The Ios island blog

Hope you have a great time in Ios

2008-07-03T00:30:00.002+03:00

I will not, as it seems, be able to hit Ios this season. No Delfini beach area, no square at midnight, no headbanging. Hope the wind is more gentle this year, so the people in the island can relax a bit more. From Friday I will follow Line's blog, in Norwegian.

My kind of shop

2007-07-18T02:37:00.001+03:00

Bought 2 cd this year and an alarm clock 2 years ago. If i lose my phone a new one waits there. Have now loaded this year's photos to the computor. Counted to 275 images.

Milapota playground

2007-07-18T02:19:00.001+03:00

Louis bar: hanna and yannis

2007-07-18T02:12:00.001+03:00

The dream girl for yannis?

Captain petro and brian

2007-07-18T02:04:00.001+03:00

Captain of delphini express 2, petro, and brian, that has kept coming back to ios since 1977.

Super market tourists

2007-07-17T21:07:00.001+03:00

Hanging around a strategic gyros pita place.

Cruice planning

2007-07-17T21:00:00.001+03:00

Ios to santorini return with a Very small boat.

Ios fauna

2007-07-17T17:41:00.001+03:00

The flower open up in the night, just like the party animals.

Waiting for the boat.

2007-07-15T23:22:00.001+03:00

Saying 'schlümpfe' instead of cheese. Sousannes taverna.

Delphini girls

2007-07-15T19:45:00.001+03:00

Hege, Eyra and Karin.

Delphini kiosk

2007-07-15T19:29:00.001+03:00

People leaving.

Louis: Swapping sweaters

2007-07-15T13:28:00.001+03:00

Pastor and Line swapping sweaters in Louis bar.

Shit stuff

2007-07-10T16:31:00.000+03:00

Completely insane to use a greek internet explorer. You don't know if you will delete or copy stuff. All greek letters in the menus. Just wanted to tell that the send-to-this-blog function in the mobile phone doen't function any more. Tried to post pictures many times.
Is by now on Purple pig camping reception sweatting in the heat here. Long back to the beach. Will come back with more pictures after the vacation.

Fransesco's view

2007-07-05T20:25:00.001+03:00

View to Sikinos from the american's favorite hostel and bar Fransesco's. Had to buy ibuprofen at the pharmacy so sunset in the village was my carrot to leave the beach.

Light wind from south

2007-07-05T17:47:00.001+03:00

Milapota day 3. Perfect climate and fun waves. But i have fever and a sore throut. Always something wrong with me here.

Far out bar

2007-07-04T20:10:00.001+03:00

George and Stephano. S liked to take a pic of me but i prefer to be behind the camera.

Eventually an indian

2007-07-04T20:02:00.001+03:00

Far out line.

No professionals here

2007-07-04T18:21:00.001+03:00

Not so far anyway, but in purple pig they are. Drinking ones.

The milapota advantage

2007-07-04T18:14:00.001+03:00

You know what it is? It is a really nice beach that is just perfectly sandy with no stones and deep. Not like the 35 degree shallow beaches in thailand. My body sensor wd say it is 30 in the air and 26 in the sea.

Beach kit

2007-07-04T16:18:00.001+03:00

Happy about the hat.

In the pool

2007-07-04T16:12:00.001+03:00

Norwegians in katerina's pool. I told them that i was going to put the image on the blog, the ios-blog. Now i'm on the beach with my two new hats. .heard y-day that this is the indian's day. Haven't seen any though. Not yet.

Lunch at katerina hotel

2007-07-04T15:18:00.001+03:00

One fresh orange juice. Everything On the book. Very conveniant to pay when checking out from the hotel.

Please don't jump

2007-07-04T14:56:00.001+03:00

The goat probably feels absolutely safe.. The norwegian kids took a break from the lunch chips to watch the brave one..

The mills

2007-07-03T23:38:00.001+03:00

Eddie. Susanne and the famous alfred.

Chill on far out village

2007-07-03T19:30:00.001+03:00

Draft beer 3 euro. View free.

On vid rocks

2007-07-03T17:47:00.001+03:00

Back on the rocks. No people.

Packing

2007-07-02T04:34:00.001+03:00

Will Probably take both a small cabin bag and a ryggsack with soft things like a warm sleeping bag and a silky pillow. Bed comfort is not known In greek hotels, where the sheets are like sand paper and the pillows hard är a sack of potatoes and the cruel enemy of the neck. Last year was so cold At night In july that a sheet to cover you was not enough. One had to put om All the clothes and socks.

