See my Lap Cat video :-)
http://youtu.be/nvVfqE29mzw
Greece - Kalo Taxidi! Notes from Greece and the Greek Islands.
Friday, 29 July 2011
Thursday, 28 July 2011
Post offices and Banks
Banks
Once upon a time there was no bank in Katapola, but there was a bank in Chora. The bank in Chora closed some years ago, and there is now a bank in Katapola.
There is a cash machine at the bank in Katapola. For a short time there was a cash machine in the window of the building behind the cafe Akroyali. There is now a cash machine in Chora, near the main bus stop.
Getting money in Greece today is so easy - just stick a card in the slot. It was no always thus ......................
When I first came to Greece I brought a handful of Greek currency, and travellers' cheques. With travellers' cheques you need to decide how many to bring, and some extra for "emergencies". Changing travellers' cheques was nort always straight-forward. I remember going to one bank, and being told that that day's exchange rates had not arrived and I should come back later.
Then there were the eurocheques, that you could change at post offices. If I remember these correctly, these took money from your bank account at home, so you did not need to decide in advance how much to bring with you. But you did need to find a post office. I remember being on Amorgos one Easter. The Scopelitis (the original Scopelitis, not the Express Scopelitis was away for her annual maintenance. The Scopelitis arrived back in Katapola the Wednesday before Good Friday. We`had been planning on going to Chora on the Thursday to change money at the post office (there was then no bank in Katapola, and no cash machine). With the Scopelitis back, it would be nice to go for a day trip. We had not been to Koufonissi. We had what was then a reasonably up-to-date Groc guide to the Cyclades, with a map showing the post office in Koufonissi. We hunted high and low in Koufonissi, and asked locals and showed them the map. We didn't find the post office. The paths in Koufonissi were being painted with white decorations in readiness for Easter. We tip-toed around some of the paintings many times in our hunt for the post office. Eventually we spoke to a lady from a travel office who offered to change the eurocheques for us, so we were not destitute over Easter!
Today using as cash machine in Greece just as easily as at home, does make getting cash so much easier!
Post Offices
There has been a post office in Chora since my first visit to Amorgos in 1985. Once upon a time there was a post office in Katapola, somewhere in the square behind where the new periptero is. Some visits stamps have been on sale in Katapola. Some shops (a different shop each time I visited!) had a "postal agency" sign. But not now. The last two visits I did not get up to Chora (there were no buses) and I bought no stamps. And sent no postcards from Amorgos.
One visit there was a bus. but it arrived in Chora after the post office was shut. On another visit I arrived in Chora when the post office was open, but was told that the postman was out delivering letters and there was no-one available to sell stamps!
I sometimes have stamps left over from a previous trip. But the postage rate may have gone up. Sometimes I have been sold three separate stamps to make up the price of posting one postcard. Some of the stamps are large, and do not leave much room for your message!
My latest visit to Amorgos was in July 2011. There were buses timed to get to Chora before the post office shut.
In the post office there was a sign explaining in several languages that stamps without a value on them cost 75 leptas and were for posting a postcard. I bought some of these "stamps without a value". What a good idea, I thought. When the postage rate goes up, just charge more for the stamps - new stamps don't need to be printed; and we don't have to try and squeeze two or three stamps on the back of the postcard. the stamps were medium sized, smaller than other stamps I have tried fitting on to the postcard.
I went back to the post office on another day to buy some more stmps. This time the stamps had 75 lepta printed on them, and were bigger than the stamps without a value.
A backward step, I thought. but there is one good thing about these stamps - they double up as adverts for Greece! The design is an abstract of architectural features, and the website http://www.visitgreece.gr/ - the website of the GNTO. The stamp without a value had a typical Greek view of steps and a door. Now - how about merging the two - a stamp without a value and a http://www.visitgreece.gr/ url.
Update 4 August 2011
Back in England I have been reading the "Greece in Crisis" series in the Guardian. In today's Guardian Greek tourism hit by recession but still seen as recovery hope
Once upon a time there was no bank in Katapola, but there was a bank in Chora. The bank in Chora closed some years ago, and there is now a bank in Katapola.
There is a cash machine at the bank in Katapola. For a short time there was a cash machine in the window of the building behind the cafe Akroyali. There is now a cash machine in Chora, near the main bus stop.
Getting money in Greece today is so easy - just stick a card in the slot. It was no always thus ......................
When I first came to Greece I brought a handful of Greek currency, and travellers' cheques. With travellers' cheques you need to decide how many to bring, and some extra for "emergencies". Changing travellers' cheques was nort always straight-forward. I remember going to one bank, and being told that that day's exchange rates had not arrived and I should come back later.
Then there were the eurocheques, that you could change at post offices. If I remember these correctly, these took money from your bank account at home, so you did not need to decide in advance how much to bring with you. But you did need to find a post office. I remember being on Amorgos one Easter. The Scopelitis (the original Scopelitis, not the Express Scopelitis was away for her annual maintenance. The Scopelitis arrived back in Katapola the Wednesday before Good Friday. We`had been planning on going to Chora on the Thursday to change money at the post office (there was then no bank in Katapola, and no cash machine). With the Scopelitis back, it would be nice to go for a day trip. We had not been to Koufonissi. We had what was then a reasonably up-to-date Groc guide to the Cyclades, with a map showing the post office in Koufonissi. We hunted high and low in Koufonissi, and asked locals and showed them the map. We didn't find the post office. The paths in Koufonissi were being painted with white decorations in readiness for Easter. We tip-toed around some of the paintings many times in our hunt for the post office. Eventually we spoke to a lady from a travel office who offered to change the eurocheques for us, so we were not destitute over Easter!
