Blog Mad, the new traffic generator, looks to be as fun as Blog Explosion. More importantly they are promising a 1:1 ratio. (one visitor to your blog for each blog you view).
Register with this link, please: http://www.blogmad.net/index.php?ref=d7a9e4f3a3ea1c2
P.S. Happy Birthday to my Mom -- 86 today and going strong.
Our friend Ron sent this photo and message yesterday.
First see the attachment, me in the sea today, beach temp 19, water temp
15, very refreshing, stayed in about 10 minutes.(In Fahrenheit that is 66 and 59)
Please comment with a photo caption!
While I lay sleeping. . .
This is what Karin was doing this morning.
Karin enjoys the many photo opportunities on Paros. She took these three photos yesterday.
One is our landlord, Mathias, and some of his other tenants as they pass by our veranda.
The other two are on our veranda.
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--If you are on our Newsletter mailing list you can skip this post. It is a slightly modified version of the December Newsletter.--
Greetings to one and all from the Shepherds on Paros,
Notice the figs on the tree outside the DEMA (city hall).
Many of you have been waiting months for our next newsletter. All I can say is that it never made it to the top of our To Do list. This year Karin has helped less at the hotel and spent more time housekeeping and nest building at our home in Aliki. So I have spent more time at the hotel and marketing, and . . . well, enjoying our island both in Parikia and Aliki.
So for those of you that like to keep up with island happenings we have an alternative. I have started a blog about Greek island life. In the blog I not only tell of anything interesting that we are doing but provide information about other Cyclades islands and Greece travel. I am enjoying the bloging sensation.
For the up-coming 2006 season we are emphasizing our Art Workshops with two scheduled in May and three in September. This year we are also marketing several villas in addition to the hotel. It is not too early to pick a date for your holiday here. Let us know and we will match you to the best location for you.
We are enjoying the quiet, non-commercial Christmas here. Read more about it on our blog.
Another big happening is that Karin and I are taking Greek lessons. We learned this:
ΚΑΛΑ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥΓΕΝΝΑ
ΚΑΙ
ΚΑΛΗ ΧΡΟΝΙΑ
If that is Greek to you, then try this:
MERRY CHRISTMAS
AND A
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Michael & Karin
P.S. Before the end of the year we are changing our web site hosting provider. So if any links don't work, please try again after 3 days.
For the second time this holiday season deTraci Regula of About Network has featured this blog on her blog and now her newsletter that goes out to boucou subscribers. So I feel compelled to talk more about Christmas on Paros even though I have been negligent about taking photos.
Last week we went to the local charity bazaar. It is quite well organised and very well attended due to participation by all the youth groups and other island organizations. On sale is everything from home-made baked goods to Greek pop music calendars as well as second-hand junk. Our friend Patricia who also runs her own bazaar in Aliki does quite well with her chutneys and specialty jams.
Karin spent time examining the hand-made jewelry while I checked out the main "grab bag" booth. For 5 Euro you got two chances at a dazzling array of prizes--from a new bicycle, used computer, to countless bottles of wine and bags of cookies. I should have been clued-in by the still large assortment on the last night, but I thought with so much available surely I will get something for my fiver. Wrong! I drew two blank pieces of paper. So the universal phrase comes to mind: Oh, well. It's for a good cause.
If my blog and web site is not enough Greek information for you, do check out deTraci's Greece for Visitors. It is very high quality and informative. She is a professional at keeping up on all things Greek.
What do beer and haiku have in common you ask? For the answer you have to go to
http://beerhaikudaily.blogspot.com/2005/12/beer-on-island.html
All I promise is that there is a Greek island theme and an excellent picture of Parikia after dark.
Yamas!
Not much happening on Paros so I thought I would show a couple pictures of Folegandros from our visit last April.
After reading the description of this island in guide books many people want to visit. Few do, however, because the ferry schedule makes it a very time consuming journey. In our case after 6 hours on the ferry we could see our Aliki end of Paros just a nautical mile or two away (on clear days we can see Folegandros from our balcony).
The island was an interesting change from Paros as it is mostly mountainous and is noted for still using traditional methods of farming and handicrafts. The history is also different as it was un-populated for various long periods of the past. Not much was open during our April weekend visit but we enjoyed the dramatic scenery as we mo-peded up and down the hills.
More on the Cyclades at our web site.
Athens city centre is very festive at this time of year. We were there 3 years ago and hope to get back yet this year. The press release below doesn’t give the full flavour of all the entertainment provided on the streets. There were countless unofficial performers, even a band from the Andes in South America, fun holiday booths, food galore and the tradition we have not seen elsewhere of Santa Clauses with ponies to ride.
I realise now that my photos and my words are not up to describing the glory and joy that one feels when surrounded by thousands of people all having a fun time. You have to be there.
