Kalymnos - Island of the Sponge Divers.

Harbour Pothia



Kalymnos draws you in. I still recall the very first time I saw Kalymnos and the sense of occasion I felt as the boat nuzzled northward from Kos. Beyond the port of Pothia opened before me emerging from its natural amphitheatre and into the dawn’s light to reveal its details to our transfixed gaze as the ferry got nearer. The feeling that this island is a place apart has stayed with me since and indeed been reinforced by getting to know Kalymnos and Kalymnians over the years. Pity then that most visitors see it on an alleged “Three Island” day trip from Kos and their view of this unique and multi faceted island is limited to a visit to a “Sponge Factory” and lunch at the wrong end of the harbour. For this is a fascinating and unique place with a special culture, music and sense of place which for all its maddening and frenetic aspects it is worth getting to know better.



Kalymnos draws you in and so do the Kalymnians with their heightened sense of solidarity forged in adversity from earning a hazardrous living from the sea and land and from asserting their culture, religion and Greek nationality in the face of 700 years of occupation by Crusader Knights of St. John, The Ottoman Turks, Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany and more benignly the British before Kaymnos was finally unified with Greece in 1948.



Kalymnos is best known as the island of some of the world's finest sponge divers. The sea has always been the focal element of local life and a culture which has preserved its traditional character, colour and style to a great extent. Kaymnos has always looked to the sea for its livelihood for the island is essentially 3 rocky mountain ranges with a small area of fertile land in the valleys between. Its picturesque landscapes, its clear blue seas and the hospitality of the locals are just a small sample of what the island offers to its visitors. Situated between Kos and Leros and off the coast of Turkey it is the fourth largest island in the Dodecanese; Kalymnos is surrounded by other smaller Greek Islands, (islets) however, only Pserimos and Telendos are inhabited. Kalymnos is a very traditional island with a distinct musical tradition and a strong sense of identity forged by the harshness of the sponge fishing in the past and the pain of emigration by the Kalymnian diaspora in America and Australia. Tarpon Springs on the Gulf Coast of Florida and Darwin in Australia are both Kalymnian colonies where after the war they migrated to seek new sponge fishing beds as the mediterranean ones were ravaged by disease and made inaccesible by political change. So English is spoken by most people on the island but often with an American or strine accent!


Pothia Harbour Front



The use of sponges was described by Aristotle, and was mentioned in both of Homer’s epic works, the Iliad and the Odyssey. For centuries, and until about 1986, the Greek sponge trade had been focused around the Dodecanese, with Kalymnos being the most notable. In the mid 1980s, a disease struck the eastern Mediterranean, destroying most of the sponges and decimating the sponge diving industry. The once large fleet of more than 30 boats was then reduced to only three or four. An important festival takes place one week after Easter just before the sponge fleet departs for its four-month expedition to the waters between southern Italy and the north coast of Africa. Known the “Dinner of Love” the weeklong celebration is a feast of food, drink, and dance. The dances depict the relation between the Kalymnian people and the sponge (the Kalymnian “Gold” as it is often referred to) and recount the joy and the tragedy of this incredibly dangerous deep-sea endeavour. When I first went there you would still see barrell chested men walking the harbour front with the aid of sticks having been crippled by the “bends”.



For the sponges which made Kalymnos famous and wealthy were both a blessing and a curse. Originally the sponge divers dived naked with a rope and a weight and a net to collect the sponges. As they used natural lung power they could only stay down for a few minutes each time. When the diving suit with an airline came in towards the end of the 19th Century the productivity and the harvest increased but there was no understanding of the bends and no decompression facilities on the ships when things went wrong. So a terrible toll was taken each year with some years perhaps one in five of the sailors who took to sea each April either not returning or coming home crippled. When the fleet departed the Kalymnian women donned their black “widows weeds” until they saw their husbands again. Often having lost a husband a widow would have to send their child to sea with the fleet the next year for otherwise the family would starve the next winter.