Today using as cash machine in Greece just as easily as at home, does make getting cash so much easier!
Post Offices
There has been a post office in Chora since my first visit to Amorgos in 1985. Once upon a time there was a post office in Katapola, somewhere in the square behind where the new periptero is. Some visits stamps have been on sale in Katapola. Some shops (a different shop each time I visited!) had a "postal agency" sign. But not now. The last two visits I did not get up to Chora (there were no buses) and I bought no stamps. And sent no postcards from Amorgos.
One visit there was a bus. but it arrived in Chora after the post office was shut. On another visit I arrived in Chora when the post office was open, but was told that the postman was out delivering letters and there was no-one available to sell stamps!
I sometimes have stamps left over from a previous trip. But the postage rate may have gone up. Sometimes I have been sold three separate stamps to make up the price of posting one postcard. Some of the stamps are large, and do not leave much room for your message!
My latest visit to Amorgos was in July 2011. There were buses timed to get to Chora before the post office shut.
In the post office there was a sign explaining in several languages that stamps without a value on them cost 75 leptas and were for posting a postcard. I bought some of these "stamps without a value". What a good idea, I thought. When the postage rate goes up, just charge more for the stamps - new stamps don't need to be printed; and we don't have to try and squeeze two or three stamps on the back of the postcard. the stamps were medium sized, smaller than other stamps I have tried fitting on to the postcard.
I went back to the post office on another day to buy some more stmps. This time the stamps had 75 lepta printed on them, and were bigger than the stamps without a value.
A backward step, I thought. but there is one good thing about these stamps - they double up as adverts for Greece! The design is an abstract of architectural features, and the website http://www.visitgreece.gr/ - the website of the GNTO. The stamp without a value had a typical Greek view of steps and a door. Now - how about merging the two - a stamp without a value and a http://www.visitgreece.gr/ url.
Update 4 August 2011
Back in England I have been reading the "Greece in Crisis" series in the Guardian. In today's Guardian Greek tourism hit by recession but still seen as recovery hope
On the Cycladic isle of Koufonisia tourists were left stranded last month, not because the local boat failed to show up but because its one and only cash machine at the outpost's only bank had run out of money.Ouch! On Amorgos I was alert to the possibility of the only cash machine in Katapola running out of money. On an earlier visit there was a computer fault, and the cash machine was only working intermittently, and the bank staff were unable to process any other transactions because the computers were not working. It isn't only cash for the ferry that you need, it is cash to pay for your accommodation as well as general living costs.
Century Plant (Agave americana)
I sometimes see the tall towering stems of century plant flowers in Greece. I don;t see that many of these plants, but the ones I see are very impressive. A century plant in Rachidi, near Katapola, is currently flowering.
Here is a close up of one of the clusters of flowers. In the background you can see an earlier flower stem that is now dying.
You can read about the century plant on Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave_americana
You can read about the century plant on Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave_americana
Wednesday, 27 July 2011
Cool sweets made from yogurt
I read this recipe in Ekathimerini
Cool sweets made from yogurt
These are perhaps recipes I might try in England, but look too complicated to make whilst I am in Greece. Who was it who said thgat life is too short to stuff mushrooms? I like my food preparation to be quick and easy.
There is a recipe I like in England, using Total yoghurt. I haven't tried this recipe in greece as I have not seen (or even looked for!) lemon curd in Greece. I know that I could make lemon curd, but life's too short..................
My recipe is for lemon ice cream. You need a tub of 10% fat Total yoghurt, and some lemon curd. the lemon curd should be the pale yellow sort, not the vivid yellow sort.
Mix the yoghurt and lemon curd. The proportions should be according to your taste, say one large spoonsful of lemon curd to a small tub of yoghrt.
Mix and freeze.
And enjoy!
Writing of Total yoghurt reminds me of the paper discs on top of the yoghurt. I did recent;y forget to take the paper off, and poured honey onto the paper disc. It was much easier to get the honey off the disc than I expected. I remember once having a pudding at a restaurant in England. I forget exactly what the pudding was, but an ingrediant was Greek yogurt.
I was eating the pudding - and found a disc of paper in the pudding!
Cool sweets made from yogurt
These are perhaps recipes I might try in England, but look too complicated to make whilst I am in Greece. Who was it who said thgat life is too short to stuff mushrooms? I like my food preparation to be quick and easy.
There is a recipe I like in England, using Total yoghurt. I haven't tried this recipe in greece as I have not seen (or even looked for!) lemon curd in Greece. I know that I could make lemon curd, but life's too short..................
My recipe is for lemon ice cream. You need a tub of 10% fat Total yoghurt, and some lemon curd. the lemon curd should be the pale yellow sort, not the vivid yellow sort.
Mix the yoghurt and lemon curd. The proportions should be according to your taste, say one large spoonsful of lemon curd to a small tub of yoghrt.
Mix and freeze.
And enjoy!
