August 2013 - Thursday 1st - After a little wind over night, the atmosphere cleared quite nicely to reveal the distance again. The weather has actually been very pleasant. Hot during the day and cooling off at night. Great to sleep.
Left - Swimming and diving off the pier (the molo) is a holiday tradition for many. Unlike other ports, the waters here, are pristine and fresh.
Above - Sortiros is the Stavros church and the namesake of the Stavros Panighiri which will be on 5th and 6th of August. It's the biggest festival of the summer, attended by locals from the north and the south, and of course the lucky visitors to Ithaca who happen to be here at the time.
Left and Below - Stavros can be a little sleepy during the day time, it's not situated right on the waterside, but at night, it's a buzzing center with restaurants and cafe bars, all doing quite well. It's also a great escape when the bayside becomes too hectic and all you want is a place to sit where you can hear the conversation.
Left - Margarita Cafe is more than just a cafe bar, it's a tradition and a Stavros icon.
Above - Stavros also boasts Odysseas' bust, which takes center space in the park opposite Sortiros church.
Left - Yiannis Taverna is still a favourite for good home cooked meals.
Above - The Stavros park is actually a really nice retreat when you just want to contemplate a thing or two. It also has a view over Polis Bay toward Kefalonia.
Left - For Stavros fans, you'll be happy to know that Lotus Cafe now has a seating area with a view toward Frikes Bay. A very pleasant corner.
Left - Ithaki Restaurant and Sunset Cafe take the corner of the Stavros village with the view down to Polis bay. Ithaki Restaurant is pretty new to the village, only in operation a couple of years, but with seating also upstairs, it's a great place to get a different perspective on this northern village.
Ithaki Restaurant, like many on Ithaca, is also open during the winter time. With a fire place and it's big indoor space, it makes a very comfortable place to meet your friends for a night out.
Above - Kentro cafe is still the place for locals and the occasional visitor. A no fuss cafe with a great traditional atmosphere. If you have your ears open, most of the islands gossip can be learned.
Left - Sunset Cafe (in the same building as Ithaki Restaurant) has a peaceful evening view down onto Polis Bay and across to Kefalonia. If Rovani is on the menu, I can guarrantee you will love it. The owner makes one of the best of these traditional desserts.
Left - Gas tanker Rasgas Ascleptus with a Stavros captain, gave a wake up call around 8am this morning to Lefki locals. Photograph by Nico from Lefki.
Let the summer begin in ernest now. August is the high season!
Friday 2nd - Very hot day yesterday. Lots of people on the roads, in the streets, coming on yachts, in cars and on buses. Sounds hectic doesn't it? Still there are quiet periods throughout the day when you think you actually have the island to yourself.
Yesterday, I headed up to Anoghi, the mountain village at the top of Ithaca that has no beach or tourist attractions, other than it's traditional architecture, local cafe and church with some impressive frescos. If you want to see inside the church, best get up there before 2pm, when Niko from the Cafe goes home for lunch and a nap. He has the key to let you in. The cafe opens again after 5.30pm, so you can also see the church in the afternoon.
While looking around for a photo or two, a greek couple stopped their car to ask where the nearest beach was. They were ready to turn down a road that stopped at the edge of the village and were quite disappointed that there was in or around Anoghi. It made me wonder what they may have been thinking as they made their way up the mountain, watching the sea disappear behind them.
Left - The Kathara Monastery. I must say that the renovations, at least around the exterior of the Monastery are a big disappointment to me. Gone are all the aspects that made this Monastery beautiful. The stone wall has been replaced by a wire fence concreted in, the area where the Kathara festival is held annually has been flattened out. I'm sure the church's intentions were good, probably hoping to make it a tourist site, but the charm of this place is gone. I feel really sad about that. I'm pretty certain that people don't come to see Monasteries or other sites to see concrete and wire, alluminium and car parks. By all means renovate, but if you can't recognize beauty when you see it, how can you create it.
Saturday 3rd - A very hot few days with not much respite at night. A heat mist gives a glarey atmosphere, desaturating the vibrant colours we're used to seeing.
It's not as busy this year as other years, but word from the ticketing agent is that if you have a car, you should book your ferry in advance, so as not to risk not getting a place. Aparently the ferry will be full from now on. Passengers only, shouldn't have any problems.
Above - Walking tours during August seems a little extreme with such heat, but these guys got in early enough, before the sun got too high in the sky.
Left - Local fisherman sharing their catch with visitors to the island.
Below - Port police patrol the streets for illegal parking.
Sunday 4th - Hot, hot days as we make our way through the first week of August. Lots of yachts sailing around the island, water skiing, swimming, eating, drinking, more swimming, lazing under the sun, siesta in the afternoon, it's too hot to do much else...
Above - It's the Stavros Panighiri in a couple of days, (5th and 6th August) and the chairs are piled up again Sortiros church, awaiting allocation.
Left - Polis Bay just beneath Stavros, is buzzing with yachting activity.
Left - No, Ithaca does not have a giant pineapple, it's just the reflection of a palm tree on the rear window of the car.
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to your friends and loved ones.
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but this is a good second place when you
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