Resceduled the Ios trip

2007-07-02T00:16:00.000+03:00

Iiii. Leaving for Ios tomorrow instead of on the 11th. The flight from STockholm will land in Santorini around 11 pm.

Old photos added

2007-07-02T00:11:00.000+03:00

Hello. Today I've added some Ios pics from 1975 that I found in an album. Used the mobile phone to snap them, so quality could be better. Felt I had to contribute some more pictures before leaving for Ios.

All images are tagged with year, so if you only like to see the newer stuff, click the 2006 or 2007 link. I have hundred of pictures from 2004, 2005 and 2006, but I'll add the best ones step by step.

1978: Café owner Costas

2007-07-02T00:10:00.000+03:00

Costas owned one of the square cafées, that was the music hub of the square. Music only came from one source at that time: the player in this place.

1978: Trying to find the beach

2007-07-02T00:09:00.000+03:00

On the way to the beach. I think it is the feet of my boyfriend (of the time).

1975: The donkey path to Milapota

2007-07-02T00:08:00.000+03:00

The donkey path to Milapota. We always walked from the beach to the village and back. Twice a day.

1975: The landlord

2007-07-02T00:06:00.000+03:00

Landlord lady in the village.

1975: View to the wind mills

2007-07-01T23:59:00.000+03:00

View from the village to the windmills.

1975: Up in the village

2007-07-01T23:58:00.000+03:00

From up in the village looking to Sikinos.

1975: The main square

2007-07-01T23:57:00.001+03:00

The main square. The blue place was actually green.

1975: View from Ios Club

2007-07-01T23:53:00.000+03:00

Ios club was the place to go at night. And of course also for sunset if you like the classical tunes. Sunset is best viewed from top of the village, I think.

1975: Writing postcard

2007-07-01T23:49:00.000+03:00

We didn't phone or mail or text, but sent one or another postcard. To get together with friends travelling around was not easy. They had to know your present Poste restante location.

1975: People at Milapota

2007-07-01T23:46:00.000+03:00

On the beach café that nowadays would be where Delphini is.

1975: My travel companion

2007-07-01T23:44:00.000+03:00

M on one of the two beach hang outs.

1975: Me then

2007-07-01T23:42:00.000+03:00

Me, E, on the beach.

1975: Neighbours on the beach

2007-07-01T22:34:00.000+03:00

Our neighbours on the beach. A bit annoying sometimes.

1975: Sleeping room on the beach

2007-07-01T22:29:00.001+03:00

Here we stayed. By the bushes.

1975: My girlfriends final Ios flirt

2007-07-01T22:25:00.000+03:00

Didn't record his name, but later on when we visited in London he showed to be a banking businessman.

1975: Alan from England

2007-07-01T22:22:00.000+03:00

Alan from England had a performance on the square every night.

1975: John from Canada

2007-07-01T22:20:00.000+03:00

John from Canada was a nice guy, but he thought thay dance steps only could be performed the special american hippie style way. My dancing wasn't accepted..

1975: The village main alley

2007-07-01T22:18:00.000+03:00

The village main alley wasn't so busy. Later shops, minimarkets and clubs would move into this spot.

1975: Simon heading for Amsterdam

2007-07-01T22:15:00.000+03:00

Simon was going to Amsterdam to live in a squat.

1975: Camping and nudism is forbidden

2007-07-01T21:42:00.000+03:00

The Delphini area seen from the rocks July 1975. Two restaurants, one bus, same beach.
Some slept in tents, we slept on the beach.

No computor in the island

2007-06-30T22:41:00.000+03:00

I know.
When in Ios it's a bad day when you have to do something by a computer. Book a flight, check boat time table or the bank. You have to sit in midst of a travel agency in this mad light freezing from the A/C.
It is also more expensive than in London (1 pound/hour), or Stockholm (2 euro/hour), and extremely slow and non-functional. They usually have older computers and screens than even the island internet cafés in Thailand, and they haven't updated the computers to work with new applications or functions.
Last year I think i posted one single thing from Greece. Hardly managed to reply on mails.

This year, if I make it to Greece, I will post texts from the mobile phone, but it will surely be difficult to get to the island visitors.

Nemo's Ios experiences 1981-1985

2007-06-24T16:44:00.000+03:00

A swedish guy with the blog "Nemo - när det faller sig" spent some crazy summers in Ios from 1981 to 1985. Here you can read his story, if you manage to read Swedish.

If you can't read it at least have a look at this wonderful picture from the rocks 1981:

Big version here.

Here's his story from Ios:.
1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985.

Cap'n Barefoot's guide to Greek Islands

2007-06-24T15:47:00.000+03:00

A good way to get reviews of the beaches in the greek island is to check Cap'n Barefoot's naturist guide to greek islands.

People swimming and sun bathing with clothes on, are called "textiles", these creeps, that are destroying the possibilities for people to spend their holiday without wet and sandy swimming suits on, and get a beautiful tan without ugly swimming suit marks.

Usually naturists are very polite people that only undress and relex if they see other people are nude. To dress up and walk around watching people at a nude beach is an attitude crime. If you are offended by nudity, don't head for the nude beach at all.

My opinion is to go nude if it is a nude beach, even though textiles happen to visit the beach. Some people love wild beaches without sunbeds etc. even though they are not naturists, and they maybe they don't intend to disturb. Respect both ways is my medicine.

This is how Ios beaches are described.
I used to prefer naturist beaches, but traveling as a single woman is not a game. Especially not on deserted beaches. From nowhere lonely men show up and park themselves 1 meter away and asks for lighter etc. It's awful. Happens at Ios too, so I have quitted Kolitsani of that reason. If you go there tell these guys to leave you alone, and make sure you are in screaming distance from "normal" people or groups.

My room

2007-06-24T00:13:00.001+03:00

Morning. It could be in Greece, but the computer screen is not a common sight in a greek hotel room.

Greeting from my balcony

2007-06-22T22:14:00.001+03:00

/Testing to post direct from the phone./

It's now in the midst of midsummer in Stockholm. It's 16 degrees and like the rain will come over us any second. My idea is later to post from Ios straight from the mobile. Take a picture, write some lines, or let someone else write - and publish. Easy-piecy.

Some Ios styles at You Tube: Greek, Italian, Australian, Serbian, Norwegian

2007-06-22T20:22:00.000+03:00

Some YouTube-clips from Ios. Enjoy.
Mail the blogg if you have a tip on video to link to or put your link in the comment.

Greek style, a bit old fashioned:

Hi-hi. Well done.

More videos here.

And here greek too, but i a bit more modern

Italian guys

Australian style

Far out: Drunken Serbian guys

A Norwegeian drinking team

Guest account created

2007-06-22T18:23:00.000+03:00

Just created a guest account. If you like to be the island reporter over your vacation, contact Evie.

To make it to Ios

2007-06-22T17:40:00.001+03:00

Yesterday I booked a flight from Berlin to Santorini on July 11th.

Last year I came to Santorini late at night, but anyway almost missed the last boat next day 11:50. The clock on the mobile was 9.30 when I woke up. But it was actually 11.30 - greek time - and I was up in Fira.

I'm so happy about the flight booking. What about preparing for Ios with some days and nights on the Berlin dance floors, and then be ready for the silent life of Ios...
The flight is supposed to land at 12:10. The speed boat to Ios - of course - leaves Santorini port at 11:50. Next boat, according to the boat time table site, departes at 4 pm something, heading for Folegandros... oh no, and Sikinos, before making it to Ios around 9 pm. 5 hours!

Here is one of the best boat time tables:
http://www.gtp.gr/RoutesForm.asp

Ios summer 2007

2007-06-22T16:35:00.000+03:00

Now the season in Ios has started. Are you there? Joining the midsummer party? How is the weather? How is the beach? You can comment here if you like. I will arrive July 11th or 12th. In July. Contact me by commenting if you like to have an Ios-reporters account at this blog.

George: My best holiday in Ios

2007-06-09T12:29:00.000+03:00

Georg writes about his best holiday in Ios in the summer of 1977. We've probably met.

Article: Fun lovers guide to Ios

2007-04-02T20:45:00.000+03:00

Found the article Fun lovers guide to Ios - one of the Rockin' greek islands, published 2001. Still the same. You like it, like the author, or not.

Harmony after beach chill

2007-04-02T20:26:00.000+03:00

After beach chill at Harmony, the mexican restaurant to the right of Milapota beach, up on the hill, above the rocks. Sit in a sofa, by a table, thai style or in an hamoc.

Mean scanner

2007-03-28T00:49:00.000+03:00

Yesterday my scanner ceased to work. A pity, as the old photographs get a better depth if you scan them with care, rather than take a new digital shot of them, which is the other option.
Have about 30 more images from the 70's to add before I'm done with old stuff.

So, my pictures are from 75, 76, 77 and 78. Then I came back to the island 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

On their back

2007-03-27T03:30:00.000+03:00

Maybe maybe a cultural difference. Some female collinies stay on their back, some tan on their bellies. But they all behave the same within their community. The men run around pretending to be sporty. The girls see nothing.

Italian girls

2007-03-27T03:25:00.000+03:00

Always on their bellies.

Happy hour happy pizzeria

2007-03-27T03:21:00.000+03:00

Nice place in middle of Milapota. Happy light.

Milapota close down

2007-03-27T03:20:00.000+03:00

Shamrock: The door

2007-03-27T03:15:00.000+03:00

The door man maybe. They haven't the time to consider who is who and why. Just like people to enter. Enter.

Village at night

2007-03-27T03:08:00.000+03:00

Ja. Eller nej. Jag vet inte. Vet du?

Far out: We are from Athens

2007-03-27T03:05:00.000+03:00

Can you understand. Athens. We been here, done that.

Katerina pool bar: New day yes

2007-03-27T02:57:00.000+03:00

Yella yalla. God morning, how are you?

1976-78: Postcards from Milapota beach

2007-03-26T03:47:00.000+03:00

Postcards in the album.

1976, two houses

1977, three houses

1978, at least five houses.
The road ended in the beginning of the beach.

1977: One of two buses

2007-03-25T22:32:00.000+03:00

One of two busses 1977. You had to wait for ever. Walking and climbing up and down was the only option. If you saw the bus it was like an illusion. What. A BUS? Is this real?

The small square

2007-03-25T21:51:00.000+03:00

The small square café often have musicians playing really good greek music.

The owner of the small square café, Yanni, in fact inspired me to create this blog. Not that he suggested it, but he is the only person in Ios that recognize me from the 70's.

- I recognize you, he said.
- Maybe you saw me last year here, I said to him 2004.
- No, no. Long, long, LONG before, he said.

I told him I would sort out and show my pictures. Yanni was a hiding teenager at the time and his father Nikos run the place, that was minimalistic ouzoria, without every sense of cosyness.

The small square 1977. Alfred and Helen, just coming out of the shower.

Early morning village

2007-03-25T18:59:00.000+03:00

The village seen from the road early in the morning from an all-night open snack bar.

Google map of Ios

2007-03-25T16:47:00.000+03:00

Here a sattelite map with Ios as a starting point. The map will open in a new window.

Click for Aardvark Map here

1977: Adonis' taverna

2007-03-24T19:04:00.000+02:00

1977. Adonis with mother and wife in the kitchen of the restaurant. His restaurant was an institution. Adonis had a memory of a giant and the speed of a lion. I don't know when the place was sold.

Older pictures and dates

2007-03-24T18:06:00.000+02:00

As you see the older images are posted with actual dates when they were published. I could change the date stamp of them, but it would be a bit strange to set a posting date for an image taken back in the 70's, 20 years before the internet even was born. For navigation the labels to the right is probably a good way to check the historic stuff, or if you are into some specific area of the island.

The Ios blog arriving

2007-03-24T17:58:00.000+02:00

This blog is intended to be open for lovers of Ios when summer 2007 comes. It's also an opportunity to publish memories and photos from summers in before. Don't miss to check the Ios pirate's home page by the link to the right. Lots of images from 1993 and onwards.

Ios harbour, July 2006. Mess when people leave. Last night on Ios is for many the big one.

I've notised that if you search the net on Ios information you get loads of hits to travel agencies and hotel sites, all of them marketing just a few hotels, venues or services, or trying half-heartly to cover everything in order to sell something. In Ios there are hundreds of hotels and plenty of rooms to let. Only in August there may be a bit crowded if you expect to stay at a specific hotel.

This is how it works: The hotels come to you.
You don't have to book anything in advance, but it's a very good idea to grab a hotel in the harbour when you arrive. There are plenty of places. Don't hesitate to move on to another hotel if you are treated badly.

If you have booked a room, they pick you up here in the harbour. If you haven't booked you look at pictures, pick one according to your taste, and you get a ride up to the village or to the beach to have a look. Bargain. If you like the place: book the room for the initial price for the number of days you want to stay. Some hotels have a bad habit to higher the price after a couple of days when they notice you like to stay and haven't made a deal.

