Guest post by my wife, Karin:

A big decision has been in the making over the past few months in our house by the sea. Deliberations going back and forth, with discussions of personal dreams and desires. Which has been fun in a way, because these "meetings" required only my husband and I and usually a couple glasses of ouzo!

It all started last year, in fact, with our 10 day trip to Prague for the Christmas Holidays...and it was Love At First Sight for both of us! When we left, I dragged my feet, cried a few "real" tears, and vowed to come back. Michael, as always, was a bit more quiet about it all, but actually his mind started thinking...slowly at first, but gathering momentum as the year passed. A busy summer came, and fall and winter were before us.

Now as wonderful, lovely, etc as life can be here on this beautiful island of Paros, it has one BIG drawback. When the tourists go home, and the island belongs to the locals again everyone sighs a big sigh of relief. For a couple of months we really enjoy the peace and quiet….the empty roads….the empty beaches. Then reality hits us....when the shops close, restaurants close, friends go back to their "other" homes in various places...and we are suddenly left with what feels like: nothing. OK, the scenery is still to die for, but culturally, it is about a 0 on a scale from 1 - 10! We have no TV (long, technical story – others on the island do) and we can only read just so many books. And how many times can you walk around the island….talking to the sheep?

That is the time a person starts dreaming their dreams...of getting off the island and finding some culture that inspires! But where? As everyone knows, the economy this year sucks so it has to be someplace close to home and not so expensive to get there.

Turkey was an option, as we travelled there last year and thought how much we would enjoy going south, to Bodrum perhaps, and stay a month or two. But somehow that did not appeal as it really is not that much different weather wise to here. (Is it possible to admit that we get tired of sun every day? People who live where it is cold and grey would never say yes to that!) Then, in a flash, we both looked at each other and said, "PRAGUE"! It just sounded and felt SO right.

From Michael again:

So this Thursday, Thanksgiving in the US but nothing here, we are on are way off island until March. I will be keeping up this blog as I find Paros and Greece items to write about—probably about the same frequency as I have the last few months. But even better, Karin will be joining me in writing about our Prague adventures. Those readers who have seen her past photo journalism efforts know they are in for a treat.

Please add this link to your readers, RSS, bookmarks, favorites, whatever you use: http://www.parosparadise.com/CzechMates

Last year in May when we visited the ancient site of Delphi we also spent some time in the town of Arachova, near the Mt. Parnassos ski area.  We enjoyed it and could see it would be a lively place during the ski season.

The report below, lifted directly from Athens News Agency, indicates that it is almost time to go back.

Ski resorts in northern Greece ready for first visitors

Maintenance work in most of the ski resorts in the northern part of the
country has been completed and all the facilities are ready for
visitors, as the first snow has started to fall in those regions.

The Mt Voras (Kaimakcalan) crown in the prefecture of Pella is already
covered with snow and temperature has dropped several degrees below
zero. The ski resort will be in full operation after the maintenance of
the ski lifts is completed.

In Naousa, the "Tria-Pente Pigadia" ski resort is ready for winter
sports lovers, while the first snowflakes are being expected at
Vigla-Pisoderi ski resort in Florina, northwest Greece, which usually
opens by mid November.

Ready for the tourists is Seli in Imathia Prefecture, while the ski
resorts of Vitsi in Kastoria Prefecture and Elatochori in Pieria
Prefecture, as well as Vasilitsa, Lailia and Falakro in the prefectures
of Grevena, Serres and Dramas respectively, are also preparing for the
winter.

Our May 2008 photos of Arachova are at:  http://picasaweb.google.com/ParosShepherd/Arahova?feat=directlink

Our Delphi photos are at:  http://picasaweb.google.com/ParosShepherd/AncientDelphi?feat=directlink

Wow! I am impressed with Google Maps.  Either they are getting better all the time or I am just discovering some cool features.

In just a few minutes I put together the map below.  It is a customised version of Paros showing a couple of my favourite beaches as well as the private villas that we have for rent.

I am going to have fun highlighting more of Paros’s features.  Please comment with what you think I should show.

Cheers

View Paros Hospitality in a larger map

The Olympic Flame is in the news again.  I can not think of anything that is more travelled.  It makes a round of the world every two years for both the Winter Olympics and the Summer Games.

Last Thursday there was a handover ceremony in Athens's Olympic Stadium attended by dignitaries of both Greece and Canada.  The flame is headed to Vancouver, Canada for the 2010 Winter Olympiad—and Paralympics.

The flame reached the stadium after a circuit of Greece starting in ancient Olympia where the lighting ceremony was held last week.  It won’t reach Canada until taking a circuit of the world.

In 2004 the flame was on Paros but my photos are of backs of heads of the crowd and the feet of the runners.  So here is a dramatic photo of a statue of ancient Olympia during the 2007 wild fires.

Photograph: Petros Giannakouris/AP