The story of sponge diving is ably told by Faith Warn in her book “The Bitter Sea”. It tells of the wealth and lavish lifestyle brought by the golden harvest to a few traders and dealers. The incredibly hazardous diving methods used to gather the sponges - and their terrible toll on the Kalymnos menfolk and the sudden catastrophe of the virus destroying the mediterranean sponge beds and the founding of new Kalymnian communities in America and Australia. In Greece, Kalymnos was known as “The Island of Widows.” Today tourists and day trippers from Kos are brought to “sponge factories” but in truth there are few mediteranean sponges in Kalymnos.



Lady of Kalymnos

Well worth a trip is the wonderful new archaelogical museum in the area of Agia Triada. The brand new KALYMNOS MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY officially opened its doors on 10th April 2009. For the first time the breathtaking collection of Kalymnos marble statues found in 2001 will be on public show, along with the magnificent bronze figure of the 'Lady of Kalymnos' trawled up from the sea bed by a Kalymnian fisherman. Other exhibits represent all periods of Ancient Greece, from Paleolithic and Neolithic to Minoan, Mycaenean, Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic and Roman. This museum contains displays of far greater importance than would normally be found on an island of this size and tells a new story of the significance of Kalymnos in both the ancient and modern world.




KALYMNOS MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY

The new museum is set in the grounds of the old Archaeological Museum which gives an insight into the lives of the rich sponge merchants in the 19th century. For an insight into the lifestyle of a wealthy sponge merchant you should visit the Vouvalis Family mansion in Pothia. Housed in a Neoclassical mansion that belongs to the Vouvalis family and that has been lavishly reconstructed. It contains a collection of Neolithic and Bronze-Age finds from the island plus local memorabilia but what will impress you more, in my opinion, is the 'Victorian' furnishings, portraits and panoramas of Constantinople you'll also find there. The dining room, the living room, the office and the storerooms have been reconstructed as at the turn of the 20th centuryand exhibit the complete furniture and household objects of the Vouvalis family. At its height this business even had an office in the Baltic Exchange in London but little of the wealth trickled down to the sailors who manned the sponge fleet each year.


Vouvalis mansion




Kalymnian Sponge Boat

Looking around from Pothia you can see the reason Kalymnos and Kalymnians have had to look to the sea and other countries to make a living as it is surrounded by barren mountains. Homer refers to a wooded island but it has been deforested over the millenia and today only 18% of the island is cultivated or forested. Kalymnos has capitalised on its mountainous landscape by promoting itself as a climbing destination in recent years to attract rock and mountain climbers from the furthest corners of the globe. However this is also a reflection that few mainstream operators now send customers to Kalymnos because of the akwardness and expense of the transfer from Kos and the generally basic 60 / 70’s style tourist accommodation, generally accessed up several flights of steps. In the countryside you can find a great variety of wild herbs such as thyme, sage and oregano, while exploring the Kalymnian slopes. These herbs are also vital ingredients for the production of the famous Kalymnian honey. The island also boasts two fertile valleys, "Vathi" being the most famous, dotted with citrus orchards for local consumption and export.


Vathi

Heading up the valley to Chora and the west coast from Pothia you pass by old windmills in front of a monastery crying out for restoration and the remains of the basilica dedicated to Christ of Jerusalem, dating back to the 6th century but built on top of and using the stonework of an earlier temple edicated to the Delian Apollo. Beyond you find find the castle of Chrisocherias, built by the Knights of the Order of Saint John on top of ancient and Byzantine ruins with the church of Chrisocherias inside it. The village is the old capital of the island and the knights left their mark here, reinforcing the old Byzantine castle. It is worth the climb up the donkey track to see the castle, in reality a fortified town, which still contains 11 churches many with ancient frescoes extant. When in the castle the logic of its position becomes apparent as you look down the valley 3 miles to Pothia and straight across to Kos. Here you could see any invader coming and take refuge behind the walls in this Kastro protected on 3 sides by natural cliffs. On the other side you can see down to the west coast to Telendos and the beautiful sheltered stretch of water where the ancient capital of the island once stood. This impresive fortification is a tribute to the resolve and the courage of the Hospitaller Knights of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem and a testament to the fact that ultimately they were strangers in a foreign land. Like so many ancient sights in Greece it is cying out for sensitive development, conservation and management. In 1522 faced with an onslaught by Suleiman the Magnificent, grandson of the conqueror of Byzantium, the knights retrenched from the other Dodecanese Islands to Rhodes and after a siege, accepted the honourable terms offered by the Cailiph. Under their Grand Master they sailed to the island of Malta, given to them by the King of Spain. There, after surviving a further siege by Suleiman’s fleet in 1565, they founded the fortress city of Valletta, named in honour of their Grand Master, and today their traditions are carried on by the Sovereign Order of the Knights of Malta and the St. John’s Ambulance Brigade.

