Lucky to be here book

Skiathos is a beautiful island, far greener than one would expect a Greek island to be. It gets a lot of rain in the winter (and sometimes, snow) and this helps to keep it green. Where it has not been cultivated, it is covered by a thick forest of Aleppo Pine trees under which grow (mostly) Arbutus and Tree Heath shrubs. Because of all this growth and the hot, dry summers, Skiathos can be prone to forest fires and it has had more than its fair share in the forty odd years that I have been here. More on this in the chapter titled, “Fire and energy”.
Skiathos is not a big island, some 12 kilometres (7 miles) long and 6 kilometres (4 miles) wide on average. The highest peak at 433 m (1,421 feet) is mount Karafiltzanaka (39.1904°N 23.4685°E). It has roughly a skewed diamond shape. Here is a satellite image showing Skiathos and its offshore islands:

Skiathos is blessed with some 26+ large, sandy beaches and many more tiny beaches, many of which are only accessible by boat. They range from kilometer long, white sandy beaches, fringed with pines to smooth, white stone beaches, with beautiful clear water and towering cliffs behind. It also boasts a comparatively safe harbour and some offshore islands that also have large sandy beaches. There is an old story about the Skopelitees whose harbour is exposed to the north and who were jealous of the protected harbour of Skiathos. It goes like this:
Skopelos harbour is exposed to all the bad northern winds and often shut in the winter, whereas Skiathos has a good natural harbour and several offshore islands that protect it. In times of heavy weather and storms, freighters and small tankers shelter in the lee of Skiathos and are perfectly safe. One day (the story goes) the Skopelitees decided to go out with grappling irons to drag off the largest of these islands, Tsoungria, and place it in front of their own harbour to protect it. They plaited ropes out of goat gut (there used to be many large herds of goats on Skopelos) and set out to drag the island back home. The Skiathitees got word off this plot and discussed it at length. Finally, they decided to swim out and attempt to defend their property. Then someone realised the danger in the situation, "Oh! Oh! We might sink, having holes in our bottoms!" After some discussion of this grave problem, somebody came up with the brilliant idea of stuffing up their holes with a wad of cotton. This they did, and swam out heroically, drove the Skopelitees off, and saved Tsoungria. Since that time, The Skopelitees refer to the Skiathitees as "Vamvamkokoli" (cotton arses) and the Skiathitees call the Skopelitees, "Katsikathes" (goatees).
Another Skopelos myth is one associated with Saint Rhiginos who is reputed to have killed a dragon at Panormos Bay on the south west coast of Skopleos. There is a description of this in an excellent book about Skopelos, “An Island in Greece: On the shores of Skopelos” written by Michael Carroll in the early sixties, (available from Amazon) which captures a similar feeling he had for Skopelos as the one I have for Skiathos. I often used to sail over to Panormos Bay (which has to be one of the lovelier spots in the Aegean) and always think of Saint Rhiginos chasing the dragon around (or vice-versa, of course).
Skiathos has its own myth of the Icon of Kounistra, and how it was found. Apparently, an old hermit living in the valley of Zorbathes (in what we think was the old kalivi on our land) saw a light in the pine trees on the ridge, above the valley. When he went to see what it was, he found a Holy Icon swinging on a tree branch. “Kounia” means swinging. He informed the church authorities who came and took it away to the main church in Town. The next day it had disappeared and it was found again swinging from the tree! As it obviously wanted to be in this area, a monastery was built close by, where there was a spring of water and a lovely view (the Greeks were not stupid!), and the Icon was housed there for many years. Now it is kept in the main church in Town but on the 20th November every year. It is carried by foot from Town to the Monastery, and everybody on the island goes to visit the monastery and kiss the Icon. It is a local bank holiday and everything stops for the Icon! Some people walk barefoot from Town to the monastery, as some kind of penance I guess, but it must be very hard on their feet! The young bloods take their shot guns and shoot off thousands of rounds of shells as they accompany the Icon.
