Fools afloat. Day 2.

Day 2 Sun 3 June 2018

Leros Island Greece. Lekki Harbour.    See www.Leros.gr.
0800hrs. We were awake. It was already hot. Our cabin was adequate, neither small nor large. With a couple of ‘portholes’ open and a 12/24v bulkhead fan things were relatively pleasant during the night. We slept fitfully. It was warm overnight as we had been warned requiring only a sheet for covering. The main issue was with a disco that seemed to be coming from Café Limon. A few hundred meters away on the edge of the marina. That banged on till about 0230hrs. Me? I was asleep before my head hit the pillow but Jackie seems to hear these things!

There seems to be insufficient young visitors around to warrant an all-nighter. Perhaps it was a private party. Didn’t seem likely. The island, although they are now in their summer doesn’t get going till July/August. Then it’s fairly low key compared to some of the other more popular islands.

Breakfast was boiled eggs, bread, jam, Marmite and fresh fruit washed down with either tea, coffee or fruit juice.

We had arranged that Stella the ‘pink’ taxi driver lady was to collect us from the boat at 1100hrs. She was late. Pink you ask? Yes. Her steering wheel, wing mirrors, car seat, lipstick and nails were all a shocking pink. She spoke excellent English and knew the island like the back of her hand.

Whist Tim paced up and down, we others reasoned that she must have gone to the other marina on the far side of the bay. “Impossible” said Tim “she knows she dropped us here. Why would she go there?” David had wandered across to the Marina office to glance into the window whilst Mike, Jackie and Suzie exchanged knowing glances and smiles. She was now 10 minutes adrift. