Summer bathers coming and going from Kamini’s Baby, aka Castello, Beach
To be fair, Castello did a grand job restoring Kamini’s old armory to its former glory, and the initial worry about an excess of skoopethia (garbage) and sewage pollution in the little bay of what was known as “Baby Beach” has not materialised. In fact kudos to the Castello gang for setting an ecofriendly example when it comes to takeover bids and development projects.
A smattering of sun worshippers in mid-summer, 1984
Raw sewage is extracted from the cafe-restaurant’s vothros (septic tank) with the aid of a noninvasive, high-powered electric pump, sitting up the hill behind the establishment; the waste then passes through a series of sand filters, and then recycle water is used to irrigate the land behind the valley in which Castello is situated. It’s similar, our sources say, to the “grey-water” systems used throughout the Caribbean.
Subtle blue piping carries waste water away from the sea to be recycled for
irrigation in the valley behind Castello.
However, as local full-time residents (or “old timers,” that is, decades-long punters of the tranquil little pebble beach in Kamini), we were personally disappointed by this onward march of āprogressā into our little village. Itās like a little piece of Mykonos has landed in our immediate vicinity.
Brollies and chaises, occupied by spectators and packed sardinelike all along the back of Baby Beach, make one feel like one is on-screen at a drive-in (lie-in) cinema. Once submerged in the water and off snorkelling though, one can ignore the sensation.
Still, one cannot help but feel a little sad. Even if we did sport a large holiday wallet, we would rather have gone to the Cyclades for such service. The music, too, is unintrusiveābut why is it necessary? Itās certainly not our semideserted family beach anymore.
Optimistic waiters hover behind the umbrellas, hoping to bare trays of expensive cocktails ā¦ and, well, you know the syndrome. A step forward into luxury for some is still a step in the wrong direction for those of us who prefer the status quo.
Status quo ante.
It would have been inappropriate, and certainly not our style, to whip out the camera paparazzi style to record the event, but only in Kamini. …
I popped down to get a Paska celebratory take-out bottle of local porridge at Kristinaās, when daughter Archodoula tells me look at who is sitting in the corner of the taverna minding his own.
Perhaps the gent with the toughest job in Europe, taking a well-deserved break. None other than our prime minister, Georgo Papandreao, enjoying a quiet family night out, sampling our village cuisine.
Whenever an unusual vessel lurks off our little harbour, rhubarbs abound. This month a strange-looking, hi-tech floating crane was cause for such instant rumourāone being that the new and somewhat controversial Castello beach resort is now building a new pier to accommodate water taxis and other modes of transport.
The immediate response: this would be dangerous to bathers and further ruin the tranquillity of baby beach. Already citizens of our village are divided on the new business, arguing against the music/noise the place generates verses the business it attracts. While it is out of budget for many, it must be said that the new bar/restaurant is making good use of the old armory.
Another obvious conclusion was that the crane had appeared to lay a new electric cable, but for once the news is very good. The Assosdivers company were here to connect the new OTE (national telephone company) fiber optic cable to Hydra. It is said that this will greatly enhance the island’s already overcrowded bandwidth for Internet streaming and such.
Alas, no grilled shark on offer …
We have nicknamed them Trump and Driving Miss, two of the latest additions to Kamini Harbour. They are actually permanent residents of the village who usually live uphill in the valley, but Eleni Petroleka brought them down for a summer vacation on the āpondā (winter being too cold and the seas too rough for year-round port habitation).
