the ionian august 2010

The Ionian / August 2010 www.theionian.com 1

English Language Magazine For The Ionian August 2010 Volume 1. Issue 6 Please recycle: give to a friend or neighbour when finished. COMPLIMENTARY/∆ΩΡΕΑΝ

The Ionian

Greek Honey: Food Of The Gods Watch The Earth Spin

How To Survive August In Fiskardo Get Connected

News · Calendar · The Ionian καφενείο· Health and Beauty Environment · Art and Culture · Restaurant Reviews

2 The Ionian / August 2010 www.theionian.com

Nick & John Dimopoulos

AKTIO—PREVEZA—GREECE TEL: (0030) 26820 61305 FAX: (0030) 26820 61306

VHF CHANNEL: 09 P.O. BOX 42 AKTIO MARINE 48 100 PREVEZA, GREECE

www.aktio-marine.gr [email protected]

YACHT HAUL-OUT, STORAGE AND LAUNCHING REPAIRING - BUILDING - CHARTERING

SAFE - SECURE - FRIENDLY - GOOD PRICES 5 MINUTES FROM AIRPORT

AKTIO MARINE


Hot!

It’s been hot lately, and likely to get even hotter, as you read this hot off the press new issue of The Ionian., but we never complain—after all, summer will be over before we know it.

In July, braving the heat, we distributed 1,500 copies of The Ionian to even more places. Corfu and Paxoi Islands received 50 copies each, Ithaca 200 and Kefalonia 150 with the rest going to Le-fkada Island, Preveza, Vonitsa, Paleros and Aktio. The marinas and boat yards get a stack each as do chandleries, yacht services and yachties’ hang outs. News Stands and book and magazine shops get some and the shops, restaurants and bars as well. This issue, as we go to press will follow suit. Still, if you are not quick enough and can’t find a copy, you can always go online and download a PDF one.

This month we bring you the first of our harvest features, Greek

Honey: The Food Of The Gods, by Eleni Synesiou. Eleni also writes about honey’s place in Greek Culture in the The Greek καφενείο .

Welcome to our new restaurant reviewer, Plato Chipz, who under this nom-de-plum, visited Η Ψάθα restaurant and made secret notes while gorging himself on some fabulous food. Hard work, Plato, but I suppose, someone has to do it!

Over in Kefalonia, Neil Evans leads us to where we can Watch The Earth Spin, while Cathy King shares her secrets on How To Survive Fiskardo In August.

Michael Roberts gets bewitched by Sirens Of Kioni on Ithaca, Jody Taylor suggests we Get Connected to the internet the easy way, while Ester Van Zuylen shows us Italian Arum, the beautiful, yet deadly plants in our Environment column, and Ulku introduces us to Hand-made Textiles in our Art and Culture corner. And to help you be more comfortable in the heat, Ann Ruffles reminds us to drink more water in our Beauty and Health column.

Stay cool and enjoy reading.

Γεια σου, ~~_/) Barbara Molin

4 Ionian Community News 4 Ionian Calendar 5 The Greek καφενείο Honey In Greek Culture Eleni Synesiou Easy Greek Recipe and It’s All Greek To Me 5 Beauty and Health H2O... You Know Ann Ruffles 6 Environment Ionian Flora— Italian Arum Ester Van Zuylen 6 Ionian Art And Culture Handmade Textiles Ulku 7 Ionian Restaurant Review Η Ψάθα Plato Chipz 8 The Ionian Life Greek Honey: Food Of The Gods Eleni Synesiou

9 Ionian Destinations: Kefalonia How To Survive Fiskardo In August Cathy King 9 Ionian Destinations: Ithaca Sirens Of Kioni Michael Roberts 10 On The Water Watch The Earth Spin Neil Evans 11 Be Practical! Get Connected Jody Taylor 15 Classifieds 15 The Last Word Is Yours

The Ionian CONTACT The Ionian By mail: Lefkadiou Chern 24, Lefkada 31100 By email: [email protected] Via our website: www.theionian.com By fax: Barbara Molin c/o (0030) 26820 61306 By telephone: (0030) 69486 46764

Founding Publisher: Justin Smith Publisher/ Editor: Barbara Molin Business Advisor: Yannis Dimopoulos Accountant: Pavlos Dagla: 26450 23008 Consulting Editor: Isha Peralta Deputy Editor: Cathy King Ithaca Editor: Ester van Zuylen Kefalonia Editor: Neil Evans Sailing Editor: Barbara Molin Layout: Barbara Molin Advertising Manager: Barbara Molin: 69486 46764 Preveza Sales: Kaz Kadomski: 69782 19385 Lefkada Sales: Dimitri Zakinthinakis 69482 05965 Printing: Typografeo, Preveza Distribution: Barbara Molin Subscriptions: Barbara Molin

The Ionian encourages relevant letters, news items, photographs, and manuscripts. Please include high resolution digital images with your typed articles. Include a short bio (50 words), a head shot, your name and full postal address as well as email and telephone number. The editor reserves the right to shorten, modify or reject outright any material sub-mitted. The Ionian reserves the right to re-use any submission in any edition, format or medium. We cannot take responsibility for manu-scripts or photographs sent in. For more information request writers’ guidelines or check our website: www.theionian.com

Contents

Publisher/Editor: ©Barbara Molin; [email protected]; ΑΦΜ: 148426549. ΛΕΥΚΑ∆ΙΟΥ ΧΕΡΝ 24, ΛΕΥΚΑ∆Α, 31100 Telephone: 69486 46764; The Ionian is published monthly. Published on the last day before each month, approx. Complimentary magazine: Publication is for informational purposes only. Although The Ionian has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, the publisher cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions it may contain.

