Greece - Kalo Taxidi! Notes from Greece and the Greek Islands.
Thursday 29 November 2012
Wednesday 28 November 2012
"Sea Cloud" - one of the yachts in Katapola on 10 October 2012
On 10 October 2012 there were some large yachts in Katapola Bay. One was the Sea Cloud. When built in 1931, the Sea Cloud (then called the Hussar) was the largest sailing yacht ever built.
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| Sea Cloud |
Friday 23 November 2012
Tuesday 20 November 2012
Monday 19 November 2012
Festival at Chozoviotissa monastery, Amorgos - 20-21 November
A photo of the making of pasteli for the festival, from Amorgos Island Magazine
I've only been to the monastery in November once, and that was just after the festival ended. Bad timing on my part! But i did eat some of the paasteli at the monastery. I had eaten pasteli from packets before. But the pasteli at the monastery was fresh, and was made on the leaf of a lemon tree.
Saturday 17 November 2012
Friday 16 November 2012
Thursday 15 November 2012
Wednesday 14 November 2012
Fuel Costs Make Greek Coastal Shippers Slow
Fuel Costs Make Greek Coastal Shippers Slow | Greece.GreekReporter.com Latest News from Greece
According to this article, about half of the ferries from the mainland to the Aegean islands and Crete may not over the next 3 months, and the journey times of those that do run may be extended to cut fuel costs.
Looking at the ferries to and from Katapola in Amorgos - last month there were three Blue Star ferries a week to Piraeus. Now there is one.** There are still two ferries a week from the other end of the island, Aegiale (but no buses to get there). Last month both the Artemis (twice a week) and Aqua Spirit (once a week) ran from Amorgos to Syros - now neither are running. The local and reliable Express Scopelitis is still running six days a week from Amorgos to Naxos.
The fares on Blue Star ferries are I understand about 25% higher than the fares on traditional, slower, ferries. But on many routes there are no slower traditional ferries. So passengers will be paying the 25% surcharge to travel on faster ferries - and the faster ferries will be running slow.
** after writing this I checked the Greek Travel pages - there are now two Blue Star ferries a week from Katapola to Piraeus. Last time I checked the tiemtable may have been reduced because of the current strike.
According to this article, about half of the ferries from the mainland to the Aegean islands and Crete may not over the next 3 months, and the journey times of those that do run may be extended to cut fuel costs.
Looking at the ferries to and from Katapola in Amorgos - last month there were three Blue Star ferries a week to Piraeus. Now there is one.** There are still two ferries a week from the other end of the island, Aegiale (but no buses to get there). Last month both the Artemis (twice a week) and Aqua Spirit (once a week) ran from Amorgos to Syros - now neither are running. The local and reliable Express Scopelitis is still running six days a week from Amorgos to Naxos.
The fares on Blue Star ferries are I understand about 25% higher than the fares on traditional, slower, ferries. But on many routes there are no slower traditional ferries. So passengers will be paying the 25% surcharge to travel on faster ferries - and the faster ferries will be running slow.
** after writing this I checked the Greek Travel pages - there are now two Blue Star ferries a week from Katapola to Piraeus. Last time I checked the tiemtable may have been reduced because of the current strike.
Tuesday 13 November 2012
Greece - The Odyssey
Greece - The Odyssey - Foreign Correspondent - ABC
Back to basics in the Greek countryside. A more positive view of current conditions in Greece than we usually see.
Back to basics in the Greek countryside. A more positive view of current conditions in Greece than we usually see.
Monday 12 November 2012
The Greek Diet: Let Them Eat Expired Food
The Greek Diet: Let Them Eat Expired Food | Greece.GreekReporter.com Latest News from Greece
"Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras,................................... says the answer to hunger in Greece, where two million people are out of work and about that many have no health care, is for them to buy expired food."
