A PRACTICAL GUIDE BOOK FOR ALONNISOS

GENERAL INFORMATION

BANK (tel: 24240 65777)
The main bank in Patitiri is the National Bank of Greece. Working hours are 08.00 to 14.30 Monday - Thursday and 08.00 to 14.00 Friday. There is a cash point, which accepts all the usual credit/cash cards. For exchange of travellers cheques you will need to show your passport.

POLICE (tel: 24240 65205)
The police station is above the Taverna Leventis. I trust you will not need to visit this establishment: however, if you lose anything you will need a police report in order to make an insurance claim. Losses should be reported within 24 hours and the completed form can be collected the following day.

PORT POLICE (tel: 24240 65595)
This is situated in the Kavos area of Patitiri, near the Paradise Hotel. If you incur the wrath of the port police by parking your car in a restricted area, such as the port, you will be issued with a parking ticket - this has to be paid at the port police station (the current cost is 80 euros). In theory, you also need a permit from the Port Police if you wish to fish from a small boat (no permit is required for fishing from the shore).
The port police have absolute authority over what vessels can leave the main port of Patitiri: this includes pleasure craft as well as the commercial ferries, flying catamarans and hydrofoils. If the wind speed exceeds (or is predicted to exceed) force 5 on the Beaufort scale the hydrofoils will be cancelled and taxi boats will not be allowed to leave the port. A wind speed of force 8 will result in the cancellation of the ferries and flying cat also.

PHARMACIES
There are 2 pharmacies on the island and these are situated along the main street in Patitiri. Opening hours are 09.00 - 14.00 and 17.00 - 20.00 daily. In May and September the pharmacies may be closed on Sundays.

POST OFFICE (tel: 24240 65560)
This is situated on the right hand side of the main street as you walk up from the port. Opening hours are 08.00 - 14.00 Monday to Friday. The price of a stamp for a letter or post card to anywhere in the world (outside Greece) is 67 cents. Post boxes are yellow.

FIRE (tel: 24240 65199)
The fire station is near the police station. The forestry fire department is in the same building.

PETROL
There are 3 petrol stations on the island, all in Patitiri: one on the left hand road leaving the port; one at the start of the road to the Old Village; and one on the main road to Votsi.  Unleaded petrol is 'aymoleevee' or 'prassino' (green) in Greek. Opening hours are from 7am until 10pm, although these times may vary slightly with the time of year.

PARKING
This can get tricky in Patitiri at the height of the summer (June to mid-September). The safest place to leave your car is in the parking area near the 'tree in the road', at the top of the main street out of Patitiri or on the road to the ferry port. Parking in the main port area is not permitted, nor is parking on the quay in Steni Vala, from early June until mid-September. Between these dates there is no motorized traffic allowed in the Old Village.

TELEPHONES
Mobile reception can be poor outside Patitiri, and especially on the coast. You may find that reception improves the higher above sea level you are. There are several mobile phone networks operating here: the best reception currently is that afforded by Cosmote. If you dial a local number from your mobile you will probably have to use the international code for Greece which is 0030.
There are now many public phones which take cards. If you wish to purchase phone cards (telecartes) for your personal use, they are available from the Post Office and from supermarkets.
Although the instructions for the telephones appear in Greek, by pressing the button marked (i) you can change the language to English. All local numbers now have to be prefixed by 24240, whether dialling from a card phone or from your mobile. The international code for the UK is 0044, and then the first 0 of the STD code is dropped. A phone card for 4 Euros will last for about 3 minutes when calling the UK - the cheap rate is from 10 o'clock at night until 8 o'clock in the morning. Alternatively you can buy pre-paid cards which give a much longer phone time.

EMAIL
There is Wi-Fi access and regular internet access at Technokids and another internet café on the main street in Patitiri. There is also Wi-Fi access along the harbour front in Patitiri and in the Old Village at the Panselinos restaurant near the bus stop.

PASSPORTS
These should be kept in a safe place. For British nationals the British Embassy in Athens is the issuing authority for replacement documents, tel 210 727 2600. As a precaution, make a note of your passport details (or better still, take a photocopy) and keep this separately. Some people email a copy of their passport and other important travel documents to themselves so they may be accessed wherever they are.

NEWSPAPERS
Foreign newspapers are available from ‘Albatross’, near the Marpounta road. The papers come to the island on the first hydrofoil leaving Volos in the morning, so are available at around midday (depending on the hydrofoil schedule). Please note that all papers are yesterday's, with the exception of a couple of tabloids which are printed in Greece.

EXCURSIONS
Walking tours with Chris or boating excursions are offered to show our visitors the beauty of the island and the Marine Park. The best way to find information on boat excursions is simply to stroll along the harbour front in Patitiri, for walks you can phone Chris of Alonnisos Walking Club on 6974080039, or email alonnisoswalks@yahoo.co.uk

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HEALTH SERVICES

Emergency numbers are as follows:
Health Centre     (nosokomeeo)     24240 65208
Dentist                 (othontiatros)      24240 65616 /
6937231812
Doctor on call     (eeatros)              6932 489883

The Health Centre is sign-posted and is situated at the top of the hill on the right hand side of the road out of Patitiri, next to the Council offices and near the junior school. The clinic, which is open from 8am to 2pm and 6pm to 8pm (reduced hours on a Sunday), has neither a formal appointments system, nor a reception desk. You need to make a mental note of who is in front of you and be prepared to be forceful in maintaining your rightful place in the queue. Don't be alarmed if you are in the middle of a consultation when several other people barge into the surgery: if your medical problem is of a sensitive nature, make sure you take your partner to run interference for you. Irrespective of how many people are waiting, emergency cases and young children are given priority. A doctor is on call 24 hours day for emergencies.

There is 1 dentist on the island. His surgery is situated on the right-hand road out of Patitiri, just before the turning to the Old Village, behind 'Technokids'. The dentist has an appointments system for routine treatment, but if you present yourself at the surgery as an emergency he will see you as soon as possible. The surgery is open from 9am to 1pm and again in the evening from 5 to 9.

For specialized medical treatment or orthodontics, the nearest facilities are in Volos which is 3 hours away on the hydrofoil. The Health Centre on Alonnisos rarely charges for treatment but, in case you do incur medical costs, be sure to keep any receipts for either consultations, treatment or medication to enable an insurance claim to be made. If you have an E111 form, stamped at a UK post office, this entitles you to free medical care in Greece. However, 'free' has certain qualifications, which I hope you will not encounter.

There are 2 pharmacies on Alonnisos and, if you suffer from minor problems such as topical infections, bites or allergies, or cuts and grazes, it is easier and quicker to go to one of these where the pharmacist will treat the wound (generally with a copious amount of hydrogen peroxide). He will also be able to advise you of the appropriate medication, often available without first getting a prescription. Homeopathic and herbal remedies are also widely available.

The pharmacy numbers are:
Mahi Tsoukana:  24240 65540
Kostas Klivas:       24240 66096   mob. 6944 580044

Both pharmacies are open each morning from about 09:00 - 14:00 and again in the evening from 18:00 - 21:00

Alonnisos is also home to the Academy of Classical Homeopathy. This hosts a number of seminars throughout the year which attract homeopaths from all over the world.

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TRANSPORT

There are reasonable tarmac roads which link the main port of Patitiri with the Old Village and Votsi. A surfaced road leads northwards and splits into two before reaching Steni Vala. One branch continues along the spine of the island, offering superb views to the islands of the Marine Park, and ends at Gerakas where the Biological Research Station is located. The other branch winds down to the coast and passes through Steni Vala, Kalamakia and Vamvakies before finishing at Agios Dimitrios. Place names are signposted in both Greek and English (sometimes!).
In addition, a series of graded roads and tracks lead down to beaches on both sides of the island: these are generally good, but care should be taken when driving. Insurance on hire cars does not include cover for shredded tyres or damage to the undercarriage.

CAR HIRE
To hire a car you will need to show your passport and a valid driving licence, which has been held for at least one year. To drive a hire car you must be over 23 years old. You will be given a rental contract, which you should keep in the car to show the police in the event you are stopped. Hire companies will not provide you with log books or separate insurance papers.
Greek law stipulates the use of seat belts and prohibits children under the age of 10 from sitting in the front seat of the car. Most car hire companies have child seats. It is also against the law to drink and drive. Surprisingly, it is against the law to use the horn except in an emergency or to avoid a collision. However, local exceptions to this law include expressions of joy at christenings, weddings, etc., trying to attract a shopkeeper's attention so he can bring you out an ice cream, or when Olympiakos score!
If you wish to visit any of the other islands you will not be permitted to take your hired car with you.

SCOOTER HIRE
As an alternative to 4 wheels, several firms rent mopeds, fully-automatic scooters or low-cc motor bikes. The cost of hire includes third party insurance. It is actually law in Greece that a helmet should be supplied with rented motorbikes: it doesn't, however, say that this has to be worn. You may hire a 50cc scooter with a driving licence valid for cars, for anything more powerful you will need a motorcycle licence. There is a definite allure to riding around the island on two wheels. However, many of the graded roads are covered in loose sand or shale which makes it very easy for the rear wheel to take a different direction from the front. Also, after a shower of rain the road surface tends to become very greasy. If you are not used to driving a scooter, I would not recommend that you hire one here for the first time. If you do decide to hire a bike wear the helmet provided. While no-one expects you to wear full leathers, dress sensibly. Do not follow the example of the island's young bloods and ride a bike with bare feet: shredded soles are not conducive to a good holiday!

MOUNTAIN BIKES
These are available for hire for the fitter of our visitors but please be warned - roads on Alonnisos seem to go up more often than they go down!

TAXIS
There are 4 taxis on the island and the taxi rank is on the harbour front in Patitiri, opposite the Alkyon Hotel. If you travel by taxi you can book your return trip with the driver: just tell him what time you wish to be collected and from where.
All 4 taxi drivers can be contacted on their mobile phones and their numbers can also be found posted in the telephone boxes. Taverna or shop owners will happily call a taxi for you if you need transport. All fares are fixed (not metered), for example 5 euros to the Old Village, 15 euros to Steni Vala. You should ask the fare to your chosen destination before you set off.
Pericles Agallou  : mob 6944564432, hse 24240 65751
Yorgos Athanassiou: mob 6944 564393, hse24240 65449
Spyros Florous (or sons): mob 6932 391026, hse24240 65573
Nikos Athanassiou: mob 6972 250295, hse 24240 65061

BUS
There is one municipal bus on the island, the purchase of which was funded by the Aga Khan's Bellerive Foundation. This leaves from the bus stop on the harbour front and goes to the Old Village, a journey time of 10 minutes. The timetable changes frequently, depending on the time of year, but a copy is always posted on the bus stop in Patitiri. The fare to the Old Village is just over 1 euro per person one way. At the beginning of the season the bus only goes in the morning: as the season progresses the timetable expands to include evening trips. From June to September the bus goes several times daily to Steni Vala. Tickets are purchased on the bus.

WATER TAXIS
From Patitiri, small caiques run a taxi service to the beaches along the south-east coast (hopefully this service will be reintroduced in 2009). The boats start running at about 10:00 and the very reasonable fare includes the return journey: the captain will tell you what time his boat will collect you from your particular beach. The boats leave from the harbour front: the owners usually have a large map on a stand to show clients which beaches the boat will visit and it is at these points where bookings can be made.

BOAT HIRE
Boat hire can be arranged through Alonnisos Travel if you would like to explore the small coves and beaches along the south-east coast which are inaccessible by road. The boats carry up to 5 people, are 4.35 metres in length and have 18 or 25 hp outboard engines. All boats are fully equipped with life jackets and flares. They are supplied with 50 litres of fuel, and the amount of fuel found to have been used on the boat's return will be charged separately. Full instructions will be given prior to taking the boat out and you will be shown where it is permitted to take the boat. The boats are fully insured for damage and for third person injury. However, there is a 300 euro excess payable on insurance claims.

SHANKS' PONY
Finally, probably the best way to fully appreciate the immense beauty of the island - on foot! Alonnisos has a number of cleared and well-marked hiking paths. In addition, the island is criss-crossed by many goat paths and kalderimia (cobbled donkey tracks) which take the walker to those parts of Alonnisos normally hidden from view. Chris Browne’s new book “Alonnisos through the souls of your feet” is an excellent companion or join one of Chris’ informative guided walks.

