The Skiathos Bulletin Board

Ian · Last edited by Ian on Wed Nov 28, 2007 6:04 pm; edited 2 times in total

Flew to Athens with Easyjet through stormy skies and landed at Athens airport. With four hours to kill I sat outside and watched the storm clouds build over the hills to the north. The island flight is at 16.45 and as we were at the gate they said the flight was delayed due to weather. Finally took off one hour late through a lightning lit sky up to Skiathos.

Greek TV that night was mainly stories of big floods, across Greece, and that night another storm and heavy rain. The weather was cloudy by day but once darkness fell the storms arrived and it really did rain, sometimes with hail too. In the early hours of Tuesday morning, nature was putting on one very fine fireworks display. One flash of lightning and clap of thunder that rattled windows and reverberated across the island. Somehow the power stayed on and the rain and hail rattled on the windows.

The Kounistra walk

The Skiathos Calendar by Betsy Barnard mentions ...

21st Panayia Kounistra (The presentation of the mother of god in the temple,
i.e. when she was taken to serve in the temple as a child aged about 12)

On the morning of the 20th the miraculous icon is brought up to the top
church and taken out of the town about 2.30. The bells ring in town at about
1.00. People follow on foot on the old road to Kounistra. At the monastery
of Kounistra an evening service, all night vigil, bonfires food, much
feasting. Buses run to the monastery all evening.
Early next morning, about 5am the icon is taken back along the old road to
town, people following on foot. To Ayia Triada about 8am, down the old paved
road to the Kalo Pigadi and along the main road to the Tries Hieraches.
Service 9 - 10.30 ...

Some years have passed since Betsy documented the issue, but my Greek friends all mentioned it to me this year, when I said I would like to be out in November for a visit. It was a good opportunity for an autumn trip however the weather overnight had made the thought of a walk over the mountains a little uninviting.

The weather was grey and cool and up at Acropolis at 12 noon not a lot was happening. Above the bus stop men with guns started to assemble.

Then the first gunshots and Firecrackers were being let off too. There were two or three guys firing into the sky, then more appeared and quite a crowd formed under darkening skies to watch what was happening. By 13.30pm there were 20 men firing shotguns on both sides of the road with expelled cartridges and wadding raining down on the bus stop area.

The procession arrived in the Acropolis at 14.00hrs led by the Skiathos band

Followed by the priests from the churches at the front, then followed by the townsfolk under umbrellas from the rain that had started to fall.

They were welcomed by a volley of gunfire as the procession and the Icon passed by below.

Once the procession passed I joined at the back and followed along down the hill, very soon I was not at the back as many more joined the procession and the rain stopped ...

The walk paused down the hill as the band moved to one side, then we continued to walk down to bus stop five, Then we turned off and headed upwards up the concrete path past the apartments and then into the olive groves. You start to walk on the old cobbled path climbing up through the olive groves above Ftelia.

Stopping to pick ripe Komala fruits from the side of the path, the summit of this path is by the Hotel Paradise where we paused to take a break, I met Vangelis and Angelos from Stamatis taverna, and along came Woodmonkey (Martin & Jayne) Martin with a great one liner he said "You meet the strangest people up on a mountain"

Off down the valley on the path, continuing until we stop at one of the small monuments where the Icon is brought forward by the mayor and handed to the priests where they undertake a small service before passing the icon back to the people in the procession.

Everyone takes a turn carrying the icon along the way, here is Angelos taking his turn.

Some of the local ladies were walking barefoot, which apparently is the tradition. There was one young lady in designer jeans barefoot and muddied keeping the tradition going. Fantastic views as we headed up from the junction of the path where you can head south to Platanias or onward as the sign said to Micros Asselinos, the sea is visible to the north. You climb up into the fire damage zone and its a good workout on the legs but you cannot complain when a little old lady in front is doing the same pace uphill barefoot.

At the top you have a 180 degree panoramic view from Skopolos, Arkos, Tsougria, over to Evia and to the Pelion. The sun was trying to poke its way through the clouds too ...

Another pause at a roadside monument as we descended passed by the municipal dump. Surrounded by fire damage before descending the steps to the path to Kounistra monastery.

Here again the men with shotguns fired another volley into the Sky as the evening sun came out ...

The walk took two and a half hours, and as we arrived Kounistra was in the evening sun.

and the towns folk all queuing to enter the monastery.

The start of the overnight festivities, some of the rooms were serving coffee, others Tsipourou, buses arrived to take some home, we stayed a while and eventually headed back over the mountain in the dark under the moonlight to town - Great fun but very weary legs in the morning ...

Around the town

Tavernas open are Alexandros, Hellenikon, O'Batis, Chicken George, the fish taverna ouzeri on the old harbour by the Emporiki bank, the Mouragio Ouzeri by the bus station and the taverna ouzeri by the Alpha bank. Meltemi and Gerani Coffee shops are open, the Mythos bar and the Old Port on the old harbour are open too. So there are plenty of places to meet the locals. Marianna and Anastasia in the Gerani looked after me and I enjoyed sitting in there with a glass of wine most evenings. Taverna O'Batis is where I dined most nights, Christos and Eleni have a great winter menu ...