Editorial

Cover Photo: Dance Group From Karya ©Sakis Zogas, Photo Net — To purchase any of the photographs in The Ionian, please contact the Editorial Depart-ment: [email protected].

PHOTO CONTEST: Send in your best photos of the Ionian. Twelve winning images will feature in The Ionian 2011 Calendar. Sub-ject: People, Nature and Landscape of the Ionian. Sorry, digital images only. One per email. Please check photographers’ guidelines and contest rules at: www.theionian.com. The best photos will feature on our website and the winning entries will be published in The Ionian as well as the calendar. Deadline for entries: October 31, 2010. Send your entries to: [email protected].


The Ionian News Send your news stories and photos to [email protected]

Please submit your community events to: [email protected] or call: 69486 46764.

Tuesdays - morning street market in Vonitsa.

August

Ithaca Municipal Gallery: 1 Ten Images for Ithaca 4 - 15 Tina Masha , Byzantine painting 17 - 31 Klara Koitler, Painting

6 Lentil Festival in Eglouvi (Lefkada Island)

7 Preveza Sardine Festival (see story)

11 Celebration of St. Spyridon in Karya

14 Appollon Dance Group in Karya, Lefkada

15 Feast of the Assumption. The feast day of the Virgin Mary (in Greek Panayia, Παναγία) is celebrated with family reunions and it is the third most important religious holiday in Greece after Easter and Christmas.

It is celebrated with a religious ceremony followed by a great feast during which people dance, drink and eat all night long. This cele-bration is particularly lively and strong in the villages of Ligia and Vassiliki.

15 The Ionian 2010 Writers’ Retreat and Workshop organizing team meeting. Please

call: 69486 46764 for more information.

22-29 48th Lefkas International Folklore Festival.

27-28 Joe Brown at Agios Ioannis Music Festival, Corfu. www.agiotfest.co.uk; 26610 58177; 6974 932408; [email protected]

29 Lefkas Communion service led by Rev. John Gulland of Holy Trinity Anglican Church Corfu, enquiries Jackie: 69366 47160.

September

8 Gennisis tis Panagias The birthday of Vir-gin Mary is celebrated throughout Greece with religious services and feasting.

16 South Ionian Regatta sponsored by Viho Yacht Club. Tel: 69788 89191 for information.

18-19 Corfu Enterprise Exhibition. Call Emma at: 69435 34654 or email: info@the corfuclub.com for information.

Preveza Sardine Festival by Christos Sideris

The August annual sardine festival is a festi-

val dedicated to the sardine, which is a local product of Preveza. The sardine festival is a very old custom celebrated in the harbour of the city since 1975. For the visitors, there is music and dancing, platters of grilled, local sardines, free white and red wine and a climate of genuine Greek tradition where the world spontaneously participates.

On that day, the whole city enjoys the tasty flavour of the delicious grilled sardines, which are very special because of their small size and their special flavour.

About two tonnes of sardines are grilled dur-ing the sardine festival! The feast of the sardine is celebrated on the first weekend of August as part of the Nikopolia Festival of Preveza and assembles over 15.000 people from the entire world. It is one of the most important events of Preveza!

This year, it is organized on Saturday, 7th of August at St. Andreas Castle. The entry is free, the wine too and the visitors pay only for sar-dines and salad approximately 3 euros. The festival starts approximately at 9pm.

For more information please use these two numbers of the Municipality of Preveza: 26820 29917 and 26820 25325.

The Ionian Community Calendar

The New Archaeological Museum of Nikopo-lis, situated between the modern city of Preveza and ancient Nikopolis, invites the visitor to take a look at the Roman and early Christian urban center of Epirus through its most important finds.

The Exhibition of the Museum is developed in two successive halls, the first of which pre-sents the history of the city. Starting with the sea-battle of Actium that determined both the foundation and the name of the “City of Vic-tory” and the elaborated Tropaeum of the sea-battle, the visitor subsequently can see the way the Roman town had been populated and organ-ized, the benefits with which it had been gifted and also aspects of public life and ritual as well.

Great importance is also given to the transi-tion from the Roman to the early Christian era which is demarcated by the foundation of a new defensive wall and numerous basilicas in rela-

tion to the emergence of Christianity. In the second hall, aspects of life and death in

the Roman and early Christian town are pre-sented. The location of Nikopolis determined its commercial importance, which is verified by finds from the whole Mediterranean area. On the other hand, workshops have been estab-lished in order to serve the needs of the new city and they are well contrasted to the domesti-cated activities of the inhabitants. The last part

of the second hall is dedicated to the burial practices of the Roman and Early Christian era.

The abandonment of Nikopolis demarcated a structural change in the use of the specific area which became an attraction for travelers, a major source of building material and also a battle field until its incorporation to the modern Greek state which started excavations at the archaeological site, as documented in the corri-dors of the New Archaeological Museum of Nikopolis.

