180 days in Greece group on Facebook

The post 180 days in Greece on the blog has moved quite a few people to react strongly. I think the main issue here is that there are people who love Greece, own a house/boat here and who would like to stay for a longer period in this country.

In order to find out what possibilities there are and how they might convince the Greek government to change the law they have a Facebook page with members. If you are interested in the subject you might think of joining and if you are not interested you move on to the next post that I will be posting soon. If there are nasty comments I will remove them.

Like I say: Skopelosnews is a village square where we can discuss anything of interest to the readers. If you disagree with someone, please, disagree cordially.

‘180 days in Greece’ is a Facebook group page which is specifically for UK residents who have properties and/or boats on Skopelos and in Greece. The group campaigns towards the Greek government to give the 180 days in Greece they can stay, to be allowed to be used in one block instead of the Schengen agreement of 90 days on and 90 days off. Spending time in one six month period will obviously benefit the island financially.

Below is the information from the group: The group was set up to campaign in Greece for a change to the Schengen 90/180 travel rule to allow Greek property and boat owners who are former EU citizens to use their holiday homes or boats up to 180 days flexibly, according to their own needs, in any 360-day period. We believe this small tweak to the Schengen rules would be in Greece’s interests by helping to stimulate the tourist economy and real estate market, which was badly hit by the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Please note you need to answer all three membership questions if you’re interested in joining and that only constructive posts and comments are permitted. We only accept members who own or lease a property or who own and berth a boat in Greece

Link to: https://www.facebook.com/groups/180daysingreece

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The 25th of March; lock down in Greece and Skopelos

Today it is the 25th of March. A big day in Greece called Independence day, the day in 1821 that the Greeks decided that they had enough of the their Turkish oppressors (after 400 years) and this day was the official beginning of the war of independence. Annunciation is also celebrated (Maria is told she will become a mother) Xronia polla to all the people that celebrate their name day.

This morning we were in the harbor for an errand (SMS message 2) The usual parade of school children did not take place but we heard this.

25th of March 2020 on Skopelos; life during the corona virus epidemic from Daphne Jaeggi Gliverou on Vimeo.

No one around but I am sure the whole village heard the music. A nice initiative.

-Shipowners Panagiotis and Yorgos Angelopoulos have donated 1.000.000 euro for the purchasing of medical equipment in intensive care units.
-Iperos AEBE have given money for monitors for intensive care units. They also have given bonuses to their personnel.
-About 280 Greeks are stranded in Englang on two airports (Stanstead and Heathrow) As soon as forms issued by the ministry of Foreign Affairs have been completed in the organization of a flight (with Aegean) will be organized. All these people will be checked if they have the virus and will stay in a hotel in Athens for 14 days if they are positive for the corona virus.

Today I got a call from a friend who has chickens. He wanted to give me some eggs. On our way back from the errand ( message number 2) we picked them up. Thank you Andreas!

dav

I also looked for some wild greens on our land (no SMS message needed) and found several different greens. I boiled them in water and after that I put those greens in a bowl with two eggs and some feta. Ready pastry dough, in the oven and a great pie came out after 45 minutes!

A group of singers/musicians has recorded a new version of the well knows song of Λουκιανός Κηλαηδόνης/Loukianos Kilaidonis from 1986. The song is called I will stay at home

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Joint council meeting

For the first time ever, according to the website Skiathoslife.gr, the three municipal councils of Skopelos, Alonissos and Skiathos will hold a joint session on the 13th of February on Skiathos.
The agenda of subjects that will be discussed is not ready yet but subjects like tourism and environement will be, for sure, part of the discussion.
Representatives from the region Magnesia and the north Sporades will be present too.
Source: Skiathoslife.gr

I have said it before but I feel that those that are in charge on the Sporades at the moment are more willing to cooperate than ever. Don’t forget that there are many issues that are simular on the three islands: tourism, transport, environment, civil protection etc. There is also a tendency within the municipalities to dig deaper into matters in order to reach an overall agreement within the town council. Many trips to Greek ministries are being made by council members and the mayor to find out if money can become available for repairs of harbors, stadium, gym hall, roads or even for new builds.

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No

Today in Greece, Cyprus and in Greek communities all over the world Oxi (no) day is remembered/celebrated.
What is Oxi Day in Greek History?
Source:GreekBoston.com
Oxi Day, also referred to as the, “Day of No” is an important part of modern Greek history that is also celebrated as a holiday each year on October 28th. It marks the day when General Metaxas rejected an ultimatum given by the Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, during World War II.

Greece has a very strategic location, which means that who ever occupies it could control much of the Mediterranean Sea and the surrounding areas. This is especially true of southern islands such as Crete. The strategic position of that island creates an excellent base of operations during war time.

The Axis wanted to set up a presence on Greece to help further its overall war strategy during World War II. Benito Mussolini wanted to give Greece a chance to succumb to occupation peacefully and without fighting, so he issued an ultimatum. He basically said that if Greece doesn’t let the Axis occupy certain strategic parts of Greece otherwise the refusal would be looked at as an act of war.

Metaxas Answers the Ultimate with a “No”
Instead of let the Axis enter Greece without a fight, Metaxas stood his ground and refused to let the Axis Powers enter Greece. Although Metaxas’ response was translated as, “No” or “Oxi” in Greek, he actually responded to the ultimatum in French by saying, “Alors, c’est la guerre,” which means, “Then it is war.” This launched Greece into war with Italy and ultimately into World War II as a whole. Although we do know that Metaxas’ action propelled Greece into war, the Greek people were largely in support of it and considered it an act of bravery.

