This is the second part of the list of blog entries about Ikaria that I like. As I said in the forenote of the first part, my ambition was to review, not just blogroll, so I wrote a few words about each blog entry and I picked out pictures and quotes. These quotes I sometimes hid “behind the pictures”.  Move your mouse over to read them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first selected entry of this part is by an American again, Lauren Carpenter (aka “Carpe Diem” in WordPress or “Magnis Libris” in Flickr) from San Francisco, a Pilgrim & Raconteur to her own words, who in 2007  embarked on grand adventure which was inspired by reading the Great Books. She began with an attempt to learn Greek on a little island in the Aegean Sea…

I like Lauren because she focuses on language as well as photography, also because she has a great sense of humor, not that “tourist sense of humor” which is so often ironic but a genuine traveller’s wit, so necessary when someone hits the road for knowledge. Many people think that Greek is a gate to it, so Lauren headed to Ikaria and followed a four-week course of Greek at the Ikarian Centre in the village of Arethousa.

The photos above are from  her Flickr stream. They also appear in her blog illustrating several Ikaria related entries of which I select:

A Brief History of Ikaria (read about the old Ikarian sense of habitation)

Hiking Raches  (read the story of the hiking accident!)

The Hijinx & Hilarity of Learning Greek (Good morning. Yadda yadda yadda yadda! )

Perilous Pronunciations (This is my favourite. Very hilarious! Must read. I can tell you, gaffes like these happen to Greek language beginners all the time!)

Thank you Lauren. Come again!  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How could I go past blog entries about Ikaria in German? After all it was the Germans who first discovered Ikaria in the 1970s. There must be something of romanticism of Goethe  in the island, it can’t be explained otherwise. I can read German but if you can’t you may still admire the photos.

  Among hundreds of pages about Greece Theo dedicates three blog entries to Ikaria. He writes about roads, landscape, politics, dogs, goats, development, under-developement, dancing, music… to leave out the numerous subjects discussed in the comments! It’s Theopedia alright.

So lesen sie,

Ikaria – 1

Ikaria – 2

 

Ikaria – 3

Auf wiedersehen Theo und viel dank.  May the spirit of Inselreisender Ludvig Ross -with his hat, glasses and long pipe- guide you to travel and share.

(By the way, readers, Ross was the imminent acheologist and traveller who, if luck had helped when he visited Ikaria in 1842, he might have saved the Temple of Artemis in Nas from being demolished.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For final of this part of reviews I chose a subject that some would say it doesn’t fit. But I am the reviewer and I think it does. After all my best friend likes it. That subject is surfing!

Waterwalls magazine dedicates several entries to Ikaria.

Dedalos would be proud!

   

Good vibes, good times.

   

Summer breeze

“I stood up man!!” about the local watersport school “Nalu Boys“ (why only boys?..)

 

I couldn’t help copying a few photos from that  local site. They are so good!..

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have a safe rest of winter. They told me it was snowing on my island today…

Thank you

See you next month or sooner.

This is the second part of the list of blog entries about Ikaria that I like. As I said in the forenote of the first part, my ambition was to review, not just blogroll, so I wrote a few words about each blog entry and I picked out pictures and quotes. These quotes I sometimes hid “behind the pictures”.  Move your mouse over to read them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first selected entry of this part is by Evan from Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA

who is Just Riding His Bike, and this is not a figure of speech. During the three spring months of 2009 Evan was really riding his bike around Turkey. Then he crossed to the Greek islands and found a Paradise on Ikaria.

This wouldn’t be news if Evan (or his friend Isa) wasn’t a cool photographer! I had seen his photos in Flickr but as the ones from Turkey and Ikaria were the earliest, when he reached the 200 pic limit, they disappeared from his photostream. Fortunately, a few of them were saved as favorites by other Flickr members, friends of mine. Anyway, to cut it short, here they are:

 

 

That was all from biking Milwaukee Evan.  Thanks heavens, we saved that much and it wasn’t bad at all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you found Evan’s Ikarian entry and photos unnoteworthy, what will you think about the next one which is lo o o o ng, plentiful and Greek!?

Κυριες και κυριοι σας παρουσιαζω το μπλογκ του Ροβιθε

και τις πληθωρικες καταχωρησεις του με label “Ικαρια“ που ειναι αφηγηματα και δοκιμια και πλακες και ποιηματα και πολιτικα και εχουν attitude και τα λατρευω, μονο που δεν εχω παντα τον χρονο να τα διαβαζω… Στις καταχωρησεις εχει ενα σωρο ωραιες φωτογραφιες. Διαλεξα αυτη…

… και φευγω γρηγορα απ’ το καριωτικο κολλημα του Ροβιθε γιατι πρεπει να συνεχισω. Να’ναι καλα και καλη πατριδα!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next selected blog entry is also by a Greek in Greek.

