Back to Mytiline For a Few Days and a Visit to Plomari

My seven days at Eleni Apartments set amongst the olive groves in Molyvos has come to an end. My host Christos had kindly offered to open up one of the ground floor apartments to store my suitcase overnight. This would save me carrying it down the flight of steps myself. I thank him for his offer of help but tell him that I will manage. I’ve loved my stay here. Christos has been a wonderful host and I would definitely stay here again.

My bus leaves at 7am so shortly after 6.30am I gently slide my suitcase down the steps. The cats that live here are curious and run to the top of the steps to investigate. I wheel my suitcase onto the street taking one last look at the olive grove and the field of vegetables across the way. The abundance is everywhere and this is the word that I will always associate Lesvos with.

I’m the first to arrive at the bus stop. Soon after a bus which looks like a school bus pulls up and then another. A couple of teenagers appear from all directions making it almost to the minute before departure. In the distance I see a teenage boy who’s obviously running late running with his shoes untied. The bus had already pulled away from the side street but waits by the roadside until the boy catches up.

I know that I’m going to arrive back in Mytiline quite early so I message my host Jasmine to ask what is the earliest that I can check in. I don’t need the room but just somewhere to leave my luggage. I wait for her response. At 7am on the dot the bus to Myitiline arrives and I’m the only one to board. It’s a pleasant journey back to the bus station and I catch another glance at the flamingoes in the Kalloni wetlands. I must visit them one day.

Just before I arrive back at the bus station Jasmine responds to say that she is on the way to clean the apartment as the previous guests have just left to catch the ferry. She will meet me there. I’d already been sent very detailed instructions on how to find the property and once on the main street along the harbour front I find my landmark point – the Vodaphone shop. Just around the corner of the shop is the entrance to Havenly Loft. I message Jasmine to let her know that I’ve arrived and within two minutes she meets me at the entrance. Once inside the building the first thing that I notice is the smell of baking. The entrance and stairwell up to the first floor is shared with a fantastic bakery and patisserie Flokaki who’s shop entrance is on Ermou Street. The benefit of this is an elevator used for transporting baking goods up to the kitchen to the first floor. This will take my suitcase up at least this far. The first floor is where the magic of the bakery is made in a large kitchen just off the hallway. Waking up to this smell every day isn’t something that I’ll complain about!

Jasmine insists on carrying my suitcase up the last set of narrow stairs. I protest but she won’t have any of it. We at least agree to carry it between us. My case is deposited outside the apartment door whilst Jasmine shows me the terrace. I love it already. Jasmine tells me that it will take her a couple of hours to clean and prepare the apartment and recommend a couple of places that I can go for breakfast. I choose Monkey, a rather trendy looking place on the main stretch towards the port. It has a large covered terrace overlooking the harbour. I’m starving and let myself get carried away with my order. I ask for Greek yoghurt with fresh fruit and nuts and also mini croissants with three different flavoured dipping chocolates – kind of a ying and yang breakfast. When they arrive I see that the portions are humungous. I give it a good attempt!

After a couple of hours mooching around I make my way back to the apartment where Jasmine is doing final finishing touches to prepare everything for me. This place is absolutely spic and span. She has even mopped the large terrace which is drying quickly in the late morning sun. The apartments is lovely. A lot of care and attention has gone into providing everything anyone will need for a short or long stay here. Jasmine has even left a cake in the kitchen for me.

Jasmine asks me how I plan to spend my 3 days here and I tell her that I want to visit at least one more village. She tells me that I really should visit Plomari. It is her home village and she thinks that I will like it very much. Tomorrow it’s Plomari then!

Once we say our goodbyes I bring my suitcase into the apartment. As I’m only going to be here for 3 days I’m not going to fully unpack. I will hang a couple of dresses in the wardrobe but everything else will stay in my suitcase in the appropriate packing cube. Organised packing really does make a massive difference to the travel experience.

I just spend the rest of the afternoon walking around the shops on Ermou and not doing anything in particular. Later that evening I find a little taverna just a short walk from Havenly loft called To Kalderimi which means cobblestones. I know this because when I sat at my table on the narrow street, an elderly man saw me looking up at the sign with the name of the restaurant. The man pointed to the cobbled stones on the floor to explain. Who needs words? 🙂

I have a simple meal of Skordalia and meatballs in a tomato sauce. As my food arrives at the table the elderly man at the table wishes me goodnight, jumps on his moped and rides off between the restaurant tables.

I have an early night. Tomorrow I’m off to Plomari!

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I awake to the sound of the Nissos Samos arriving into port. The deep, low vibrations from her rumbling engines radiate out across the water and I watch with admiration as she swings with such grace between around between the two harbour walls. The sun is beginning to warm the tiles of the terrace so I make a cup of tea and take a seat overlooking the harbour. The traffic jumps into action with many cars and trucks heading to queue up to board the ship. This is absolutely the best spot to watch the ‘goings on’ in Mytiline. Anyway, no time to loiter.

