food, pebbles and headstands
Δημοσιεύθηκε: 21 Μαΐου, 2015 Filed under: choses vécues, ikaria, photography, travel | Tags: aegean, art, beach, beach combing, bestfood, ecotourism, explorers, food, frugality, girl, greatcook, Greece, ikaria, instagram, island in the aegean sea, Jamie Oliver, May, pebbles, photo rapsody, recipes, spring, summer, thermal stones, tradition, vegetarian, what-it-takes, what-to-grow, why-ikaria, yoga 4 Σχόλια
Dear readers,
it was my name day and I was planning a relaxed, unambitious post about the wonderful things an English couple who live in Ikaria do with pebbles from the beach, when all of a sudden the famous Jamie Oliver, after his visit to the Chiapas last month, landed on the island to look into our cooking and shoot scenes for his next show!!! I am still and always a bad cook (my only improvement has been towards safety but unfortunately not towards taste) so don’t be afraid, I am not going to go crazy about recipes. I do think, however, that the island has a wealth of natural, healthy foods and natural and healthy ways of cooking. But I am not going to go crazy about that either. This was planned to be a relaxed, unambitious post, and a relaxed, unambitious post it is going to be. I’ll just push Nik and Stef’s stones a bit to the side and make room for a few pictures of Ikarian food from Jamie Oliver’s instagram, plus a few shots with heavier stuff taken in Ikarian restaurants by adamansel52, a ‘food tourist’ who toured the island last month. Move your mouse over the photos to read the descriptions. Scroll down to find a surprise. Nothing to do with food! It’s just another Ikarian summer drawing near!!!
🙄 
Sofia’s headstands in her: «Days in Ikaria» on instagram
Nik and Stef’s etsy shop: etsy.com/shop/thermalstonedesign ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
.
Blog Review Ikaria 2008-2011 # 1
Δημοσιεύθηκε: 17 Σεπτεμβρίου, 2011 Filed under: choses vécues, exploring, hiking, ikaria, photography, stories | Tags: aegean, architecture, blog, blog review, camping-in-ikaria, environment, Greece, highlights, hiking, ikaria, island in the aegean sea, ικαρία, μονοπάτια, links, my-friends, spring, winter 6 ΣχόλιαI am very interested in reading personal accounts about my island. To keep in touch with the place, media is good but there’s nothing like reading actual people’s impressions and looking at their photos.
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.
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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.
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.
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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!
«…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…
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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
the very flattering for my friends’ work «Hikers guide to Ikaria»
the troubles and excitements of the photographer in the wild
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!
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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...)
End *Radio Silence* (May 21, 2006)
Δημοσιεύθηκε: 28 Ιουνίου, 2009 Filed under: choses vécues, exploring, flying, hiking, ikaria, photography, pleasure, stories | Tags: *blip*, adventure, aegean, blog, deep-dive, documentary, eleni-in-ikaria, flickr, honey, ikaria, ικαρία, links, my-beta-blog, my-beta-island, my-friends, my-photos, spring, surfmadpig, teleplaywright 1 σχόλιο
( … blip … )
OK , 1, 2, 3, test, test.
…………………………….
ahem… ahem …
Hello blog !
Hello world ! 😀
It’s me, Eleni. Here I am back again.
The ‘monster’ was afraid of me as much as I was afraid of the ‘monster’. The people at work did not believe that I was actually going to spend a winter in Ikaria. I showed them the photos + some I didn’t upload in Flickr. Now they are thinking of shooting a documentary about this island. This is not going to happen. I’m against the idea -for the time being at least. My island is a «BETA» island = «unfinished», «unpolished», rough. It’s just come out on the surface. It’s a new invention. (Or perhaps it’s a «GAMMA»?) Anyway, it works but it wouldn’t look good on the screen (yet).
I’ll post again about this.