Writing of Total yoghurt reminds me of the paper discs on top of the yoghurt. I did recent;y forget to take the paper off, and poured honey onto the paper disc. It was much easier to get the honey off the disc than I expected. I remember once having a pudding at a restaurant in England. I forget exactly what the pudding was, but an ingrediant was Greek yogurt.
I was eating the pudding - and found a disc of paper in the pudding!
Tuesday, 26 July 2011
1st Schinoussian Fava Festival 2011 - 23 July 2011
By the time I saw this poster on Saturday afternoon it was too late to go to Schinoussa and support this event! Good luck with the festival and long may it thrive!
Old Bakery in Xilokeratidi
In 1985 I stayed in Xilokeratidi, . Near where I stayed (above the Bitzentos building) was a bakery. You can still see the old sign.
I took this photo in July 2011. After 1985 my next visit to Amorgos was in 1990. I went down the lane to where the bakery had been. The bakery was no more, I T remember seeing a garage type building where the bakery had once been.
The Mavros bakery in Katapola did not open until some years later, There was I remember a bakery in Katapola - I remember it as doubling up as a cafe. It was in the cafe next to what is now the Gorgona souvlaki shop., and was once called Frianderie.
ARTOPOLEION
If you head inland down the track between the Gavalas taverna and the Kasbah bar, you will see the sign at the T junction ahead.
I took this photo in July 2011. After 1985 my next visit to Amorgos was in 1990. I went down the lane to where the bakery had been. The bakery was no more, I T remember seeing a garage type building where the bakery had once been.
The Mavros bakery in Katapola did not open until some years later, There was I remember a bakery in Katapola - I remember it as doubling up as a cafe. It was in the cafe next to what is now the Gorgona souvlaki shop., and was once called Frianderie.
Pikilia
There is no such thing as a "typical" Greek taverna - they all have their own individuality. But typically you should be able to buy a selection of small items (mezes, such as tsatsiki (cucumber and yogurt dip), hummus (chick pea dip),and taramosalata (fish roe dip). Some tavernas have "pikilia" or "poikilia", a plate containing a selection of mezes. A pikilia I ate in Athens earlier this year included tsatsiki, taramosalata, hummus, hard-boiled egg, gigantes (large beans in tomato sauce), slices of sausage, stuffed vine leaves, russian salad, lettuce, cucumber, and chunks of bread.
Monday, 25 July 2011
Nibbles with drinks
In England a very few pubs have "free" snacks - perhaps crisps, nuts, small pieces of cheese on the counter for customers to help themselves to. But very few. I remember many years ago being in a pub in Derbyshire, and plates of sliced black pudding were handed around! If you want something to eat with your drink, normally you must order it separately.
Ordering separately reminds me of a trip to Bulgaria. I was staying in a hotel in Varna, a city and resort on the Black Sea, and had ordered coffee in the bar. The coffee arrived quite along time after I ordered it, perhaps half an hour. I was taking in the local scene, and the delay did not bother me. But I had no sugar; and I had no milk. I asked about these. Sugar and milk had to be ordered separately, they were not automatically served with the coffee........... And coffee gets cold quickly. But I digress!
In Greece, if you order an alcoholic drink you are often served some "nibbles". The usual "snack" served with a drink is a bowl of nuts. But sometimes the "snack" is something more substantial. Today I ordered an Amstel. The snack was a small plate of delicious pickled peppers and tomato, and brown bread. I say "pickled", but the liquid they were in was more oil than vinegar. Perhaps marinated would be a better word.
But I was reciting to myself the "Peter Piper" tongue twister, and thinking of pickled pepper. Did the words "pickled pepper" appear in the rhyme, I don't usually think about "Peter Piper", but if I did, I'm sure that until today I would have thought of pickled peppercorns (why would anyone pickle a peppercorn?) and not pickled red - green peppers.
back in my room, I looked up the "Peter Piper" rhyme.
If you order an ouzo, you traditionally get something larger in the way of a "snack". Sometimes "ouzo snack" appears on a menu at a higher charge than a plain unadorned ouzo.
Ordering separately reminds me of a trip to Bulgaria. I was staying in a hotel in Varna, a city and resort on the Black Sea, and had ordered coffee in the bar. The coffee arrived quite along time after I ordered it, perhaps half an hour. I was taking in the local scene, and the delay did not bother me. But I had no sugar; and I had no milk. I asked about these. Sugar and milk had to be ordered separately, they were not automatically served with the coffee........... And coffee gets cold quickly. But I digress!
In Greece, if you order an alcoholic drink you are often served some "nibbles". The usual "snack" served with a drink is a bowl of nuts. But sometimes the "snack" is something more substantial. Today I ordered an Amstel. The snack was a small plate of delicious pickled peppers and tomato, and brown bread. I say "pickled", but the liquid they were in was more oil than vinegar. Perhaps marinated would be a better word.
But I was reciting to myself the "Peter Piper" tongue twister, and thinking of pickled pepper. Did the words "pickled pepper" appear in the rhyme, I don't usually think about "Peter Piper", but if I did, I'm sure that until today I would have thought of pickled peppercorns (why would anyone pickle a peppercorn?) and not pickled red - green peppers.
back in my room, I looked up the "Peter Piper" rhyme.
Peter Piper
Picked a peck
Of pickled peppers.
Picked a peck
Of pickled peppers.
A peck of pickled peppers
Peter Piper picked.
Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper
Picked a peck
Of pickled peppers,
Picked a peck
Of pickled peppers,
Where is the peck
Of pickled peppers
Peter Piper picked?
Of pickled peppers
Peter Piper picked?
A pickled pepper
Picked a peck
Of Peter Pipers.
Picked a peck
Of Peter Pipers.
A peck of Peter Pipers
A pickled pepper picked.
A pickled pepper picked.
If a pickled pepper
Picked a peck
Of Peter Pipers,
Picked a peck
Of Peter Pipers,
Where is the peck
Of Peter Pipers
A pickled pepper picked?
Of Peter Pipers
A pickled pepper picked?
If you order an ouzo, you traditionally get something larger in the way of a "snack". Sometimes "ouzo snack" appears on a menu at a higher charge than a plain unadorned ouzo.
Basil
In the spring I had lots of re-used NouNou tins dotted around the terrace, containing cut flowers. In July I could have found some flowers in the countryside to pick, but there aren't many and I doubt if they would have survived long after being cut. I remember one year that I picked some plants early on in a visit, and after a few days the flowers in the countryside had mostly died away; but the flowers on my terrace were thriving!
Early on this visit I went to the garden centre near the campsite in Katapola, and bought a small potted basil. On my last trip to Greece I bought two very small basil plants from a shop in Naxos, and carefully carried them by ferry to Amorgos. On the ferry the little plants were in a plastic carrier bag, and tied onto a railing by my seat on deck. The plant I bought this time is much bigger, and I am sure has grown quite a lot since I have been here. The plant is now flowerng, so I assume that the basil is a happy and contented little plant! I haven't been eating the basil, I just like having the plant on my terrace table to finger and smell as I pass.
I won't take the basil back to England, but will leave it here.
Something else I have noticed this trip is basil plants on boats. A few of the yachts in the harbour have basil plants. And one of the small boats doing trips to the bathing beaches, the Natassa, has a large basil plant on board.
Early on this visit I went to the garden centre near the campsite in Katapola, and bought a small potted basil. On my last trip to Greece I bought two very small basil plants from a shop in Naxos, and carefully carried them by ferry to Amorgos. On the ferry the little plants were in a plastic carrier bag, and tied onto a railing by my seat on deck. The plant I bought this time is much bigger, and I am sure has grown quite a lot since I have been here. The plant is now flowerng, so I assume that the basil is a happy and contented little plant! I haven't been eating the basil, I just like having the plant on my terrace table to finger and smell as I pass.
I won't take the basil back to England, but will leave it here.
Something else I have noticed this trip is basil plants on boats. A few of the yachts in the harbour have basil plants. And one of the small boats doing trips to the bathing beaches, the Natassa, has a large basil plant on board.
Stereo discord
Katapola in July is quieter than I expected, in more senses than one. In low or mid sesson visits I have sometimes nearby bars seeming to fight each other with the volume of their music, both playing different music. The effect was deafening, and you could hear neither, just a very loud noise.
I don't mind what sort of music is played (it's not all my sort of music, but any music is likely to be someone's favourite) as long as only one piece is dominant. I did enjoy the Bach being played at the Moon Bar the other morning!
Thinking of what I would call a "discord" reminds me that I have often noticed in a taverna or cafe that the TV is on - nothing unsual in that. But the volume of the TV is off, and the sound you can hear is of something completely different. Even with news programmes, a different sound track has been playing. But with football - the screen and sound are aligned!
I don't mind what sort of music is played (it's not all my sort of music, but any music is likely to be someone's favourite) as long as only one piece is dominant. I did enjoy the Bach being played at the Moon Bar the other morning!
Thinking of what I would call a "discord" reminds me that I have often noticed in a taverna or cafe that the TV is on - nothing unsual in that. But the volume of the TV is off, and the sound you can hear is of something completely different. Even with news programmes, a different sound track has been playing. But with football - the screen and sound are aligned!
I can't tell yes from no
I was looking at the Amstel (Greece) website, wondering why the current Greek Amstel bottle mentions a gold medal won in Amsterdam in 1883. Hasn't Amstel won any medals since 1883? Is the date of the awardf menat to be a talking point, to get people talking about Amstel. I'm writing about Amstel, so there must be some benefit in mentioning an award won as along ago as 1883.
But the first page contained some Greek text, followed by the words "Nai" and "Oxi". I understood that the Greek was asking me if I was over 18; if I was in any doubt, the url included "agecheck". So what did I do - click "Oxi" for "OK". "NO" I almost shouted as soon as I had clicked, of course I know that "Nai", sounding like "no" means "yes"; and "Oxi" sounding like "OK" means "no". Obvious, isn't it?!
At the second attempt I clicked "Nai", and was allowed in. But there was no English version, and I could not see a search box (I intended searching for "1883"). So I went to Amstel.com. In English. And saw a heritage video mentioning early awards. Still wondering why awards as early as 1883 are mentioned on the label!
But the first page contained some Greek text, followed by the words "Nai" and "Oxi". I understood that the Greek was asking me if I was over 18; if I was in any doubt, the url included "agecheck". So what did I do - click "Oxi" for "OK". "NO" I almost shouted as soon as I had clicked, of course I know that "Nai", sounding like "no" means "yes"; and "Oxi" sounding like "OK" means "no". Obvious, isn't it?!