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Skopelos old drawing

From Marijke we received this old drawing of Skopelos. Thank you !

(the copyright is not mine)

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Old but oh so valuable

A friend of Skopelosnews found these old maps and photo’s and took photo’s of them and send them to the blog. We thank him because more information about the history, the cultural traditions of Skopelos and the other Sporaden islands is so valuable! A lot of materials are kept in homes and not in museums. If you look on one of the maps Skopelos is drawn together with Skiathos but the third island is called Peparethos. That name was used for Skopelos though! Another map does not mention Alonissos, probably too small? Other island in the vicinity are mentioned. How facts travel through history is fascinating. We must preserve what is written and drawn on paper.

Glossa !

Families

Maps

Skiathos

(None of these drawings are mine. The copyright is with others)

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New Mayor

New mayor of Skopelos as of September 2019 is Mr. Stamatis Perissis. In the municipal council there will be seven of his members. The party of Mr Efstathiou will have six council members and the party of Mr Anagnostou will have four. It will be interesting to see how they are going to work together the next four years because for a majority in the council two parties always have to work together. This is a new thing since these elections.

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Elections; vote again

Hand putting label. Election poll about vote. Ballot, democracy decision for government. Campaign for choice. Politics republican symbol on ballot-box. Flat isometric infographic vector illustration

(Source: Creator:aurielaki, Credit:Getty Images/iStockphoto)

This Sunday voters on Skopelos will decide who becomes the next mayor of Skopelos. The race is between Mr. Dimitri Efstathiou and Mr. Stamatis Perissis. If you are registered at the municipality to vote you can go and vote from 09.00 hours until 19.00 hours on Sunday. Foreigners vote in a separate room. The place to be is the elementary school (probably the older building at the back) If you cannot find it ask! Bring your passport or identity card.

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Elections and sadness

Today many Greeks and some foreigners can vote for a new mayor and new council members on Skopelos. As I walked to the building where I was supposed to vote Mr. George Michelis came in my mind. The former mayor of Skopelos died yesterday and we mourn his loss. He wasn’t a typical mayor. He studied abroad, he teached and became big in the banking world. He came back to Skopelos and particular Glossa some time ago become he wanted Skopelos to do better. Mr. Michelis was not only a business man, he was also an artist, a singer and musician. He was a kind man. I was a member of his tourist committee and in that time I remember that every member tried to work towards solutions to many problems and that, I think, characterized him as a mayor. He looked for real solutions to many problems. This is not something every mayor and council member does.

I hereby want to thank and congratulate , on a local level, Eleni Kefaloniti and Christos Chrissofos for their hard work for the village and always being available for me and my requests.

If one of the mayor candidates gets 50% of the votes plus 1, that mayor is in. If not we go for a second vote next Sunday.

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Local, provincial and European elections this Sunday

This Sunday local elections for mayor and council members, provincial and European elections are taking place.
It is a privilege to vote for a mayor and council members on this magical island but the last few years I am confused about where we are heading. The tourist business is a big source of income for the island but I think we should also look at the island itself and protect it better for now and in the future.

As foreigners on this island we can vote for the local and provincial elections.

This year the elections for the local council are different from the last time. The last time the mayor usually had the majority in the council with his council members. This time there is a possibility that there will be no majority and all council members have to negotiate and work together to get things done. It all depends on the amount of votes every candidate council member receives from all three candidates.

I have looked at the three programs and they all promise a lot. I hope the new mayor and candidates will take a good look at how we can protect Skopelos better against dumping of waste, fire and water hazards. The recycling and re-using of materials should be supported by everyone. I also believe that Skopelos needs to acquire an identity known to everybody and we need the events and structure set up with it. The cultural and ecological identity is here on the island but nobody is doing anything with it. It is not used, nothing is organized.
I also would like the municipality to communicate better with its inhabitants and to structure various tasks better.

My advise to those who vote is to try and find the candidates that you know and ask them about what they are thinking of doing for Skopelos. On the basis of that you might find your candidates to vote for. You can choose three on one and the same list. You put a + in front of their name.

Foreigners who have registered to vote (the deadline to sign up has passed) can go on Sunday the 26th of May (and maybe again the next Sunday to give a deciding vote for which mayor is going to be elected) with their passport or identity card to the:
-Elementary school Skopelos (the old building) to room 373 A and B
-Gymnasium high school in Glossa to room 367 A and B and
-Elementary school in Elios to room 371 A and B

Skopelos all together with Dimitri Efstathiou candidate mayor

Link to their Facebook page: Skopelos all together
The program (in Greek):here

The candidates general council members, local council members for Skopelos and Glossa: here

Our island first with Stamatis Perisis candidate mayor

Link to their Facebook page: Our island first
The program (in Greek):
here
List of candidates: general council members island here

Local council members skopelos here

Rally for the people with George Anagnostou candidate mayor

(the candidate women)
The program (in Greek): here
At the end of this article you will find the candidates here

I know there is an independent group of people in Elios that can be chosen for local council members. Please ask in Elios for more information. I wasn’t able to find the info again.

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