Slow start again, doing my housework & washing, riveting stuff! The lady from the car rentals came this morning so I am sans transport once again. This doesn’t deter me & I had determined to go up to Petri today. All the bread I’m eating is giving me love handles & a good walk will make me feel better about indulging!
That being said, I went to Kantina for a coffee but not without stopping at the bakery first to get a raisin bun to eat with it! There are so many more people around today again, the square is buzzing with Turkish families & the shops are doing a roaring trade by the looks of it.
It was a beautiful warm day & there were even people swimming in the sea this afternoon again. I raised a sweat as I walked through the village to start my ascent up to the top of the hill. There is extensive work being done on the rock underneath the church of Panayia Glykofilousa & every time I’ve walked past there have been work trucks & generators in the road. I feel for the residents in the area, the generators are so noisy & it’s pretty dusty. The house next to the works is being renovated though & today there was a guy jackhammering plaster off the walls. It would be quite defining living under the gaze of the church & at certain times of the day the shadow of the rock would completely engulf some of the houses. Great in summer but perhaps not so enjoyable in winter?
The village is alive with locals painting, gardening, clearing out & cleaning, but then it is spring so I suppose tis the season! I passed this cool little e-bike & trailer & it set me thinking that perhaps an e-bike could be a good idea for me to get around? I dismissed the idea when I remembered how many hills there are & how my body would protest! Shanks’ pony it is 🚶♀️
And still the wisteria blooms 💜
Leaving the back of the village & starting slowly up the hill I passed through the glorious spring countryside, filled with the singing of birds, the tinkling of sheep bells & the distant sounds of chainsaws in olive groves. Walking by small holdings I noticed that lots of people have rotovators here, not something you see that often in suburban Australia! On an island with such fertile soil & fantastic weather (not sure about water supply) it makes perfect sense to grow your own produce. Here are some spuds looking very healthy in their mounded rows. I passed freshly planted tomatoes, zucchini or watermelon & peppers, all surrounded by the grey/green olive trees that are the basis, along with fishing, cattle & ouzo, of Lesvos’ economy.
I dropped in to see Georgia & Nikki at the ceramics studio but Nikki wasn’t there & Georgia was resting so I didn’t stay. Petra is very pretty but there are lots of abandoned houses in states of disrepair & there is an air of loneliness about it. I imagine it would be a difficult place to live at times, particularly over winter when the wind would be fierce & the cold would be biting. The views are stunning though & it might be good to know that you were semi isolated!
It was very warm in the sun but the walk down the hill is, of course, much easier & I was back home in no time at all. I passed a flock of sheep on the road, they were being led up the hill by a man on a scooter. There was no-one following & no dogs, obviously well trained sheep! The remainder of the afternoon was spent relaxing with my book & several cups of tea. This is after all what holidays are for!
At 7.30pm I met Georgia (another Georgia not the ceramics lady) & she drove me to Lesvos where Elena was waiting for us. We walked up to Martins for a Greek mezze platter & a glass of red wine. Georgia is writing a second book to follow her first which was published two years ago. She writes short stories about women & their journeys of self discovery, growth & overcoming of obstacles. I’d very much like to read her book but it’s all in Greek. I will try though, with the girls’ help & google translate.
The sun was setting just as we arrived & it was absolutely magnificent tonight.
On the way to Martins we stopped in at a beautiful jewellery shop called Theophilos jewelry where I was presented with a gorgeous book mark that Elena had commissioned for me. The leaves on the top are olives, a symbol of peace, purification & hope. I feel very loved & welcomed by Elena, a new friend for life, our hearts have made a beautiful connection & I’m lucky that we met 🫶🏻
The man who makes the jewellery gave me a beautiful disk with an original design that he had created to symbolise empathy. Each year he creates a piece to symbolise the coming year & last year was empathy, a symbol for better understanding through self-reflection & awareness. I asked him to fashion it into a necklace for me & he kindly did so there & then. I am now wearing it & feel really honoured that he wanted to gift me with something so meaningful.
The shop is full of treasures & I will definitely be going back to say hi & have a cup of green matcha tea with the owners. People who are in the know wait with anticipation to see what symbol he will design & release each year & this year it’s a Celtic knot to remind us to focus on the present.
Here are the girls outside the shop on the way up to Martins. Both teachers, both thoughtful, intelligent, interesting & interested women. Elena has determined that there is to be a collaboration between us, but how has yet to be decided….watch this space.
We had a lovely night & as Georgia said in the car on the way home ‘I will remember this night. The weather, walking & the company’. After we had eaten we walked down to the harbour to look up the hill at the castle. Old mate was there with his bouzouki, a different one tonight & his eyes lit up mischievously when he saw me. I went to give him a kiss & he wanted me to stay & sing but I declined, again!
The town of Molyvos looks beautiful at night & I can’t do it justice in a photo but here it is lit up & reflected in the clear water of the Aegean. Such an ancient town, a place that exudes history, mixed with modern culture but in a way that is in keeping with the olde world charm of the place. I couldn’t be happier to have spent tonight with these beautiful women in this beautiful village, life is good indeed 🥰
