In chronological order earliest to latest or most recent to earliest.
March 1999:
Hello and welcome to the first edition of the Skiathos Newsletter.
You are receiving this because you have at one time or another sailed with us, walked with
us, stayed at our houses in Zorbathes or requested information about accommodation,
property or something else from our web site: http://www.skiathosinfo.com
If you wish to be removed from this list, please follow the instructions at the end of
this newsletter.
I am sending this out today as it is the 27th anniversary of my arrival in Skiathos.
Little did I know then that I would still be here and how much Skiathos would alter my
life.
I have seen many, many changes in this time, some for the better some for the worse, but
what has not changed is the magic and the beauty of Skiathos which still amazes me daily.
At least a winter will have passed since most of you have been here and a very wet, rainy
winter it has been. Not a lot of tennis time for us but the island needed the rain badly
and we will see the benefit in April and May when the wild flowers will be fabulous. Did
you know that Greece has more different types of wild flowers than the rest of Europe put
together? Of course we don't have them all here but nevertheless, we have more than enough
to delight us.
Christmas has been and gone and the following celebration was on "Clean Monday"
at the beginning of Lent. This is traditionally the day for seafood picnics (no meat,
remember) and for flying kites. We went to Koukounaries Beach (reputed to be the finest in
the Aegean, if not all the Mediterranean) and it was just wonderful. The weather was
sunny, the food delicious, the wine flowing, the sea sparkling and the sand soft and warm.
The kites only flew for a few minutes as there was really no wind, but nobody seemed to
mind too much.
Easter will be with us soon, our daughters will be back from school and university, both
The Barn and The Farmhouse will have guests, so it promises to be a busy and social time.
We will undoubtedly roast a kid and hopefully our clients and some other friends will join
us in this traditional celebration.
Shortly after the real summer season will begin and we can look forward to some good
sailing, walking, bridge at a beach taverna and a few other relaxing moments between the
hustle and bustle of tourist island life.
We have added several new pages to our site which seems to expand and grow by itself these
days (I sometimes wonder who is in charge!!!).
New are pages for shopping online, where you can purchase your holiday book at a good
discount, and to which we will be adding many other places for shopping at prices better
than can be found normally.
We have added a listing of tour operators who fly to Skiathos and offer package or
speciality holidays here.
New to Skiathos itself, is an Internet Cafe where you can check your email, browse the web
and check the webcam you set up in your house (well I'm sure someone out there has!).
Check the Business pages: http://www.skiathosinfo.com/business/
There are many new accommodation possibilities listed at: http://www.skiathosinfo.com/accomm/
including, of course, our own houses in Zorbathes: http://www.skiathosinfo.com/accomm/zorbades.htm
We ourselves took a small holiday to neighbouring Pelion and stayed with friends there at
Zagora. We had a wonderful time and were treated like royalty. They have built a beautiful
house with accommodation and organise activity holidays, workshops and seminars to cater
for all tastes. I can thoroughly recommend it. See: http://www.villa-horizonte.com
I also made their web pages and am quite pleased with the result.
Well, that's it for now. I will try and publish this newsletter every month but can't
promise anything.
If you have comments to make or feedback, please email me at: news@skiathosinfo.com
I hope that wherever you decide to spend this year's holiday, that it will be a truly
relaxing and worthwhile one.
Regards,
Geof.
April 1999
Firstly, I would like to thank all of you who have subscribed to the newsletter since I
added the subscribe page plus all of you who sent me encouraging emails. I sent it out to
everyone who had ever emailed me with requests for information, accommodation, etc. and
was very pleasantly surprised at how few of you asked to be removed from the mailing list.
I hope that you will not be disappointed.
Well, what has been happening recently?
We have been busy getting our houses ready for our Easter guests. We renovated the Barn's
fireplace, replacing it with a cast-iron wood stove to keep it cosy and warm on those cool
spring evenings or if it should rain.
We welcomed guests and friends for Easter and we hope that they enjoyed our company as
much as we enjoyed theirs.
On Good Friday we took everybody on a walk to Kechria Beach and Monastery, one of our
favourite outings. We followed the Alagaries stream-bed down from the back of Platanias
Valley to Kechria Beach and managed to spot a terrapin (small turtle) on the way, which
delighted the kids with us.
A picnic lunch was enjoyed by all followed by a dip in the sea for the hardy ones. Then we
followed the Kechria stream, which was gushing along thanks to all this winters rain, up
to Kechria Monastery.
We returned home a tired but happy crew late that evening and none of us had enough energy
to make it to church for the Epitafio (the symbolic burial of Christ).
Saturday night at 12 o' clock, Christ's resurrection was celebrated in the main church
square. The beauty of the singing and the spreading of candlelight though the square as we
lit our candles from the church's candles, one after the other, was rather marred by the
explosions of fireworks in the background. A pity, but still an experience that everyone
should partake of once in their lives.
Easter Sunday was spent roasting a kid (baby goat, that is!?!) over a charcoal fire and
took most of the morning. The afternoon was spent consuming it with copious amounts of
wine, beer and banter and a good time was had by all.
Monday was spent recovering from Sunday !!!
Web page news is that I have now added most of my "Pelion" site to the
Skiathosinfo site. I hope to have it completely finished soon (but is anything on the web
ever completely finished?). Go to http://skiathosinfo.com/pelion/ for a tour of Pelion
with lots of photos and quite a bit of info. If anybody out there has feedback or more
information that could be added, please email me at pelion@skiathosinfo.com
There are new accommodation pages at: http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/ and you will shortly
be able to book holidays at the Skiathos Palace Hotel and Skiathos Princess Hotel directly
through our pages.
New property for sale is being added steadily to the property pages at:
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/ and I shall be adding lots more business listings at:
http://skiathosinfo.com/business/ as people return and start to open up for the season.
We still have quite a bit of availability in our houses in Zorbathes:
http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/zorbades.htm so if you are looking for a truly peaceful and
relaxing holiday, why don't you get in touch.
As ever, I hope that this has brought a bit of sunshine into your life and that you will
consider visiting and experiencing Skiathos sometime in the near future.
Happy holidays,
Geof.
May 1999
Hello again. We are well into May and the season has well and truly started. After May
Day, suddenly all the supermarkets and most of the tavernas were open and the beaches
started to be dotted by bodies soaking up sun. It always comes as a surprise because,
although everybody is waiting for, and gearing up to, the season, everything is still
sleepy until people actually arrive. Then, almost overnight, the island switches from
winter to summer mode and is bright eyed and bushy tailed. It happens every year, but
somehow, we never get used to it.
May Day was celebrated by most locals roasting a lamb over charcoal, consuming copious (to
vast) amounts of wine, making flower wreathes which they wore all day and generally having
fun in a celebration of nature's bounty. There is no shortage of flowers to make wreathes
as the wild flowers are now in full bloom and the uncut hay fields are a riot of colour.
We did not go for another roasting session, Easter was enough for this year. Instead we
went down to the Nostos Beach (Tzaneria Beach), worked on the Merlin, our catamaran, and
then shared some wine with friends at the beach taverna there. The weather was glorious
and a slight sea breeze made me anxious to finish preparing Merlin and get out on the
water as soon as possible. The next day, we heaved Merlin into the sea and took her to her
mooring in Sklithri Bay.
The following week end we had our first day trip to Kadi Giorgi on Pelion and took our
guests to the local fish taverna there and introduced them to the type of real traditional
Greek food that it is, unfortunately, getting harder to find in Skiathos. They ate and (I
believe) enjoyed several different starters that they would never have ordered by
themselves, followed by 3 different types of fish which were, as always, superb. The wind
was against us on the return trip so we motored back. Nevertheless, a fine time was had by
all.
Lida is now very busy. For the next 2 weeks she will be taking a large party of walkers on
3 different walks each week, on Saturdays guiding a group around the two main monasteries
and then through the less visited parts of the town, so she will not start her own weekly
guided walk until the end of the month. If there is enough demand, I will fill in for her
instead as I love this particular walk as well.
Read more about her weekly walk at: http://skiathosinfo.com/walks99brochure.htm
New on Skiathos this year is the first petrol station OUTSIDE the town (long overdue).
This can be found at Troulos as part of the Victoria leisure complex, so now it is
possible to tank up without the long journey to town. Wonderful!
New to the website are these accommodation pages:
http://skiathosinfo.com/messini.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/kapounis.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/syraina.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/kvouli.htm
This business page:
http://skiathosinfo.com/rooftop.htm
And a new section with boats for sale:
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/frida.htm
As we now now into summer mode and things are starting to get really busy, I don't know if
I will manage to get this newsletter out every month but, as I am enjoying writing it as
much as (I hope) you are enjoying reading it, I shall try to persevere.
As ever, I hope this has brought a little taste of Skiathos life into your world, and I
hope it reminds you that there is more to life than the material things we are constantly
being pressured to buy.
Until next month,
Geof.
June 1999
Well, we are well into June and I haven't had time until now to sit for a free half
hour to write to you all. The pace of the island has definitely picked up and everything
will get busier from now until the end of August. We are always ambivalent about the
"season". Whilst it's wonderful to have supermarkets open so close to us and a
vast choice of tavernas to eat out at, we miss the sleepiness and quiet roads of autumn,
winter and spring. Still, where we live in Zorbathes Valley, nobody comes by (unless they
know us and know how to find us) and our peace is only disturbed by goat bells and the
nightingales singing.
A big thank you to all the people who have signed up since the last newsletter, I hope you
find it worthwhile.
I thought for this edition, I would describe in a bit more detail one of our catamaran
trips.
On the catamaran we leave Sklithri Beach at around 10.30 and motor out to get clear of the
land and see which way the wind is blowing. The options are: north wind, Kati Giorgi on
the Pelion Peninsular, south wind, Loutraki on Skopelos Island, and west or north-east
winds, Panormos on Skopelos Island.
All these destinations have "old style" Greek tavernas where you can find REAL
Greek food (usually made by "Mum") which has not yet been "watered
down" to suit the taste of mass tourism.
Hoisting the sails, we set off in whatever direction is suitable. As a general rule the
breeze gets strongest from about 11.30 until 13.00 or 14.00, so this is the time to get
cracking towards our final destination.
Merlin (the Catamaran) is a very stable craft and there is none of the uncomfortable
heeling over normally associated with sailing. You can put your beer or soft drink (served
around 12.00) down on the deck or seat, without fear of it tipping over (losing the
precious liquid and causing epithets to be uttered!)
She scuds across the water at anything up to 12 knots (at which time we might reef the
sails a bit) and we can usually reach our intended destination within 2 to 2.5 hours.
Whichever way we go, there is always a beach, and we allow plenty of time for swimming
before and/or after lunch. We also head for interesting snorkelling beaches if that is
what our guests like.
After lunch, when the wind has usually dropped off a bit, we start back using the motor if
necessary (but I hate to put it on, I just like to sail). This is the time when we are
often asked how we came to Skiathos and how long we have been here, etc. We also learn
about our guests who are inevitably interesting people. Anyone who likes to try the sort
of excursions we offer are bound to be out of the run of the normal tourist.
If we are lucky (but we DO have to be lucky) we will see some dolphins during the trip. We
will certainly get to see quite a lot of different water birds.
We get back to Sklithri Beach anytime from 16.30 onwards depending on the wind and how far
we went. Incidentally, this small beach has an excellent little taverna with one of the
nicest situations in Skiathos. If there is time we will often take an ouzo there to finish
off the day.
There is nothing quite like a day out on the water for blowing the cobwebs out of your
head and getting that totally relaxed feeling. Come and give it a try sometime.
General news about Skiathos is that the town is being looked after better than previous
years. The rubbish is being collected early and properly and I think the message is slowly
sinking in about keeping the island as clean as possible. Also in the town most of the
overhead electric cables were buried underground which has cut down on the amount of
unsightly wires looping here and there.
I am still waiting for the local council to give me this year's cultural program but it
certainly is not going to be as ambitious as previous years.
