Fri 2 June - Today at Hani, the new Cafe with the views down onto Vathy and across to Cephalonia, opens its' doors to the public. The consensus seems to be that the owners have done a great job of restoring this ruin into a beautifully looking Cafe.

Yiannis' and Douris' Rooms to Let, across the way from the Lefki Square, are due to be ready for business around the 16th of June.

The 'just short of a km' stretch of road at Aetos now resembles a mainland highway. Very snazzy.

This Summer there will be outdoor cinema in Vathy and once or twice a week in the north of the island. Keep tuned for further information.

This has nothing to do with Ithaki, other than Ithacan Eurovisions fans who love the post vision gossip. There's been some Anna Vissi controversy in the press lately after her appearance at the Eurovision song contest. A UK article accused Ms Vissi of being too old and looking too cheap. Luckily the Greek audiences are not so age-ist, otherwise old Mick and the 'Rolling for too long now' Stones, wouldn't have anyone to play to when they come to Athens.

Yesterday the skies turned very grey around 5pm and before anyone knew it, it rained dirt. The weather came up from the south, raining mud on our beautiful little island. The up to this story is that the carwash should make good business today. The downside is that its' left the atmosphere very muggy.

Sat 3 June - ithacagreece.com had a melt down yesterday. The site server in the US accidentally deleted the DNS entry, so we have been offline for the past 24 hours or so. I apologize for any inconvenience.

Message for Melissa and Dean - Dear Melissa and Dean, congratulations on the birth of your daughter Isobel Florence. Lots of love - Jennie and George Cafe Spavento Kioni.

Sat 10 June - It's a long weekend, but you wouldn't know it here on Ithaca. There's hardly a soul around. Don't get me wrong, people are here, but they're not heading out. One reason is probably the weather. It's been chilly at night and with the previous days' winds, very unpleasant at times. The other reason is the World Cup. I would hazard a guess that at least 90% of Ithacans here are glued to their Cable tv. I remember when the village squares would be crammed full of football supporters, all huddled around a community tv. Life practically stopped on the island while football fever spread around the locals. Now, hi-tech has also reached our little island and football fever is now contained in comfortable little packets, privately tucked away behind a living room wall.

Today it's raining. Very weird weather. Cracks of thunder hit while there was still sunshine and blue skies over most of Ithaca. Real Spring bursts. Meanwhile locals living elsewhere in Greece have made a pilgrimage back to the island to spend the long weekend with their families, maybe hoping for a swim, at least hoping for a day at one of the tavernas, but with this weather, I guess the locals too, will be finding comfort and entertainment at home, out of the rain.

If you're on the island right now, how about you support the local Vathy cinema over this weekend by attending the Da Vinci Code. If you're not sure where the Cinema is, go to Ena supermarket in Vathy, from the bay road, turn right and it's right there just off the corner.

Last night Dina from the KEP and Emanuel from Chez Manu, celebrated the opening of Ithakis first Tapas Bar in Vathy. Ithaki seems to be opening up its' culinary borders. It's no surprise that restaurants that offer something a little different from the Greek fare, are becoming more popular. It's not just tourists that enjoy the flavour of difference, but also the locals.

Bee in MY Bonnet - While complaints of how expensive everything is, are still being tossed around like a ball no one wants to catch, there is one thing that seems to be overlooked. Whether you are visiting Ithaki or living on Ithaki, everyone here pays the same. I met some visitors recently that were under the instinct impression that everyone on Ithaca was out to rip off the tourist. Not true. I would just like to say that living anywhere today is expensive, many can't afford to live in the UK, but they're not taking it personally. Once upon a drachma time, yes, Greece was cheap, but a country can't keep being suppressed financially just to keep the traveling community happy, can it? Ithaca doesn't determine prices. Ithaca doesn't even rank in the financial dictatorship of the world. On the island we get by as best as we can, so I suggest to these particular Brit's, to have a little consideration and respect for the country they visit, and seeing they came for a holiday, to have a great time. They've already spent the money (on a UK tour group) and now they want to quibble about the price of souvlaki?