Living on the island of Paros I drink a lot of Greek island wine, yet I am not a connoisseur. I am an imbiber. I drink what is available at the time and place. Just as Greek light and air have influenced art since the dawn of civilization so do the atmosphere and sun at our local taverna influence the taste of the wine before us.

All restaurants and tavernas on the islands serve an “open” or barrel wine at usually a very low price –sometimes the price is so low I double the tip out of guilt. I always try the local offering and am only rarely disappointed. When sitting on a shaded veranda with the sound of the sea lapping against the sand and either the villa-clad hills or open sea in the background it would have to be a very bad wine to take away from the sense of well being. Though, I have found that when the Greek male host is especially boastful of his own wine it tends to not be to my liking, usually because it is too sweet.

While some of this open wine may come from the proprietors home stock, most comes from a large plastic jug and is produced at a central island winery. Each island tends to specialize in a different variety. Santorini produces mostly white wine using the Assyrtiko grape that was originally cultivated there and now is grown all over Greece. Paros is famous for the quality of its Mandelaria red grape.

Perhaps when comparing the world market including France, California, & Australia then wines from Greece would not sell well on the High Street wine shop shelves. Yet when in Greece at one of the many “fine dining” restaurants enjoying the well-cooked lamb or the octopus, would it not be a sacrilege to order a wine from Germany, for instance? There are many quality bottled Greek wines. Here on Paros we have the Moraitas family-run winery producing superb hand-crafted wines for that special occasion.

My recommendation, whether you are a wine connoisseur or just an imbiber like me, is to make your next winery tour on the Greek islands. Come to Paros and I will show you my favorite taverna at Palm Beach, where you forget life’s problems regardless of what you are drinking.

The photo is of an abandoned farm in Aliki, Paros

Share our piece of paradise on Paros: www.ParosParadise.com

These are two items that I keep forgetting to post.

First a new blogging community that looks like fun as well as being informative:

Second, a Gazoo that grew old in my Inbox:

If you are a member of Blogazoo here is a Gazoo

If you are not yet a member; join here for blogging benefits. Blogazoo

Cheers

This photo I caption "Tom Hanks from our rooftop". It was taken in 2004 when Tom and his family spent a week on Antiparos, the island in the background of the photo. We saw the yacht coming across and knew it must be him.

A couple years before that we admired a yacht in Parikia for several days only to discover later it was Sean Connery's.

Of course many other celebrities have been here. Last summer Karin had drinks with local boy, Yannis Parios. If that name doesn't mean anything to you, you just aren't up on your Greek superstars. He has one gold disc and 2 platinums!

Every summer a big Club Med cruise ship drops anchor off our beach. That is fun to watch. Last year Karin saw this go by:



More information about the Sea Cloud here:

http://www.travellady.com/articles/article-seacloud.html



More of our story on our web site.

Today our Aegean island was like being in Los Angeles, USA--the air was brown. Last night there was a heavy wind from the South then it rained. Afterwards there is a heavy brown layer of dirt on everything. As we drove our mopeds into town we could taste it in the misty air. My jacket had dust in the seams and crevises.

This dirt, we are told, comes from North Africa. I can not imagine how many tons of soil is transported when just my moped has a measurable amount on it. Here is a scientific article that mentions up to 4,000 metric tons per hour: http://www.co2science.org/scripts/CO2ScienceB2C/subject/d/summaries/duststorms.jsp

The dirty rain is common whenever we have a strong South wind combined with rain, but the mist is unusal since it it is usually windy.

To follow up the Ferry Strike post: The strike ended yesterday but before the boats could sail the winds reached Beaufort 9 which means NO GO! So our friends got on to the ferry Thursday evening but didn't leave port until late Friday morning. We hope they see their tribulations as a cultural experience and not as a fiasco causing them to give up and return to organised British routine.

This just came in on Yahoo Alerts:

Red Fog Covers AtticaERT.gr Fri, 24 Feb 2006 2:13 AM PSTA thick cloud of dust has covered the Attica Basin, while the visibility in many parts of Greece is low. In addition, sandstorms were recorded on the island of Crete. The ships remain docked in the ports of Piraeus and Rafina due to the strong southern winds reaching 9 on the Beaufort scale.

We have lived on Paros for 7 seasons now and have come to accept strikes as a way of life. Hardly a month goes by without 2 or 3, especially in June and September for the ferries and tourist businesses. Usually you know ahead of time when they will start and when they will end. It is more difficult to know who will be participating; even the strikers don't know.

Now, for the first time, we have a strike dragging on for more than 2 days. We are approaching 1 week with no ferries. To make it worse it was originally announced as a 3 day strike then it has been extended twice. So trucks are sitting on the docks; many loaded with perishable goods and the farmers of Crete are going crazy. I won't go into much detail; if you are interested there is English language news at http://www.ert.gr/en/

Personally our most serious consequence is that our friends returning from the UK are stuck in Piraeus/Athens and Karin has to feed their cat a few days longer. Also we had to buy extended life milk as all dairy products are shipped in. Many Parians will be more affected, of course, as supplies of everything run out. When ever anything breaks down we usually need to wait for a part from Athens, so I feel sorry for those with broken cars or computers--TOUCH WOOD!

