Good morning from sunny South Africa , I would be grateful if anyone logging onto your site could assist. Our father Michael VLISMAS was from Vathi,, Ithaca and came to South Africa at age 16 in and around 1912. He had a natural sister OLGA and a step sister ROSINA. From few visits to the island we have been able to trace that Gregory from Gregory's Tavern is a cousin once removed and that George from Ithaca Supermarket is also a cousin once removed. On a visit 2-years ago we visited with Angelica (George's sister) who was quite frail, but because of the language barrier could not ask too many questions. I do believe that the house that my father and sisters lived in is now owned by a local Ithicician musician. If any of your readers could throw some more light on this information, our family would be most grateful. We have recently completed a family tree from our mother's side and would desperately now like to do the same for our father. Kind regards, Alethea Michele Vlismas
I'll publish it in the letters section and will add it on to 'tell me about it' also. Hope you have some success.
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Hi Erika! I was also sad to see that I can no longer book at my travel agents to Ithaca after coming to Vathi for the past few years but this year my partner and I are going to do it independently. We're not giving up!!! Can you confirm if there is a port at the top of Kefalonia that we can take a ferry from to get straight to Ithaca ? If so, what is it called? We will also go back as we have made some great friends there. Great website by the way. Really useful and informative. Shame you can't please everyone!!! Lou Brand
The port in Cephalonia is at Sami, about a 40 min drive from Argostoli Airport. From Sami there are a guarranteed 2 ferries to Ithaca per day, with The Kefalonia ferry. One at 3.30pm and another at 11.30pm . In Summer there are also smaller car ferries. Departures from Ithaca back to Sami are at 7am and again at 4pm. In regard to not being able to please everyone, there was a time I couldn't please anyone, so as far as I'm concerned, I'm on a roll. Have a great trip and time on Ithaca . Enjoy your independence!
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Had a giggle about getting permission from yourself to use your music, and also find it amazing how some writers address you as if you are El Presidente of Ithaca – such as “I came to your island and was not happy”. Priceless George Florence AUS
If they only knew.
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We are looking to travel to Ithaca from Piraeus by ship. Is there a travel agency on Ithaca that could handle this. Cheers. Freda Canaris
That's quite a long travel option. If you're wanting to do this for the adventure you could try emailing delas@otenet.gr Delas Tours. They are in Vathy Ithaca and may be able to arrange it for you. Otherwise, a bus, train or car to Patras and ferry from Patras to Ithaca . it's faster. Also Agean and Olympic fly to kefalonia, the neighbouring island, which is then only 30 min ferry ride away.
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Fabulous web site! We're a family hoping to returning to Ithaca this summer. Can you tell us what the weather might be like the second half of June -- ie is the water warm for swimming then? Also, last time we traveled by car/ferry from Athens , and this year wondered about coming in from Italy , but the ferries look like they'll take forever -- any suggestions? Thanks so much for any help! Maggie
Thank you for enjoying the website. In the second half of June the weather is beginning to heat up and people are swimming. The water is still refreshing, but not freezing or too cold to enjoy. Ferries from Italy are overnighters, so it is a journey, not just a trip. The Italy ferries come into Patras and some Argostoli so from either port, you will still need to take another ferry to Ithaca. This year you do have an alternative however, Air Sea lines fly from Corfu and Patras to Ithaca , so you may want to consider this as a travel option. I'm sure you'll have another great holiday on Ithaca , no matter how you arrive. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Erica, Have listened to your music on www.myspace.com/lolademo and watched the videos you made on www.youtube.com/lolademo and was completely surprised! I don't know what I imagined your music to be like, but it wasn't what I heard. Ow Wow is very fresh (cheeky). Congratulations. ps. I hope music won't stop you continuing with the website. Charlotte UK
I always do some music during the winter and after I get it off my chest, I concentrate on the website again, so don't worry, the website will be here for some time to come yet.
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Dear Erika, I would like thank you for your web, we read your news every day. Can you help us with ferry, please? We would like arrive to Ithaka on 27th of April from Lefkada, and we don´t know time table. Is it the same as
last year? Thank you very much.With Kind Regards Lenka - Czech Republic p.s. I am sorry for my English
Thank you for enjoying the website. Unfortunately I don't have the new timetable from Lefkada to Frikes, but it is usually the same. It's best maybe to ring the Lefkada Port Authority Port Authority Tel : 26450 22176, 26450 22322. This is usually a good idea even when the timetable is out, due to this ferry being very weather sensitive. Your english is great! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We're enjoying the videos you are making on Ithaca. We like how you get into the small things. Wish there were more and wish we were there. Great website! Could you please give me a contact number or email for the Omirikon Hotel. I don't think I have the right information. Thank you . Henry and Anne.