My apologies for last months bad links to the new web pages, here are better links:
New to the website are these accommodation pages:
http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/messini.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/kapounis.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/syraina.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/kvouli.htm
These business pages:
http://skiathosinfo.com/business/rooftop.htm A very nice bar on the waterfront
http://skiathosinfo.com/business/paradiso.htm THE outdoor cinema showing all the latest
films.
http://skiathosinfo.com/business/faros.htm A taverna and bar right on the sand of
Achladies Beach.
http://skiathosinfo.com/business/dolphin.htm The best scuba diving school on the island.
These property pages:
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/old-stone-house.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/stamatis-house.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/commercial-property.hm
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/villa&land.htm
OK That's it for now. It actually took me a bit longer than half an hour to get all this
down but I think it was worth it.
I hope to run into some of you somewhere on one of our beautiful beaches this summer.
Regards,
Geof.
July-August 1999
Hello Everybody,
A quick thank you to all who have signed up to this newsletter since the last one and also
to all of you who have sent me encouraging emails.
I am amazed by this Internet thing and how well it is working. When I started the web
site, I really wanted to let people know about all the wonderful sides of Skiathos that
were not really being described anywhere else. All the brochures and tourist information
show and talk about Koukounaries and all the other beaches on the south side, but
virtually nothing was said about the quieter beaches on the north side and all the
beautiful places, churches, monasteries and nature spots that need a little extra effort
to get to and to appreciate. Not that I want everybody to go to these places, but I wanted
to make the information available to those who would like to do something more than just
lie on a beach and get a tan.
Well, judging by your feedback, it has been very successful and I find that most
rewarding.
The other reason for starting the web pages was to advertise our houses for rent in
Zorbathes, where we live. That has also gone very well but now I am becoming a victim of
my own success. When our accommodation was the only listing on the site I was getting many
requests. Now that there are over 40 different accommodations from simple rooms, studios
and apartments to deluxe hotels listed, I find that I am but one of many. However, again I
find it very satisfying that so many people are booking their holidays directly through
the Net and are very happy with the results. As the site grows and the amount of visitors
grow, I feel that a real contribution towards communication has been made.
We still have availability in July if anyone is thinking of a last minute holiday.
http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/zorbades.htm
One problem with direct booking via the Net is that often potential guests cannot find
flight only tickets and are told by travel agents that none are available even though
flights often arrive with many empty seats.
I assume this is because they are only interested in selling package holidays and the
Tourist Companies are keen to retain their virtual monopoly of the tourist industry here.
Olympic Airways offer a pretty good deal to Skiathos via Athens but it does take a while
with a 1 or 2 hour stop-over.
I was thinking of contacting Easy Jet ( http:easyjet.com ) and suggesting that they put on
1 flight a week to Skiathos (and perhaps another island) which I am sure could be filled.
Perhaps we could all email Stelios at: mailto:stelios@easyjet.co.uk to suggest it? He will
read any email that is not more than 10 lines long (or at least that is what he says on
his website). I have made a page for him to read at: http://skiathosinfo.com/easyjet.htm
and maybe you could read this and if you think the idea proposed is a good one, email him
and point him to that page.
Does anybody have any other suggestions or has found a good way to come here directly? I
have been looking around for a good contact to recommend but, so far, no luck. All
feedback would be welcomed. (This is known as "Interactivity" :)
Skiathos is now humming. It is now the Greek and Italian holiday time and so you can hear
every European language on the beaches. I have always liked the fact that Skiathos is not
dominated by any one countries' tourists and it has helped its cosmopolitan appeal that
you can meet people from just about every European country plus many non Europeans as
well.
The busiest day of the year, the 15th of August, is approaching fast and once that has
passed, the island will slowly start to wind down.
I must say, I do look forward to September when the tourism has calmed down a bit, the
weather is still fantastic, the sea still warm and everybody is a bit more relaxed.
Some of our accommodation owners are offering special prices for September:
http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/zorbades.htm (I am offering a 10% discount to all who quote
this newsletter.)
http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/messini.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/syraina.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/angeliki.htm
I have finally gotten hold of the cultural events program. The local council had been
promising to let me have it for some months, but eventually I had to copy it from their
web site! So it goes!
http://skiathosinfo.com/events.htm
New pages this month:
Accommodation:
http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/angeliki.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/akti.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/lynn.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/skiathos-club.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/skiathos-holidays.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/skopelos/ortivo.html
Property:
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/marias.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/land-at-agios-andonis.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/tatsios.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/rigas-house.htm
Tavernas:
http://skiathosinfo.com/business/anatoli.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/business/elias.htm
Shops:
http://skiathosinfo.com/business/pounentes.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/business/jivaeri.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/skopelos/pragmata.htm
As always, I would like to end by hoping that wherever you go for your holiday, it will be
a truly relaxing one and leave you recharged to cope with this ever busier world of ours.
I have attached some good Greek sunshine to this email for those of you who won't make it
this year or who would just like a reminder but, unfortunately, it doesn't travel well in
cyberspace :)
Until next month,
Geof.
Autumn 1999
Many thanks to all the new subscribers since September, there seems to be a lot of
Scandanavians this time ..... Welcome!
Well, the autumn rains are here with thunderstorms and hail. It is actually a very welcome
sight as the island did not receive any real rain since last April. A lot of the olives
have dropped from the trees as there has not been enough ground water to support a full
crop. What olives are left will now swell to a good size and we have to decide the optimum
moment to pick them before they drop off.
All the land underneath the trees has to be cleaned of grass, thistles, brambles and
whatever else has grown since the last cultivation. The olives are then knocked from the
trees with long sticks or bamboo, onto large sheets of material, and then gathered in
sacks and hauled to the olive press.
The press takes a percentage of the oil that results and so no money changes
hands...rather nice.
We estimate that we will get around 40 literes of oil which will last us for the 2 years
until the next crop comes along. The average Greek family will use 200 to 300 litres a
year and this is one reason that they are so healthy compared to the rest of Europe.
Another reason is that they will gather wild greens from pastures and woodland which
contain many vitamins and minerals that we no longer find in our vegetables, especialy
since looks and price have become more important than quality and content.
We have pulled "Merlin", our catamaran, out of the water and laid her up for the
winter. She looks like a beached whale, miserable and totally out of place. It is always a
sad ocassion as it means, for us, that the summer season is definitely over and we must
wait for 6 more months before we can feel and utilise the power of the wind and waves for
our own pleasure. Now they become an obstruction if we wish to make trips off the island
as sometimes a storm can cut travel communications for a day or two.
We have had some wonderful trips with "Merlin" and those of you who have been
out with us will know why we love to share the expereince of sailing in these beautiful
waters with as many people as possible.
We have plans to extend our sailing pages to include bare-boat chartering and dinghy and
off the beach sailing.
As Skiathos settles into winter mode nearly all the supermarkets and tavernas outside town
have closed and the road is mostly deserted. Only Stathi's Taverna and the Victoria
supermarket and petrol station have remained open. The bus runs only 5 times a day and the
whole pace of life has relaxed into normal Greek style ("it will happen when it
happens").
We start to see people who we have only had time to say "Yasou" to all summer,
new faces appear of people who have bought a house or decided to stay for the winter and
the tennis club becomes busy with locals instead of holidaymakers. The International
Women's Group and the Garden Club restart their monthly and weekly meetings and us bridge
players shuffle our cards and arrange evenings at different houses.
The web site is going to expand it's property section vastly and a lot more accommodation
pages are being added. I will be making some changes over the winter, rationalising the
structure a bit and adding lots more information. Via your emails, I have discovered many
things that are missing or need updating and am looking forward to working on all of this.
New property pages:
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/mousas.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/marias.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/tatsios-villas.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/land-at-agios-andonis.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/pounta-property.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/alagaries.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/sklithri-house-and-land.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/sklithri.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/giselas-house.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/profitis-ilias.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/akrivos.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/paliogortza.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/vourlidia.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/villa-manolis.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/eleni-villas.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/property/villa-samaki.htm
New accommodation pages:
http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/aquarius.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/tatsios-villas.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/angela.htm
http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/villa-helidonia.htm
OK That's it for now. I would send you some sunshine if I could but we won't see it today.
We will, however, get lots and lots of it throughout the winter. The tennis player in me
wants the sun whilst the farmer in me is hoping for a lot more rain. Oh, its a hard life
being a schizophrenic on a Greek island.
Regards,
Geof.
Christmas 1999.
Hello and welcome to the Christmas Skiathos Newletter.
Firstly I would like to wish you a very happy Christmas and a healthy, prosperous and "bug free" year 2000.
A quick welcome to those of you that have signed up since the last newsletter.
At the risk of upsetting you, I must tell you that the weather this autumn has been glorious. Just enough rain to freshen the island up and make it vividly green again, followed by long periods of weather from the south and west with warm breezes, spectacular views and wonderful sunsets to finish the day.
In fact, if you are someone who enjoys the outdoors life, walking, sailing, fishing, tennis and other sports, autumn in Skiathos is something not to be missed.
One of those "frequently asked questions" about Skiathos is, "What do you do in the winter?"
Well, the quick answer is, "Recover from the summer!" Strange as it may seem, the winter is something many of us look forward to as we get to see all our local friends again and have time to enjoy the beauty we are surrounded by. Too often, in the summer, we are so busy making a living that we do not see the wood for the trees.
One of the things we have been doing recently is tussling with the local council, trying to introduce the idea of recycling the island's rubbish.
Skiathos produces an enormous amount of rubbish every summer, way out of proportion to the size of the island. This has become a bad problem which will only grow as time passes unless we take steps to recycle this waste and turn a drain on our recourses into a positive income.
A traditional yearly event has been the Christmas Bazaar organised by the International Women's Group of Skiathos. The Group is made up of many ladies from all over the world (but mostly Europe) who live here all year round, have their children in school here or have become so enamoured of Skiathos that they just couldn't leave. They are a talented lot and are a definite asset to the island.
The Christmas Bazaar is held early in December and offered for sale are home baked cakes and cookies, and many handcrafted Christmas items. There is a Lucky Dip, a lottery and the kiddies can have their photo taken with "Santa Claus". Many people come every year to this event and the money gathered by the ladies is shared out to various local charities or where a little extra can make a big difference to someone's life.
I always look forward to getting a nice glow on from the Gluhwein (mulled wine) that they serve at the door.
There will be many gatherings over the holiday period but I don't think anyone is planning much special for New Year's Eve. A nice glass of home-made wine by a roaring fire with my family around me is what am looking forward to.
I recently heard this story about why we traditionally put a fairy at the top of the Christmas tree and thought I would pass it on to you.
Apparently, some years ago at the North Pole on Christmas Eve, Santa was having a hard time of it.
The gnomes were on strike demanding more pay for overtime, the reindeers had found his brandy and having gotten totally drunk had wrapped the sleigh around a lamp post, and Mrs Santa had left the Christmas cookies in the oven too long a had burned them beyond hope of redemption.
Santa stormed into the kitchen shouting, "Striking gnomes, pissed reindeer, bent sleigh, burnt cookies, I've just about had enough! And where's that damned little fairy that I sent out to find a Christmas tree?"
At that moment the fairy walked through the door with a tree over his shoulder and said,
"Yo, Fatman, where do you want me to stick the tree?"
Thus was the tradition born!
Once again, I hope you have a very enjoyable holiday season and that soon you will be starting to think about possibly returning to enjoy the delights of this little Greek island.
Regards,
Geof.
Winter 2000:
Hello Skiathos friends,
Well this is the "winter" newsletter but, so far, we haven't really had much of a winter at all.
The weather turned stormy and rainy over Christmas (our daughter had to wait 2 days to get back from Athens and only just made it late on Christmas Eve) but since then it has been really quite nice.
We have had some very cold days and several frosts one of which was cold enough to severely set back the lemon trees and the bougainvillea and turn our lawns brown. They will all recover though, with a bit of tender care.
Actually having too much good weather in the winter is a problem. For the island to stay as green and fertile as it is, we need lots of rain. As it usually doesn't rain for 6 months of the summer, the ground water has to be topped up during the other 6 months. Ah well, we still have a couple of months to go and we have had snow in March one year (and it was a LOT!) so we will have to see what happens.
