Ithaca Summer Lodown 2008
 
These pages are for all the fun, activities, parties, festivals, news and visitors coming to Ithaca in Greece for the Summer of 2008. You'll still find Who's Here, Around The Villages and Ithaki General, but this year they'll all be packed into one. Enjoy the Summer, be it on the island or online. It's bound to be huge!
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Mon 11 Aug - Above Left - Vathy harbour at night. Above Right - A replica of the mythological Argos fascinating locals and tourists as it anchors on Ithaki. Below - Perahoris' Agricultural tourism Co-Operation Bazaar. Local products grown and made by Ithakis southern mountain village community of Perahori.
 
Perahori
 
 
 
The 2 day Bazaar was such a success that many ran out of produce after the first day. There were preserves and wine, candles from bees wax, home made Halva and local cakes, not to mention organically grown veggies.
 
Seems anyone with an otenet.gr email ends up in Spam folders across servers. Why? No idea, but it is getting very annoying that Otenets' IP address is flagged as spam the world over. Not only do you have 'Buckleys' of connecting on if you're still unlucky enough to have dial-up, but if you happen to be lucky enough to send your very important email, the receiver is left waiting while you or he/she figure out to look in the spam folder. Other interesting fact is that Otenet is not selling 'Get Connected' packages now longer than 6 months. Somethings brewing. I hope it's ADSL all around.
A very nasty virus has seen people dropping like flies around the island, ok, it's just a bad flu, but when you're hit in the middle of Summer, it is a little more disconcerting than usual. Thanks to the Frikes boys for passing it around. I'm out of action, but thanks to Demetri, we have something to upload.
Wed 13 Aug - Below Left - (Pic by George) The other day as part of Flotilla fun, the pirates invaded Poli beach. They didn't ravage the villagers or its women, just the bar. Below Right - The village Square of Platrithia reverberated with the classical tones of Spiro Koutsouvelis on piano and Elizabeth Seifer on violin last night. There was an intimate turn out for a summer concert of classical music .

For those who thought they'd come early in the season for their holidays, to avoid the great heat of Summer, would have been a little surprised to find temps of around 40C for June and July. Now in August, the weather has been amazing so far - warm, cooler evenings... very pleasant. With the Platrithia Panighiri only a couple of days away, the island is now at its most populated. There are people everywhere, traffic hold ups, cars, bikes, you name it. Many familiar faces and many new faces mingling in the restaurants, bars and streets of Ithaki. With an evident slow start to the Season, those working 16 - 20 hours a day, seem relatively calm and still in good cheer. Once upon a time, the end of the Platrithia Panighiri marked the end of the main season, but over the past few years, Ithakis season has been extended into October and there is no reason to believe it won't be the same again this year. With headline threats of earthquakes plaguing the tourist community (which by the way, the Predictor is still trying to redeem himself by predicting it now for August, after his July catastrophe didn't happen) there were many who stayed away from the Ionian not to get caught up in the predicted 8 Richter disaster. Predicting earthquakes is a little redundant in the Ionian (and in Greece generally) as somewhere, sometime there will be a tremor or quake, but I have to say that on Ithaki, we all feel pretty safe. In the 53 earthquakes, yes houses came down, but they were built with dry stone walls. Since then, building laws determine new houses are earthquake proof, usually to 10 Richter. Anyway, the flu is on its way out, so I'm looking forward to village hopping again with my camera in hand. See you at the Anoghi and Platrithia Panighiri.

Thu 14 Aug - Tonight it's the Anoghi Panighiri. There'll be more than getting a little high on altitude in this mountain village once you get your taste buds tempted by the local tsipouro or wine. Below - Vathy Bay getting many large yachts coming into moor now. Could it be the expensive mooring fees around most of Greece, Spain, Italy and France, could make ithakis little ports (free ports) so tempting... besides the calm waters and beautiful views of course.

