Sifnos: Stairway to Heaven

Of all the islands in the Western Cyclades, some say Sifnos may be the most “spiritual.” There is a church with fresco interiors where it is said angels come to sing before the priest starts his service, there is a bay so serene it appears to kneel before you, and there is a stairway beside a brilliant, white-washed monastery that is rumored to lead to, well… heaven.

And all of these enchanting places are easily accessible from Dina’s Rooms in the island’s main port of Kamares. Dina’s rooms are on a horseshoe-shaped bay on the quiet side of the gentle body of brilliant blue-green water. It is a perfect setting for those wanting peace and solitude, but just a short walk to the shops and tavernas and the bus stop across the bay.

During the day, one can sunbathe on the veranda (or on the nearby beach or rocks just minutes away) and in the evening it is pleasant to view the bright lights of the tavernas and the famous “Captain’s Bar,” on the other side. Yachtsmen come from all over Greece to have a drink with the captain and party into early morning hours. Guests at Dina’s are happy they are on the opposite side of the bay!

The Arguras Restaurant and Taverna is next to Dina’s Rooms and it is without a doubt the best restaurant in Kamares and one of the best dining spots on the entire island. Fresh fish is served daily and the catch comes directly from the morning boats. Arguras, the owner, will grill a fish to perfection and his wife, Stella, makes a variety of Greek specialties for the afternoon and evening meals. Guests are invited into the kitchen to make their selections.

Sifnos is a mountainous island with small valleys filled with olive and almond trees and numerous beaches with thin, golden sand. It has a triangular shape of seventy-four square miles and a perimeter of twenty-eight miles.

Kamares is centrally located and a bus near the newsstand will take one to many points, including the port of Faros, within ten to twenty minutes. Photographers come from all over the world to take pictures of the famous monasteries, particularly the Monastery of Panaghia Chryssopighi, a magnificent snow-white structure with the stairway to heaven. It sits dramatically on a rock that some say was split during a miracle performed by the Virgin Mary, patron saint and protector of the island. Sifnos is approximately five hours by boat from Piraeus, and the trip is shorter by Flying Dolphin. Connections can be made easily to the nearby islands of Paros, Syros, Kythnos, Serifos, Folegandros, Sikinos, and Santorini. Boats also leave regularly for Crete, Ios, and the Dodecanese.

In Crete’s Mountains – The Legend of the 12 Archontopoula

If you are fortunate enough to visit one of the remote mountain villages of Crete, and if you are not fluent in the language, but have the services of a local translator, you will hear one of the most fascinating stories ever told. The tale has been transmitted as “oral history” for years in the mountain tavernas, but it is usually told as though it happened yesterday.

It is the compelling and intriguing tale of The Legend of the Twelve Archontopoula. While much of the story is unauthenticated, it has captured the attention of professional and amateur historians, genealogists, sociologists, mystery lovers, and a large number of Cretans.

While many Cretans claim they are descendants of one of the twelve, there are some actual descendants who are not aware of their true lineage. What is this tantalizing legend? What is truth and what is fiction?

Let us go back in time to the 12th Century in Constantinople, then known as Byzantium, when Byzantium ruled Crete. It is said there was unrest in Crete. Most believe there was a rebellion. And so, the story or legend goes, a Byzantine emperor sent the heads of twelve noble Byzantine families to settle in Crete and he divided the island amongst them. The largest piece, which included Sfakia, went to a man named Skordylis.

At some point, most likely during the time of Venetian rule, a claim was made that there was an official document (an order) signed by an emperor. The document was called a chrysobull (golden seal) and it gave the twelve men royal lineage. The chrysobull has never been found, but there are six documents concerning the Archontopoula that have been published; of the six, historians consider just two to be the most interesting.

These two documents, however, contain historical information that historians consider “mutually irreconcilable.” One document actually has the notation “Falsification,” and there are three versions of the second, two written in Greek and one in Italian, but only one of them (Greek) is dated. Historians cannot agree on whether the documents are authentic or “suspect.”