We had our annual holiday to Amsterdam to see friends and relatives and also spent a week in Germany visiting friends we have made on Skiathos. We were treated like royalty there and had a real holiday as we were not obliged to visit this relative or that, we just relaxed and were indulged!! Very nice.
Since arriving back, I have been very busy setting up a sister site to the skiathosinfo site. It is http://skiathos-direct.com and is designed to make reservations at Skiathos Hotels a simple and easy process. It seems to be working very well. Check it out if you would like to make a booking at a hotel rather than villas, apartments, studios or rooms, all of which are available at: http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/
Another site that uses my web hosting facilities is: http://skopelos.net
================================================
A NEW SITE ABOUT SKOPELOS ISLAND
Skopelos Net: all about Skopelos, is a new Greek web site
that would be of particular interest to someone traveling there.
It is based locally and it features information on self-catering
accommodations, hotels, real estate, travel details, the island, the
countryside, the beaches, Skopelos off the tourist beaten track,
books, traditional recipes and more.
http://www.skopelos.net/
==================================================
If you are thinking of visiting Skopelos, you must see this site.
Talking of Skopelos, there is an old story (myth?) about the ancient rivalry between Skopelitees and Skiathitees.
This is the bones of it:
Skopelos was jealous of Skiathos because of its natural harbour and the offshore islands that protected it. One day the Skopelitees decided to go out with grappling irons to drag off the largest of these islands, Tsougria, and place it in front of their own harbour to protect it. They plaited ropes out of goat gut (there used to be many large herds of goats on Skopelos) and set out to drag the island off.
The Skiathitees got word off this and discussed it at length and finally decided to swim out heroically and defend their property. Then someone realised the danger "Oh! Oh! We might sink, having holes in our bottoms!"
Somebody came up with the brilliant idea of stuffing up the hole with cotton. So they did, and swam out and saved Tsougria.
Since that time, The Skopelitees refer to the Skiathitees as "Bambamkokoli" (cotton arses) and the Skiathitees call the Skopelitees, "Katsikathes" (goatees).
Well, that's about it for now.
Greetings to all the people that have signed up for this newsletter since the last one.
You can read all the previous ones at: http://skiathosinfo.com/newsletters.htm
If you wish to be removed from this list, just go to: http://skiathosinfo.com/newsletter.htm and follow the instructions there.
Regards,
Geof.
Spring 2000
Hello and welcome to the Spring Skiathos newsletter.
Yes, I woke up this morning to the sound of the first nightingale carolling away in the trees next to our house and realised that Spring is definitely with us (and I hadn't managed to start this newsletter yet!)
Of course this time of the year, the whole island picks itself up from its winter somnolence, shakes itself, and comes to the awful realisation that, yet again, all the preparations for the summer had been put off until the last minute. The same procedure as every year.
We have been busy preparing our houses (http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/zorbades.htm) and attacking the weeds in the flower borders (why do they always grow faster and stronger than everything else?). New border plants have gone in and the lawns (which always suffer from frost in the winter) are being gentled back to life.
Speaking of frost, we also had snow in the middle of March just to remind us that Greece does get a winter and it can be very cold here. Sometimes we have temperatures well below northern Europe but, mostly, we are warmer than this.
Our one special day in this time of the year is "Kathero Theftera" which is at the beginning of Lent and is the day when families traditionally picnic on seafood down by the water and fly kites as high as possible. For some reason, although this day is linked to Greek Easter and therefore is never the same day each year, the weather is always
marvelous. It is our foretaste of the summer to come and lets us know that winter, although it may bite a couple more times, is definitely on the way out!
In Skiathos Town, everything is a bustle with shop and taverna owners whitewashing, painting chairs, getting in each others way and greeting old acquaintances. This is the time when those who do not live on the island start to return, like the swallows, and catch up with what has happened in the winter.
We are starting to prepare "Merlin", our catamaran, for the season. Renewing rigging, scraping her bottom and repairing all the nicks & scratches that accrue during a year on the water.
We were supposed to have a new marina but this spring but, despite the appearance of a large dredger for a few days, again we are without this addition to the harbour.
We will be having new ferries and the "Haroula Express", a large & fast freight-carrying catamaran, has already appeared. We have been promised another car and passenger catamaran which will come from Thessalonica and go to Volos via Skiathos and is reputed to be faster than the Flying Dolphin hydrofoils. That must be something to see.
I just hope that we do not have too many problems from the wash of these large ferries that tends to eat away the sand on some beaches.
The town council finally started paving Papadiamantis, the main street of Skiathos, which will now become a pedestrian only boulevard. It is long past time that this happened and, with a bit of luck, they might even finish before the season starts!
The web site is growing daily. There are now more accommodation possibilities than ever. There is of course our new site for direct booking of Skiathos Hotels at: http://skiathos-direct.com plus much more private accommodation available.
I have added a lot more plots of land and houses and villas for sale and have a new section in the property pages which describes the many aspects of acquiring real estate here, what to look out for and what you must do beforehand. There are also pages taken from the European Union web site, which advises you on your rights (and obligations) in Greece.
A discussion site has been added at http://skiathosinfo.com/discuss/ where you can leave messages for friends, ask questions (which MAY get answered), follow a discussion thread and leave comments for others to see.
Well, I think that is it for now. For those of you who wonder why you have received this, I send it out to the many people who have requested it, to my guest book signers, to anyone who has contacted me for information about Skiathos and anyone else who I think may be interested.
If you do not wish to receive this newsletter in the future, just go to: http://skiathosinfo.com/newsletter.htm and follow the removal instructions. :O(
If you would like to read the previous newsletters :o) then go to: http://skiathosinfo.com/newsletters.htm
Ok, as ever, I would like to leave you with some feel of Greece, for example the rustle of Spring in your veins and the feel of warm sunlight on your body. I hope that this newsletter has gone some way towards that.
Regards,
Geof.
The May - June 2000 Newsletter
So, we are well into the tourist season although May is always fairly quiet and we have had time to adjust from being a sleepy Greek island to becoming a humming tourist resort.
We had a late Easter which really started the season and as Easter Monday was also the first of May, there was no real May Day celebrations. Everybody had had their fill of roast lamb and kid (goat) on the Sunday and was not about to repeat the whole exercise 1 day later.
Instead everyone went to the horse races which are normally held on the 23rd of April (St. Georges day) but are put off 'till Easter Monday if Easter falls after the 23rd. We cannot have people enjoying themselves and gambling (!) during the time of fasting and mourning that leads up to the celebrations of the resurrection.
I may be being a bit flippant here, but all this is still taken very seriously in Greece.
The races used to be ridden on working horses (and even mules) and were more for fun & honour than anything else. Nowadays however, horses are bought and kept solely for this one day per year. It has become quite serious and a lot of behind the scenes betting goes on (I am told!). Anyway, it is a fun morning and one of the few times that you see more or less all the families in Skiathos, dressed up to the nines, having a day out. Everybody is milling around, shaking hands and wishing each other
"Chronia Polla" (many years) and have to be herded onto the sidelines when each heat is about to start.
After all this, everyone gets down to the business of accommodating, catering for & serving the visitors who will be coming to the island for the following six months. The slow ones, who had put off getting ready before Easter, now panic and run around trying to do 20 things at once and consequently getting nothing done properly.
By mid-May everything is usually sorted out.
We have had our first catamaran trip and very nice it was to be back out on the water!
Lida, my wife, is taking groups of around 20 people walking through all the lovely interior parts of the island 3 times a week and is thoroughly enjoying that.
Otherwise, our time seems to be filled to overflowing with looking after the 2 houses that we let, the 4 acres of land that we live on, servicing the web site, arranging accommodation, selling property (2 new bars sold recently, see below) & spending time with relatives and friends when we can.
There will be two new bars opening this year:
The Skala Wine Bar on Ploutarchou Street (the "Bar" street) where one can sample some fine wines and good champagne whilst listening to relaxing music that you can still converse over.
The Aphrodite Sports Bar which will be showing all the best European football and other sports and videos of classic games whilst you chill out with a selection of beers & cocktails. You can find it just off the main street of Papdiamanti opposite Dino's snack bar.
The web site is flourishing. More and more people are booking their accommodation through the Internet and the Hotel Direct booking service at:
http://skiathos-direct.com seems to be working particularly well.
You can now order your hire car or motor boat directly through our pages and we hope to expand this kind of facility more and more. See the business directory at: http://skiathosinfo.com/business/
Thanks to all of you who took part in the discussion pages http://skiathosinfo.com/discuss/, there has been lots of good feedback and interesting opinions there.
Well, I am about "typed out" so I will stop.
I hope that all of you will get to enjoy Skiathos again this year and if you cannot manage to make it, I hope this helps remind you of good times here.
Regards,
Geof.
Hello and welcome to the July Skiathos Newsletter.
We are now experiencing really nice "July weather" and have been for some days. By this I mean the temperatures are not crazy hot as they can get in June, the humidity is low and there is always a bit of breeze to make everything just right. We also get the odd cloud which is something special after weeks of non-stop blue sky.
In June, we always get some form of heat wave which lasts until a thunderstorm or strong north breeze blows it away. The humidity and temperature are often high and it is not pleasant if you have to work in it. Of course, if you are on holiday, its usually fine! I have greeted guests at the airport saying, "I'm sorry it's so hot" and they have said, "Yes, wonderful isn't it?" …… It all depends on your point of view.
We expect more or less the same sort of weather from now until the end of September when it will start to cool off a touch as we turn the corner towards autumn. Through October and November (and even into December) it will be sunny most days, the sea is still warm and it is perfect weather for walking over this beautiful island and experiencing it without the large amount of people that come in the height of summer.
There is plenty of accommodation with heating available and I think it is a shame that more people do not see Skiathos in her other aspects.
I have added a page of average air and sea temperatures (and rainy days) at: http://skiathosinfo.com/tour/temp.htm and you can see the "live" temperatures in Athens & Thessaloniki on the same page and on my home page.
Since the main street of Skiathos (Papadiamantis Street) has become a pedestrian area only, it has changed the nature of it for the better. The cafes, snack bars and bars have been able to put out chairs and tables and have given it an almost Parisian boulevard atmosphere. It is now a real pleasure to stroll down to the post office to check mail, or wander from one end to the other just "people watching" (a favourite hobby of mine).
There are plans to have a "Plateia" (square) at the top end of the street which will complete the change to a motor free environment for the whole length of it.
Of course, many people say it could have been done better, with a nicer style or with a more traditional look, but we must be grateful that it has happened at all. Like most local plans, it took many years more than was expected and was rapidly becoming another "Greek Myth".
Turning to Zorbathes, where we live, we still have some availability in our houses and can accept last minute bookings quite happily.
The Farmhouse is free from now until 21st July, from 31st July until 8th August and from 1st September onwards.
In the Barn we have availability from now until 12th July and from 1st September onwards.
For more information see: http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/zorbades.htm
For those of you who are interested in acquiring property here, I have added a page of information and things to watch out for at: http://skiathosinfo.com/property/choosing_property.htm
Don't forget that you can book your Skiathos Hotel accommodation directly on the Internet at: htpp://skiathos-direct.com
Last but not least, I would like to thank all the people who have posted messages, questions and answers on the discussion pages: http://skiathosinfo.com/discuss/
It is nice to see a healthy feedback from people who have enjoyed Skiathos and/or have had recommendations to make.
Well, that's it for now. As I look out of my "office" window, I can see orange, lemon and olive trees, all with young fruit on them, the grapes swelling on the vines and the plums already falling off the plum trees.
I wish you could all be here to share it with me.
Regards,
Geof.
August 2000
Well, better late than never!
August, as always, is a hectic time and in between sharing good times with friends and relatives, meeting and greeting our clients for the houses, taking people out sailing and showing potential clients plots of land or houses for sale, I haven't had much time to think about the newsletter.
I didn't even mention the time spent answering all the emails I receive but, apart from the odd really silly one, that is a pleasure.