From: Travel Daily News
Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyannis presented this year’s “Christmas in Athens” programme during a press conference at City Hall.Excerpts of Mayor Bakoyannis’ address follow:
“For all of us, but particularly our youngest citizens, the Christmas season is the most magical time of year.We want all children in Athens to experience the magic, colour and joy of the season and, for that reason, the municipality has organised for festive events to take place throughout the City of Athens. The city is once again being transformed into a Yuletide wonderland, where those of us who are young-at-heart can relive the fairytales of our youth.
Christmas in Athens is also very important for another reason. It presents an opportunity for us to promote the capital abroad and bring more tourists to the city, who, in turn, generate economic benefits. Following the successful staging of “Christmas in Athens” festivities over the past two years, we believe we have set the foundations for an institution unique to this country.
Our motto this year is “Christmas lights, trees and friends, the party in Athens never ends” and we invite all to join in the fun - to dance, play and celebrate! The party begins on December 15, when the Christmas tree at Syntagma Square will be lit, and continues through to January 8.
On December 17, Kotzia Square will come alive in the form of the Land of Gifts and Goodies. It will feature 52 miniature log cabins full of Christmas decorations and gift ideas, a Christmas tree and a second carousel.
At the Zappeion Gardens, one will encounter “The Crystal City” and within this wonderland is a 450-square metre ice-rink where all are welcome to test their skills on the ice.
On December 21, Omonia Square will get into the spirit of the season as the Sparkling Tree, a beautiful white Christmas tree adorned with thousands of shimmering lights, is illuminated.
And finally, the New Year’s Eve concert at Kotzia Square promises to be a rousing celebration with an exclusively Greek flavour.”
In an earlier post I mentioned the social whirl as people left for the winter. Well, we missed out on one party this Tuesday because Monday we learned there were various strikes scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. So our Dutch friends had to leave Tuesday morning instead of Wednesday. Their flight doesn't leave Athens until Thursday so that means two nights of expensive, big city hotel.
Unfortunately this type of travel uncertainty is part and parcel of island life. Usually, however, it is just the winds that cause us to be flexible. We always tell visitors to save seeing Athens for the homeward leg in order to buid in a time cushion.
To explain the strike situation is way beyond me. I have read several news reports but it does no good with out a glossary defining the alphabet soup of labor association names. The short version is that transportation workers are striking for a few hours each day on Tuesday and Thursday and government workers are striking on Wednesday. The practical version is that the traveler has to check with their airlines constantly for updated information and that they must allow at least half a day for every hour of travel distance.
Fortunately the Greece strike season is mainly during non-tourist times. The labour movement knows it would kill the golden goose if too many tourists are inconvenienced. Occasionally we will have a strike or two in June but never July or August. Also in most cases there are alternative means of travel. Part of the Greek experience is for nothing to be precise
In case you are wondering, the strikes are part of a continuing dispute between the government and the unions about measures being taken to modernize the Greece economy after 20 plus years of a socialist government.
I just finished eating two absolutely delicious soft-boiled eggs. Every time I eat eggs I think about the last time we visited my mother in Oregon. The supermarket eggs there were completely tasteless. We even tried paying more than twice as much for free-range eggs. They were only slightly better.
I think maybe I should design a spread sheet to compare and contrast Paros life versus USA life. It is so difficult to remember something so simple as tasty eggs when you are wrestling with the likes of incompetent help at our Parikia supermarket.
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Last night, Sunday evening, was the lighting of the town Christmas Tree. We were surprised how similar it was to others we have been to, yet pleasantly different in a Greek way.
The manger or creche contained school children dressed elaborately for their roles. The carols had familiar tunes with Greek words. The brass band were in their one and only uniform, that is the same one they wear on all occasions. The Mayor's speech was surprisingly short. Santa Claus was a minor figure; the emphasis was on the birth of Christ.
We were very impressed when two men lifted two of the younger manger characters to the stage who then spoke out loud and clear with prepared speeches that were several sentences long. These were pre-schoolers who were not affected by the crowd or the microphone and knew their parts perfectly.
We were also impressed when the tree lights came on. Before we had only noticed a string of large bulbs, yet the tree was completely covered with small lights. The large bulbs were just flashing blue highlights. The amazement was that coming on all at once they didn't blow a fuse for the whole town!
By the way, most people know that the buildings in the Cyclades are 95% blue and white. I find it interesting that blue lighting is as popular here as our English traditional red and green.
More later.
Oh, the relentlessness of island social life; it can be wearing, you know. While a few of the expats reside here year around, most also have homes in their countries of origin that they return to periodically, usually during the winter.
This means, of course, that we must have a going away party when they leave. And, of course, we must celebrate their return as well. I will drink to that.
So yesterday we had a going away lunch for John, a popular waiter here in Aliki, with all his favourite foods. He claims he hasn’t eaten that well in years because he usually grazes through restaurant leftovers.