At the second attempt I clicked "Nai", and was allowed in. But there was no English version, and I could not see a search box (I intended searching for "1883"). So I went to Amstel.com. In English. And saw a heritage video mentioning early awards. Still wondering why awards as early as 1883 are mentioned on the label!
Psarapoula is no more
Psarapoula in Katapola was not a taverna I went to regularly. There seemed to be different people running it each year, and it had no consistent or continuous character. In July 2011 there were major renovations going on there, and a sign reading
I do remember seeing on the wall in Psarapoula (and this was quite a few years ago) a map of Katapola in the early 1980s. I forget the exact date of the map, but it was a year or two before my first visit to Amorgos in 1985. What surprised me about the map was the large number of bars shown. Nearly every other building was shown as a bar, bars the names of which I did not recognise. My visit in 1985 was in March, when seasonal places aimed at tourists would have been closed. But I do not remember seeing evidence of all those bars in Katapola. The only place open for eating was To Mouragio. The building that is now the Moon Bar was open, and I remember going in there. But I don't recall any other eating or drinking establishment, open or closed! I see at Bitzentos taverna there is a new sign saying the taverna has been there since 1984. In 1985 I stayed in a room in the Bitzentos building - and didn't notice a taverna downstairs!
"open soon ... DIOSMARINIS bar - Restaurant"
+RED1+Diosmarini's.jpg) |
| Diosmarini's in February 2012, when the taverna was closed. Despite all the building work taking place in 2011, from outside little seems to have changed! |
I do remember seeing on the wall in Psarapoula (and this was quite a few years ago) a map of Katapola in the early 1980s. I forget the exact date of the map, but it was a year or two before my first visit to Amorgos in 1985. What surprised me about the map was the large number of bars shown. Nearly every other building was shown as a bar, bars the names of which I did not recognise. My visit in 1985 was in March, when seasonal places aimed at tourists would have been closed. But I do not remember seeing evidence of all those bars in Katapola. The only place open for eating was To Mouragio. The building that is now the Moon Bar was open, and I remember going in there. But I don't recall any other eating or drinking establishment, open or closed! I see at Bitzentos taverna there is a new sign saying the taverna has been there since 1984. In 1985 I stayed in a room in the Bitzentos building - and didn't notice a taverna downstairs!
I do wish I had taken a photo of that old map, and I would have done some Katapola tourism "archaeology"!
John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836 - 1893)
John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836 - 1893), usually referred to as Atkinson Grimshaw, was a painter. I have prints of one or two of Atkinson Grimshaw's paintings, and I have seen some of his original paintings in leeds Art Gallery.
You may be wondering why I am mentioning Atkinson Grimshaw in a blog about Greece. Atkinson Grimshaw was from Leeds, and as far as I am aware travelled no further afield than Scotland. Many of Atkinson Grimshaw's paintings are of moonscapes, and some are of seascapes by moonlight. I was taking photos of the sunset in Katapola bay the other night (the moon had not risen) and suddenly thought of Atkinson Grimshaw. It may have been the silhouettes that made the boats look more old-fashioned than they look in the daylight; it may have been the "Victorian" style lamp standards - the lights came on as I was taking photographs.
You can read about Atkinson Grimshaw at http://www.johnatkinsongrimshaw.org/, and see copies of his paintings.
This is one of Atkinson Grimshaw's paintings
This is one of my photos of a Katapola sunset
You may be wondering why I am mentioning Atkinson Grimshaw in a blog about Greece. Atkinson Grimshaw was from Leeds, and as far as I am aware travelled no further afield than Scotland. Many of Atkinson Grimshaw's paintings are of moonscapes, and some are of seascapes by moonlight. I was taking photos of the sunset in Katapola bay the other night (the moon had not risen) and suddenly thought of Atkinson Grimshaw. It may have been the silhouettes that made the boats look more old-fashioned than they look in the daylight; it may have been the "Victorian" style lamp standards - the lights came on as I was taking photographs.
You can read about Atkinson Grimshaw at http://www.johnatkinsongrimshaw.org/, and see copies of his paintings.
This is one of Atkinson Grimshaw's paintings
This is one of my photos of a Katapola sunset
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
Kittens
Two kittens photographed in Katapola, Amorgos.
http://www.photobox.co.uk/my/photo?album_id=831429627&photo_id=3093691797#3093691797
http://www.photobox.co.uk/my/photo?album_id=831429627&photo_id=3093691797#3093691797
Monday, 18 July 2011
48th Aegean Rally - Katapola, Amorgos
The port of Katapola on Amorgos was one of the stages in the 48th Aegean Rally. In this album you can see some of my photos. The boats arrived in Katapola on Saturday 16 July 2011, and left on Monday 18 July 2011
http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/829883074
When were there last so many sailing boats in the bay of Katapola?
http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/829883074
When were there last so many sailing boats in the bay of Katapola?
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
Monday, 11 July 2011
Cruise Ship "Le Levant"
The "Le Levant" was in Katapola Bay today.
http://www.cruisingholidays.co.uk/luxury-cruise-ships.aspx?ship=le%20levant
No doubt very comfortable, but I would rather stay on dry land!
http://www.cruisingholidays.co.uk/luxury-cruise-ships.aspx?ship=le%20levant
No doubt very comfortable, but I would rather stay on dry land!
Sunday, 10 July 2011
I've almost finished writing my book!