HYDROFOILS & FERRIES
If you wish to visit the other islands of the Sporades, Euboia or the mainland, you have a choice of travelling by hydrofoil (flying dolphin), flying cat(amaran) or ferry. The ferries are slower than the hydrofoils/flying cats and the schedules are not as comprehensive.
Tickets for these may be purchased from Alonnisos Travel or the Alkyon. It is better to get your tickets in advance of travelling in case the hydrofoil is full on the day you wish to travel. For foot passengers on the ferries, ticket availability is not usually a problem. When buying your ticket you should make sure you have given the correct information (destination, time, return etc.) and check the ticket before leaving the office. A ticket may be changed if you find your plans have altered, but only once and only if this is done at least 24 hours before the departure time on the ticket. Once the ferry/hydrofoil has left port the ticket cannot be changed or refunded. A charge will be made for any ticket alteration. It is the passenger's responsibility to make sure that they are aware of the correct departure time: your complaints will fall on deaf cars if you present yourself at the issuing office after the ship has left, saying you thought it would depart at a quarter past the hour rather than a quarter to!
Information about schedules and prices can be obtained from any of the ticket offices. Please be warned that prices may vary during the season and cancellations may occur due to adverse weather conditions.
Minoan Lines organises excursions to the mainland: Athens (through Agios Konslantinos) and Meteora (through Volos). These are on specific days of the week and need to be booked in advance. Although interesting, these excursions involve a long time spent travelling when going from Alonnisos.

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SHOPPING

There are shops in the main town of Patitiri, Votsi, the Old Village (Chora) and Steni Vala. While Alonnisos is not over-endowed with shops, most of the basics are available. For more advanced retail-therapy you might like to consider a trip to Skopelos, Skiathos or perhaps Volos. This is the nearest mainland city to the islands of the Sporades and is situated at the top of the Pagassitic Gulf near Mount Pelion (a journey of 3 hours by flying dolphin or flying cat). In addition to a wide range of shops, Volos boasts a fine archaeological museum which has recently been extensively refurbished. Volos is also the gateway to the beautiful countryside of the Pelion with its distinctive architecture, fruit orchards and nurseries selling fragrant gardenias.

On Alonnisos the majority of shops are situated in Patitiri. If you stand with your back to the port, turn right along the harbour front until you reach the Alkyon hotel on the left. Turn left here up the hill and you will pass a boutique, creperie and greengrocer’s on your left. On the right there is an Italian ice cream parlour which sells the most amazing home-made ices and frozen yoghurts. Further on up the hill there is the National Bank of Greece and a pharmacy on the left. On the right is a ceramic/glassware shop and the post office. At the top of the hill is the “tree in the road”. To the left of this is a parking area and a bakery and on the right a number of shops: 2 supermarkets, fishmonger, butcher, pharmacy, patisserie, animal food store and florist. At the top of the hill and around the bend to the left there is another greengrocer opposite the junior school and above this is the Women’s co-operative of Alonnisos - Ikos - which sells a variety of traditional sweets, honey, preserves, cakes and olive oil as well as the best spanakopita (spinach pie) on the island! There is a third supermarket next to the junior school, which has a very good selection of wines. The larger supermarkets and the animal food store sell charcoal for  bbq’s. This is not usually on display, but if you ask for “karvouno” the owners will get you some from their store rooms. Opening times for the supermarkets are usually 08:00 – 14: 00 and 17:00 – 22:00. During high season they may open in the afternoons too. The baker’s near the car park is open all day June-Sept and sells a variety of bread, pies and sandwiches. Gift shops usually open mid-morning, close for a siesta in the afternoon and then stay open until late into the evenings to catch those taking a post-dinner stroll!

By taking the left hand road away from the port you will find a bakery, a supermarket, several souvenir shops and shops selling beach stuff (lilos, jelly sandals, buckets & spades etc.) Near the bakery is a very good jewellery shop; the owner is a goldsmith who will make or alter jewellery to your own specifications. Further along this road on the left is the ‘Alonissotissa’ which sells traditional sweets, preserves and liqueurs and, just across the Marpounta rroad is ‘Albatross’ (the newsagent and sports shop) which sells guide books, magazines, cigarettes and a good selection of snorkelling and diving equipment. On the corner of the harbour front, next to Albedo Travel, is a mini-market which is open all day high-season.

Cigarettes and tobacco products can be purchased from this mini-market, the Kafenion next to the Alkyon hotel, the newsagents and a shop opposite the police station. The price of cigarettes is controlled by the government: both local and international brands are considerably cheaper than in the UK.

All supermarkets sell a wide range of alcoholic drinks. The quality of Greek wines has improved dramatically over the last 15 years or so, and there is a wide range of good quality wines at low prices.

Internet facilities can be found at Technokids, just up past the junior school, or the internet café on the main hill near the post office. You can access Wi-Fi along Patitiri harbour front, at Technokids or the Panselinos restaurant in the Old Village.

There are 2 hairdressers on the island, both of whom cater to both ladies and gents. Maria has her salon opposite the post office and is there most mornings and evenings. Aneza’s salon is on the right hand side of the road to Votsi harbour, a few hundred metres after you turn off the main road along the island. Aneza is there evenings only from 5-8.

VOTSI

There are 2 supermarkets and 1 mini-market on the road leading down to Votsi harbour. Off this road on the right is a butcher’s.

OLD VILLAGE

There are 3 mini-markets in the Old Village, 2 near the main church of Agios Nikolaos and 1 near the bus stop. All are owned by ladies called Maria who are distinguishable by age, girth, demeanour and/or location. Fat (happy) Maria - who has lost quite a lot of weight recently – bakes her own bread several times a week and at other times bread is taken up from bakeries in Patitiri. Thin (dour) Maria has a slightly larger shop. Young(er) Maria has the bus – stop – shop which is the newest of the 3 (therefore the products on sale are less likely to have passed their sell by date and still be priced in drachmas). All the ladies sell a limited selection of fruit and vegetables.

The Old Village is mainly noted for its antique and souvenir shops and it is well worth wandering through the small alleys to find interesting shops tucked away from general view. Looking across to Skopelos is café Xagiati, run by Meni whi is a wonderful cook but who may have sampled too many of her own products! Her cakes and pastries are a delight for those with a sweet tooth.

STENI VALA

This is a charming fishing village with cafés/bars along the quay – just perfect for relaxing and watching people messing about in boats. There are 2 supermarkets here: Katina’s and Ikaros. Both sell fresh bread, cigarettes and a limited selection of fruit and vegetables. Prices are generally higher than those in Patitiri.

NIGHT LIFE

Although Alonnisos is not as well endowed with clubs and bars as Skiathos, night owls will find some entertainment. The nice thing about bars on Alonnisos is that they are safe places for the whole family, serving not only alcoholic drinks but also coffee and ices. However, they do tend to play loud music and prices are higher than those in tavernas.

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EATING OUT

The locals take their food seriously: the evening meal is a social event which tends to start late and lasts for quite a while. The art is to enjoy the surroundings and company as much as the food itself. Don't bother too much with the menu, this is usually a comprehensive list of dishes rather than an indication of what the taverna actually has on offer. It is the custom to go into the kitchen to see what is available. The 'oven' dishes are prepared in the morning, so are probably best eaten at lunchtime.

Why not try the traditional meze at 'ouzeria' or 'tsipouradika'. For every small bottle of ouzo or tsipouro (this is a local form of ouzo, slightly less sweet but with the same distinctive aniseed flavour) you will be served with a small plate of food. This is a wonderful way of eating and the more of you there are, the greater the variety of dishes. Of course, if you are absolutely starving you may find yourselves having to consume vast quantities of ouzo before you've had enough to eat!

A word of caution about seafood: this can be quite expensive and is priced in restaurants by the kilo. Go into the kitchen or check out the display cabinet to see the day's catch. Select your specimen and ask for it to be weighed, then you will know how much it costs: this is preferable to being presented with a shockingly large bill at the end of the meal. All other dishes are very reasonably priced.

Before ordering food, decide how you want it served! If you order everything at the same time, it will come as and when it's ready rather than in the particular sequence you would wish. Oven dishes are usually served straightaway as they are pre-cooked and only require nuking in the microwave (or sometimes not even that). Freshly cooked souvlakia, meats or fish take quite a while. If you want appetizers before a main course, it is recommended that you order only these to begin with, unless you know that the entrees for your whole group will take some time to prepare. Please note, the Greeks consider it bad for you to eat really hot food, so be prepared for some dishes to be served a bit on the tepid side.

Desserts are not usually served at tavernas. If you want a sweet something to go with your coffee or liqueur, move from the taverna to a café - you will also find that these establishments tend to have more comfortable chairs, which will probably be welcome after several hours spent on a hard, wooden taverna chair.

While you are here, why not try some of the local dishes? Here are a few suggestions. Kali orexi!

SALADS

Marouli: shredded lettuce, spring onions and dill, served with either a lemon/oil dressing or vinaigrette.
Horiatiki: traditional Greek salad of tomatoes, peppers, olives, cucumber and onion, topped off with a slice of feta and sprinkled with oregano. This will then have been doused in olive oil - if you don't want the oil, ask for the salad 'horis lathi'
Potato salad: usually served with a lemon and oil dressing.
Horta: wild greens, boiled and served with a lemon and oil dressing.
Kritama: known in England as samphire, this is lightly blanched and served with a lemon and oil dressing.
Pantzaria: a salad of beetroot with oil and lemon dressing. The beetroot tops are also included and these are delicious.
APPETIZERS AND MEZEDES

Feta: this cheese is usually made from ewe's milk. It is quite salty as it is preserved in brine. If you order feta, that is exactly what you will get: a slice of cheese and nothing else.
Saganaki: this is a slice of hard cheese like graviera or kefalotiri, dipped in seasoned flour and fried. It is inexplicably served with fried bread, which makes it a pretty heavy starter!
Taramasalata: a mixture of cod roe, breadcrumbs or potato, lemon juice, onion and olive oil. This produces a paste and it is eaten as a dip with bread.
Tzatziki: yogurt, grated cucumber, garlic and dill.
Skordalia: bread or potato, oil, garlic and more garlic. As well as being a tasty (if you like garlic) starter in its own right, this is a traditional accompaniment to cod and to kolokithakia.
Kolokithakia: slices of courgette, dipped in seasoned flour or batter, and fried. When freshly made, these are delicious with skordalia. Other vegetables, like aubergines (melitzanes), are also treated in this way.
Kolokithokeftedes: a fried mixture of grated courgettes, feta and breadcrumbs.
Melitzanasalata: baked aubergines, peeled and mashed with lemon juice and oil.
Tirosalata: a creamy dip of cheese. An alternative is Tirokafteri, which is the same but spicier thanks to the addition of hot peppers (kafteri).
Yigantes: butterbeans, baked in the oven with tomatoes, onion, garlic and herbs.
Fasolakia: green beans cooked with tomatoes and onions.
Kakavia: fish soup. This is quite a speciality of the island but it takes some time to prepare, so you usually have to arrange this in advance with your favourite taverna.
Dolmades: vine leaves stuffed with seasoned rice and covered with an egg and lemon sauce (avgolemono). Sometimes these are made with a meat stuffing. Dolmadakia are smaller versions.

MAIN MEALS

Moussaka: layers of minced beef or lamb, aubergines and potatoes, topped with bechamel sauce. This is best eaten while it's quite fresh as it tends to become a little solid with age!
Souvlaki: kebabs of pork, chicken or fish.
Stifado: a rich stew of wine and onions with either beef or octopus.
Pastitsio: macaroni baked with layers of minced meat and cheese.
Yemistes: this means stuffed or filled. Tomatoes and/or peppers stuffed with rice (sometimes meat).
Keftedes: meat balls, often in a tomato sauce
Bifteki: home-made hamburgers.
Gouvetsi: lamb and manestra (rice-like pasta) cooked in an earthenware baking dish (gouvetsi).
Spetsofai: this is a speciality of the Pelion - country sausage cooked with green peppers, tomatoes and onion.

CAKES AND PASTRIES

Baklava: filo pastry, honey and almonds
Kataifi: nuts and honey in shredded pastry
Galactopita: baked milk pudding in filo pastry, sprinkled with cinnamon
Karidopita: walnut cake drenched in honey

And finally, mention must be made of the island's speciality: Alonnisos cheese pie, tiropita. This is filo pastry with crumbled feta (and sometimes horta or spinach). The pastry is rolled, twisted into a spiral and fried. These are absolutely delicious but huge - each tiropita should really be shared! It is well worth watching the local ladies making these. They start off with a tiny ball of pastry dough, which is then rolled out over a round board with a rolling pin like a broomstick. The pastry has to be stretched until it is the same size as the board: quite an achievement and a procedure requiring the utmost skill and patience. As they are always made freshly to order in tavernas, you may have to wait a while for the finished article - your patience will, however, be rewarded!

