Cycling to Anafi island !!!!

The ship sails and standing on the stern of the ship you say farewell to Anafi which left you with unique emotions and vivid memories. Summer friends bid you farewell you with handkerchiefs, thus sealing the promise to meet again soon.

Immersed in your daily life and in the intense rhythms of the city you look back… The phone rings and a friend from the island takes you there again .. He did not leave, he chose to stay. And you wonder what he is doing…

We just enjoyed the view cycling around the Island to the monastery of Panagia Kalamiotissa , above us the rock the second most high rock in Mediterranean sea!

And yet life on the island has its own flow…

Autumn picks up the baton from summer with the festival of Panagia Kalamiotissa still attracting people. The “usual suspects” of the island return for a last dive in the warm waters of the Aegean and a walk on the lanes. The sun creates unique colors during the day. The intense rhythms of the summer slow down. The time of harvest has arrived. The barrels come out and the wine pressing is the next opportunity for celebration. October has arrived … and while the islanders are waiting for the first rains to collect snails, the weather is holding up well. The shops are starting to close and Anafiotes are planning their vacation now. They need rest. In the afternoon at cafeterias, raki stirs up the hunters’ conversations.

The weather gets cold in November and the fishermen take the boats ashore. Rags are spread and each family harvests the olives to produce the olive oil of the year. In the olive press, the aroma of the olive is mixed with that of raki. The women of the island meet in the countryside to gather herbs, mainly “provatses” (lambseed). They also collect saffron, the cleansing of which is really a “ritual”, another opportunity for festing, while the men play cards. The “Saints” of the countryside will gather the villagers in the chapels for another feast. The islanders are preparing to honor its patron saint, Ai-Nikolas, and the cultural association is organizing the ceremonial feast.

Christmas are approaching. The castle and the squares will be decorated, along with the houses that will be left open to welcome the New Year. The alleys are flooded with “honey” smells of food and kid’s voices erupt chanting Christmas carols. The villagers will head down to the harbor, the waters are sanctified and the few brave ones dive to catch the Cross. The oldest chapel, of Agios Antonios, invites the residents for another meeting in a wonderful location. Then, the first masquerades will come out.

 January… rain and cold but the Alkyon days illuminate the island. Opportunity for another trip to the countryside now that the land generously gives asparagus, stingrays, radishes and bulbs. Nature is “deceived” by waiting for spring but the rainiest month has come.

The word around the villageres in February is about the dam and whether it is time to grow potatoes, while the beekeepers count the losses of winter. The cultural association takes care of the entertainment of the residents on Carnival Sunday and on Shrove Monday the kites color the sky.