History shows that over the years the island of Kefalonia, situated off the western shore of mainland Greece, has been victim to many invading forces. These include the Romans, the Venetians, the Turks, the French, the Russians, the English and the Germans and Italians during World War II, to name but a few.

The island herself is said to owe her name to Kephalos, or Cephalus, the first ruling King of ancient times. It has been populated since the Stone Age, as significant finds of axe-heads, cleavers and arrow-heads have confirmed. The king was said to have founded four main cities on the island, which he then named after his four sons, Sami, Pahli, Krani and Pronnoi. The Mycenaeans, however, were the first organized civilization to occupy Kefalonia during which time the island prospered. At some point trade came to a halt and little is known of events over the next several centuries. Some believe that the devastating eruption of the Santorini volcano may have destroyed much of the island; others merely term this period Kefalonia’s Dark Age.

During the 11^th Century BC the island had various rulers - then came the first major invasion. The Roman colonization of Greece had started and Kefalonia soon fell under the Empire’s yoke. The Romans had a great interest in this small isle due to its strategic potential, and Kefalonia was soon turned into a naval base from which the Romans commanded the surrounding seas. Kefalonia suffered much during this rule and was also under constant threat of invasion from pirate raids, the worst of which were perpetrated by the barbaric North African Saracens. By the end of the Byzantine era the island was consecutively conquered by a number of foreign agents including the Normans, the Orsinis, the Andeans and the Toccans.

Throughout the Crusade against the Byzantine Empire the Venetians entered into a period of great power and influence and gained control of a number of trade routes, including the Ionian Islands. When they finally took control of Kefalonia they built the impressive Saint Georgios Fortress, now known as St. George’s castle, a favourite with modern tourists. This replaced Sami as the new capital of Kefalonia. The Venetians ruled until the late 1400’s, by which time they were entrenched in battles with the Turks (who had started their own invasion of mainland Greece).

Around 1483 the neighbouring isle of Zakynthos fell to the Turks, and some 40 years later they finally conquered and plundered Kefalonia. Much of the island was destroyed during their short stay until the Venetians, backed by Spain, regained control. During this time Kefalonia suffered a major earthquake and much of St. George’s castle was destroyed. The capital was then moved to nearby Argostoli where it remains to this day. In 1797 after a long and arduous struggle the Venetians were finally defeated by Napoleon and it was the turn of the French to take possession of Kefalonia.

However the French occupation didn’t last long, an unfortunate turn of events for the inhabitants of Kefalonia, who, at the time, had prospered under the freedom of living without the hated Venetian aristocratic ruling-system. Regrettably the French were forced to yield all the Ionian Islands to the combined might of the Russian/Turkish forces after they were beaten in the Battle of Aboukir Bay by Nelson’s Fleet. Yet again Kefalonia found herself under Turkish rule. During this time, the Ionian Islands were joined to become one nation and for a time they were acknowledged to be a part of the Russian protectorate.

In 1807 the Ionian Islands once again found themselves under French rule, but this occupation was similarly short lived. This time, the threat came from Britain. The French surrendered Kefalonia to the British soon after their successful invasion of the neighbouring island of Zakynthos. As a result, the British Empire gained yet another foothold on foreign soil. Whilst Britain reigned supreme, Kefalonia began to prosper. New roads were constructed, trade was encouraged and the educational system was markedly improved. However, the Lord High Commissioner of the time was disliked and resistance groups soon started to form. Initially resistance was focused towards the Turks who still held much of mainland Greece but during the mid 1800’s they turned their attentions to the British. By this time the inhabitants of Kefalonia were growing restless after centuries of foreign rule.

Kefalonia and her sister islands were finally ceded back to Greece in 1864 as a gesture of goodwill and the people of Greece finally embraced their freedom. It wasn’t to last. During World War II the Italians took control of Kefalonia and for the next 2 years the inhabitants lived under the yoke of war. Resistance groups fought long and hard against the occupying German forces and many lives were lost. The Italians nevertheless enjoyed a more relaxed relationship with the local people and in 1943, when Italy capitulated, Italian troops refused to leave Kefalonia. As punishment for disobeying the entrenched German command over 5000 Italian soldiers were executed, many of which remain buried on Kefalonia in mass unmarked graves to this day.