It is a fact, however, that by the beginning of the 13th Century certain Cretan families owned much land, lived as landed aristocracy and led revolts against the Venetians.

Whether they were actually sent here originally by an emperor has not been proven. Whether an “order” or chrysobull was ever issued has not been proven. And whether they were of “great and noble birth” is not known, but it makes for one of the most fascinating stories still told in the tavernas in the mountains of Crete.

Published in The National Herald.

Lesvos: Where the Owls Fall from the Trees

The island of Lesvos has several species of owls, but in the villages of Vatousa and Xidera you will find an inordinately large population of the Scops Owl, all because several years ago on a hot summer day a baby Scops fell out of a tree. Villagers delight in telling the tale to tourists and the actual size of the owl population seems to get larger with each telling. Here is the back story:

A writer from the States rented a home for the summer near the kafenion in the Platia in the village of Vatousa. One day while sipping his cappuccino and minding his own business, a baby owl fell from its nest in the tree above and landed at his feet. The kindly man took the tiny bird home and cared for him until he was well enough and strong enough to fly away.

Despite the fact that the owl was considered a sign of wisdom in antiquity, in many Greek villages today the owl is considered a symbol of bad luck. Children are taught to avoid the bird at all costs. The writer saw children running from him in terror when they saw him holding the owl. Gradually, curiosity grew and when no ill will came to the man, the attitude of the villagers and children changed.

Apparently it was rather common for the little owls to fall from trees and soon, instead of ignoring them, the villagers carefully cradled them in their arms and brought them to the writer’s home where owls were flying about or resting on a large rock in the kitchen.

Owls have many moods and are to be avoided when they are annoyed, but the writer says most of the time “they were playful as kittens.” He estimates that he raised eleven owls, although villagers give larger numbers. Since that fateful summer day when the first baby owl fell from the tree, the Scopes Owl population in Vatousa and nearby Xidera has grown exponentially.

Lesvos is indeed a “birdwatcher’s paradise,” and a bonus is an explosion of wild flowers in the Spring. Purchase a copy of Richard Brooks guide “Birding in Lesvos” by sending an email to email@richardbrooks. co.uk and head for Lesvos. He says the very best place to see large varieties of birds on Lesvos is at Skala Kaloni, but if you fancy the Scops Owl, by all means pay a visit to Vartousa and Xidera.

Published in the National Herald.

Eros visits Sfakia

“Oh my god, I am in love. I cannot sleep. I am not hungry. My stomach, how do you say, goes up and down. “ He takes a deep breath and grins widely, giggling at the same time, but struggling for breath. And then he tells the story.

“She is blonde, blue eyes. You never saw such blue eyes. Look at the sea in front of you. Her eyes are bluer that that. Ah , shit. I would not lie to you. I swear on the Holy Virgin. This goddess, she is from the States.. Works at Google. High class.. Second time here. She meets me once. We just talk. She comes back. We meet here. She likes me. Can you believe that? Oh my god, I wish I could eat.”

“I never met anyone like her. She is here now. Second time. This time I surprise her. I pay for her room. She goes to pay for it, man says, sorry, your room is already paid for. She says who pays for it? He says your friend from Sfakia. She says,” Oh my god.”

“She tells me, you do not have to do this. I say I do this for you. . She says oh my god. You would not believe how beautiful she is. I can hardly breathe when I tell you about her. Yesterday was our day. All day. We start at 9 am in the morning and go far into the night, no the morning hours. I cannot tell you everything. Really it would not be right. But I tell you some.”