RETSINA - AN ACQUIRED TASTE!
Greece has been exporting retsina for over 2000 years. According to Vassilis Kourtakis, managing director of the market leader in retsina sales, "the ancient Greeks knew that air was the main enemy of wine. They used pine resin to seal the tops of the amphorae in which wine was stored and shipped."
Retsina was the traditional wine of Athens: savatiano grapes thrive in the hot, arid climate of Attica and the abundant pine trees in the region provide endless resin. As Athens gained prominence within modern Greece, so the association of Greek wine with 'resination' also developed. Athens continued to grow virtually on top of the largest Greek vineyard and as most early 20 century visitors to Greece spent a significant amount of time in Athens, they were exposed to the locally produced wine.
By 1880, Athens boasted around 6,000 tavernas, all of which had wine casks stacked in full view of their patrons. However, because of the proximity of the vineyards to the city, it was the grape must that was supplied to the tavernas rather than the product of fermentation. As late as 1930 grape must was transported to the city by single and double horse-drawn carts. The size of the cask each cart could carry, and therefore the sizes found in tavernas, was determined by the animals' strength: 590 litres for a single horse and 1,190 litres for a two-horse cart. For many years after motorised transport was introduced the larger casks were still known as dikaro (two-cart).
Once a taverna cask was filled, the owner would add resin, wait for fermentation to finish and decide when to seal the cask, often by covering it with plaster. Wine drawn for the first time from a tap near the bottom of the full cask was called yematari (the full one). Wine drawn from a cask less than half full was known as sosma (the end).
Prior to each harvest, the empty casks were taken out into the street so that their 'faces', or side staves, could be removed, scrubbed, reassembled and disinfected with sulphur sticks (a combination of sulphur and paraffin). The sticks were lit and dropped into the casks before they were sealed: the sulphur vapours inside the cask would then kill any bacteria in the wood.

This on-site fermentation of grape must came to an end in the 1960's, as a large-scale migration of people from the provinces into Athens resulted in the demolition of the old style tavernas in favour of multi-storey apartment blocks. As tourism became Greece's largest source of income, bottled retsina replaced the old casks.
Bottled retsina also became available outside Athens for the first time in the I960's. It was cheap and on remote, barren islands it was often the only wine available. Consumption climbed into millions of bottles, exports soared and Greek wine became synonymous with resinated wine around the world.
Attica's vineyard covered 120,000 stremata (12,000 hectares) in 1960. Today the area has been reduced by half and consumption of retsina is in free fall. The new Athens international airport at Spata has replaced a prime vineyard area and the commercial development that it is encouraging will further accelerate the decline of retsina.
Nowadays, the only tavemas which receive grape must in the traditional way are situated in the Plaka, beneath the acropolis. However, it seems that the primary value of retsina is now as part of folk-lore as non-Greeks drink it more than the locals!
Modern retsina is much less-heavily resinated that it used to be, but it still has its distinctive palate-cooling effect. In fact, no unresinated wine can match, much less complement, strongly-flavoured dishes such as gavros (anchovies) or bakaliaros skordalia (cod with garlic sauce).
Taverna retsina can be delicious, but inappropriate storage conditions during hot summer months can lead to container-drawn retsina being easily oxidised and ruined. However, cask retsina served by weight in aluminium jugs is evocative of balmy evenings, fresh food, amazing scenery and good company. If you prefer to play it a little safer, bottled retsina guarantees good quality and prices are reasonable. It is available as corked 750ml bottles or crown-corked 500ml bottles (this is perhaps a more local approach). Retsina is classified as a vin de table and designated an Appellation by Tradition.

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BEACHES

The beauty of the beaches on Alonnisos lies in the surrounding countryside and the intense clarity of the colours. Alonnisos is not blessed with sandy beaches, but neither is it cursed by overcrowding or rampant commercialism: there are no beach vendors here! There are now limited scuba diving facilities: Ikion (Steni Vala) and Poseidonas (Patitiri) will arrange trips with qualified instructors and supply all necessary equipment.

Patitiri itself has a pebble beach, close to where the hydrofoils dock. Despite the proximity of this to the commercial and pleasure craft, the water is surprisingly clear. Further around the headland, past the new ferry port, there is a rocky swimming area with a ladder allowing easy immersion. Roussoum is a 10 minute walk from Patitiri: here there is a pebble beach and several tavernas. Votsi (20 minutes walk from Patitiri) also has a small beach looking out over the harbour which is home to many fishing and pleasure craft. There are tavernas on each side of the bay. Just beyond Votsi, and accessible only on foot, there is a small beach at Spartines.

Moving south from Patitiri, there are swimming areas to the left of the road to Marpounta. These are small inlets between the rocks which offer a certain degree of privacy, if not too much comfort - take a lilo! Just before Marpounta (which is an Italian Resort Hotel and closed to non-residents) there is a turning on the right which is a graded road leading to Megalos Mourtias.  About half way along this road, high on the bank to the right, there is a memorial plaque bearing the inscription “Here Georgios Andreas Tsoumas accidentally fell and was saved by Germans in the year 1944. The Saints be praised.” Just before the road starts descending, and opposite a small grassy area there is a track off to the left which leads to a shingle beach called Vrithisma. There are several ways down to the beach from the initial track but beware, the paths are quite steep and the final part onto the beach could be quite dangerous.

If you take the road from Patitiri to the Old Village, there are tracks to pebble beaches on the right hand side of the road: Yialia (turn right just past the turning signposted OTE) and Vrisitsa (turn right immediately after the corn circles). Unfortunately, as the prevailing winds blow towards this side of the island, the beaches suffer from debris, particularly plastic waste. Just before the Old Village the road to Megalos Mourtias bears left (and is signposted). This beach is again pebbled, but very popular. It boasts three very good tavernas, a pretty olive grove which is perfect if you need to escape the sun for a while, and beach beds and umbrellas for hire. Carrying on past the Old Village, the surfaced road gives way to a graded road which bears left and heads towards Mikros Mourtias. This is a quiet pebbled beach with no facilities.

As you head past Votsi towards the north of the island, the first turning on the left will lead you to Tsoukalia. This pebbled beach is very popular with locals, so expect it to be busier in the afternoons and at weekends. There are no tavernas or sunbeds here, only herds of goats and sheep which come to drink water from the well near the windmill. Unfortunately this beach is also exposed to the prevailing winds, so rubbish can be a problem. There is a signpost on the main road indicating that there is an archaeological site at Tsoukalia: this is a fenced-in area at the back of the beach thought to be the site of ancient kilns used to produce amphorae.

Further round the coast, on the same side of the island, is the bay of Megali Ammos. This means 'big sand' in Greek, but unfortunately the majority of the sand is under the sea and the beach is again mostly pebbles. The bay is divided into small, separate beaches: they have no facilities but are very quiet and absolutely beautiful. The bay is sheltered from the northerly winds, so the beaches are much cleaner than those nearer Patitiri.
The beaches on the relatively sheltered southeast side of the island are more popular and therefore more populous.  The turning to Milia is about 2 km past Votsi. The pebbled beach is set in a stunning bay surrounded by mature pine forest. The summer of 2008 saw the surprising introduction of a marine bouncy castle here – hopefully this will have been a one-off!  Chrissi Milia is next - this is the only sandy beach on the island. The sea is very shallow and therefore ideal for small children. The taverna overlooking the beach is very good, beds & brollies are available. The down side to Chrissi Milia is that, because of the sand and the proximity of two fairly large resort hotels, the beach can get fairly crowded (this is relative, compared to Brighton on a bank holiday it is positively deserted).

Travelling northwards, there are beaches at Kokkinokastro (a small area of sand at one end, pebbles at the other), Tzortzi Gialos (pebbles, one taverna open only at peak season), Leftos Yialos (pebbles, two excellent tavernas, sunbeds and brollies), Agios Petros (pebbles) and on to Steni Vala (shops, cafes, tavernas and more pebbles). At the back of the beach at Steni Vala is the Monk Seal Rehabilitation Unit. Just over the headland from Steni Vala there is Glyfa. This is a pretty beach (pebbles & sunbeds) looking towards the island of Peristera.

The road proceeds along the coast through Kalamakia (a small harbour with several tavernas, all serving excellent fresh seafood) and Vamvakies and terminates at Agios Dimitrios. This is a triangular spit of land jutting into the sea. The beach is a comfortable shingle. There is a small taverna and a kantina serving snack and drinks. Beach beds and brollies are available for hire.

There are, of course, other beaches which are less easy to get to and have fewer facilities. Part of the fun of Alonnisos is finding these and having them all to yourselves!

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MEDICINAL PLANTS OF ALONNISOS
For such a small country, the different ecosystems and climates found in various parts of Greece produce a huge biodiversity of plant life: there are about 6,000 different plant species of which approximately one tenth are unique to Greece. Among these species are some of the most valuable medicinal plants, which have been used to treat human ailments for thousands of years. All over the world people have used herbs to treat illness since time immemorial: ancient writers such as Aristotle, Hippocrates, Dioscurides, Theophrastus and Galen have written treatises on the therapeutic qualities and usage of certain plants, based on the folk traditions of their times.

During the Middle Ages and in the subsequent years of Ottoman rule, the use of herbs as medicines was widespread in Greece. The folk doctors, known as ‘Komboyannites’ or ‘Viko doctors’ (named after the Vikos Gorge in Epirus from where they gathered their herbs) handed down their prescriptions, mostly orally, from generation to generation. However, with the scientific developments of the 20th century, the use of herbs has diminished as the ingredients of plants have been supplanted by synthetic chemicals. Traditional folk doctors were discredited by the scientific establishment as quacks.

Nonetheless, many modern pharmaceuticals are synthetic derivatives of plant products which were shown to be effective treatments for a wide range of human and veterinary diseases. The active ingredient of Belladonna - atropine – is widely used in ophthalmology and locally here on Alonnisos, unfortunately, as an antidote to organophosphate poisoning in animals. The vinca alkaloids, derived from the lesser periwinkle (Vinca minor), are still used as Vincristine and Vinblastine in therapeutic regimens for certain cancers. Digitalis, the active ingredient of the foxglove, was demonstrated to have significant activity by William Withering in the 18th century. Extracts of this particular plant have been in use for many centuries and Culpepper referred to its use for ‘the king’s evil’ (scrofula). Withering, of course, never appreciated that the increased urinary flow and consequent relief from fluid retention was due primarily to the increased contractility of heart muscle but he did carry out an exhaustive clinical study on his patients and also stressed the importance of using the correct dose – much needed advice, as most physicians of his age worked on the principal of ‘more is better’.

A case in point of the importance of dose-related effects it that of the actions of aspirin. Gerard recommended the leaves and bark of willow to ‘staye the spitting of blood, and all other fluxes of the blood’ while Culpepper recommended that ‘the leaves bruised and boiled in wine, and drank, stays the heat of lust in man or woman and, quite extinguishes it, if it be long used.’ In 1876 Thomas MacLagan conducted the first proper clinical trial of salicylic acid (obtained after chemically altering salicin, the major active constituent of willow bark) in patients suffering from rheumatic fever. Although treatment was successful, there were unpleasant gastro-intestinal side effects. The mode of action of acetylsalicylic acid was elucidated in 1971 by Sir John Vane and co-workers who showed that it inhibited the cyclo-oxygenase enzymes involved in the production of prostanoids.

Other notable plant products shown to be active pharmaceutically are the ergot derivative methysergide (a 5-HT antagonist used to treat migraine), the cinchona bark (quinine, an antimalarial) and the Ephedra species (used to develop the first orally active bronchodilator for the treatment of asthma). And let’s not forget the opium poppy, the source of a compound both good and bad in the pharmaceutical spectrum. The list is endless!

Within Greece, recognition of the merits of pharmaceutical herbs is rudimentary and a number of species have been plundered to the extent that they have almost disappeared from regions where they once flourished. There is not only a need for the State to protect valuable species but also for an organised cultivation of these species to prevent their extinction. To this end, we ask that any plants you might see are left in peace. Never uproot the whole plant unless it is specifically the root that is required, or take the whole population of plants in a given area. Take only the part of the plant that is needed – if possible, leave some of the flowers to allow regeneration. Nature is not inexhaustible: ruthless collection of even the most common species can lead to extinction. It is also worth mentioning that while many species, when used appropriately, have valuable medicinal qualities they might be toxic when used inappropriately or in excess.