More recent historical events on Kefalonia have sparked some unexpected and thought provoking anomalies about its past. The tales of Homer’s Odyssey and Ulysee’s and the Golden Fleece originated from the island of Ithaca, which is currently believed to lie off Kefalonia’s eastern coast. However, according to a new hypothesis Homer’s Ithaca could in fact be a completely different island, namely the Palaki Peninsula, the western appendage of Kefalonia and where the town of Lixouri resides.

Archeological finds have unearthed ruins dating back to the Trojan War Era which means Odysseus’s palace may well have been on Kefalonia’s Western peninsula. It’s thought that at some point in the past the Palaki was separate from the rest of Kefalonia, and geological research is currently underway to test this hypothesis.

www.aniboom.com

The prefecture of Corfu covers an area of 641 sq km and consists of the island of Corfu, which contains 12 of the 16 municipalities as well as other smaller islands: Paxi and Antipaxi south, the north Mathraki and Erikousa and several islets.

In many places, there are olive groves that is why  during the Venetian time was given  a premium to residents who planted  olive trees. This was referred to the big Venetian need for oil. The residents have therefore on any free piece of land planted olive trees. Even today constitutes an important product olive oil in Corfu, and the advent of mass tourism was the price of the land at the island mainly determined by the number of olive trees.  The Venetian influence in Corfu is very great.  The island was occupied by the French and the British, very important is that Corfu, unlike other major parts of Greece never been occupied by the Turks. 

One of the main tourist attractions of Corfu is the Achilleion, a palace that was build between 1890 and 1892  by the Austrian Empress Elizabeth. The neoclassical building was named by the empress after her classic hero Achilles.

There is also a new room! Just go to the Forest and go up these stairs:

This is what the new Room looks like:

(Click to enlarge)

My favorite part of the party is the Dragon in the Mine:

Use the Switchbox 3000 in the Mine to control it:

The Ski Lodge Attic is also very nice:

(Click to enlarge)

-Ogo1234

If there are new Updates to the party I will post them!

The Number 1's series is a brand-new line of CDs featuring #1 radio hits from the biggest names in music. This collection includes decade compilations as well as individual artist CDs and is being released by Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) in its ground-breaking, environmentally-friendly packaging format. A first for the music industry, the standard package (both sleeve and tray) will be completely paper-recyclable, continuing the company's long-standing commitment to being "green."

To further reduce the amount of paper in the Eco-Pack, the CD booklet will no longer be offered.UMe is the first North American music company to replace the traditional jewel case with recycled paperboard sleeves and the plastic tray with trays made from PaperFoam®, a new packaging technology from Shorewood Packaging, a business of International Paper, that is paper-recyclable and biodegradable. Shorewood Packaging is the first North American packaging supplier to produce disc trays from PaperFoam®.

Order Rocket Man: Number Ones (Eco-Friendly Packaging) from Amazon for $9.97

Other Products of Interest
Elton John: Elton 60 - Live At Madison Square Garden [Blu-ray]
Mothership
Rocket Man: Number Ones [CD/DVD Package]
The Cream of Clapton
The Very Best of Rod Stewart

lilacs 2008 05-10 03, photo by Ray-48.

Wikipedia says that Syringa (Lilac) is a genus of about 20–25 species of deciduous shrubs or small trees in the olive family (Oleaceae), native to Europe and Asia.

Although lilacs in Michigan typically bloom in mid to late May in most locations, it's not until June that Mackinac Island holds their annual Mackinac Island Lilac Festival:

Celebrating Mackinac's lilac collection began in 1949 after a conversation with Evangilene “Ling” Horn, Nurse Stella King and Mackinac Island Carriage Tours veterinarian Dr. Bill Chambers. The idea was to bring people to the Island to enjoy a great horse drawn parade amidst the lovely lilacs that fragrance the Island in June. What began as a one day event called the Mackinac Island Lilac Day has blossomed into a ten day festival.

