Ikaria - Exploring the Magic (2016)

Together with one of my brothers I came to Ikaria in 2016 again and we went to many places on this beautiful and adventurous island.
Here is a short compilation of some of the photos that we took on the island.

Από ξένο τόπο - Yannis Loulourgas & Georgios Markou

Yannis Loulourgas (vocals, gagava) & Georgios Markou (guitar) perform a traditional song from Asia Minor called "Από ξένο τόπο" (from foreign lands). Recorded live in the shop of Yannis in Pythagorion on the greek island of Samos, July 2015.

Exploring the Magic - A visit to Ikaria

Not far away, west from Samos, 1,5 to 2 hours with a ferry, there is Ikaria island. Since many years I had been reading articles and watching videos about Ikaria, and in this year I finally made it to visit this island.
In part my visit to Ikaria was triggered too by a new (2015) fast ferry connection from Pythagorio to Agios Kirykos: the catamaran ferry "Dodekanisos Pride" makes one stop-over in Fourni and after 1,5 hours reaches Ikaria island!

What I found there I liked so much that I came back again a couple of weeks later! Here are a few photos as "teaser".

My impressions from the visits to Ikaria I have condensed into a video and a photo slideshow.
If you are planning a visit to the islands of Samos or Patmos, don't miss the chance to pay a visit to Ikaria too!

Icarian dreamscapes (preview)



Exploring the Magic - Ikaria 2015

Out of my head

Here is a lovely version of the song "Out of my head" - written by singer/songwriter Kieran Goss from Ireland - sung by Dimos Kasapidis. We recorded this song in beautiful May 2014 in this picturesque green spot called Pnaka (with a phantastic tavern and fresh waters from a well) high above the north coast of the island.

Photo presentation: "Samos, May & June 2014"

Samian Dreamscapes: "Samos, May & June 2014". A selection of more than 250 photos that I took during the months of May and June 2014 on the beautiful and green island of Samos in Greece. Mostly of places that are not visited by mainstream tourism on Samos.

Since the whole presentation is over 34 minutes long, I divided it into two parts!

Part 1 (15 min):



Part 2 (19 min):



Don't expect Samos island to be this green - and full of blooming flowers - in hot summer and autumn! Areas full of yellow blooming broom can be seen best in May till beginning of June.

The music accompanying this presentation I recorded "live" on Samos. Music is performed by local musicians:
- Giamaioi Sygrotima / ΓΙΑΜΑΙΟΙ ΣΥΓΚΡΟΤΗΜΑ during a concert in the school yard in Vathy end of May (Vasilis Sarandou on violin on that day!).
- Yannis Loulourgas together with Georgios Markou in "Notos" in Pythagorion in June 2014.

Yannis Loulourgas & Georgios Markou - O Kaixis / Gel Gel Kaixis (The boatman)
Yannis Loulourgas & Georgios Markou - Άλλος για Χίο τράβηξε (Allos gia Xio travikse)

Spring on castle hill in Pythagorion

Lovely spring on the island of Samos in Greece. Fresh and high green grass and multiple colours of  beautifully blooming flowers in March and April!

Only in early Spring one can see this unique combination of high green grasses and blooming flowers, ancient ruins and the castle of Lykourgos Logothetis on castle hill in Pythagorion close to the agean sea. Usually these grasses and most of the flowers will be withered and gone when the tourist season starts in May. Or they have been cut away ...

This video gives some impressions of the scenery. Music is from german singer/guitarist Lothar Kosse:



Some more photos of spring on castle hill:

"Believe" - Song about Samos island

"Believe"

A song by singer/songwriter Ad Vanderveen from The Netherlands.  It's about his feelings of the timelessness of the landscapes found and experienced on Samos and the thought, that the old philosophers, writers and astronomers, the wise men of Samos, saw these same landscapes more than two thousand years ago too.

"Written on the island of Samos, Greece, thinking of the wise men who once lived there and devoted their lives to first-hand knowledge and proof of things we may believe, and build on in daily life today" (liner notes by Ad Vanderveen).

Here is the video for the song:

Song taken from his album "BEAT THE RECORD", released in March 2014.

website of Ad Vanderveen 

website of Samos-Media 

Why not learn a bit about some of the wise men who were born on the island of Samos in ancient greek times? E.g.:

Aristarchus

Epicurus

Pythagoras

Nerómylos - watermill

On the island there are many places, where you can find the remainders of abandoned watermills. With the availability of cheap electricity, these watermills were not used anymore.