Meanwhile go:
http://surfmadpig.livejournal.com/65264.html
http://surfmadpig.livejournal.com/65446.html
http://pics.livejournal.com/surfmadpig/gallery/0000afh1
HA HA HA 😀
φιλάκια
Ελένη ❤ ❤
P.S. today is my name day, St. Constantine and Helen’s. Oh, friends please don’t take the trouble to log in etc. to write wishes. I know your feelings for me and I’m grateful. My best gift is the ‘stats’ of this blog.
.
Comments
(8 total)
Thanks for coming back. I didn’t want to be your answering machine.
The absolute proof that you were roaming in Ikaria : your car !
The mechanic in Athens wouldn’t repair it unless I had it steam-washed all over outside and inside including the motor, wheels -everything ! He asked me if you had taken part in the Paris-Dakar race. «No», I said, «But it’s more or less the same. My friend spent three off-seasons in Ikaria».
Work now and earn the money for the repairs. I think the commonwealth or common fund or whatever of the Ikarians should contribute to buy you new tires at least. It’s amazing how many stones, rusted old nails and other metal scrap we found in the old tires.
Except the air filter which was so full of dust, the rest of the engine is in a perfect shape. The mechanic (who was ready to throw up at the looks car) said that eventually you are a good driver.
Monday May 22, 2006 – 11:00am (EEST)
An Opel is an Opel. I missed the car, though I had the time of my life travelling by train across half Europe. When you washed it, did you take care to gather some of the ‘sacred Ikarian mud’?
Why do I think you did? I really do. Are you testing it? Besides metal scrap what other ingredients will you find? We want a USDA *official report* (please) here in public.
Monday May 22, 2006 – 12:22pm (PDT)
Salmonbelly is smiling.
Monday May 22, 2006 – 04:50pm (PDT)
@@@:What an idea ! Yes, Ikaria is BETA. When you see how these «unfinished» systems work, there is always a ‘dialogue’ with the members (take a survey, give us your opinion, complaints, requests e.t.c). The owners also monitor the system and see what the people actually do and what they like or tend to do. So they act accordingly. So it’s about interaction and Ikaria -yes, if you want it like that- is a very interactive BETA island.
@@@’sacred Ikarian mud’? -lol . Nostalgic, El? Already?
Tuesday May 23, 2006 – 01:11pm (EEST)
Ψ is in Ikaria, ‘doctor’ is in Ikaria, ‘ash’ is in Ikaria and they ‘interact’ with the unfinished BETA. I hate them and in the same time all my good thoughts are with them. Breathe radonium, my friends, the island’s (non-radioactive) noble gas coming out of the (so many) cracks of stones and get (not cracked or stoned), just high. I so lovingly hate you…
(p.s. glad the ‘salmon’ smiled)
Tuesday May 23, 2006 – 12:57pm (PDT)
El, you can stop hating me now. My visit was all too brief – but we (Rowan and the goat) interacted well with the Beta. I have your honey (many kisses for that) – and some local tsipouro here in England – to assist with the continuing interaction.xxx
Monday May 29, 2006 – 12:15am (BST)
I thought you were coming in August and had arranged for «spring flower honey». But you came earlier and you caught me by surprise and you got just «standard» stuff.
I don’t hate you much. Just a bit. I wish I knew what the weather is like where I am now. I would be glad even if it was raining and thundering. We live and work in a completely artificial environment. My batteries are full to burst though after an Ikarian winter.
x
El
Monday May 29, 2006 – 02:06am (PDT)
- Jude
Offline
The honey is far from ‘standard stuff’- it’s lovely!Next time I come, I will bring you some heather honey from Derbyshire – that is lovely too; but you have to promise to be there, and not to be in that horrible artificial environment you are in now. You must be going crazy…..I hope the batteries are ‘long life’.
