Have a great Christmas!

Wishing all readers of My Small Greek Islands a great Christmas and a brilliant 2016! I hope you will continue to enjoy reading my blog in the coming year. Kind regards, David.



Enjoying a Mythos at Lakka harbour, Paxos island

Paxos - Paxos Animal Welfare Society (PAWS):

PAWS clinic at Magazia

If ever an animal welfare society on a Greek island were looking for a snappy and memorable name they certainly had it easy on the island of Paxos where the name PAWS (Paxos Animal Welfare Society) became the obvious choice.

Founded in 2005, the society (now a Registered Charity) carries out the usual range of animal welfare activities on the island including neutering and spaying of cats and dogs as well as a year round feeding programme for the feral cats. Volunteers on the island are joined each year by visiting vets to carry out a range of medical treatments on the islands animals.

When I was there in June 2014, I saw a number of the cat feeding stations around the island including the pictured one at Loggos, which was being well used by a nu
mber of cats. Sadly, according to their recent newsletter, this was lost in the storms of December 2014 but is being replaced in 2015. Whilst on a walk through the village of Magazia I came across the PAWS clinic. Doing my research back home it turned out this was a recent development which was opened in September 2013 and has greatly helped the society with their work.

Cat feeding station, Loggos

As I previously wrote in my post about the Alonnisos Society for Animal Protection (https://www.facebook.com/#!/alonnisosanimals) many visitors to the islands help out with some temporary feeding while on holiday but these organisations are there for the animals all year round and deserve support for the valuable work they do.

To find out more about the work of PAWS (or to make a welcome donation) you can visit their website at www.pawspaxos.com . Rather unusually they do not seem to have a Facebook page at this stage, but I'll edit in a link later should this change.

If you are visiting Paxos do look out for the feeding stations round the island and consider helping them with their work. Regards, David.

Paxos (Ionian) - Walk to Arkoudaki beach:

The rocky beach at Arkoudaki

This is a lovely round walk from Lakka taking in one of my favourite spots during my stay in June 2014 -the rocky beach at Arkoudaki. Allow circa 45minutes for the complete walk without any stops. You will, of course, want to stop -for water, photographs or just to sit on the rocks and watch the boats passing.
Starting from the "upper" road in Lakka (the one on the left, looking inland) head to the harbour end of the road where, on your right, you will find the Sweet Gallery shop. Just past this is a steep road heading upwards, again on your right.  Enjoy the views over the harbour as you quickly climb above Lakka.



When you reach the top, turn right onto the larger road and follow this round a left hand bend then straight ahead. Shortly after you pass a turning on the right you will see a wooden sign for the beach pointing into woodland on the left. If you end up in someones front drive you have gone too far and need to backtrack a few yards. Even if the sign has gone you should still spot the path going into the woodland.

Scramble over the rocks to stay dry

This well trodden footpath then descends down through the pretty woodland roughly following a dried up ravine on your left. The footpath stops some feet above sealevel and you are left with a bit of a steep scramble to drop down to the beach. Just watch your footing carefully on this bit. Once there you can either turn right for the rocky beach or to continue the walk turn left onto the impressive slabs of rock. These are fairly flat and make a good place to sit or sunbathe. Looking straight ahead you will see the Greek mainland with the mountains of Albania behind. Looking slightly to your right you will see Corfu. And looking in any direction you will see plenty of small boats heading to or from Lakka harbour.



Boats heading into Lakka harbour

Continue walking along the rocks towards the headland of the harbour -there's a bit of rock scrambling involved (especially if you want to avoid the inlets of seawater towards the end). When you reach as far as you can go, just before the headlands, you will see a steep "path" heading up the cliffs. This brings you onto a proper footpath at the top which will lead you along the clifftops around the harbour and back into Lakka. This last stage of the walk gives good views and photo opportunities looking down onto all the boats moored in the harbour. You can, of course, reverse this walk but I think this way round works better. Now, time for a Mythos.
Regards, David.

Paxos 2014 (Ionian):



Small boats at Lakka

And so back to the lovely Ionian island of Paxos in June 2014. Paxos was only the second Greek island I had ever visited back in 2003 and I had always had fond memories of my stay there.