Archaeological Museum of Nikopolis 5th km. of Preveza – Ioannina Road Tel.: 26820 89892 Visiting Hours: 08:00 – 20:00 Free entrance

The New Archaeological Museum of Nikopolis is now open


Αύγουστος Αργεία Σάββατο Κυριακή Σαββατοκύριακο µέλι µέλισσα γιορτή πολιτισµός

Av-ghu-stos Ar-yi-a Sava-to Ki-ria-ki Sa-va-to-ki-ria-ko Me-li Me-lissa Yor-ti Poli-tis-mos

August Holiday Saturday Sunday Weekend Honey Bee Feast Culture

H20...You Know by Ann Ruffles

The human body is two-thirds water. Without it most people are dead within four days. In normal circumstances we lose 2.8 litres a day. The body is able to make some water by me-tabolising food and taking water from food leaving the average person 1.5 litres short, which is six glasses of water.

It is very hot now here in the Ionian and if you sweat or exercise this would be the mini-mum shortfall so eight glasses would be better.

Water has many roles in the body. It flushes out the kidneys, dissolves minerals and acts as a delivery system, a lubricant and a temperature

regulator. Even mild dehydration can lead to constipa-

tion, headaches, lethargy and mental confusion and increases the risk of urinary tract infections and kidney stones.

So what to drink? Research has shown that although caffeine causes a loss of water, a cup of coffee still adds two-thirds the amount of hydrating fluid that is in a cup of water. The same goes for tea, juice, milk and sodas. The only drinks that produce a loss of fluids are those containing alcohol.

Natural mineral water, pure water, or filtered tap water are better than all of these as they don’t disrupt your blood sugar balance. Tea, coffee and cola rob the body of minerals. Sug-

ary drinks provide calories and few nutrients. So, if you want hydration, go for eight glasses

of water a day. Try flavouring it with lemon, lime, ginger or mint all of which are abundant in the Ionian.

Ann Ruffles has 30 years experience teaching Home Economics and Food Technology in the U.K. She has a passion for nutrition. You may contact her through her website for more advice.

www.yourforeveraloeshop.com

Health and Beauty

Honey In Greek Culture by Eleni Synesiou

Honey has played significant and varied roles in Greek civilization. In Greek mythology, in which honey is the drink of the gods of Olym-

pus, it is the symbol of knowledge, learning and wisdom. It is a food reserved for the elect, the initiated, and to exceptional people in this world and the next. Greek tradition claims that Pythagoras ate nothing but honey throughout his entire life.

The importance of honey for the humans is also praised in several clas-sical texts of ancient Greece, such as Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, the Deipnosophists of Athenaeus, and in philosophical texts of Plato, Aristo-teles, Democritus, and others.

Hippocrates, the father of medicine, emphasizes the nutritional and pharmaceutical value of honey.

Honey signifies truth. Truth was thought to be passed on by bees through their honey so that the elect could express it in their scholarship and poetry. This belief spread beyond the Holy Land into Europe. When it was said that bees settled on the lips of Plato, Pindar and St. Ambrose when they were children so that as adults they would speak and write only that what was true.

Bees have an ancient reputation as the bringers of order, and their hives served as models for organizing temples in many Mediterranean cultures.

In Greece the use of honey in many feasts as a symbol of fertility and wellbeing has been common from the old times till nowadays.

Bread with honey was also given to mothers of newly born children. All Christmas and New Year’s sweets are made with honey, as sym-

bols of happiness and abundance. Many traditional healings are based on old recipes with honey. In the weddings of old times in Greece used to offer sweets with honey

and walnuts, for happiness and fertility for the couple in their new life together.

Nowadays in Greece this tradition is coming back and many people replace the bonbonieres with jars of honey and walnuts.

Honey plays a great role in life of new married people as part of the so-called “honeymoon”.

Gold Bee Pendant. Cast gold with gold granules soldered on the surface. Found at Chrysolakos at Malia. The two bees are arranged symmetrically around a drop of honey. http://www.ancient-greece.org/museum/muse-iraclion.html

The Ionian καφενείο

Courtesy wikimedia.org

Easy Greek Recipe

Cinnamon and Honey Fritters - (Loukoumades)

250 ml slightly warm water 5 gr. dried yeast 250 gr. plain flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 200 ml (olive or corn) oil, for frying Topping 5 tablespoons honey 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine all the dough ingredients in a large mixing bowl, adding the flour last. Mix until well combined and the dough becomes medium thick. Cover it with a thick towel and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour, until it rises and almost doubles in size. Heat oil in a deep-fryer over high heat. Take a teaspoon (wet in water every time to avoid stick-ing) of the dough, and, using your hand, put it down into the hot oil. Within seconds it puffs up and rises to the surface. Turn them over so they become golden all around - it only takes 1 minute. Take them out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Serve 4-5 loukoumades on each plate, pour a tablespoon of honey all over them and sprinkle on a lot of cinnamon. Serves 5

IT’S ALL GREEK TO ME!

Greek word you already know:

Προϊστορικός/pro-i-sto-ri-kos/prehistoric

DID YOU KNOW?

According to mythology, Greeks discovered wine and it has been produced here for more than three thousand years.


