lane Ashfeldt: 52 eyelands' review

52 eyelands: a genre-busting guide to the Greek Islands

I never take a guidebook on my travels. That way, I don’t have to worry about the long lists of things I need to ‘cover’ (and which, invariably, I will fail to do). But if I ever revisit the Greek Islands, I might just be packing my copy of Gregory Papadoyiannis’s genre-busting guidebook 52 eyelands.  Far from stressing you out with detailed lists, Papadoyiannis offers only the lightest touch of “must sees”. In fact, among the book’s top tips for travel is the refreshing advice to set aside all guidebooks or maps as soon as you can, and trust your instincts instead. Papadoyiannis is a Greek author, a native of the island of Crete. Although he has been visiting the Greek islands each summer for decades, he is a slow traveller, and still has a couple of dozen islands left to see.
Here’s a couple of tiny snippets from the start of his ‘sentimental journey through the Greek islands’.

Kythnos
Kythnos is not the first hat (or car) that an ordinary salesperson would bring out for you to see. He would want to show you some flashier models first, because that’s how he learnt to do things. In the same way, no travel guide for the Greek islands starts off with Kythnos – no one would even think of beginning with this island.

Milos
Milos is rather known because of a wonderful statue, Aphrodite of Milo (Venus de Milo), which ironically, you will never see in the island. You will have to go to the Louvre. Let us return to the island now. There is no space to deal with thieveries of the past.

The tone of the book is relaxed and accepting of the traveller’s lot: things may go awry from time to time, but that is to be expected. Sometimes the ferry is late and the bus driver who is paid to meet it gives up waiting and goes home to bed, and so the disembarking passengers must reach their destinations on foot. But Papadoyiannis makes light of such challenges. However bad the situation, he remains an optimist. What you must do, he seems to be saying, is keep going, and the next day you will find the good stuff.
Another positive thing about this project is, it is one of the first batch of books to be published by new Greek press, Paraxenes Meres, (Strange Days) which is just starting on its own travels – and on the strength of this book, an interesting journey may lie ahead.
Sustained throughout 52 eyelands is the voice of a travelling companion who is always careful not to tell you too much, always conscious that travel is about making choices and that since each traveller is different, each has discoveries of their own awaiting them on the islands he knows and loves so well.
At last: a no-spoilers guidebook. This could be a thing.

LANE ASHFELDT

http://pxl8.net/2013/08/30/52-eyelands-by-gregory-papadoyiannis/

Lane Ashfeldt is the author of SaltWater (Liberties Press, 2014)  a collection of a dozen short stories and a novella (“An impressive debut collection” The Incubator). Other stories by Lane have appeared in anthologies and magazines, among them Dancing With Mr Darcy, Guardian.co.uk, Identity Theory, Punk Fiction, Southword, The Bohemyth, and The London Magazine. Visit Lane online at: ashfeldt.com

About Milos

Milos

There goes a beautiful island, an island with personality. There goes an island which from a distance seems like an ordinary Cycladic one, but it is not. How can it be ordinary when it hides all this life underneath? This “underground” or even stone life that has offered prosperity to the island thanks to the marbles and other rich deposits of a series of minerals.

Well, there is an element that determines the life and the history of Milos: the mineral resources. For centuries, Milos has lived thanks to the hidden “treasures” within the island. This has given economic self-sufficiency to the island and has kept the Beast away until the last decades. When the self-sufficiency was over, for reasons related to the general mistakes in the economy of this country, Milos sought for the necessary revenues in tourism. Fortunately, it was too late for its “development” as it happened with other islands which exclusively rely on tourism...

The entire island lets out a sense of tender abandonment. What do I mean by this? I mean that the image of the past is kept alive, in the two or three towns, Adamas (Diamond, another ironic reminder), Plaka and Apollonia (the land of god Apollo which the locals call Polonia) as well as in the villages, beaches, seacoasts and capes. Let’s take the example of Klima in the northwest edge of the large cove of Milos. It is so authentic, precisely because it is just a fishing village left to its destiny. It looks like a stubborn fisherman who insists on fishing with nets when all the rest are occupied with fish farms –or should I say: tourist farms? Klima is there and seems unaffected from the passing of the time...

About Kythera

Kythera

Yes, the truth is that Kythera belong to the Ionian islands. However, according to certain administration services, they belong to the Prefecture of Piraeus. In my opinion, the most important fact is to inform you that Kythera is an island which is found just under Peloponnese, between three Greek seas: Myrtoan, Cretan and Ionian. This is helpful to understand the island a bit more.

