Jerome and Karin UK

We would like to congratulate the people in Perachori for their lovely wine. We bought some bottles to take back home with us. Our friends love it and so do we. All the better for being organic. Very nice droip!

Virginia Cowel

What beautiful photographs Erika. They give us much pleasure. Thank you.

Mr. and Mrs. Foley Brisbane Australia

Hi Erika Your website is terrific!  All us Melbourne Ithacans enjoy it.  We can catch up on all the island photos and news in the comfort of our homes. We set up a small sub-committee and are currently updating our own website here - www.ithaca.org.au and are including a message board and more.  It should be online in the next couple of weeks but it will still be a work-in-progress.  I understand you are coming to Melbourne in November The website committee would like to visit and pick your brains to see how we can further improve our web presence. Cheers

Lula Black Melb Austtralia

Can it be true? Erika is going away in November and we will have to live without our daily fix of Ithaki. We're getting the shakes just thinking about it. Perhaps we should form an online " Ithaki Anonymous" group for addicts of this site to support one another through the weeks Erika is away! Just joking Erika! Have a great holiday. You deserve it.

Trish and Mike UK

Hi - I hope you can remember me - it is Karly Kallinikos from Australia.  I have been back in Australiafor two weeks now and missing Greece quite a lot.  I miss the stability in the weather and the general holiday mode although I know that all good things come to an end. I have been going into your site and am being updated on what is happening on the "Magical Island of Ithaca".I also think that your new camera's shots ate fantastic as you are obviously able to take them with a wider angle lense allowing you to do more with your work. It is a fantastic site - my brother Denis is also accessing the site daily and when I am not able to do it due to work commitments he lets me know of the latest happenings and events.If he was there he would have been an ideal candidate to do some of your work while you are on vacation.  I have not forgotten my promise re: my strong bond with Ithaca it is half way there. I hope you have found some time to pick up the letter I left for you at the Zac in Stavros - the article my aunty Flora's grand daughter wrote about Ithaca to her grandma. Keep up the fantastic work - as you say on your card the BIGGEST SITE on one of the smallest islands. Regards .

Karly Kallinikos Melb Australia

I seem to find myself tuning into your website at least 3 times a week now. I'm hooked!! I've visited Ithaki 4 or 5 times, but haven't been back for over 3 years, so it's great to keep in touch with that beautiful island through your website. Thankfully, the place seems to have kept its unspoilt charm and long may it continue. Keep up the good work and if you ever need another correspondent based in Vathy, please feel free to contact me anytime. Best regards

Paul Betteridge Berkhamsted. UK

Me and my partner, Paul, have just come back from our first holiday to Ithaca.  Before our trip I discovered your website and thought how fantastic and up to date it was.  It really got me in the mood for my holiday.  The island was truly beautiful and we both had a great holiday. The weather was kind to us as well.  Ithaca really is heaven on earth. Keep up the good work on the website - I look at it daily and dream of being back in Ithaca.

Michelle Jones and Paul Butler

Maria Pantelatos Dayton, Ohio

hello erica you do good jop keep up  with at  and  by  spring i am  come down    ....vathi where i come  from  with  love 

kostas

Hi Erika, Having just discovered your website, I had the need to write and explain my story. Our dad, George Moraitis, was born in Kioni.  He made his home in Melbourne , Australia , where he met our mum.  Unfortunately he passed away in 1968 and at that time our only ‘Greek Connection' were Spiro and Joanna Moraitis who lived in Melbourne too.  They moved back to Greece (having a home in Patras and Kioni) but we didn't keep in contact.  Spiro has passed away. My older son, Tim, was working in Switzerland during 1991 and over the Christmas holiday wanted to visit Ithaca .  My father died before I married so my sons never knew him and Tim had never met any relatives before this trip.  I put him in contact with Auntie Joan (that's what we call her but she really was my dad's cousin by marriage!).  She made him so welcome and after a few days in Patras Joan organized his trip to Kioni.  Tim loved the village – even though it was winter -and the people. On his return to Australia he said I should go.   In 1993 my sister Fay and I, at the ages of 52 and 45, went in search of our Dad's heritage.  We were welcomed by Dad's sister, Athanasia Karangis and his sister-in-law, Panayiota Moraitis.  We stayed at Panayiota's home.  We did not speak Greek and they did not speak English!!  We relied on others to interpret for us. The village was beautiful and nearly everyone (the older people) knew we were George's daughters. We loved our Greek connection. Fay and I have been back twice since – in 1997 and 2000.  Each visit loving Kioni even more.  On both occasions we stayed at Captain Dellaportas' apartments.  During these visits we met more relatives and locals.  Many mornings we swam with Peter and Amelia Moraitis and dined at their home.  We met Gerry from South Africa , Jenny and Dimitri looked after us with drinks and nibbles each day at Spavento and the Captain and his family were most hospitable.  Our aunt, Panayiota, cooked for us daily and was very caring.  We never got to meet our cousin, Ilias, as he was always at sea.  But after our 2000 visit he had a trip to Australia and came to my house for dinner and was able to meet us all – my other sister Joy, brother Peter as well as Fay and me. Then in 2004, Tim and my other son, Jeremy with his girl-friend, Karen, went to the Olympics and afterwards spent time in Kioni.  They stayed at the Captains' also.  Again the relatives were wonderful.  Panayiota, Joan, Amelia and Peter were very kind and generous to them.  They were welcomed into their homes.  It was during their stay that Jeremy proposed to Karen.  So Kioni is special to them.  She accepted and they are expecting their first baby in February 2007.  During their visit, Ilias had his motorcycle accident so the three of them visited him in hospital on Kefalonia. It was great to read in the ‘Locals' section of your site that Ilias had married. Your site is fantastic and brings back many wonderful memories.   I will regularly log-on to catch up on all the news on Ithaca and in particular, Kioni. Bye for now Jill Sutcliffe, Doncaster Australia

Hiya! Love your website. Funny to read about election time, we arrived at Piso Aetos on the polling day and had problems getting a taxi, along with another couple from the UK . But the main man taxi man in Vathy rescued us! Anyway, we have a small house at Dexa, just outside Vathy, and we should be arriving there Christmas eve. We always take loads of photos and would be pleased to send a selection to you if they are interesting. We always try to come to our little house in October and at Easter when the Island seems calm and the only sounds are those of sheep and goats bells. Oh, and the inevitable barking dogs. But that's a small price to pay for the privelege to own (or rather be custodian of) a part of this beautiful Island . Keep up the good work.

Pete & Gwyn UK

Colin and Mary, Perth Australia

Jill Tickle, Merseyside , England