A cluster of red berries on a stalk - this is how the Italian arum shows itself in summer on the Ionian islands, where it's the most common of its kind. You can't miss it, because it stands out in shady groves where pres-ently nothing else grows.

The plant is a native of Europe, but it also grows in other parts of the world. North of the Alps it is cultivated as an ornamental plant by gar-deners aiming for a tropical look and they’re sold by florists.

South of the Alps it grows wild and can be invasive. The underground tubers multiply and are very hard to get rid of. All parts of the plant are poisonous if ingested, and handling it may cause skin irritation. Dioscorides, a physician and pharma-cologist from the 1st century AD (yes, him again) mentions that the root was eaten as an aphrodisiac after the poi-

son was eliminated. In autumn the arum appears as a carpet of large arrow-shaped leaves covering the ground and the fleshy glossy leaves are up to 35 cm long. They can survive winter frost and snow. In spring, the flower appears and it can grow up to 40 cm high. It is not really a flower—the spathe is a modified leaf. Inside this yellow leaf is a rod, and the actual flowers grow at the base of the rod. Many folk names for arums

assume the spade is a vagina and the spathe a phallus: Lords-and- ladies, Willy lily, Priests pilly. Christian mythology mentions that the plant was once known as Our-Lady-and-our-Lord.

Insects get trapped inside the spathe and fertil-ize the tiny flowers. Soon after pollination, the foliage begins to die and the fruit turns from a cluster of green berries to bright orange red.

The Italian arum scores high as a decorative and attractive plant but very low for usefulness.

Ester van Zuylen has been living on Ithaki for the past 6 years. She's an artist and a walking guide, and has a special interest in the history and the flora and fauna of the Ionian islands. www.islandwalks.com www.eye-space.com Photos by Ester van Zuylen and courtesy Wikimedia.

Ionian Flora Italian arum / Arum Italicum / Aron's rod / Fidóchorto

by Ester Van Zuylen

Handmade Textiles by Ulku

Traditionally hand woven cloth has survived and is once again very popular all over the world.

Silk, cotton and wool weaving by hand is an age-old tradition on simple wooden framed hand and foot operated looms, which have great historical depth and meaning. Weaving skills and designs are traditionally passed down from mother to daughter. The motifs and designs of the textile or embroidery come from the special

talent of the weaver. With fashion influences from different cul-

tures and traditions, scarves, shawls, curtains,

table clothes, and runners can be made a blend of modern designs and colors, but still with traditional craftsmanship.

After a long period of decline in the art of weaving, several weaver communities are founded or supported, to continue and expand the tradition in Greece.

One can find hand made textiles in just about every town in the Ionian. In Preveza women work at the EOMMEX Organisation; in Philip-piada there is a tapestry school and on Lefkada Island, the village of Karya, is famous for hand-made lace and textiles.

The Ionian Art and Culture

The Ionian Environment


The Ionian Restaurant Review

Η Ψάθα by Plato Chipz

I first visited Η Ψάθα (I Psatha) Taverna in

2008. I remember arriving slightly out of breath. It was the wife's birthday and I had been trying to lose her in the back streets of Preveza, so was impressed, given the amount of cake and candles she had consumed that day, that she had managed to keep up with me and drag herself up the slight incline of Dardanel-lion Street to Η Ψάθα (Straw) Taverna, where we were pleasantly greeted by the owner Yan-nis Kyriakis.

After being seated and sipping our celebratory soda water, the occasion was soon made all the more special as within no less that five minutes Yannis presented a dozen beautiful red roses at our table. Now, it's not every day that someone buys me flowers, but as it was wheezy breath's birthday, I gave the flowers to her. This kind and unexpected gesture made our visit memora-ble and special. Our return visits however, have always been because of the quality of the food and service.

Yannis acquired the building in 1978, and its interior was at the time covered in straw -hence the name. As you approach Η Ψάθα, you will notice it is a regular haunt for the good folk of Preveza to dine. Most evenings after 9 p.m. it will be very busy, but if you don't see a vacant table, panic ye not, Yannis will whisk one out of the ether before you can say, Jack Popado-poulos.

You will instantly spot Yannis, usually run-ning, but the distinguished silver hair and smil-ing face will change to one of concern, if all his customers needs are not instantly attended to by his hard working and competent staff. Have you ever SEEN concerned hair?

After being seated and with your drink planted on your table you will be invited into the kitchen to view the extensive range of food on offer. The best octopus I have ever eaten may be available. Try it. No, it's not chewy.

Often bread served with the meal will be lightly toasted, which is a pleasant change from the usual doorstep. The house wine is also a tad better than you would get elsewhere, the kokino (red) has a richer fruiter flavour than the “cooking” wine one normally expects.

Our recent visit was as good as the first; we had superbly cooked and seasoned sardines for starters accompanied with fried courgette and followed by melt in the mouth beef and rice.

As is often the case in many tavernas, you will receive without ordering, a surprise dessert of the day, possibly melon or a small sweet cake way off the Richter Scale in sweetness.

If Yannis has time, he will be happy to chat, but as you will see, he is normally rushed off his feet.

At the end of the evening when requesting the bill, you won't fall off the chair a) because the prices are well in line with other similar restau-rants in the Ionian, and b) the chair will, by this time be physically a part of you.