Things got off to an inauspicious start when I realised the train guard had inadvertly sold me a day return ticket -not one valid for two weeks. Not a good start but soon sorted out. Failing to get into my room at the Gatwick Hilton I was informed that the room wasn't ready yet and I had to haul my luggage back down to reception to get a new room allocated. It was just as well I was already in Greek Island mode and didn't let any of this bother me. Things happen, or in the case of my flight to Corfu didn't. At around three hours I'll admit it is not the longest of flights to Greece but nowhere had it said anything about no meal being served on the plane. I'd only had a snack at Gatwick assuming there would be lunch coming in flight.



Gaios harbour

Oh well, at least I would soon be stepping out into the glorious heat and sunshine of the Mediterranean (albeit hungry). That didn't go quite to plan either as on our final appoach to Corfu heavy rain started lashing over the aircraft. Luckily I had got a window seat this time so was able to see what happened next as just before touchdown the plane started lurching violently as we hit crosswinds over the runway (windsheer to use the jargon) before the pilot aborted the landing and we rapidly powered back into the skies. Some further thirty minutes of circling round Corfu followed before we finally made a perfect landing. I wasn't the only passenger carefully double checking my seat belt as we made the second approach! Far from stepping out into a wave of heat we stepped out into cloudy skies and large puddles of water on the Corfu tarmac.

Still, shortly aboard the fast Kamelia Lines boat for the 90 minute or so crossing to Paxos, I was able to sit outside in the bow area and enjoy the view ahead -which mainly consisted of dark black cloud. Eventually the captain blew the horn and indicated we should all come inside as we approached the storm. Being inside wasn't as bad as I expected as we got to watch the crew in action not least the impossibly glamourous young woman expertly steering our boat through the, by now, rolling seas. When lightning bolts started hitting the sea around the boat with a loud crack it just added to the fun (possibly not for those letting out screams each time).


Finally, after an eventful journey (apart from the non event that was lunch) I was able to open the shutters of my appartment in Lakka and step out onto my balcony knowing I was, at last, back on a small Greek island. Now all I needed was the Retsina (and food). Luckily the Bastas appartments/hotel (call it what you will -they do) are just a few yards walk from the harbour and its collection of tavernas, bars and several mini-markets so the Retsina and food dilema was quickly resolved. It turned out that the Bastas was right next to the appartments I had stayed in back in 2003 which gave me a glow of nostalgia every time I passed them.

I am pleased to say that nothing much in Lakka or the rest of Paxos seemed to have changed much in the eleven years I had been away. The island is densely packed with pine and olive trees and quite a contrast to the barren look of some islands. This makes Paxos ideal for walking as there is plenty of shade available when you want it. And I certainly did plenty of walking, accompanied by my camera of course.

Local bus in Loggos

One of my favourite regular walks was the road walk to Loggos which took me around 35 minutes each way. Take either of the two roads that lead inland from Lakka to the point where they both meet up. Loggos is down the road to the left here (it's clearly signposted). This is quite a steep road curving its way down to sea level and the pretty village/harbour at Loggos where you will find a number of tavernas and shops. Of interest in Loggos is the old stone factory building to the left of the harbour -complete with a very tall chimney. Now semi derelict, this very photogenic building used to be an olive soap factory. For a great view down onto Loggos follow the road that goes up and behind the factory. Ignore the turning to the left but carry on foward to what now becomes a narrow footpath leading to an old WW2 defence post. Just before the pill box there is a path to the right which takes you out to the headland of the harbour giving you a panoramic view down onto the village. This walk was also notable for goat sightings (just on the outskirts of Lakka) and, on one occasion, a pair of snakes (just outside Loggos). The only time I have ever seen live snakes on a Greek island.



Lakka harbour, Paxos

As well as the walks (I'll post more walk details later) do take a trip on the island bus which runs from Lakka to the capital of Gaios several times a day. For 5euros return this made for a fun outing and, as previously posted, you may get the spectacle of diners at Loggos having to vacate their seats as the bus negotiates the narrow harbour front road. When in Gaios turn left along the harbour front for a walk right up to the "new harbour" (where you will have arrived on the island). Just before reaching that look out for the, now closed Pegasus seaplane dock where you used to be able fly to and from Corfu. I would have liked to have tried that! As I said before, Gaios is much bigger and busier than Lakka and Loggos and whilst good for a day visit I was glad to be staying in lovely little Lakka.