Before I head for the bus station I’m going to seek out one of the other eateries that Jasmine had recommended that I go to for breakfast. Home – It’s a Feeling is located in the midst of some labrynthine streets just behind Ermou. It isn’t far from Havenly Loft but Google Maps sends me in all directions. I do eventually find it and I’m not disappointed. It’s a very modern and dare I say without sounding like a granny a ‘trendy’ looking cafe. Nope. Definitely sounded like a granny. It’s one of those places that metamorphosises from breakfast cafe to lunch time restaurant to a night time cool drinking place and eatery. I order an eggs benedict and Rooibos tea. What a luxury to be able to drink my tea of choice in Greece.

The bus departs at 11.00 so after having another slow amble down Ermou I head to the bus station via the back streets.

The bus station seems unusually organised today. The several times that I’ve used it before the buses have been parked in a very higgledy piddledy way. This means that you have to weave your way in and around them to find the bus that you want to catch. I do remember disembarking at the bus station one late afternoon the other week and one guy was going absolutely crazy at the drivers. He was waving and pointing and generally doing his nut in! I guess he was the bus boss man telling them to sort the parking out. And it’s worked!

I really enjoy the journey to Plomari. The bus skirts the edge of the large water inlet the Kolpos Geras and then heads inland slightly to the east of the gorgeous village of Agiasos. We stop off at the odd out-of-the way village reminding me that the buses aren’t primarily here to serve us tourists. Before we arrive in Plomari we pass two of the ouzo distilleries that the village is known for. I plan to visit one of them later so make a mental note of whether it is in walking distance from the final bus stop or not. It seems that it is doable though will be partially up hill. However, I’m keen to get out into this village to explore.

The bus parks up in an empty square next to a small park and garden. I can see that the village is set ampitheatrically above the harbour so there is definitely going to be some steep streets to climb. For now I head straight into the village at the lower level. After following the street around I come to a large plane tree with a hand painted map of the village. Forget maps – I’m just going to follow my nose.

Before I get too carried away I become conscious of the time. I don’t know what time the distilleries close, so I make the decision to walk there now and then I can explore the rest of the village at my leisure. Back on the harbour front I head out of the village past several fish taverna’s. A little further along I spot a man walking along a small beach with ocoptus in his hands. I speed up to catch up with him along the road just in time to see him tenderising his catch on the rocks!

After a bit of a climb out of the village I eventually reach the Barbayanni Distillery and Museum. This I have read is the BEST ouzo distillery on the island. From the outside it isn’t clear if it is open or not. I try the door and it opens. There isn’t anyone around but I take the opportunity to look at the museum pieces on display there. After walking around for about 10 minutes a lady enters through the front entrance and greets me. She tells me that she has just been into the factory. Unfortunately the production of the ouzo takes place in the morning so I have missed that but I will be able to go into the factory after a tour of the museum for an explanation of the distilling process. Had I had a little forethought I should have disembarked the bus at the distillery and walked into Plomari later. Not to worry.

The museum is small but it gives some interesting information about the Barbayanni family who have been distilling here for 180 years. There are examples of the original stills, old bottling and labelling equipment along with some family photographs. The passion for this history comes through clearly in the guided tour.

I’m invited to go to the factory for further information on the distilling process. There are just a few people in the factory and the man in charge again tells me that the production isn’t currently in process but he does talk me through the process and at the end he offers me a shot of ouzo. There is a small shop inside the factory where you can purchase bottles of ouzo. I’m conscious that during my travels I’ve become laden with multiple jars of honey but I really do want to buy some ouzo as a gift for my husband. There are four different ouzo’s to choose from so I decide to take a small bottle of the Blue, the Evzon and the Aphrodite. They are put into nice cardboard gift boxes. I’ll worry about how to pack and transport them later!

You can read more about Barbayannis Distillery here:

https://www.barbayanni-ouzo.com/index.html

The winding road back down the hill gives some excellent panoramic views over the harbour. Once at the bottom of the hill and heading towards the village I am drawn by the tall bell tower of the Church of Agia Paraskevi. Because the street below it is narrow it’s hard to capture this magnificent church in one shot.

The cobbled street in front of Agia Paraskevi leads me further into the village and is charm personified. There is a mixture of bourgainvillea covered houses with brightly painted windows and doors which sit side by side with beautiful derelict buildings that I love. Some of the latter look as though they have just been frozen in time. One of these old doors has been chained shut. A chink of light coming from the other side of the building tells me there is a gap in the door and it is calling me to come and look. There is still furniture in there. I can see a wicker chair surrounde by cardboard boxes. I’d love to have a rummage!

Each street level is joined by a steep set of steps and every now and again you will get a view between the houses up to the street above and also down to the sea below. I’m in absolute door and door knocker heaven!

Before I make my way back to the square to catch the bus back to Mytiline, I find a little cafe bakery called Mperdema just at the edge of the small park with the memorial statue. Just next to this is the small port of Plomari and the crossing point for the boats to Smyrna. These run during the summer season.

It’s time for the bus and I again feel that I have so much more to explore in Plomari. However, hopefully I will visit again and stay longer.

Later that evening I very lazily eat at Kalderimi around the corner from Havenly Loft. My time on Lesvos is nearly at an end. Where did two weeks on this fascinating island go!