In 2010 the land by the North wall of Ithaki has been re-surfaced with gravel over black sheeting to help keep it clear. A similar project around the caravan at the Trigono, has significantly reduced the amount of maintenance required and improved the overall look of the property.
Great care was taken to renovate the property in 2000 - 2001 in spite of lack of money. The property needs to be used more and would benefit from a paying tenant as that would provide funds to replace the interior doors and damaged insect netting with more secure and modern versions, to install a new sink, tile the floor of the south facing annex, repaint, and eventually landscape the surrounding "garden".
But this is a dream now, the drawback to living there is the relative isolation and the need to deliver water in the summer, although some past tenants have not found this a problem as they had transport. Having no mains electricity is not much of an issue as a generator can be used - a socket exists to connect it to.
Ithaki feels less remote as development proceeds on the hills around and for some people it is restful and inspiring. The road from Foiniki is good, though winding and not concereted. Hopefully a farm road which runs on the hill above the property, where ST Georges Chapel stands, will be improved to allow a straighter and more level access without going the long route through Foiniki, while a small track (only passible in dry months) from the main Methoni-Foinikounda road will eventually be surfaced at least with gravel, if not cement. My ideal solution though, would be a road straight through the valley from Lampes Bay. Such improvements would benefit humans but not wildlife of course. A horoscope at the time of purchase in 2000 read "you are ahead of your time" and so it seems as the area around Foiniki is becoming increasingly popular.
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.
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.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.
The floors and terrace were tiled with pale green Spanish tiles, and wiring was installed to run electricity from a generator. By May 2000, the "house" could be used to store furniture brought from the UK. It was occupied until April 2001 and has since been used for short periods by visitors who have camper vans but wish to have more space.
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 "Ithaki", 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, however, work outside continued in 2009 with the clearance of dead trees and brambles. A track was also made onto the grove to the South of the summer house, enabling access by pick-up truck or car.