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/03/knights-of-malta.html





Pera Kastro - Fortress of the Knights of St. John



Heading north from the village of Chora huddling under the castle you might be struck by the density of housing on this small island with 16,000 souls. There are a number of reasons for this. One is the tradition still extant of a “dowry house”. On Kalymnos a girl is expected to bring a house as a dowry to her marriage and frequently the girl’s father will build a house while she is young (in case “something” happens) which will stay empty until she marries. This is one of a number of traditions preserved on this island; another is the use of Byzantine girl’s names, such as Themelina, which are no longer in use elsewhere. Secondly families often spend the winter in Pothia and the summer in the countryside or by the coast so they have two homes. Lastly there are far more Kalymnians abroad in Australia and America than there are here and many keep the family house on the island as a talisman that they will return someday. Indeed so many emigres return for the winter that the cafes on the Pothia seafront are open and lively all year round.


Easter "dynamites" above Pothia

Further on you come to a crossroads at Elias Square (As in the Prophet Elias) and a road here leads down to the first resort area at Kantouni where there are two narrow beaches with lovely views of the coastline and divided by an unusual rock formation. Here in this pleasant area you can see two examples of how Kalymnos sells itself short as a tourist destination. The beach is dominated by the 8 story hulk of a derelict hotel built illegally in the early 80’s but still an eyesore and still not demolished. Along the beach its narrowness is emphasised by some villa gardens encroaching up to six feet on the beach, a selfish and illegal land grab on an island where there is little evidence of planning control.


Linaria and Kantouni beyond

Heading back to the main road and northwards you come to Myrties on the west coast of Kalymnos, approximately 8 km from Pothia. Myrties has a quay with boats leaving to the neighbouring islands of Telendos and Leros. The beach in Mirties is somewhat smaller, approximately 100 m long and with pebbles, but also has numerous small tavernas and bars. The sea around the island is clear and clean with loads of fish - perfect conditions for snorkelling. Myrties is little sleepy village with a few restaurants/tavernas, shops, cafes and bars the main meeting place in the village is at the small square were the locals and guests meets up for coffee and watch the world going by.


Emborios

From Myrties you must take a boat over to the magical island of Telendos. It is basically a mountain in the sea with no paved roads or vehicles, 3 beaches, 50 permanent inhabitants, six excellent tavernas and one island donkey called Samson. The sound created between Telendos and Kalymnos is a beautiful sheltered stretch of water and don’t worry about ferry timetables or getting back. Telendos lies about 700metres off the coast of Kalymnos, of which it was once part. In an earthquake of 554BC, which according to the historiographer Agathias lasted for 14 days, the ground subsided and the channel of water separating the two islands came into being. On the bed of the sea, important ruïns have been found of the ancient buildings in a large city which has been tentatively identified as Pothaea, the original island capital. The terrain of Telendos is mountainous, with Rachi (458 m) as the highest peak. There are also remains of a Roman town, a castle, and the medieval monastery of St Basil. There are a number of small beaches all within 10 to 15 minutes walk, there being no roads on the island. Some of the walk is paved whilst access to the more remote and secluded beaches is via stony rough ground.