We ate on the patio; acknowledging why we live on our island with the winter sun muting the usual round of complaints that make up the trade offs for our life here.
Paros is a great island for the leisurely bicycle riders because you can go around the whole island with only one major hill climb. Yet you still have spectacular scenery. You can also take shorter rides on nearly flat back roads with a plentiful supply of beaches and tavernas. The enthusiast has more than one hill climb into the mountains.
One island resident, Len Rooks, has caught island fever, however. It is so easy to get overly enthusiastic here, but most people temper it by getting second opinions over an uozo at the taverna.
Len has created and is strongly promoting a challenge for himself and others. He will be 60 in 2006 and is in a two year training regimen to ride the same distance as the Tour De France--3,639 kms (2,275 miles) over 21 days riding, with 2 rest days. There will also be other distances and courses for less fit and for off-road riders. It should be a fun event for all bicyclists and their friends.
More information at Tour of Paros: A charity cycle ride coinciding with the 2006 Tour De France in July.
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bicycling
Conventional wisdom says Christmas is not as big a holiday in Greece as Easter. Compared to the US and many other countries this is probably true. Easter here not only has the huge religious significance--as it does elsewhere--it is one of the traditional family reunion times. Usually held in good weather I have heard it described as Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Easter in one holiday.
Christmas here is gaining ground, however. Especially in the amount of decorations. The villages all have decorated street lights and there are a scattering of houses with exterior decorations. In early November we were quite surprised at the large stacks of Christmas lights on sale.
The highlight for Karin and I is all the music programs. Paros is blessed with two active art schools that produce programs at the end of each term. So, for example, this week there are three choral concerts being presented. The venue is usually one of the smaller churches so the beauty and acoustics lend a lot to the quality of the voices.
This week we also have the annual Bazaar put on by the volunteer organizations as well as the official tree lighting in Parikia. Doesn't that all sound like Christmas elsewhere?
If I cared about keeping my suntan, I would have been out laying in the sun today. It had real heat to it. Instead I am thinking about taking up fishing--become a real Greek!
Last February, March in Parikia I saw the kamaki (hotel tout) who found me my first room on Paros years ago out at the end of the bay fishing most days. I thought then maybe I should do that as well; then we would be healthier from eating more fish. But I noticed that he spent most of his time just staring at the water, and, of course, the few boats bobbing on it and the scenery in the background. I knew that wasn't fore me; I would rather read or "work" on the computer.
This autumn nearly everyday I notice someone sitting on a pier or the rocks in Aliki harbour with pole in hand. It looks like an attractive way to spend some time in the sun. Now if I could see that they actually catch something, maybe I would give it a try.
We do see more professional fisherman out now and through April because it is the main occupation for those who spend their summers working in the hotels and restaurants. The Parians that is; the Athenians have all gone back to the big city and whatever they do there while waiting for the season to reopen back on Paros.
Today was especially warm so Karin and I decided to take some sandwiches and go for a moped ride up into the hills. It was delightful little jaunt into the history of the island.
During the Byzantine period (1600 give or take a few hundred years) the entire island population lived in the hills, mostly around the village of Lefkes. That area is great to ride and walk through because of the evidence of the by gone era. Today we were on the back side of that same mountain in the vicinity of a village that just died off in the last 20 years. There are still one or two farmers using the fertile but narrow river valley, including the only cherry orchard on the island (supposedly). Mostly, however, the few remaining houses not in ruins are holiday homes. They have a quiet, relaxing atmosphere with a distant sea view but also a hellish road that is a river bed in the rain.
In other words the mountain valleys--there is another word for these narrow gorges with occasional terraces, but I don't know it--are a separate world from the coastal villages that have grown up since tourism came to Paros in the last 20 years.
Today I got a haircut. Big deal you say. Yes, it shows how nothing is simple and easy on a small island. To start with I went by the barbershop on Tuesday morning before noon and no one was there--there have never been any signs--nor was the barber in his usual coffee shop. So I wait for the next trip into town. Maybe he was gone a few days because today I was 3rd in line.
This is my third barber in the six years that I have been coming here (not counting a couple tries at hairdressers where they charge stylist prices for mediocre cuts). He is finally learning how I like my hair. Of course, it is complicated by the fact that he is deaf and mute. Although given my command of Greek that is a minor difference in communication.
I have a history of miscommunication with barbers here. No matter what I indicated they would cut my hair too short. So I had a friend write a note in Greek to just take a little hair off; the barber read it as just leave a little, I guess. So when another friend recommended the deaf guy I had him write a new note since I figured this barber would be better at following written instruction. Nope, same result.
So I don't bother getting a haircut very often and alternate between the shaggy look (Irish) and the shaved look (German). Though one benefit of the deaf barber is that I don't need to bother with small talk or listen to his view of American politics like most other barbers. There are always trade-offs in island life, you see.