One of these abandoned watermills, hidden by high weed, is located in the Mykali region.

On a nice October day in 2010 we explored the area, here is a video of that day

Samian Dreamscapes - Seïtáni Paradise

An animated photo presentation about one of the most beautiful walks on an island in the eastern Aegean! Approx. 100 photos depicting the footpath along the breathtaking beautiful northwest coast of Samos, especially the part between the small village of Drakéi on the slopes of the massive Kerkis mountain and the secluded Megálo Seïtáni beach. 
Most of the photos were taken in May 2011!

Σεϊτάνι παράδεισος

Μια κινούμενη παρουσίαση φωτογραφιών για μία από τις πιο όμορφες διαδρομές στο ανατολικό Αιγαίο, στο μονοπάτι κατά μήκος της κόβει την ανάσα όμορφο βορειοδυτική ακτή της Σάμου, και ιδίως το μέρος ανάμεσα στην απομονωμένη παραλία Μεγάλο Σεϊτάνι και στο μικρό χωριό των Δρακαίους στις πλαγιές του βουνού Κέρκη.



some photos:

Samian Dreamscapes: landscapes in the southernmost part of Samos

What about the landscapes in the southern tip of the island of Samos in Greece? A hot and dry region in summer and autumn, which most tourists on Samos will not visit due to bad accessability only via dusty dirt roads. An inclined world full of steep slopes below the mountain range of Bournias and the village of Spatharei.

Here is a photo presentation with a couple of my impressions from adventurous journeys on a motorscooter through these landscapes on the southern and southwest slopes of Mount Bournias, mainly between Tsopela bay and the hamlet Kalogera. 

Visiting small settlements along the coast, up to 780 meters below the top of the mountain. And enjoying breathtaking views along the southern coast of Samos towards Mount Kerkis, and out on the aegean sea with the nearby islet of Samiopoula and further islands like Agathonisi, Arki, Lipsi, Patmos, Fourni and Ikaria in the far distance.

Τι γίνεται με αυτές τις απομακρυσμένες περιοχές, στο νότιο άκρο του νησιού της Σάμου στην Ελλάδα; Ένα ζεστό και ξηρό περιοχή το καλοκαίρι και το φθινόπωρο, που οι περισσότεροι τουρίστες στη Σάμο δεν θα επισκεφθεί οφείλεται σε κακή προσβασιμότητα μόνο μέσω σκονισμένο χωματόδρομους. Και μια κλίση κόσμο γεμάτο από απότομες πλαγιές κάτω από την οροσειρά του Μπουρνιά και το χωριό Σπαθαραίοι.

Μικρούς οικισμούς κατά μήκος της ακτής, μέχρι 780 μέτρα κάτω από την κορυφή του βουνού. Εκπληκτική θέα στη γη και τα θαλάσσια τοπία κατά μήκος της νότιας ακτής της Σάμου προς το όρος Κέρκης, και έξω στο Αιγαίο με το κοντινό νησάκι Σαμιοπούλα και την περαιτέρω νησιά όπως το Αγαθονήσι, Αρκοί, Λειψοί, Πάτμος, Ικαρία και Φούρνοι στη μακρινή απόσταση.

Ως «ορεκτικό», εδώ είναι μια σύντομη παρουσίαση φωτογραφιών με ένα ζευγάρι από τις εντυπώσεις μου από περιπετειώδη ταξίδια σε motorscooter μέσω αυτών των τοπίων στις πλαγιές νότια και νοτιοδυτικά από Mount Μπουρνιά, κυρίως μεταξύ Τσόπελα κόλπο και τον οικισμό Καλογερά

Photos were taken between May 2004 and September 2006 and re-edited in 2013. Hope you will enjoy this presentation!

Φωτογραφίες ελήφθησαν μεταξύ Μαΐου 2004 και Σεπτεμβρίου του 2006 και την εκ νέου επεξεργασία το 2013. Ελπίζουμε ότι θα απολαύσετε αυτή την παρουσίαση!

Appetizer for the coming holiday season

The new season 2013 is approaching fast!
For those who like Samos and for those who haven't been on the island of Samos so far, here are a couple of photos to wetten your mouth!