I shall never mention weather again!! After confidently predicting that the worst of the heat was over in July's newsletter, we were hit with the hottest few days we have had in a long while. Still, if you are by the water and are sensible, everything is tolerable. We got our work done very early in the morning and late in the evening, watched the Wimbledon tennis and took lots of showers.
I thought that this month I would describe one of our favourite walks which we call "the full moon walk".
Starting at around 18:00 from the monastery of Evangelistra on the day after full moon, we take the old mule track up to the monastery of
Haralambos. All along this path are wonderful views of Skopelos and Alonnissos. After resting at Haralambos for 20 or so minutes, we follow the dirt road towards Agios
Apostolos. This passes through the plateau that is just below the highest point of Skiathos,
Karafiltzinaka, and is where several goat herders still live and tend their herds. As the road dips down towards Agios
Apostolos, views of the north side of Skiathos, Pelion and the mainland towards Parnassos open up and are really just fabulous. Following on, we arrive at Profitis Ilias and the taverna of Platanos around 20:30 to sit on their terrace with it's stunning views over Skiathos Town, the offshore islands and Skopelos. As we enjoy an ouzo, beer or wine and a snack or two, the moon appears over Skopelos. It is massive and red and quite overwhelming. As it rises in the sky, the moonlight is reflected off the sea over Arkos and Repi Islands and blends with the lights of Skiathos Town to make a light show that is unequalled. After watching this for quite a while, we say goodbye to our hosts and walk the last couple of kilometres back to Evangelstra Monastery and drive, weary but happy, back home.
We may offer this next year as one of Lida's walks as it is one that can be done even throughout the summer.
Web site news:
The Skiathos Direct hotel booking service: http://skiathos-direct.com has proved so successful that we have started a similar service for the Halkidiki area in northern Greece. At the moment we only have one hotel:
http://skiathosinfo.com/alexandros-village-hotel/ listed but many more are showing interest and by next year we will have a good selection of fine hotels in that area.
The property site: http://skiathosinfo.com/property/ is ever expanding and many more villas and pieces of land are available.
We still have some availability in our houses for September and October so, if you are thinking of taking a relaxing holiday in the autumn, drop me an email.
That's it for now. I hope you have enjoyed your time in Skiathos or will be enjoying it shortly.
For those of you looking at cloudy or rainy skies, remember this, "The sun is always shining behind the clouds."
Regards,
Geof.
Autumn 2000
It's autumn already and I don't know where the time went!
I have been meaning to get this newsletter out for the last couple of weeks but we have been as busy as we were in the middle of summer.
Lida is off doing her walks with "Solos", groups of single people that come every spring and autumn to walk and see the parts of Skiathos that most people don't get to.
Unfortunately part of our favourite walk, from Platanias Beach through to Kechria Beach has been badly burnt in a forest fire and is lost to us for several years. However, there are many other places of beauty and interest and she manges to easily fill 3 walks a week.
The weather was so hot and dry this summer that Skiathos became a tinderbox and we were lucky not to have had more fires than we did.
Happily for the island (but not for the visitors in the same period) we have had a few really good rains [ :o) ] since and all the fire danger is over. There have also been some very untypical cloudy days during September and October but fortunately, most afternoons the sun came out, and made it beach weather again…at least for a couple of hours.
Perfect walking weather though!
We pressed our grapes again this year and the harvest looks good. Of course you should never count your bottles until they have been tasted (although, the more we taste them, the harder it becomes to count them ;o)
Last year we had around 140 litres happily fermenting away and we were licking our chops and rubbing our hands in anticipation……but that was before our neighbours 2 pigs decided that they would have a "wine tasting".
What happened was that the pigs escaped and were obviously very thirsty.
They arrived on our lawn and were grubbing in the wettest part (where the sprinkler overlaps) when one of them discovered the wine fermenting on the patio and managed to put a neat hole in one of our 25 litre demi-johns with its snout.
Lida arrived home some time later to find 2 completely sozzled pigs lying on the doorstep!
She managed to drive them up the hill to one of our neighbours (with the greatest of difficulty, they were stumbling around all over the place) and shut them in his courtyard.
I arrived shortly after and asked what had happened as it was obvious via our "pig aerated" lawn that something was out of the ordinary.
Lida explained and I then realised that the pigs belonged not to the neighbour above, but to another neighbour further down the valley.
Up we trudged and tried to move the pigs out of the courtyard and down the hill before he came home and discovered them. They were, by this time, suffering severely from the effects of some 20 odd litres of very young wine and were most reluctant to move anywhere. After chasing them round in circles for half a hour, we finally managed to get them going in the rough direction of our lower neighbour and then sat back exhausted from our efforts.
We informed him what had happened and he found the them next day still crashed out under some bushes (presumably with the porker equivalent of a huge hangover!).
We will be keeping our demi-johns in a safer place this year. In fact, I was thinking of drinking it all now to prevent any pig-napping but, remembering the state those pigs were in, I have refrained!
We are definitely coming to the end of the season and the cloudy weather has accelerated the effect. Many of the outside tavernas are shutting down and the beach umbrellas are being slowly gathered in.
I must say that I a looking forward to the peace of winter and getting on with updating the web site and starting a few new projects.
On one of the new web sites we will be offering select, exclusive accommodation in Skiathos, Skopelos, Pelion and Switzerland with possibilities for yacht chartering, diving, sailing, walking, skiing or, of course, just relaxing in a wonderful place.
The site is not fully completed yet except for our ski chalet page: http://hidden-valleys.com/switzerland/ovronnaz.htm where you can stay in a small, private, catered chalet with ski guiding. This holiday is specifically tailored for those who are "over 40 and want to improve their skiing".
We will also be adding a new "wing" to our Barn: http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/zorbades.htm which will add a master bedroom, a small bedroom and a proper bathroom with a bath. Outside we will extend the patio area and add terraces with rock walls and Pelion stone to bring the whole building up to the same standard as the Farmhouse.
It's going to be a busy winter but an interesting one.
Well I hope that some of you (if not all of you) will be able to come and share this wonderful island with us again next year.
Keep checking the website and if any of you has some advice or feedback, you can email me or, if it would benefit all & sundry, post a message on the discussion board at: http://skiathosinfo.com/discuss/
Please find enclosed a ray of sunshine bouncing off a blue Aegean sea.
Regards,
Geof.
Hello and welcome to the Christmas 2000 Skiathos newsletter,
I have made it a web page this time because I wished to include some images.
Please click here http://skiathosinfo.com/christmas2000.htm to go to the web page.
Regards,
Geof.
Hello and welcome to the Spring Skiathos newsletter.
As usual, it is later than intended but, believe it or not, I plead pressure of work!
In fact it was hearing the first nightingale singing in our valley and sighting the first hare on the road at night 2 days ago that reminded me that I must get this together.
I had just returned from a trip to Thessaloniki (half business, all pleasure) and the mainland was stunning. Everything was green with newly sown crops and in between were swathes of white and pink from the blossoms of the almond trees. In the hedgerows, wild flowers were adding other dashes of colour and I was reminded of pictures I had seen in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam this winter.
I was in Thessaloniki to help promote 2 new websites which I am starting with a friend: http://thessaloniki-info.com and http://halkidiki-info.com. They will give lots of information about the areas (rather like http://skiathosinfo.com) and will offer accommodation at some of the better hotels in these regions. These hotels are open all year round as there are many things to do and see in the area.
On my way back, I stopped at Neos Panteleimonas under Mount Olympos to see Stelios and Claudia who run the Olympic Wings adventure holiday centre. http://hidden-valleys.com/olympos/olympicwings.htm
Unfortunately I had only 2 hours to talk with them before I had to continue my journey to Volos. However, it was well worth while and we may be trying to offer some combined holidays with a week at their centre and a week in Skiathos sometime in the future.
Upon arrival in Volos, I found that the hydrofoil for Skiathos was full to brimming so I took the opportunity to spend a night at Villa Horizonte on Pelion (http://hidden-valleys.com/pelion/villa-horizonte.htm) with my good friends Ingrid and Wolf. Their hospitality was, as usual, wonderful and they brought me back to Volos the following day to catch the next hydrofoil.
Well, back in Skiathos at last.
Were you beginning to wonder if I was going to mention Skiathos at all? ;o)
The village is perking up and if you move too slowly you will be painted white by old men & women wielding white-wash brushes as the town prepares itself for Easter and the beginning of the season.
The new paving stones of Papadiamantis Street have been extended to the side streets and the town is staring to look really nice. Having no traffic on Papadiamantis Street has been wonderful but you have to watch out for the cars and mopeds crossing it (sometimes at great speed) as they go from one side of town to the other.
Property sales are going well and look to get better as the Greek government is threatening to raise the tax rating on all property in the next couple of years. This means that prices will inevitably rise but not for a while, so now is a good time to invest. There are 2 villas on the market with both owners keen to sell, so, if you are looking for a nice place on Skiathos, email me at property@skiathosinfo.com
As previous readers of this newsletter will know, I am keen to promote a decent flight only service to Skiathos at reasonable prices so that people can choose their own accommodation (e.g. our houses in Zorbathes: http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/zorbades.htm) and not be tied to what the Tour Operators are offering.
I have recently been contacted by someone who wishes to set up this kind of service, if not this year then next, and I hope to work together with him to promote what I think will be a very good step for Skiathos. A web page has been set up with a feedback form to get people's opinions on such a service and I hope that many of you will go to it and give us the benefit of your thoughts on the subject. You can access the form at: http://www.wardington.com
Well, I think that's it for now. We are looking forward to Easter and the return of many friends who have villas here and also our youngest daughter will be here for the holiday :o)
The weather has been warm and sunny (we could have used more rain but, what can you do?) and we are busy trying to get the gardens in shape.
This time I would like to leave you with the sound of the bees humming in the almond, plum and peach trees, as they gather their harvest and produce ours at the same time.
Regards,
Geof.
Hello and welcome to the June Skiathos Newsletter.
As I look out of my "office" window I see clear blue skies, the lushness of our lawns and flowering shrubs and the pine trees being ruffled by a delicious cooling breeze.
We had a funny old May with quite cool to almost cold temperatures (especially at night) and a lot of visitors didn't get as much sun tan as they would have liked. Even now, in June, the evening temperatures are a little lower than average. Of course, I love this and would be quite happy if we didn't have the (now annual) heat wave.
If the winds continue to blow and keep everything to a perfect 25 to 30 degrees and around 45% humidity, you will not find me complaining.
When I refer to my "office", it is just a small room in our house where I keep the computers, telephones, etc. and stay connected to the parts of the "real" world "out there". The Internet has allowed me to live in (what I consider) the most beautiful place in the world and be able to access all that I find good outside Skiathos and (virtually) ignore everything that I don't like. It has also allowed me to build my web site and communicate with many other people who share my love for Skiathos.
And what's going on in Skiathos at the moment?
Well, the council have put new tarmac and a pavement (!) on the road to the airport. Not before time as most peoples first impression of Skiathos was potholes and mad taxi drivers. At least we have gotten rid of some of the potholes ;o)
Of course we all drove around for a few days with tar dripping off the bottom of our cars but, "Hey! That's progress for you".
Papadiamantis Street now has flower beds on each side of the central access road area, narrowing down what was, last year, a nice broad boulevard. I suppose they will look better in a few years time when the trees that have been planted in them reach a decent height but, for now, I see them as things to trip over when the street is busy at night. I hope I am wrong.
The local council has promised me the cultural events program but it is still not quite ready they tell me and I am getting fed up with asking. I will put it up on the site as soon as I have it.
An alternative event planned for sometime in September is a live stage performance of "Shirley Valentine" behind the Achladies Beach.
I hope to have more details for the next newsletter. Meanwhile, if you are interested, contact Audrey and Brian Hall at OldPinfold@aol.com who are organising this.
We have been out sailing a few times (not as many as I would like) but still haven't made it over to Panormos on Skopelos yet. This is one of my favourite sails ending up in a stunningly beautiful bay for lunch.
An excellent read is Michael Carroll's "Gates of the Wind" which describes Panormos Bay and Skopelos before the real advent of tourism and gives a wonderful feel for the island people.