2008 is the 59th annual Lilac Festival and it takes place June 6-15. You can go to mackinacislandlilacfestival.com to learn much more about the festivities which include parades, coronation of the Lilac Queen and lots of lilac walks and talks, concerts and even a dog and pony show (I thought that was just a figure of speech).

Also be sure to read about the unique character of the lilacs of Mackinac Island.

Entertainment Tonight recently ran a preview of this summer's forthcoming Mamma Mia film and even though it looks like it has the potential to be a trainwreck it's got a few things going for it right off the bat — ABBA, Meryl Streep singing, and the tasty Dominic Cooper.

It is a basic card set that can be used to play Rook (or Phase 10 ... which only uses numbers 1-12, 4 wild cards, and 5 skip cards ... kind of like rummy).

Use these cards to play "Scum" or "President" (you can find directions on the internet) Sooooo easy to play, even the little kids can keep up! (and usually win! lol!)

You could also play "go fish" or almost any other card game .... you would just be using all numbers

There are four colors (instead of suits), and 2 wild cards.

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Thailand's Samui island is one of the world's most beautiful islands. And Sumui island is one

of Thailand's most popular tourist destinations. For holiday-makers hoping to get a tan, Samui island

has a number of beaches, each characterised by golden or white sand and warm sea.

Not only Sun, Sea and Sand, the real reason for people to come to Samui Island is to enjoy

outstanding wildlife, the attraction of natural way of life. There are a number of shops, restaurants,

and bars, but it is still possible to find somewhere quiet to relax.

In addition to the beaches, visitors will want to take advantage of the outstanding native wildlife.

- Paradise Park Farm is located on Pom (Samui's highest mountain) and is covered by lush tropical rainforest.

Let yourself be lulled by the sounds of waterfalls, wowed by the natural canyons, or thrilled by the display

of exotic birds and wildlife in this family friendly attraction.

- Na Tian Butterfly Garden on the south of the island is home to a wide selection of beautiful native butterflies and bees and also has a rare insect museum.

Don't forget your camera!

If you are seeking a more action-packed holiday, you won't be disappointed. For a real Thail sporting experience, indulge in a bout of Muay Thai

professional boxing - the undisputed national sport of Thailand. Regarded as the world's most dangerous martial art, Thai boxing is

surprisingly graceful to watch. Chaweng stadium is the biggest boxing venue on the island and hosts fights on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday.

The atmosphere in Chaweng Stadium is electric, with a live commentator nd traditional Thai music.

For animal-loving adventurers, elephant trekking is a must. A typical trek lasts between 15 minutes.

Visit Island Hopping :

Pha Ngan island : just a half-hour boat ride from Samui island. Pha Ngan is a budget backpacker's dream.

This is the site of the famous Full Moon Party, where thousands of revellers gather on the beach for the rising of the full moon from the sea.