(But there are a lot of photos!)

Ειναι το “Φωτογραφιες απο την Ικαρια“ (2009) απο το πολυ γνωστο μπλογκ aformi.gr. Η καταχωρηση υπογραφεται απο τον Αγγελο Κ. και εχει ως προθυρο αυτη τη φωτογραφια

Εχω φυλαξει και επελεξα αυτη τη καταχωρηση γιατι μου αρεσε το εισαγωγικο σημειωμα. Ο φωτογραφος δεν κανει τουριστικες ληψεις, ουτε φωτογραφιζει τοπια, αλλα κανει κατι που φαινεται πως ξερει καλα. Κανει  “φωτογραφια δρομου” αλλα φωτογραφια δρομου στις διακοπες του στην εξοχη, δηλαδη εδω, στην Ικαρια.

Εξηγει:

«Κοιτάζοντας τις φωτογραφίες διακοπών μου πάντοτε είχα (και έχω) την εντύπωση ότι πολλές από αυτές μοιάζουν πολύ με καρτ ποστάλ, τους λείπει η αυθεντική συγκίνηση, η ανεπιτήδευτη προσέγγιση της ομορφιάς της φύσης. Γιατί;

Γιατί σαν άνθρωπος της πόλης η σχέση μου με τη φύση είναι εξωτερική, αποστασιοποιημένη, χωρίς βάθος. Όλα εκκινούν και τελειώνουν στην απλή (και εντελώς επιφανειακή) διαπίστωση της «ομορφιάς» της (και πάλι σε εισαγωγικά!). Πέραν τούτου ουδέν: δεν υπάρχει τίποτα άλλο για να κινητοποιήσει το νου, να υπάρξει ένας συνειρμός που να βαθαίνει στον εσωτερικό κόσμο ή στη θεώρηση του “εξωτερικού κόσμου”.

Ακόμα και όταν εμφανίζονται τέτοιες σκέψεις γρήγορα βυθίζονται στην κοινοτοπία. Τα «γαρούφαλλα του δειλινού» μπορούν να σε χαλαρώσουν μέχρι βαθμού αποχαύνωσης, όχι όμως να σε κινητοποιήσουν, να σε συνεγείρουν, να σε αλλάξουν (τίποτα, φυσικά, κακό στο χαλάρωμα!).

Το αντίθετο συμβαίνει με το αστικό τοπίο: η θέα της ασχήμιας των πολυκατοικιών, ο ζητιάνος στο δρόμο, το πλήθος που κινείται σιωπηλά στις πολύβουες λεωφόρους, τα μποτιλιαρισμένα αυτοκίνητα, οι άστεγοι στα παγκάκια, όλα σε αναγκάζουν να σκεφτείς, να στοχαστείς, να αντιδράσεις, να συζητήσεις, να διαφωνήσεις.

Καθόλου τυχαία λοιπόν, οι περισσότερες φωτογραφίες που θα δείτε μοιάζουν με φωτογραφίες δρόμου! Είναι ενσταντανέ άγνωστων σε μένα ανθρώπων στην παραλία.»

Βρισκω τη προσεγγιση του πολυ ειλικρινη και αμεση και την επικροτω. Ο Μεγαλος Ανθρωπινος Δρομος το καλοκαιρι περναει και απο παραλιες και βουνα. Ζητω ο δρομος! Ζητω οι ανθρωποι! Ζητω κι οι διακοπες! Μακαρι να ηταν για παντα.

Σας δειχνω μια επιλογη απο φωτογραφιες:

(πηγη: picasaweb © Angel kkakmisa)

     

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you bloggers!

Thank you readers!

See you next month or sooner.

Here is a list of blog entries about Ikaria that I like. I have been keeping them in my bookmarks since 2009 and I think that by now the list has grown long enough to share it with my readers. Because my ambition was this to be a review and not just a list of blog entries, I wrote a few words about each and picked out pictures and quotes. These quotes I sometimes hid “behind the pictures”.  Move your mouse over to read them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first blog entry in my bookmarks was by Danae (aka chez mon double). It’s in Greek and I think it’s one of the best.