I read it about once a year to remind myself of what things were like when I first came and why I stayed.
It was my privilege to run into the author at the Skiathos airport last year and to exchange a few words with him.
We are planning another "moonlight walk" on July 6th (one day after full moon) when we go from Evangelistra Monastery to Haralambos Monastery, across the plateau of Karafiltzanaka, around the high point of Skiathos called Mount Mitikas and down to the Platanos Taverna at Profitis Ilias. Here we sit for a meal while the moon rises over Skopelos. Finally we stroll back downhill to Evangelistra Monastery and drive home.
This walk encompasses some of the best views of the island as well as some of the nicest spots and we look forward to it with great anticipation.
We have good friends arriving from the US at the beginning of July who will be staying at our houses.
Our bookings are slowly picking up but we still have many gaps so if you are looking for a truly relaxing holiday with real peace and quiet, check out our houses at http//skiathosinfo.com/accomm/zorbades.htm
There are new photos of the Barn with its extension and vastly improved patio area.
That's it for now, I leave you with the sound of the cicadas buzzing in the trees and the gentle lap of the water on the soft sand's edge.
Regards,
Geof.
Hello and welcome to the August Skiathos Newsletter.
You are receiving this because you either subscribed to it, came sailing or walking with us, stayed in one of our houses, signed our guest book or simply sent me an email enquiry. There are now well over 3,000 of you and the list is growing…
"Today Skiathos, tomorrow the world" ;o)
Well, August has just been unbelievably busy. What with meeting our clients and settling them in to our houses, quite a lot of sailing trips in our catamaran, relatives and friends staying, showing potential purchasers plots of land and villas, and a couple of hours every morning answering emails, Lida and I are happy when we get an hour or two together somewhere to just sit and relax.
Given the chance, towards the evening, we sneak off to some beach taverna on a relatively peaceful beach (like Elias Beach, Hidden Beach or even Tsoungria Island) and watch the sun go down with an ouzo and a nice fish meze. We even attempted to stay overnight on the catamaran at Tsoungria but got little sleep as we were nervous about the anchor holding, the wind getting up or all the disasters that the human imagination can conjure. As it was, the boat was rock solid and we could have slept in total relaxation. Next time perhaps ;o)
The weather has been generally pretty bloody hot (even the cicadas are mopping their brows!) but we did have a wonderful thunderstorm (all night long!) a couple of weeks ago with a really good downpour that freshened the island up and minimized (for a few days at least) the danger of fires.
The lightening was spectacular and the thunder kept receding and then returning as the storm seemed to like Skiathos as much as most people do!
Some travel news Minoan Flying Dolphins have finally got a reasonably efficient web site at http//www.dolphins.gr/english/index.stm You can check the schedules and are given a telephone number to phone where, in theory, can reserve tickets using your credit card. It would be interesting to know if this actually works so, if anyone has any experience with this, let me know.
A good friend of mine had an interesting experience trying to reserve tickets with Minoan before this web site was set up and I quote his email to me
"I tried to book my trip by fax. It is impossible to reach them by
phone. I had no reaction on my first fax so I sent a reminder a week later.
I wrote on the reminder that it was a repeat of an earlier fax. Today I had
two bookings confirmed by fax with two different booking numbers referring
to each of my faxes by two different people in the same office using the
same fax machine.... If I now ask them to cancel one, two new people will
cancel one each and I will have to swim to Skiathos having hitchhiked to
Agios Konstantinos. I am prepared to do anything to get there!"
Such are the trials of traveling in Greece, always moderated by the fact that it is so worthwhile when you (finally) get here.
For a listing of car ferry and hydrofoil services throughout Greece, go to
http//www.gtpnet.com/topeng.asp
You will have to sign up for this service but it is free.
Cultural events
It has been almost impossible to get any correct information about the events at the Bourtzi this year and I have been reduced to telling people to go to the booth in between the harbour and the Bourtzi where Vasilis will at least tell you what is on that particular evening.
What is definitely happening elsewhere in Skiathos is several performances of "Shirley Valentine" throughout September. Here is some information from the people who are organizing and performing this
'Shirley Valentine' will be performed on each Sunday evening at 8.30.pm from
9th September to 30th September 2001. The venue is Maniatis Garden, next to
the Esperides Hotel on Achladies Bay. No 10 Bus stop or the local ferry boat
from Skiathos old harbour is the cheapest way to get there, but a taxi is not
expensive.
We have been to Skiathos numerous times and wanted to 'give something back'
as it were, so the performances are free, but collections for local Skiathos
charities are going to be taken during the interval and after each
performance. You would pay at least £5 each in the UK so we are hoping that
people will be generous.
Audrey is 'Shirley' and we have already done the play in England (raising
£4000 for the local hospice). Brian is doing everything else and we mean
EVERYTHING so any help from anyone on Front of House or something else would
be gratefully received. We should be around the venue most days throughout
As already proven giving out our e-mail address is really helpful to all
concerned, so please feel free.
Audrey and Brian (Hall) OldPinfold@aol.com
Well, I am certainly looking forward to that.
They have managed to find quite a lot of sponsorship from tour operators and others and I am proud to have been given a mention (or at least the web site has) although all I have offered has been encouragement.
This weekend is the start of the great exodus and at the harbour can be heard the honking of horns and raised voices as the Greeks and Italians all try to get on the same ferry at once. There is definitely a Jacques Tati movie to be made there every year ;o)
We will be glad to see the amount of people diminish to more normal amounts in September and look forward to the "golden month" when the sea is still warm, the beaches are less busy, the sun less strong and the locals more relaxed as they have at least earned some money in August and everything from here in is gravy.
Why not come and enjoy it with us……..we still have some availability in our houses in Zorbathes http//skiathosinfo.com/accomm/zorbades.htm
OK. That's it for this month. I hope all of you who made it so far this year had a great holiday and those of you who are coming will have a good one too.
I am looking forward to mine in rainy London and Amsterdam in January!
Regards,
Geof.
Hello and welcome to the Skiathos Autumn Newsletter.
It has finally started raining after almost 7 months of nothing but the odd thunder shower. Skiathos was becoming parched and I was spending 2 or more hours watering every morning just trying to keep our lawns, trees and flower borders alive. It is a great relief to see the rain even though I know that I will be fed up with it very soon. The last 2 winters were comparatively dry and over the last 10 to 15 years, we have definitely been getting less rainfall than we used to. The stream bed that runs through our valley (and helps to keep it so green) now only runs whilst it is raining. When I first came to Skiathos, it used to run until June and sometimes even July. We had pools of water that were full all year long and had terrapins and (I am told) even fish in them. These have all dried up and the terrapins disappeared long ago (more's the pity). During the summer months, we often find ourselves wishing for rain whilst all the visitors to the island are praying for none! However, without lots of good rain, this island would not be the green haven that it is. A good snow also helps (oh yes, we DO get snow sometimes) as the melt water almost all goes into the ground whereas a terrific downpour will often run off into the sea particularly after a long dry period.
Enough of the weather. Skiathos has gone into "winter mode" with all the shops and tavernas outside the village (bar a couple) shut until next season. The buses, which ran every 15 minutes in the summer, now go only 5 times per day and the schedule is cunningly worked out to be of no use to anybody.
The local people are sitting around in the kafenions, relaxing, drinking & swapping stories of the season just gone and telling each other how badly they did (in case the taxman is listening ;o). We are all wondering how the season will be next year and hoping that the terrorist madness (and the reactions to it) will not have too great an affect on people's wishes to come to a place where they can truly relax and "get away from it all".
We took Merlin, our catamaran, out of the water last weekend after a farewell trip to Tsoungria Island and a last picnic on the beach there. Hauling the boat out is always a sad event as it is the definitive end to the summer fun. We are winterising our houses, taking down the mosquito screens and putting up shutters and weatherproofing.
The oranges on our trees are ripening and, although they are not so big this year due to lack of rain, they will make us plenty of good marmalade.
We picked and pressed the grapes and hope for a decent wine though, again, there were far less than normal. I hope this years will be better than last years. That never matured properly as I had picked the grapes a little too early and the wine remained just too sour to be pleasurable. We live in eternal hope!
For the rest, I am looking forward to updating the web site and I have started to write a book about my experiences here, especially during the early years in the 70's when there was virtually no tourism in Skiathos and we lived a "back to the land" type lifestyle. I will let you know when (if) it is finished.
Lastly, a couple of statistics. So far this year, I have answered 3,575 emails from people making enquiries about Skiathos. That is, on average, 12 per day. This is up 12% on last year and, although the emails are now slowing down, there will be a lot more before the end of the year.
OK. That's it. I will leave you with the smell of the rain washing the summer's dust off the island and the sounds of the birds celebrating in the trees.
Regards,
Geof.
Hello and welcome to the Skiathos Christmas 2001 newsletter.
Firstly, I would like to wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a happy and healthy new year. We are looking forward to having our daughters back with us and to the parties and gatherings that will happen over the next few weeks. The Greek holiday season tends to stretch from around the Friday before Christmas (in this case the 21st) until after Aghios Yiannis on the 7th January. This is the best part of three weeks and, if you need to get any official paperwork done in this time, forget it! Apart from the usual holidays of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve & New Year's Day (when traditionally presents are given), there is "Ta Fota" on the 6th January when the waters are blessed for the coming year. The service starts at the church and the congregation then wends its way down to the port where the liturgy continues. A cross is thrown into the sea at the end of the service and local youngsters dive in to retrieve it. Traditionally, the weather is good on this day but it can be cold, and the divers smear themselves with olive oil to keep themselves warm whilst the priests drone interminably on. Encouraging shouts of, "Throw the cross Papa, throw the damn thing!" can be heard from the crowd which usually comprises most of the residents of the island. A lot of pushing and shoving goes on to get the best view and some unchristian words can be exchanged at times. Once the cross has been retrieved, everyone wishes everyone else "Chronia Polla" ("Many years" or "A long life") and retire to the cafes and ouzerias to enjoy ouzo or tsiporo and snacks. The next day is the name day of all the Yiannis (and there are a lot of Yiannis and their relatives) so not much gets done then either. After this, life returns to normal, and most everybody goes into winter hibernation. There will be no celebrations until the Carnival season starts and this will be late next year as Greek Easter Sunday will be on 5th May. For those of you who have never experienced a Greek Easter, this is a good opportunity to do so as the charter flights will be starting before this date. Easter is the big happening of the year and, although it is unfortunately becoming commercialised like so much of our lives, it is still a wonderful event to participate in. If I can help anyone with arranging accommodation for this time, just send me an email. Regarding weather….I shall never, ever, ever, complain of lack of rain again (well, at least, not until next summer). We had over 35 centimetres in 3 days in November and as I write this, we are into our 15th day of rain with hardly a break. We had the driest and warmest September & October since records began and were desperately praying for rain. Now, I am desperately praying for a glimpse of sun, just to remember what it looked like! The streambeds are up again and we shall not be going anywhere for the next couple of days. Thank goodness I have access to the Internet to keep me from going crazy! Shipping has often been cancelled, sometimes for many days in a row, and has upset the whole rhythm of the island. People are often finding themselves on the wrong side of the water, stuck in Volos or Athens trying to get to Skiathos, or trying to get off Skiathos to catch a flight or get home. I have also been working on my book about my early experiences here and that gains many pages on these wet days. Otherwise, it goes in fits and starts and I find that my memory is full of holes. Luckily Lida remembers many things that I don't and I have been in contact with old friends again to check some details. It has been nice getting in touch with people again and, even if the book comes to nothing, at least it has stimulated these contacts. A footnote to the Shirley Valentine performances last September. There were 4 performances altogether and were thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. Over 600 GB Pounds was raised and split between the International Women's Group of Skiathos charity fund, and the Skiathos Friends of the Animals dog shelter. There is a web page about the Dog shelter at: http://skiathosinfo.com/sfa.htm. Unfortunately I haven't updated it recently, but it does give the number of the charity if anyone feels like supporting this good cause. I have put a web page up with this year's Christmas carol at http://skiathosinfo.com/The 12th day of Christmas.htm but this is a slight variation on the usual story and does contain strong language, so only read it if you don't mind four letter words.