There is also, purportedly, a vast cave under Skiathos, which sometimes emits a loud “booming” sound that is supposed to herald disaster in one form or another. As far as I know, I have never heard this sound although sometimes, we hear unexplained noises in the distance. In between Megali Ammos and Vasilias Beaches, there is a river of sweet water that runs under the road (& sometimes undermines it) and goes out to sea. They say that if you swim there, the water is much colder than the surrounding sea, and it is sweet water! That’s an awful lot of water! In fact, Skiathos is blessed with a vast amount of water. Some say it comes under the sea from Pelion (which is a huge catchment area), but wherever it comes from, it is a blessing. Without water, life is very limited, with an abundance, life can become luxurious. (See the chapter “Water” for more insight on this.)
The attractions of Skiathos are not only its beaches, cliffs and seashore, but the inside of the island is also a wonderland of natural beauty. There are stream beds which you can walk and which lead to old monasteries or secluded beaches on the north side of the island. Other paths go past many country churches, all of which are usually left open and which you can enter and light a candle or two (whether you are religious or not). All the walks on these country paths have absolutely stunning views. Only towards the north do you see unbroken seascape. Otherwise, you look at Pelion, Mainland Greece, Evia, the offshore islands of Tsoungria, Tsoungriaki, Arkos and Maragos, Skopelos and Alonissos. You can see these views time and time again without ever getting bored as the clarity or the light changes and makes what you are seeing unique to that occasion. On a very clear day (it needs a west wind in the winter which clears all the moisture out of the air) you can see about 100 kilometres north to Mount Athos where all the very old Orthodox monasteries are located. It is usually topped by snow in the winter, and as the sun goes down, the white turns to an incredible rosy pink colour. You can also look to the west and south west and see range after range of snow-covered mountains as you look across the interior of Greece. There are some 25 hikes of about 200 kilometres in total that have been maintained by the community via the stimulation of one of our German residents. He has published books of these walks and hikes in English, German and Greek. If you have never ventured into the heartland of Skiathos, you have missed at least half of the soul of the island.
We live in the valley of Zorbathes. It is a stunningly beautiful valley with streambeds running through it lined with massive, ancient plane trees. Even in the summer it is a very green valley. Friends who have come to visit, who live in other areas of Skiathos, have been known to exclaim’ “Oh, how green it is here!” The streams only run in the winter but there are pools (vouthanas) here and there which have water all year round. There used to be terrapins in these pools, but we haven’t seen them for many a long year. Older neighbours talked about catching fish in the pools but that must have been before our time. The hills around us are covered by pine forest and green shrubs. Even though many of these trees and shrubs have been burnt in forest fires, the soil is so fertile that within a few short years, the valley is as green as ever. We do not have a sea view but do not miss it at all. Wherever we go, there is a view of the sea, and personally, I find the myriad hues of green that surround us, far nicer to look at.
At the church of Agios Yiannis Prodromos (Saint John the Baptist) just above Kastro, there is a shrine and a small plaque commemorating the deaths of 4 Skiathitees who were struck by lightening on that spot. A (probably apocryphal) story about this incident is that they were drinking and carousing in the churchyard instead of being humble and dutiful and taking part in the service inside the church, and the wrath of the lord descended upon them and they were struck down! One of the surnames is the same as the man who sold me my land, and another is the same as a direct neighbour. I do hope that Zorbathes didn’t get a bad name “up there” because of this episode. I have never gone to the trouble to try and find out the true story, as I know that if I ask ten people, I will get ten different versions of what happened!