Ικαρία το Μάη

Μια τυχερη περιηγηση στον καλυτερο μηνα της χρονιας με καταπληκτικες αντιπροσωπευτικες φωτογραφιες και οξυδερκεις περιγραφες που φανερωνουν διαβασμα και προετοιμασια.  Οπως συνηθιζω, εχω κρυψει μερικες πισω απο τις εικονες και διαβαζονται περνωντας το ποντικι απο πανω τους.

 

    

     

     

Κι εδω τελειωνει. Ευχαριστουμε. Ξανα το καλοκαιρι.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next blog entry is also in Greek by ‘ikaroia’, a quiet, discreet character who loves Ikaria and Reggae music. One of the entries is about camping and  this entry has become one of the most popular ones -if not THE most popular- about Ikaria in the web! That for undestandable reasons. There is in fact a huge interest in camping in the island. When I, years ago posted my idea about it, the entry  got -and still gets- top hits!

Ικαρία και ελεύθερο κάμπινγκ

“…Για μένα η λύση είναι μια! Ξεκάθαρη και την έχω ξαναγράψει σε παλιότερο ποστ. Η δημιουργία camping στην Ικαρία !..”

. . .. . .

Διαβαστε οπως τα γραφει γιατι εγω δεν εχω να προσθεσω τιποτα. Εχει απολυτο δικιο! Θα τονιζα μονο αυτο που ηδη λεει, δηλαδη, να γινει ενα σωστο καμπινγκ σε ωραιο μερος, οχι μια ‘μαντρα’ ανοιγμενη με μηχανηματα καπου στο πουθενα που θα θυμιζε στρατοπεδο συγκεντρωσης…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next blog in my bookmarks is a great favorite. It’s in English and it contains several entries about Ikaria on various subjects (hiking, wildlife, maps, local life, adventures and the sad barrel dogs) each one illustrated with outstanding photos. This is Connecting Dots by Jernej Burkeljca, a Slovenian who spent 3 months and 1 week in Ikaria and wrote everything about it.

It’s hard to dig and choose from Jernej’s entries. They start with

“My Aegean Campaign”

and then go: “trippin’”

the hilarious “Hitchhikers Guide to Ikaria”

the very flattering for my friends’ work  “Hikers guide to Ikaria”

the troubles and excitements of the photographer in the wild

“A proper focus lock anyone?”

the extreme… “Rock hoppers”

the sad story of “The guard dogs”

(eventually called "barrel dogs")

the big adventure of “The Ridge walk” in 2 days!

an introduction to Ikaria’s rivers in the “Canyoning guide to Ikaria”

Have you noticed how good the photos are in the above entries?

See more and better in the galleries: Ikaria part 1 and Ikaria part 2.

Thank you Jernej!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Can you speak Finnish? The last blog to review today is Johanna Robinson’s from Finland who was in Ikaria in the same period and for the same reasons as Jernej Burkeljca. Her blog entries about Ikaria make out a full diary of her stay in the island and for the little I could translate from Finnish, they were very interesting as to know how a 20 year old foreigner from up north feels in a remote island like Ikaria and in… winter!

But the actual excitement about Johanna’s blog is the photos! Unfortunately, there is no “gallery Ikaria” but if you scroll up and down her archives starting from April 2008 you will be amazed! Landscapes, adventures, smiling faces, bugs, flowers. I loved her flowers!!!

Somebody should dedicate a full article on Johanna’s photos from Ikaria. It would take time to pick, copy-paste and formate them in a special “photo entry” but they are so beautiful I think it’s worth the trouble. Some day.

Thank you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(to be continued...)

Ένα όραμα. Μια αθάνατη, πάντα επίκαιρη καταχώρηση που σήμερα έκανα share στο facebook.

Με τα χρόνια έμαθα κι εγώ να μη φοβάμαι τις ανεμογεννήτριες. Όπως είπε κάπου μια από τις co-authors αυτού του blog “και τους σιδηρόδρομους φοβόντουσαν πριν 200 χρόνια“. Και όμως σήμερα όπου περνάει το τρένο είναι τα πιο καλοδιατηρημένα, όμορφα τοπία.

Είναι κανείς να φυτέψουμε 100.οοο βελανίδια στα μπάζα και στον χαλασμό;

Γιατί η Μυτιληναίος Group που θα στήσει τις Α/Γ μάλλον δεν θα το κάνει, κι εμείς δεν έχουμε ούτε τη γνώση ούτε την ισχύ να τον κάνουμε να κάνει τόσο προχωρημένη και σοβαρή περιβαλλοντική αποκατάσταση.