Telendos

The boatmen have their own system and no matter what time you finish a meal on Telendos there is a boat to bring you back for one euro. The harbour is small and quiet, and is reached by using any of the regular small ferry boats travelling between the island and the port has numerous tavernas along the waterfront and some small supermarket shops selling water and essentials. The two I’d particularly recommend are the Telendos Taverna run by Nikos who in winter is a waiter in Florida and On the Rocks run with some flair by Greek Aussies and which has a 6th Century basilica in its back yard! All the tavernas specialise in fresh fish simply cooked which have been landed by the island’s fishermen that morning.

Telendos is a place apart, a place get off and let the world go by so you won’t find it easy to take the short ferry ride back to the “mainland”. When you do you will see a complete contrast when you rejoin the main road northwards and head 2 km. to Massouri which is a strip of shops, tavernas and tourist studios built on the side of the cliff to grab the view of Telendos sound and which all now looks somewhat dated and ramshackle. Your faith will be restored by continuing northwards on the virtually empty coast road past some of the most challenging rock climbs until you come to the end of the road at the charming and unpretentious hamlet of Emborios.


Kalymnos Airport & Argos

Head back now the way you came towards Pothia, Past Chora you will see a sign for the airport at the village of Argos. This airport opened in 2007 and it tells a tale of the quality of the administration on Kalymnos. For the airport (which caters for small turbo-props) was completed 14 years earlier with European Union funds but then took years for the Greeks to put in the safety equipment and facilities. Its opening was promised many times, normally every election year!


Agios Savvas

Past the windmills and before you come to Pothia turn right up the hill to a very special place, Agios Savvas. This is the monastery of St. Savvas which overlooks Pothia and affords a spectacular viewpoint of the harbour, Kos and indeed the Turkish coast just beyond. Savvas was the priest who led the opposition to the Italian Occupation (1912 - 1944) and who died in 1948 - The year the Dodecanese were united with Greece after almost 700 years of occupation by the Crusader Knights of St. John, The Ottoman Turks and the Italians. His body is kept here and he is revered as the patron saint of Kalymnos and his icon will be found in most homes. The Italians went to war against the decaying Ottoman Empire in 1912 occupying Cyrenaica and Tripolantia (Nowadays Libya) and the Dodecanese. At first they were welcomed as Christian liberators by the Greeks but the nature of the Italian occupation changed dramatically after 1922 when Mussolini’s fascists took power in Rome. Now the policy was of enforced latinisation of the islands with major public works to italianise the islands, banning of the teaching of Greek and suppression of Orthodoxy. On the next island of Leros a huge naval base was established at Lakki to control the eastern Mediterranean. This base and the huge guns at the harbour mouth formed the basis of Alistair McLean’s “The Guns of Navaronne” even though the book and movier were set in Rhodes. On Kalymnos the opposition to the occupation and the setting up of secret schools to continue Greek teaching was led by Savvas and his memory is revered by the Kalymnians. There was never Turkish immigration into Kalymnos and today you will find an island which is entirely Greek and preserves many of its unique traditions, including its distinctive music and song. In Kalymnos as elsewhere the Greek culture was kept alive against all odds by its language and Orthodoxy and today you will see little evidence that this island was not greek for over 600 years.

For an insight into the traditions which kept Kaymnian culture alive stop on the way back to Pothia at the “Kalymnian House”. Whilst a modern building the artifacts inside are genuine and the people who run it are Kalymnian with a passion for their culture and island. Inside you will see the Kalymnian platform bed where all the family slept, the handcrafts of the island, the household traditions and examine a traditional “marriage contract” between two families. Before you leave you can sample the traditional sweet wine produced on the island.


Vlichádia


Sponge Divers Museum

Further along this road you will come to the charming cove of Vlichádia, only 6km from Pothia but a world away from the hustle and bustle of its harbour front. We were driven there by Manolis Kalitkatzaeos

(+ 069790 72221 if you want to book a reliable taxi on Kalymnos.)


This is mainly a summer community literally at the end of the road facing a small beach and peaceful cove. There are three small and attractive tavernas and an interesting "Sea World Museum" run by the colourful Vaslamidis brothers. The people here are very friendly and greet many of the repeat visitors who seek out its tranquility. The Sea World Museum in Vlichádia is open 10-14. It has every attractive and extensive shell collection along with other odds and ends from the sea.