There will be more videos as soon as I get a real video camera. For now I'm just using my Fuji Fine Pix digital camera. Omirikon - Try emailing info@ithakiholidays.com They are the agents for the hotel.
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Hi Erika, Have had a house in Vathy for years, and love the website. One suggestion: I (and friends) often come to Ithaki out of season, and this time I'm driving down, and need to know current ferry connections via Lefkada or (if any) Astakos. Off to trusty Ithacagreece ... but only last year's timetables are posted. I know, I know, I can always phone Delas Tours, but it would be nice if your website (or theirs!) had up-to-date timetables available - even off season. Keep up the good work. Best regards Chris Jones
If there was a timetable, I'd post it . The Astakos ferry timetable is the one that Delas has too. Nothing has changed. As I'm not a travel agent, I don't get timetables sent to me and have to run around to find them just like everyone else. Off season, there just aren't any timetables to be found. Sorry. I go into Delas every couple of weeks to see about a timetable, but I can only post if there's something to post. What's in the travel agents office is what's on the site. Thanks for logging into the site. It's much appreciated. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Erika, Im looking forward to coming to Ithaca in July of this year with my girlfriend and a few mates for a week (from Australia ). We would like to stay as near as possible to Plakoutses beach (is that near Rachi?) - Sorry but am a bit lost and am only going off what Ive heard from others plus the web sites! Was just wondering the closest place to stay would be - Kioni or Frikes? - or is there somewhere closer still? Thanks for your help. Cheers Jono
If you want to stay near Plakoutses beach, then your village is Kioni. Plakoutses is Kionis central swimming pool (beach). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Ms. Bach, I have been trying to contact or make a reservation with OMIRIKON HOTEL. However after 16 days, I have not gotten a reply! Can you tell me if the hotel is still operation? If it is still open, would this be typical? We will visit Ithaca on May 18-19, with a rental car and would like a nice quiet hotel. Thank you for any information you can get to me. Brian McClusky USA
I'm sorry to hear about your difficulty in getting through to the hotel. I can tell you that yes, they are still operating and the owners are on the island. I can't speculate why you haven't had a reply. Try sending an email to info@polyctortours.com or ring the agent for the hotel on +30 26740 33338. Maybe you will get some satisfaction there. If calling please note Greek office times 9am - 2pm and again 6pm - 9pm . Good luck! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No wonder no one ever answers their email or phone. You're all off playing music and doing theatre. Get with it people, you're wasting my time!!! Am now looking Corfu for my holiday. They seem to be more organized thatn you lot.
Excuse me? didn't you get a reply to this agreessive email five minutes after you sent it? I'm a woman. I multitask. Seems I can play music, answer my emails and call you rude all at the same time. How much faster would you like your communication to be. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello there. Could you please forward any brochures you have on the accommodation on the Ioanian islands. We are looking at going on holiday mid August to mid September would need ferry timetables, transfers and accommodation possibilities for that period. Thank you in advance. Mat and Suzanne
Thank you for your email. Unfortunately for you I am not a travel agent, please see a travel agent in your neighbourhood for your Ionian travel options. I run a website for the island of Ithaca . ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi and congratulations on an excellent site. Looking over the winter pages I am impressed that there seems to be so much talent on the island (including yourself Erika, I really enjoy your music), but also the theatre, painters etc. It must be a great inspiration to live on Ithaca .