There is no air freight and only two passenger flights per day with a small plane. Who knows why the government-owned airlines can't increase flights as they do in the summer. There is no knowing how many people are trapped on the island or trapped on the mainland trying to get home.

Almost overnight the wind changed from North to South. It feels so nice to get up to a warm house and to sit in the sun. I could not copy the graphic from the weather site but with a little imagination you can decipher below. Note the little difference between high and low. That is typical here.

(58 is 14 C; 56 is 13C)

5-Day Forecast for Paros
Monday Clear 58 ° 56 ° (It actually got to 63 today)

Tuesday Clear 59 ° 57 °

Wednesday Clear 59 ° 57 °

Thursday Clear 59 ° 57 °

Friday Chance of Rain 59 ° 57 °

Info from Weatherunderground: http://www.weatherunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=Paros+Greece

I just discovered the availability of this book as well as more links to people who have done it--chucked it in and ran away to Greece.

Comment about your dreams to do the same and I will respond with food for thought.




Synopsis
An introduction to the Greek way of life, which is aimed specifically at those intending living or working in the country and which provides practical information and advice on travel, accommodation, health, work, starting a business, education and recreation, with a glossary of Greek terms and useful addresses.

Athens News
'This informative handbooks guides the newcomer through all the procedures they need to know.'

For those interested in the bigger expatriate scene we have numerous links on our World Travelers Page -- including volunteer opportunities.

expatriate,working abroad,Greece,volunteer

In one way the new season started last night: our "local" re-opened.

When the season is in full swing there are between 10 and 12 establishments where one can buy food and drink in Aliki. The busiest is always Manoli's. It is a real cash cow for a young man in his 30's; scion of a local family.

Last night when he opened after a 2 month holiday there was a festive spirit in the air. About half the crowd were his friends and relatives the other half were like us, thankful for a comfortable place to eat and drink. We sat at a table with two expat brits and discussed the sociology of pub culture; comparing Greece with England, Ireland and the USA.

We all have different explanations of why Manoli does so well. Some of them are his personality; his menu--simple and basic: sandwiches, omelets; pizza, and just a couple Greek staples as well as ice cream treats and, of course, all the drinks; his children's play room making families welcome. We all agree you can't beat the location. As you look out to the right is the tree-filled central park with the beach beyond; to the centre is the beach and harbour full of small boats; to the left are piers with other restaurants and the fishing fleet. At sunset it is breathtaking; after dark it is romantic; during the day there is always activity to watch--during the season that is.

Can you tell I am anxious for the season?

That is Manoli's in the background during an annual car rally.

The theme of this blog is Greek island life, but today I discovered a site about Greek life--national and international-- that I found quite interesting. The site owners descibe it thus:

"The Greek Village Online -- a virtual community of Hellenism around the world -- is a web site conceived, created and managed by TetNet Internet Promotions Inc.. We are continually striving to create a site which reflects all of the vital aspects of day-to-day community life and warmth found in a Greek village as well as the cosmopolitan character of Hellenes of the "global village". "

I suggest you just go and browse it if you like all things Greek.

For more on just island life, of course, go to our web site: www.ParosParadise.com

I have not posted much because life is been slow--mostly holed up because it has been cold and rainy with promise of better days. So we wait for the better days rather than brave the poor ones.

Rain or shine, however, Carnival season has started. I have discovered another difference between Christmas elsewhere we have known and Greece: in the USA, for instance, most companies and groups have annual parties during the month before Christmas. Here they are held furing the 3 weeks before Lent.

As an example this last weekend the island tennis club held their annual celebration billing it as "Meeting & New Year's Vassilopita Cutting" and the Folkdance Group of Naoussa held their annual Dance Party.

Yep, rip-roaring good times.


Part of this message was delivered by PAROSWEB EVENTS, a mailing service which reaches the "Paros Island Online Community", a very targeted audience of about 4.000 persons.
Please contact us when you wish to broadcast your event.

I just clobbered together this article from bits and pieces that I have written for several web pages, i.e. a collage.

Picture perfect painting with pizzazz on our Paros paradise--It is easy to get carried away with the joy of living on a Greek isle.

The air and light of Greece has attracted artists for a longer time than any other place known to mankind. It is a European country like no other. You can not turn a corner without seeing remnants of the ancient civilization.

"The feature which most distinguishes the Greek from any other Mediterranean landscape is its clear spirituality.”
Some Aspects of Modern Greek Art by Manolis Hadjidakis

The history of the Cyclades predates even that of Athens with the added attraction to artists of crisp air and brilliant colors. Included in this group are dramatic Santorini and posh Mykonos. Paros is the hospitable island with just the right proportions of culture, people, shops and other activities and an over generous supply of fine beaches with warm water and charming tavernas.