The main beach at Lakka is Harami beach which you reach via a stone path at the left hand side of the harbour. This boasts an excellent taverna where I enjoyed a number of lunches of Saganaki and a cooling Mythos beer -with a great sea view. Another favourite lunch venue was the Albatross snack bar (better than it sounds) right where the path to Harami starts.


Paxos was everything I remembered from eleven years ago and more. Peaceful and friendly with lots of lovely walks to be had. The bad weather I encountered on arrival very soon passed and apart from the odd light shower (and a reported tornado -more likely a water funnel!) I enjoyed two weeks of glorious Greek sunshine.



Ilida II hydrofoil, Corfu harbour

My journey back to Corfu was this time on the fast hydrofoil Ilida II. Apart from the atrium like roofless centre of the craft you can also enjoy the fresh air and view from an open area at the stern -which was certainly where I spent my hour long journey. This was also good for getting photographs as we came into Kerkira harbour in Corfu.


Goatiness rating for Paxos still remains low as I only really saw the few outside Lakka -there's just too many trees to fit in the goats I suspect. Cockerel Count on this visit dropped from High to Medium (quite possibly because my rear facing appartment didn't really let me hear the dawn crowing as much as last time). I would have to place Paxos in my top four favourite Greek islands now and is certainly one I would seriously consider making a third trip to one day. Regards, David.


Paxos (Ionian):

Gaios harbour, Paxos

Just a few miles off the coast of Corfu lies the charming small island of Paxos. I visited Paxos in 2003 staying in the village of Lakka at the northern end of the island. The village has a good selection of tavernas and bars and a lovely horse shoe shaped bay.Covered in olive groves Paxos makes for a good walking destination, though for various reasons I wasn't able to explore as much as I would have liked when I was there. From Lakka you can take the island bus which runs to the capital of the island Gaios (pictured) which had a more cosmopolitan feel with numerous boats and yachts moored up. On the way to Gaios you pass through the small fishing village of Loggos. This provides some entertainment as due to the narrow street everyone sitting outside the tavernas has to jump out of their seat and retreat to the side of the road to allow the bus to pass.


Tight squeeze for the bus at Loggos

Worth doing on Paxos is to take one of the round the island boat trips. The one I went on visited some large caves -actually taking the boat right inside. It then went to the very small satellite island of Anti Paxos for some lunch at one of the few tavernas there. There is little development on Anti Paxos although one or two of the specialist holiday companies sometimes offer accomodation there.On another excursion offered by the Friends of the Ionian we were able to visit a farm to watch the goats being milked followed by a demonstration and tasting of cheese making. This was followed by a visit to an old olive oil press and a talk about the history of olive oil production on the island. The trip finished off with a meal at a taverna and some traditional music and singing - including contributions from our coach driver/guide.

Lakka harbour, Paxos

Apart from the goats being milked I can't really offer an accurate Goatiness rating for Paxos due to the lack of off road walks. However the Cockerel Count ranked as high here (in Lakka) with a superb dawn chorus echoing around the valley leading down to the harbour. It came in waves -starting at one end of the valley and working its way round. Right up in my top two (with Symi) Cockerel Counts.
So Paxos, an authentic small island with lots of walking and photographic potential especially at Lakka and Loggos (Gaios was a tad too busy for me) and certainly on my list of islands to, hopefully, revisit in the future** Regards, David.

**Re-reading this post reminded me just how much I liked Paxos, so I am indeed heading back there in 2014! I'll publish a new post on Paxos in the future.

Lefkada (Ionian):

Approaching Nidri on the car ferry

As a companion piece to my last posting on Meganissi here's a post about a day trip made in 2008 to the nearby island of Lefkada (Lefkas) to see the Ronies waterfalls near Nydri.
Arriving at the port/town of Nydri (Nidri) after the short ferry trip from Meganissi you are met with a busy harbour front lined with tavernas and shops.