Ithaca is a very inspirational place to live. You need only look out your window to be impressed with the wonderful views. We are very lucky. Happy you enjoy the music. I just do it for fun these days. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why are you blurring out faces in your photographs? Do you have something against these people? from pete I have nothing against these people other than that they want to take me to jail, so I blur them out to protect myself. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- hi erkaa we haven't heard much about ithaki cats has it stopped where can i make a donation if its still going please let me know thanks arti Arti, Ithaki Cats actually the Argos Foundation, is still running. They are in the process of putting together details for a webpage on ithacagreece.com where donations and other information will be available. Keep a look out. Best wishes Erkaa hi erkaa its arti again sorry I thought your name was erika i apologize for the mistake have a nice day Hey what? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dear Erica, I appreciate that you have many things to do, but would it be possible to send me information on the Lefkas to Ithaca ferry timetable. I am looking at the period of April and May. On the site you still have 2007. Look forward to hearing from you. Charles Howard. Each year the timetables are the same basically, so you can go off the 2007 timetable. For extra security you can also ring the ferry Captain Aristides Agent -
+30
26450 93278
or the Port Authority in Lefkada .+30 26450 92509. When I get the 2008 timetable I'll post this years ferry schedule. Note this ferry is very dependent on weather conditions. Hope this helps. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Really enjoyed your 80s videos Ape the cry on you tube. Do you still have those records around, I'd like to buy one. Very gothic. had no idea. Cheers - Dominic. Are you kidding? We buried them over 20 years ago, and if it wasn't for Terry Munro (the video maker) putting them on youtube, they'd be up in heaven by now where my eyebrows have been for many years. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hey erica! it's way too long between drinks. Can't you post your tell me letters more regularly? They usually make my day. Caroline I'm trying, but something always gets in the way. ie. sleep. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your website is just a big advertising campaign for the island. Let's not pretend it is anything else. Duh. It's taken you 5 years to realize this? The site advertises the island. No one is pretending anything. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hi ithacagreece, We were wondering if it would be possible to find out when the lovely and magical little cantina at Cemetery Beach owned by Brigitte and Panaghi opens for the summer season. We are planning to come back to Kioni in June and are hoping to enjoy some more of their unique hospitality and wonderful food. We would be very grateful if you could possibly let us know if the cantina will be open in June. Please pass on our regards to Brigitte and Panaghi and wish them well, they made our last visit truely memorable and we often think of them and their little cantina !! Kind regards, Peter and Elaine. If the weather is good in June, then I think the cantina will be running at least during the day. As they don't post 'beginning season times' on the olive tree on the beach, I can't be 100% certain, but I'm pretty sure you can enjoy their fare in June. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hi just wanted to congratulate you on one of the best , if not the best laid out and most informative Greek websites I have come across . If only all websites could be like this . Could I ask your advice on the best way of getting to Ithaca from Athens in late March . Will probably have a car so could drive to Patras? Many Thanks - Efcharisto Lyndon Whife Swansea Wales UK . thank you so much for your email. I'm very flattered and pleased that the site is of use to you. The best way to get from Athens is to drive from the airport directly to Patras. About 2.5 hour drive. all freeway. It's a very easy and simple way to go. From Patras you catch the ferry called 'The Kefalonia' either at 12.30pm or at 8.30pm . Once at the port someone will direct you to where this ferry docks. They are very helpful at the port usually. This ferry makes a short stop at Cephalonia before going on to Ithaca . the afternoon ferry docks at Piso Aetos on Ithaca at 4pm and the night ferry docks in Vathy, ithaca at 12.30am . Note - if the Kefalonia ferry is in for a service then the ferry to Ithaca is called The Eptanisos. I hope this is of further help to you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hi Erika, Is Captain Yiannis Apartments in Vathy still in business? Stefanos doesn't seem to be advertising anywhere this year. Best regards Paul Betteridge I believe Capt. Yiannis is still in business. His advertising may have been through a tour company website. There may have been some company changes, so that may be the reason his accommodation is not online presently. Vathy wouldn't be Vathy without Capt. Yiannis. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hi Erica - You wonderful chatty woman you! My burning question is about the coats on the organic lawnmowers (sheep) that I saw on Rien's journal site. I am an avid knitter - is there Ithacan yarn for sale somewhere? Just have to know about that wool! I could walk around with a little Ithaki around my neck, on my feet, or - on my head instead of just on my mind! Cheers, and keep it up - way to live a life, E. Robin Hi robin, don't know of anyone other than the sheep that stock ithacan wool. The sheep have the monopoly on the wool stakes unfortunately. If anyone did spin the yarn, they are a generation deceased. If I hear of someone however, I will let you know immediately, meanwhile enjoy the life online. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your pics of the Carnavali cannot be read by my mac for some reason the old format works but looks like you are using a different format now. Is it possible for you to keep the old, so i can get my Ithaki hit........ Regards, Michael Pagoulatos
