the greek isles - limnos

Limnos was our first stop in the Greek islands for good, but perhaps not obvious, reason.  Although it is the eighth largest island of Greece, Limnos is not exactly famous for its tourism.  No, the island has more of a reputation for its production of local cheese...  

(Incidentally, all this cheese makes for killer local tiropitas (cheese pies), or as Aman affectionately calls them, cheese-kopitas.)

Besides cheese (not to mention melons, figs and almonds), its main crops are wheat and barley, the growth of which tints the island with an overall light brown landscape during the hot summer season.  


The feel of the island is as authentic as can be, and the perfect contrast to ever-popular Mykonos and Santorini, where Aman and I were heading next.  Plus, we were with my parents, and I had not traveled to Limnos with them in years–it was priceless that we would all have the opportunity to visit together, even if just for one short week, given our family ties to the island.

Our group arrived one early morning after a 50-minute flight from Athens that took off as the sun was rising.

On the way, I warned Aman that the simplicity of the island's one airport is astounding.  Only about a half-dozen flights arrive and depart each day, even during the peak summer months.  After our plane arrived, we were whisked by transfer bus from the plane to the terminal building, which seemed a bit like overkill given that (a) the distance between these two points is approximately 50-60 feet, and (b) our arrival was the airport's only activity at that hour of the morning.  Inside, our bags appeared minutes later on the single conveyor belt that loops through "Baggage Claim Area A."  We arranged a rental car on the spot through one of the two rental car companies that had offices at the airport and waited for our compact car to be cleaned, as all of the other arriving passengers dispersed and the sleepy airport grew quiet again.  When the car was ready, we crammed our bags in the trunk, under our legs and on top of our laps.  We closed our doors in amazement and with a sigh of relief that everything fit in, before waving good-bye to the smiling rental car employee who had been helping us and was enthusiastically waving back to us from the curb.  Umm, does anyone have the key, asked Aman seconds later from the driver’s seat...  It took another few minutes for Aman and my father to go back inside the terminal building and track down the rental car employee, who had quickly hurried off, before we were on our way.  In any event, our Limnian family holiday was officially underway!

From the airport, we drove about fifteen minutes east to Kalliopi, where we stayed for the week in the home where my father was born and raised.  A cluster of stone houses with pitched roofs made of red tiles, Kalliopi is a place that I have visited several times throughout my life, and a place that holds for me countless happy memories.  In 2001, the reported population of the village was 264.  Since then, the village has not grown much; if anything, it is shrinking.  So needless to say, practically everyone in the village knew of our arrival within a couple of hours.  Randomly enough, my Thea Stratoula was driving by as we pulled up to our house and an over-joyous, impromptu family reunion ensued in the middle of the street.

Dad and Thea Stratoula:

People from the village continued to stop by all day, and throughout the week really, just to say hello.  That is the kind of place Kalliopi is.

Our days on the island were relaxed, and fairly routine.  They generally involved a homemade lunch (thanks Mom!) followed by a trip to one of the island's plentiful beaches. Per the local custom, we would arrive at the beach in the hot mid-afternoon hour and oftentimes stay until the sun began to set.  On our first visit to Keros, the 3-kilometer beach near Kalliopi, Aman could not help but comment how beautifully calm the waters of the North Aegean Sea are (it is true, the waves–carried by a warm wind–gently lap at the shore rather than crash upon it).  We spent our afternoons in and out of the sparkling blue sea, and, on shore, playing tavli (Greek backgammon).

Here are some scenes from our favorite beaches:  

Keros:

Fanaraki:

Zemata:

Plati:

After frolicking at the beach each day, we spent our evenings feasting on the local cuisine, which involved a meal of fresh baked bread, mezes (tzatziki with paper thin slices of fried eggplant, melitzanasalata, and grilled octopus were very much the norm), Greek salad and some type of fish that was invariably caught earlier in the day (the local specialty is called barbounia and it is fantastic). 

Here we are one night at one of the two restaurants in Kalliopi:

And another night, at the village's other restaurant:

After dinner each night, we typically retreated to the house and sat around telling jokes and playing cards over a bottle of wine.  My father would share stories about growing up in Limnos with his sisters, as well as his cousins who grew up in the house next door. One night, we stayed up so late, sharing stories, that I heard the chickens stirring nearby.  It was a sound that I was familiar with based on previous trips to the island, and meant that dawn would be breaking soon.  So Aman and I went to Keros to watch the sunrise:

In short, simple, slow and beautiful is how life exists on Limnos.  Aman and I had a relaxing and spectacularly good time there.  In addition to spending time with my parents and introducing Aman to one of my most favorite places, the added bonus was that my knee was really starting to recover.  I was able to walk around the house with no knee brace, and cover short distances outside with no crutches.  With Aman’s help, I was even able to get in the water at the beach and swim, which felt glorious!  (It was also pretty comical–we approached in conga line formation with Aman in front and me in the back, holding Aman’s shoulders for support as I hobbled from the shore into the sea.  Silly as we may have looked, it felt great to be in the water.)

From Limnos, we returned to Athens for one last day with my parents.  Aman and I spent a good part of that day at the U.S. embassy.  (It seems that I failed to appreciate exactly how many pages I would need in my passport for this grand adventure.  So we stopped and had some more added.)  Afterwards, we met up with my parents and my Thea Tasoula who took us out to lunch at a fantastic restaurant in the Paleo Faliro neighborhood where she lives–it was the best souvlaki that we had while we were in Greece.  It was a really enjoyable afternoon.  In the evening, Aman, my parents and I jumped in a taxi and went over to Syntagma Square where we watched the changing of the famous pom-pom footed guards (also known as Evzones). 

We did not stay out long, however, because all of us had an early morning the next day.  My parents were catching a plane to visit friends in Chios, while Aman and I were catching a ferryboat to Mykonos for a few nights.  As Aman and I have said many times this year, it was “unbelievable” how fast our time together went.  Unforgettable, as well!