Here follow some extracts from my Skiathos Newsletters – I sent many of these out over the years, to around 5,000 willing readers, and always tried to capture some “flavor” of Skiathos, the locals, and Skiathos life in them. They are not in exact chronological order and there will be a few repetitions, but I think they will give you an idea of life here.

We were sitting in the ouzeri on the Old Port, sipping a tsiporo, listening to the locals stoking each other up over one thing or another, when one of the fishing boats returned to the harbour. It was surrounded by a cloud of gulls making their strange half cat, half baby cries, and was being closely watched by a group of men waiting to see if there would be anything worth buying from the catch. The haul was not large but obviously had some good fish in it because the group grew as the catch was wheeled down to the fish market to be sold. Business was brisk as people vied for the better and bigger fish and then settled down after the first rush. The cats prowled around hoping for an odd fish head or even, if they were lucky, a whole fish or two. The sun, which had been shining brightly all day, dipped down behind the upper church and suddenly the temperature dropped by 5 degrees prompting most of the tables at the ouzeri to call for their bills and head for home.

Today, the 6th of January, is “Ta Fota”, “The Light” or Epiphany, in non Greek Orthodox countries. There is a church service which starts at the main church and then wends its way down to the Old Port of Skiathos where a cross is thrown into the water to bless the sea and those that work and travel on it. Several local lads dive for this cross (rather them than me) and whoever brings it up has kudos for the rest of the year. He also gets quite a bit of money as he tours the cafes & tavernas afterwards, with the cross on a plate, and everyone kisses it and throws in some coins or notes. Most of this probably goes to the church but I am sure he (no girl has yet managed to retrieve the cross) gets something as well. It is pretty cold waiting for the cross to be thrown and one wonders if the service is prolonged just to see who is hardy enough to keep waiting. In the old days, many of the lads used to smear themselves with olive oil (the Greek equivalent of bear grease) but whether this was to keep out the cold or to bring out the muscle tone for all to see is a question I have never resolved. Virtually all the population attend this event, all dressed in their Sunday best and it is one of the few times that one sees whole families together. Sometimes it is hard to recognize some of the artisans and fishermen as we are used to seeing them covered in paint, plaster, brick dust or fish scales, etc. Everybody shakes hands and wishes each other “Xronia Polla” (many years, or a long life) and “Kali Xronia” (a good New Year) and, after the event, repair to the cafes, tavernas & ouzerias that line the waterfront for coffee, ouzo or tsipouro, and gossip. Normally the weather is sunny but cold but today is overcast and not very warm. I can’t remember the last time it rained on Ta Fota and the weather is usually pretty nice (the Greek Orthodox God arranges that, just like he usually manages to cry a little rain during the Good Friday service at the monastery). It is an official holiday and more or less marks the end of “the holidays” which start just before Christmas (however, tomorrow is Aghios Yiannis and as most people have a Yiannis in their family, they will all be taking a day off!). Things slowly get back to normal again, most of the bureaucrats are back at work (God forbid that they should ALL be at work together!), the Post Office starts sorting the Christmas mail so we might get some Christmas cards soon, and life reverts more or less to normal.

Having wished you all health in the following year (&, I hope, for many years to come), I wanted to tell you a little bit about why the Greeks are some of the healthiest people in Europe (despite being amongst the heaviest smokers). The secret is this; they eat lots of onions, garlic, olive oil, fresh fish & lemons. Often onions will be consumed raw in salads and garlic will be taken on or in food in a barely cooked form. Many who live in or near the countryside will also gather wild greens (“horta”) which are full of vitamins, minerals & necessary trace elements. These are thoroughly (over) cooked and the served with lashings of oil and lemon juice. Fish are always served with large chunks of lemon or with “latholemono”, a sauce made from olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon juice. All of these good things offset the copious amounts of wine, ouzo or tsipouro commonly used to wash the food down. As I have mentioned before, as a rule, drink is never consumed without food which mediates the effect of the alcohol.
The Greeks have two sayings which are very important. One is, “Pan metron, ariston” which means, if you exercise moderation in all things, you will always be in top form healthwise,. The other is, “Ygeia pano apo alla”, meaning, health above all. As they say, if you have your health, you can handle anything. You can be a billionaire or own half the island, but without your health, you have nothing and cannot enjoy anying.

Monday 14th March was Katharo Theftera (Clean Monday) when most of Greece goes for picnics and to fly kites for the beginning or the Lent fasting period. Traditionally only seafood and anything that doesn’t bleed may be eaten but there is such a wealth of good food within this range that there is always an abundance of things to sample. We go to Koukounaries Beach every year where we meet up with many friends, attempt to get kites up and consume far too much wine and food. Conversation is non-stop and we usually endeavour to be the last to stagger home where we collapse on to the sofa and wonder why we do this to ourselves every year. Actually, it is always a great day and the weather is hardly ever bad. This year we had blue skies and sun but very little wind. Koukounaries Beach is one of the most beautiful in the Aegean (if not THE most beautiful). It is a fine sandy beach, shallow, and it stretches for over 500 metres along the shore. Behind it are the Koukounaries trees (Stone Pines) which gives it its name and provide shade and cool breezes. We only go there in the winter, as in the summer it is far too busy for us and is crowded with sunbeds and umbrellas. One of our favourite quick walks is to start at the harbour on the west end, go around the lake behind the Koukounaries woods, through the woods and then back along the beach to the harbour.