The reason you may not be able to read it is because it's actually a movie. I'm sorry you can't read it, I'll look into all the options so that everyone can read movie files in the near future. There are no photos from this link so you are not missing out on anything really. the movie is a few seconds of fireworks. Do you have a movie player? Maybe if you download the movie (2.7 mb) you may be able to open it with your movie player installed on your mac. I will still be keeping the old format of pics, but occasionally I will put up a movie or two. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hi Erica Glad I found this site. I'm coming to Sami, Cephalonia in March and want to come over to Ithaca - of course. What is the ferry service like end of March early April? Thanks Peter W York , UK From Sami there are 2 ferries to Ithaca daily, except for Saturday. Mon - Fri and Sunday - 3.30pm Sami, Ceph - Piso Aetos, Ithaca 11.30pm Sami Ceph - Vathy, Ithaca . Sat - 3.30pm - Sami Ceph - Vathy, Ithaca . The ferry is called The Kefalonia. Have a great Spring holiday.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dear Erika, I think we communicated about Tan Ferendinos some time ago. I now know that his wife's name was Penelope and his daughters were Athena and Majorie. I am researching for a local history piece about Tano and I wondered if you have any information about them - whether they still have a place on Ithica. I think it was you who told me that Tano had died in 1993. Best wishes, Maurice Vanstone Unfortunately I have no other information on the Ferendinos. I will ask around and if I find out anything, will let you know. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ please ,can you give me some news of Mr Angelo Lazarides 'bookshop in center of Vathy,a gentle man which we keep an emotional record during our marvellous holydays 2 years ago. Thank you. Dr Combes Bernard et Marie France in the south west of FRANCE I don't know Mr. Lazarides personally or exactly which of the two bookshops he owns, but I can tell you that the owners of both bookshops seem well. On my next visit to Vathy I'll give him your regards, I'm sure he will be pleased. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Now that you have video you don't put on as many photos. Please keep the photograps coming. Spyro. Since videos, there are no fewer photographs. I'm still making the pages with photographs as I always have, but now am also adding videos. There is no difference to the quantity of photographs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ How great to see Ithaki moving, however the you tube quality isn't great. Couldn't you put the videos online with media player as you did the first time. The quality was great on that clip. Bugger the Mac users. Congratulations on the broadband! Jenny I'd rather not bugger the Mac users thank you very much Jenny. I am very pc and too straight to do that. Macs are back and on ithacagreece.com we welcome all and want to accommodate all if we can. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Congratulations Erica!! We don't know how you keep it up. Getting on your website is almost as good as being on ithaki itself. We almost got wet at the vathi Carnival, you put the page up so quickly. Where do you find the time??? Ben and Kathy.
Luckily I live with someone who doesn't believe in time therefore I have plenty and don't waste any because there isn't any to waste. Frivolity aside, after Carnival week, I'm tired, believe me.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ My friend Anne and I just came back from a cruise which visited your island. Not happy. It was much disorganized and disappointing. We expected more for our money. I'm sorry you weren't happy, but I'm not the person to complain to. You should see your travel agent and lodge your complaint with them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hello there! Can you please send me the timetable for Air Sea Lines. I am wanting to book for July from Corfu to Ithaca . Thank you. Regina Maylor. Regina , please visit the Air Sea Lines webpage, this is ithacagreece.com, a website on Ithak, not a travel agency. We don't make travel bookings. Sorry. If you would like some information on Ithaca however, I would be happy to help if I can.
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Thank you thank you thank you. I was planning to be on Ithaki for carnival, but broke my leg and had to cancel. How great to know I didn't miss out on anything seeing it was cancelled due to rain. Cheers.... Ben.
Happy Ithaca could accommodate you Ben.
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Hi Erika All the tour seem to have pulled out of Ithaca!!!!! We have been coming to Vathy for 6 years now and have stayed at the Alexandra, Captain Yianni's, and for the last four years at Livani's up near the captains house and Ernests little shop. We have made some wonderful friends over years and feel really upset that they done this!! According to Kosmar its because of so many complaints because of the ferry times not co-inciding with flight times!! AAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGH!!! Yep you might have wait a little while at the airport for the next flight coming in, or sometimes for the last ferry but once you are in Ithaca its all worth the wait! But quite honestly I cant understand people that only go for a week, because although its not a long way to go, it takes a long time to get there! So all those people that complained to the tour companies WELL DONE!!! You have taken Ithaca off the itineries for Olympic, Manos and Kosmar!!! Debbie & Malachy Feighan (London)
ps Say hi to Spiros in the Karamela!
Everything happens for a reason and I believe these companies will be replaced with better ones over time. It may just be the time to think about independent travelling. It's not that hard and many are quite empowered by it and end up with more cash in their pockets too, so hope to see you on Ithaca with or without a company.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Hit me with your best shots. Got my thinking cap and boxing gloves on, but remember you can also ask questions about Ithaca. | 