Monday May 29, 2006 – 10:43pm (BST)
14 May, 2006
Δημοσιεύθηκε: 28 Ιουνίου, 2009 Filed under: choses vécues, exploring, hiking, ikaria, photography, stories | Tags: adventure, aegean, angels-pool, birthday, cascades, eloquence, hiking, ikaria, αγ.ισίδωρος, αγγελολιβάδα, ικαρία, μονοπάτια, May, Nymphs, spring, vathres Σχολιάστε
My *Angel pool* – η Αγγελολιβαδα μου
dedicated 
to the salmon, the eel, the mountain ash, the humanist Ψ, the angelos-x-angelos, the simon whose name means rock, the goat-simon-doctor.
So what happens if you survive the call of a nymph?
The weaker ones loose their speech temporarily or for ever. Some loose their minds too. But there are some cunning strong men who look at the nymph only with the corner of their eye -the corner of their mind- so they are not harmed. On the contrary they are given *eloquence* : ΕΥΓΛΩΤΤΙΑ
Why am I not funny today and I speak like a drunk 
? Because I am drunk (slightly).
Today was St. Isidoros day 
(big day marked with a red circle in the local agenta of events) and my birthdayas well.
Thank you.
El
Comments
(6 total)
- Jimmy P
- Offline
Auguri Elenuccia!
Sunday May 14, 2006 – 07:50pm (CEST)
- AKK
- Offline
Χρόνια Πολλά, ρε θηρίο ανήμερο.
Το δώρο μου το άφησα στον Άγιο Ισίδωρο και σίγουρα το βρήκες.
Congratulations for the Ikarian Angels’ pools, too. I’m amazed that though in a murder mood because you are leaving (don’t deny it), you go on giving. Toro, OLE !
Sunday May 14, 2006 – 09:36pm (EEST)
- Jude
- Offline
Hronia Polla Eleni!
Sunday May 14, 2006 – 11:09pm (BST)
- elle
- Offline
Thank you everybody
Σας ευχαριστω ολους
Monday May 15, 2006 – 02:52am (PDT)
- greg
- Offline
Belatedly, happy birthday Eleni, you are a special soul.
Monday May 15, 2006 – 07:27am (PDT)
- Ψαλακ…
- Offline
Aww geez, I spend one day moving and packing for my trip, and I miss your birthday, El! Just my luck. Well, happy birthday anyway! Much luck back on the mainland, and don’t disappear completely!
Monday May 15, 2006 – 02:21pm (EDT)
«Easter Eggs red-dyed herbal and Ikarian-wise» -3
Δημοσιεύθηκε: 26 Ιουνίου, 2009 Filed under: choses vécues, exploring, festivals, ikaria, stories | Tags: aegean, byzance, easter, greatcook, Greece, Greek-easter, ikaria, island in the aegean sea, πάσχα, κόκινα-αυγά, my-kitchen, orthodox, recipes, red-eggs, spring, tradition 1 σχόλιο-
…
Step 3
When dry, polish them with very little olive oil.
Add a daisy.
Now everything is «village» : the eggs, the dye, the bowl (made of local clay in a local pottery), and my tablecloth (woven on a local loom). Only the tea came from China.
NOTE: They told me that the eggs like this do not smell of oignons and tea. I am not in position to confirm this, though. I haven’t tasted them yet. We are not supposed to crash and crack our eggs before the priest sings ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ (Christ Resurrected) at midnight sharp. But they look good, don’t they?
Très *village*
? muddy and dirty and cracked (and my kitchen was a mess). But at least the came out R-E-D ! So I love my Easter eggs ! I’m not going to show them to the nice person who told me what to do, though. I’m afraid she will scorn or scold me.But I can show them to you…
φιλακια
φιλαρακια!!! ΚΑΛΟ ΠΑΣΧΑ !!!
Comments ♥
(5 total)
- Ψαλακ…
- Offline
Ahh red eggs!! This is one of the very few Greek traditions that has survived to my generation (4 times removed from Greece). Every Easter we’d gather round the family table with the red eggs and crack them together in a sort of tournament, all the time saying «Χριστος ανεστι» «Αλιτος ανεστι» (no idea if that spelling is correct).