For herbal therapies to be effective, the following rules should be applied:

1. treatment should be applied repeatedly and as regularly as prescribed: administration may be prolonged, especially if the illness is a chronic one.
2. plants must be harvested in the appropriate season and dried as soon as possible by spreading them out in the shade. Roots should be washed and thick roots should be cut lengthwise before drying.
3. thoroughly dried plants should be stored in sealed glass containers in dry, dark places. Even dried plants lose their efficacy if kept for too long.

Preparations:

1. teas or tisanes depend on their preparation for efficacy. Whether they are made with cold water, heated or actually boiled has a crucial effect on the active constituent of the plant.
2. infusions are made by either pouring boiling water onto the dried plant and allowing the liquid to stand for 10-15 minutes or by boiling the plant in the water and then leaving to stand for the same amount of time.
3. decoctions are made by placing the plant in cold water. Slowly bringing to the boil and then allowing to stand for 15 minutes before straining.
4. poultices are made using fresh plants which are either bruised or ground and then applied externally.

Needless to say, it is vital to have an accurate diagnosis of the medical condition to be treated before expecting a herbal remedy to be effective! Also, please don’t take my word for the efficacy of any of the following!

1. Agrimony (agrimonia)

This grows in woodlands and damp locations throughout Greece. It is an erect perennial with hairy, red-tinged stems, grows to 20-80cm tall and has yellow five-petalled flowers. The plant is best collected in summer when it is in flower and should be dried in the shade. The seeds are also used and must be collected when ripe. Agrimony is probably the eupatorium mentioned by Dioscurides.

1. migraine, dyspepsia, diarrhoea, colic, vomiting, nephritis, chronic pulmonary catarrh, cachexy, haematuria, dermatological complaints, rheumatism, jaundice, dropsy and spleen & liver complaints: make an infusion of a handful of fresh or dried agrimony to 1 litre of water and drink the resulting tisane 2 or 3 times a day.
2. pharyngitis, bronchitis, cough: boil 100g agrimony in 1 litre of water until the liquid has been reduced by one third of its original volume. Strain, add 50g honey and use as a gargle.
3. diabetes: make an infusion as for migraine and drink as a tea.
4. sprains, swellings, bruises and contusions: simmer equal volumes of agrimony leaves, bran and vinegar. When the mixture becomes sticky, allow to cool, spread on the affected area and leave as long as possible. Repeat frequently until relief had been obtained.
5. septic wounds: take crushed leaves and mix them to a paste with pork fat. Put this paste on the wound, cover with gauze and leave for several hours. Apply freshly made paste daily until the wound has finished suppurating.
6. dysentery: add crushed seeds to wine, leave to steep and drink.
7. varicose veins, phlebitis: crush fresh leaves and apply to the affected area every morning.

2. Artichoke (anginara)

This plant is cultivated throughout Greece but also grows wild. The flowers are within the globular heads which, in immaturity (when they are eaten as a vegetable), are surrounded by oval bracts. For medicinal purposes the green, closed flower heads and leaves should be collected in spring.

1. fever, stiff joints: make a decoction from the green flower heads and leaves by boiling for 20-30 minutes and drink 1 or 2 glasses of the resulting liquid daily.
2. sore throat: finely chop the leaves and mix with butter to form a thick paste. Apply this thickly externally to the throat, tie with a cloth and leave as long a possible.
3. tonsillitis: boil leaves in a minimum of water until they are soft and apply to the throat externally as a poultice.
4. haemorrhoids: make a poultice with crushed, raw leaves and apply externally.

3. Balm (melissohorto)

This is a small, perennial shrubby herb, 30-80cm in height, which grows all over Greece. The small, two-lipped white or pink flowers grow in clusters in the upper leaf axils. The whole plant gives off a lemon aroma. The plant should be collected in spring before flowering and dried in the shade at less than 35 C as quickly as possible because slow drying turns the leaves brown and affects the active constituents. Balm is said to safeguard against senility and impotence and was a great favourite of Paracelsus.

1. heart pains: make an infusion with fresh or dried balm and 50g wormwood in 200g water. Drink 1 glass per day for 3 days.
2. nervous irritability, anorexia, insomnia, hysteria, flatulence,: pour 1 litre of boiling water onto 5-25g of fresh or dried leaves and drink a glass of this infusion every morning.

4. Basil (vasilikos)

Basil is grown throughout Greece, mainly for culinary purposes, but a pot of basil is said to keep flies and mosquitoes away! There are many varieties with different-sized leaves. The leaves can be collected throughout the summer but are most effective when the plant is about to flower.

1. abdominal spasms, nervous stomach, failing memory, migraine: make an infusion with fresh or dried leaves and stems and drink the tisane while still lukewarm.
2. constipation: make a salad with the tender shoots of fresh basil and eat with added oil.

5. Blackberry (vatomouria)

The rambler grows all over Greece at roadsides, on walls and fences and on rock scrubland. The tri-folate leaves are carried on long, thorny branches. The pale pink, 5-petalled flowers develop into the berry. Leaves may be collected at time of the year before they are shed in late autumn.

1. diabetes: In addition to adhering to a strict diet, a small glass of an infusion may be taken each morning on an empty stomach. This infusion should be made from the tender ends of the branches, leaves as well. Use 2 or 3 branch tips for each small glass of water.
2. diarrhoea, anaemia: make a decoction from 2 or 3 branch tips per small glass of water and drink as required.

6. Burdock (lappa)

This is a large biennial plant which grows on wasteland throughout the country. The plant has a basal rosette of leaves in the first year and branched, flowering stalks in the second year. The tap roots are up to 5cm thick. The small, elongated flowers emerge from a thistly ball of bracts, each of which has a stiff, hooked tip. The roots should be collected from first year plants in the autumn and from second year plants in the spring. They should then be split lengthways and dried at less than 70 C

1. spots and pimples: make a decoction of 2 or 3 tablespoons of chopped dried root in 1 litre of water and drink,.. Alternatively powder the dried root and take 1 tablespoon in water 3 times daily.
2. hair loss: soak chopped roots of burdock and nettles together with a few sprigs of Rosemary in a bottle of pure alcohol and use as a liniment to massage the balding area.

7. Camomile (chamomili)

An erect, branched small annual with extremely finely feathered leaves growing on both cultivated and fallow land all over Greece, but preferring warm, sunny locations. The flowers should be collected in spring when the petals are fully expanded and dried in the shade at less than 35 C. The active ingredients of camomile flowers are widely used in the manufacture of cosmetics.

1. constipation, stomach cramps, colds, neuralgia, obesity: make a cold infusion by soaking one tablespoon of the flowers in a litre of cold water – do not heat.
2. flaccid facial skin and skin impurities: steam the face with a hot infusion of dried camomile flowers.
3. inflamed skin and eyes: make compresses with an infusion of dried flowers while it is still warm and leave on the affected area for as long as possible

8. Garlic (skordo)

This is a perennial plant with a compound bulb comprising cloves enclosed in a white, papery membrane. The erect, single stem has long narrow leaves with rough edges. An onion-shaped globe with a long terminal spike forms at the top of the stem. The spike bursts lengthways to release a round bouquet of white or pinkish flowers. Garlic grows wild all over Greece. The plant should be uprooted when the leaves have withered and the bulbs stored in a dry place. Pliny and Dioscurides wrote of the efficacy of garlic against a wide variety of complaints.

1. arthritis: take 4 whole bulbs of garlic, peel the cloves and crush in a  mortar Put the resulting paste on the affected area, bandage and leave for 12 hours. Alternatively, boil 1 kg of garlic bulbs in 1 kg oil. Strain the oil and add 50g turpentine and 4 broken egg yolks. Mix well and use frequently as a liniment.
2. septic wounds: make a poultice of crushed garlic bulbs and tie to the wound.
3. obesity and hypertension: swallow whole one clove of raw garlic every morning.

9. Germander (stomahovotano)

Germanander species are perennial shrubby plants, 10-30cm high, growing in stony locations or open, sunny grassland. The stems and leaves are densely covered with hairs. The leaves are narrow and often have in-rolled edges. The tiny flowers form either globular heads or spikes at the ends of the stems. They flowers are usually pink or white, or occasionally yellowish, and the petals rise from a tubular throat and split into 2 at the lip. The plant should be harvested in July when in flower, then dried in the shade at less than 35 C. Both Hippocrates and Dioscurides were aware of the medicinal properties of germander and Threophrastus wrote of its moth-repellent qualities.

1. atony, inflammation of the gastro-intestinal lining: make a tisane by pouring 500ml boiling water over 2 tablespoons of chopped, dried flowering stems and leaves. Allow to stand and drink the liquid at least twice a day.

10. Globe thistle (stavrangatho)

There is no shortage of these plants around the island! The plant has a basal rosette of tooth-edged leaves during the winter but in spring, branched flower stems shoot up from the basal rosette, ending in round, prickly green heads. The leaves should be collected in the spring when the new growth appears and dried quickly.

1. neurasthenia: make a decoction of 200g dried leaves, 500g powdered dried elm bark and 200g dried root of couch grass in 2 litres of water. Strain and drink a glass of the resulting liquid morning and evening.

11. Hemlock (mangouta)

This is the plant called konio in ancient times and known pharmaceutically as herba conii maculati. Its juice is poisonous in large quantities but brings a painless death. Socrates drank hemlock after being condemned to death for his teachings. The plant is an erect, multi-branched biennial which grows up to 1m high (and smells strongly of mice). The hollow stems are deeply furrowed and have purple spots low down. The leaves are feathery and the small white flowers are arranged in umbrella-like heads (umbels) at the tops of the stems. Hemlock grows on waste ground, road sides and fields. The plant should be harvested in the summer when fully developed.

1. shingles, erysipelas, psoriasis, skin cancer: make a poultice from crushed fresh leaves and apply to the affected area.

WARNING - hemlock is poisonous if taken internally and may prove fatal. This is definitely not one to try at home!

12. Laurel (daphne)

This is common in both wild and cultivated forms. It is a large, evergreen shrub or small tree with grey bark. The leaves are dark green, lance-shaped, elliptical and leathery: they are highly aromatic when crushed. The flowers are small and creamy, with 4 petals: they grow in clusters in the leaf axils. The fruits are black berries the size of small olives. The leaves may be collected at any time but young leaves are most potent.

1. atonic dyspepsia: drink a decoction made from 2 or 3 fresh leaves per glass of water.
2. stomach spasms: soak 4g fresh leaves and 8g bitter orange peel in 200g water for 15 minutes. Use as a tisane after straining and adding sugar to taste.

13. Marigold (kalendoula)

This is very common in hot, lowland areas. The small flowers resemble yellow or orange daisies. The leaves are lance-shaped to oblong, soft and hairy. The leaves and fully-opened flower heads should be collected from February to April and dried in the shade.

1. acne: blanch fresh leaves briefly in boiling water and, when cool, apply as a poultice to the affected area.
2. eczema, erysipelas, and warts: make a decoction using 5-10 dried or fresh flower heads per glassful of water and use the resulting liquid for compresses.
3. delayed menstruation: use an infusion of 2 teaspoons of petals to 0.5 litre water.
4. varicose veins: make a decoction from 1-2 sprigs of leaves and flower heads per glassful of water and use for compresses.

14. Marshmallow (neromoloha)

This plant can be found in all parts of Greece but prefers damp, coastal locations, marshes and moist ravines. It is a perennial plant with 1 or more stems up to 2m high. The stems are covered in velvety hairs which give them a silvery appearance. The stalked leaves are pointed ovals, slightly lobed into 3 sections. The flowers have 5 white or pinkish petals and resemble those of the hollyhock and hibiscus. The flowers have numerous stamens and grow from the leaf axils in the upper part of the tall stem. The best season for collecting the leaves and flowers is in early summer when the flowers are fully open. If the roots are required, they should be collected in late autumn, stored in a cool place and subsequently peeled and dried at 50-60 C.

1. bronchitis, pharyngitis, colds: make an infusion of 2 teaspoons of coarsely ground, peeled dried root in half a litre of cold water, leave to stand for 3-10 hours and then sweeten with honey before drinking. Alternatively make a hot infusion of 4 teaspoons of either dried flowers or half flowers and half leaves per glass of water and drink while still hot.
2. sore throat: make a decoction of 10g marshmallow leaves and one seed-head of field poppy (a little honey may also be added). Use the liquid as a gargle while still warm.
3. enteritis and dysentery: add 2 teaspoons of peeled, coarsely ground dried root to half a litre of water and boil until the liquid is reduced to 67% of its original volume. Strain and drink while still lukewarm.
4. bruises, contusions and skin inflammation: briefly boil dried flowers or leaves in a minimum of water and, when no longer scalding, apply as a poultice to the affected area.

