Saturday/Sunday – May 28-29

Saturday we went to Turkey!  Yes – Turkey.  There is a ferry that goes over to Ayvalik, Turkey from Mytilene here.  It’s about an hour and a half ride and very relaxing.  I always like being out on the water.  The city itself is just a city – a number of shops and restaurants but most not to my taste.  None of the artisan type shops I enjoy.  We did have lunch at a tiny Turkish restaurant that Jenny knew about.  It is really a Mom and Pop type place.  Simple but abundant and good food.  They were very glad to see us, a party of nine.  The host was especially genial and made us very welcome.  After lunch, one of th girls and I headed out n a trek to see an old Turkish watch tower.  (It’s 8 o’clock Sunday night and I am sitting outside while the newly shorn sheep go by, bells sounding like babbling water.)  We found our tower, after a rather circuitous hike but the day was gorgeous and hiking around was infinitely preferable to poking around in kitschy shops.  Back into town for some coffee at a very cool place with political paintings on the walls – many were moving, some alarming, and in some, the US did not come off too well.  Then back on the ferry, drive the hour and a half back to Molivos, and then head to town for a late supper.

Sunday has been a quiet day – I am missing going to church but the only service is back in Mytilene, in the evening, and I’m afraid sleep won out.  In case you are thinking that all I do is go to Turkey and sit by the pool, the photo is of next week’s schedule.  It will be a full week!  But I am so glad that we get to go back into the camp and I get more time at Skala and the community center, both of which I had hoped to do again.  Very grateful.

Tonight, after supper, Olga sat down to chat.  She is a 29 year old wife and mother who works here at the hotel and one of my favorite people – cheerful and with a ready smile. She fixes and serves most of our meals here, and she shared her story with me.  She was born here on Lesvos and loves it here very much.   However, due to the refugee crisis, tourism is almost nil.  Even though the refugees are confined mainly in the camp, the news reports have made it seem like it is an issue on the entire island.  So the tourists stay away.  And tourism is what mainly supports this economy.  Much of her work is seasonal so a poor summer is really a disaster.  Her husband also has a seasonal job in one of the coffee shops.  She does not want to leave the island, but the family may have to to survive.  Some of the other islands are fine.  This is the face of the Greek problem