Friends around town

Bumped into many friends around town, shared some freshly picked oranges with Sally (Deco) but one friend I always mention is Stamatis from the bakery in Tries Hieraches square. Stamatis is a great guy, once he finishes baking at 9am then he practices his bazouki, we had coffee most mornings in the shop, and I usually stayed for a chat. I tried out his new sugar free orange biscuits straight from the oven after watching him make them. The chocolate fudge is said to be very good. If you ever go in to the bakery remember to tell him about the pictures we have on here of him playing the bazouki and taking the bread from the oven - He is now the most famous baker on Skiathos ...

I met up with Vasilis Koralis Editor and Chief reporter of the Skiathos Gazette, Born in Skiathos, returning there via Chicago and LA and now a Skiathos resident and member of the choir. He is such a great guy and we had coffee and the odd glass of wine together on a couple of occasions. He is a very Interesting man and knows so much about the island and its nature. He has a book "The Walks of Skiathos Island" which you can find around town and does walking tours around the town in the summer with Danilo his mountain dog.

Weather from Wednesday onwards was gorgeous, sunny days and I spent Thursday afternoon sitting outside the Mythos bar in the sun. Once the sun sets it gets cold then seems to warm up again. Lots of woodsmoke round the alleys and logs being delivered for the fires. Great to sit up by the clocktower in the sun watching the Express Skiathos down below.

The Wednesday Olympic flight did not go, so had another night in the Gerani with Tricky (Tricky & Erica) before he made his way back on Friday via Agios Constantinos to Athens.

Sitting in the airport, waiting to come home and bumped into Paul of IMP who is doing such a great job on the island with wheelchairs and vehicles for disabled people. Then along came another friendly face, Terry (Mr Lindyloo) for a chat. Boomerang night re-visited ...

If you are at the top end of Papadamatis Street by the new post office is the new Lobby Bar, a great place for a coffee or a drink - but tell me if I am wrong - This place has the finest toilet facilities on the island - should you need their use ...
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Counting down the weeks till the next visit - Click here to see why ...

Foxy · Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 8:15 pm Post subject:

Great write-up, Ian. Makes me want to be there during the winter more than the summer.

Darrell · Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 10:32 pm Post subject:

and I will check out the Lobby bar bogs!
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www.perigiali-skiathos.com
RESIDENT OF SKIATHOS

AForrest · Joined: 07 May 2006 Posts: 497 Location: Bolton Lancs

Nice pictures of the walk. It would be great to go off season but its difficult (and really expensive) from up here.
Hope you didnt drink to much of Marianas wine and left some for the rest of us Very Happy

allan · Joined: 04 Jan 2007 Posts: 99 Location: Preston Lancashire

Foxy · Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 4:17 pm Post subject:

The decor & furnishing in those sorts of places, immediately puts me off. I just know I'm gonna get stitched up with the price of the drinks.

<tight-arsed smiley>

allan · Joined: 04 Jan 2007 Posts: 99 Location: Preston Lancashire

Foxy · Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 8:35 pm Post subject:

Darrell · Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 9:03 pm Post subject:

Where did you say this place is?
_________________
www.perigiali-skiathos.com
RESIDENT OF SKIATHOS

suejet · Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 9:21 pm Post subject:

I think it's the one owned by the Bourtzi Hotel, it's new and there are leather seats in the main street just below the Police Station opp the Greek Taverna that was previously a pizza place. Merlin put a photo on of it.
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you heard it here first - BOJAN!

mo&balconies · Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 10:16 pm Post subject:

Ian - Brilliant photos, can't wait to experience all these things for myself.
As for the lobby bar, think it's a couple of minutes from our pad, so will be checking it out.
Just need somewhere for xmas day lunch/dinner. Any suggestions?
Suexx

Ian · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 6:51 am Post subject:

We need a lobby bar thread ...

Christine (Diamond) highly recommended the place earlier this year in her review. Must admit I find the cocktail thing a bit OTT. Mythos with an umbrella - no thanks. That said I liked the place ...

Anyway I went in with Jacques after tearing round town on the back of his scooter (Not a good thing to do with a bad back) - At one time we went down one alley and nearly collected some washing which was hung out to dry. We slewed to a halt outside and as he said he was eager to try the place and in we went.

Its very nice, no micro skirted ladies, just a lot of locals all enjoying themselves. Two greek guys behind the bar who were working very hard.
We had Mythos - without umbrellas at 3.5 euros a bottle.

Back to cocktail bars, met Milton & Zoe outside the Rock & Roll bar, they are having some refurbishment work done on the bar and will be open at Greek Easter ...

Sue - I have not been out there for Christmas, but was out there the week before last year. I'm sure that some of the Skiathos based guys can point you in the right direction. Vasilis said they had trouble finding Turkey for their thanksgiving dinner so had chicken instead.
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Counting down the weeks till the next visit - Click here to see why ...

Jackman · Joined: 08 Jan 2006 Posts: 605

Ian - terrific write up and pics of the panagia to Kounistria. Should be published and bound for posterity.

P.S. - for the umpteenth time, it's Betsy BARNARD

Ian · Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 6:09 pm Post subject:

pp · Joined: 18 Jan 2006 Posts: 30