One of my reasons for coming to Greece this time was to knuckle down to working on my book "Kalo Taxidi - Notes from Greece and the Greek Islands".
Usually when I come to Greece I get so many new ideas that I want to completely revamp the book when I get home. This time I was determined to leave any new material for a later book. The basic content of the book was crystallised before I arrived on Amorgos. I tidied up the book, and added some 2011 updates. And now the book is almost finished. I just need to master the techniques of e-publishing, and "Kalo Taxidi" will be launched on the world!
Update 14/07/2011
After a lot of "fun and games" mastering the ins and outs of ebook publishing, "Kalo Taxidi" is now with Kindle "for review", and, fingers crossed, should be on sale in 24 hours.
My next book was going to be about old phrase books. Perhaps instead I should write a basic guide to epublishing!
Further update
"Kalo Taxidi!" is now publsihed, and is available on Amazon. At present the book is only available for Kindle; the paper version will follow asap!
Usually when I come to Greece I get so many new ideas that I want to completely revamp the book when I get home. This time I was determined to leave any new material for a later book. The basic content of the book was crystallised before I arrived on Amorgos. I tidied up the book, and added some 2011 updates. And now the book is almost finished. I just need to master the techniques of e-publishing, and "Kalo Taxidi" will be launched on the world!
Update 14/07/2011
After a lot of "fun and games" mastering the ins and outs of ebook publishing, "Kalo Taxidi" is now with Kindle "for review", and, fingers crossed, should be on sale in 24 hours.
My next book was going to be about old phrase books. Perhaps instead I should write a basic guide to epublishing!
Further update
"Kalo Taxidi!" is now publsihed, and is available on Amazon. At present the book is only available for Kindle; the paper version will follow asap!
amorgos-cruises.com
A website to keep an eye on as it is constructed.
http://amorgos-cruises.com/index.php/9-uncategorised/24-joomla
I enjoyed chugging across the bay of Katapola in the small no frills Paraskevi Express. But this yacht (Megalochari) seems to do longer trips. I have seen the yacht moored at Katapola.
http://amorgos-cruises.com/index.php/9-uncategorised/24-joomla
I enjoyed chugging across the bay of Katapola in the small no frills Paraskevi Express. But this yacht (Megalochari) seems to do longer trips. I have seen the yacht moored at Katapola.
Cats around Katapola in July 2011
A selection of photos of cats mostly in and around Katapola, with some from Chora and elsewhere.
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Thursday, 7 July 2011
Curdled!
There is a filter coffee maker in my room, so I bought some filter papers, some coffee, and a bottle of milk. I usually make Nescafe with Nounou (Greek evaporated milk) but I wanted something less creamy to go with "real" coffee.
The coffee was vacuum packed. I've bought vacuum packed coffee in Greece before, and found the pack contained coffee beans, not ground coffee. If I had looked carefully at the label I would have worked out that the pack contained beans - but it was a matter of assuming that the pack contained what I wanted it to contain. This time the pack contained ground coffee, and most delicious it smelt too. Mmmmmmmmmmm! I was looking forward to my coffee.
I made the coffee, added the milk, and let the coffee cool a little. Odd, I remember stirring the coffee, but the coffee looks black. I stirred the coffee again - and saw a curdled mess in the mug. I got the milk out the fridge. I looked at the expiry date on the milk - 18.08.11, so that was OK. I don't usually buy bottled milk in Greece, but a friend has bought it and had no problems. I thought of the mini packs of butter I once bought in Greece - if I remember correctly, to put on the delicious curranted bread that the local baker made - that butter was "off".
I smelt the milk - it smelt, not "off", but sour. Hey, but was it milk that I had bought? I know that milk is "yala". This bottle was in the shop fridge, amongst what looked like bottles of milk, but was smaller than the other bottles that looked as if they contained milk. The smell from the bottle reminded me of sour cream, not milk that has gone "off". I looked at the label - something I had not done in the shop - as I knew what I wanted the bottle to contain - milk! The label read "Ariani". The sensible thing to have done would have been to look more closely at the label, but being the internet age I looked on the internet and found the bottle of Ariani
http://www.fage.gr/product-details.asp?id=128&lang=EN
"Ariani is a light and refreshing milk product with yogurt yeast and low fat!"
I looked more closely at my bottle - "Yoghurt Drink Ingredients - Concentrated skimmed cow's milk, skimmed cow's milk and milk cream (99%), yoghurt culture, salt (0.03%). Total solids 10%."
Probably a perfectly nice product, and I'm now glad I did not pour it down the sink. Just not suitable for adding to hot coffee! Which reminds me, I have still not drunk any of the delicious smelling coffee - I poured the curdled milky coffee mess down the sink.
As I was writing this, the word "Ayran" was going through my mind.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayran
"Ayran or laban is a cold beverage of yogurt mixed with cold water and sometimes salt; it is popular in many Central Asian, Middle Eastern and Southern European countries".
In future I will try to look at labels more closely before I buy!
15/07/2011 Update
What did I do with the Ariani? I find yoghurt, and Ariani, a little too tart for my taste. I do like yoghurt with a little honey added. I mixed a little honey into some Ariani, and froze it. And made some delicious ice cream!