Kythera is the island of Aphrodite. It is not the only one, Cyprus also claims this title, in this case the myth, truly impressive, wants her blossoming form the waters of the sea. Cytherian Aphrodite «κεύθει» (hides in Ancient Greek), she hides the love till it finds a cause and it bursts. That is why

Kythera, according to some guides, provoke erotic feelings, they magnitise and create a dreamy feeling for the lovers which follows them for all their lives. Don’t believe what you read in the guides, but as for me, I spent some amazing days with my then loved one there. I remember the idyllic Aghia Pelagia and a small room to let with blue windows, bursting with pink and red bougainvilleas, a loud fair in a village whose name I forget and an amazingly preserved big village, Potamos (river) and a melancholic Venetian ghost village in Mylopotamos (The Mill upon the River). The exact opposite from the touristic capital, Kapsali, which I must admit was not great.

 (the above is from the book, 52 eyelands, a sentimental journey through the greek islands)

 

Things have changed there, as I could see last summer in my second visit in Kythera after twelve years or so. Agia Pelagia is not so idyllic place now. Looks like a full - of - hotels - village and I can't say I liked this kind of progress. Now, Kapsali is just a place for tourists, ok, but a beautiful one. Diakofti is more or less the same. An Caladi is still one of the best beaches I heve ever seen. Potamos is not so well preserved but Mylopotamos is still a place ideal for fairy tales. Chora is an all times classic & must see place. But I really loves the village Avlemonas this time. Maybe because I have changed a lot in the past few years and I can appreciate the atmosphere of a peacefull, quiet place with a picturesque harbour and no more than two bars and three taverns. Seems ideal to me now...

I still remember the small, like a children's toy, plane with which we got back to Athens on my way back the first time I visited Kythera. I am not

particularly afraid of airplanes, but it would be hard for me to get back in there, even if you paid me. The pilot looked more like a taxi driver and you would easily fall in the temptation to tell him if he would leave you somewhere closer to your house than at the airport. Years later, a taxi driver who happened to drive me to Piraeus for another journey, told me that the situation of the communication to Kythera, not only did it not better, but, when it comes to ships, it became more scarce and difficult, for the fast ferry line to the island was cancelled. I could not believe what my ears were telling me, but I confirmed it the previous summer. Now, there is only an ancient ship that connects Kythera with Pelopenesus and people in Kythera

told me that even this connection will minimize to once in a week itirenary in winter months. It is really too bad not only for the visitors (tourists are rare at this time of the year) but mainly for the people who live in Kythera. In Greece you should always be ready for the worst.

About Naxos

Naxos

 (excerpt from the book ''52 eyelands: a sentimental journey through the Greek islands''

History goes first. There is a sad story about Theseus, an ancient hero who you may have not heard of or not remember of exactly what his achievement were, besides ancient Greece is full of heroes. Maybe the name Minotaur rings a bell a bit more. Fine, let’s narrate the story. Theseus kills Minotaur, in reality in this way Athens ceases the sovereignty of the Minoans. Minotaur was a beast. Theseus needed Ariadne’s help and love in order to exterminate it. But during the journey back, the beautiful princess of Crete was of no use anymore. So, he left her somewhere in the Aegean Sea. This is how Dionysus found her in Naxos island, although there are other islands that claim her too.

There is a series of family islands in Greece, in all of its island complexes. I am under the impression that Naxos, Ariadne’s island, it the most beautiful among these. Of course, if beauty is something subjective, I would rather say “rich”, it is a rich island. In every sense –regarding the things it can provide us. Sufficiency, calmness, peacefulness, respect to its history, balance and also something that in most Cycladic islands impossible to encounter: space. Naxos is the largest island in Cyclades Prefecture and in reality, one of the largest ones in Greece...




Which are the strong points of this island? Let’s say what is not good. Naxos enjoys the whole beauty of Cyclades without the negative features that the touristic development of the busy neighboring islands brings along. But certainly this does not happen in every part of the island. Around the Chora of Naxos, the Beast has played its own game. It has converted the site in a relief of Modern Greek ugliness. But only there you will find something like this. Inevitably, you will have to pass from this point in order to enter to the heart of Chora, the Castle, the Portara (Big Door), the Museums, and the archeological site of Grapa. Enter and find the fantastic small pastry shops, bars and tavernas which lie in the inner part of a town tormented from the crazy residential kitsch that unfortunately burdens every provincial town in Greece. However, we try to forget about that, we keep the beautiful side of Chora and we travel throughout the island.
We travel in Castles: the castle of Apalirou in Sagri village, the Apano (Upper) Castle, in Tragea, in Venetian Towers, the Tower of Chimarou and the Tower of Aghias, in archeological sites such as the one in Palaiopyrgos (Old Tower) in Plaka or Dionysus’ sanctuary in Livadi (Field). We look for the majestic statues of Kouroi which remain solid (most likely, an accident during their transfer, detain them forever in the island and gave us the opportunity to admire them from close) near Apollonas village in the towering –for Cycladic standards- mountain of Naxos, Za (Jupiter) where there is also the homonymous cave.

