Cultural and Folklore association, three day event

The cultural and folklore association will hold a three evening cultural event on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 21.00 hours. All participants of the classes of the association will on Friday perform traditional dances, on Saturday ballet and modern dance and on Sunday the choir will perform and the students that study musical instruments will perform. Everybody is welcome in the amphitheater of the elementary school from 21.00 hours.

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Open house

Jan has an “open house” on Monday from 10 until 12 in the morning. She lives on the Stafylos road, towards the end on the right side if you drive towards Stafylos. Follow the balloons.

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Who wants to show their artwork on Skopelos?

The municipality of Skopelos will organize several cultural events this summer. Therefor it wants to invite all artists living on Skopelos that want to show their artwork to get in contact with the special assistant of the mayor, mrs. Evi Kathinioti. Please write to her until Sunday the 8th of May 2022. Maybe it is a good idea to send some photos of your work with the email. Her email address is: kathinioti@skopelos.gov.gr You can also call her for more information: 24243-50106

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Finally some sun and happy Easter!

After almost three days with rain we finally saw the sun again today. It’s the week before Greek Orthodox Easter and many people have been very busy with getting their businesses ready for the first “real” visitors this summer. The rain wasn’t helping but there are somedays left before many people will arrive on the island.

The island has been getting visitors fairly early this year already but places to stay and restaurants that were open, were very limited and the weather was not always stable. From this weekend a lot of places will be open and with the warm weather coming everybody will fully enjoy themselves!

I feel that people really want to take advantage of being able to travel with lesser restrictions than during the last two years. They are coming from very far! We met a Colombian family on Glysteri beach last week!

Because we have had so much rain and snow too the island’s vegetation looks fantastic! Everything is soo green and the blooming cherry, almond, plumb and other fruit trees look like a bridal bouquet!

Snow is also good for the olive trees and an olive harvest they say. They are in bloom and are looking good. Let’s not jinx it though!

If you are visiting the island for the first time in the Easter period have a look at the page with the Easter celebration information. It is on the top of the blog (Easter/ 1st of May)

Enjoy Greek Orthodox Easter everybody here on Skopelos and in all the other places that celebrate it in the world.

Kali Anastasie/Καλή Ανάσταση

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Clean Monday

Between a lot rain we found some sunshine on Milia beach. We celebrate today the start of the Sarakosti/Σαρακοστή period before Easter. Sarakosti= 40 days. This Great Lent period starts on Clean Monday and ends on Holy Saturday, after midnight.

And the blog has 4000 and two followers!!

Καλή σαρακοστή, χρόνια πολλά!!

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Charred

With the people of the Ukraine in mind I write this post on charred Thursday in Greece. The meaning of charred during one of the days of the Greek carnival is important and many Greeks celebrate this day but I cannot help thinking also about the current situation in the Ukraine, the attacks on various cities, many people fleeing and the possible loss of lives. Mixed feelings. Life goes on but in other parts of the world wars are being fought.

In the meantime Tassos in his cantina (name of the cantina is: ομορφαίνει δεν παχαίνει/it makes you more beautiful, it does not make you fat) has hundreds of souvlakis on the BBQ and loud music on the speakers.

Tomorrow, the 25th of February, the patron saint of Skopelos, Agios Riginos is celebrated. Government offices will be closed, most shops too. The small church (called Agios Riginos) on the crossroad to Stafylos had various people painting and cleaning the shrine the last couple of days. Now it is ready for tomorrow.

Most people will go to the monastery of Agios Riginos on the road towards Panormos, a little outside of Skopelos town. The whole day people will arrive and light a candle in the church or the shrine next to it.

Χρόνια πολλά!!

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Late again

Tomorrow it is the 25th of March 2021 and many around the world celebrate with Greece that it has been 200 years since the declaration of its war of independence. On that day in 1821 the Greeks decided that they had enough of their Turkish oppressors (after 400 years) and they started fighting back and reclaimed Greece. This day was the beginning of the war of independence. Tomorrow all over the world the Greek flag and its colors will be shown on buildings and outside spaces. The day will be celebrated with movies shown, exhibitions, parades etc. On Crete a 500 meter Greek flag was made and will be blowing in the wind there with the help of a giant crane. Although many Greeks are still fasting because of Lent tomorrow they can eat fish, cod. This year I forgot (late again) to buy salted cod a couple of days ago because you have to unsalt it and then cook it with a batter and garlic dip. I hope I can find some unsalted in the store. Shops are closed tomorrow and so are government offices, banks etc..