My vision filled with gray. The stairs, the walls, the giant screws. My vision was filled with gray except for that tiny fraction of the area that had glass, in which case were the elevators. It only took a few seconds for me to convince her. I looked at the glass elevator and then directed my sight to the stairs. “You’re kidding, right?” her jaw dropped. “Why would I be kidding? It’s the fun that counts.” I tried to make it sound easy. “There is no fun when you’re climbing stairs…” she trailed off in a sarcastic manner. I grinned as I grabbed her by the wrist and began dragging her towards the stairs. One flight, two flights… third. By the third, I began falling behind. She was about five steps ahead when she yelled at me: “And it was YOUR idea to go up the stairs!” As ironic as it sounds, I began to regret it. It didn’t help to see the comfortable elderly take the glass elevator. They went up top in a fraction of the time it took us to get up. I could have easily been mistaken for a dog with my loud panting. My vision of gray hadn’t changed. She grabbed me by the arm and dragged me out the door. I could feel the cold wind of May sweep through my hair. A sea of blue stretched across my view and magnificent beaming towers rose to the sky. The sky wasn’t bright blue but a fading blue without clouds. I looked to my right to see her smiling, from ear to ear. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be doing all these tourist-y things.” And I was glad it was I. Ever since we begun hanging out, we began to teach each other things. I taught her of literature and history fun facts. She taught me about the one single complicated thing in this world: women. She spoke about women as if she wasn’t one. In my eyes, she was but she also represented friendship. In my eyes, she wasn’t complicated but the result of simplicity. She was a mixture of music, urban culture and art. She was a mixture of passion and desire. You could see it in her eyes; they burned bright as she spoke. All these things represented simplicity in her. She spoke of women I didn’t know and wasn’t interested in. At the time, I didn’t see it. Especially when miles of beautiful scenery lay in front of me. “I wanna get out of here, you know. It’s ironic. I mean, if this were a small town I’d understand the urge to wanna get out but.. We’ve got the whole world here, and yet…” I knew what she meant. In fact, it was she who had sparked those same feelings in me. I ran my fingers through the stone concrete I laid my elbows upon. I turned around and glanced up. “She actually looks better from far, you know.” She knew. The graceful green of the statue paired perfectly with the sky. There were no birds in the sky, just the tranquil sound of the sea. Ironically, this was the only place in New York with the least amount of noise (despite its tourist purpose).
We sat down on white steel chairs right after the touristing session. The chairs and tables were placed neatly on the side of the park, in a way that you could see New York. There was a small stand to our left, serving hot dogs, coffee and soft drinks. After spending hours without consuming anything, we hurriedly rushed up the line and ordered coffees and hot dogs. “We should be heading back home”, she said after we had begun to head towards the ferry. “I’ve got stuff to do and… well, I can’t stick around too late.” I reached out for her arm in attempt of making her stay a bit longer. “Please…” But instead, she dragged me onto the ferry.
“I’m seeing someone.” she approached me the next day with that sudden hit to the heart. Melinda looked down at her feat, unable to look me in the eyes. “I just wanted to let you know…” she trailed off. I had been seeing someone. Her name was Melinda McLorean. However, there had been certain complications. I don’t know when I involved myself in such a superficial relationship. It was on a drunken night when I confessed my attraction to her and one thing led to another. Well, it only lasted a week or, better put, it only lasted until the physical attraction began to wear out. “She broke up with me”, I told Layla with a forceful smile that afternoon. “Good”, she punched me on the shoulder. “She was too much for you.” she laughed .”And you’d think that as my friend, you’d be supporting me.” She smiled and flipped her hair at the comment. Layla and I spent countless hours together. It always ended with her being the first one to leave and my smile fading away. The rest of my day would be homework, sometimes job, and silent conversations with my mom. As I walked home that day, I began an introspection. On the doorstep of my apartment sat a young man. His eyes closed and his hands, instinctively, playing on soft nylon strings full of melodious riffs. His fingers, gently and intensively, touched each string as he began picking through the introduction of Hallelujah. And Huckleberry Finn came to mind. His journey with a black man to freedom. My father came to mind. His fantastical stories of escape and freedom. Uncle Tom and Huckleberry, Tom Sawyer and Jack Kerouac. The idea of escape heightened my soul’s senses.
I didn’t get home early that night. I sat down and listened to the soft melody play in my ears. At some point, I could have felt my mother’s glance from above. And for the first time, that didn’t matter. Her loneliness didn’t matter but mine did. A strange feeling awakened in me, which at the moment I began to feel guilty about: She needed me more than I needed her. That loneliness was not in absence of her but in the absence of the escapades that stories spoke about.

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• Save all your postcards
• Send postcards to buddies even if they aren't online

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About a Fed-ex guy who, in a plane crash, get trapped on an island for 4 years. Exciting, touching and humorous at the same time.

4.9/5

2.The Princess Bride

A classic of high fantasy adventure.  A Must-See

4.7/5

3.Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl

What's a movie list without a great pirate film. Johnny Depp stars in this rousing and hilarious tale of high-seas adventure.

4.5/5

4.Ratattouille

Not sure i spelled that right...anyways.Ratattouille is a geat animated feature feature a rat, Remy, who dreams of becoming a chef in Paree. Fantastic

4.5/5

5.Forrest Gump

This touching memoir of a slightly erm....slow guy through the 50's, 60's, and 70's. Sort of random, but a timeless classic.