15. Mulberry (mouria)

White (M. alba) and black (M. nigra) mulberry trees are found throughout the country. The leaves are oval/heart-shaped and the fruit resembles an elongated raspberry. The mulberry bark may be harvested at any time of the year and the fruit ripens in early summer.

1. weakness and general debility: boil together 200g fresh or dried mulberry bark, 50g quinine, 100g sugar and 400g wine. Drink one glass of this daily before lunch.
2. mouth ulcers and irritation of the buccal mucosa: make a syrup by boiling fresh fruit in water and take 1 spoonful 3 times a day, retaining it in the mouth for a while before swallowing. This syrup is known in Greece as mulberry honey.

16. Pellitory-of-the-wall (perdikaki) 

This is a common species in Greece. It is a perennial which grows 30-100cm high. The leaves are slim, elliptical and pointed at both ends with a smooth upper surface and a hairy underside. Small, greenish flowers grow in the leaf axils all the way up the stems. These flowers turn red as they ripen into seeds. The plant should be harvested in the spring when in flower, and is rich in potassium nitrate and sulphur.

1. nephritis and cystitis: make an infusion with 10-20g of the plant to 1 litre of water and drink the tisane repeatedly.
2. inflammation of the skin: boil pieces of the stem, leaves and flowers in a little water for a short time and cool. While lukewarm apply to the affected area as a poultice.

17. Plantain (pentanevro)

This is a large genus of plants, all the members of which have certain characteristics in common. At least one species can be found in every part of Greece. The leaves vary from narrow and lance-shaped to broad and elliptical, but they always form a basal rosette and are strongly marked with 5 parallel nerves running their full length. The tiny flowers are borne on long stalks and concentrated at the top of the flower stem. The leaves can be collected year-round and the seeds ripen in summer. There are both annual and perennial species of plantain. It is the dried leaves which are used.

1. wounds and sores: lightly crush the dried leaves by rubbing them in the palm of your hand. Apply to the affected area and bandage.
2. diarrhoea: make a decoction with 2 tablespoons of dried leaves to 1 litre of water, boiling for 3 minutes. Drink the liquid when it has cooled. Alternatively, as a purgative for mild diarrhoea, allow 1-3 teaspoons of ripe seeds to swell for 2 hours in water and then swallow them whole.

18. Pomegranate (rodia)

The wild and cultivated forms grow all over Greece. It is a large, deciduous shrub with small, oval leaves which are both shiny and leathery. The bright red flowers are bell-shaped and have a mass of bright yellow stamens. The red calyx evolves into the fruit. Pomegranates are the size of oranges, with a leathery skin which encloses hundreds of tiny seeds, each encased in a juicy fruit-sack. It is the individual seed ‘pearls’ that are eaten but there are also inedible varieties. Homer mentions the pomegranate as one of the plants which were grown in his time and he relates that King Alkinoos of the Phraeacians cultivated the shrub. Theophrastus and Pliny both wrote of the use and cultivation of the pomegranate. The root may be collected at any time of the year but optimally in the autumn. The fruit ripens in late summer.

• amoebic intestinal disorders: make a decoction with the peel of 1 whole fruit boiled in half a litre of water.

19. Rosemary (dendrolivano)

This is a widespread, evergreen shrub. The branches are woody at the base and pliant towards the tip. The leaves are needle-shaped and the flowers grow in the leaf axils towards the ends of the shoots. The corolla is bi-lipped and sky blue. All parts of the plant are aromatic when crushed. Rosemary may be collected at any time of the year.

• cardiac irregularity and lassitude: put a few tender fresh shoots, or dried rosemary, into a bottle of wine and allow to stand for several days. Drink 1 glass per day.
• wounds and sores: put the powder obtained from crushed dried leaves onto the wound to disinfect and promote healing.
• hair loss: soak a few branches of rosemary, chopped nettle roots and burdock roots in a bottle of pure alcohol. Use as a liniment to massage the balding area.
• dysentery: boil a handful of chopped, dried rosemary root in 2 glasses of wine until the volume has reduced by two thirds. Drink the remaining liquid once or twice a day.
• chronic dyspepsia and chronic pulmonary catarrh: make an infusion with 10-30g of flowering branch tops in water and drink the tisane once or twice a day.
• rheumatism and migraine: prepare the tisane as for dyspepsia and use this as a liniment to massage the affected area.

20. Sage (phaskomilo)

This shrubby perennial grows everywhere. It can grow up to 50cm high. It is woody at the base but the upper parts of the stems are tender and covered with fine hairs. The leaves are elongated, hairy and greyish-green. The two-lipped flowers, which are light blue/violet, appear in spring and are clustered at the tops of the stems. The leaves and tender shoots should be collected in spring before the plant flowers and again in September/October. These should be dried in the shade at less than 35 C. Dioscurides mentions sage as eleliphaskos and pharmaceutically it is known as herba salviae. Sage should not be taken by people with haematuria or hypertension.

• gastric atony, weakness and debility, weak memory and menstrual irregularities: put 1-2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh or dried leaves into 1 litre of water, raise to the boil and allow to cool. Drink ad lib.
• hair loss: frequently massage the scalp with the tisane as described above.
• flaccid skin: boil tender shoots of sage in water and remove from the heat. Hold the face over the pot, as for an inhalation, using a towel to prevent steam escaping. Alternatively, allow the liquid to cool and use for compresses.
• inflammation of the throat or gums: prepare the tisane as that for gastric atony and use this as a gargle or mouthwash.
• colds: make sage tea (as for gastric atony) and drink it hot 2/3 times every day.
• excessive perspiration and night sweats: make an infusion with sage leaves and drink 1 glass at night before retiring. Even better results are obtained if 30 drops of juice from the fresh plant are taken nightly instead of the infusion.

21. Shepherd’s purse (agriokardamouda)

This annual forms a basal rosette of downy leaves which are deeply toothed into lobes which themselves have toothed edges and lie flat on the ground. From the centre of this rosette grows a 10-50cm flower stem. The small white flowers are cruciform in shape, each with its own small stalk emanating from the apex of the stem. The seed capsules develop into a characteristic triangular/heart-shaped form. The plant grows all over Greece on flat land and should be collected in spring or early summer while flowering and then dried in the shade.

• hypertension: make an infusion of 1-2 tablespoons of the fresh or dried plant with 1 litre of water and drink a small glass of the liquid per day.
• internal haemorrhaging, especially dysmenhorrhoea (when treatment should start 8 days before onset of menstruation): make an infusion as for hypertension and drink at least 2 glasses per day.

22. Vervain (stavrovotano)

Vervain is a stiff, erect, square-stemmed plant, very common on waste ground throughout Greece. It is a perennial with hairy leaves, the lower ones deeply segmented into toothed lobes and the upper ones whole and tooth-edged. The stems carry small, light blue or mauve flowers, at first in dense clusters but then elongating into slender spikes. The shoots should be collected in spring and summer when in full flower and then dried.

• septic wounds: boil dried leaves briefly in a little water and apply as a poultice. Bruised, fresh leaves may be used instead and applied to the wound.
• fever, stomach upset, failing milk in nursing mothers: make a tisane from 2 or 3 dried branches with leaves and flowers per glass of water and drink regularly until recovery is effected.

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A BRIEF HISTORY OF ALONNISOS

Alonnisos has had its share of invaders and occupants throughout the years. Before the 8th century BC, a tribe called the Dolopes inhabited the island. The main street in Patitiri is named Odos Ikion Dolopes after this tribe. In 478 BC Alonnisos (at this time known as Ikos) was part of the Athenian Alliance before being captured by the Spartans in 403 BC and subsequently retaken by the Athenians. The island prospered under the influence of Philip of Macedon but fell to the Romans in 146 BC. This sovereignty lasted until the fall of the Roman Empire: one major influence of this period was the introduction of Christianity. The islands then became part of the Byzantine Empire and at this time Alonnisos was known as Chiliodromia.

The oldest part of the Old Village has a Byzantine fortress construction. The walls of the fortress consisted of the face of the rock on one side and the outside walls of the houses on the other. The main gate to the citadel was called ‘Portara’, the original key to which is still kept in the council offices. There was also a smaller door (the Paraporta) which acted as an escape route. During the Ottoman rule the average family consisted of 6 people who shared a small house of about 40 square metres.

When the Ottomans broke up the Byzantine Empire in 1453, Alonnisos came under Venetian control. The last person to loot the Old Village was the infamous Barbarossa (Red Beard) in 1538. Khair-el-din Barbarossa and his brother Horuk (beheaded in 1518) were renegade Greeks, natives of Mytilene. Khair-el-din acted as an admiral to the Ottoman ruler Suleiman I during a period of extraordinary Turkish expansionism. Belgrade was taken in 1521 (the rest of Serbia was in Turkish hands by 1459) and the Hungarian army was slaughtered at Mohacs in 1526. In 1522 Suleiman sent a huge fleet to Rhodes to oust the Knights of St. John who, by then, had turned to piracy. By 1529 the Ottoman armies were pressing at the gates of Vienna. Barbarossa died in 1546 in Constantinople. The Venetians lost their influence in the Northern Sporades in 1537/38 and Turkish rule was introduced.

The revolution of 1821 against Turkish rule led to the subsequent establishment of the Hellenic State under the Treaty of London in 1830. In 1821 the population of Alonnisos (at this time called Iliodromia) was said to be around 300. When in 1822 the Greek National Congress met in Epidavros, the Dimos (community) of Alonnisos was founded, although the islands were actually governed by a Vice-Administrator called Pavlos Sideris. Despite freedom from Turkish rule the islands were still badly plagued by pirates and, in addition, had to pay heavy revenues to the new government to cover the cost of the revolution. Times were very hard!

Between 1834 and 1837 the government of Greece, with King Otto of Bavaria at its head, sent a mining expert (Dr Karl Gustav Fiedler) to survey the kingdom for mineral resources. When he came to Alonnisos he discovered 11 graves (mnimata) near Kokkinokastro, 2 of which were intact. On opening the graves he found that they had a storage space near the feet of the skeletons for those items accompanying the dead. Each of these spaces held at least one amphora, one oil jar, a lamp and several drinking vessels. All the bodies were laid with their heads pointing south. In addition, the graves were lined with limestone and near the head and feet a limestone plate was used to limit the space. Fiedler obtained permission to take the artifacts with him but unfortunately they were damaged en route. He also took samples of lignite with him, but one can only assume that the island was not found to be rich in minerals. 

In 1836 the island was named Alonnisos. This name is derived from ‘Alon’ (the ancient Greek word for salt) and ‘Nisos’ (island). Before this date, documents mentioning the island of ‘Alonnisos’ were actually referring as the island now known as Kyra Panagia. In 1848, a census gave the population of Alonnisos as 312. This rose to 498 in 1889 and to 653 in 1896.

In 1912/13 Alonnisos lost 7 men in the Balkan Wars and they are commemorated on a memorial in the Plateia in the Old Village. A further 2 names were added to the memorial in 1920/22, islanders who lost their lives in the Graeco-Turkish war which culminated in the Turkish occupation of the Greek enclave of Smyrna and the massacre of approximately 30,000 of its Greek and Armenian citizens. In 1916 the first house was built in Patitiri (which takes its name from the wine presses which were situated there: ‘paton’ – he who treads or presses) by Yiannis Christos, much to the bemusement of the people in the Old Village, who thought him crazy!

During the WWII there was no permanent German garrison on Alonnisos but there were regular inspections by German soldiers from Thessaloniki, which was the Aegean HQ of the German army.  On August 15th 1944, 10 islanders were gathered for execution in the Old Village. Nine of these were killed but the 10th, Apostolis Vlaikos, survived. Popular lore has it that, just as the execution was about to take place, someone shouted to say that his wife had just given birth to a son:  the German officer missed him (whether by accident or design) and he survived, albeit with a hearing problem as the bullet hit the wall near his ear. This same Apostolis Vlaikos was elected Mayor in the 1970’s. There is a separate memorial to the nine men who were killed near the entrance to the Kastro: the original plaque was unveiled on 15th August 1984 and the inscription read ‘To the patriots who gave their lives for our freedom, executed by the Germans on August 15th 1944’. This was replaced with another plaque on 15th August 1999. Part of the new inscription was taken from a poem by Cavafy – The Thermopylae – and reads “Honour to those who waged their lives to defend the Thermopylae and never forgetting this vow. To the honour of those patriots executed by the Germans of the third Reich, giving their lives for our liberty 15.8.1944”.