I should mention the Byzantine Monastery of Fotodotis Christos in Danakos village as well as the Monastery of Panagia Ypsilotera in Galini (Serenity) village. Also, the churches of Panagia Protothroni in Chalki village –the largest one in the island- and the church of Panagia Drosiani in Moni. Later on, I am writing about Apeirathos village (one of the most beautiful villages in Greece). As for the seacoasts, the entire Naxos is an endless coast, I will begin from the shoreline that starts from the capital and extends for about ten kilometers (!) –it is the most typical touristic coastal part of Naxos- with the beaches Aghios Georgios, Aghios Prokopios, Aghia Anna and Plaka. A little further down in the east, we can choose among Vigla (Watchtower), Aliko (Red) and Pyrgaki (Little tower) beaches. In the south you must definitely see Kalantos and right on the opposite side towards the north, the picturesque Lionas beach. In Naxos I had one of the most terrible hangovers of my life, but it was not the island’s fault...




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text & photos of this blog by Gregory Papadoyiannis
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''52 eyelands: a sentimental journey through the Greek islands'' 

is available through:

paraxenesmeres.gr (paperback)
amazon.com (kindle edition) 

Greetings from Gavdos

Ai Giannis beach

 

The fine for free camping, according to the draft of the new law on tourism doubled from 147 euros to 300. "The offenders are punished with a fine of 300 euros per person or per campsite or by car, charged by the certifying infringement or port authority police and collected according to the provisions of Article 104 of the Road Traffic Code of Law 2696/1999 (A57). Checks of mixed crews on penalty of a fine imposed by the police officer shown in control, according the draft.

I just wonder if the "authorities" dare do such a thing at Gavdos which is an island just for free campers. They give life to a really abandoned from every state authority place. Gavdos is one of the last reuges for free camping in Greece. And it will stay like this, whatever stupid laws they think to impose.

In my book there's an Introduction to the Greek Landscape (chapter: Greece for Beginners) where I try to explain about the illegal state of Greece phenomenon. Here is a small excerpt

Greece is a country of outlaws. In case that doesn’t reassure you, I can tell you that most are just occasional "illegals” that have to be that way mainly because the great ring leader is the Greek state itself – a governing body that compels you to behave illegally in order to survive. A classic example of this is the illegal buildings that are found everywhere. Even government buildings have been built illegally since no one bothers to enforce building regulations. Real power in Greece belongs to no more than a few dozen wealthy families who have arbitrarily built villas wherever they please because no one dares to check... There are thousands of other arbitrary buildings – from sheds to entire housing settlements – built illegally because there is simply no other way to get things done. In order to obey the laws of this country – a country that doesn’t even have a land registry – a citizen must bravely confront nonsensical bureaucracy and arbitrary decisions made by employees of the state. For example, urban planners will request a small “gift” for their services, regardless of whether what you’re asking for is legal or illegal. Innocent citizens are then faced with a dilemma: do the right thing and accept that your dream house will remain a dream, or pander to the illicit requests of state employees who hold your fate in their hands. It’s not difficult to guess what most people decide to do...

Ai Giannis beach

Lavrakas

the Lighthouse

View from the Lighthouse

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text & photos of this blog by Gregory Papadoyiannis

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Greek islands top -9 (according to CNN)

CNN presents the top nine islands in and around the Cyclades, each with its marquee attraction

Best scenery: Santorini

Best nightlife: Mykonos

Best traditional village life: Naxos

Best kiteboarding and windsurfing: Paros

Best beaches: Milos

Best for nature lovers: Ikaria

Best Robinson Crusoe destination: Koufonisia

Best couples getaway: Folegandros

Best food: Crete

You can read the article here: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/15/travel/greek-islands

But of course I can't resist writing few comments about the list. Here they are:

Best scenery: Santorini – I can agree with this, but there are too many options here. Santorini is just the best-known-for it's scenery- island. Everyone knows about Santorini and the magnificent scenery in all the famous spots of the island. Still, I believe that the best scenery is the island itself when you approaching it with the ferry. And of course I can think of many more islands with excellent scenery like: Amorgos, Symi, Folegandros, Anafi and Sifnos to name just a few and if we have just to stay close to Cyclades.

Best nightlife: Mykonos – Nothing to say here. Only that you are not really a traveller if you choose an island for its nightlife.

Best traditional village life: Naxos – Well, I love Naxos, and I’d choose the village life there especially around the mountain Za and the picturesque vilafe of Apeirathos but still l think there is more traditional village life in Sikinos and many others.