Several Sundays ago, the local council organised a Carnival Parade on the newly paved Old Port. The new paving and the winter’s snow destruction of the plastic tents that used to dominate the Old Port has bought it back to life, and it is so nice to have so much space to stroll around in, meet friends and enjoy the spring weather. The Carnival Parade started with a clown entertaining the kids for an hour or so and then the school classes and various local organisations paraded past dressed as everything from drunken Greek farmers through pussycats to witches. Free wine, sausages and souvlaki were on offer and we also contributed lots of money to the local ouzeris. A very good time was had by all.

The week before, on a very blustery Sunday, we decided to visit the north side and try to find the last two places we had never visited: Aghios Panteleimon and the Church of the Panayia Glykosfilousa. We set off with our good fiends Becky & Phil having driven towards the Kechria area from the top of Skiathos near Profitis Ilias, and followed the road that was signposted for Panteleimon. The wind was cold but the sun was out so the walking was very enjoyable. As we approached the olive grove where the church of Aghios Panteleimon is situated we noticed several cars and a pickup truck. Next to the church is a small kalivi, barely 3 metres by 2 in which we found 6 local men sitting around a large table covered in food and wine. With typical Greek hospitality and generosity (but they were not so sure about inviting women into the party) they insisted we came in, made space and plied us with food and locally made wine, both of which were delicious. One of them had been out picking fresh “Horta” (literally “grass” but actually wild greens such as young dandelions, etc.) and this had been boiled up and then drenched in olive oil. The bitterness of the greens combined with the sweetness of the olive oil and washed down with draughts of the wine made for one of the best meals I have ever had. Also on offer were stuffed calamaries, fish charcoaled on the outside grill, fresh shrimps and several other snacks all prepared by the men themselves. It was their day to get away from their families, get well and truly “happy” on the wine and enjoy themselves with arguments about anything and everything. For some reason they decided that, as a “neutral” party, I had to adjudicate on differences of opinion (of which there were as many as there were people!) and it took all my tact (and a few glasses more wine) not to offend anyone and keep the “discussions” rolling along. Actually, when Greeks are arguing, it looks as if they are going to kill each other but we have rarely seen anyone come to blows. Everything is taken in good heart and even vast differences of political stances are eventually accepted on the Greek principle that everyone is entitled to his opinion (however wrong they may be). What looks like war is mostly piss taking (friendly sarcasm). We eventually beat a retreat and pressed on (rather unsteadily) to Glykofilousa where we unpacked our own picnic but had room only for a cup of coffee. Both these churches are small and sweet and are lovely havens of peace and quiet. On the way back, we stopped at “Pyrgi” and the Church of Anastasia, which is close to where the road dips down towards Kastro. The church is minute and is dedicated to Saint Anastasia who used herbs and natural remedies to cure people of illnesses. The “Pyrgi” is the remains of an old watchtower that was manned in the days of the Persian invasions, in the centuries B.C. From this tower, all the Northern Aegean was visible and, should enemies be sighted, a beacon was lit which could be seen from above Koukounaries. They in turn lit a beacon and other beacons were lit going across Evvia Island until the last one was sighted in Athens thus giving the Athenian League several days’ notice of the approach of trouble. The base of the tower was formed from large shaped black stones that would take many men to lift and which can still be seen today.

You may get the impression from all the above that all the Greeks (and ourselves) do is eat, drink and talk. Well, of course that isn’t what happens all the time but it is the essence of Greek life. Good food, washed down with wine or ouzo (tsipouro for me) and, above all, good company (with lots of different opinions) is what makes this society tick. “Parayia”, company, is all important. I have had locals take pity on me because I was reading a book on the hydrofoil to Volos and come a sit and chat with me for the rest of the journey. Obviously, I would only be reading because I didn’t have anyone to talk to!