Ό,τι και να γίνει, είναι μια παρηγοριά να σκέφτεται κανείς ποιο θα ήταν το σωστό και τ’ όμορφο.

Σ’ ευχαριστώ γι’ αυτό Ελένη. Που μου το θύμησες.

Ευχαριστώ και για τη φιλοξενία.

Άγγ.

.~* Το κειμενο που ακολουθει ειναι επισης δικο του
.~* και βρισκεται κατω απο την φωτογραφια.
.~* Εγω το μεταφρασα γιατι του αξιζει.

.~*

εφερε αυτο »

κυριως λογω αυτου »

που πουλιεται και τρωγεται στα πανηγυρια »

Α οχι δεν εφταιγε η Ε.Ε. και η Ελληνικη κυβερνηση. Αληθεια οτι η πρωτη δεν επρεπε να επιδοτει τις κατσικες κι η δευτερη επρεπε να ειχε καποιο ελεγχο της καταστασης.

Ομως πρωτα και κυρια το φταιξιμο ηταν δικο μας.

Ημασταν ρομαντικοι και δεν βλεπαμε εκεινο που ηταν μπροστα στα ματια μας. Οτι μια αρχαια παραδοση ειχε παρει μια καταστροφικη τροπη. Μια γιορτη ενος χωριου (“πανηγύρι”) οπου το μενου ηταν αποκλειστικα κατσικι και που ηταν προγραμματισμενη να ικανοποιησει 50-100 ατομα εως τη δεκατια του 1970, αναμενεται να θρεψει 4.000 τουριστες και ντοπιους στις μερες μας. Και ενω παλια γινονταν μονο 20-30 τετοιες γιορτες, τωρα εχουμε περισσοτερες απο 100 το χρονο, σχεδον ολες το καλοκαιρι.

Ημαστε Ελληνες. Ή θα ζησουμε με μετρο ή θα πεθανουμε. Επομενως οχι αλλο κατσικι για μενα παρακαλω.

Κατά χρονολογική σειρά σχετικές δημοσιεύσεις σε blogs:

Μερικοί την προτιμούν γυμνή
Ο τρελός λόγος μιας τρελής κατάστασης
Η καταιγίδα δεν ήταν η μόνη αιτία της καταστροφής
Καταστροφές στην Ικαρία: “βιομηχανικό ατύχημα;”
Σαλεμένο Πατατάτο Σώζει Δάση

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Αν ξερετε Αγγλικα διαβαστε τα σχολια κατω απο την φωτογραφια στο Φλικρ

Να κανετε συνειδητοποιημενες διακοπες. .~* Γεια χαρα!

An Adventure Film. A Love Story. An Initiative of Volunteers..

“…and the river -come on, red-haired wife of the priest-,

and the river was muddy and the river was muddy,

muddy and turbid, dragging boulders -come on, red-haired wife of the priest-,

dragging boulders off their roots, dragging boulders off their roots,

trees that have been uprooted, dragging a -come on, red-haired wife of the priest-,

dragging a sweet apple tree, dragging a sweet apple tree,

loaded with black plastic pipes!”

Day 1: Beginning of December, three from the board of the Mountain Club of Ikaria and other two friends we go to Chalares to see the devastation after the terrible flash flood of October. Shock. A new unknown landscape. Without plane trees, caves, waterfalls, pools. Barren, even river, broad, with a lot of water. And with a lot of light. Merciless, ample sunlight, without shade anywhere. In this light pieces of plastic pipes are seen everywhere –thousands of meters of black pipes of water intake that the river carried and broke. Pipes that shouldn’t be there in the first place, and yet they were; cut in pieces, fortunes wasted, reduced to trash. Nobody was aware that they were so many. We are thinking: we can’t remake the old river, we can’t eliminate the reasons that led to the doom. But we can remove the trash pipes. “But it’s not our business”, “But it will be hard”, “What are we going to do with them?”, “They ‘ll say they needed them. We will get in trouble”. But something like a tantrum has taken over us. We must do something. Let’s do this. Let it be like a gesture. Pick up the trash. For reasons of honor.

(Hubbub on the internet – like, like, like.)

From that moment on we call ourselves “Initiative of Volunteers”. Write a petition, collect signatures, apply to the Municipality of Ikaria, step somewhat absurd (“please, let us pick up the trash”). Yet necessary. Responsibility, awareness, reliability, honor. Permission from the Council is granted, a “committee of inhabitants of Nas” supports us, we go for dates.

