Above - There's good reason that caravans are not permitted in the Frikes Car park... Reason No.1 - It's a car park ... Below - Would you trust this man with a glove. You'd be surprised just how many do and just how much they love what he does with it... grilling your fave fish or steak.

Saturday 29th - The nights are warm and just the ticket to spend by the bayside. A cool breeze off the sea and the days' heat becomes just a memory.

After a long hot Summer, the earth needs some quenching with a little rain, and although there will be some rain in northern Greece, it doesn't look we'll have any rain here for a little while yet.

Another humid night last night with low cloud making everything quite damp. Best places to be is by the bayside where a fresh and cooling air makes these sultry nights very pleasant.

Sunday 30th - Weather wise we are still in thick of Summer. It's a very humid day today, hot and still. Summer is slowly coming to an end in other ways however. The cricket noises are dulling for one and secondly, the sun is setting about 45 minutes earlier. The tension of August too, is releasing a little at a time as locals contemplate September and then October. Once the rush of the Season is over, locals plan for their own holidays. September and most of October maintain a summery atmosphere because the weather is usually still so great here on Ithaca, making it a perfect time for locals who work hard during the season, to enjoy what visitors enjoy about the island during the main Season.

Last day of August and the enthusiasm for the Day Tripper in Frikes is getting very low. You can see the fear in the faces of the staff when the enslaught begins, but for the rest, it's a sideshow that puts a smile on your face.

Monday 31st - Yesterday morning started off with a few drops of rain, but the day soon cleared to another hot, blue-sky, albeit humid, day. A fresh wind to clear the atmosphere would be very welcomed at this stage. News from the ferry front is that the weekend has seen a mass exodus.

Below - Whether you have a boat or hire a boat, it's a great way to get around to all those pristine little coves and beach hideaways that are not accessible by road. With a boat from Polis bay, just under Stavros in the north of the island, it's only a hop, skip and jump away from Fiscardo on Cephalonia, where you can go for breakfast, lunch or a little shopping. It's quite surprising how many Cephalonian visitors also venture Ithaki way each day, looking for the beach they kind find across the Strait.

So we say goodbye to all the visitors who go back to work and leave our shores. Some shed a tear, others quite a few, and then there are some who have had their taste of our little island and will seek new territory for next years' summer holiday. All in all, it's been a very busy summer high season, and although there will still be visitors coming to Ithaki in September and in October, there won't be that rush of July | August. We're looking at a more relaxed time from now on. Time to have time, time to talk to eachother again and enjoy some of those qualities that make us all so proud and happy to call Ithaki our home.