Ithaki
Following a successful sunny May trip, and with thanks to the friends who helped me, Ithaki, the summer house, has taken on a whole new lease of life.
The drawback to living here is the need to deliver water in the summer, and the lack of electricity, which can cramp those who need to use computers at home.
But those who have lived here find it restful and inspiring and the steadily improving roads, likelihood of neighbours in the not too distant future
(houses are to be built on the hillside opposite) indicates a bright future for humans but maybe not for wildlife.
A horoscope at the time of purchase read "you are ahead of your time" and so it seems since
others are wanting to buy here and offers for the groves are made periodically - by speculators.
You will often see small buildings, in various states of disrepair, on plots of land in Greece. They are used as stores but often as shelter while working on the land.
Pictures below show stages in the renovation of the building for use as a store and summer house.
Before renovation
The building had suffered subsidence in one corner during an earthquake.
The shutters were old; there were no windows and swallows had nested inside the building, which housed various domestic
items used over the years but now discarded.
The first job was to reinforce the foundations, then earthquake proof by stripping down to the breeze blocks,
and encasing in steel mesh. The walls were then rendered and coated with water resistant paint.
Additions
The window opening on the North side was replaced by a glass paned window with outer shutters while that on the South side was converted into a doorway and fitted with French Windows and outer shutters made locally to a simple design similar to the originals. The original door on the East side was also converted to French Windows with shutters. A small "bathroom" was added with a front terrace facing east, and a cesspool installed to the North of the building.
Luxuries
The floors and terrace were tiled with pale green Spanish tiles, and wiring was installed to run lectricity from a generator. By may 2000, the "house could be used to store furniture brought from the UK and was occupied until April 2001
Kitchen areas
From 2000 to 2001 outside kitchen areas were made and the wooden frame built to the South side which had proved too hot during summer 2000. Walls were built between the wooden frames and the tin roof was added in 2003. Since occupation is not continuous and funds limited, improvements are made irregularly. However, future plans include the installation of a wood-burning stove, water butts to collect rainwater and neatening and extension of tiled areas.It had never seemed necessary to name the building at the Lemon Grove, but in February 2007, on reading the English translation of a poem by Konstantino Kavarfy, the Name "Ithaka", being the island home that Odysseous went through so many trials to return to, seemed highly appropriate. So it has now been named with signs on the west wall and at the entrance to the grove.
Internal redecoration planned for 2007-08 has been put on hold.