Unfortunately this is as close as I’ve been to red eggs for many years since my schools have given the Catholic Easter off as a holiday, but not the Orthodox one.
Happy Easter, El & all.
– Matt
Sunday April 23, 2006 – 11:44pm (EDT)
- elle
- Offline
The Orthodox Easter school holiday in Greece is 2 weeks !!!
Jealous, eh? Well, don’t be. It’s like in theocratic regimes. I return for those long religious holidays, the schoolchildren have to attend long, boring and absurd Religion courses for several hours a week. Parent have to declare that they are e.g. Buddists or Marxists, so that their kids are excused from attending them.
Meanwhile yesterday we had the craziest 12 hour long parties (and I can hardly make out what I’m typing right now)
*contradictions*
Monday April 24, 2006 – 02:58am (PDT)
- simon
- Offline
They look superb! Αυγα Πολλά!
Monday April 24, 2006 – 05:37pm (BST)
- greg
- Offline
Happy Orthodox Easter!
But when Condi gets to Athens, maybe someone can throw some rotten eggs her way, or a cream pie maybe…
Tuesday April 25, 2006 – 09:39am (PDT)
- AKK
- Offline
Flying red eggs would «write» on the TV cameras. No doubt the city will be under martial law, worse than during the German occupation.
Tuesday April 25, 2006 – 11:00pm (EEST)
«Easter Eggs red-dyed herbal and Ikarian-wise» -step 2
Δημοσιεύθηκε: 26 Ιουνίου, 2009 Filed under: choses vécues, exploring, festivals, ikaria, photography, stories | Tags: easter, eleni-in-ikaria, greatcook, Greece, Greek-easter, πάσχα, ικαρία, κόκινα-αυγά, my-kitchen, recipes, red-eggs, spring Σχολιάστε…
Step 2When the water has turned dark red, take the eggs out.
Leave them on a plate to dry. Do not sweep with a towel.
My own unphilosophical, untheological, unecological and secret Greek Easter
Δημοσιεύθηκε: 26 Ιουνίου, 2009 Filed under: choses vécues, festivals, flying, ikaria, stories | Tags: aegean, byzance, clothes, dance, easter, eleni-in-ikaria, Greece, Greek-easter, ikaria, ikaria-in-winter, ikarians, island, πάσχα, ικαρία, κόκινα-αυγά, mystic, orthodox, red-eggs, spring, swallows, up-with-lonely-winter, what-it-takes 1 σχόλιο-
.
About the Greek Orthodox Easter and an Orthodox Easter in general you can find loads of info and personal accounts just about anywhere in the press, in books, on the net even in the National Geographic and the French ‘Geo’. Because I live in a remote island village (the epitome of the so-called ‘authenticity‘), oh, readers, don’t expect me to tell you about it. This is a task young apprentice TV reporters are usually given to do. That’s
not me. Zap off and type «Greek+Easter» in Google images.
My own
Easter in Ikaria :
1) Color: lush green, sometimes
orgiastic vegetation (doesn’t hold too long -sniff) with brown patches of freshly ploughed gardens and vineyards.
2) Sound: (a) nasal psalms
from the church loudspeakers and both on TV and the radio the voice of our «super saint» (*Ayatolah* ) Archibishop 
Christodoulos performing «the top of the pop(e)s». (b) «skyladika» music from every cafe and ouzo joint, (c) very loud explosions of firecrackers, and finally (d) delighful bass chat-chat of old people and sharp shouts of children -visitors from the city.
3) Images: (a) red
meat (heads of lamps with the tongues sticking out, guts, slices of fat, darker red liver e.t.c.) (b) flowers, countless flowers to decorate the epitaph (the portable simulation of the «grave» of Jesus)…… ENOUGH
My own
personal Easter is …the visitors’ clothes !
