What's New On Ithaca Greece
August 2018
Wednesday 1st - Kalo Mina to everyone. Let's hope for the August weather we're accustomed to. Below - Ag. Ioannis Beach.
Friday 3rd - Summer came all of a sudden a few days ago with very, very hot days. No build up this year, just sudden heat!
Above - No, Ithaca is NOT renting tree houses. Below - Arthur from Lefki, is an annual Summer resident.
Sunday 5th - Every day is Summer now, finally. It's hot and the cicadas are loud, too loud sometimes, the noise level of the island has increased expotentially and now that we're completely in the peak, you can see the frazzle on the faces of some.
Above - Last night Simon Wolant (Koreoproject) and Jan Möllmer (Peculiar Man) put on an amazing contemporary dance performance that had the Vathy village square enthralled. When the show was over, all the kids attempted the moves. It was a great way to spend the night. CLICK HERE or on photograph above, for more or see video coming in a little while. Just need to edit together.
Monday 6th - There's no doubt we're in the peak of the season. The island is absolutely buzzing, especially in the south, but not only, even the northern villages are bursting at the seams some days. Still if you're out and about early enough for dinner, you'll find yourself a calm spot before all the tables are gone. It's all about timing.
Above - Cyprus Minister, George Lakotryppis and family
Above - Last night was the first night of Sotiros. WOW! it was buzzing and so much fun!! The band played their last song just before 6am, so that should give you an idea. It was full very early on and just get getting bigger and bigger. This year it WAS the BIG festival of the season. If you missed it, don't despair. There's still tonight. Day 2 of Sotiros, the Stavros Panighri. Click Here or on photo above for more pics.
Tuesday 7th - Just a thought - It would be such a considerate act if we didn't park our cars on the doorsteps of where we want to go or on the narrowest parts of the road so that no one can pass. AND even more considerate would be that if you're IN the car, to then be kind enough to move it just a FEW meters so another car can pass, INSTEAD of suggesting that the car that wants to pass, should go a kilometer out of the way, so that the person parked illegally, who is sitting IN the car, doesn't have to move his hand to turn the key so he could move it just a FEW meters. The moral of this story. Park your cars in the parking areas, get some excercise and walk a couple of meters. You'll live longer and we'll all be happier. OH and if it's the morning of the panighiri, be considerate enough to NOT wake people up at 8am. Summer is for all of us to enjoy.
Above - The 2nd night of Sotiros was just as much fun as the first, but with a little more room to move. Another great night. Click Here or on photograph above for more pics. Above photo - George Levendis, former Greek tv and record company executive, Chief of SYCO (you'll know it as X-factor, Simon Cowell etc) and now COO of Turkish Broadcaster Acun Medya.
Just one more thing. If you live or stay in Stavros, you should know that the ENTIRE island APART from Stavros is on fast internet. All OTE have to do is give the go ahead to connect, but they won't do it, no matter how many times they're asked. Stavros businesses, locals and visitors are hindered, but the shepherd on the mountain top gets super speeds. If you have it in you, please give OTE a call and ask them to connect the fibre optic SUPER fast internet to Stavros. It's unfair they should keep us offline.
Thursday 9th - Unfortunately i missed a couple of performances over the past couple of days due to vertigo, but I think i'm ok again, so hopefully will catch up with some more things now. Sorry to the Lefki locals who'd asked me along last night. Here is a pic taken by Demetri.
Spiros Arsenis also had a performance in the Stavros square last night. A few pics from there also below.
I love that Stavros has found it's feet again after a few years of hard times for the village. Now if OTE would only give us the fast internet as they have to EVERY other village on the island, life would be just about perfect for Stavros locals. #otenet #givestavrosfastinternet
It's impossible to work with the internet going off every 5 minutes today, but I'll perservere.
Above - A nightlight peak at the Mayor of Ithaca (far right) the very popular Mr. Stanitsas. Although the council website, not only run by this council, but by every council over the past 15 years, has ignored ithacagreece.com, I've tried my best to help promote Ithaca in the best light over the past 15 years, I don't need any help or praise from the council, I do it because i have LOVED doing it, but it would be nice to at least be recognized as playing a role in doing something positive for the island. 99% of it is without payment and the 1% which is with payment, makes advertising for local businesses online much, much cheaper than they would get it elsewhere. It also gives them the exposure 19 million hits per year affords, Anyway, just thinking outloud, but it would be nice to have this council include a link on their site to ithacagreece.com as they have done for others. To be fair, I haven't asked, but i hoped that my contribution wouldn't need to be flaunted after all these years.
I was prompted to write something after someone (luckily for him, he will remain anon as have all the others over the years) had said to me, "Ithaca didn't ask me and Ithaca doesn't need me to do anything for it." I should even go back to where I came from. It made me ponder why my website and me in particular, can stir such cruelty in people. It's been intimidating to say the least and sometimes worrying in the extreme, especially when someone spray painted swastikas on my real estate signs. The number of fists i've had in my face over the years, the verbal abuse etc has been difficult to handle at times, but so far Ithaca has been worth the threat of being punched in the nose and the often times cruel comments fired at me when I'm photographing a concert or event or landscape. In Kioni, someone elbowed me so hard that they bruised my back before swearing at me. I've never complained publicly, but today it's hard to keep silent.
