A Holiday in 1985 to Lesvos, Greece.
by Arthur Cox.
****************
In May – June 1985, Sylvia and Arthur Cox went to Lesvos with their daughter Nicola Wright and her husband Ian and their two young children Bryony and Kieren.
On this island we all stayed together in Ketty’s House in the town of Mythymna (also known as Molyvos). Bryony would have been about 5 and Kieren nearly 4.
There appears to be no holiday diary notes – or they may have been lost. There were lots of photos taken and notes made for each photo. There is therefore no diary notes of our daily activities but here is a list of general notes.
Post Card view of the town and the castle
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Lesvos is near to Turkey and there is much Turkish influence with buildings, etc.
Some of the buildings have large balconies that overhang the steep rocks and are supported on brackets.
There is a old castle above the town. We often walked up there to see the view.
The main street runs through a sort of tunnel.
In the mornings Sylvia and Arthur would go out rather early for walks and exploration and come back to find the children still fast asleep.
Then we would go to the beach or for walks with the children.
Our evening meals were usually in a taverna that hung out over the main wall.
We visited a beach at Eftalou where there was an old bath house on the rocks near the water.
Kieren was much embarrassed at the taverna because the little girl there (Maria) wanted to play with him and her ya-ya (grannie) used to laugh about it.
The children were offered sweets by the neighbouring ladies but they refused to take them.
On the first day there Bryony was amazed that the man in the little shop, where she went to buy a fancy post card, gave her the card and told her to come back tomorrow to pay for it because she hadn’t got the right money with her.
I believe that it was there that we used to go to a little corner dairy shop for breakfast of yoghurt and honey with nuts on it. But perhaps that was on another island.
A man came round every day with a donkey and he was selling cherries (kerisia) and plums (see pictures).
And notes from Bryony:
Yes, I remember the shop and think it was called the yoghurt shop or that’s what we called it. There was also a bar down near the harbour, there the man used to give us hollow wafer tubes with chocolate inside. I also remember making friends with an American girl called Gayla and telling her my name was Kelly. I don’t know why I invented that name for myself. I do remember a lot of that holiday.
Sylvia says that later, we met the Gayla at the departure airport.
Arthur says: The proper name for the dairy/pastry shop in Greek looks like γαλακτοπολείο (galaktopoleio) – gala = milk, as in Milky Way – Galaxy. We once went to a taverna for an evening meal – this was in a converted custom house down at the harbour (see pictures). I remember us walking back up the hill in the dark afterwards and seeing all the thousands of stars and being amazed at how warm it was so late in the evening.
Some Facebook comments. April 2012. ref a brass turtle.
Kieren Wright: Do you remember this turtle?
Bryony Bewers: I remember the fuss you made to get it, spoilt brat
Kieren Wright: You’re just jealous as I got brass turtle and you only got a postcard
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As there are no other notes this holiday item will be mainly some of the photos with the reference notes. (The date and the place items have been omitted from these references because they are all “May-June 1985” & “Lesvos: Mythymna”)