The coffee was vacuum packed. I've bought vacuum packed coffee in Greece before, and found the pack contained coffee beans, not ground coffee. If I had looked carefully at the label I would have worked out that the pack contained beans - but it was a matter of assuming that the pack contained what I wanted it to contain. This time the pack contained ground coffee, and most delicious it smelt too. Mmmmmmmmmmm! I was looking forward to my coffee.
I made the coffee, added the milk, and let the coffee cool a little. Odd, I remember stirring the coffee, but the coffee looks black. I stirred the coffee again - and saw a curdled mess in the mug. I got the milk out the fridge. I looked at the expiry date on the milk - 18.08.11, so that was OK. I don't usually buy bottled milk in Greece, but a friend has bought it and had no problems. I thought of the mini packs of butter I once bought in Greece - if I remember correctly, to put on the delicious curranted bread that the local baker made - that butter was "off".
I smelt the milk - it smelt, not "off", but sour. Hey, but was it milk that I had bought? I know that milk is "yala". This bottle was in the shop fridge, amongst what looked like bottles of milk, but was smaller than the other bottles that looked as if they contained milk. The smell from the bottle reminded me of sour cream, not milk that has gone "off". I looked at the label - something I had not done in the shop - as I knew what I wanted the bottle to contain - milk! The label read "Ariani". The sensible thing to have done would have been to look more closely at the label, but being the internet age I looked on the internet and found the bottle of Ariani
http://www.fage.gr/product-details.asp?id=128&lang=EN
"Ariani is a light and refreshing milk product with yogurt yeast and low fat!"
I looked more closely at my bottle - "Yoghurt Drink Ingredients - Concentrated skimmed cow's milk, skimmed cow's milk and milk cream (99%), yoghurt culture, salt (0.03%). Total solids 10%."
Probably a perfectly nice product, and I'm now glad I did not pour it down the sink. Just not suitable for adding to hot coffee! Which reminds me, I have still not drunk any of the delicious smelling coffee - I poured the curdled milky coffee mess down the sink.
As I was writing this, the word "Ayran" was going through my mind.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayran
"Ayran or laban is a cold beverage of yogurt mixed with cold water and sometimes salt; it is popular in many Central Asian, Middle Eastern and Southern European countries".
In future I will try to look at labels more closely before I buy!
15/07/2011 Update
What did I do with the Ariani? I find yoghurt, and Ariani, a little too tart for my taste. I do like yoghurt with a little honey added. I mixed a little honey into some Ariani, and froze it. And made some delicious ice cream!
Monday, 4 July 2011
Amorgos plants and flowers - July 2011
A selection of flowers and plants that I have seen on my strolls, mostly around Katapola. More captions with names to follow after I have done some research!
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| China Berry Tree |
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| Bougainvillia |
The Greek economy and the tourist
You can read about the new "austerity" measures in Athens News - How the new measures change our lives
Last week, before the new measures were announced, I was looking at hotel rooms in Athens on booking.com. I was surprised to see that the VAT rate on hotel rooms in Greece was only 5.5% (now increased to 6.5%). Perhaps the logic is to keep hotel prices low - on the basis that tourists want a roof over their heads - and tax everything else they spend more highly.
The VAT rate in restaurants and cafes has gone up from 13% to 23%.
There is an excise tax on heating fuel - the tax has gone up from 21 euros to 60 euros per 1000 litres for households, and up to 412 euros a 1000 litres for "enterprises". I guess that "enterprises" includes tourist accommodation. Most tourists visit Greece at times of year when heating is not needed. But I have also heard that there are differential rates for electricity supplied for domestic and commercial use - so electricity rates payable by owners of tourist accommodation may have increased.
27 July 2011 update
After spending nearly four weeks on a small Greek island some more comments.
I have not noticed that prices are appreciably higher than they were earlier this year.
Prices do vary from establishment to establishment - I have seen a large bottle of Amstel on sale in the periptero at 1.50 euros. I haven't checked the supermarket price. In bars I have seen Amstel priced from 2 to 3.50 euros. But the highest price was in a very pleasant location, where drinkers may perhaps be tempted to linger longer over their beer. So you may want to check the price before you order.
Tourist numbers. I have heard locals say that tourist numbers are down. But there are a lot of people out in the evening, and the ferries arriving and leaving have lots of people arriving and leaving. Here it seems to be places away from the centre (which is not big, walk a few more yards and you'll reach the farthest flung establishments) that are less busy. And if places are less busy, the owners are likely to cook less oven cooked food, and the diner may not find the variety they are accustomed to; so they will move on to a busier taverna.
Taxis. The taxis on this small island are not taking part in the national strike. But knowing that there are no taxis in Athens does have an impact. As there is not the option of taking a taxi from Piraeus to the airport, I will be catching an earlier ferry than I might otherwise have done. And what I don't know is the effect any blockade by taxi drivers might have. I have read of tourists dragging luggage more than 1kilometre in 100 degree plus temperatures because the road to the airport was blocked and vehicles could not get through. And what will the impact of any blockade be at Piraeus? Will it be easy to nip across the road to the metro?
Arriving earlier in Athens means spending a night in Athens. Looking at booking.com, rooms are available. Hottels that I have found fully booked at low season have vacancies. That suggests tourist numbers in Athens are down. Rooms are available, but other factors to consider are the taxi strike - so you do not have the option of getting a taxi if you are hot and bothered after a long and hot and crowded ferry journey.
