February 2015 - Thursday 12th - It may be cold on Ithaca, but the days look like summer. Endless blue skies and lots of sunshine.
Tisiknopemti
There was alot of grilling going on around the island today with Tsiknopempti celebrations, which is basically a huge feast on meat. We headed to Vathy and to Kioni, from one end of the island to the other to see what was going on. For all the pics
CLICK HERE or on photo Left.
Sunday 15th - Sunny, blue sky days now and coming up next week. There's still a little snow on the distant mountain peaks, but with temps around 11C through the day and some warm sunshine, it pretty much feels like Spring is almost upon us.
Monday 16th - Another brilliant day today. Lots of blue skies and sunshine with more of the same for this week, except maybe 1 day of a little rain forecast.
Lots of burning off again today. It could also have been a good clothes drying day except for the smoke. Maybe Ithaca could have a non smoking weekend? A couple of days where our windows can be open and clothes able to dry outside without reeking of smoke. It can get quite overwhelming when there are so many burning off at the same time, especially when there is little wind to disperse the smoke.
Saturday 21st - Beautifully sunny days, but the forecast is telling us rain and storms for Sunday, Carnival day. The council has announced that if it's raining on Sunday, the Carnival will be cancelled this week and postponed until next Sunday. We won't know until Sunday morning around 10am. Let's hope the sun shines long enough, or at least the rain holds off, until Carnival is over.
Monday 23rd - After a few weeks of sunny days and blue skies, it was quite a shock for the weather to turn grey again, especially as it happened for one of the most colourful days on Ithaca, and in Greece generally, the Carnival. Organizers hoped the rain would ease yesterday, but it was relentless and thus the Vathy Carnival was cancelled. Don't despair however, all that work from all the various groups participating, will not go to waste. The new date for the Carnival is Tuesday 24th Feb at 3pm. Let's just hope the weather has cleared by then. It would be a great shame for all the preparation for this annual event, to have been for nothing more than a few masquerade selfies on facebook.
Today is was misty and foggy in the mountains around Ithaca. I don't mind it. For photographs it's alot more interesting than a sunny day, but I know for holidayers, sunny days are all that count.
Today was Kathara Deftera (Clean Monday), the day Greek Orthodox begin Lent. No more meat now until the big feast on Easter Sunday.
Kathara Deftera - Clean Monday
We headed up to Anoghi in the mountains through the fog and drizzle to see what the locals were up to and then down to Kioni on the bay, where the community set up camp in the old primary school to celebrate their Kathara Deftera.
The rain kept many away, but not so many as to make this day a flop. It was successful in both Anoghi and Kioni. Lots of fun with and for all the family.
For more photographs CLICK HERE or on photograph Left.
Tuesday 24th - Quite a bit of sunshine today so the Carnival postponed took place in Vathy at 3pm.
Left - Vathy Bay. Still waters under a mostly blue sky.
Carnival 2015 Ithaki Style
I was a bit disappointed that only the primary school kids turned up for the parade and performances and the grown-ups, with their wild costumes and floats had lost the Carnival flavour after it was cancelled on Sunday, and didn't participate. I'm not that surprised. There has been one party after another in the lead up to Carnival, so most likely, 'the grown-ups' are having a little rest from festivities.
I must say that the mother's club, school community and council, did do a lovely job despite that the Carnival was limited. One long parade of colour and fun.
The weather bureau forecasts rain for the rest of the week, so luckily we had one day off so that the kids could get the Carnival they had been practicing for, for so long.
I couldn't decide which photos to use and which to leave out, so I just put most of them in. 2 pages of photographs from Carnival 2015. CLICK HERE or on photo left.
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made into virtual postcards for you to send
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but this is a good second place when you
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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.
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mobile/cell phone. Covering many
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