As I'm not qualified to issue star ratings, suf-fice to say that whenever we have friends visit-ing, Η Ψάθα Taverna is our first “port of call.”

LOCATION: Η Ψάθα is located just off the main pedestrian street in the old part of Preveza town. Dardanellion 4, Preveza Tel: 26820 23051 Mobile: 6972 889504 G.P.S. N 38° 57.407' E 20° 45.200'

LOCATED JUST OFF THE MAIN PEDESTRIAN STREET IN OLD TOWN PREVEZA


Honey is a product bearing one of the longest mythological traditions in the world. In Greece, where the practice of apiculture began in early prehistoric times, we can find a plethora of myths relating to it. The most characteristic myth that reflects honey's special value for Greeks is its consideration as the food of the Gods of Olympus.

Apiculture is the art of beekeeping in order to produce honey. Due to the topography of the country, its climate and unique flora, apiculture in Greece is highly developed with long tradi-tion, producing large quantities of all the top varieties of honey.

The country's honey is world famous, giving Greece one of the top positions in world class production methods, export, and use of this healthy and natural product.

Greek honey is the result of a collaboration between bees and one of the riches floras in the world, which are comprised of many aromatic-pharmaceutical plants and herbs. Most of the areas to which beekeepers transport their hives, literally chasing flowers in bloom, are located in difficult to reach and rugged places, due to the particularities of the Greek terrain

Almost all the plants, which make up the Greek biodiversity puzzle, have a very short flowering season (at most one month, in contrast to other areas of the world where flowering lasts many months), and thus the hives are continually transported from place

to place, yielding a very labour-intensive honey.

Beekeeping is an ancient practice, and bee-hives have enjoyed a long history since they were first used as early as 900 BC. The beehive is the enclosed home of honey bees and it con-sists of a rectangular box that allows the bee-keeper to slide out trays in which the bees have built their honeycombs. A smoker is sometimes used for calming the bees when a beehive needs to be moved to a different location

A beekeeper does not control the bees in the hives; he simply owns the hives that the bees naturally live in. Taking care of the hives is a major part of the workday and involves check-ing them for other insects, parasites, birds, and other types of intruders that may disrupt the natural life cycle of the honey bees.

One of the main jobs of the honey bees is to make the honey, which is also their food source, within the hive. When it is cold or there is a lack of other food, the bees use their stored honey as a source of energy.

There are three types of bees within the hive: the queen bee, drone bees, and thousands of worker bees. It is the worker bees that raise the larvae and collect all the nectar that is eventu-ally made into honey. When they collect the nectar they release pheromones which enable other bees to find their way back to the hive using only the smell.

The first step in making honey begins when field bees fly from flower to flower collecting the sweet juices or nectar that a flower pro-vides. With their tongues, the field bees suck out the nectar and store it in sacs within their bodies. After filling their sacs with these sweet juices, the field bees fly back to their bee hive and regurgitate the stored nectar into the mouths of house bees.

These house bees are assigned the job of adding enzymes from their bodies to the nec-tar. The enzymes cause the water in the nectar to evaporate-thereby turning the nectar into honey. Lastly, the nec-tar is stored in a cell of a honeycomb. Over-time, the nectar ripens and becomes honey.

Most beekeepers encourage an overpro-duction of honey within the hive so that when this process is completed they can

take the excess honey without endangering the lives of the bees if they were to run out of other food sources.

During its lifetime, a bee will make from 0.5-1 gram of honey. In other words, 1,000-2,000 bees have to work to produce one kilogram of honey.

Approximately 4-5 kg of nectar are needed to produce one kg of honey! For every gram of nectar, a bee will work for 3 days!

Thus every one can realize why honey is a real gift of the nature and very precious for all of us.

The excellent climatic conditions of Greece, combined with abundantly growing indigenous herbs and plants, give Greek honey its excep-tionally unique clarity, colour, texture and taste.

Honey helps maintain a healthy organism, is rich in micro-elements and vitamins, gives vitality and energy, enables growth of body and mind and forms the basis of healthy nutrition. Greek honey is one of the most precious prod-ucts of Greek Nature.

Eleni Synesiou, archae-ologist and teacher of Greek literature and culture, lives in Preveza and is very caring of healthy way of life. Photos by E.Synesiou

The Ionian Life Greek Honey: Food Of The Gods

By Eleni Synesiou


Take the most popular yacht harbour in the Ionian where space is at a premium even out of season. Add the high season crowds, a dash of Italian driving to pinch the last space on the quay from under your nose plus instructions shouted in every European language you can think of. Mix in a stiff cross breeze. What do you get? Fis-kardo in August of course!

It’s gridlock! It’s mayhem! It’s a place of near misses, shredded nerves and crossed anchors. A place where everyone is an expert until they have to dock under the critical eyes of everyone watch-ing the manoeuvre go pear-shaped.

I love the sheer entertainment of it. We’ve seen a bow anchor dropped in the dinghy by mistake and an anchor remote cable caught up in the windlass and chewed to shreds. We’ve seen a kedge line eaten by a bow thruster and miraculously spat out again undamaged; we’ve seen a huge motorboat try to squeeze into a tiny space on the floating pon-toon, its skipper ignoring the protests of the neighbouring boats.

