We inmates of Kamini do not define when the seasons change by dates and calenders, but by when dining establishments open and close.

Official Closing Hours in Kamini

It is officially winter when the last taverna shuts down for the season. The last hours at the Kodelania restaurant this week. Chances of a meal out in the village will most likely only occur for carnival next spring.

Closing Sunset at the Office

Our ‘Off Season’ Sky

A century on; our little tribute. A wartime small field artillery shell and the closest thing we could find to a poppy around here.

R.I.P.

At the traditional Roger-poem-reading for the closing of Pirofani, a certain colourful Barefoot Countess, who shall remain nameless, was heard to say, “I haven’t always liked your poetry, but this was a great one”. Bravo Rog and thanks Theo for yet another grand summer.

Anyone who has strolled through Kamini in the past four decades will recognize the generous hat feeding cats. For those who do not, meet Valerie.

She feeds the local strays/street felines of our village daily, year in year out. Valerie however does not get the appreciation she deserves for her charitable efforts.

No, she is not some eccentric wealthy lady who has nothing better to do but make a hobby out of feeding the local herd of cats, but a person who does so purely for the well being and good of the community. Seeing sick and flu ridden cats on our local paths is a very sad thing to behold. Kind folk have donated to the cause but it doesn’t stretch. She needs help.

“I say to people,” she explains,”come on a feeding walk with me and see how much time, money and effort it takes to keep our cat population healthy. They need more than just kibble otherwise they will get sick and then trying to treat forty sick cats becomes a serious problem”

The Comet admires and salutes our kitty ‘mother Teresa’… thank you Valerie for all your kind trouble.

August  – or as the long term inmates and locals refer to it, the Silly Season, that month of the year when the island feels too hot, too busy, too stressed and patience wears thin for those at work. Two shifts, seven days a week, all summer long. Its also a time when we get asked silly questions, or at least they a seem silly  to those familiar with the Rock. These are innocent enough, and we all sometimes ask un-researched questions in the communities to which we are travelling. A couple of emails from this August for instance go something like this.

• Is the Hydra ferry departure lounge air conditioned and does it have WiFi?
• Can you send us the bus schedule to Kamini and how much does a cab cost?
• Some donkeys we noticed have beads in their foreheads does this have any traditional local significance?
• If we bring our own biodegradable toilet paper can we flush that down the loo?
• Can we play golf on the island?

One gets the feeling that while some have found the way to contact us, they haven’t glanced at even the home page, no mind, some people just don’t have the time to browse. So instead of the usual summer in the sun snap, I have decided to post one of my favourite off season photos, just to remind us what the “other” Kamini is like.

The “other” Kamini