I’m looking at them, in fact I’m devouring them, I imagine myself wearing them. I even went to the beachto spy on the visitors and see what swimsuits are in fashion this season. I will go to church tonight and tomorrow just to see the outfits and the looks. I’ll break my profile and dare ask a few friends «Where did you buy that?» and «How much?». Most of all I’ll admire the shoes and the hairstyles. I’ll pretend I attend the mess but actually I’ll be trying to guess my neigbour’s perfume or after-shave brand. I’ll be looking at men and wishing wishes and (who me? the «experienced» cosmo?) blush and feel shy.
That’s
me. That’s my Easter. I’m getting rough hewn here –village girl. Yet I know that when I go for a short shopping visit in Athens next month and while I’ll be trying on the wonderful shoes, I’ll be 
thinking of my flower pots and my vegetable garden. I’ll also be worrying about who’s going to remind my old neighbours to take their pills. It seems I am the only one who’s used to depending on a watch in my neighborhood.
That’s my Easter in Ikaria.
I wish everybody, believers or not, Christians or not
KALI ANASTASSI (ΚΑΛΗ ΑΝΑΣΤΑΣΗ), which btw literally means…
…*HAVE A NICE RESURRECTION* !!!.
.
Comments
(3 total)
- simon
- Offline
Hi Eleni, just to let you know our swallows arrived here in Northern England today; Jude and I saw them on our trail in the hills, a little party of six, and we greeted them with thoughts of you.
Friday April 21, 2006 – 11:25pm (BST)
- Jude
- Offline
Yes, and we found a fairy too…Either Tragos or I will post the picture on flickr. We commented that you would love it. Kalo Pascha.
Saturday April 22, 2006 – 12:02am (BST)
swallows are messangers; there are so many Greek folk verses about them asked to carry messages of love and affection to distant lands. You may understand ‘swallow-ish’ because they were carrying a msg from me; this is why you thought of me.
(I must stop now because the council of the senior USDA are waiting for an answer in their comment on the previous entry.)
* * * *
Saturday April 22, 2006 – 04:04am (PDT)
ΧΕΛΙΔΟΝΙΣΜΑΤΑ – OLD SPRING CAROLS
Δημοσιεύθηκε: 26 Ιουνίου, 2009 Filed under: choses vécues, exploring, flying, ikaria, stories | Tags: aegean, agrimi-mou, angelos, april, eleni-in-ikaria, Greece, ikaria, ikaria-in-winter, island in the aegean sea, χελιδόνια, χελιδονίσματα, ικαρία, love, my-friends, poetry, songs, spring, swallows, up-with-lonely-winter Σχολιάστε- .(or «THE SWALLOW CAROLS»)
.
Χελιδονίσματα
(Carols announcing the inevitable arrival of spring -sung door to door by the children in the villages of byzantine & post byzantine Greece.)
Χελιδονάκι πέταξε, ηύρε πύργο κι έκατσε
και χαμοκελάδησε:
-Μάρτη, Μάρτη μου καλέ
και Φλεβάρη φοβερέ
κι αν χιονίσεις κι αν φλεβίσεις
πάλι Άνοιξη θ’ ανθίσεις.
I received it by e-mail from Angelos. His wife is a musician and this is one of her favourites.
I dedicate it to Simon.
Speaking of my guardian angel, Angelos, well, he proposes that I connect my blog to his photos
in Flickr. I’ll think about it. I don’t represent anybody or speak for anybody but me
alone.I’m about to speak about frogs, the European forests, my video-clip scenarios, why I won’t shave my legs this summer … that sort of thing. Will it be «only Ikaria»? I’m afraid it will. Gosh.
Anyway, I hope the swallows bring with them some of my friends. I have missed so much my Nana…
.
.
Comments
(1 total)
when you move the mouse over the text of my blog entries, there are links, you know that, don’t you? eh?