The incomparable beauty of this enchanting island offers painters a symphony of blues and golds to inspire their work. Today there is a strong and vibrant artist’s community on the island. Many are Greeks but even more are of other nationalities. Some are world renown, most are content to live and work in such a conducive environment that they care not for the lure of marketing to a larger population. Many tutors from the US and the UK bring their classes here to stretch their students to a new level of expression.


The potential painting locations are endless. Here are but a few examples.
Lefkes is a village favored by the artistic minded (right brain). It is physically impossible to contort yourself to not see a painting, photo or pleasant view.
Piso Livadi equals beach = boats = active fishing pier = mountain with monastery -- oh yes, and the sea. Aliki is a small, very calm and peaceful village yet full of Cycladic architecture. Naoussa, the in place with a colorful touristy façade, is both quaint and active. Painters find it difficult to choose from the incredible variety of images.

Everywhere and anywhere through out the island workshop students are encouraged to find their own creative voice and develop their personal visual language to both communicate and be fed by the beauty that they see. Generally there is a specific agenda filling each day but structured to facilitate and enhance each participant’s individual experience. Days are a combination of painting and leisure time; evenings provide a mix of socialising with fellow artists and free time.

Paros hoteliers are well experienced in providing trouble-free accommodations that automatically induce relaxation. Accommodations have the plain Cycladic architecture that you see everywhere and offer the same clean private bathrooms and balconies that you find elsewhere. The difference is provided by hosts who have traveled through-out the world and have now settled on Paros to specialise in creating an environment that allows artists to enhance their own art.

In summary our Greek isle life style is a work of art in which you are invited to share.


Michael Shepherd
http://www.parosparadise.com/
Qualified instructors have teamed with the experienced hospitality of Michael & Karin Shepherd to create low cost workshops on Paros, Greece. The island with something for everyone.

I am quite perturbed!! (In thinking about this post I used less polite language.) --At myself--let me tell you why . . .

Monday I noticed my whisky supply was getting low so I think tomorrow I will buy some. Tuesday was very stormy so I think, No big deal, tomorrow will be O.K. Wednesday mid-afternoon I think, I must must remember to go to the store this evening when they re-open after 5:30. Then at about 7 P.M. I put on my shoes, coat and hat, start up the moped and hop on down to the local shop--CLOSED--just like it is every Wednesday evening October through April.

I have been living in Europe for over 10 years and on Paros for about half that time; I still cannot get used to Wednesday closing! Saturday it is easy to remember to stock up on groceries to last until Monday but I just cannot get used to not having a shop open during socialable hours. Maybe a night without whisky will teach me.

I first saw that term socialable hours in Ireland as part of their labour laws. Greece is much more behind the times in legislating the market place thus the Wednesday closing and other regulated shop hours. Tourist areas have seasonal exemptions so we are not as bothered by it as most areas. Times are changing, however, as Greece slowly comes up to EU norms despite constant protest by the unions and other vested interests. I will write more on this subject as well. (Contain your excitement, please.)

We just completed a week of exciting television! That is pretty amazing on a Greek island and especially considering that when we were in the US last year with 80 plus channels we still had trouble finding something of quality.

The show we enjoyed was Donald Trump's The Apprentice. We watched nearly the whole season in about one week courtesy of friends of a friend in the US. That is they tape the shows and then about twice a season send the copies to our friend who shares them around the island. This is the best way to watch because we can fast forward through the repetitive parts at the beginning of each episode. Also we can choose which commercials to watch as they are frequently our favourite parts.

Anyway, I was surprised myself at how entertained we were by a popular TV show. We really got involved with the participants and came down to the final episode not wanting either Randal or Rebecca to lose. We had quite the family discussions about ethics and business and needs of TV productions. All very stimulating compared to our usual fare.

Greece has several TV stations but only a few broadcast their signal to our island; and only a few of those have any English language broadcasts--old movies with Greek subtitles. The two strongest stations are government owned so you can imagine how seldom there is something interesting on them. Though this year we have Eurovision to look forward to in May. I will write more about that in another post. Mostly we rent videos; the shop in Parikia has full selection.

For those expats who like to watch TV there are several satellite packages available. A few friends have a package from the UK; one has a predominately German package. I don't know if you can get mostly US programs--who would want to?

Followers of this blog will remember that a great many of our posted photos are taken from our veranda/balcony. While we see many fishing boats out in the bay and sea beyond, we never expected to see one motoring by on the road.

As an aside: It is quite common on Sunday afternoons to see very young children driving cars around the various streets and roads; sitting in the laps of their fathers, of course.

If you are a member of Blogazoo here is a gAzoo

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Where is my Louis Armstrong, It's a Wonderful Life?

Warm, wonderful spring -- not quite, but almost. On my walk this morning the sun was quite warm and there were new purple flowers to complement the winter-long yellow ones. I even saw a fruit tree in blossom.

Our February schedule talks about the carnival season which means Easter is coming. Easter is spring--as well as the start of our season.

Even one of the village restaurants re-opened. New life everywhere.

My marketing experiment with the previous post did not produce the hoped for result: increased Google income.

So for an entertainment interlude I have posted more Paros & Folegandros photos into the community galleries at Webshots.