The fact is that Fiskardo is a victim of its own popularity. It lies on the northeast corner of Kefa-lonia at a conveniently short sailing distance from the Meganisi channel, Ithaca and Lefkada.

The village is little more than a harbour backed by a cluster of shut-tered houses attractively painted in pastel shades. As it was the only village in Kefalonia to survive the earthquake of 1953 that devastated most of the rest of the island, it is still a picturesque and quintessential Greek harbour.

And this is the trouble. Everyone wants to go there. And everyone does – with the result that getting a berth there in August is a bit like getting a seat for the World Cup final without a ticket.

So what do you do? Well, don’t despair — if you have your mind set on getting a spot on the quay, you could arrive early in the morning and

wait for someone to leave. It might be a while but if you’re patient and quick, you might get lucky.

And if not, there are alternatives to berthing on the quay. You can anchor off the rocks on the northern shore of the bay and take a long line ashore. You get the attractive setting but less of the mayhem - although you’d be wise not to stay there if a southerly wind is forecast as it’s a bit exposed.

If all the spaces along the rocks are already spoken for, there’s a well-

protected anchorage less than one mile south of the harbour. It’s a pleasant spot with a little beach at the head of the bay, and it’s within easy walking distance of the village. So after you’ve walked into town, you can sit at one of the tavernas drinking a glass of ouzo and congratu-late yourself that you’ve survived Fiskardo in August without having to fight your way in there.

And how good is that?

Cathy King is cruising the Ionian with her husband Leighton onboard their Saltram 40, Makarma.

The Ionian Destination: Kefalonia How To Survive Fiskardo In August

by Cathy King

Sirens Of Kioni by Michael Roberts

After sailing these seas for twenty years, the Ionian has become my second home. And now I find myself held captive by two sirens on the island of Ithaca.

From the cool shade of a corner cafe, the mid-afternoon glare of sea on the pebbled beach and the joyous children remind me of an impres-sionist painting or a scene from Fellini movie. My afternoon indulgence is ice cream with espresso poured over it.

The day trippers are boarding their ferries and preparations for the night have begun: tables into neat rows, table cloths and glasses, girls carrying heavy trays back to the kitchen.

For some days we haven’t felt like sailing away from Kioni. We were drawn here by the memory of Calypso Restaurant’s excellent Rabbit Stifado. It is has a special sauce of cara-melised onion with cloves, and it’s made with fresh local rabbit.

Next night, after introducing two new sailing friends to our 6 o’clock aperitif, Campari and soda, they led us to their favourite place: Mills Restaurant.

Now, every evening we join the volta along the quay and settle on a table at the edge of the pebbled beach beside the caiques.

Mills Restaurant has be-come one of our favourite places to eat. There are nice touches here like finer wine and water glasses, good house wine in a thin glass carafe, bread in a clever col-ander and flowers on each table.

There are geraniums around the terrace and five pots of tall standardised basil trees.

But best of all is the food. Louisa is the new owner of Mills and she is a creative chef. It is refreshing to have different tastes from the normal Greek taverna fare. And the prices are quite reasonable.

For my first dinner I had chicken fillets in ouzo on a bed of pilaf rice, my sailing partner had veal in yoghurt, spinach and lemon sauce. Next evening it was an excellent Lamb Kleftiko. Tonight it will be pork in orange sauce.

At about midnight, the sirens of Kioni come to our table and will not let us leave unless we promise to stay one more night.

Michael Roberts is a university professor, engi-neer and designer sailing in the Ionian.

The Ionian Destination: Ithaca


Recent oceanographic research has revealed that gigantic continent-sized ocean vortices lower the surface level of the water by up to a metre compared with the coastal regions of those oceans. Of course, vessels plying those waters know nothing of their relatively depressed position, just as terrestrial creatures are oblivious to the fact that the solid ground under their feet rises and falls half a metre each day in harmony with the lunar cycle.

However, for astute observers of natural phenomena, it is possible to get a sense of the impact of the Earth's rotation on the physical world from high up on the north-west coastal road of Kefalonia that links the municipalities of Pylaros and Erisos.

From this 300-metre high vantage point above Myrtos Beach, looking westward across the sea on a calm day, it is easy to recognise the distinctive spiral lines of a marine vortex several kilometres in diameter and caused by the U-shape of the island's north-west coastline.

At times this enormous eddie can be seen as far north as the promontory of Assos; at others, quite near to Myrtos Beach itself.

It is at such times that danger lurks beneath the apparently harmless Ionian Sea, for when conditions are right, especially when the swell is large, there can be a strong undercurrent capable of sucking unsuspecting bathers far out to sea. In combination with the whirlpool in the bay this can result in a potentially tragic emergency. And in the absence of nearby rescue services, the consequences can be dire.

Looking down on Myrtos Beach from on high can be an exhilarating experience and witnessing the turning of the Earth through the lines of sea currents can sharpen our awareness of cosmic processes.

But it's also worth knowing that many of the best experiences of this nature can be had outside the traditional tourist periods. The play of light, sea, clouds and mountains never ceases to amaze and raise one's spirits on Kefalonia.

Take, for example, the interplay of sand and sediment washed down the mountain valleys into the turquoise-blue waters during and after storms. These bursts of natural creativity turn the bays on the north-western side of the island into breathtakingly beautiful paintings on a watery canvas.