(Hubbub on the internet – like, like, like.)

Day 2: Good Thursday. K. is expecting a lot of volunteers. He has taken the hubbub on the internet for cash. A. is worried about the weather, the swollen waters, the bad shape of the trail into the gorge. G. is off to Athens. L. shows up smiling with his dog K. -mascot of every dangerous mission- who ‘s smiling too. Early at the rendezvous on the bridge there is a car, we think they are volunteers; no, they were night owls, stopped for some sleep. We meet D. who we until then knew only on the net. Orange overalls “Greek Speleological Society”. We meet K. who we knew not, yet we knew her dog V.! K. is wearing a long raincoat, hood and rubber boots to the knee. Weather rainy, north wind, the river in hissing. G. is in K.’s restaurant in Nas, making sandwiches. E. has sent 150 € for provisions, she hasn’t come herself though. There are not enough hands. We are desperately few. Embarrasment. A., K., L. and D. start picking and bundling pieces of pipes. Suddenly, bam!, the “foreign factor” turns up (“Kalimera!”) -S., J. and little R. from England. Raincoats, leather boots, woolen caps.

But we still are too few. A. exhausted (“What are we doing here?”). Little R. asks her mother who is struggling with the pipes, “Mummy, what do normal people do in their holidays?” We laugh. Young D. rides by. She’s studying for exams and she’s taken a break. “Grab a saw, go in” We take a good look at the river, the part that we have cleaned. It’s a river without trash pipes. A river that we had never seen so clean before -even in its best. OK then. We are doing a good job.

Hours later at lunch at K.’s there’s lot of good talking. End Day 2.

(Hubbub on the internet – like, like, like.)

Day 3: Good Friday. The Longest Day of the War. Super-Production. Highlights: ◙ Two volunteers from Athens! ◙ We lost the cook! ◙ A young Greek American with family origins from Ikaria joined us. He was in the Navy Seals. He and his girlfriend ripped to work! ◙ V. showed up late, already noon, yet she brought with her a platoon of 3 men; they all fought very bravely. ◙ Even later came E. (sent by M.) who, however, helped incredibly a lot (honoring the arms of Messaria) with the pipes in the hardest part of the river at the hardest hour of the day. ◙ Volunteer G. (honoring the arms of Rahes) was carrying heavy bundles of pipes two by two. ◙ A., D. and K. who tied the bundles with wire, grew calluses in their hands. ◙ At a certain moment old man V. from Kato Raches who was also picking up pipes and repairing his own, shouted to the team. Though he was only asking to save for him a piece that he needed, his yells alarmed the English. “I think we have a political issue in there…”, they said as they were leaving. ◙ On their way back to Nas they run across a rare toad and take a photo! ◙ Except broken pipes, the only pieces of trash that we found in the canyon were a car tire, a tent pole and… a bra!

Hours later at lunch at K.’s there’s lot of good talking. End Day 3.

(Hubbub on the internet – like, like, like.)

Day 4: Wednesday after Easter. Ungrateful, heavy carrying. Dirty weather. We are very few. K. is already working in the field, unruffled in the rain, she is carrying up bundles from the large Angels’ pool. She loves that place. She wants it to be clean. We are impelled and we get busy. K. is throwing bundles to young K. from one side of the turbulent river to the other. Young K. has freaked out yet manages to grab and carry the bundles. But Ch., a newcomer, ran away as soon as he saw what we were doing. We didn’t see him again. A.’s camera freaks out too, and it jams.

Hours later over coffee at K.’s there’s lot of good talking. End Day 4.

(Hubbub on the internet – like, like, like.)

Day 5: Sunday. We are nobody! G. comes by K.’s place, he finds A., then the other G. comes by, they have coffee, they recruit two tourists and later they find another two, they all go to work, and… miracle of miracles, magic power of casualness… the job is done!

The End

Request: Just now the river is (almost) clean of trash to the beach of Nas. No other pipes must be cut and removed by anybody under pretext that “they are trash” or that “they are illegal”. The pipes that remain in the river are functional. They carry water to the farms and the village of Nas, therefore, until the area is properly connected to the public network, they must be respected. Any damage to them, will cause trouble. To anybody who would like to help the nature of the river to reborn faster, we suggest planting oleanders, local river plants that are found everywhere and can be planted easily any time of they year. Also, the goats don’t like them and they don’t eat them. Thank you very much.

For the volunteers

Angelos K.