Latest news from Zakynthos after issues raised at meeting

Hi James

Thanks for your email. Coming on 24th April is no problem, I can reserve the accommodation that I mentioned in the first email and the prices will still stand.

We are going to have to work hard to organise a decent travel arrangements. I was thinking that instead of getting the bus and having to rush massively from the airport, it might be better to pre-book a people carrier to Zakynthos and drive over, which you can then arrange to be picked up from Gerakas. I can try and find out which car hire companies at Athens airport will allow cars to be taken to the island and then pick them up, and also prices. Or you might wish to keep the vehicle for the week to give you flexibility when we go visiting different areas of the island etc. It is up to you (our budget may not stretch to this).

Alternatively you could try and get interconnecting flights from Athens to Zakynthos on Olympic Airlines (though you might have to stay over night in Athens at a hotel near the airport) depending on the time of arrival to Athens and departure to Zakynthos.

You can bring a UK laptop with you, and all you need to bring is an adapter plus (standard EU prongs) and also an anti-surge device as sometimes there are power surges/cuts in Greece and this device protects electronic equipment.

We can incorporate a visit to a mountain village during your stay, so you will see a variety of habits and communities, (though April is not yet the tourist season so you won't necessarily see how these isolated villages take advantage of passing tourist trade, though obviously we can explain this). We thought a visit to Volimes, one of very few villages left in Zakynthos untouched by the devastating earthquake of 1953, which is a really traditional farming community, would be interesting. We could also visit Keri Lake, which is a wetland marais (salt and fresh water mix) full of fish, terrapins etc, and which also has lots of tar underneath (there were attemts to drill it out, but these failed) but which is also under threat from tourism, pollution and building. We can also visit other places in the north and east of the island, so you get a rounded view of Zakynthos. Yannis and I will sit down and really put our thinking caps on on areas to visit.

As part of the meeting currently scheduled on day 6, We will encourage people outside green issues to take part, such as farmers (most people farm) and business people (small and medium scale) operating in different area of business.

Greek food is great for vegetarians and there are plenty of veggie dishes on the menu. Also the local mini-markets and supermarkets and especially places in town, stock plenty of food suitable, nuts, beans, pulses, tons of fruit and veg, pasta, rice etc, so your colleagues do not need to worry.

I will check up about diving in Zakynthos. There are plenty of good dive sites, and I will need to see if the dive companies will be open in April so he can go off for the day and prices.

Local produce from Zakynthos includes raisins, olive oil and wine, pottery and honey. There are quite a few vineyards which tourists can visit, taste the wine and buy their own (we could even incorporate one of these on our day around the island!) Pottery is also popular and there is a pottery studio near Gerakas, so if Hanne Mi is open in April we could pop in. - We will try and encourage her to get involved in the seminars too.
I don't think there is a particular initiative to raise awareness of Zakynthian produce and identity for tourists, and there should be, so this is definitely an area that you can work on.

I think that is all for now, let me know if I have missed anything or if you have any further questions.

Best wishes and speak soon
Maddy