The weather has been horrible the last few days but we were able to take some rides and show the island’s different side. The hidden valleys, the small farmhouses (kalivi’s) and how green everything is.

Χρόνια πολλά Greece!

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Sunday again

(Καλές 2018/ The carnival parade called Kales in 2018 portraying a wedding with cross dressing)

And now it is Sunday again. I am amazed of how quick some of these weeks in quarantine go by and I really have to make an effort to remember what we were doing last year around this time. Last year around this time we were getting an idea that this virus was a serious one and the planned celebrations relating to carnival were already postponed. The last Sunday of carnival on Skopelos we celebrate the tradition called Καλές/ Kales.

A big group of people dress up, many in traditional Skopelitan costumes/dresses etc. and join in a wedding procession. The costumes/dresses etc. are owned by the municipality and kept in store for special occasions. For cultural festivities like the carnival procession but many other cultural events like the dance festivals organized on Skopelos, cultural organizational but also individuals can ask if they can wear a costume and you are instructed how to wear them.

I have participated twice and I am thankful that I am allowed.

(2016)

The people in the parade sing, dance and go through the town and stop at every square to show off. Locals from the neighborhood present them with drinks and rice pudding. Usually the bride is a man and the groom a woman.

Now we are one year further and we have lived through so much, people have suffered and are suffering but hopefully there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe we will be able to join each other in festivities like carnival on Skopelos soon.

The fact that we have this vast space around us on Skopelos and that we are able (within some limits) to enjoy it is very precious.

Greece hopes to fully open up its borders on the 14th of May but many people have stated in a poll that they will only travel if they do not have to quarantine. Travelling with a negative Covid-19 test or a “passport” with evidence of vaccination should make the travelling easier. Airlines are slowly, slowly showing their intentions to fly to Skiathos and of course Athens and Thessaloniki already have flights coming in from abroad. Everybody in this industry and the government should cooperate and have information ready on what is expected of the travelers so they don’t have the anxiety whilst travelling that they might be stopped and put in quarantine and are not able to reach their destination.

And tomorrow it is clean Monday. Shops will be open for a while and most people will then find a place with their family where they will be able to fly their kites. It is an old tradition and much fun for the children. The food we have in the house we will try to cook and the house will be “clean” so we can get ready for the fasting period before Easter. Will we be able to fast for so many days? We will see….

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Don’t forget !!

Being in a hard lockdown and in a life that has a lot of restrictions makes most days look the same, sometimes I cannot remember what day it is and that is sad. We therefore have to try to remember the historical/cultural landmarks on the calendar. Today in Greece we celebrate Tsiknopempti /charred Thursday. Today is supposed to be the last day that a lot of Greeks will eat meat until Easter.

So we cleaned the BBQ, bought some meat, made a salad, tzaziki on the side and on the terrace, in the sun we celebrated Tsiknopempti. Χρόνια πολλά και του χρονού! Oh yes and a galaktoboureko popped out of the oven too!!

Fasting for many will start tomorrow and it includes not eating meat, diary, eggs and sometimes olive oil too. Tsiknopempti is also a day that people can act silly, dress up, walk around the village with with masks and have their faces painted with charcoal. That is something that only can happen if we keep a distance. A silly mask we can wear I hope!

Express Skiathos ferryboat will start sailing again tomorrow. Proteus will stop for now. We thank the crew for their hard work in keeping up with the rules during these trying times. On Sundays Express Skiathps will not sail.

Greece has passed the 1.000.000 point of vaccinations Prime minister Mitsotakis announced today.

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The music box

Sunday afternoon on Panormos beach

The last three weeks, on a Wednesday, I have been watching a new music program on the state television Ert. It is called the music box/Το Μουσικό Κουτί.
The show is hosted by Nikos Portokaloglou; famous singer/songwriter and Rena Morfi; singer/actress. They invite two or three singers/musicians each time who at first glance don’t have anything in common, they may be from different music backgrounds but in the couple of hours that you hear them play and sing you find out that their musical paths have crossed in one way or another and that they can make beautiful music together. The combinations are fantastic. The choice of musical instruments and the performances give the well know Greek and foreign songs a new coat. Wonderful to hear and see. A must for Greek music lovers.

Big heaps of sand were dumped in the area below the Panajitsa tou Pirgos church. That is why you had to remove your vehicles…

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