(sorry about my «eh»s. Those who have travelled to Greece, know how important an «eeh» is. It can mean almost everything ! Next best is «aah». I try not to use that last at least in written, or all my writings would be «eeeh, aaahhh», «aaahh, eeehh» -LOL
Wednesday April 12, 2006 – 01:16pm (PDT)
page from my notebook (Ikaria, April 9, 2006)
Δημοσιεύθηκε: 26 Ιουνίου, 2009 Filed under: choses vécues, exploring, ikaria, photography, stories | Tags: adventure, aegean, agrimi-mou, animals, april, diary, eleni-in-ikaria, gale, ikaria, island in the aegean sea, χελιδόνια, χελιδονίσματα, αστιβές, ικαρία, mizzle, my-friends, nana's-wild-photo, page-notebook, poteria, spring, storm, swallows, thorns, trees, weather, wind Σχολιάστε
NOTES:
-> the weather broadcast was right; the gale stopped during the night. At dawn the wind changed from south to north; clouds came from the sea and covered the northern part of the island. «Misty mountains» and deep gorges hidden in the fog :- wow -: I like this kind of weather. It makes me imagine I am in New Zealand ! I wish I could fly just for once only to take a panoramic photo of the side of the island: clouds on the mountain tops and stripes of mist in the gorges.
-> its raining; in fact it’s not; it’s spraying. Greek language proves very poor in terms of rain. They call this weather «very wet». I’m sure the English know better and they have a presice word for these crawling curtains of fog and swirling thin raindrops.
-> The gale was like «sandpaper». Now came the «very wet» (fog and spray) and there couldn’t be better weather for the vegetation. I saw my lettuces die yesterday then today I saw them live again. Lush new foliage shines on the trees. I think that the gale was useful («I’m swallowing ‘n swallowing»). There was so much dry dead stuff on the trees and the bushes and the gale removed it. Many old trees broke.
Sun comes now down through to the lighten and help grow the saplings. -> Felicia aborted; too young to have kitten. If she was human she would be 8 years old.
-> I’m wasting my time trying to take photos of thorny spurges. But I can’t. Spurges absorb the light like sponges. They are like «shadows». I take a photo and then instead of of the small round thorny bush, there is a green blur like a ball. The details disappear. I should have some super pro equipement and special spot lights to take a good photo of a spurge. Photographers who work with complicated hairstyles have that kind of equipement.
-> I have a fix for these plants. I believe they hold the island slopes in place so that they are not washed in the sea. I also love their texture. Outside they have a net of terrible and painful thorns and behind and inside this net there are very fresh tiny green leaves (+ small flowers!). They are usually oval and they look like «vegetable rocks». Under each one of them hide many fragile herbs and small bugs. They are the «poteria» (φρύγανα) and they are an «ecosystem» -one by one and many of them together as groups. I must find out how to transplant them. I’d put them along the sides of the digs and trenches the bulldozers make.
I heard that in Germany they take these as gardens. It’s very fashionable to have a mediterranean «poteria» garden around your villa instead of «gazon» (trop banal). After I retire (or before, why not) I may become a specialist in this: plant «sacropotera spinosa» gardens around villas. (They would give burglars a lot of trouble to cross, btw. I must take a notice of that for my marketing campaign -if & when..)
-> Nana, how much for the «La Fauve» painting? Wow girl ! What’s this? Ladies and Gentlemen, for your sake and pleasure I took the liberty to borrow and upload Nana’s portrait and buste in this entry. I don’t know what it is or how it’s made, but its 100% Nana «to agrimi» (=animal qui vit a l’etat sauvage), Athina, my friend.
(STOP PRESS)
** While I was writing this and trying to «swallow», I looked up at the sky (to let out my usual *big sighs* ) and what do I see:
THE FIRST SWALLOWS ARE HERE ~~~
.
