Vibrant: Through the eyes of a professor who observes meteorological phenomena

This article is dedicated to Donoussa, which in recent years has earned the love and appreciation of Greek and European visitors. Also known as “diamond of the Small Cyclades”, Donoussa it records significant growth in all areas of interest: tourism, economy, culture, folk tradition. As proof of this statement, we will mention a recent action carried out by a group of teachers from the Donoussa high school, which, in the editor’s personal opinion, is of particular importance for the island. This action is called DONOUSSA – METEOPROJECT and as we see, it is about the time of Donoussa.

The Action is carried out as part of the School Unit Evaluation for the 2022-23 school year by teachers: Dr. Panagiotis Aloukos (physicist and action coordinator), Dr. Panagiota Politis (Philology), Mr. Agapi Angelou (Mathematics), Mr. Dimitrios Talaganis (Physical Education) and Mr. Anastasios Psaroudakis (Chemistry). All the pupils of the school take part in the Action.

Mr. Panagiotis Aloukos wanted to analyze for us why and how he decided to deal with the weather of Donoussa and the importance of the Action and the Meteorological Station for the island. He emphasizes that the most important element of the DONOUSSA – METEOPROJECT action is teamwork, collegiality, cooperation and interdisciplinarity. For this reason, he avoids any unilateral or personal reference as this would reduce the character and also the achievements of the Action. Thus, he has caused a lot of ink to flow on Donoussa, the island which, as he says, has welcomed him and surrounded him with his love for three years.

THE Dr. Panagiotis Aloukos he worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Toulouse (France) and at the University of Patras, he stayed three months in Exeter (England) and attended conferences in the Netherlands and Austria. Since September 2020 he has been working as a substitute teacher in secondary education. He is serving for the third consecutive school year at Donoussa, so his report is of particular interest.

So let’s watch him describe the experience and impressions he had during his three-year stay on the island and how he came up with the idea to deal with Donoussa’s weather.

“Third year in Donoussa and I couldn’t get enough of her, satiety, fatigue, the tendency to run away have not come. Every time I contemplate this island, why it keeps me anchored like a boat in the harbor, what it offers me, how it complements my happiness, I always come to a conclusion. It’s a collection of her simple characteristics that together shape her unique personality.

Personally, I prefer Donoussa in winter. From October to May, it offers generous calm, tranquility and peace. I particularly appreciate the sense of belonging that develops in me. Living with the few inhabitants of the island, I feel like the whole island belongs to me: every house, every rock, every alley, every beach, I feel everything as mine. With the arrival of visitors in June, however, the sense of anonymity returns, familiar from my stay in big cities in the past. I leave Donoussa at the end of June. I spend my summer holidays every year in southern Evia with my parents, but even there I am one of many.

Observing the permanent inhabitants of the island, I notice a noticeable difference in Donoussa of certain sparsely populated regions of Greece where young people have left for the closed city. In Donoussa, the few permanent residents permanently cover the age range from infancy and childhood to old age. At the Sunday Divine Liturgy in Stavros with Papakostas, I will meet mothers with babies sucking on their breasts, children playing carelessly, my teenage students packing, 30-somethings, 40-somethings, 50-somethings and even octogenarians of the island, women and men, stand with reverence. What a beautiful picture! I think of the joy that the little ones give to the big ones and the example that the big ones give to the little ones!

The ring road, as it is called, the paved road that connects the port to Kedros, Mersini and Kalotaritissa, is ideal for strolling and relaxing. When I walk there, it gives me the opportunity to breathe the iodine of the sea, to go down the hill that passes by Kedros beach and to go up other hills, to see the hills and mountains of the island. My eye gets lost in places inevitably gazing at the blue of the Aegean from above. This is the essential beauty of the landscape: simple landscape, repetitive but not dull.

In the afternoon when Scopelites arrive in the port it’s like a little party. All residents and visitors have something to take or give. Smiling, carefree faces, wells, greetings, it all adds up to the festival vibe. If I want to talk to someone, I don’t have to knock on their door, call them, text them, or use Messenger. I know I will see him at the port. It looks like an informal agreement of all the locals to meet at the port, something like etiquette, like folk tradition. In Donoussa, the modern trend of communication with modern technological means (mobile phone, facebook etc.) is defeated by the legendary Skopelite!

Some days, however, it rains a lot or the wind is strong. Then the approach to the ship is difficult and even dangerous. And I see this difficulty reflected in the faces. In the face of the locals who wait impatiently for the ship to receive the basic necessities. At that time, the inhabitants of Donoussa seemed to me stubborn, stubborn, intrepid, seafaring, adventurous, even courageous!

Sometimes the ban arrives and we are blocked. And then, at first I look sullen. Then the math comes to my mind and comes out the anxiety, doubt and hesitation about the hard to reach school, in case someone doesn’t get their medicine, in case someone would have an accident and we wouldn’t make it. Then I feel vulnerable, weak and defeated and surrender to the weather and nature.

Briefly, Donoussa returns from island tradition and religious piety to the deluge of visitors and tourists. From windswept winter landscapes to summer heat waves. From the kindness, delicacy and hospitality of the Cyclades to the robust and adventurous character that defies the fury of the sea. From the love of life, nature and action to the absolute dependence on the means of livelihood and economy to weather events. And yet, despite the difficulties, no matter how much the weather scares the inhabitants of Donoussa, they do not give up, they do not give up and in the end they emerge victorious.

Not only the economy and livelihoods, but also the very lives of the people of Donoussa depend on the weather. This is how the idea of ​​dealing with the Donoussa weather was born. To approach the meteorological conditions, to understand them and to tame them. To try to win the elements of nature. In my own way, in the way that I know and can. Don’t give up and ultimately emerge victorious. In conclusion, imitate the inhabitants of Donoussa in the daily struggle of their lives.

THE Lycée-LT Donoussa Meteorological Station it’s amateur and not automatic, however a) covers the educational needs of students for an introduction to meteorology and future research projects in elementary climate studies of the island on behalf of the students, b) provides information to local and regional society by publishing current weather of Donoussa on the Lycée-LT Donoussa website and c) publishes the live weather image of Donoussa through a camera on the facebook social network (GymdonoussaLivecamera) showing our island itself. »