Most of the mainland is covered in snow (only the warmth of the sea is keeping us snow free so far) so maybe we will get a white Christmas. I'll leave you with the (potential) sound of welly boots crunching into virgin snow.
Regards,
Geof.
Hello & welcome to the March Skiathos Newsletter.
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You are receiving this because you subscribed to it, came sailing or walking with us, stayed in one of our houses, signed our guest book or simply sent an email or enquiry to one of my many sites. To be removed :o( go to <http://skiathosinfo.com/newsletter.htm> and follow the instructions.
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As I look out of the kitchen window I see the pink blossoms of the peach tree and behind that the blossoms of our small almond tree and behind that the white of one of our massive old plum trees. Against the slow greening up of the land it is quite a sight. The old plum tree produces lots of plums but they are not really great and don't get ripe until latish September. It is fun to see passers by picking a plum in summer, try it, and then spit it out with distaste! The plums don't even make a very good jam but, as I look at the thick blossom now, I am reminded of why we keep it. We have had an amazing February, just one day of rain and for the rest, sunny & warm (to hot) days. Mind you, we needed it after the snows of December and January. We certainly got our white Christmas but I think most of us would have been happier without it. The snow started on the Monday before Christmas around lunchtime and by Tuesday evening we were looking at 1 metre of the heaviest, iciest snow I have ever seen. Trees, electric cables & telephone lines were all knocked down and two parts of the main road were damaged badly. Half of the road, at Maratha, disappeared entirely! The olives suffered tremendously but will recover now that they have had all the broken wood cut away but many pine trees were uprooted or so damaged that I doubt if they will survive. The local council is still busy trying to clean up the mess along the roads and may be finished before the season starts but nobody will clean up inside the forests, as there just isn't the will, the money or the manpower. I guess nature will have to take care of it. I had to get to town on the Wednesday, as there was a real estate contract to be signed. It involved the purchaser of the land, my daughter's man & myself trudging through 4 kilometres of hip deep snow until we reached the main road that had been partially cleared. Luckily, the snow packed down under our boots and we only had to lift our feet a mere 50 or 60 centimetres or so every step. That was quite a trip! I have scanned in some photos of the snowy scenes and you can see them at: <http://skiathosinfo.com/wintersports.htm> We had barely recovered from this snow, when another lot hit. This was the one that you probably saw on your TV's as Athens ground to a halt and everything there was chaos. We were by then quite used to snow and the island reacted quickly and efficiently, but we could have done without it. Our electricity came back after a few days but I was without telephone communication for 4 weeks!!! For an Internet user and email junky like myself, this was purgatory! When I finally could log on, there were over 500 emails to answer. I must admit that I ignored some, as I just didn't have the puff to answer the ones that asked for information that was already on the web site.
I have been extremely busy. The demand for land and villas is rising all the time and my biggest problem now is to find sufficient properties to fulfil the need. However, as the locals have now realised that I am in the business of selling property, more and more are letting me know of plots, villas and houses. I had expected the winter to be as quiet as it always was, but things have changed. More people are coming out of the season and enjoying the peace and quiet of an uncrowded Skiathos and many more people are living here full time, which makes for a great winter mix of interesting faces. Most of us end up in one of the plastic tents set up on the waterfront outside a caf? for a mid day coffee or beer and a chat. I get quite a bit of my work done there meeting or phoning clients and friends jokingly refer to it as my “office”. For the rest, Skiathos is quiet and the rush to get ready for the season hasn't yet started. We are looking forward to “Kathero Lephtera” (Clean Monday) at the beginning of Lent when we shall all end up on one beach or another, flying kites and having seafood picnics. Greek Easter will be very late this year; the 5th of May is Easter Sunday and the charter flights will already be flying so, if you have the time, try to be here for the best Greek celebration of the year. Many of the locals are asking me if we are going to have a good season or a bad one. They now know that the web site is a fair bellwether of the interest in the island and, as far as I can see, everything looks like another good year coming up. The tour operators have been saying that, due to 11th September, bookings are going to be down so they cannot pay as much this year to the locals letting accommodation but, at the same time, it seems that more charter planes will be arriving this summer. So, it looks as though they are just playing both ends against the middle for the own extra profit. Come independently and support the Skiathos economy, not the fat cat tour operators who leave very little money on the island. Olympic is providing (again) a minimal service starting from the end of March and you can see their schedule if you follow the links at: <http://skiathosinfo.com/flights.htm>. You will also find lots of links to travel agents and other companies offering flight only seats to Skiathos. A good way to get from the UK to Skiathos is to fly with easyJet and then Olympic. Olympic themselves may be offering good deals from Gatwick or Manchester all the way through to the island. Worth checking out. Finally, a plug for our own accommodation in Zorbathes Valley: <http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/zorbades.htm>. You will not have a more relaxing and peaceful holiday than in one of our houses here. I guarantee it!
Well, that's it for now. I hope to see many of you again this year and the island hopes to see the rest. If you listen closely, you may hear the first nightingale trilling in the background!
Regards,
Geof.
The July 2002 Newsletter:
I must apologise for the large gap between my previous newsletter and this one. I have really just been too busy to get it together…..but now you are for it!
It's 06:30 in the morning and I've been up for ? of an hour, getting the lawns and flowers beds watered and feeding our 2 cats (who would tear me limb from limb if the food is not in their bowls by 07:00 at the latest). It is a lovely time of day, everything looks so much greener in the morning light and the temperature is so nice and cool. The cicadas haven't yet woken up but the birds are already singing to each other (or nagging at their babies to get out of the nests and start looking after themselves).
Today, I am off all day with my catamaran. Either to Skopelos or Pelion depending on which way (and how strong) the wind is blowing. I have 2 couples and one of each couple has their birthday today so we shall try and do something a little special. I look forward so much to these sailing trips as they are such a relaxing day. I can forget about the property business, the web site, looking after building sites and all the other things I do in a “normal” day, and just use the natural elements to get from Skiathos to a good beach and taverna and back again with some interesting company. We have been doing fewer and fewer catamaran trips and I don't really know why. Are people less adventurous than they used to be, are we getting too many of the “lie next to the pool at the hotel/apartment and never experience the island” type of people or is it that there are now so many yachts in the harbour offering a similar kind of thing? Anyway, I am happy whenever we have some clients as, otherwise, we tend to put off going out ourselves until “tomorrow” and, as we all know, tomorrow never comes.
I have probably taken on a little too much work and seem to spend too much of my time running from appointment to appointment, to building sites and to the airport and not enough time enjoying the beauty and peace of this island. On the other hand, life is really interesting at the moment and I am facing challenges that still stretch me at the venerable old age of ?? (Emails with estimates of my age to: <mailto:decrepit@skiathosinfo.com> please).
I still remember traveling form town to Troulos by mule when the estimate of time and distance was measured by the company you had or, if you were alone, by how many cigarettes you would smoke. “How far is Kechria?” “About 3 cigarettes.” In those days, the mules, horses and donkeys outnumbered the cars and were often quite reluctant to give way! Now there are only a few old boys riding animals and both species are dying out rapidly. Although the pace of life in Greece is still much slower than the business driven frenzy in Northern Europe, I still have the feeling that we have lost something on the way. Although most Skiathitees have a pretty good standard of living now, they were happier when they had much less things and much more time.
The island is a bit quieter this year. The tour operators estimate that, overall, bookings are down 10% and that is certainly the feeling we have here. I must say, I don't mind too much; the roads are a little less busy and business owners have a little more time to chat (although mostly they are complaining that tourism is down this year!). However, we will see what happens in July and August when, traditionally, the Italians and mainland Greeks invade the islands for some pillaging and raping. I think it will be the usual madness. Thank God for the peace and quiet of Zorbathes Valley where we live.
Just a note on crash helmets and seat belts. Although, in Greece just like the rest of Europe, it has been law to wear seat belts in cars and crash helmets on mopeds and motorbikes, this was never enforced in Skiathos before. Well, now it is being enforced and the police were (and still are) on the road often (except for long coffee breaks and even longer lunch hours) and they harvested a fine crop of fines (for the police benevolent association) before locals and tourists alike got the message. You have been warned!
I have just received an email from Audrey & Brian Hall who so successfully produced and performed "Shirley Valentine" last year in Skiathos. They are planning more entertainment for us culture-starved inhabitants and guests. Here are the details:
We are delighted to tell you that once again we are going to present theatre in Skiathos in September, again for charity.
This year it is 'Her Big Chance' an hour long piece from Talking Heads by Alan Bennett.
We have arranged to present this at the Hotel Esperides at Achladias Bay. The dates are 8th. 15th. 22nd. 29th of Sept and the 6th October. All are Sunday evenings and will start at 10.p.m. when they have cleared dinner. We have been led to understand that all will be welcome (not only their hotel guests).
Audrey & Brian.
Oh dear! A week has passed since I started writing this and I haven't yet sent it off. I had better do it now or it will turn out to be the autumn newsletter.
Regards,
Geof.
Hello & welcome to the Autumn Skiathos newsletter.
Once again my apologies for taking so long to get this written but I have been so busy with various building projects and property contracts that the web site and the newsletter have been slightly neglected of late.
Today was Election Day throughout Greece for municipal and provincial elections and over the last 2 weeks Skiathos became a hotbed of political debate. In shops and cafes, tourists were served without the usual pleasantries as opinions of who should be elected (or buried) were bandied back & forth with great gusto. The Greeks love a drama and an election is always something to get one's teeth into!
We had 3 candidates for mayor:
The incumbent, a right winger and local doctor who has been in for 12 years already. His brother was mayor, his father was mayor and his grandfather was mayor (are we talking dynasty here or am I just being paranoid?) He has done a lot for his ego (and some say his pocket?) in the last 12 years but not much for the island (witness the state of the roads & the rubbish situation).
His main opposition comes from another right winger (maybe even more to the right as he would probably like to bring back the royal family to Greece) who is so fond of his own voice that he barely listens to anyone else's.
Thirdly is a loose coalition of the left led by a lady who has been a councillor for quite a few years. She is not my favourite person but is backed by some good people with common sense who might make some changes for the better and do profess to be thinking of the island's future rather than their own self interests…….we shall see.
Guess where my vote went. We may have the result by the time this goes out so…….
Re politics, I have posted a web page: <http://skiathosinfo.com/terrorism.htm> with a couple of cartoons culled from Greek newspapers (and translated) so you can get a Greek slant on world politics.
The weather this year has been the most unusual in my 30 years here. We had some fantastic thunderstorms (including one today just after Lida & I had cast our votes…was this a sign?!!!) with some remarkable displays of lightening and torrential downpours. The problem has been that they didn't last for just a few hours or a day as is normal but went on for many days and, in August and September, for a couple of weeks! There were some rather pissed off tourists especially as the weather in northern Europe was apparently very good during the same periods. Our streambeds have now been running since August and we have never seen them run except in winter and early spring. Still, we can't control the weather, which is a good thing as it would probably be just something else to fight about.
The island is slowly settling towards “winter mode” and many shops and businesses are already closed even though there are still tourists around. It has not been a good year for Skiathos, but also not for Greece and tourism elsewhere in general. Probably a combination of factors contributed, the economic situation, the advent of the Euro (which I am sad to say the Greeks thoroughly took advantage of to rise prices), the nervousness following the events of September 2002 and the growling of warmongers. Still, I am looking forward to sharing some good times with friends who I barely see all summer, perhaps playing a little (gentle) tennis again and getting some good bridge games in (I play regularly with a Frenchman, a lady from South Africa and an American lady which gives our evenings a nice international flavour). Although we are quite serious about our bridge, the 4 of us have quite sharp and witty senses of humour so I will often return home from an evening's bridge with a jaw aching from too much laughter.