4.5/5

Many years have passed since Roy Plomley first introduced Desert Island Discs on the BBC. The sound of breaking waves, with seagulls in the background, has always remained in my memory.
Imagine my surprise when Ann & I were invited by Ravi Mehotra CBE on his Indian Ocean cruise as a guest lecturer. It was a journey of a life-time, cruising to Lakshadweep islands which lie in the hub of the Arabian - African - Asian trade routes.
How many of us can identify the location of these islands on a map?
Most of us have heard of the Maldives but few realise that there are a series of islands in the Indian Ocean. They provide the quintessential uninhabited paradise with sun drenched coral sand beaches, coconut palms swaying in the wind, lapped by the gentle waters of naturally formed lagoons. These are the worlds most spectacular tropical island systems, tucked away about 180 miles off the Malabar Coast of India. There are 36 Islands and each one is fringed by white coral sands. The water is crystal clear and the rich marine life is a joy to watch.
The 14 day cruise began in Goa with stops at Mangalore, the island of Suheli, Cochin, Colombo in Sri Lanka, Trivandrum and the island of Cheriyam before finishing back in Goa. Suheli and Cheriyam are uninhabited islands in the Lakshadweep system. Darwin theorised that the base of the islands below the reef is volcanic over which the coral settled. In 1799 the islands were annexed to the British East India Company but they became Indian Union territory in 1956. The only commercial crop is coconuts. Slow-moving sea cucumbers, shelled molluscs, hermit crabs, shrimp and lobsters inhabit the reefs with dolphins, turtles, rays and even flying fish making occasional appearances.
The islands were a magnet for a care free life. Almost all the facilities including a beach barbecue and cold drink containers were transported from the ship to shore. It was a real treat to sit and drink and relax amongst this stunning and largely untouched splendour.
But then it wasn’t simply the islands. To and fro we went down India’s coastline touching wonderful places like Cochin in Kerala
Old Cochin centres around Mattancherry Palace, where the nearby fort lies in ruins. Mattancherry Palace was presented to the Raja of Kochi by the Portuguese in 1557 in exchange for trading rights and it served as a backdrop for coronations of the Cochin Rajas.
We stayed in Colombo, Sri Lanka for two days. It is a beautiful and diverse city. Rather than visiting the Elephant Orphanage, a wonderful tour that we have done before, we enjoyed the hospitality at the Mt Lavinia Hotel. Many cameras have clicked here to photograph the stunning sunset for which the hotel is famous.
The cruise was full of other activities. Visiting Captain Mirko Vranicic on the bridge and being guided into port by Dolphins will remain lasting memories.
Then there were Indian cooking classes, bridge playing and matinee movies, as well as the usual casino, spa and beauty salon and dancing to the ship's band. On this day I sang for my supper, giving two speeches. The first, 'From Pier to Peer', was about my life in politics. The second, 'An Audience with Lord Dholakia' was a more general opportunity for guests to talk with me and ask any questions they had.
We very much enjoyed this opportunity to spend our recess in such a relaxing way. It was a pleasure to be on a ship with an informal atmosphere, no dress code, and a friendly, and relatively small, group of other guests. It was also a joy to be able to visit wonderful places with, unusually for us, the time to actually enjoy them.
The world is changing fast. Climate change may mean that some of these islands will disappear over a period of time. To see the vastness of the ocean with the abundance of marine life made me realise how important it is to protect what is left.
This is a legacy we must leave for our children.

For further details contact
www.indianoceancruises.net

Very nice gift and not too late!

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I simply do not know what direction it may take yet. I simply may write about people, my life, my travels, or just write about anything.

Whoever may take the time to read these things,  I hope you will find it at the very least amusing.  

I chose the Tasi Thoughts as my Weblog title because I grew up in Guam. In my native language, the word "Tasi" means beach or ocean. In my youth, I used to sit by the beach and dream about my life and think about things. Those were my Tasi Thoughts.   They continue to live in me.

So here, I am...new to the neighborhood in Blogville..., won't you be my neighbor?