A really good day was the 15th of August which is the height of the summer madness – a very big Greek religious festival and the time when most Greeks go to the islands for a holiday. Also, for us, a break from the office, as we observe all the Greek Bank holidays. We always say that, if we survive past the 15th, we get to live for another year! We took ourselves off to Kastro Beach figuring that most people would be recovering from the late night services and probably wouldn’t make it as far as there. We were right. It was very quiet and Apostoli (who runs the lovely beach taverna there) was able to relax and chat in between serving the few customers who had made it down the path. He was also grateful to have a quiet day as he had been extremely busy for the previous month in which the weather had been fine and calm and the many tourist boats came every day to his beach to visit the old town of Kastro. We asked if he had any fresh fish and he produced two different kinds plus a plate of tender calamaries which we washed down with copious drafts of tsipouro and wine. I crashed out on the beach for a snooze and was later woken by the laughter of our youngest daughter frolicking in the sea with her boyfriend. I staggered back up to the taverna with the raging thirst that one too many tsipouros brings and Apostoli took one look at me and said, “Ella, katsi, kafe, nero?” “Sit, I bring you café and water.” He knew immediately what I needed and, with that great Greek hospitality embedded deep in his bones, told me that it was, “on the house”. Sitting there sipping my Greek coffee and drinking my water, I felt so content and happy, and realized, once again, that it is the simple things in life that bring real pleasure. After a while, gazing up at the sheer cliffs of Kastro I started to wonder what it must have been like to live there during the Turkish occupation and with life occasionally threatened by passing pirates. So different from now. Times were hard then and just scraping a bare living from the soil and the sea and trying to feed the family was a constant worry. Also, having to keep your head down so as not to offend the local “Effendi” must have been extremely difficult for a people as proud and independent as the Greeks are. Families were large as that was the only way to have enough hands to feed everyone and look after the old ones who could no longer do the physical labour. Every wild herb and green was utilized to supplement the diet and help heal the sick, and olives and olive oil were the main staple of the diet. Meat was kept for special occasions and holidays, when perhaps an old goat or sheep that was no longer producing any milk might be slaughtered. Having started our stay in Skiathos trying to do the “back to the land” thing and striving for self sufficiency, we know just how hard life can be when you are a “peasant” trying to sustain yourself with just what the land can offer.
The Greek Orthodox Church was the mainstay of the Greek culture in those days and kept everything together despite the Turkish occupation. (They say that there were almost as many churches in Kastro as there were houses!) Perhaps that is why the church is still extremely important today in all Greeks lives. Marriages, births and deaths always involve a church service. Even the opening of a new business or venture needs to be blessed by lashings of holy water splashed on everyone with a sprig of basil by the local priest. I stood for the local council some years ago and, even though I am not a Greek Orthodox Church member, I had to receive the priest’s blessing!

We were walking back from the fish market with a bag full of fresh shrimps as the full moon crept up over the Pounta. It was huge and still reddish and looked as if it was only as far away as Skopelos. There was a pleasant southerly breeze ruffling the water, making the fishing boats bob up and down at the quayside and it seemed to me to be a moment of complete peace and tranquility. We are not often in town in the evening but, when we are, we take the opportunity to get some fresh fish or shrimps as there is nothing like fish caught only an hour or two ago for a delicious meal. Many of our foreign friends dislike the bones of the smaller fish but we, like the locals, prize them for their variety of taste and delicate flavour. Besides, we soon learnt the proper way to handle the bones and can eat all manner of fish without them being a problem. Fish used to be the poor man’s food but, as stocks diminish everywhere (and particularly in the enclosed Mediterranean), they have become ever more expensive. However, we prefer fish (and sea food in general) to meat, as you never know with meat products what is actually in them unless you raise the animals yourself. We no longer keep our own goats and chickens so tend to be wary unless we know that it was locally raised and then by whom. Having said that, we always roast a baby goat or lamb over coals for Easter and it is one of the highlights of our year. Many of our friends come for the occasion and it is really the beginning of summer and the end of the “winter season” for us. It takes a good 4 to 6 hours of steady turning to get the meat tender but thoroughly cooked through, and we all take our place at the spit using copious amounts of beer and wine to keep the heat at bay. The animal is stuffed with garlic and herbs and is basted with lemon and oil (or lemon and water) as it turns, (some say water makes the skin “crackle” nicely, others swear by oil) and there are always “discussions” as to whether it is cooked enough or not as the hours pass by. Red dyed eggs are cracked against one another and then peeled and consumed with salt and pepper; the idea being to have an egg that cracks everyone else’s but survives unscathed. After the meal, which is usually completed with fresh salad from the garden, the hardier ones take a walk around the Kalamaki Peninsular to try to work off all the food, while the less hardy of us take a siesta! In the evening more wine and spirits flow, we pick at the leftovers and conversation meanders to and fro until we finally tire and wend our way to our beds. The day starts early with the lighting of the fire for coals and finishes quite late and is always one to cherish.