We have various building projects in the pipeline to enhance and improve our accommodation in Zorbathes and I have taken on the overseeing of some building sites and a swimming pool project. With all that and updating the web site I don't think that I will be hanging around on street corners much ;o)
I always try to leave you with some “feel” of Skiathos and this time it has to be GREEN! The island is just covered in greenery and heather like no other year in our memories, so with my trouser legs wet from treading through dewy grass, I will leave you until the next time.
Peace,
Geof.
Hello & welcome to the Christmas 2002 Skiathos Newsletter.
We had a glorious autumn with warm sunny days and mild winds from the south. Many more days than normal were spent having lunch on our new terrace that looks down the valley of Zorbathes and sometimes we were tempted to get back to the summer mode of T-shirt, shorts and sandals. Of course, it couldn't last forever and 2 weeks ago the rain came in with a vengeance. In the last 15 days it hardly stopped raining and twice, the day's rain exceeded the monthly average. Our streambeds became rivers and only 4WD vehicles with a high chassis could get through them.
I am overseeing the building of several houses for people that bought land through my services and wish to have someone here to make sure that things happen on time and according to plan. A near impossible task in Greece, of course ;o). Up until the rains set in, everything was going swimmingly (sic) but virtually nothing has happened in the last 2 weeks. As we are now going into the Greek “holiday season” which lasts from 23rd December to 8th January, not much more is likely to happen for a while!
The exception to the above was the guys working for a swimming pool company from Athens. We are building a pool for Dutch friends who bought a villa here and they worked every day regardless of the weather. Some days they had to construct a plastic “tent” over the pool so that they could work on and then the wind came roaring through to fling the tent away! However, nothing seemed to deter them and I am sure that the fact that they wished to finish before Christmas and get back to their families in Athens has been a great spur. It will be interesting to see how the pool looks at the end of the day. We had to make large rearrangements to the villa to get it in exactly the right place and I have been attaching photos of destruction to the owner's emails for quite some time. Now they are getting the photos of the pool and they can finally see some positive action. This pool will use an ingenious new system of water treatment that makes the water absolutely sweet, clean enough to drink, using no chlorine or salt. It sounds like heaven and I am curious to see how this feels. The system, although not cheap, is easy to install on older pools, so maybe we will all be able to benefit from it sometime in the future.
On the waterfront, there are now 5 cafes and ouzerias that have enclosed their outside areas in plastic tents (that resemble intensive care units) and it is pleasant to sit “outside” inside (or vice versa) and drink a coffee or consume an ouzo with a snack and still see the sea and fishing boats bobbing up and down in the harbour. Anytime from 10:00 onwards you can usually find some good company to sit and chat with and catch up with residents who have been here all year but have been too busy during the season to exchange more than a nod and a quick, “see you in the winter”. The season is mulled over, plans for the following year are discussed, and those that are building vent their frustration (and then bury it with ouzo and a shrug) as the rain runs down the side of the tents.
For the rest, not much has happened in Skiathos. After the frenzy of the election (when the incumbent got in for another 4 years) everyone seems to just want to wind down and relax. However, we attended a council meeting last week when sparks were flying between the mayor and the new leader of the opposition and it seems like we are in for “interesting” times. It will be good for the island to have some other voices raised about the issues that affect our lives (and the lives of all who come to enjoy Skiathos' beauty).
On our land, we have been pruning the olive trees and cultivating under them. The olive harvest was poor this year (as last winters snow had broken so many branches) but we still managed to gather enough to make oil for a while. If we don't get a crop next year (they fruit every two years as a rule) we shall have to BUY oil. It will be the first time for many years and will surely not taste as good as our own (psychologically if not in reality). We chopped down a big old plum tree that had come to the end of its days and split it up for firewood. It has left a “hole” in our landscape but the wood burns beautifully and we shall appreciate it (in our fireplace) to the last.
Both our daughters have come back for Christmas. Although they are now both grown up and away from home, we shall try to hold to the tradition of Christmas together for as long as possible. They both love Skiathos, having been born here in Greece and lived on the island for most of their lives, but whether they will be able to live here in the future is another matter. Apart from tourism and the building industry, there is not much for them to do and they both have ambitions beyond that. Maybe teleworking and the Internet will provide them with the opportunity to live in this most beautiful of places whilst still being able to use their capabilities to the full. I remain, as ever, hopeful.
Well, that's it for now. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year and, above all, a peaceful 2003.
Regards,
Geof.
Hello and welcome to the spring Skiathos newsletter.
Well, I know many of you have been waiting for this Spring Newsletter for some time but I was waiting until spring decided to appear. At last it has sprung (although today it is raining again!). After a long winter of bitter winds and much rain (and when it wasn't raining, it was trying to snow!) we have finally had a week of beautiful, sunny weather. The whole island has stirred out of its somnolence and is busy airing accommodation, preparing shops and businesses, cultivating bits of land for a garden and getting around to all the things that we have put off all winter. Everybody is painting, scrubbing, cleaning but most of all, smiling, as the sunny weather brings out the best in us all. Fruit trees are blossoming and you can feel the wild flowers just straining to come out of the ground and burst into colour. Greece has more varieties of wild flowers than all the rest of Europe put together and (although we only see a small percentage of this) it certainly feels like it in April and May.
We have tried to go for a good long walk at least every Sunday as the encroachments of age add to the waistline and slow down the energy. Determined that I shall not turn into a couch (or computer) potato, Lida drags me off for walks around the Kalamaki Peninsular or across the island to Kechria Beach and the Monastery. I must admit it is no hardship as these walks always remind me of exactly why I love living here. The streambed at Kechria has more water in it than we have ever seen and there are real waterfalls and spray here and there. Coming back through the Mandraki woods last Sunday, I was struck (yet again) by the fact that the only noises we could hear were our footsteps crunching through the pine needles, the sighing of the breeze in the trees and the singing of the birds who are also celebrating spring. Not an engine, siren or any other human generated cacophony to be heard.
Of course the war in Iraq is on everybody's minds. I feel upset for all the good Americans (among whom are many of our friends) who will have to deal with the fact that their administration has squandered decades of goodwill by their hasty, ill thought out and (in fact) illegal attack on the people of Iraq. Not to mention putting back international cooperation by who knows how long. Of course, apart from the uncertainty in the international situation, everyone in Skiathos is wondering just how badly this will affect tourism. We all expect fewer people this year but how many fewer remains to be seen.
We went to California earlier for our annual holiday and spent many wonderful days there with old friends. They showed us some amazing scenery in Yosemite Park and Big Sur and I would have loved to bring back some of the crashing Pacific waves to one of our beaches here. I am truly glad we made this trip before the war started as, at the moment; I have no inclination to return for quite a while.
We are putting in a vegetable garden this year. After several years of not doing so (15 odd years of commercial market gardening was enough to make me want a break) we feel that all the uncertainty warrants us doing so again. It will not be on the market garden scale, as we just want good fresh vegetables for our own use. However, if there are surpluses, I know many of the local ladies who will happily take them as they are constantly reminding me how good our beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. were. Growing organically, we may have produced less, but I hardly ever came back from market with leftovers.
I am reminded of the time, many years ago, when, in London, we came across a Greek bookshop run by a Greek lady who obviously had not been back here for many years. We asked if there were any books about gardening in Greece as we wished to start a garden but didn't know how quite to begin in what we, at the time, considered to be quite a harsh climate. “There are none!” she said. “In any case you don't need a book, the soil of Greece is so fertile, you just drop the seeds on the ground and come back in a couple of months to pluck the harvest”! Oh, that it was so easy!
I am also looking forward to preparing “Merlin”, our 8-metre catamaran for launching at the end of the month. Her bottom will need polishing, her sails repaired, her rigging checked and then a good coat of paint overall will set her up for the season. I long to be back on the water with the wind trying to tug my cap off and the white water creaming under her bows, heading for the taverna at Tsoungria, Panormos or Kadi Georgi and a good Greek meal.
Our bookings are well down this year (but that was to be expected) so we have lots of room for any of you who would like to experience the peace and quiet and good hospitality that we offer.
See <http://skiathosinfo.com/accomm/zorbades.htm> for more information.
Well, as always, I will try to leave you with some flavour of this beautiful island and this time it is the smell of the beeswax candles in the churches as we approach Easter.
Regards to all,
Geof.
Hello & welcome to the summer Skiathos newsletter.
A couple of nights ago we had an evening picnic on Tsougrias Island with a large group of friends from Holland. We waited until the taverna had closed and almost everyone else had left the island and we had it mostly to ourselves. We produced a variety of food and wine (including “Chateau Zorbathes”, our very own) and watched the sun go down over the hills of Skiathos across the bay. It was such a mellow evening that even the advent of hordes of mosquitoes from the brack water lakes behind Tsougrias' beaches couldn't detract from the beauty of the evening or put us in a bad mood. As the day light faded the lights of Skiathos Town and all the buildings, tavernas and hotels along the south coast came sparkling to the fore and the reflections on the almost perfectly still sea made the spectacle even more entrancing. The mosquitoes gave up as soon as it became completely dark and we could relax and finish our wine in comfort. I even went for a swim, which, if any of you know me !
personally, is as unlikely as pigs flying! Motoring slowly back across the gently undulating sea with our friends and listening to Lou Reed's “Perfect Day” crowned the occasion. Our captain, who had done the plentiful wine more than justice, had some difficulty in pointing us in the right direction, so his son gently eased him from the controls and brought us back safely to the Skiathos shore.
Tsougrias has to be one of my favourite beaches and places. There are no roads, you can only get there by boat, either your own, or one rented, or by the sea taxis that leave regularly all morning from Skiathos Town and return hourly in the afternoon. My other favourite beaches are the ones that you have to make an effort to get to. For that simple reason, there are never too many people there and the beach tavernas have to keep a good standard of food and service to make sure that they encourage those people to come back. I will not list them (you have enough clues already!) and I don't want to make the mistake of them become as busy as all the “popular” beaches are.
“Gavros” those small fishes that you can eat whole and are usually on the menu as “Whitebait” are the staple good priced fish throughout the summer. They are actually fresh Anchovies but bear no relationship to the over salted, dried up, tinned things we know elsewhere. If these are cooked correctly (gently fried in olive oil, first one side and then the other and NEVER deep fried) these are succulent, juicy mouthfuls of delight and, incidentally, extremely good for you. A plate of Gavros, a Greek salad and a view of the Aegean with a cooling breeze wafting across it should be enough to mellow anyone. The best ones are to be found at- ………………… (suggestions to gavros@skiathosinfo.com)
My other summer pleasure is sailing “Merlin”, my catamaran. Unfortunately, I do not get out on her as often as I would wish as the pressure of work keeps me running around (don't laugh - I have to make a living as well as enjoy the delights of Skiathos). Being out on the water, the temperature is always a few degrees cooler, the cares of day to day living seem to be left “on the shore” and there is always a good beach taverna to look forward to. Often the guests staying in one of our houses accompany us and they add to our enjoyment by their own delight in the (what for most, is a novel) experience. This year I shall have to make a new trailer for her, repair her sails (maybe have to completely renew the main) and consider buying a new motor but she is worth every penny and has given me more pleasure than any other material possession I have or have had.
In September we are planning a few days on a large sailing boat with German, Swedish and Belgian friends when we intend to explore the “Eremonisia” (the “deserted islands”) off and to the north of Alonissos, and the Marine Park in that area. It is something I have wanted to do for years but have never attempted in my own craft. Once we have done it with a more experienced crew, it will be a lot easier to make the journey alone.. Strange as it may seem to some, I cannot wait to get off Skiathos. However, I know that when I return it will be with be with a large smile on my face because Skiathos is really the only place for me in this world.
As every year, Audrey & Brian Hall will be putting on performances throughout September with the idea of bringing some extra culture to Skiathos and collecting money for local charities.
Here is more information
'A Cream Cracker under the Settee' by Alan Bennett will be performed at the Hotel Esperides on Sunday evenings starting at 9.0 pm on September 7th, 14th, 21st & 28th.
The play is a tribute to the late Dame Thora Hird and will be performed for the same charities as last year. The Skaithos Friends of the Animals and The International Womens Group.