Best kiteboarding and windsurfing: Paros - This is true. Only keep in mind that Paros is so overcrowded especially in August that even I was a surfer which I’m not, I would choose Lefkada.

Best beaches: Milos –  It is very risky when it comes to decide about the island with the best beaches. Everyone has his preferences but I wouldn’t recommend to someone to put it so simply. The best beach is always the one that you prefer. It is a different issue if there is an island with many beautiful beaches or many sandy beaches and another thing to say that this one has the best beaches. Oddly enough in my book I write about the beaches in island of Skopelos, not exactly in Cyclades, but this is not the point. The point is that almost every island of the Aegean Sea has a lot of beautiful beaches. And it’s up to you to enjoy them and then choose about the best.

Best for nature lovers: Ikaria – This is yesterdays news, or better said: ‘60s news. And this is for an island that I really and truly love. Nature lovers would enjoy it. But, please, if you are a real nature lover, go to another less inhabitant island. Or choose one of the thousand Greek islands which are not inhabitant at all.

Best Robinson Crusoe destination: Koufonissia – Well, there are two of them. There is Ano (Upper) and Kato (Lower) Koufonissi. The second one has no inhabitants and you could play Robinson Crusoe’s part, even if I can’t see any reason for Crusoes just few minutes away from a really wonderful island -and a real paradise for tourists such as the other Koufonissi. And as I mentioned before there is a thousand of deserted islands in Greece. Just find the way to approach them and then you ‘ll play Crusoe for real.

Best couples getaway: Folegandros – No, definitely not. In my guide the best island for couples is Astypalea. Not that a couple can't find the ideal island in Folegandros. The newcomers (and the fresh couples) always seems to find everything fantastic anyway. But, really I would prefer Amorgos, especially in May, or Santorini (definitely in May) or Hydra (preferably in autumn) or Schinoussa (any time) and then I would perhaps think of Folegandros.

Best food: Crete – Ok, but never say it to a native of Crete that you chosen the island just for the good food. People there are very sensitive about their island and you may have some troubles. Just say that Crete is the best island you have ever seen. I say the same. What else can I do?  I live here.

 PHOTO: the village Klima (Milos): for me the best coastal village I 've seen

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FEEL FREE TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS, INFOS & COMMENTS ABOUT THE ISLANDS

About Santorini

I could say a lot about Santorini. I will try to stick to the basics -my own basics. I have been to Santorini in every season and in every note of the love stave, if I can call it that way. In my four journeys, I was quite in love, crazy in love, barely in love (imagine, it was the same woman of the second journey) and the fourth time, married. So, I had the chance to see the island in every phase.
It goes without saying that Santorini is a rather touristic island; a multi-filmed island; an island ideal for cruise tourists. A rich island –and an island for the rich, fortunately not just for them. Because at the same time, it is an island that keeps its magic and mystery. Not like before, but it does. Thirty years ago, when I first went there, there was just magic and mystery...
(text from the 52 eyelands book, the photo goes back to the '8Os, i have no idea who the girl is)

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ABOUT SANTORINI'S BLACK OUT

From: enet.gr- EnetEnglish.gr

Ministers fly to Santorini following new blackout

Updated At: 20:50 Friday 16 August 2013

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras asked two of his ministers to sort out issues on the island of Santorini, where power outages were continuing for a fourth consecutive day on Friday

Interior Minister Yannis Michelakis and Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni arrived in Santorini on Friday as power outages on the island were continuing for a fourth consecutive day.

Santorini and its neighbouring Thirasia have been experiencing power outages since Tuesday afternoon, when a fire at the island's power station caused a blackout that lasted for several hours.

Apart from Michelakis and Kefalogianni, also ordered to the island by the premier were PPC managing director Arthouros Zervos and Hellenic Tourism Organisation (EOT) general secretary Panos Leivadas, who attended a meeting at the town hall together with the island’s mayor Anastasios-Nikolaos Zorzos and local authorities.

Following the meeting, Michelakis said that power would be fully restored by Saturday at the latest.

The Public Power Corporation (PPC) had initially assessed that power would be fully restored by Wednesday night, but different areas were still being supplied in rotation throughout Thursday, before a new blackout left the island without power.

The island's mayor said on Thursday that the municipality was planning to file a complaint against anyone responsible for the ongoing electricity problems. “It's time some people took responsibility for their actions,” Zorzos said in a statement.

According to PPC spokesman Kimon Stergiotis Thursday night's blackout was due to a breakdown in a power condenser.

Sources within PPC told AMNA news agency on Friday that efforts were being made to fully restore power by the end of the day.

They stressed however that hindering efforts were rough seas that delayed the arrival of auxiliary generators from Piraeus and other islands, as well as the difficulty of transporting and setting up the generators. 

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