The Greek civil war was a particularly bloody episode in the nation’s history: in addition to the atrocities carried out by both sides, the country did not use the post-war period to work toward producing a sound economic base in order to improve the standard of living. In fact, all foreign aid and available wealth went toward the suppression of communism. No communist or partisan groups were permanently housed on Alonnisos, but another 3 names were added to the memorial in 1948 and from time to time partisan boats landed on the island to take supplies of livestock.

At the beginning of the 1950’s Alonnisos was a producer of very fine wine: in 1950 the harvest yielded 257,530 litres. Within 3 years the production fell to zero as the vines were decimated by Phylloxera.

In 1961 the first non-Greeks came to the island to build sea-side houses. In 1962 an Athenian, Manos Kalogridis, opened the first tourist accommodation on Alonnisos – the Artemis Bungalows, which can still be seen above Patitiri on the Marpounta road.

By the mid-1960’s the harbour in Patitiri came into use. Up until this time a caique went every morning from Mikro Mourtia to Skopelos, returning in the evening. Also at this time Christos Athanassiou wrote an article about the island. This man, nicknamed ‘O Sophos’ (the wise man), worked as a counsellor and healer at a time when there was no doctor on the island. His son, Yorgos, is now the senior doctor at the Health Centre on Alonnisos. The wise man died on March 3rd 1988 at the age of 76. The main crops on the island were olives, cereals, almonds and citrus fruit, but nearly 40% of the per capita income was provided by remittances from family members working either on the mainland or abroad. The income for islanders at this time was only about 54% of the national average income in Greece.

On March 9th 1965 an earthquake shook Alonnisos and the surrounding islands. Aerial photographs taken shortly after the earthquake showed that about 110 houses had been damaged to some extent. Frederika, the Queen Mother (wife of the recently deceased King Paul and mother of the newly crowned King Constantine II) visited the islands affected by the ‘quake – her helicopter landed behind the cemetery on Alonnisos. Military personnel also came to the island and built a simple road from the harbour in Patitiri to the Old Village. The government promised new houses in Patitiri for those whose houses were damaged.

December 1965 was an important month for Alonnisos – it saw the arrival of Father Gregory as the island’s priest. Father Gregory, or ‘Papouli’ as he is affectionately known, is still here and has been a source of inspiration to the inhabitants, Orthodox and non-Orthodox alike.

In 1966 the church of Agios Nikolaos in the Old Village was rebuilt and the following year saw the construction of a primary school in Patitiri. Unfortunately 1967 also saw a military coup in Athens designed to pre-empt a Centre Union victory at the polls, which heralded the start of 7 years of military dictatorship. In 1968 construction of the new settlement in Patitiri was started and this was finished 2 years later. During this time a power station was built in Votsi which provided Patitiri and Votsi with electricity. Power was not taken up to the Old Village until1987.

The 231 ‘pre-fabs’ (concrete rectangles built for those evacuated from the Old Village) were ready for occupation in 1970 but these were quite primitive and had no drinking-water or sewage systems. The evacuation of the Old Village was not achieved en masse but over the course of several years. The last evacuees only made the move in 1977 after the water supply to the Old Village was cut off and the school was closed.

The construction of a new church in Patitiri – Agia Paraskevi – was started in 1970 on the site of the old one which had been damaged by the earthquake. This new church was consecrated in 1977.

Meanwhile, more foreigners and mainland Greeks were buying houses on the island. In 1971 the airport on Skiathos was opened. In 1974 extensions to the harbour were started to allow larger vessels to dock. At this time there was only 1 car on the island – the priest’s – and a couple of trucks. A dirt road was built between Patitiri and Votsi. In July 1974 the Military Junta of the ‘Colonels’ was deposed and Greece returned to civilian rule.

By 1976 only a few families and their livestock lived in the Old Village. Conversely, the Paraport taverna was opened and the following year Maria Anagnostou opened a ‘pantopoleion’ (literally, a shop which sells everything) in the Old Village. The Alonia, the 5 ‘corn’ or threshing circles near the village, were still used. A mule was tethered to a central pole and pulled a ‘dokani’. This was a heavy plank studded with flint-like stones. As the stones were drawn over the wheat they separated the grain from the chaff. The tether shortened as the mule walked around the circle and so the dokani was drawn over the entire circle. If you stand at the circles on a clear day and look out directly over the small islet of Manolas in the bay of Megali Ammos you can see Mount Olympus.

Meanwhile construction was continuing in Patitiri, not only for the enforced relocation from the Old Village but also to fulfil the dowry custom whereby daughters are given a house of their own when they get married. In 1978 the Fisherman’s cooperative was established by Pakis Athanassiou. In 1980 Alonnisos got its first taxi.

On January 1st 1981 Greece became a member of the EEC. This has led to many changes in the island’s infrastructure as funds have become available, giving the island the helipad, surfaced roads, harbour extensions etc. 1982 saw the opening of the ‘Aloni’ taverna in the Old Village by Panagiotis Kalogiannis (he’s still there!) and the first bus between Patitiri and the Old Village (a one-way fare being 100 drachmae). The next year Alonnisos got its first pharmacy, the rubbish dump was moved from behind the cemetery to the west of Kalovolos and the ‘dimos’ got its first rubbish truck. In the summer of the following year the second of the Marias (Maria Malamatenia) opened her pantopoleion – 5 steps away from her competitor’s shop – and a memorial plaque was unveiled commemorating the deaths of the 9 men killed by the Germans in 1944. 

In 1985 the first summer rubbish collection was made in the Old Village by Mitso and his mule, testament to the fact that this area was gradually being repopulated. Also, traffic between the islands was greatly enhanced by the service offered by the flying dolphins. The following year preliminary plans were formulated for the creation of the National Marine Park of Alonnisos, Northern Sporades (NMPANS), although this was not officially ratified until the presidential decree was signed in 1992. Also in this year the Biological Research Station at Gerakas was opened by the Aga Khan, whose Bellerive Foundation funded its construction. The MoM society currently has information centres in Patitiri and at Gerakas (sadly, to date no research has been carried out at the research station) and a rehabilitation unit on the beach at Stenii Vala.

During the last 15 years of the 20th century there have been many changes on the island. A lane was made linking Megalos Mourtia with the Old Village. The previously abandoned settlement at Mourtero was ‘rediscovered’. Mourtero had a population of about 60 people at the beginning of the 20th century but after the second world war the settlement was gradually abandoned, with the inhabitants moving to Patitiri. 1987 saw the beginning of construction of the houses in the lower part of the Old Village: the following year graves were found on this site but, although the authorities were notified, the archaeological service carried out no excavations. Also in 1988 the ‘Hellenic Society for the protection of the Mediterranean Monk Seal’ was set up. In 1989 the first part of the road from Patitiri to the Old Village was surfaced.

In 1990 the rubbish tip was moved yet again, to the old quarry near the OTE towers. More tarmac was laid on the road to the Old Village, this time as far as the OTE (the state telecommunications company) turning. It wasn’t until 2 years later that the tarmac stretched all the way from Patitiri to the Old Village.

In June 1992 government marine archaeologists investigated a wreck found in deep water off the southern end of Peristera. The investigation indicated that the ship dated from 400BC and was considerably larger than ships of that time were thought to be: it contained 4000 amphorae. The huts built on Peristera for the divers and their equipment can still be seen. In August of the same year an enormous forest fire engulfed the areas around Chrissi Milia, Kokkinokastro and Tzortzi Gialos.

1992 also saw construction of the helipad in Votsi and the decommissioning of the electrical generation plant: electricity now reached the island from the mainland via undersea cables. In 1994/5 the offices of the state electricity company, DEH, were erected on the site of the defunct power station.

Other important additions to the island were built in 1992: the medical centre in Patitiri and the secondary school. Construction of the school, comprising a gymnasium and lyceum (junior and senior high schools), was funded by Konstantinos Kalogiannis, an islander who had emigrated to the USA as a child. Previously, children had had to travel to Skopelos daily or move to the mainland to continue their education past primary level. Every May the children hold a cultural and sporting festival called Kalogianneia, with the participation of children from Skopelos and Skiathos, to honour their benefactor.

By the summer of 1994 several public telephones had sprung up in the Old Village and Patitiri. A new memorial was erected near the Town Hall, this one bearing a quotation from Thucydides “The whole world is the grave of famous men”. The state telecommunications company (OTE) built an office next to the health centre: not of great use, as the inhabitants still have to go to the office on Skoplelos if they have any problems with the phone lines. However, in the autumn of 1996 OTE laid new cables which enabled many more households to get telephone lines (up to this point someone had to die before you could get a phone connection), so they have atoned in part for the white elephant of the office.

1995 saw the opening of the National Bank in Patitiri (previously the nearest bank (Emporiki – Commercial) was on Skopelos, with a couple of tourist offices in Patitiri running local franchises). Restoration work was started on the old chapel at Agii Anargiroi. On May 1st the International Academy of Homeopathy was inaugurated and the following year hosted a symposium on archaeological research in the Northern Sporades.

In 1996 Alonnisos became an autonomous community within the regional administrative district of Magnesia. The foundation stone for the new Town Hall was laid by the mayor Yiannis Drossakis on May 15th. All the time more roads were being made and/or surfaced, more phone boxes were being installed, and lanes and pavements in Patiriri and the Old Village were tiled with Pelion slate (called plaka). In the summer of 1997 the roads were embellished with white lines! During the following year another pharmacy opened and the donkey path (calderimi) between Patitiri and the Old Village was restored, paved and lit. On 11th October 1998, local elections voted in a new mayor, Orestes Papachristou (PASOK) but it was the outgoing mayor who inaugurated the new Town Hall on December 27th of the same year.

In 1999 the community, funded by the EU, cleared, mapped and waymarked 14 hiking trails. The port area of Patitiri was given a face lift: flowers were planted along the cliff under the Kavos area, a special imprinted surface was laid over the port, lights were installed under the cliffs on the Marpounta side of the harbour and waste bins were dotted around. The council also instigated a beach-cleaning programme, although this seems to have become a little haphazard. In June of this year, the Department of Archaeology of the University of Nebraska carried out preparatory work on the excavation of the kilns at Tsoukalia and a fence was erected to secure the site. Sign posts to the site have been erected, but usually the visitor is somewhat disappointed at how little there is to see. Work was also carried out on the site of a Byzantine basilica at Agios Dimitrios, but similarly there is little to see.

Since the turn of the century work has continued to surface the roads and install a more reliable electrical system. The water supply has improved immeasurably. Wells at Mega Nero (big water) were the main source of water for the island until 1993 but now water for the majority of village houses is piped from wells and catchments in the north of the island. Water being supplied at present has been shown to come from an aquifer on the Pelion via underwater channels. Houses outside village limits are still dependent on collecting rainwater during the winter and storing this in large cisternas under their terraces.

The island is greatly dependent on ferries for all the produce imported: these days dairy products and fruit & vegetables are brought over on trucks from the mainland whereas previously everything was brought to the island on a weekly caique. The relatively small ferries that serviced Alonnisos were very slow and inefficient with respect to the available garage space. Now the island is visited by much larger, quicker ferries (although not as often!): to enable these to dock safely a new ferry port had to be constructed. Unfortunately this is not quite finished and the lack of an extensive sea wall means that if the seas are running from the south it is very difficult for the ferries to dock.

On January 1st 2001, Greece switched currencies from the drachma to the euro: even on such a small island the transition was effected without fuss or too many headaches although, strangely enough, people still seem to refer to land prices in drachmae!

HISTORICAL & FOLKLORE MUSEUM
Kostas & Angela Mavriki, who run the Ikaros supermarket and cafe in Steni Vala, have opened a museum in Patitiri. This is well worth a visit, as the contents and the structure of the museum itself are the product of years of collection of artifacts and building materials from Alonnisos and the islands of the Marine Park. Kostas has also published a number of books on the history of Alonnisos.

There is also a small museum in the Old Village which represents a traditional house from former times.

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AGRICULTURE

After the civil war the main occupations of the island were concerned with agriculture. Wheat, barley and maize were all grown for domestic consumption and threshed on the corn circles (Aloni) near the Old Village. The economy of the island depended mainly on the production of wine. 

The dry climate and soil quality were ideal for viniculture, and Alonnisos was famous for its red wine. The grapes were very sweet, so giving the wine a high alcohol content: locally produced wine was also used to give body and strength to wines from other areas. To improve yield, local growers began experimenting with vines imported from the mainland. Sadly, in 1953, these vines brought phylloxera to the island: this is a plant louse which affects the roots of the vine and kills it. The name is derived from the Greek words for leaf (phyllo) and dry (kseros). The disease spread with amazing speed and wiped out the island's vineyards within 2 years. The destruction of the economic base caused the population to fall dramatically as the young and able moved away from the island in search of work. This left the island populated by the elderly and the very young, depending on remittances from family members working away from the island.

