August 19th - Poli Beach has been getting more interesting every year since Laki set up sun beds and umbrellas. A colorful array of people gather at the beach where it's easy to become one of the Poli family. If you want a massage or a manicure, you can get that too.

Friday 20th August - Below - The Thiako band Mnistires played at the Garden Theatre in Vathy. The band was started many many years ago by Ithacan youth Vagelis, Costa, Dimos and Jimmy, all from Vathy at the time. As most members moved on and moved away from Ithaki, Vagelis Mihalatos settled himself in Athens and continued with the band, adding new members to replace the old. Mnistires music is very cool and very chilled. Laid back soundscapes create a smokey atmosphere with great mood. During the middle of the set the old members got up on stage to play some old favourites which the audience responded to with great joy. A nice night.

Original Mnistires members. Left - Right. Dimos - Drums. Living and working in Vathy. Costa - Keyboards. Living and working in the television industry in Sydney, Australia. Jimmy - guitar/vocals. Living and working in Athens.

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August 29th - While in all the major villages people talk and think and breathe tourism, in Raxi, life goes on as usual. While on the island, it's worth taking a walk around the lanes and tracks of Raxi. See the real life that goes on behind the Summer mask . Although the village of Kioni is just below, Raxi is worlds away from the hectic season below. Whether the rest of Ithaki fires up or closes down for Summer, this village continues as it has for years and years with friendly people working hard on their olive groves and vineyards, still using the good old faithful donkey and taking care of the business of living as best as they can..

August 31st - Above - This photo of Perahori was sent to me by Nick and Julie Levi, reminding me that this village too is very traditional and of course beautiful. Most of Ithakis wine comes from here. Perahori has a spectacular view of Vathy below.

Thursday 2nd September - Vathy has a warm and sultry night. The inmates are slowly taking back the asylum now that the hectic season is over and fewer tourists are on the island. Vathy always looks beautifully lit up at night and there are still stirs of excitement in the small lanes and the town Square. Summer may be officially over, but with warm nights such as these, the Spirit of Summer has not yet been extinguished. September is the time for the locals to enjoy their piece of Summer before October sees everyone picking their olives and preparing their caves for hybernation.

People write all the time asking hOME ithaca greece about Campervan and camping facilities. I say the roads are too narrow and the island isn't set up for them, but they just don't believe it until they're stuck between a rock and a hard place. This photo is compliments of Lefki_Web_Cam A site run by Tatooist Rien, who keeps an eye on traffice passing by his house in Lefki. We've redded out their faces so these Italians aren't recognised, but we could have left them as they are, god knows they were red-faced already.

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Friday September 3rd - Left - YIorgos and Jenny from Spavento were once normal every day people of Kioni, now look at them. Jenny became anorexic and Yiorgos shows his customers just how to wear Pom Pom shoes and a fez the Ithaki way, sporting his battle scars with a Kioni road that is now engraved in his shins. When I said the Inmates are taking over the asylum, I wasn't kidding. Not really... Post August antics are always alot of fun around the island as people let off steam after a stressful and busy Summer by letting their hair down and goofing it up.. Can we expect belly dancing any time soon?

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