Comments
(14 total)
- greg
- Offline
El, I wondered if those were rocks or plants. Almost looks like moss-covered ruins in the background. The swallows, yes they came back here a couple weeks ago, the hummingbirds earlier and the warblers soon. Favorite swallow: purple martin; hummingbird: Anna’s; warbler: yellowthroat.
Monday April 10, 2006 – 06:08am (PDT)
- simon
- Offline
A Doctor writes: Your «Yak» has had child. See Flickr. This will make you feel even more spring-like.
Tuesday April 11, 2006 – 08:37am (BST)
- elle
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-> to Greg: I’m surrounded by birds, birds, birds, a couple of earthmovers (~sigh) and many many fresh dug terrasses with vineyards and gardens. There are two kinds of swallows, it seems. I understand now why ornithologists are a bit *nutsy*.
-> the Doctor takes pleasure in turning the knife in the wound.
Tuesday April 11, 2006 – 03:42am (PDT)
- elle
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to Greg: I think that «my» spurges of Ikaria might look like those throrny srubs we see the wind roll and make fly in old «western» movies. How do you call?
Tuesday April 11, 2006 – 02:04pm (PDT)
- simon
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Tumbleweed….we don’t have tumbleweed in England but we know all about the rain. Sounds like we would say «sheets of rain» from the conditions you describe…the Scots have a good word…Dreich … it would be ντρειχ in Greek tongue…that describes the kind of miserable soaking cold day. The swallows have come…and they sing…»
άνοιγ΄ άνοιγε ταν θύραν χελιδόνι
ου γαρ γέροντές έσμεν, αλλά παιδία. »
to quote a poet of the 7th century B.C.
«The swallows have come, Berlusconni has gone
Loudly sing «cuckou» »
To paraphrase an old English song.
Tuesday April 11, 2006 – 10:40pm (BST)
- greg
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Sagebrush Elle, the dead ones rolling and blowing are called tumbleweeds. The desert on the east side of my state is covered with ’em.
Tuesday April 11, 2006 – 02:46pm (PDT)
- Jude
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Sorry to disagree Doc, but I call El’s rain mizzle.
Tuesday April 11, 2006 – 11:13pm (BST)
- AKK
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<<-terrific people->><<-terrific vocabularies->>
In my opinion, both «sagebrush» and «tumbleweed» are El’s thorny srubs, «astivi» (αστιβή) There are many kinds, all valuable in many ways. One of them hosts an edible herb inside it. It’s called «stamna-agathi» (Σταμναγκάθι). This herb makes a very expensive dish in fancy restaurants in Athens. This is the season for it, so El find it and take a photo. I hope it doesn’t «absorb light».
Wednesday April 12, 2006 – 01:05pm (EEST)
- simon
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«mizzle» ! never heard that before! Another one for my «Derbyshire Dialect» collection. Thanks duck.
Wednesday April 12, 2006 – 07:53pm (BST)
- elle
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«mizzle» is a nice word; I like «mmm» & «zzzz»s & «ll»s.
Thank you everybody. I’d rather look for the word in NewZealandese because the mizzle is not cold in Ikaria. It’s soaking wet and spooky and it makes you feel like bitting at someone’s throat.
Wednesday April 12, 2006 – 12:41pm (PDT)
- Jude
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I’m sure there are more wonderful words out there….!I would love to know the New Zealand equivalent. Drizzle is another word of similar meaning – but perhaps it sounds colder still, so not ideal. In case you were wondering, ‘duck’ is a Derbyshire endearment. ‘Aye up, me duck’ is a dialect way of saying ‘Hi there, love/ mate / pal» You sometimes hear a woman say it to another woman, but more commonly it is from a man to a woman in a friendly way. I had a boss once, who when he wanted me to do something always started his sentence with «Judy, duck,please could you…» So now, Eleni, you have a goat and a duck reading your blog, and the duck is especially happy that the swallows have arrived.