Below Left - Kioni during an ordinary hour and Below Right - Kioni during a 3 x Day Tripping ferry mayhem, where people spill from the promenade into the water trying to find a piece of concrete to step on, and the restaurants and bars struggle to feed the masses, crowding into this usually quiet and quaint little bay side village.

Below Left - The Palmos family is here again from Athens - Anastasia, Danai and Costas. Although their usual haunt is down south, they have an emotional bond to the north of the island. We caught up with them after lunch at Rementzo. Below Right - A nice little Frikes scene.

Left - Fortunately or unfortunately, Frikes does not have the day tripping traffic of Kioni, but still when a Day Tripper does lose its way or gets turned away from Kioni to end up in this traditional port village, it makes one want to pull out the camera to shoot them. Above Left - Pano from Avra Restaurant in Kioni gets ready for his time on the charcoal grill. Above Right - The Super big P is back! No, P is not for that english word starting with P, but for that Greek word starting with P that usually refers to women, which of course, the Super big P is not, but then again...... Huh?
Left - Margarita Varigos and friend Illias sneak away from Fiorendino Bar to get a good nights sleep before the early morning ferry takes them far away from Ithaca. Margarita and Illias are here from Melbourne Australia. Right - Mum, Euanna (nee Varigos) and daughter, Jacinta say a quick hello to friends before heading to Fiorendino Bar. They're here from Newcastle Australia. Below Left - Juan, a Spaniard and Skipper of a yacht, with local builder and friend Maki, let their hair down for a few hours together in Frikes. Juan is an avid supporter of ithaki. He's been sailing into the northern ports since 1992. Below Right - Patrick and Leo from the Nether
lands with Ithaki friends, Grill man, Rien and Walking Guide, Ester.
Friday 15 August - Right - The Anoghi Panighiri was charming as usual. I was still too sick to get very deep into it, but I saw enough to give me the impression everyone enjoyed the event. There was a nice mix of locals and visitors all taking part in the dancing and sing alongs, lifting their glasses of local wine and tempting another Summer hangover. For more pics Click Here or on Photograph right. Video coming (quite a bit) later.
Left - THE CRUISE SHIP THAT THOUGHT IT WAS A PADDLE BOAT. Easy Cruise, cruising into Afales bay? What? Really? Watch out! Guess it realized it was a beach and got out just in time, otherwise we could have had a local adventure on our hands. David Ayling from Exoghi looked down at this unbelievable sight at 8am this morning, and of course sent the photo directly down the mountain and onto the internet. Wonder if the passengers had any idea where their captain was taking them... Wonder if the captain had any idea.
Anoghi Panighiri 2008
Platrithia Panighiri 2008
The last of the BIG Panighiria finished with a bang last night. Platrithia Festival has over the years, become one of the biggest festivals on ithaca and continues to be so. Lots of fun, lots of laughs, a new band with big reverb and a crowd that wanted to dance the night into dawn. Click here or photo left for more pics.
Frikes/Stavros news - Olympia Vasilopoulos (Symposium Restaurant Frikes and stavros local) gave birth to a baby boy on the 13 Aug. Everyone was thrilled for the Vasilopoulos family. Merope and Niko are yet to see the little surprise bundle, as mother, baby and dad will be in Patras for a week or so yet. There'll be lots of toasts made when the 3 arrive back on Ithaki.
After a mild start to August, this week the high temperatures and back and air-con units are again working to the max. 38C yesterday and the same again for today. The horizon has disappeared from a thick heatmist and Ithacans and visitors are sweating, glowing and perspiring unless they are wise enough (or able) to head to the beach for the day
Mon 18 Aug - Right - Vathy bay was churning today with high winds over the Ionian. The south of the island was a little more worse for wear than the north, but irregardless, the choppy seas all around kept people safely moored in their Marinas instead of sailing around.
 

 

 

 

Tuesday 9 September 2008 - Just having a break and will be back soon.

 
 

 

 
 
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Click here for more pics of the Anoghi Panighiri - Summer Festival on Ithaca island Platrithia Panighiri - Ithaca village festival for summer fun