So, why not consider planning a trip during the off-season, when even more surprises await the adventurous traveller... and if you're lucky (or unlucky... ) enough to avoid experiencing the Earth shaking under your feet (minor earthquakes are common occurrence), you might be just as lucky in witnessing its whirling seas.

But remember not to leave any rubbish behind you or let a bit inadvertently slip overboard. Fortunately for us, our vortex is fairly clean, unlike those five continent-sized gyres, as they are now known, which have become the sinks of the world, gathering in their centres the plastic trash of the world's seas. It's a pity they couldn't just suck it all away into oblivion.

Alas, they remain perilous traps for marine wildlife and no such fantasy can hide the raw truth that we all share a little of the responsibility. Let's at least try to keep it to a minimum so we can enjoy

the wonderful beauty of Kefalonia all year round. Neil Evans, an Australian-Greek teacher, artist and writer, has lived on Kefalonia with his Greek wife for 14 years. www.yessy.com/neilos-art

Watch The Earth Spin by Neil Evans

...danger lurks beneath the apparently harmless Ionian Sea

On The Water

Myrtos Beach (voted Europe's third best beach) on a winter morning ©Neil Evans

A giant whirlpool north of Assos, Kefalonia ©Neil Evans


Be Practical! Get Connected

by Jody Taylor

The internet is a real boon to the cruising yachty, and there can be few of us who don’t have a laptop aboard to keep in touch with friends and family via email – and to have access to such diverse services as weather forecasts and even radio and TV from home.

The growing number of WiFi cafes satisfy the connection needs of most sailors, but for some who use the internet for work – and my hus-band is one – intermittent internet access is not good enough. What we needed was reliable and fast internet access from the boat, so that he could send and receive large files as attachments to emails.

This meant using one of the various mobile broadband devices (dongles) that provide connectivity via the mobile phone network.

Initially, we decided to use another mobile broadband, but found that in the areas where we were cruising in the Ionian, there simply wasn’t a sufficiently fast connection. However, we had heard good things about the service from Cosmote and decided to give this a try.

Opening a Cosmote account

To obtain a Cosmote dongle, the first thing that we had to do was have a local address. Preveza Marine Boat Yard in Aktio obliged by issuing a letter stating that we could use theirs.

The next step was to visit the tax office (there is one in Preveza and another in Lefkas town) in order to obtain a tax number. The tax of-fice required sight of my passport plus a photocopy. They then completed the neces-sary documentation and issued a tax num-ber on the spot. Once we had the tax

number, getting the hardware and contract was straightforward. All you need is your passport, tax number and proof of address. Take these to a Cosmote shop (or more usually a Germanos, who are agents for Cos-mote), and they will issue the contract and the dongle. Set-up is easy – plug and play - with the installation software built into the dongle.

Contract terms

Once you have the dongle there is nothing to pay initially. Our first bill covered a period of six weeks (which took us to the normal billing date of the first of the month). Thereafter, the bill is paid monthly, on or around the first week of each month.

Unfortunately, you can’t usually pre-pay, or pay by standing order, so you will need to visit a shop each month – or get someone else to do it for you. We simply find a Gemanos shop, take in the dongle mobile number, and pay. Most of the larger towns we have come across have a Gemanos shop, so this is not a problem.

Choosing the right plan

There are various plans available. We chose the 5GB per month op-tion, which costs €30 per month, plus tax. With this, we have found that we can stay online all day, listen to the radio, use Skype to call friends and family, as well as comfortably send and receive emails with large attachments without going over our 5GB limit.

The minimum contract duration is 12 months, but after an initial period of full payment (a few months – you will need to check this), this can be reduced to a maintenance contract of around €5 per month. This will hold the contract open, for example while you are back in your home country.

Reception is everything

Reception is divided into 2G, 3G, and HSPA (High Speed Packet Ac-cess). The most basic connection is 2G, which will provide very slow internet access, and is fine for sending and receiving short emails. How-ever, to be able to send emails with attachments, or listen to the radio without annoying interruptions, we have found that the connection must be 3G or above. Since my husband needed to send large attachments of up to 5MB, we had to find locations where we could get 3G or HSPA.

The table below lists places that we have visited with corresponding available connectivity. Get connected!

Jody Taylor and her husband Paul have been cruis-ing the Ionian on their 33 foot aluminium, junk rigged schooner Zefka, for the last three years. They plan to leave the Ionian in July this year and head west towards the Canary Islands for the winter.

Aghia Eufimia (Kefalonia) 3G

Aktio HSPA

Corfu Town (NAOC Yacht Club and Anchorage)

2G ranging to HSPA (very intermittent)

Itea HSPA

Kalamos HSPA

Kastos HSPA

Lakka (Paxos) HSPA

Messolongi HSPA

Paleros 2G occasionally 3G

Parga HSPA

Petala 2G

Poros (Kefalonia) 3G occasionally HSPA

Preveza HSPA

Sivota/Mourtos 2G/3G from Mourtos harbour 2G in Butterfly Bay

Vathi (Ithaca) HSPA

Vathi (Meganissi) 2G occasionally 3G

Vlikho HSPA

Vonitsa 2G

KARYATIS TRAVEL Tourism And Tour Operator

JENNY NOTA

EL. Vanizelou & Salaminos 1, PREVEZA Tel-fax: 2682301077

Mob: 6930800603—6949225729 Email:[email protected]

www.4uthesite.gr


The Ionian Yacht Services To advertise: Call: 69486 46764; Email: [email protected] or go online: www.theionian.com/advertising.html and pay by credit card, debit card, bank transfer or PayPal. Please submit your ad by the 15th of each month.

