I was interviewed by the author Doris Iding on behalf of the Peter Hess Center during her intensive training on Ikaria in June 2016 about the travel situation in GR and in Ikaria in particular.

Here my answers…

Doris Iding

• Greece was once considered a holiday paradise. Is it now even possible to travel to Ikaria without experiencing the refugee drama?

Ursula Kastanias: Greece is still a holiday paradise! If you haven’t already planned your upcoming vacation, I would like to recommend Ikaria to you. Ikaria is a little paradise. The people are more hospitable than anywhere else and need vacationers now more than ever. They depend on tourism. There are no problems for the tourists. The economic crisis and the refugee crisis are not having an impact on tourism. I intentionally stopped in Athens for two days on my return journey. I wanted to see it for myself, the chaos in the city that is so often cited by the media. To be honest, I didn’t see a single refugee in the city center. These poor people are awaiting their fate elsewhere, but that is another topic.

Nevertheless, Greece continues to suffer from the crisis. If holidaymakers don’t show up this year, it will cost many people and their small family businesses their lives. We can not permit that! Many people ask, how can I help? Just spend a wonderful holiday in Ikaria! Immerse yourself in the special lifestyle of the Ikariotes and let yourself be taken on a journey where time doesn’t matter. I promise you, you will return as a different person and approach your everyday life much more calmly!

Doris Iding

• Which travel routes do you recommend for those interested?

Ursula Kastanias: There are many ways to get to Ikaria, but I personally prefer flying. There are no direct charter flights to Ikaria. Good luck or bad luck? This is debatable. In any case, it is one of the reasons why Ikaria has been spared from mass tourism. Getting there is a bit more complicated, but you can still experience authentic Greece in Ikaria!

I always take the route via Athens. Here I have all the important information for you about Athens airport (luggage storage, taxis, buses, etc.) and how to get there from there if you want to take the ferry to the port of Piraeus or take a stroll into the center of the city of Athens. You can find it here all bus and metro connections.

Athens is an incredibly exciting city. The impressive Acropolis, the modern and absolutely worth seeing Acropolis Museum, the charming old town of Plaka around the Acropolis. A one-day stopover is of course far too little to admire even the most famous sights. I’ve put together lots of great tips for you on what you definitely shouldn’t miss in Athens: A day in Athens

From Athens you continue to Ikaria by ship or domestic flight. Personally, I prefer the domestic flight to the ship. The flight takes 40 minutes and since I make the trip often, I’m happy to get from A to B. You can travel through on the same day, it’s comfortable and quick, and you can see the Cyclades from above.

Doris Iding

• You have lived on Ikaria for 30 years. What makes the island so special?

Ursula Kastanias: Ikaria is the cozy, unadulterated Greece of the 1970s. The people are simple, shy at first, but quickly become open and warm, and they are always happy to have a chat, even with tourists. Here you can still experience direct contact with the locals and the never-ending original nightlife, often with live music in cozy taverns, on the village squares at the Panigyria or simply unplugged in the small bars like in the good old days…

Icariotes have their own sense of time. To be more precise, time doesn’t play a big role. You just take the time you need. Be it for work or for a chat with the neighbor. Spending time together is more important than making time. This replaces any psychiatrist.

Time can be enjoyed, given away, stolen, killed or wasted. Time always has exactly the meaning that you assign to it. An absurdity in our fast-moving society. We don’t have any time left! Time makes us sick.

Just like time, age doesn’t matter because it’s just another way of measuring time. Lifetime, time lived intensively, taking time for what is important, is time gained. If you ask me, that is the secret of the Icariots, Aristotle’s Evzin – the art of enjoying life.

Doris Iding

• You have been supporting Emily and Peter Hess’s Ikaria seminars for many years. Why is this island particularly suitable for a sound holiday?

Ursula Kastanias: Dancing together and the exuberance of the locals are not folklore, but rather living customs, and by the way, simply contagious! Ikaria has become known far beyond the country’s borders for its festive everyday life. The Panigyria/traditional dance festivals are celebrated together by all generations and are still the center of all cultural events today. There is something magical about Ikaria. Nothing is on display; everything only gradually reveals itself to those interested, including the people. But you suddenly find yourself in a completely different world, one in which nature, people and, above all, liveliness are the focus.

The sound is omnipresent and part of the locals’ lifestyle. Be it the sea, the sound of the waves, the gentle whisper of the summer wind, the humming of the bees or the sound of blocks and the many-voiced goat bells. Even the silence has gentle sounds. The sound massage helps us to slowly and imperceptibly open all our pores and our senses and you begin a journey into a new world of mindfulness, devotion and liveliness.

The gentle vibrations of a singing bowl pamper your body, mind and soul. The sounds of the sea and the wind accompany us there all day long. Waterfalls and lagoons invite you to linger and meditate. You will quickly find yourself in a state of deep relaxation. The goal: prevent or reduce stress, promote self-awareness and support recovery processes. So where would something like this fit better than Ikaria?

The opportunity to learn Peter Hess sound massage in a holiday course primarily supports you in your personal well-being, but can also open up new perspectives in your field of work as a professional reorientation. You will return to your everyday life with new mindfulness and face your daily problems with new calm.

Interview by the author Doris Iding: Ethnologist / author / lecturer in yoga philosophy. Has been working successfully as a journalist for magazines at home and abroad for many years. She also works as a book author and ghostwriter. 14 of these books have been translated into other languages. As a coach and agent, she supports authors and those who want to become authors in writing books and finding a suitable publisher for them. She leads our creative writing workshops

www.doris-iding.de