A Greek Islands Sampler

The Dodecanese Greek Islands are generally small, dry and devoid of forest other than olives groves.  Most animals are domestic including goats, sheep, and donkeys with the cats the most numerous and few dogs.  The people are friendly but are mostly elderly retired and most young ones were tourists. The islands are poor and depend on tourism for income but the roads although narrow are well maintained and clean.  The beaches are mostly small coves; some sandy and others mixtures of small rounded stones making it hard to walk barefoot.  The waters are not clear as those in the Caribbean and depleted of fish, mostly those seen are about one inch long…the Mediterranean has been overfished due to eons of civilization but the same applies to land flora and fauna.

Chios Island mostly known for the export of mastic gum, a bitter resin that is considered to have medicinal properties, used for culinary purposes, as a liquor and chewing gum…I tried…not to my liking. The production is controlled by growers association and there is a museum dedicated to it; for that reason the island is also known as the “Mastic Island.

Mesta is one of the Mastic Villages, of medieval architecture, fortified and of narrow streets some that look like urban tunnels. Elders sit outdoors awaiting for their ultimate passage; villagers were caught during the Chios Massacre in 1822 when they revolted against Ottoman dominance. Eugenie Delacroix famous painting is below. 

Pyrgi known as the painted village is considered to be the capital of the Mastic Villages. Most houses outdoor walls are covered with sgraffito that appear as a repeated pattern of squares and triangles mostly in black or brown and the style is called Xista. Various structures are below, notice that people just like to seat outside and gossip.

The Theotokos Church offers the most varied of patterns and is featured both in color and white and black to show better contrast.  And finally leave the town with one of my favorite photos of the visit, even the cat is bored. 

Driving up the mountains in route to the Nea Moni Monastery passed the windmills at Menoas. At one time windmills were common but a few are left now. The monastery was built in the 11^th century allegedly where 3 monks found an icon of Theotoko meaning “Mother of God”; the Virgin Mary. The murals are impressive and at the time of the visit were under restoration. It was looted during the massacre and due to the shortage of priests now is inhabited by 3 nuns. What is left is impressive as seen below by the various paintings and mosaics; the latter have survived better due to be assembled of pieces of stones of various colors.

The first photo is that of the ceiling above the main altar followed by details of the cupola and the wall depicting the baptism of Christ following by one of the washing of the feet of his disciples. Next is another cupola of perhaps Christ encircled by some of his disciples.

Another cupula represents the baptism of Christ by St. John followed by one of an angel that resembles those in Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

This cupola represents a more complex combination of images with heavens above and descending into hell and next Christ receiving a group of followers. Finally furniture filled with bones from victims of the 1822 massacre.

Lithi is a beach where I stopped for lunch and it was the most active of the beaches visited due to a large tour bus of young Spanish visitors. While others ate lunch, I took photos of the wildlife. The iPhone is king, in the first used to take a selfie and in the second picking a dropped one and finally-- the joy of life.

 Leros Island.  Driving up towards the Pandeli Caste one passes a series of old windmills now converted into homes. The castle originally Byzantine is large and goes back to the 10th century and once a stronghold of the Knights of St. John. It was used by the Turks and during WWII by the Italians and Germans because of its strategic location.

Descending from the castle there is a chapel and great views of the windmills and the village of Panteli in the bay.

Leros fell under Italian control after the Italian Turkish War and Mussolini had a Palace built there as well as the theater and other prominent government buildings still used today.  It was under Italian control during World War II until the armistice when Italy joined the Allied forces and British reinforces arrived to defend it from the German invasion that eventually conquered the island.  

During the battle the population of Leros took refuge in a large system of tunnels resulting in small casualties. This action served as background for the Guns of Navarone movie. The coastal artillery defenses were originally built by the Italians but were subsequently used by the Germans after they defeated the British/Italian forces.

Below are view of the fishing village and one of the many vacations homes.  The warbler is the only wildlife that I saw in the island; it was probably migrating south to Africa for the winter.

 Patmos Island.  Is mentioned in the Book of Revelations by its author, John the Apostle.  Below is the port of Skala followed by the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian where next to it the Cave of the Apocalypse where St. John the Apostle received his revelation.

The Cave of the Apocalypse is small and as you enter there is a small chapel and to the right is the section where St. John wrote the Revelation and slept (the third image below). Notice the fenced area that is supposed where he slept and small bronze plate in the wall where tradition said he rested his head while received the Apocalypse narrative. Last there is an icon in the museum that I found difficult to interpret.

After visiting the cave I moved uphill towards the Monastery where I encountered a Greek smiling and in a shop nearby found this collection of religious figurines.

Walking towards the church found a painter being lectured by a Greek Orthodox Priest,

Entering the church yard encountered walls decorated with religious paintings mostly in good conditions. First is of the overhead ceiling as one enters the church proper followed by one of the panels in the church walls.

In the image below those poor souls (this image is deteriorated so I attempted a reconstruction using Photoshop) I ran into a priest that gave me a killer view sending me to the same destination.  Next in a room in the patio smiling devotees polished the silver is polished.

The roof of the church has two bell towers that were silent while I was visiting. Completed my tour I just wandered away carrying the sins of the world en route to fight the windmills of Patmos without the assistance of Sancho Panza and Rocinante.