1978: Kolitsani beach 100% nude

2007-03-24T12:00:00.000+02:00

Kolisani Beach 1978. The beach had at that time a small kiosk, serving cheese pie and birra. But the year 2004 something happened just above the beach. A beasty extremely ugly building was set up by a german man. Until then the beach had been almost unspoiled since at least 1976.

1977: Creative girl

2007-03-24T00:56:00.000+02:00

Foto taken by Helen from Norrköping.

She (i.e. me, eviedee) was sewing a freaky bag a day for a living. A bit of work in the square, a bit of work in the beach. Kolitsani beach. I came to Ios the first time 1975, came back -76, -77 and -78. Two years I spent the whole season in the island, and the islanders got really tired of me.

- Don't you think it's time to leave now.., please, we're closing the village.. (late october -76).

1977: Jonis (Yannis) Electric himself

2007-03-24T00:37:00.000+02:00

1977. Yannis Watching that no-one picks the wrong chair on the square. Same as his son did 2006 and probably 2007 too.

1977: Watch point south at Jonis Electric

2007-03-24T00:35:00.000+02:00

Friend of the Jonis electrics' son. He is for a moment replacing the Jonis electric mother's at her chair, where she make sure no-one take a seat if they are not a customer. The guy in the image worked in Ios Club for Dimitri, according to my notes.

1977: Serious stuff

2007-03-23T01:47:00.000+02:00

Foto taken by Helen.

Serius stuff, pre-party in another part of the village. Two dark rooms in the cellar. The place was on fire one night and the tenants kicked out. Luckily the girl that fell asleep while smoking a cigarette in her sleepingbag woke up because she liked to have another one..
They had an old style spring in the living room, that saved them.

1977: Some jammin

2007-03-23T01:44:00.000+02:00

Some jammin in the shared flat. Manfred to the right.

1977: Shared shower

2007-03-23T01:36:00.000+02:00

Foto taken by Helen.

Edvard is having his one.

1977: Pedro Pedrito is leaving

2007-03-23T01:34:00.000+02:00

Pedro Pedrito from Brazil is leaving the island. He was very fun and the best dressed guy in the island.

1977: Lucien and Daniel

2007-03-23T01:31:00.000+02:00

Lucien, with the sarong, and Daniel outside the shared flat. 11 people and 3 beds. People slept in shifts. I usually had to wait until 9 in the morning to get a spot. That flat now is a small pizzeria just below the stairs down from the square passing the Flames bar.

1977: People at the square stairs

2007-03-23T00:30:00.000+02:00

Foto taken by Helen.

Some people on the "priest's stairs" in the square. The stairs to the left led to public hm toilets. No water, no light, no seat, but pads for the feet, if you could find them.

1977: some pictures of people

2007-03-22T23:42:00.000+02:00

Ios 1977

Some pictures from summer of 1977.

1977: People of the square not square

2007-03-22T23:32:00.000+02:00

Some afternoon people in the square. Four bars, and Jonis Electric to the left, on the side. As usual. The place in focus we called "The blue place".

Louis: People in the bar

2006-08-01T01:44:00.000+03:00

Norwegians in Louis place, by the square. July 2006.

Louis: People in the bar

2006-08-01T01:43:00.000+03:00

Swedes in Louis place at the square. July 2006.

Milapota beach down there

2006-07-31T18:16:00.000+03:00

Milapota beach seen from the chapel on the road about where the donky short cut to the beach starts.

Turist village tour - album

2006-07-31T18:12:00.000+03:00

Ios village 2006 - the touristic tour

Louis: Ordering balance

2006-07-31T11:25:00.000+03:00

Balancing act to order. Karin in action.

Milapota hunters

2006-07-31T05:42:00.000+03:00

Two canadian girls (out of three) and four greek guys on Milapota. According to their internal greek conversation they were real "kamakis".

The Nest: 4 staff and 1 customer

2006-07-31T05:37:00.000+03:00

Here's staff and a customer at The Nest taverna.

Louis: The girls of the bar

2006-07-31T05:30:00.000+03:00

The Louis bar. July 2007.

Village view

2006-07-31T02:13:00.000+03:00

The newer part of the village seen from the church area on the top of the village looking south. Santorini can some days be seen in the distance.

View to the village

2006-07-31T02:03:00.000+03:00

The top of the village seen from Ios Club. July 2006.