Samos is "Special"

2 days ago, i have been at the port of Pythagorion for a drink. After a long "nihgt" :-) i decided to have a cheese pie before getting a Taxi back home. In the shop around the corner, their had Ham&Cheese pie "Special". I`ve got one of those... it was nice and tasty, with Ham and Cheese inside... but what was it about the special?? So, i asked the shop owner, whats the special on this cheese pie? The owner replied: "The word special is special." I was a little bit confused that moment and than the owner starts laughing, and explained to me: "If i name it special, it sells better."
Well, thats realy special... Hahaha

I`ve done it

I just did it yesterday... A new Nikon D700 is going to find its way to Samos island. I was waiting for the new announcements of Nikon, the rumors about a D400 made me curious. But after i have seen what they announced, an exciting "S" on the D300s and a D3000, i decided its better to go for a D700. Let see if it is worth the money i am going to spend.

Renault 12 TL

Its been many years, i haven`t seen this Renault on the streets anymore. My father use to laugh about our neighbours old and rusty 12 Tl... that`s been 25 years ago....Haha.

Renault 12 TL, seen at Ambelos village, Samos island.

"Oriendal Nihgt"

Seen at Kokkari.... maybe the client was willing to pay for the layout, but not for the corrections??

Up the hill!

Most of the tourists coming to Samos like the coast, the easy life on the beaches, and the leisure time in the harbours or in the squares of the villages. A few others like to be as far away as possible from the „normal“ tourist streams and want to stay in remote places in the mountains.

But there is something „in-between“. Halfway in-between! Some clever business men have also discovered this „in-between“ sphere and use it as advertising & promotional phrase to sell real estate.

Above the north coast of Samos, there are several well known villages and touristic destinations like Vourliotes, Manolates and Ambelos overlooking the aegean sea with tremendeous views. Stavrinides too, but this is already a bit too high up the hill, and more for individualists.
And then, further to the west ... ?
Wait, before we reach Karlóvasi on the coastal road, isn’t there a road leading up to another village? Well, yes, it’s called Kondakeika!


Kondakeika? "Where on Samos is Kondakeika?" most tourists will ask! Either they have never heard this name, don’t know how to pronounce it, have never been there or most probably will confuse it with Skoureika, Koumaradei, Koumeika or Kondeika. But maybe some of them - by walking, or in their cars/jeeps - already have passed through this village on the way to Petaloudes or to Ydroussa.

Well, what about a stop there, getting out of the car and paying a visit to this place?
With a couple of photos I will try to convince you that it might be really worthwhile to do so! A place, flooded with sun almost all day, in a beautiful hilly landscape surrounded by lots of gardens and vineyards. And in addition, as a teaser: since the end of 2007, there is a very good restaurant on this picturesque small platia of Kondakeika, open all year! With a breathtaking panoramic view to the west to the Kerkis mountain range and down to the coast and the town of Karlóvasi. Those spectacular sunsets and colourful evening skies need to be experienced!

And for those, who want a bit of excitment up in even higher places: a dirt road leads from Kondakeika all the way up to the range of Ambelos mountains and then again down to either Stavrinides or Vourliotes. It will be a fascinating adventure, but it is necessary to have a four-wheel drive and the detailed „Road Editions“ map of Samos. And please don’t smoke or drop empty bottles on the ground, we all want those beautiful forests with lots of green trees up there to remain as they are!

Said the straight man to the late man
Where have you been?
I've been here and I've been there
And I've been in between

I talk to the wind
My words are all carried away
I talk to the wind
The wind does not hear
The wind cannot hear

(I talk to the wind, King Crimson)

Port of Pythagorion

Two short videos that I took with my Canon IXUS 900 in the middle of July 2007, almost exactly two years ago.

First one shows the port on a sunny day with quite a good breeze. I heard that the bar "Varka" and the restaurant depicted in the video are not anymore existing.

Port of Pythagorion from Peter Molz on Vimeo.

Captain Jiannis: he knows, he is a tourist attraction when he is on his boat Agia Irini. You can see him in the harbour after he comes back with his boat from the daily tourist trips, usually after 5:30 pm. Then the anchored boat is his stage and he "performs" free of charge. And he enjoys very much being in the center of "the show". With the additional two young goats on the boat, who wouldn't stop there to take a look and a picture!

"An evening on Broadway" on June 27th & 28th

Worth a visit will be the performance "An evening on Broadway" by Christina Tsardoulia`s "Samos School of Dance".

The performance will be held in Sivilla Theater, Hotel Dorissa Bay, Pythagorion on June 27th & 28th, start 20:00

I will be there as well...photographing...

For tickets and information:

Samos School of Dance

tel.: 22730 87368

samosdance@samedia.gr