Naturally the announcement angered independent tour operators who accused the Foreign Office of flying off the handle and acting irresponsibly. Read responses here.

There is a chance for everybody to donate blood tomorrow Wednesday from 09.00 hours until 14.00 hours and from 17.00 hours until 20.00 hours. On Thursday from 09.00 hours until 14.00 hours. The blue truck is parked in the harbor. If you have not been before ask the people inside. You are registered and will be examined briefly. Your blood type will be found. A card where your donations will be registered, will be given to you. And then you are good to go….

This article from Reuters says:
Euro zone seals second Greek bailout
Euro zone finance ministers sealed on Tuesday a second bailout for debt-laden Greece that will resolve its immediate financing needs but seems unlikely to revive the nation’s shattered economy.

After a marathon 13 hours of talks, euro zone officials said ministers had nailed measures to cut Greece’s debt to around 121 percent of gross domestic product by 2020, close to their original target of 120, after negotiators for private bondholders offered to accept a bigger loss to help plug the funding gap.

If you want to see more look at the Reuters article here: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/21/us-greece-idUSTRE8120HI20120221

While readers of Skopelos News who are resident in the UK can enter here, as we suspected, the small print confirms that the competition is not open to anyone living anywhere else, although anyone now resident here who tried to enter and actually won would have faced the prospect of returning to what Lawrence Durrell called “Pudding Island” and “the Isle Dolorous” to claim their prize. But at least it means that there will be two more Guardian readers joining that beleaguered cohort here, if only temporarily, and possibly more…

Not the usual high res NASA image, but that's Venus above Pisces and below the Moon

You may have spotted a very bright object high in the west on recent nights. That’s Jupiter, and this weekend its annual circle around the Sun brings it into alignment with Venus and the Moon. This week the two planets will converge on the satellite (that’s the crescent Moon just above Venus in the chart, which is courtesy of NASA) and they will be at their closest next Saturday. While the Moon’s orbit will take it out of alignment with the two planets, Venus and Jupiter will continue to appear closer until March 12, when they will be just two outstretched fingers apart.

This sight will, perhaps obviously, be visible to Skopelos News readers wherever they are logging in around the world. So, Lanie and Paul in Laos, as they say in the movies, watch the skies, they’re coming!

Two of the Scramblers have assured the group that they are busy during their off Island time training up New Members in the Italian snow slopes and have even named the training group the Dolomite Branch of the Skopelos Scramblers – looking good but will they be able to adjust to our higher temperatures, beautiful coastal views and tasty Greek taverna food ?

Sunday 19th February

Sundays walk will set off at 10.30am on the main Stafilos to Agnondas road at the entrance to the woodland walk that leads to Dragons Schism. They will then head round the Cape of Amarantos with the choice of a dip in the sea at that point. Morning picnic will be scheduled for the beach at Agnondas.

For further information contact Muriel Dunlop 24240-24732