MISSED THE

BOAT?

ADVERTISE

in

The Ionian

CALL TODAY:

69486 46764

ELPIDA KIRKY ENGINEERING SUPPLIES

BALL BEARINGS, BEARING HOUSINGS, BOLTS, CHAINS AND SPROCKETS, FILTERS, HYDRAULIC HOSES

10 km TO VONITSA AND LEFKAS IN AG. NIKOLAOS

Tel: 69371 15056


The Ionian Yacht Services

Dimitrios Galanos Ethnikis Antistasis 47

(Shopping Street) PREVEZA

Tel: 26820 28431

ARE YOU SERIOUS about maintaining good HEALTH?

Then take a look at our exclusive range of Aloe Vera Health and Skincare Products

Forever Living Products and its affiliates are the world leaders

in the production of Aloe Vera our products contain 100% stabilised Aloe Vera Gel

More info at:

www.yourforeveraloeshop.com

BOB PHELPS YACHT CARPENTER

NEW TEAK DECKS & INTERIORS WOODEN HULL REPAIRS

LEFKADA ISLAND, AKTIO, VONITSA TEL: 6932 877813

The Ionian Business Services

Europcar

Dimitris Gantzias Area Manager

Head office:

16 Panagou St. Lefkas

Tel: 26450 23581 Fax: 26450 23282 Mob: 6944 585911

[email protected] www.lefkastravelmate.gr

YOU RENT A LOT MORE THAN A CAR

BRING THIS AD TO RECEIVE A 5% DISCOUNT ON LABOUR.

The Ionian Health Services

To advertise: Call: 69486 46764; Email: [email protected] or go online: www.theionian.com/advertising.html and pay by credit card, debit card, bank transfer or PayPal. Please submit your ad by the 15th of each month.


FREE AFTER DINNER COFFEE WITH AD

FREE COFFEE WITH AD

ITHACA

By car: Turn left before Vonitsa and follow the signs to ПРОΣ ПΑΝΑΓΙΑ or by boat: anchor in the bay just after the lighthouse at Ak Panayia.

VONITSA

LEFKADA ISLAND

PREVEZA

The Ionian Restaurants and Bars


We welcome your comments, letters and emails. Please write, not ex-ceeding 250 words to: [email protected] . (Letters may be edited)

Classifieds

FOR SALE

Several readers asked what hap-pened to our Business Directory. The directory has been growing steadily and so we’ve moved it to The Ionian website where there is more room and where advertisers have links added to their websites. To visit the direc-tory go to: www.theionian.com/directory.html. To list your busi-ness, send an email to [email protected]

Dear Editor, I was very interested to read the article by Ann Ruffles on weight

management in the Health and Beauty section of the July edition of The Ionian. . However, I would like to know more about how to count calories and how many I would need to lose weight. Can you help me? Chris (last name withheld) Dear Chris, Thank you for your comments. If you go to Ann Ruffle’s website you will find all the information there: www.aloeveragelinfo.com/formula

NEW APARTMENT FOR SALE 87 SQ.M. Fireplace, central heating, b.b.q. veranda with awning, modern kitchen, storage room. Preveza tel. 69463 74794

To advertise: Call: 69486 46764; Email: [email protected] or go online: www.theionian.com/advertising.html

EL. VENIZELOU AND I. MOUSTAKI ON THE SOUTH END OF THE QUAY, PREVEZA

Pita Grill Salads Breakfast

Alcohol Juice Drinks

Crepes Sandwiches Pizzas Omelettes

Spaghetti Coffees Desserts Croissants

Delivery from 11:00 (morning) until 02:00 (night)

tel: 26820 28550 tel: 26820 28198

ELLICAT

Elegant, fast, classic cat fully equipped for the Mediterra-nean. Prototype of the 30ft Iroquois class. Built 1964, cold moulded wood, epoxy sheathed. We have spent 3 months a year on her for 10 years and have just returned from Turkey. Now ashore at Aktio Marine. Hood sails, Yamaha 9.9 four- stroke, storage cover, dinghy in davits with 2hp Yamaha. Excellent condition. 17,500 euros – any offer considered. Reason for sale: age, us, not the boat. Peter at: + 447974 643 894

Lost inflatable floor for a 2.4 m dinghy. Last seen half mile north of Apelike entrance, Meganissi in northerly wind tel: 69475 14872.

LOST AND FOUND

You Have The Last Word

©Kevin Jones www.sailingpics.com


FRESH LOCAL FISH, VONITSA RAISED MEAT, FREE RANGE EGGS AND HOME GROWN PRODUCE COOKED BY YOUR CHEF PANOS MARIS TO PERFECTION. MEET YOUR FRIENDS FOR A GREAT MEAL TONIGHT

the ionian august 2010

Documents

ionian greek honey

ionian art

ionian health

ionian calendar

ionian destinations

ionian life greek honey

ionian community news

culture restaurant reviews