{"id":21550,"date":"2015-01-19T20:55:32","date_gmt":"2015-01-19T18:55:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.ikaria.ch\/?p=21550"},"modified":"2024-04-07T19:08:56","modified_gmt":"2024-04-07T17:08:56","slug":"annual-review-of-2014-and-what-will-be-even-better-in-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ursula.ikaria.ch\/en\/annual-review-of-2014-and-what-will-be-even-better-in-2015\/","title":{"rendered":"Annual review of 2014 and what will be even better in 2015"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Jahresr\u00fcckblick<\/a>The upcoming elections are in their final stages<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Anything but edifying! There is so much dirty laundry being done in the Greek (and international) press at the moment that it is difficult to maintain an objective opinion. Greek, international, state and private broadcasters, newspapers, radio, networks, all seem to want to manipulate the others and depending on voter tendencies and statistics, they, the media, swing from one camp to the other.
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The politicians do the same. New parties are founded shortly before the elections. Ministers move from right to left and vice versa \u2013 Gone with the Wind! Every party wants to save the country and then immediately gets tangled up in confusing controversies about astronomical figures, as if they do not concern our country’s economy but rather an annoying thorn bush. It’s somehow just a matter of badmouthing the others, no one seems to have a concrete, constructive plan for saving the gasping masses of citizens, but everyone has lofty promises! Somehow you feel fooled by everyone and about as confident as if you were walking through these thorn bushes, barefoot.<\/p>\n

From Ikaria to Corfu, the same picture everywhere! I accidentally discovered this article<\/a> by Frank Jasperm\u00f6ller in “Die Welt”, which describes the mood before the elections in Corfu, but could just as easily have been meant for Ikaria!<\/p>\n

2014 was also a difficult year for Ikaria.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The crisis has crept into every last corner. Although many Ikariots, like my family, live more or less on self-sufficiency, you can’t get by without money here either. Unfortunately, electricity, telephone, taxes, rent, heating oil, gasoline, daily living expenses cannot be paid for in kind. Quite a few families have reached their limit. some have even emigrated.<\/p>\n

Swiss franc vs euro<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

And if the crisis wasn’t enough: I know a few people who were in a lot of trouble due to the sudden change in the Swiss franc’s exchange rate against the euro. In the past, quite a few Greeks were persuaded to take advantage of a cheap Swiss franc loan as a stable currency for building loans. This is what they get now! Suddenly they owe even more money than expected.<\/p>\n

I decided not to let my head down and to change in small ways what I can’t do in big things!<\/span><\/h2>\n

First of all, thank you very much for being part of our community and supporting me in one way or another!!!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Be it that you have declared Ikaria your favorite island like I did, be it by traveling to it and supporting the local economy or by actively supporting the school children with a small donation to our projects<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We achieved a lot in 2014!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

There is a detailed report about our donation projects below. But my baby \u201cUrsula’s Ikaria\u201d has also blossomed into an extensive blog and a well-visited travel website in the last year.<\/p>\n

We had a total of 66,000 visitors in 2014<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

That means 5,500 visitors per month. 2,000 readers have already subscribed to the monthly newsletter. \u201cUrsula’s Ikaria\u201d has grown into the largest and most important German-language blog about the Greek island of Ikaria. There is a lot of time and effort behind all of this, but also a lot of passion and I am very proud of it!<\/p>\n

This is my path! To make Ikaria better known and to support the locals directly.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

There are many Ikariots who have a small family business but no access to the German language and therefore no access to their German-speaking visitors and customers. I want to be your mouthpiece! On the other hand, many German-speaking visitors are afraid to travel to Ikaria because the travel information seems, to put it mildly, diffuse and complicated (so much for Greek tourism promotion!) I would like to make the journey to Ikaria easier for these people.<\/p>\n

New outfit<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I have noticed that more than half of our readers visit \u201cUrsula’s Ikaria\u201d via a tablet or smartphone. Unfortunately the current version is not compatible and so I am forced to give my blog and travel website a new costume in the new year. Martin<\/a> and I have been working on it for quite some time. But we both work full time and so we try our best in our free time. Martin is a programmer, I am an absolute technical buff and only provide the content. What we would need is a web designer. Maybe you feel addressed and would like to contact us!<\/p>\n

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Are you a web designer or know someone who would like to help?<\/span><\/strong>
\nWrite to us in the contact form<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

What awaits you on \u201cUrsulas Ikaria\u201d in the new year:<\/span><\/h2>\n