Mon 1 May - News is that with elections coming up, we'll be seeing alot of things that need repair being repaired. The grapevine also has it that Nektarios from Rementzo Restaurant is running for Mayor or council position. When asked, he replied "ah ah ah no no no"

Wed 3 May - The road at Aetos is nearing completion. This morning however, it looked more like the campaign trail than a work in progress. Council members lined up the length of the road, all looking busy and interested in what was going on. More suits than overalls. They'll have to do more than just looking pretty this year if they want to be voted in again. Yes, it's election time again soon.

Drosia Restaurant in the hills above Vathy on the way to Filiatro beach, have kept the locals fed and warm all through Winter, will be closing its' doors this Sunday for 15 days while the owner, Yiannis Politis and staff, get the restaurant ready for Summer.

Mon 8 May - There are more and more new faces in the streets of Ithaki these days, some known, some new. The fine days of the past week have also tempted locals and tourists to the beaches. The water is cold by ithacan standards, but some days it just looks too good to miss out on. The locals have a combined look of good cheer on their faces. It's going to be a great Summer. Wrinkled brows have relaxed under the Spring sunshine.

After my usual checking of the site this week, I came across a page entitled "Web Sites for Sale' ithacagreece.com has been put on the market? Some Russian site has listed this site as being for sale. IT'S NOT FOR SALE. Looks like this scammer puts popular pages up for sale without permission or reason. So, if you see this, IGNORE IT. www.ithacagreece.com is not for sale. I have tried contacting the site administrator, but the addresses and emails are a scam as well.

In Kioni, Ouzo Sundays are over for another season. It's back to tour group meetings and Flotilla nights, coffee and cake for the visitors to the island.

Music night continues at Rementzo Restaurant in Frikes until the end of May. It's been a popular addition to the Rementzo menu this year with full houses from advance bookings.

Paliocaravo Restaurant (Gregorys) in Vathy has a new look. The restaurant on the bay starts the season with a great renovation of kitchen and bathrooms.

Everyone is asking 'Are Yiannis Apartments ready yet?' The answer is no, not yet, but soon. Yianni, one of Ithacas Taxi Drivers and Yiannis Taverna host is trying his best to have the apartments finished by the end of May.

Ovelistirio Spitroast in Frikes is no more. The business has been sold to Aphrodite Sikiotis who is putting her design talents to use by renovating the business into PIPERINO ALLA OXI MONO (Spicy - but that's not all) New owner, name and new menu for the Frikes Restaurant.

New owners too for the Frikes Supermarket, formerly known as Penelope Supermarket. Brother of Mr. Proto (ENA Supermarket in Vathy) Makis, Mr. DEFTERO, will be running the show.

Stavros Supermarket, Odysseas has also had a major external facelift. Shaded terrace with a playground for the kids. Costa, one of the owners is also recovering after a cycling accident in which he badly injured his leg. Healing time is a little slow for Costa, accustomed to riding his bike daily.

Fri 12 May - Exciting news for Rementzo Restaurant in Frikes and Gefyri Restaurant in Platrithia. Athens Magazine is doing a feature on Island Restaurants which feature vegetarian food. Article written by Marie Barbieri who found the restaurants through ithacagreece.com Photographs by ithacagreece.coms' me. Oohaah!

Sunday Telegraph is also doing something on Ithaca. The newspaper will feature a property from ithacagreece.com Real Estate as part of their feature on Greek Island Homes for sale.

In local news, the road from Stavros to Polis beach is now being made. Over the past couple of years, this road has been a nightmare to get down, but with the looming elections, another project nears completion. Since the road at Aetos was surfaced just a couple of weeks ago, the drive south to north and north to south has been made much easier.

Sat 13 May - A warm day and evening yesterday, but still it's pretty quiet in the streets. It's nice to see the occasional couple walking the streets of Ithaca, discovering the island by foot, admiring the architecture, the quaint village lanes and the friendly locals who are happy to say hello to a passer by.

The island is in full bloom. Wild flowers everywhere. For those interested, around Anoghi, in the direction of the Heliport, the fields are jam packed with many different varieties of wild flowers that even have the locals in awe of their beauty.

Flotillas are back in Kioni. Yesterday the afternoon breeze had masts tinkling in the afternoon breeze just like mid Summer. The gift shops with their post cards and tourist fare, also put some colour back into the main promenade of the village. There's a hint of excitement from one end of the island to the other at the moment, a hopefullness, an anticipation of something good in the air.

Mon 15 May - We're still waiting on confirmation of a ferry strike tomorrow, Tuesday 16th. By the time we find out, you'll probably be waiting for the ferry that won't budge.

The new Supermarket in Vathy has opened its' doors. An opening long awaited by some here on the island.