I remember reading a few years ago that rules for selling "expired" food had been relaxed on the islands. I've been doing a quick Google but can't see anything on that. So what is now proposed is nothing new. And begs the question - how meaningful are sell-by dates? Do they show not that the food is "off", but that the risk of the food being "off" is higher than it would be if the food was fresher. In England I am increasingly seeing food on sale in supermarkets, at full price, that is on its "last legs", with an expiry date of the date that it is on sale.
"Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras,................................... says the answer to hunger in Greece, where two million people are out of work and about that many have no health care, is for them to buy expired food."
I remember reading a few years ago that rules for selling "expired" food had been relaxed on the islands. I've been doing a quick Google but can't see anything on that. So what is now proposed is nothing new. And begs the question - how meaningful are sell-by dates? Do they show not that the food is "off", but that the risk of the food being "off" is higher than it would be if the food was fresher. In England I am increasingly seeing food on sale in supermarkets, at full price, that is on its "last legs", with an expiry date of the date that it is on sale.
Sunday 11 November 2012
Thursday 8 November 2012
Ancient Greek lessons in Naxos
http://www.facebook.com/groups/Paroslife/#!/photo.php?fbid=522641074415483&set=a.216081908404736.60851.207300962616164&type=1&theater
This makes me wish I was on Naxos and could start learning ancient Greek.
But - on second thoughts, I first need to improve my (very, very basic) modern Greek................................
This makes me wish I was on Naxos and could start learning ancient Greek.
But - on second thoughts, I first need to improve my (very, very basic) modern Greek................................
Cut to the Bone: The Samaras Measures
Cut to the Bone: The Samaras Measures | Greece.GreekReporter.com Latest News from Greece
These measures in particular caught my eye.
"Entrance tickets to casinos will drop in price from 15 euros ($19.30) to just 6 euros ($7.72), with 4.80 euros ($6.18) of that going straight into the public coffers, while the state’s participation in the gross profits of casino games will rise by two percentage points."
Marie Antoinette's comment "Let them eat cake" came to mind.
"An extraordinary tax of between 25 and 35 percent on solar energy production plants, depending on the time the project was hooked up to the national electricity grid. It will be calculated on the turnover from July 1, 2012, to June 30, 2014, although this may be extended by another year"
Will this discourage investment in solar energy, a natural resource that greece should capitalise on??
These measures in particular caught my eye.
"Entrance tickets to casinos will drop in price from 15 euros ($19.30) to just 6 euros ($7.72), with 4.80 euros ($6.18) of that going straight into the public coffers, while the state’s participation in the gross profits of casino games will rise by two percentage points."
Marie Antoinette's comment "Let them eat cake" came to mind.
"An extraordinary tax of between 25 and 35 percent on solar energy production plants, depending on the time the project was hooked up to the national electricity grid. It will be calculated on the turnover from July 1, 2012, to June 30, 2014, although this may be extended by another year"
Will this discourage investment in solar energy, a natural resource that greece should capitalise on??
Wednesday 7 November 2012
Tuesday 6 November 2012
No print issue on November 2 | Athens News
No print issue on November 2 | Athens News
An announcement in the Athens News
"The paper edition of the Athens News will not circulate on Friday 2 November due to the participation of its employees in the strike called by the journalists' unions on October 31-November 1."
I bought the Athens News on 5 October 2012, which contained an apology for the paper being shorter than usual. And there has been no print edition since.
I mention this as just one example of the impact that strikes are having in Greece.
An announcement in the Athens News
"The paper edition of the Athens News will not circulate on Friday 2 November due to the participation of its employees in the strike called by the journalists' unions on October 31-November 1."
I bought the Athens News on 5 October 2012, which contained an apology for the paper being shorter than usual. And there has been no print edition since.
I mention this as just one example of the impact that strikes are having in Greece.
Google Honors Odyseus Elytis with a Doodle
Google Honors Odyseus Elytis with a Doodle | Greece.GreekReporter.com Latest News from Greece
"The daily Google Doodle for Nov. 2 is dedicated to Greek Nobel prize laureate poet, Odyseus Elytis, who was born on Nov.2 in 1911."
