Santorini and Lesvos - DKT Page 26

Late last night, when we stumbled down the steps in the pitch black to our little cave house dug into the cliff high above the caldera of Santorini, we were afforded no sense of how colorful and picturesque is our dwelling at LaPerla. This is the gate leading onto the patio.

Looking out at the deep, circular bay contained within the six islands surrounding the caldera, it is impossible to imagine the force of the explosion required to utterly obliterate the solid mass of land that once stretched the many miles from one side to the other. The eruption that destroyed the island of Santorini in 1450 BC was the largest in recorded history. Intense earthquakes that ensued were so strong they destroyed the ancient city of Knossos on Crete 150 kilometers to the south, bringing to an end Minoan Civilization.

Kiki brought us breakfast at 0800. Afterwards we drove a dirt track along clifftops on north side of island into the town of Fira, where we'd hoped to arrange transport from Santorini to Rhodes. Trying to find out about inter-island ferries is frustratingly mysterious. Nobody seems to know for sure what boats are going where, or when. We ultimately give up on trying to get to Rhodes (and then on to Marmaris, Turkey). Instead we decide to fly to the island of Lesvos where we hear there is good birding, and from which we (supposedly) can catch a boat to Ayvalik, Turkey.

Evenings on the patio with book, cheese, and a bottle of retsina, are to be forever remembered. People come to Oia every evening from all over the island just to view the sunset. Kestrels and swifts soar along the face of the cliff, seabirds cry far below. Cruise ships and yachts pull into the caldera to anchor for the night.

The big guy next to Dan is Spiros, proprietor of the little restaurant in Oia to which we walked for dinner each evening. From our first visit, he thereafter treats us like dear old friends. He takes us back into the kitchen to show us what dishes are being prepared today for our dining pleasure. The smells are delicious. His mother, father, various siblings and cousins all scurry about, singing and hollering at each other in Greek.

Each day we come to learn a little more about Kiki's remarkable life. She is a bundle of energy, the mother of two grown sons, speaks a passel of languages fluently, and is a strikingly beautiful woman. Four years ago she retired from Olympic Airways to renovate this little cluster of cave houses in Oia. Most intriguing is that for seven years she was the personal secretary of Aristotle Onnasis, and has just completed a book titled "The Onnasis Women" (published by Simon and Schuster, due to be released in September) about her life traveling and living with him and Jackie. Next month Barbara Walters and a crew from NBC will be staying at La Perla to film a forthcoming special on the Onnasis family, based in part on Kiki's book.

Said goodbye to Kiki and drove to Fira to drop off rental car. Caught an Olympic Airways flight from Fira to Athens, then Athens to Mytilini on the island of Lesvos. Lesvos is famous as the birthplace of Sapho, who 2000 years ago wrote lyric poetry about women in love. Drove north 65 kms to ancient town of Mithimna, with it's crumbling fortress at the edge of the sea. Found room at Hotel Adonis. Explored narrow streets winding down the cliffside from fortress to the small harbor below. Dinner at O Gatos restaurant suspended over cliff. We look across the Straights of Lesvos to the rolling hill country of Turkey.

Early on a rainy morning we climbed the path to Mythimna Fortress, built by Venetians in the 14th century, later occupied by Turks. Left the Acropol in Mythimna. Breakfast in Petra. Given tour of old Venetian (16th century) mansion by kind woman we met on the street. Next we drove to Mytilini to check on ferry times to Ayvalik, Turkey. Again, great confusion about if, and when, ferries will be traveling from Greece to Turkey.

Into the mountains to explore the sleepy little village of Agiosos. Several times we got caught up in mazes of little streets that progressively narrowed until no longer wide enough for the car; we gingerly back up and try another route. Bought pottery from Dimitris Hatziyiannis. He worked for some years as a potter in Seattle and was delighted to encounter people with whom he could share his memories.

Then over the mountains to the south coast and found a room at the Vatera Beach Hotel (owned by Barbara and George Ballis).

Took a dirt track to the far side of the bay and visited the sparse ruins at yet another Temple of Dionysis. After-dinner drinks and cake with George and Barbara. Barbara grew up in New York and while traveling she met George, who was working as an actor in Athens. He left the theater and they built their hotel on this quiet little beach on the south shore of Lesvos.

Vatera back to Mytilini. Still no word on ferry to Ayvalik. Drove around Mytilini penninsula.

The Greek army has moved into town for the week and we can't find accommodation anywhere. We finally found room at an old mansion called Villa 1900, a place worn-out and used-up with sagging beds and lousy plumbing, and should have cost less than the 10,000 drachma ($35) that we paid. Its most redeeming feature was the old painted ceiling.

No Turkish ferry to Ayvalik today. They say Greek ferry tomorrow is a pretty sure thing, so we gambled and purchased tickets for 0800 departure tomorrow.

Woke up and ran to the window to look for our ferry, and sure enough, there was the Sofia tied up to the pier. We phoned and were told that she was sailing right away to Turkey and we should hurry down to the wharf to clear customs. So we hurried . . . but they didn't, and we spent two hours waiting around the docks before at last we got under way.

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