Wednesday April 12, 2006 – 11:00pm (BST)
- elle
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«Papia mou» -so funny -:)) In place of «duck» in wet grassy places, I’d call you «kali mou» (=my good one or my pretty one) or cut short «kale». You must have heard that in Greek town streets. «kale Leni, stamata pia tis sahlamares…» =stop acting foolish (that’s for my blog -lol- created for and dedicated to ducks and goats, or I don’t love nobody and my scripts suck.)
Thursday April 13, 2006 – 12:25pm (PDT)
I walk, I hike, I wander
Δημοσιεύθηκε: 26 Ιουνίου, 2009 Filed under: choses vécues, exploring, hiking, ikaria, photography, stories | Tags: adventure, aegean, april, eleni-in-ikaria, elsa, enviro-lore, firewood, forest, Greece, hiking, ikaria, island in the aegean sea, χαζό-χαμόγελο, ικαρία, μονοπάτια, language, maratho, my life, my-neighbors, my-work, oxyzen, spring, trail-of-the-elves, trails, up-with-lonely-winter, walk-hike-wander, what-it-takes Σχολιάστε- .
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..I walk ( I hike, as they say ), I wander on foot. That’s what I do all day. My hips ache. My lungs sometimes ache too because I’m a smoker; and because I’m half-mad & half Greek, I light my cigarette and I smoke it on the way up -ha,ha,ha 🙂
From the heights of my moral Himalayas I look down at everybody. Everybody? I hardly see anybody to look down at. I sometimes see from afar a plougher of a garden or of a vineyard..
.I don’t go near. I don’t know what to say to such people anymore (though once I used to -). To me they are the Presidents of (another Republic.
My moral altitude bothers me. Wuthering heights… It’s too lonely up here. I’ve gone up too many levels. The ‘Ikarian enigma» is solved. Everything is harmony – but I hate it.So I look around for spirits (‘gjins’) to keep me company. Thanks Gof, the place is full (as yet). It’s their mating season (gjins are not like humans -all the time-:lol:- gjins mate in April only; in May they stop, because it’s the donkeys’ turn).
They let me take pictures of them..
.I walk (I hike, as they say), I wander on foot. That’s what I do most days, sometimes on my own, sometimes with friends.
.
..
When I am back home, and I’ll have that stupid smile of bliss all over my face, my old neighbour will say «Eleni, you are a Porphyrogenita»!
.
Comments
(7 total)
Does the neighbor mean you are a princess?
Monday April 3, 2006 – 01:27pm (PDT)
correct -:- 🙂
in plain (minus the complicated historical background) language, the word means «serene» –
Monday April 3, 2006 – 02:00pm (PDT)
You are too modest
Monday April 3, 2006 – 10:40pm (BST)
serenissima / γαληνότατη, χαίρε !
Όσα ξέρει ο γείτονας/σσα σου για σένα, δεν τα ξέρει κανείς, ούτε ο ήλιος, ούτε κι εσύ. Ευτυχώς για σένα λοιπόν που έχεις γειτόνισσα την τέλεια ‘αντι-κατίνα’, μια ‘γαληνότατη’ της παλιάς σχολής. Είσαι τρομερά τυχερή. Επομένως μην γκρινιάζεις που κόβεται το ρεύμα τόσο συχνά στη γειτονιά σου. Δεν μπορείς να τα έχεις όλα, ε; 😉
Tuesday April 4, 2006 – 01:06pm (EEST)
- greg
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Born in the imperial purple room, yes?
Tuesday April 4, 2006 – 06:33am (PDT)
thanks; yes, born in the purple room!
It’s a strange local tradition to call noble calmness by that name. They say it comes from the times of Byzantium…
It’s a very strange thing for such an island! Click on the page to view it larger and read about the amazing fact!
Tuesday April 4, 2006 – 12:24pm (PDT)
Eleni's Blog in Ikaria 
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