Dieting religiously

Interesting article I came across about eating-in on Mount Athos, sure it will be of great interest to Bryan and Tony. Well, to Tony, maybe:

In a secluded Orthodox Christian sanctuary, the phone is ringing again for Father Epifanios Milopotaminos.

Ever since he wrote a cookbook sharing his secrets for feeding his fellow monks, Milopotaminos' cell phone rings constantly with requests to speak at seminars, appear on television and do cooking demonstrations.

He's an unlikely candidate for sudden celebrity; in the nearly four decades since he took charge of cooking on the secluded Mount Athos sanctuary, little about what he does has changed.

"It's the same way meals were prepared 100 years ago, or 50 years ago," Epifanios says of the meat- and dairy-free diet, much of it cooked over a log fire. "It's a clean diet that people once ate across the eastern Mediterranean."
rep-am.com

Road runner

Stormy weather forecast for some parts of Greece but not for sunny Kefalonia: ert.news

Jolly Roger is running in the annual Telemakos race this evening, starts 18:00 by the old temple outside Skala (i.e. by Porto Skala). First arrival in Poros (community centre) expected around 18:30, Roger a few minutes later...

If you're not doing anything this evening, go and give him a cheer!

Pagan protest at Acropolis

A small group of pagans pledged last week to hold a protest prayer among the ruined Acropolis temples, more than 1,500 years after Christians stamped out worship of the ancient Greek gods.

Group spokeswoman Doretta Peppa said the worshippers would pray today to Athena — goddess of wisdom and patron of ancient Athens — to protect the 2,500-year-old site.

Peppa said followers of the old religion object to the removal last year of hundreds of sculptural masterpieces from a tiny museum on the Acropolis to a large new building under the citadel.

In a statement, her group, Ellinais, described the landmark glass and concrete structure as "an incredible architectural monstrosity that insults (Greece's) cultural heritage."
chron.com

Kef weather 31/08 - 09/09

Sunday: Sunshine and a few afternoon clouds. High 32°C. Winds NNE at 2 bft to 3 bft.

Sunday Night: Generally clear. Low 20°C. Winds light and variable.

Monday: Sunny skies. High 32°C. ENE winds shifting to NW at 3 bft to 4 bft.

Monday Night: A mostly clear sky. Low 19°C. Winds S at 2 bft to 3 bft.

Tuesday: Sunshine. Highs near 38°C and lows near 21°C.

Wednesday: Sunny. Highs near 38°C and lows near 21°C.

Thursday: Abundant sunshine. Highs near 38°C and lows near 21°C.

Friday: Mainly sunny. Highs near 38°C and lows near 21°C.

Saturday: Abundant sunshine. Highs near 36°C and lows near 21°C.

Sunday: Abundant sunshine. Highs near 37°C and lows near 21°C.

Monday: Abundant sunshine. Highs near 37°C and lows near 21°C.

Tuesday: Abundant sunshine. Highs near 37°C and lows near 21°C.

End of the line for Olympus bears

A brown bear, found dead at the foot of Mount Olympus yesterday, was the last of the protected species in the area, conservationists said yesterday, noting that the animal appeared to have been shot or poisoned.

Last November the mutilated remains of a bear were found in a forest in Elassona, central Greece. The bear had been shot and three of its paws, along with its lower jaw, had been removed.
eKathimerini

Third fire near Ratzakli, Kefalonia

Seems windy days mean fires: another fire near Ratzakli today, think that's the third this summer, all in pretty much the same spot. Also a fire near Astoupades.

Picture of fire-fighting 'plane over Katelios:

Zakynthos wrecking crew?

Yansa, a 65ft historic schooner owned by 59-year-old British yachtsman Mark Walker, lies in shallow water on the western side of the isle of Zakynthos, after what Mark believes is a deliberate attempt to wreck the boat by parties interested in claiming it for themselves.
Classic Boat

Kefalonia weather

Saturday: Abundant sunshine. High 32°C. Winds WNW at 3-4 bft.

Saturday Night: Mainly clear skies. Low 20°C. Winds SE at 2-3 bft.

Sunday: Sunny, a few clouds later. High 33°C. Winds N at 2-3 bft.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy skies. Low 20°C. Winds light and variable.

Monday: More sun than clouds. Highs near 35°C and lows near 21°C.

Tuesday: Abundant sunshine. Highs near 35°C and lows near 17°C.

Wednesday: Sunny. Highs near 34°C and lows near 17°C.

Thursday: Sunshine. Highs near 38°C and lows near 21°C.

Friday: Abundant sunshine. Highs near 38°C and lows near 21°C.

Saturday: Mainly sunny. Highs near 37°C and lows near 21°C.

Sunday: Mainly sunny. Highs near 36°C and lows near 24°C.

Monday: Sunshine. Highs near 38°C and lows near 21°C.

A common occurence in Greece

A SHEFFIELD woman has launched a campaign to have her dead mum's organs returned after she died on holiday abroad and her body was flown home without her heart and a kidney.

Anita Murray, aged 48, died on the Greek island of Zante during a holiday to celebrate her husband Rodney's 50th birthday.

The mum-of-two, from Havercroft Road, Woodseats, had not been ill before and investigations are still underway to establish how she died.

An initial post mortem was carried out in Athens but when her body was flown back to Britain for a second examination in Sheffield it emerged that her heart and a kidney had been retained.
Sheffield Telegraph

Fire near Markopoulo, Kefalonia

Fire near Markopoulo on Friday, seems to have started around or before 14:30 and was under control by 17:00

North of Kefalonia

Trade union stalwart Arthur North has died aged 85.

THE name Arthur North will forever be associated with someone who always did what was right and fair.

But few will remember the dedicated union official by his real name.

Stelios Xionis, born on the Greek island of Kefalonia, had a difficult early life. He thought he had four or five brothers and sisters, but he couldn’t be certain because they all died so young.

His father Athenasios was only 30 when he died. And just three years later when Stelios was six his 30-year-old mother also died.

His uncle Spiros, who ran a ship’s chandler’s in Cardiff took him to live with him.

WalesOnLine

Siga, siga...

Really sorry the GoingGreek.info forums are down, it's pretty frustrating for me, too. We've got a couple of things in the pipeline, hopefully more news soon.