Ronies waterfalls on Lefkada

To get to the falls head back through the town away from the harbour until you reach the modern looking ring road. Now, I had to turn right and follow the road for around 10 minutes or so (though this is going to depend on where you initially joined it). There is then a smaller road on the left which is the one you want. Hopefully, it will be signposted either for the waterfalls or the village of Rachi which is near the falls.

Ronies waterfalls near Nidri

This is a lovely walk through nice countryside. As you near the falls note the dry river bed to your right (well, it was dry in August). The gorge up to the falls is signposted welcoming you to the waterfalls "Ronies". Some sources refer to them as the Dimossari waterfalls -don't worry it's the same place!
When you reach the top of the gorge there are a number of pools and lagoons of water fed by the stream of water coming down the cliff face. Don't be disappointed, this is unlikely to be a vast cascade of water (not in the Summer at least) but all the same it's a novelty to see running water. Some people took the opportunity to cool off by paddling in the pools. Just be aware that there are frogs swimming about in them as well. There was also a bat hanging under the rocks which periodically went for a fly around.
As you head back down the gorge there is a taverna where you can stop for a drink or meal before your walk back to Nydri.
You should probaly allow around 45 -60 minutes for this walk (harbour to falls) and
I certainly thought it was well worth the effort. Regards, David.

Meganissi (Ionian):

Boats moored in Spilia Bay

I visited the charming Ionian island of Meganissi (Meganisi) for two weeks in 2008.  Arriving at Preveza airport on the Greek mainland it is a short coach trip to the island of Lefkada which is so close to the mainland that it is simply reached by a road bridge. From there to the port of Nydri for the 30-40 minute ferry journey to Meganissi. On the way over, look out on your left for the small island of Skorpios which is owned by the famous Onassis family.
Meganissi has three main areas of population - Spartohori (where I was staying), Katomeri and Vathi. Spartohori stands high above Spilia Bay (pictured) where the ferry docks before continuing on to Vathi. To the left (looking inland) of the small harbour is a popular beach with a taverna. Be aware that to get to the sea from Spartohori there is either a steep road or a steep pathway, so plenty of exercise to be had here. Spartohori itself has a few shops and tavernas (including an excellent Pizzaria which even offers a take away service). Pretty pastel coloured buildings and narrow streets make up this small village where you will often see elderly Greek women wearing traditional black clothing.

The beach at Agios Ioannis

About 45 minutes walk from Spartohori is the shingle beach at Agios Ioannis (pictured) where there is also a taverna. Beware if you see a helpful painted notice on the road saying "shortcut to beach" - I followed this diversion, missed any shortcut (if it exists) and ended up walking for hours before finally backtracking and following the original road down to the beach. The ensuing lager at the taverna was very welcome, so welcome that I virtually passed out after a few sips. One of the few times I have been affected by the heat in Greece and a good reminder to take the time to acclimatise when you first arrive (this was my first morning there).
Another walk took me to Atherinos bay (pictured) where there were a number of fishing boats and private vessels moored up. Several old derelict stone buildings stood above the bay.

Looking down to Atherinos Bay

From Spartohori you can walk the main road to the administrative capital of Katomeri. Just head out of Spartohori, pass the petrol station, and carry straight on. The road is high up above the sea and offers excellent views along the way. There's a handy bench at one of the highest points roughly at the half way point to Katomeri. When you reach Katomeri, look out for a house on which the owner has painted various political messages relating to PASOK (Pan Hellenic Socialist Party). It's quite eye catching and makes for an unusual photograph.
It is only a short walk downhill from Katomeri to the harbour at Vathi. This is the liveliest of the three villages with a good number of tavernas and boats coming and going.

Politics in Katomeri

Sheep (equipped with tinkling bells) seemed to outnumber goats on Meganissi though there were some to be seen. Cockerels were certainly heard but not in a mass dawn chorus way. It is, of course, all dependent on where you are staying. A number of donkeys were also dotted around the Spartohori area.
Meganissi certainly had the shortest ferry transfer to get there but, nethertheless, I found it a peaceful and tranquil little island (excursion boats at lunch time excluded) with some lovely walks through pine and olive trees. Regards, David.