And the taxi blockade - how easy will it be to get to a bus stop or the metro? And where are the "Indignants" protesting? I have read they are at Symtagma. I have also read that it is not the Syntagma metro station that is affected, but the Fix metro station (I thought Fix was an old Greek beer that has recently been re-launched.................)
Strikes and blockades affecting ferries. I arrived in Greece on a Friday. On the Thursday Pireaus had been closed by a blockade. the two days before there had been a national strike. If I had not booked my ferry in advance, I may not have got on board - the vessel was absolutely packed. In high season (even with lower tourist numbers) ferries do get full. And Greeks are also setting off on their own holidays. The ferry I intended going back to Piraeus on (on a Monday) is full.
Read about the effect of the taxi strike in Athens News - Shooting oneself in the foot
1 August 2011
Despite the strike, taxis appeared to be operating normally on Amorgos.
In Naxos I have seen taxis but do not yet know if all the taxi drivers are working. There may just be fewer taxis than usual at the rank near the port as there are more visitors here than when I usually visit in low season.
I had been wondering how people would get to and from the airport without taxis - for me that is academic as the flights are full!
Last week, before the new measures were announced, I was looking at hotel rooms in Athens on booking.com. I was surprised to see that the VAT rate on hotel rooms in Greece was only 5.5% (now increased to 6.5%). Perhaps the logic is to keep hotel prices low - on the basis that tourists want a roof over their heads - and tax everything else they spend more highly.
The VAT rate in restaurants and cafes has gone up from 13% to 23%.
There is an excise tax on heating fuel - the tax has gone up from 21 euros to 60 euros per 1000 litres for households, and up to 412 euros a 1000 litres for "enterprises". I guess that "enterprises" includes tourist accommodation. Most tourists visit Greece at times of year when heating is not needed. But I have also heard that there are differential rates for electricity supplied for domestic and commercial use - so electricity rates payable by owners of tourist accommodation may have increased.
27 July 2011 update
After spending nearly four weeks on a small Greek island some more comments.
I have not noticed that prices are appreciably higher than they were earlier this year.
Prices do vary from establishment to establishment - I have seen a large bottle of Amstel on sale in the periptero at 1.50 euros. I haven't checked the supermarket price. In bars I have seen Amstel priced from 2 to 3.50 euros. But the highest price was in a very pleasant location, where drinkers may perhaps be tempted to linger longer over their beer. So you may want to check the price before you order.
Tourist numbers. I have heard locals say that tourist numbers are down. But there are a lot of people out in the evening, and the ferries arriving and leaving have lots of people arriving and leaving. Here it seems to be places away from the centre (which is not big, walk a few more yards and you'll reach the farthest flung establishments) that are less busy. And if places are less busy, the owners are likely to cook less oven cooked food, and the diner may not find the variety they are accustomed to; so they will move on to a busier taverna.
Taxis. The taxis on this small island are not taking part in the national strike. But knowing that there are no taxis in Athens does have an impact. As there is not the option of taking a taxi from Piraeus to the airport, I will be catching an earlier ferry than I might otherwise have done. And what I don't know is the effect any blockade by taxi drivers might have. I have read of tourists dragging luggage more than 1kilometre in 100 degree plus temperatures because the road to the airport was blocked and vehicles could not get through. And what will the impact of any blockade be at Piraeus? Will it be easy to nip across the road to the metro?
Arriving earlier in Athens means spending a night in Athens. Looking at booking.com, rooms are available. Hottels that I have found fully booked at low season have vacancies. That suggests tourist numbers in Athens are down. Rooms are available, but other factors to consider are the taxi strike - so you do not have the option of getting a taxi if you are hot and bothered after a long and hot and crowded ferry journey.
And the taxi blockade - how easy will it be to get to a bus stop or the metro? And where are the "Indignants" protesting? I have read they are at Symtagma. I have also read that it is not the Syntagma metro station that is affected, but the Fix metro station (I thought Fix was an old Greek beer that has recently been re-launched.................)
Strikes and blockades affecting ferries. I arrived in Greece on a Friday. On the Thursday Pireaus had been closed by a blockade. the two days before there had been a national strike. If I had not booked my ferry in advance, I may not have got on board - the vessel was absolutely packed. In high season (even with lower tourist numbers) ferries do get full. And Greeks are also setting off on their own holidays. The ferry I intended going back to Piraeus on (on a Monday) is full.
Read about the effect of the taxi strike in Athens News - Shooting oneself in the foot
1 August 2011
Despite the strike, taxis appeared to be operating normally on Amorgos.
In Naxos I have seen taxis but do not yet know if all the taxi drivers are working. There may just be fewer taxis than usual at the rank near the port as there are more visitors here than when I usually visit in low season.
I had been wondering how people would get to and from the airport without taxis - for me that is academic as the flights are full!
Look what I found in my dish rack this morning!
In Amorgos at other times of the year I have heard the fairly distant chorus of crickets. This July (the first time I have been on Amorgos in July) I have heard crickets closer and more loudly than usual. But until I stretched out for a spoon from the dish rack I did not realise that a cricket had moved in to my room!
I gently took the cricket out on to the balcony in (rather, clinging to the outside of) a jogurt pot. I tried to take more photos, and the cricket jumped onto my camera!
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I gently took the cricket out on to the balcony in (rather, clinging to the outside of) a jogurt pot. I tried to take more photos, and the cricket jumped onto my camera!
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