“I plan many surprises for her. I take her to Loutro on the boat and just before we arrive I tell her close your eyes. When we get close to Loutro, I tell her to open them. She says Oh my god. I look at her so happy and shining and I say for sure she is a goddess. She makes my eyes not see. Do you know what I mean? Sometimes when I look at her, how do you say, a fog goes over my eyes and I cannot see. And I feel dizzy. Sometimes I feel weak. I am a strong man. Only 18 , but almost 19, and I am strong. Look at me. Don’t I look strong? I work hard all day. I carry three some times four tubs of ice up stairs to put in case for the fish. Myself I carry these. At night I take down the heavy umbrellas and carry them downstairs. By myself.”

“We have lunch, I tell her I will order. I order sardines, octopus, red mullet, prawns, and she say sweetheart, we cannot eat all of that. She does not know I order little pieces of everything. She says she has never eaten like that. I watch her eat. I watch her take the fork and put the fish into her mouth and I swallow hard, watching the fork go into her mouth. I take a few bites. I am not hungry. My mouth is dry. I look again at her blue eyes and I look at the sea and I say oh my god.”

After lunch I tell her we must go back to Sfakia, but I do not tell her why. Another surprise. She say why. I tell her trust me, you will like it. We get back and get into another boat. I tell her close your eyes until I put something into the boat. She does and I tell her okay now you can open them, but I hide what I put into the boat. We go far out and she says how beautiful the sea is. I look at her long hair like gold, blowing in the wind. I touch her to see if she is real. Ah shit, I am in love.”

“We get to where I want to be and I say now close your eyes again and she does and I say now open them and she does and I give her the snorkel mask I had hidden. She says she never gone snorkeling before and I say I teach you. We go into the water and we see, I cannot describe it, we see what lives in the sea. Everything that swims and grows we see. We see colors we never see on land. We come up and get into the boat and I ask her how she liked that and she says “oh my god.”

“We go by the shore and I say we are going up that small hill and she says she has only sandals—she points to my feet and says that I have no shoes. I say no problem and I surprise her and take off her sandals then—listen to this---then I pick her up and carry her up over the rocks in my bare feet. And she says oh my god you will cut your feet and oh my god you are so strong. But I laugh all the way to the top, holding her tight.”

So we rest up there and then, this is the part of the story I want you to hear, she kisses me!!! Holy Mother of God!!! Now look at me. Tell me my color. You will say, with kindness, my friend, you are a dark-skinned man. I take no offense. But after she kisses me she looks as me and she says, sweetheart you are pale. I tell her no, but I do feel the blood drain from me and I say Oh, shit.”

We take the boat back to Sfakia and we have drinks at her hotel near the sea and then, when I can stand it no longer, we go to her room. I said I cannot tell you everything . It would not be right. But I can tell you her lips are like rose petals and her skin as soft as a cloud. When she kisses me I feel as though I am drowning. And all night long she keeps saying oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. Ah shit, I think I am in love.”

TELOS

The Natural, Wild, and Rugged Beauty of Sfakia, Crete

In Chora Sfakion, the harbor village and capitol of the very wild and rugged area of Crete known as Sfakia, time passes slowly and is marked by the arrivals and departures of a majestic ferry boat named Daskalogiannis. Located South of Chania, Sfakia is one of the most barren and rugged areas of Crete. It is a mountainous area famous for the Lefka Ori or “White Mountains,” so named for the white limestone peaks that shine in the summer and are covered with snow in the winter.

It appeals to visitors who like natural beauty and a craggy topography; it appeals to those who like to hike gorges, go deep sea diving or snorkeling, and swim in “sweet” water. If you like the challenge of hiking gorges and if you treasure peace, quiet, and solitude in an unspoiled setting of natural beauty where “the mountains meet the sea,” this is the place for you. This very descriptive phrase was written by Xan Fielding in his book, The Stronghold, describing the four seasons of Crete; it is frequently quoted in guidebooks to describe Sfakia.

