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Paulpaullulu@planet.nl
Hieronder een bericht over veranderingen in Diafani/Olympos dat ik gisteren ontving. Ik vind het informatief over het leven in een klein plaatsje in Karpathos en geef het daarom voor een groot deel integraal weer. Opvallend is dat recent twee kopstukken van , de Griekse politiek de plaatsjes hebben bezocht. Na Papandreou van de Pasok is op 5 juni de president van Griekenland, Papoulias, op bezoek geweest. Ik zou wel willen weten wat zij gezegd hebben en hoe zij de twee dorpjes positioneren in Griekenland. In ieder geval had de president belangstelling voor de natuurbescherming (MOM-Life Natura) in het noordelijk deel van Karpathos en Saria.CHANGES IN DIAFANI / OLYMBOS :
The construction of the new road from Olymbos to link up with the already surfaced road Spoa-Pigadia is still going on and it will probably not be completed this year.
Two old houses have been knocked down and rebuilt in the street leading from the sea-front to the Diafani Palace hotel. There are also now several new houses and some new studios in the village of Diafani.
Two new restaurants opening this year - This now makes eleven places to eat and drink in Diafani ! (See Diafani website A-Z page “Where to eat and drink” ).
Building is also going on in Olymbos for the construction of a “Hospital” - in fact more a medical centre with consulting/treatment facilities for five specialist-doctors.
The problem remains how to persuade 5 doctors to give up a more lucrative career in Rhodes or Athens to live and work in Olymbos.
The Bank-Card cash machine which was installed a few years ago in Diafani then removed last year for repairs has not yet returned - so do bring cash with you this year as the nearest bank is in the capital, Pigadia.
There were very few visitors here in April and May and as a result the “Tourist Boat”, the Chrissovalandou III did not come up more than one or two times a week.
Now however (sea and wind conditions permitting ! ) it is running its daily schedule from Pigadia 8h arriving Diafani 10h leaving again at16h returning to Pigadia 18h
NB times only approximate, check with captain !
The smaller Chrissovalandou continues its European Community supported schedule to take the local people of this community to the wider services provided in the capital such as banks, shops, dentists, tax offices etc…
Visitors to Diafani can use this service.
This boat leaves Diafani at 8h on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays , arriving in Pigadia around 10h and returning from there at 15h to arrive back in Diafani at 17h
NB this boat does not return to Diafani on Friday afternoon.
Work has been done to improve some of the paths around this area of Northern Karpathos. The newly restored path to Tristomo has been much appreciated by the walkers this year.
In addition to the MOM (organization for the protection of the Monk Seals) there is now a new organization here, NATURA, who, with the contribution of LIFE, the financial instrument of the European Community, work to protect selected places of interest in Greece.
They are now working in Diafani for the protection of Northern Karpathos and the island of Saria.
Both of these organizations had meetings in the “Megaro” (hall under the church) for the local people to hear about their work and aims.
The new local government which began their four year term of office in January this year held a general meeting in the Megaro with a very well organized agenda of topics such as the lack of rain in the winter months and how to conserve what they have, their plans for rubbish and beach cleaning in Diafani and surrounding areas, and many other community problems.
People were invited to participate with their questions/comments - many people did so very loudly !
There are a few new babies in the village but the problem of education here remains. The primary school in Diafani has only five children attending there. The school in Olymbos has about 14 children and there are 12 teachers here this year !