The play is only a short one and the entire evening will only last around 45 minutes.
This will allow people to catch the last ferry back to Skiathos town and the people from around the area will have plenty of time to sample the delights of the bar or even a local taverna.
Tourism is well down this year and the island will have to tighten its belt this winter. We have a gap in the bookings for our Farmhouse from the 1st until 18th of August so we are now offering a 15% discount to anyone who would like to make a last minute booking. (<http//skiathosinfo.com/accomm/zorbades.htm>)
Well, that's about it for now. Our garden is being ravaged by a “plague” of grasshoppers but we get the occasional fresh tomato (if we are quick) and they taste soooooo good!
I leave you with the buzz of the cicadas in the olive and pine trees and the “creak” of the crafty grasshoppers as the eye the next ripening tomato.
Regards,
Geof.
Hello & welcome to the Autumn Skiathos newsletter.
The last charter flight left a couple of weeks ago and the island breathed a collective sigh of relief. Much as we need the tourism and the money it brings, working 16 hours a day, 7 days a week for over 5 months (as do the majority working here in the summer) can be wearing at the best of times (and this year was not such a good year). The waterfront cafes that were still open filled up with business owners, waiters and general dogsbodies, sitting and doing ..……. absolutely nothing! The feeling of "getting the island back" was a welcome one and the local people were smiling at one another (even those who do not normally speak to each other!)
The weather also changed as the last flight took off. After a week of hot, south winds, it turned around to the north, became blustery and cold, and proceeded to rain. Instant winter! Even this was welcome after a hot and pretty dry summer. It has since alternated between south winds with hot, sticky weather but fantastic cloud formations, to west winds that dry the atmosphere out and make for clear views of up to 100 kilometres across the sea. Interspersed is the odd night of strong north winds and rain, usually just enough to avoid going back to the summer regime of daily watering (a blessed relief as well!). The sunsets have been amazing with everything from complete cloud cover and the sun just breaking underneath for the last 10 minutes creating a sky that seems to be on fire, to a few, very high, wispy clouds that catch the last rays of the day and go through the whole spectrum of colours as the light fades. One of the special aspects of Greece is its amazing light, light that has attracted artists for centuries. It is a constantly changing and fascinating spectacle that never tires the eye, particularly during spring, autumn and winter. The summer can be less interesting in this respect as the days are usually a boring parade of hot, hazy blue sky. Of course, that is what most people come on holiday for but there is so much more here enjoy. Colours that seem to be more vivid than elsewhere, jump out and hit you in the eye, but are then "weathered" by the evening light to make them turn into pastels of amazing softness and complexity. In our valley, the plane trees, fruit trees and a few other deciduous trees are changing to their autumn colours and stand out against the intense green of the pine forest and the ever-changing hues of the olive trees.
The highlight of our summer was the charter trip we took in a 55-foot sailing boat to Alonissos and the offshore islands there. They are called "the deserted islands" and are havens of peace and quiet with only the other odd sailing boat around. Our captain and hostess were Belgian and we were a mix of English, Dutch, German and Swedish and the combination worked really well. The sailing was magic, the food great and the feeling of relaxation wonderful. Once our captain saw that one of our Swedish friends and I wished to do most of the sailing, he relaxed with a book towards the prow and let us get on with it with just the occasional comment about tweaking a sail or adjusting the course to keep us going at maximum speed. We spent 4 days and 3 nights on board and I haven't enjoyed a trip more. Must do it again soon!
It has not been such a good year financially for Greece as a whole and Skiathos in particular. The Iraq war made May and June more or less washouts and the general economic nervousness (compounded by the tour operators filling planes with whoever they could get at whatever price) brought the overall takings of the island considerably down. The hope is that, next year, the Olympic Games will bring more tourism, but no one knows if they will affect the islands in a positive or negative way. It is a one off event and maybe tourism will be concentrated on Athens. We shall have to wait and see and try to remain optimistic.
On the home front, the real estate side of our business was very flat all summer and I was thinking that we would be having a very brief and frugal holiday this winter (no trip to California this year!) but there has been a flurry of activity in the last month and it seems that things are picking up again. Quite a bit more property has come onto the market as well recently and I will have to get down to updating the web site soon. We didn't let our houses as much as we would have liked this summer and are now putting in a swimming pool to compliment the peace and quiet that is our main selling point. We were losing too many bookings for the lack of a pool and so, after many years of refusing to do so, we have succumbed to market forces. We have taken the opportunity, whilst having the JCB here, to make a deep wine cellar next to the pump house for the pool and hope that this will extend the life of our home made wine which always tended to become barely drinkable once the heat of summer kicked in. Of course it has been dubbed the "bomb shelter" and friends have been kidding us that it is really a protective measure. We will drink a glass of our own wine to the health of ALL the people in this world and hope that we never have to use the cellar in fear.
I will leave you with the crunch of dried leaves underfoot and the smell of bonfires in the air.
Regards,
Geof.
Hello and welcome to the Christmas 2003 Skiathos Newsletter.
The annual Christmas Bazaar took place last Sunday and was voted by all as a huge success. This was an event that was started quite some years ago by the International Women's Group of Skiathos as a small handicraft and bake sale to get some money in, but has now developed into an event that includes all of Skiathos. Money raised by the group now goes to local charities and needy causes and the amount increases yearly. This year the Scouts and Guides and the Skiathos Athletic Association joined with the Women's group at the local high school to make it a truly pan Skiathos happening. There were the usual handicraft stalls and a vast array of home made cakes, biscuits and other goodies as well as the Gluehwein (mulled wine) and waffle stall (which I just had to keep checking to make sure that everything was up to standard!). The women also ran a Games room with lots of ways to win prizes including a bran tub/lucky dip area which was constantly busy until the gifts ran out. Other events were a slide show with a story, a balloon room (literally hundreds of balloons which you could wade through, kick, bounce or pop to your heart's content), a baking room where the kids made cookies in all kind of shapes that were then baked at a local bakery and consumed with gusto. Father Christmas hats were being made in another room and by the end of the day all the kids were dressed in one and cotton wool was flying all over the place. The local choir came and sang Christmas carols in both English and Greek and Santa Claus (Agios Vasili for the locals) turned up to have his photo taken with all and sundry. All in all it was a wonderful Sunday, enjoyed by everyone, and a record amount of money was raised for good causes.
After a fairly wet first half of December the weather has turned beautiful for a few days. Clear sunny days followed by sharp, frosty (at least where we live) nights with the stars just leaping out at one from the night sky. (The local council keeps threatening to put streetlights along our road but A) we don't want or need them, B) it is a waste of resources and C) it would spoil the pleasure of those wonderful starry and moonlit nights.) The forecast is for cold wintry stuff to hit is just before Christmas so maybe another white one? Who knows? Several people who are now experiencing their first winter here have suddenly had a reality check as they were assuming that the sunny summer weather just went on all year. Have they not been reading the newsletters I ask myself?
Last week we poured the concrete for our swimming pool. Quite a job as it had to be completed in one day and it needed around 28 tons of reinforced concrete. 17 workers and 3 concrete mixers were used and everything went swimmingly (sic). Of course it is still a huge tip in and around the pool area but now we can begin to see how it will take shape. Flower beds, rock walls, a BBQ area and a new parking area will all slowly come together to make this a welcome addition to our guests facilities here. Not to mention the bonus for us of a cooling plunge in the heat of the day.
The wine cellar is now almost complete and the wines themselves seemed to have turned out well. Lida bought a professional looking corking machine in Volos and we are now all set to get serious about this. Of course our friends and we will have to spend much time sampling and comparing the wines, which will certainly help in adding to the Christmas spirit. There is some dispute about whether some should be named Chateau Zorbathes or Chateau Migraine. Time will tell.
Outside my window a Jenny Wren is hopping about and Robins are to be seen in the garden. The frost is slowly melting off the lawn (it won't do the grass any good at all!) and the bright sunlight is stream through into my "office" making the computer screen hard to see, so I guess it is time to wrap this one up.
I wish you all a very wonderful Christmas and a happy, healthy and, above all, peaceful 2004.
Regards,
Geof.
Hello and welcome to the Spring 2004 Skiathos Newsletter.
I am sending this today, Sunday, hoping that it will brighten up your Monday morning.
Easter has come and gone and we celebrated with all our good friends who always come for this special time of year. The weather was brilliant and we managed to hold ourselves in patience and give the Pascal lamb a proper slow roasting over the coals (5 hours!). The food was voted the best ever and we washed it down with our own wine. For us it is always special because it signals the definite end to winter and the time when we can start to think of warm to hot days, sailing over to Tsoungria, walking to Kechria, seeing all the good friends and acquaintances we have made over the years, and drinking an ouzo (or two) whilst watching the sun go down.
On to local news. Some of you will already be aware that many of us (Skiathitees and foreigners) are fighting against having a high-tension power line supported on massive pylons being put through the north and east of the island. There is more information about this at: <http://skiathosinfo.com/DEH/powerlines.htm> which voices what our objections are based on.
On the Tuesday after Easter there was a demonstration against the Public Power Corporation (DEH) who are intending to despoil one of the last untouched areas of Skiathos by constructing this high voltage overhead line.
Most of the residents of the island are against this for health, environmental and economic reasons. The island closed down completely between 10:30 and 12:30 and an impressive turnout of something between 1,500 and 2,500 people carrying banners and placards, met at the high school, marched down the main street and listened to speakers just before the Bourtzi on the harbour front. (It was amazing that, in this society where no one can agree on anything and family members have been known not to speak to one another for years over some small dispute, so many were agreed on this issue). Impassioned speeches were made by all members of Skiathos society, from the head of the church to the children of the junior school, plus several guest speakers from all political spectrums. The DEH say that the alternative (putting in an undersea cable) is far too expensive but our argument is that our health (and that of our children) plus the cost of the environmental damage would be far higher in the long run. The highlight for me was when a representative of one of the junior school classes said that they would hold a bazaar, bake cakes and collect donations to help the DEH with the terrible burden of the extra cost! The fishermen, tourist boat owners and a yacht made a symbolic block of the harbour entrance (no ferries were expected at that time) to show that they too were concerned. The demonstration closed with the students from the high school putting on a small play that ended with them casting an effigy of the DEH into the sea. Many TV stations had cameras recording the event and, as well as news reports, there have been several topical programs discussing the issue. We hope that this will make some impression on the DEH, the government and anyone else who may find themselves in a similar situation. There is an appeal due in June at the highest court in the land against the decision to allow these pylons and we are working with pro bono lawyers to try to get a positive decision for the island. We believe that our demonstration will help in that fight. I have posted photos of the demonstration at: <http://skiathosinfo.com/DEH/demo.htm>
If any of you wish to support our cause, there is a form at: <http://skiathosinfo.com/DEH/protest-form.htm> which you can submit (after adding your name and email address) and which we will forward to the DEH and to the ministries involved in this case. All help will be gratefully received. We feel that this is an issue of the utmost importance to the island and, if you have ever had a good holiday here, it would be good to add your voice to ours to try to keep our beautiful island from this threat.
Our new swimming pool is now finished and has enhanced our accommodation facilities immensely. As always, we have worked with Jacques and Andreas (French & Albanian) who, with their excellent team of Albanian craftsmen, have created one of the best pools in Skiathos. Whether it was because this was the first pool they have created from the beginning (they have already had lots of experience with every aspect of building pools) or whether we have been the recipients of extra special care, I don't know, but it is perfect! When the tiles go on is when one sees whether everything is square and vertical, etc. There is not a millimeter out of place.........quite remarkable! If anyone needs some good work done on their existing villa or for some future project, I cannot recommend this crew highly enough. See Jacques' web site at: www.skiathosbuilder.com <http://www.skiathosbuilder.com>
We decided to use a salt water system (it is less than half as salty as seawater) as this is kinder to the skin than chlorine and just far more pleasant to swim in. Also with all the recent negative reports about the damage chlorine can do to the body and the environment, we definitely didn't want to offer that to our guests! Lida went for the first swim shortly after it was filled but it was still pretty cold and she didn't stay i