The unique character of Sfakia has been immortalized by an artful photographer named Wolfgang Kistler who has been taking pictures here for more than thirty years. For Mr. Kistler, Sfakia is “the hub of the world.” When he began his photographic odyssey of Greece, he saw and took pictures of most of the inhabited Greek islands, (estimates on how many are inhabited vary according to the source) which he found “marvelous, archaic, beautiful, fascinating,” but every trip ended in Sfakia. Please visit his web site at http://www.wkistler.de/

On Mr. Kistler’s web site, you will find thousands of photographs. Exciting additions are those taken in Sfakia during World War II of the German occupation and the fabled Cretan resistance. He and a friend discovered the archival material in Germany in Bundesarchiv Koblenz. A web cam that records the daily arrivals and departures of the Daskalogiannis ferry can be found at www.webcam-crete.com.

Locals call the White Mountains “Madares,” sometimes translated as “nude, or “without coverage,” or “a barren place.” There are many tall peaks and the largest is said to be Pachnes, rising to 2,453 meters.

Chora Sfakion makes an outstanding base for hikers and, according to two different web sites, approximately twenty different hiking routes start from here. One guidebook on display on a table outside the Lefka Ori Hotel in the village describes nine magnificent hikes of varying degrees of difficulty; the text is interspersed with very attractive color photographs.

The most famous hike in Sfakia, however, is the incomparable and world-renowned Gorge of Samaria, which some say is the largest in Europe. Located in the National Park of Samaria, the gorge is 16 km in length, more or less, and is one the longest in Europe. It begins on the plain of Omalos and ends at the Libyan sea in Agia Roumeli.

Hikers use Chora Sfakion as a base. Its bay is small and horseshoe shaped and there are only 400 full-time residents. Although it is relatively small and compact, there is a nice selection of places to stay, ranging from one modern hotel that has a lift to very basic and simple “rooms.” The food served by the various tavernas is excellent and the chefs excel in preparing vegetarian dishes with fresh produce grown locally; the fish comes from the boats of the local fishermen.

You will also find a potent drink made from the skin of the grapes called raki (also called tsikoudia) served at the tavernas; it is a complimentary drink offered with desert. You can buy gift bottles of this in the shops to take back to friends, but be aware of what size bottle the airline will permit you to carry on board. My large bottle purchased as a gift was confiscated at customs, and I almost wept as I saw it being looked at with desire by the attendant and then reluctantly thrown into the round cylinder. I wondered if he would retrieve it later and I hope he did!!

It is very peaceful and serene and you will never hear music coming from any of the shops or tavernas. This is because a number of years ago business owners voted to ban music so quests would hear only the sound of gently splashing waves, and in the very warm months, a chorus of cicadas. The cicadas make their distinctive trilling sounds as the waves splash gently on the harbor. Your senses will be soothed by this gentle lullaby.

TELOS

This article was published in Hellenic Lifestyle ... Celebrating Greek Spirit

A Magical Night on the Sacred Island of Delos

All guide-books and all guides will tell you that no one is allowed, by law, to stay on Delos overnight, but there is a wonderful story about how

LAWRENCE DURRELL, THE FAMOUS PHILHELLENE AND ENGLISH AUTHOR, MANAGED TO DO THIS AND HAVE THE MOST MAGICAL NIGHT OF HIS LIFE.

In his book, “The Greek Islands,” Durrell explains how he gained the cooperation of a boatman, practiced a slight deception on the men guarding Delos, and spent a romantic and spiritual night on the sacred island under the protection of Apollo himself.

Durrell hired a boatman named Janko to take him and his wife to the Bay of Phourni, below the old site of the abandoned Aesculapion. He had with him a sack that contained beer, bread, meat, and fruit and he also had sleeping bags. Janko dropped them off early in a very secluded area and then left. This was not unusual and it did not alert the guards, because it was the custom for small boats to drop visitors off, then return in the early evening to take them back.

The boatman came back to Delos, as Durrell planned, but then returned to Mykonos without his passengers. Janko’s part of the deception was to make sure the guards saw the boat leaving; he knew the guards would assume passengers were on board, but they were not. Durrell said the evening was perfect with Apollo protecting them, Zephyr controlling the calm breezes, and Aphrodite orchestrating the sunset. They swam nude by the rising moon and came back to drink the warm soup and coffee from the thermos flasks thoughtfully brought by Janko.