The wild flowers this year seem to be more prolific than ever and the poppies are just starting to cover our fields with a carpet of red. Also the flowering trees such as the Judas Trees, the “Paschalio” (Lilac) and the Wisteria seem to me to be more vibrant than other years, (but Lida thinks that I just forget every year how amazing the colours are). As the plane trees start to get their spring leaves and other trees are getting their early growth, the background shades of green complement the rainbow shades of all the flowers and flowering trees. We had a pretty dry winter (again) but at least got a goodly amount of rain through March from which the local flora has certainly benefited. Greece is renowned for its wild flowers having a climate that ranges from almost sub tropical through Alpine and, even on Skiathos, there are a range of mini climates that encompass so many different environments and flora. It is a good time for walking as nature changes so fast in these days!

Skiathos is a very different place from mainland Greece and has a very different economy. OK, we are almost entirely dependent on tourism, but people still keep coming back, year after year, and we have had new guests from Eastern Europe plus new people from all over the world. In our two villas we have had South Africans, Americans, Finns, Nederlanders, Italians, Russians, residents of Hong Kong, as well as all our regular guests from UK, and the diversity of all these people and their world views makes for great conversation when we share a drink with them around the pool. The magic of Skiathos still remains, whatever the circumstances, and the beaches, off shore islands, the walks, the cultural activities and places to visit have not changed. If you are lucky enough to have a boat (or can hire one), a trip around the island and across to the mainland to Kadi Yiorgy for some fresh fish and wine or tsiporo, make for a day to remember and treasure. Skopelos and Alonissos also beckon and have wonderful places and old, well-kept villages to visit. The physical beauty of these islands has not changed and still knocks me out whenever I come around a bend in the road or on a footpath, and am presented with yet another stunning view.

We are well into the high season now and the island is very busy. Even though the western economies are going through a hard time, it seems people still need their vacation (from the hard grind of work) and, of course, all the Skiathos lovers will not be kept away. Perhaps they don’t have as much to spend but they can still lie on a beach for free if they wish and the appreciation of all the beauty here still costs nothing.
We have had a series of good friends staying with us recently culminating in last week where we had our friends from California in one house and our German friends from Munster in the other. Many an evening was spent by the BBQ next to the pool while stories of the last years were recounted. We caught up with the news of other mutual friends, new connections were made and the beaches and beach tavernas of Skiathos were discussed favourably or not. The highlight of the week was a Kaiky (traditional wooden fishing boat) trip which I organized and took us to a lovely quiet beach on Pelion and then round to Kadi Giorgi, to the fish taverna there. Copious amounts of wine, beer and tsiporo were consumed as we ate mezethes, both simple and complicated, and excellent fish dishes. We were 37 people of many nationalities and a good time was had by all. We returned via an hour on the beach at Tsoungria Island & a drink in the beach taverna there. Tsoungria is still one of my favourite places as I can sit there and look across the water to Skiathos, but have none of the worries & responsibilities of work at that moment. It is also a beautiful place to watch the sun go down, and then motor slowly back across the channel (just before the mosquitoes emerge!). These friends have now left but many more will come in the following 6 weeks and life can get a bit hectic with parties and tavernas meals at night following the work during the day. (It’s a hard life, but someone has to do it!!!).
The movie “Mama Mia” (which is only topped by the latest Batman movie at the world’s box offices and is No.1 in the UK) has been playing non stop to packed audiences at our local open air cinema, Cinema Paradiso. There have been reports of dancing in the aisles to the music. Of course it is very popular here as Skiathos, our neighbouring island of Skopelos and the Pelion peninsular feature hugely and all the beautiful scenery in the movie is from these places. People have already been enquiring about booking places to rent for next year which can only be good for the local economies.