All the tavernas here offer good home cooked fare and freshly caught fish. We went into the one called The Sponge Divers beside the museum which is also owned by the Vaslamidis family and here we broke bread with our great friend and enjoyed a typical Kalymnian seafood lunch whilst drinking in the peace and tranquility of this lovely place.


Taverna

Kalymnos has some unique features including a distinct musical tradition, an attachment to Byzantine girls’ names for its daughters and some excellent local dishes. Try "mousouri" - stuffed lamb oven-cooked in an earthen pot, mostly on Easter. The "'ptazimo" (bread kneaded in anise and ouzo), "phyla" (also known as "dolmades", stuffed vine leaves), "mirmizeli" (barley flour bread kneaded in olive oil, tomato and cheese), "anama" (celebrated local wine), octopus on the charcoal grill, fish and spinialo (sea food in a rich lemon sauce) and traditional "Galaktoboureko"(cream pastry) for desert.

Head back down the hill now to the bustling harbour front of Pothia which has gained new life as evening falls.

The harbour of Kalymnos is confusingly called both Kalymnos and Pothia (“The Port”). Pothia itself is a bit like a Monet, looks better from a distance but not so good close up. It has a bustling harbour front but the traffic is heavy with the buzzing of young exhibitonistic Kalymnians on scooters penetrating everywhere. If you see somebody with a helmet they are likely to be a tourist, indeed if they are a tourist they are also likely to be insured as well! It is difficult to know what the police do here other than stay in their station and keep cool! Pothia is bustling but with little evidence of proper planning or indeed traffic management.


Pothia Cathedral

A good perch on the harbour is Apostoli’s traditional family Kafeoin on the front. His pastries and deserts are all traditional specialities of the island and are justifiably famous.The most well known and a speciality of the island is "Galaktoboureko" a sticky desert as if semolina pudding has been mated with Baklava! Kalymnos is like the Clapham Junction of the Greek ferry system in the Dodecanese and there is a constant stream of Greeks in transit who hop up to Apostoli's to have the best coffee on Kalymnos and to take his deserts home as a very welcome gift when visiting families and friends.


Apostoli's Kafeoin

At the far end of the harbour you can enjoy good seafood in traditional seafood tavernas such as Baba Stoukas, the best of the many fish restauraunts which nuzzle the harbour front in Pothia. Fish is good in Kalymnos as are the Octopus croquettes and the pungent garlic sauce. Another specialty is Horta, the wild greens of the island served as a side dish. Chances are the neighbouring tables will enquire if you are enjoying your food and invite you to join them as whole extended families will be there enjoying a leisurely meal. You can sense here the solidarity amongst Kalymnians united by their shared history resisting occupiers and making a living from these hills and seas with some difficulty and hardship. They say if a Kalymnian is your friend then you have a friend for life. A case in point is our good buddy Bill. Bill is a Greek- American polymath originaly from Detroit who moved to the Kaymnian colony of Tarpon Springs in Florida and then to Kalymnos where his family hailed from. The cathederal in Pothia is built on land donated by his family and his grandfather was a mason on the cathederal sized church on the other side of the harbour bult in some style by the wealthy sponge mechants in C19.



Sitting on the harbour front at night surrounded by the lights of the town, overlooked by Agios Savvas illuminated on the hill above, and talking in the music and conversation of your new Kalymnian friends whilst you watch the huge ferries reverse in and out of this harbour as they connect the far flung islands this can seem the most enticing place in the world. Not for nothing does the English language have a word “idyllic” meaning to wander happily amongst the islands. Despite everything, Kalymnos has drawn you in.

Location: Dodecanese, Greece.


See also;

Telendos, a place apart

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/03/telendos-place-apart.html

Kos Town

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/08/kos-town.html

The Taxi Driver of Nisyros

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2007/09/taxi-driver-of-nisyros.html



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