As dusk fell, they snuggled in their sleeping bags, but were awakened at midnight by the brilliant, white light of the moon. Deciding to prowl among the ruins, they climbed over rocks and through barbed wire, and did not need lights because, according to Durrell, “we could have read a newspaper by the moon’s light.”

They came upon what must have been the floor of a villa and, by the light of the moon, saw what looked like an ordinary fish design. Durrell went to the sea for a pail of water, splashed the seawater over the floor, and, like a photograph developing in a tray, the head of the most beautiful dolphin emerged. It was one of the famous mosaics that would be viewed by the public in later years, but he and his wife saw it long before others.

Durrell described Delos as “silent and ominous” at night with snakes and lizards slithering about, but he said it was also magical. When the moon gave up its brilliance, they managed to sleep once again and in the early morning the boatman returned. Reluctantly, they boarded the boat this time and returned to Mykonos.

The island itself is relatively small—six kilometers long and 1,500 meters wide, but is monumental in Greek history and mythology and was one of the most important and glorious civilizations the world has ever known. Delos is not only the geological center of the Cyclades, but was

THE COMMERCIAL, RELIGIOUS, AND CULTURAL CENTER OF ANCIENT GREECE.

Delos is the birthplace of Apollo, the god of light and his sister, Artemis, goddess of hunting. They were born under a palm tree to Leto of the lovely hair who was impregnated by Zeus. Zeus chose Delos for the birth because he had to find a sanctuary for Leto, far from the eyes of his jealous wife, Hera. Delos means “that which appeared” and was so named because it suddenly appeared in the waves and sheltered Leto from Hera’s eyes. That is the wonderful myth of Delos.

History tells us, however, that the island was probably first inhabited in 3000 B.C. and at the end of the fourth century it developed into a major commercial center, competing with Rhodes. By Roman times, Delos had roughly 25,000 inhabitants. Archaeologists uncovered evidence of Ionians living here in the 7th century B.C., followed through the centuries by Athenians, Delians, Egyptians, Syrians, and Romans.

It was the jewel of the Aegean Sea and was the summer home of the rich and famous of the time. It was magnificent and majestic. Rumor has it that Cleopatra had a summer home here, but there is no archaeological evidence to support it, although the search goes on.

Delos’ rule over the sea was established around 478 B.C., when a Delian confederacy was formed to bring neighboring islands under its influence. Lavish festivals were held every five years to honor the gods, large barges brought animals from neighboring islands for sacrifice, and the most nubile Delian maidens were chosen to dance and sing hymns in honor of the gods.

The island was once a burial ground for Delians, but sometime around 426 BC. , in order to secure the favor of Apollo and incidentally, to gain control of the shrine’s treasurers, the bones of those who died there were removed to Rhinia, a nearby island where a new burial ground was created. Also, from that point forward, women who were about to give birth were taken to Rhinia for the occasion. In effect, no one was allowed to be born or to die on the island.

The island’s fall was sudden and brutal. In 88 B.C.. during the Mithriadic War, all inhabitants were slaughtered and the mansions and temples desecrated and demolished. Next, an army of barbarians burned the island and for years after that pirates came to pick over the remains. It was not until late in the 19th century that archaeologists began excavations that revealed the glory of Delos and encouraged the Greek government to establish strict rules for this site.

The French School of Archaeology began excavations in 1872 and in 1904, what is known as “the great excavation” took place. This is when many public buildings and private houses were uncovered and some were partly reconstructed. Work is still in progress. Five of the magnificent nine lions that are symbols of Delos have been removed to a museum to protect them from corrosion and the proud lions one sees now on the Avenue of the Lions are casts of the originals.

TELOS

This article was published on Hellenic Lifestyle ... Celebrating Greek Spirit