Greece II:
Santorini and Lesvos . . .
11 May 1998
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.
13 May 1998
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 Onassis, and has just completed a book
(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 Onassis family, based in part on Kiki's
book.
14 May 1998
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.
16 May 1998
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).
17 May 1998
Drove through the countryside
looking for birds. Sharp-eyed Tyler found a
plover nest in streambed.
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.
18 May 1998
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.
19 May 1998
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.
20 May 1998
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.
Next page is:
Turkey I . . .
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