At the risk of upsetting you, I must tell you that the weather this autumn has been glorious. Just enough rain to freshen the island up and make it vividly green again, followed by long periods of weather from the south and west with warm breezes, spectacular views and wonderful sunsets to finish the day. In fact, if you are someone who enjoys the outdoors life, walking, sailing, fishing, tennis and other sports, autumn in Skiathos is something not to be missed.

One of those "frequently asked questions" about Skiathos is, "What do you do in the winter?" Well, the quick answer is, "Recover from the summer!" Strange as it may seem, the winter is something many of us look forward to as we get to see all our local friends again and have time to enjoy the beauty we are surrounded by. Too often, in the summer, we are so busy making a living that we do not see the wood for the trees. One of the things we have been doing recently is tussling with the local council, trying to introduce the idea of recycling the island's rubbish. Skiathos produces an enormous amount of rubbish every summer, way out of proportion to the size of the island. This has become a bad problem which will only grow as time passes unless we take steps to recycle this waste and turn a drain on our recourses into a positive income.

A traditional yearly event has been the Christmas Bazaar organised by the International Women's Group of Skiathos. The Group is made up of many ladies from all over the world (but mostly Europe) who live here all year round, have their children in school here or have become so enamoured of Skiathos that they just couldn't leave. They are a talented lot and are a definite asset to the island. The Christmas Bazaar is held early in December and offered for sale are home baked cakes and cookies, and many handcrafted Christmas items. There is a Lucky Dip, a lottery and the kiddies can have their photo taken with "Santa Claus". Many people come every year to this event and the money gathered by the ladies is shared out to various local charities or where a little extra can make a big difference to someone's life. I always look forward to getting a nice glow on from the Gluhwein (mulled wine) that they serve at the door. There will be many gatherings over the holiday period, but I don't think anyone is planning much special for New Year's Eve. A nice glass of home-made wine by a roaring fire with my family around me is what I am looking forward to.

It has finally started raining after almost 7 months of nothing but the odd thunder shower. Skiathos was becoming parched and I was spending 2 or more hours watering every morning just trying to keep our lawns, trees and flower borders alive. It is a great relief to see the rain even though I know that I will be fed up with it very soon. The last 2 winters were comparatively dry and over the last 10 to 15 years, we have definitely been getting less rainfall than we used to. The stream bed that runs through our valley (and helps to keep it so green) now only runs whilst it is raining. When I first came to Skiathos, it used to run until June and sometimes even July. We had pools of water that were full all year long and had terrapins and (I am told) even fish in them. These have all dried up and the terrapins disappeared long ago (more's the pity). During the summer months, we often find ourselves wishing for rain whilst all the visitors to the island are praying for none! However, without lots of good rain, this island would not be the green haven that it is. A good snow also helps (oh yes, we DO get snow sometimes) as the melt water almost all goes into the ground whereas a terrific downpour will often run off into the sea particularly after a long dry period.

Enough of the weather. Skiathos has gone into "winter mode" with all the shops and tavernas outside the village (bar a couple) shut until next season. The buses, which ran every 15 minutes in the summer, now go only 5 times per day and the schedule is cunningly worked out to be of no use to anybody. The local people are sitting around in the kafenions, relaxing, drinking & swapping stories of the season just gone and telling each other how badly they did (just in case the taxman is listening). We are all wondering how the season will be next year and hoping that the terrorist madness (and the reactions to it) will not have too great an effect on people's wishes to come to a place where they can truly relax and "get away from it all". We took Merlin, our catamaran, out of the water last weekend after a farewell trip to Tsoungria Island and a last picnic on the beach there. Hauling the boat out is always a sad event as it is the definitive end to the summer fun. We are winterising our houses, taking down the mosquito screens and putting up shutters and weatherproofing. The oranges on our trees are ripening and, although they are not so big this year due to lack of rain, they will make us plenty of good marmalade. We picked and pressed the grapes and hope for a decent wine though, again, there were far less than normal. I hope this year will be better than last years. That never matured properly as I had picked the grapes a little too early and the wine remained just too sour to be pleasurable. We live in eternal hope!

