, no anything. Looks like we'll see many more strikes from now on, including the Electric Co. DEH. Make sure you're batteries are charged, your UPS is on etc etc, as rolling strikes come without warning.
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As we head to winter, there is not much news from around the island other than political. Many are out in their olive groves picking this year's harvest, others are enjoying the home time that the winter months afford and children are back at school (well, mostly). Many of the bayside restaurants have closed for the winter in the south and most of them are closed in the north. The usual remain open, as in Stavros, the northern center. Business as usual all year around, although Margarita Cafe, Sunset, among others do now close their doors from around 2pm - 5pm. During these hours, not even the dogs are out.
By checking online, it seems it's the Facebook time of the year.
Over the years I have met so many of you out there who check on ithacagreece.com regularly, so I'd like to say a BIG hello to all of you!! Thank you for making ithacagreece.com such a popular site. :)
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Send an e-Thiaki Postcard
A Collection of ithacagreece.com photographs
made into virtual postcards for you to send
to your friends and loved ones.
Nothing can replace a real postcard
but this is a good second place when you
want the card to arrive before you do.
ithacagreece.com Mobile/Cellphone App
ithacagreece.com now has an app for your
mobile/cell phone. Covering many
platforms. To download through your
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Makis Raptis, Ithaki local from Perahori is having an exhibition of his photographs at Aratou 11-13 Patras
from November 9th to 10th. The exhibition is being
put on by the Patra|Ithacan Society.
Send an e-Thiaki Postcard
A Collection of ithacagreece.com photographs
made into virtual postcards for you to send
to your friends and loved ones.
Nothing can replace a real postcard
but this is a good second place when you
want the card to arrive before you do.