the nine things I learned in Greece
On the island of Lesvos
Geiá sou. Live and kicking from the Greek island of Lesvos, or Lesbos, as most know it. For the last few days, I have been exploring the island with Zoover. Most likely, the first thing you think of is the refugees. I completely understand that, and I promise to come back to that in detail later this week. Because yes, it’s not an issue I take lightly and it’s definitely something that needs to be talked about. But for now, I want to talk about the island and its inhabitants. About the very attentive, incredibly friendly Lesvian population and what I have learned here over the past few days. Because believe me, there’s so much more than just souvlaki and gyros and all the delights that come from Greek cuisine. I have fallen in love with these people. Even with their customs that we might find quirky. It all has charm and makes them authentic.
1. You always pee with the door open. Well, closed, but never locked. There are no locks. Restaurants, museums... I haven't come across a single lock. So: door closed? Don’t go inside.
2. The purser of your flight to the island has a very fitting name: Adonis. Okay, okay, that was just pure coincidence for me. But seriously, you can't think of a better name when flying this way? And that flight to the sun is just under four hours. Winning! (By the way, I still haven't encountered an Adonis on the island, so that dream of finding a delicious Greek god has unfortunately not come true yet.)
3. Oh yes, and my pilot was named Edwin Evers. No joke. I was a bit shocked at first. Or was this secretly Willem Alexander flying under a pseudonym and decided to use the name of one of the Netherlands' most famous radio DJs?
4. On this island, they have trees that make you constantly have the song ‘I Will Survive’ by Gloria Gaynor stuck in your head. The trees here are ‘petrified’. ‘First I was afraid, I was petrified, kept thinking I could never live without you by my side...’ Yes, you have it in your head now too, right? Well, by petrified, they just mean turned to stone. But secretly, ‘Gloria Gaynor trees’ sounds a lot more fun.
5. I just mentioned it; the people here are bizarrely friendly. Now, I have been fortunate enough to visit quite a few countries in my life, but I have never experienced it like this. Here, we Dutch can still learn a lot.
6. Cat lovers pay attention: this place is for you. Cats are everywhere. And not ugly animals, but the most photogenic and sweet kittens you will ever encounter.
7. Coincidentally, I know that in Brabant they always talk about a Brabant quarter. That you always have to add at least fifteen minutes when you have an appointment. Well, in Lesvos, you have the Lesvian twenty minutes. So if you happen to be on this island in a tourist bus and want to know how long you still have to travel? Always add twenty minutes to the time they have indicated. You’ll always be right.
8. Everything in Lesvos is extraordinarily photogenic, so if you think Santorini was good for your Instagram feed then you are sorely mistaken. The streets of, among others, Molyvos are like a movie set, so beautiful. Well, killing for your phone, because you want to stop every few minutes to take pictures. You understand: on this island, a power bank is essential.
9. Not so wild about men? Ladies, come here. Lesvos (or Lesbos, whatever you prefer) is also known as a popular holiday destination for lesbians. And rightly so, because the island is so beautiful, so why wouldn’t you go there?