Don't get me wrong, mostly people are generous and friendly, you've met them, they're the ones welcoming you into their homes, into their lives, sharing a coffee with you, sharing the island which THEY love with you, the reason I'm still here after all these years despite originally coming for only 2 years. These others are just bitterly jealous individuals who would probably find something wrong with everyone and everything. Nevertheless, it has worn me down a bit and makes me a bit reflective and for the first time, reflective here.
Anyway, on with more photographs and my love of Ithaca!
Saturday 11th - What a Summer! So much going on! So much to do and see! The Council events organizer Pano Doriza has done a great job filling up the calendar with worthwhile things to do, not only for the community but also for the visitors to the island. It's been some time since we've had such an exciting full calendar. This weekend it's the farmers market in Vathy, so get along and support the local producers.
Above - Last night was the HUGE Frikes Panighiri. Was so happy to see this festival so well attended. Considering the number of visitors that come through this bayside village, the number of actual locals who live here is miniscule in comparison, so it's a great effort to make a successful festival with so few people to organize and run it. Click Here or on photograph above for more pics.
Sunday 12th - There's no doubt about it. This year the numbers of visitors are definitely up.
Above - Panos Dorizas. If you're thinking how great the social calendar for this year is, this is the man to thank, well one of them. Doing a great job keeping the masses entertained over this 2018 Summer period.
Below - One of the things organized by Panos Dorizas was last night live music by the Markab Trio. What a special band of musicians this is. Beautiful playing and beautiful voices. Really a treat. Click Here or on Photo below for more pics of the Markab Trio and the Farmer's Market also held in the village square at the same time.
August 2018
Ithaca Greece Summer Fun
Wednesday 1st
Friday 3rd -
The hot weather is beginning to turn our lush green island a little sunburnt.
It's great to see our island getting some great reviews for dining. Over the past few years, the standard of food has increased to excellence for many.
Sunday 5th - So much happening this month i can barely keep up. Check the billboards around the island and Ithaki Calendar regularly. Tonight is of course Sotiros, let's see how this festival fares. Both Exoghi and Kioni were down in numbers, so if this is down too, it might be time to rethink the panighiri. Maybe some changes to get people excited about going again.
Monday 6th - I'll make a bet the island, at least the north of the island, is nursing a little community hangover after last night massive festival for Sotiros in Stavros.
It's great to see everyone so open to having a good time. Bright eyed bunch of revellers that we are on Ithaca.
A couple of nights ago i put up some photographs of The Between by Simon Wolant with the Peculiar Man. I had also filmed some video of segments of the performance which I'd hoped to share with everyone because it was a really great dance performance, but unfortunately, the music being played for the performances have copyright limitations and thus gets muted when I uploaded to FB and was given warmings by youtube, so I can not share them. Sorry. The internet is in lockdown for that kind of thing. Can't even upload something that was played publicly on a PA. There should be some lenience because ALL music being played in restaurants and bars or on someone's stereo will be picked up with song recognition and then muted or banned from upload. Be warned, you infringe copyright if you post it, even to your private fb pages.
Tuesday 7th - The big panighiri is over, but that doesn't mean it's the end, in fact there are still a few more festivals ahead. Frikes on the 10th, then Anoghi on the 14th and Platrithia on the 15th. Get those dancing blisters seen to, you have alot of dancing still to do.
If youtube doesn't give me another copyright infringement, I'll post some videos of the panighiri also.
Thursday 9th - We're whizzing through another month. Is it just me or is time passing alot quicker than it used to. Below - Vathy harbour dotted with boats, just adds to the romantic notion of sailing around the med.
Saturday 11th - Time is speeding by, last night it was the Frikes Panighiri, in a few days it will the Anoghi Panighiri and then Platrithia Panighiri. So much to do, so little time.
Sunday 12th - Lots of people interested in Ithaca this year. The island has had quite alot of great international publicity, so I guess everyone wants to see what the fuss is about. Well, let me name just a few. Friendly people, pristine beaches, great food, traditional atmosphere lost in so many islands around Greece, small, not intimidating, beautiful to look at, great baysides and the list goes on and on.
Above - Roula Tsernou: vocalist for Markab Trio.
Below - There are more ways than one to hold tight to one's heritage.
Today is the inaugeration of the northern Ithacan football grounds. All turfed up and ready to give a smoother graze to the knees than the previous gravel ground. I think it's about 6 - 6.30pm.
In a couple of days we have the Anoghi Panighiri and then the Platrithia Panighiri. So much to do.
I've also got a couple of videos to edit from the Frikes Panighiri and also last night's performance by Markab Trio, so keep your eyes out on Youtube