Here I am, sitting in the office and the rain is pouring down! A steady stream of water is moving down Papadiamanti Street towards the harbour and, if it keeps up at this rate, it will turn into a river.
Greek streets in small towns like Skiathos are cleverly designed with the cobble stones sloping to the middle so that the water runs in the middle of the street and one can walk on the sides without getting your feet too wet. Unfortunately, as no one has gutters on their roofs here, water pours down on your head, so you have the choice of a wet head or wet feet! Very cunning! No wonder they don’t go out whenever it rains. The good thing here is, you know that, within a day or two, the weather will clear up and the sun will shine again. Usually, in the winter when the weather gets bad and work is not so pressing, I will not go in to the office, just work from my home computer using logmein.com to work on the office machine. However, today it didn’t look as if it was going to rain that much, so I made the mistake of coming in. Luckily, it’s too warm yet for snow but I suspect that this winter will be a heavy one and we might well get a dump or two. It will serve us right for having such a wonderful late October and November. The days were gloriously sunny, warm but not too hot, and perfect walking weather, so that’s what we did a lot of at weekends and on some afternoons. The German Walking Club, in conjunction with the Mayor and local helpers, have re-opened many of the old footpaths that had become overgrown since so many roads had been put in on the island. It has been a pleasure to rediscover them and some of them we haven’t walked for 20 years or so. Monasteries and churches are being renovated and a new (cobblestone) road has been made down towards the old town of Kastro. At the end of this road, there has been built a half Amphitheatre from stone where you can sit and get a good view of Kastro. My assumption is that this will be used for some kind of cultural events, but I haven’t heard anything specific. Many locals have been going to Kastro and staying for the weekend. They have been clearing the paths, renovating rock retaining walls and exposing more of the ruins. It’s very nice and makes the place much more attractive to visit. Of course, they also have a good time barbecuing meat and wild mushrooms, cooking up wild greens and other vegetables, and washing it all down with drafts of wine. They certainly have worked out that balance between work and pleasure!
The off season is a great time for us who live here permanently. We get to see our friends again and have time to swap stories of the summer’s adventures, boat trips, work and tourist woes, and whatever else happened, all over a few glasses of wine or tsiporo. Our “bridge club” has started again (only 5 or 6 of us) and so Thursday evenings are greatly looked forward to again. There’s more time for walking, tennis (when it’s not raining), gardening, catching up with new contacts made through the summer and generally taking it easier than during the “season”.
Christmas is not such a big thing here (certainly not so big commercially, which is a great relief) but there will be the annual Christmas Bazaar at the high school where home made cakes and crafts are for sale, there’ll a (mad) kiddies playroom, the choir will sing and typical Greek winter sweets will be available (usually made available by the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides of the island). We usually have a few friends for Christmas dinner and our youngest daughter will come from Athens for a week. Unfortunately, our eldest daughter will be in Thessaloniki for Christmas this year so will not be able to join us. She will then be off to the UK to give birth to her baby, our grandchild. Interesting times ahead for us, as we move into a new phase of life. All our friends who have grandchildren seem to be crazy about them so we have to assume that grandkids are a “good thing”.
Our orange, lemon and mandarin trees are loaded with fruit this year and we will be drinking lots of fresh juice and making plenty of jars of marmalade. It is not an olive year this year (they usually crop every second year unless they are intensively farmed) but we have enough oil from last year to see us through. The wine has slowed its fermentation down and will soon need a second racking. By the end of January we will have bottled it all but I can see we will probably have to have a “taste” at Christmas as we are just now finishing last years vintage.

In my newsletters, I usually try to leave people with some feeling of Greece and this time I am going to get a little philosophical. An acquaintance quoted me something from Kazantzakis. I probably don’t have it absolutely correct, but it went something like this. “We come from darkness, we go to darkness. The short space of time in between, we call life.”
Life is short. Enjoy it every day. Be good to yourself. Be good to others. Bring a little happiness into someone’s life every day and it will be repaid many times over.