If you can find a copy of the 1983 The Gates of the Wind, you've struck gold. Michael Carroll lovingly describes his time living on and exploring the Sporades (try Amazon.co.uk or, for excerpts, users.otenet.gr/~skopelos/books/carroll.htm). Most of the best reading—and this is not to say great—is on the Web. For Skyros, skyrosnet.gr/uk/index_uk.htm will give you a little more information on touring the island. Much better resources are available on Alonissos and the marine park: www.monachus.org is devoted to the monk seal, whose scientific name is monachus; greekisland.co.uk has pages on Alonissos and the Sporades put together by Brits, who seem to make up the main tourist market for the Sporades (besides the Greeks themselves); www.alonissos.gr/en, the island's official site, is short on description but good for details such as phone numbers and ferry schedules. Skopelos's official site has everything from history to hotels and maps (skopelosweb.gr). Matt Barrett has an honest, helpful site (greecetravel.com/skopelos). He works in conjunction with Mimi Rekkas, who is most easily found by typing her name into your search engine—not via her wildly long URL. For more about rembetika music, visit home.earthlink.net/~lkritikos/index1.html or go to acousticguitar.com and search for bouzouki for a history of this distinctive instrument. For Skiathos, use its official site, n-skiathos.gr, or skiathosinfo.com.