After the decline of the wine industry there was an increase in fishing. In 1962 the fishermen joined forces to create a co-operative, but this was abandoned a few years later due to bad organisation. It has now been re-instituted, and the fish co-op on the harbour in Patitiri sells part of the day's catch. Most of the local fishermen use small boats, although there are some larger trawlers which are indiscriminate in their catch and which damage the sea bed. Government subsidies to fishermen in the form of grants to update engines and equipment, and cheap diesel, resulted in an increase in the number of boats and a decrease in the sizes of both the fish and the catch. Fish stocks diminished due to intensive over-fishing by tratas and gri-gri boats. A dying habit, fortunately, is that of catching fish by dynamiting, although the odd explosion can still be heard. The competition between fishermen and seals for the available fish has led to some seals being killed because of the damage they have done to the nets. In 1992 the National Marine Park of Alonnisos, Northern Sporades (NMPANS) was set up by Presidential Decree to protect the monk seals and other species while developing the region by the sustainable use of its natural resources. It is immensely gratifying to see that the concept of the Marine Park is now giving results: fish stocks have increased in coastal waters due to the restrictions on fishing and this is resulting in increased sightings of marine mammals close to the shore.

The silvery green leaves of the olive trees covering the terraced slopes are evocative of Greece. The olive is one of the oldest crops in the world and is believed to have been introduced to this area by the Persians. After washing, the ancient Greeks would rub olive oil into their skin to keep it supple. The olive tree grows quite slowly but may live for more than 1,000 years. It is a member of a large family of trees and shrubs which includes lilac, privet, ash, jasmine and forsythia.

Here, olives are grown for local consumption. In March and April the trees are trimmed and the surrounding land is cleaned and fertilized with lipasma. Olives are harvested in October/November, the timing being dependent on the season’s rainfall: this is an enterprise which involves the whole family. Tarpaulins are spread on the ground underneath the trees and the olives are knocked off the trees with a long bamboo cane. The olives are then sorted into those which will be processed for eating and those which are to be pressed. Both the immature green and the ripe black olives are inedible before processing. The olives can be prepared for eating in one of two ways: they are either cracked and stored in brine for about 20 days (the brine being changed every 2 days); or alternatively they are packed with lemon and salt and kept in weighted bags for 5-6 days. The island has a co-operative olive press above Leftos Yialos. This only manages the first pressing, so that all the oil produced locally is extra virgin. It used to be the case that a percentage of the oil produced was taken as payment but now money is preferred. The pressed material is shipped to Volos for subsequent pressings, to be made into lower grade oil or soap, and the residue is returned to Alonnisos to fuel the press.

The almond trees have now recovered from a blight which struck them about 20 years ago. Honey production is now also making a comeback after helicopter-spraying of insecticide to eradicate the almond blight also killed the bees. Figs are also grown, and there are many citrus trees: again, this fruit is for local consumption rather than for commercial production.

More and more vines are now being planted: new stock has been imported from California. At present, most of the wine produced is only sufficient for local consumption but some tavernas sell their own wine.

Livestock is popular: many people keep chickens and turkeys, and visitors might even spot the odd goose and duck. There are still several large herds of goats on the island – the sound of the bells in the hills is quite magical. Less magical is the damage that goats en masse can do to a garden, which is why people are quite keen that you close any gates you go through.

Resin collection used to be a thriving business on the island: in the 1950’s there used to be 20 resin collectors on Alonnisos but now there is only one. If you are walking through the forest and you suddenly find that your path stops abruptly, it is probable that you have found one of the resin trails. Resin collection is very hard work: a strip of bark is peeled from the trunk of the tree and a collection tin (in other parts of Greece plastic sacks are used instead) is hammered into the tree below the scar. Acid is applied to the top of the scar to encourage the tree to ‘bleed’. When the collection tin is full the contents are tipped into large barrels and left to harden. The resin dump is near Raches (on the road to Megali Ammos) although this site has now been coinhabited by a goat herder and his enormous flock. Please do not be tempted to dip your fingers into the resin in the tins: the resin is incredibly sticky and takes an age to get off. At one time the resin was sent to Halkida on Euboea but now it goes to Athens. After processing it yields turpentine, rosin for stringed instruments, and compounds used in paints, medicines, cleaning and household products, disinfectants and varnishes. And, of course, it is used to give the flavouring for retsina. The tradition of resinating wine is believed to have derived from the practice of sealing amphorae with the waxy resin to avoid deterioration in transit: the flavour then leached into the wine itself and the result became an acquired taste. Another story has it that the flavour was added deliberately to discourage the Turks from stealing the stuff! Most retsina is produced in the Attica region of Greece and, rather surprisingly, its largest market outside of domestic consumption is the UK.

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NATIONAL MARINE PARK OF ALONNISOS - NORTHERN SPORADES (NMPANS)
 The area was declared a National Marine Park by presidential decree in 1992. The creation of the National Park has the following aims:

• The protection, conservation and management of the wildlife and landscape which constitute natural heritage and a valuable national resource, in terrestrial and marine areas of the N. Sporades
• The protection of one of the most important habitats of the monk seal (Monarchus monarchus) which is a species threatened with extinction
• The protection of other rare and threatened plant and animal species found in these islands
• The development of the region, by the sustainable use of its natural resources

The park is divided into 2 zones. Zone A is strictly protected, the areas in question having been chosen on the basis for the urgency of protection and the uniqueness of flora and fauna species. Zone B includes inhabited areas and protection measures are less stringent.
 GEOLOGY
Limestone rock dominates the area. Its main characteristics are the steep rocky slopes, which run down to the sea. The erosion of the limestone by the sea and rainwater has resulted in the formation of caves, which form an important part of the habitat of the monk seal, and aquifers which store water. These sources of fossil water have been seriously depleted over the years by the indiscriminate use of water.
FLORA
The islands are covered in Mediterranean coniferous forest and maccia vegetation such as the strawberry tree (arbutus), lentisc, phyllyrea and holly oak. Species of evergreens include maple, wild olive, the Phoenician juniper and the rare Amelanchier chelmea. Underwater sea-grass beds of the seaweed Poseidonia, which is particularly important for the development of other organisms and the retention and cycling of suspended particles in the marine environment, are widespread.
FAUNA
The area of the park is an important habitat for many species of fish, birds, reptiles and mammals. The Mediterranean monk seal (Monarchus monarchus), red coral (Coralium rubrum), Eleonora's falcon (Falco eleonorae), Audouin's gull (Larus audouinii), shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) and the wild goat of Yioura (Capra aegagrus) are some of the rarest species.
Different species of eagle nest on the islands: a pair of Benelli's eagles have been spotted in the Kastana Gorge. Other bird species include cormorants, sheerwaters, gulls and species of the family Sylvidae.
Audouin's gull nests in colonies on small, uninhabited, flat and usually rocky islands. It is a non-migratory species feeding mainly on fish and, less often, on invertebrates, small birds and plants. Its worldwide distribution is limited. It nests only in the western part of the Mediterranean and the Aegean. It is estimated that there are about 40 pairs in Greece, with 90% of these in the Marine Park. Man is the bird's greatest threat to survival, but competition with the white gull is also an important factor.
The shag lives exclusively in sea areas, nesting in small colonies, mainly on rocky, uninhabited islands. Its most important habitats in the Aegean are the Marine Park area and the Dodecanese.
Eleonora's falcons nest on rocky islands and their diet consists mainly of insects and small migratory birds. Greece is host to two thirds of the world's population of Eleonora's falcons.
The seas of the Marine Park are home to several species of dolphin (striped, common, bottle-nosed) and whale (pilot, sperm).
The richness and variety of wildlife and the beautiful scenery characterise the Park as an area of great aesthetic value and biological diversity.

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FESTIVALS & CELEBRATIONS

Many of the festivals and celebrations have a religious basis, so are observed in accordance with the Orthodox calendar. Over 95% of the population of Greece is Orthodox: indeed, it is said that being Orthodox and speaking Greek are the two most important criteria in defining a Greek, irrespective of birthplace. The religion has changed little since the founding of the church by Constantine in the 4th century. This constancy can perhaps explain the violence of Iconoclasm, a movement which sought to change the rules. In the early 8th century, the Byzantine emperor Leo III deemed that images of divine beings were sacrilegious. Iconoclasm began the rift with Rome which was exacerbated in 800 when the Pope crowned Charlemagne as emperor, so usurping the authority of the Emperor of Constantinople. Further divisions arose over the celibacy of the clergy, and the use of the phrase "and the son" in the Holy Creed. The final 'schism' came about in 1054 when the Pope's representative, Cardinal Humbert, excommunicated the Patriarch of Constantinople, Michael Cerularius.

In Greece, the church permeates every layer of life. If you have a problem, it is customary to light a candle to the saint most likely to hear your prayers. You may also buy the protection of an icon - a small, flat metal image representing the object of your concern. Icons of ships, houses, crops, men, women, babies and various anatomical parts can be seen in all churches. During the 400 years of Turkish oppression, it was the Church which gave the people their unity and preserved a sense of national identity. The churches and monasteries were also the custodians of the music, art, literature and spoken history that survive today.

When Christianity supplanted the polytheistic religions of pagan Greece, elements of the old religions were incorporated with those of the new. Although the last pagan temples were closed in 392 AD, the special protections that the old gods offered could be transferred to a particular Christian saint. Like the old gods, today's saints are often revered at shrines and tiny chapels which are generally built to give thanks. There are literally thousands of them, housing an icon with an oil lamp and a never-ending supply of olive oil in assorted containers. Devout travellers will fuel the lamps, tend the wicks and perhaps leave some coins for its upkeep in the box provided. Shrines to pagan gods were built in the same locations and for the same reasons: to provide travellers with a moment of rest and a chance to reflect before resuming their journey.

Births & Baptisms

Traditionally, a woman is not allowed to leave the house (or have a shower!) for 40 days after the birth of her baby. At the baptism, the naked child is immersed 3 times in Holy water to renounce the devil and a small lock of hair is cut from the baby's head. After immersion, female relatives dress the child in a new outfit bought by the god-parents: this symbolises the fact that the child is starting life afresh as a member of the church. For extra protection from the forces of evil, the child is given a filakto, the 'blue eye'. It is customary to name the child after one of its grandparents.

Weddings

The announcement of an engagement is often as big a cause for celebration as the wedding itself, and really marks the formal beginning of the couple's life together. On the wedding day, the best man (koumbaros) leads a procession of musicians to the groom's house to escort him and his family to the church. From the groom's house the procession goes to the bride's house to lead them to the church too. Once at the church the ceremony is marked by the placing of white crowns, bound together by a white ribbon, on the heads of the bride and groom. The best man then exchanges these back and forth. The newlyweds are then led around the altar 3 times and the guests shower the couple with rice (to symbolise fertility) and flower petals. Wedding guests are traditionally given a small boboniera of candied almonds: the slightly bitter taste of the almond and the sweetness of the coating symbolise the bitter-sweet nature of the couple's life together. From the church, the whole congregation goes to the reception for feasting (the traditional wedding food is goat cooked with spaghetti) and dancing. The couple is provided with a fully equipped house by the bride's parents, and usually one room will have been made ready for the first child.

Funerals

These take place, because of climate, as soon after death as possible. The cemetary on Alonnisos is next to the church of the Panaghia in the Old Village. This is beautifully kept, and if you pass by at dusk you will see the twinkling lights from the candles on each grave. The dead are buried with their heads pointing east: this is so that they will be able to witness the angel's trumpet blasts to signal the second coming of Christ. Memorials for the dead take place 3, 9 and 40 days after death: sweet buns and sugared wheat and raisin kouliva are given out after the ceremonies. Widows traditionally wear black for at least 3 years after the death of their husbands, but more frequently they wear black for the rest of their lives. After a period of time (not less than 3 years) the body is exhumed, washed with rose water and certain bones (particularly the skull and thigh bones) are placed in a casket in the ossuary.

Carnival (Apokriatika)

The pre-lenten carnival season lasts for 3 weeks, and climaxes during the 7th weekend before Easter. Children dress up and roam the streets and cafes where they are given sweets and money. The carnival procession has now become an institution throughout Greece and Alonnisos is no exception. The parade leaves from the council offices and threads its way through Patitiri and then on to Votsi. The council generously provides bottles of whisky to keep the spirit alive and the chill spring winds out, and people whose houses line the route appear with plates of pies and other home-made delicacies for those taking part: this past year that was pretty much everybody! Loud-speakers blast out music all afternoon and there is much dancing and 'kefi,' well into the evening.