"The daily Google Doodle for Nov. 2 is dedicated to Greek Nobel prize laureate poet, Odyseus Elytis, who was born on Nov.2 in 1911."
Monday 5 November 2012
Cretan Coleslaw Aims at Guinness Record
Cretan Coleslaw Aims at Guinness Record | Greece.GreekReporter.com Latest News from Greece
A 2.5 kilometre long coleslaw salad.............................
A 2.5 kilometre long coleslaw salad.............................
Greek Islands: The Best Places to Buy or Build | Greece.GreekReporter.com Latest News from Greece
Greek Islands: The Best Places to Buy or Build | Greece.GreekReporter.com Latest News from Greece
The "best" islands (in my view) aren't listed. I wouldn't want to live on any of the islands listedin this article (Corfu, Lefkada, Zakynthos, Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes).
The "best" islands (in my view) aren't listed. I wouldn't want to live on any of the islands listedin this article (Corfu, Lefkada, Zakynthos, Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes).
Saturday 3 November 2012
Friday 2 November 2012
The Social Onslaught of Economic Austerity in Rural Greece
http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-social-onslaught-of-economic-austerity-on-rural-greece/5310349
An article about Ambelos, on the island of Samos.
An article about Ambelos, on the island of Samos.
Alcohol Increases Resting Brain Activity in Social Drinkers
http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/11/01/alcohol-increases-resting-brain-activity-in-social-drinkers/
So chatting with friends, a glassof wine will increase my brain activity. But sitting at home writing, a glass of wine won't make me a more lucid writer, as my brain is not at rest. Have I got that right??
So chatting with friends, a glassof wine will increase my brain activity. But sitting at home writing, a glass of wine won't make me a more lucid writer, as my brain is not at rest. Have I got that right??
Greece, the True Experience
http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/11/01/greece-the-true-experience/
"Under the slogan Greece All Time Classic, the Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni presented Oct. 31, communication strategies implemented for the promotion of Greek Tourism."
"Under the slogan Greece All Time Classic, the Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni presented Oct. 31, communication strategies implemented for the promotion of Greek Tourism."
Thursday 1 November 2012
Kalo mina - have a good month!
Today is November 1. "Kalo mina" is the traditional greeting on the first day of the month. "Kalo" means "good", and "mina" means month. When I first heard the expression, I thought that "mina" meant "first" (thinking of "mia birra" meaning "one beer") but "mina" means "month".
WalkTheBlue Amorgos - footpath clearance in Amorgos
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/WalkTheBlue-Amorgos/516280441717836
This sounds like an ongoing project to clear the footpaths of Amorgos. On 3 November 2012 - a path from Chora to Katapola.
It's not clear from the poster which path of the paths from Chora to Katapola is being worked on on 3 November.
Walking down from Chora, I prefer walking down the small path that starts near the back of Parvas's kafeneion, on the right hand side of the hill. But I've heard that the lower end of that is difficult to walk because of the construction of a large building.
I haven't walked down what I call the "old main path" that starts near the garage at the top of the road from Chora to Katapola much since a sewer was laid down that route, and the old paving destroyed. The top part of that path was lovely before the sewerage works, but walking below the petrol station and the otehr buildings lower down the path is not very pleasant.
This sounds like an ongoing project to clear the footpaths of Amorgos. On 3 November 2012 - a path from Chora to Katapola.
It's not clear from the poster which path of the paths from Chora to Katapola is being worked on on 3 November.
Walking down from Chora, I prefer walking down the small path that starts near the back of Parvas's kafeneion, on the right hand side of the hill. But I've heard that the lower end of that is difficult to walk because of the construction of a large building.
I haven't walked down what I call the "old main path" that starts near the garage at the top of the road from Chora to Katapola much since a sewer was laid down that route, and the old paving destroyed. The top part of that path was lovely before the sewerage works, but walking below the petrol station and the otehr buildings lower down the path is not very pleasant.
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