FILM 067
857026 View from kitchen balcony
857027 Bryony on kitchen balcony
857028 Corner of road to the castle
857029 Harbour view from the castle
857030 Looking from castle towards Eftalou (early morning)
857031 Castle seen from Poseidon Road
857032 View from our bedroom window
857033 Ketty’s House seen from below
857034 Gardens view
857035 Bryony; Sylvia and Kieren
857036 Castle from the doorway arch
857037 Kieren and Sylvia at the castle
857038 From castle walls looking towards the sea
855039 View from Ketty’s House
855040 View from Ketty’s House
855041 On road to castle: kitten hiding behind the stones
855042 Bryony’s picture of Arthur and Kieren
855043 Sylvia ??????
855044 Castle view across the courtyard
855045 Rooftops seen from the castle
855046 Looking up at Arthur; Bryony (and Kieren?)
855047 Looking up at Arthur; Bryony and Kieren
855048 View of the bay from the castle
855049 Kieren behind the castle gate
855050 The first beach at Eftalou (near the hotel)
855051 Nicola in the kitchen at Ketty’s House
855052 Nicola and Kieren on the beach (our home-made mini harbour)
855053 Nicola and Kieren on the beach (our home-made mini harbour)
855054 Terrapins in pond where river runs into the sea
855055 Terrapins in pond where river runs into the sea
855056 Terrapins in pond where river runs into the sea
855057 Terrapins in pond where river runs into the sea
855058 Ian; Kieren and Bryony seen across the terrapin pond
855059 Looking up “our” street (Hodos Theodik)
855060 Arthur at door of Ketty’s House
855061 Looking up castle road towards the Agora
855062 Agora; Castle road from near the baker’s shop
855063 Sylvia resting in a shady square
855064 Swallow’s nest in a doorway
855065 View down castle road from near the baker’s shop
855066 View of Castle road
855067 Sylvia writing her holiday postcards
855068 Steps up the the castle and the upper fountain
855069 Arthur on the castle wall
855070 Arthur on the castle wall
855071 Roof tops seen from the castle
855072 Kieren and Bryony still asleep
855073 Kitchen at Ketty’s House
855074 Nicola and the children sitting on the window cill
855075 Steps to a church
855076 Early morning looking towards Eftalou
855077 Harbour peninsula from the castle
855078 Sunrise time from the castle wall
FILM 068
855079 Looking from top of the castle wall
855080 Arthur in castle doorway [delay timer]
855081 Close-up of blossom on tree (? acacia)
855082 Overhanging buildings typical of the area
855083 View of Poseidon Rd; typical overhanging building style
855084 The Town Hall
855085 Beach seen from the road above
855086 Buildings overhanging the wall
855087 Newish house opposite Ketty’s House; classical style of the area
855088 [fogged due to opening camera with the film inside it!]
855089 [fogged due to opening camera with the film inside it!]
855090 [fogged due to opening camera with the film inside it!]
855091 [fogged due to opening camera with the film inside it!]
855092 [fogged due to opening camera with the film inside it!]
855093 [fogged due to opening camera with the film inside it!]
855094 Ian and Kieren (perhaps also Sylvia swimming)
855095 Nicola and Ian in the water
855096 Swallows in a porch and one on wire.[telephoto & 2 x converter]
855097 Swallows – one flying
855098 Steps and red-shuttered houses
855099 Harbour; view from above
855100 Sylvia against the blue sky
855101 Arabic inscription on the castle archway
855102 Lizard on block of stone (lizard was about 12 inches long)
855103 Eftalou seen from the near the castle
855104 Little owl on the roof (centre picture) [telephoto & 2 x converter]
855105 Castle from north taken when on our way to Eftalou
855106 Door to the ancient baths at Eftalou
855107 Ancient bath house at Eftalou
855108 Small home of a local fisherman [blurred a little]
855109 Town view from near school; [Bryony]
855110 Flowers on a wall; Bryony
FILM 069
855111 Open square among the houses
855112 Street scene
855113 Street scene; square chimney
855114 Yannis’ Mansion; typical style with wooden upper storey
855115 Yannis’ Mansion
855116 Ketty’s House from road above; pergola on new house
855117 Street corner; blue wall and basket
855118 Harbour from the approach road
855119 Church at the harbour area
855120 View across harbour from the outer wall
855121 View from outer wall of harbour
855122 Boat “Athanasia” (ie Tansy) and nets
855123 Church belfry near the Agora; Bryony
855124 At church; Bryony and a picture of a saint
855125 Town Hall
855126 Roads near the harbour
855127 Boats in the harbour
855128 Castle seen from the harbour
855129 Boats. Red reflection in the water
855130 Across the harbour; hotel & old customs house now a taverna
855131 Castle and town seen from the harbour
855132 General evening activities at the harbour
855133 The beach from the harbour [telephoto]
855134 The town and olive press from wall on Poseidon Road
855135 Houses overhanging the town wall
855136 Overhanging taverna (on brackets from the town wall)
855137 Cemetery on the slope down to the sea
855138 Seller of “kerisia” and plums; at door of Ketty’s House
855139 View from Ketty’s House towards the nearby baker’s place
855140 Bryony and a passing old man outside Ketty’s House
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Our Holidaying 