Clean Monday (Kathara Deftera)

The day after the excesses of carnival comes the start of Lent. This day is so called as it was the day on which Greek housewives cleaned all their kitchen utensils to get rid of the last traces of carnival food. Traditionally, people head for the mountains or sea shores and eat salads and sea food, especially sea urchins. There is special bread baked on clean Monday - lagana - which is long and flat, with rounded corners and lots of sesame seeds. It is traditional for children to fly kites on Clean Monday.

Easter (Paska)

This is by far the most important festival in the Orthodox year. Easter begins on the Saturday of Lazarus (the day before Palm Sunday) when children sing the hymn of Lazarus and collect money and eggs. On the morning of Palm Sunday people gather in church and are given a cross made of palm fronds which they keep for the whole of the coming year. Throughout Holy Week there are services at the church. On Thursday children dye their eggs. After the reading of the 12th gospel at the evening service, the ladies decorate the bier (Epitafios) so that on Good Friday morning it is ready to receive the image of the body of Christ when He is taken down from the cross.
Good Friday is a day of mourning. Shops and businesses are closed and flags are flown at half-mast. Sweet things are not eaten for the love of Christ, who was given only vinegar to drink. Soup made with sesame paste, lettuce, or lentils with vinegar are the only things eaten. It is considered a sin to work with a hammer and nails, or to sew, on Good Friday. The first great public ceremony takes place on Good Friday evening as the descent from the cross is lamented in church. The Epitafios is paraded solemnly through the streets. Everyone carries a lighted candle as they follow the bier, the priest, the cantors and the altar boys.
In the evening of Holy Saturday the resurrection mass (Anastasis) takes place. At the stroke of midnight the lights in the church are extinguished, to symbolise the darkness which enveloped Christ as He passed through the underworld. Then the priest appears from behind the iconostasis with a lighted taper, chanting "this is the light of the world". The priest lights the candles of those members of the congregation nearest him, and they then light the candles of their neighbours. This continues throughout the church until the whole congregation, both inside the church and in the courtyard, is holding lighted candles. Fireworks explode all around and people greet each other with Christos Anesti - Christ is risen and the response Alithos Anesti (truly he is risen).
Worshippers then take the lighted candles home with them - it is considered to bring good luck to the house if the candles are still alight when you get home. A sign of the cross is made with the flame on the lintel of the door, leaving a black smudge visible for the rest of the year.
The fast is then broken with mageiritsa, a soup made from eggs, rice and lamb offal. On Easter Sunday lamb or goat is roasted on spits, the wine flows and celebrations continue all day. Children 'knock' their dyed eggs, and the owner of the last uncracked egg is considered lucky. There is a special sweet bread, tsourekia, which is plaited and into which a red egg is baked.

Saints' days

Saints' days are also celebrated as name days. It is customary to wish people Chronia Polla (many years, the equivalent of many happy returns). Most days of the year celebrate one saint or another, so the chances are that on any given day there is a festival somewhere!
January 1st (protochronia). This is the feast day of Agios Vassilis and is celebrated with church services and the baking of a special loaf (vassilopita) into which a coin is baked. Finding the coin brings good luck for the year.
January 6th Epiphany, Agia Theofania (fota), when the hobgoblins who run riot on earth for the 12 days of Christmas are re-banished to the underworld by various rites of the Church. The most important of these is the blessing of baptismal fonts and all outdoor bodies of water. At lakeside, seaside or riverside locations the priest casts a crucifix into the water and local youths compete to retrieve it.
January 7th Agios Yiannis
January30thHolyTrinity

March 25th Independence Day and the feast of the Annunciation (Evangelismos). This is both a religious and a national holiday. There are military parades and dancing to celebrate the beginning of the revolt against Turkish rule in 1821, and church services to honour the news given to Mary that she was to become the Mother of Christ.
April 23rd Agios Yorgos (St. George), the patron of shepherds. If April 23rd falls during lent, the festivities are postponed until the Monday after Easter.
May 1st This is the day on which townspeople traditionally head for the countryside to picnic. Wreaths are hung on doorways and balconies until they are burned on bonfires on St. John's Eve (June 23rd  - June 24th marks the birth of St. John the Baptist).
May 21st The feast of Agios Konstantinos and his mother Agia Eleni, the first pro-Orthodox Byzantine rulers.
May/June Analipsis, Ascension Day, celebrated 40 days after Easter
May/June Celebrated 50 days after Easter, the Monday of Agio Pnevma (the Holy Spirit) marks the appearance of this to the disciples.
June 29th The feast of Agios Petros and Agios Pavlos (St. Peter and St. Paul).
July 17th The feast of Agia Marina, the protector of crops.
July 20th The feast of Profitis Ilias (the Prophet Elijah) is widely celebrated at the hill-top shrines dedicated to him.
July 26th Agia Paraskevi
August 6th Metamorfosis tou Sotiros, the Transfiguration of the Saviour.
August 15th Apokimisis tis Panaghia, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Most Greeks return to their home villages for this celebration. On Alonnisos the festival is celebrated at the Church of the Panaghia in the Old Village, and there is food, wine and dancing all night.
August 29th Apokefalisis tou Prodhromou, the beheading of St. John the Baptist
September 8th Genisis tis Panaghia, the Birth of the Virgin Mary.
September 14th Ipsosis tou Stavrou, the Exaltation of the Cross.
September 24th The feast of Agios Ioannis Theologos, St. John the Divine.
October 26th The feast of Agios Dimitrios.
October 28th Ochi Day. This is a national holiday marked by parades, speeches and dancing to commemorate the reply given to Mussolini's 1940 ultimatum about Italian occupation of Greece, by the then Prime Minister, Colonel Ioannis Metaxas: "Ochi" (No!).
November 8th The feast of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel (ton Taxiarhon).
December 6th The feast of Agios Nikolaos, the patron of seafarers.
December 25th  Christouyenna, Christmas.
December 26th Synaxis tis Panaghia, the Meeting of the Virgin's Entourage.
December 27th  Agios Stephanos

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CHURCHES ON ALONNISOS

1. Agios Athanassios: situated in the Plateia of the Old Village, near the war memorial. This is one of the oldest churches on Alonnisos
2. Agios Yorgos: this is a vaulted basilica built at the highest point of the Old Village and dating from the 17th century.
3. Agios Nikolaos: situated in the Kastro of the Old Village
4. Agios Dimitrios: destroyed by the earthquake, this lies in the southern part of the Old Village
5. Evangelismos: this is a basilica with a vaulted roof and dates from the 17th - 18th century. It is situated near the well in the Old Village.
6. Church of Christ: situated on the northern side of the Old Village this dates from the 17th century. The entrance at the western side leads into a small narthex and a gallery for women.
7. Church of the Panaghia: this is adjacent to the cemetery, just out of the Old Village. It is the site for the services to mark the Assumption of the Virgin Mary on August 15th.
8. Agios Yiannis: if you take the main road from the Old Village towards Patitiri, you will see the threshing circles on the left of the road. The church is reached via a track heading up from these.
9. Agios Taxiarchis: the church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. This is on the right hand side of the road to Patitiri, just past Ag. Yiannis.
10. Prophet Ilias (Elijah): this is on the left of the road to Patitiri,     just before the turning to Yialia.
11. Agios Fanourios: this is a privately owned church on the turning to the OTE towers, now the site of the ‘Sunset Café’.
12. Agios Sotiras (Metamorphosis): at Vouno.
13. Church of the Panaghia at Vouno: this is a basilica with a cupola, dating from the 16th - 17th century. The church had marvellous frescoes depicting Christ and His apostles until some over-enthusiastic spring cleaning covered them with a layer of asvesti. The celebrations at this church take place on the 23rd August to mark the birth of the Virgin.
14. Agia Paraskevi: the main church in Patitiri.
15. Agios Pantelimonas: in Votsi
16. Agios Petros & Agios Pavlos: a privately-owned church at the Atrium Hotel
17. Agios Alexandros: Paleochorafina
18. Agii Anargiroi: the churches of the healing Saints, Agios Kosmas and Agios Damianas. The Saints were 4th century Arab doctors who treated the poor in Athens for no charge - Anargiroi means without payment. The old church dates from the 15th - 16th century and has been carefully restored. Formerly there was a monastery on this site and ruins of the cells can still be seen. The newer church was built just after the second world war. The churches are situated above the beach at Tourkoneri, tucked away in the forest and high above the sea.
19. Agios Konstantinos: Psilirachi
20. Agios Yorgos: Khardami
21. Agia Maria: Vamvakies
22. Agios Nektarios: Mourtero
23. Analipsis: near Gerakas
24. Agios Konstantinos: Steni Vala
25. Agios Stephanos: in the grounds of a privately       owned house at Mourtero

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ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES

1. Kokkinokastro: ruins of the city of ancient Ikos and the cemetery, dating from the mesolithic period. One of the graves (mnimata) is thought to be that of King Peleus, the father of Achilles.
2. Vrachos: paleolithic remains found.
3. Agios Yiannis: remains of an ancient settlement (classical period), and tower. Possibly an observation post, as from this hill either side of the island can be seen, also the strait between Alonnisos and Skopelos.
4. Steni Vala: ancient buildings and pots
5. Kastraki: remains of a look-out tower, overlooking the northern sea approach to Alonnisos. Neolithic tools have been discovered here.
6. Garbitses: remains of a look-out tower, overlooking the southern sea approach to the island.
7. Marpounta: remains of a temple have been found on the sea bed, thought to have been dedicated to Aesculapius.
8. Tsoukalia: the back of the beach is littered with potsherds. This is the site of kilns in which wine amphorae were fired. Some pieces of pottery have been found with the inscription 'Ikion' (c 400BC).
9. Agios Dimitrios: remains of walls of a byzantine basilica
10. Agios Andreas: ruins of a byzantine church. From the architectural remains (stone columns with fluting, reliefs), the church is thought to date from the paleochristian period (6th - 7th century AD).
11. Manolas: ancient shipwreck
12. Cave of the Cyclops on Gioura: traces of habitation from classical and roman times have been found. The cave also boasts stalagmites and stalactites.
13. Agios Petros on Kyra Panaghia: remains of a neolithic settlement have been found on an islet in the bay of Agios Petros. This is the oldest settlement in the Aegean (6000-5000BC).
14. Agios Petros, Kyra Panaghia: remains of a byzantine monastery.
15. Planitis, Kyra Panaghia: artefacts and antiquities have been found on the sea bed in the bay at Planitis.
16. Peristera: shipwreck off the southern tip of the island. The ship is thought to date from 470BC, and was carrying more than 3000 amphorae.
17. Psathoura: the sunken walls of a city have been discovered on the sea bed.
18. Old Village: the walls that surround the 'Kastro' are dated from byzantine times. In the 13th century they were repaired by the Venetians. The key to the fortress gate (palioporta/paraport) is still on the island.

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ALONNISOS SOCIETY FOR ANIMAL PROTECTION (ASAP)

ANIMALS
Whether you are an animal lover or not, visitors to many parts of Greece can't help but be moved by the plight of stray animals. Throughout the country there  are differing degrees  of neglect,  indifference, abuse or abject cruelty. We have recently set up a registered charity on the island - ASAP (Alonnisos Society for Animal Protection) – which is committed to neuter and care for animals, whether pets or strays. We have no vet here, but have been  fortunate enough to receive the backing of various other charities which send us locum vets whenever possible and supply us with educational material to help people better comprehend a range of issues, from  the benefits of neutering to the hideousness of indiscriminate poisoning. We also arrange for a vet to come from Volos during the winter and it has been very gratifying that so many people bring their animals along lo his clinic.
The aim of the society is the promotion of respect for pets, stray animals and the natural environment and the raising of public awareness with respect to their care. It is the belief of the society that the following would be effective ways to achieve its aims and enhance the lives of animals on Alonnisos:
1. The provision of information on how to prevent cruelty to animals whether by neglect, abandonment, violence or the administration of noxious substances.
2. Caring for stray animals, in conjunction with the local council, by feeding or arranging adoption.
3. The instigation of a neutering programme to maintain a healthy, controlled stray animal population.
4. The arrangement of regular visits by veterinary surgeons to care for sick or injured animals and to offer advice on their diet and general well-being.
5. The rendering of first aid to sick or injured animals until such time that veterinary attention can be arranged.

The annual fee for membership of ASAP is 12 euros: this will give you an invitation to the AGM, several newsletters, and the gratitude of the animals of Alonnisos.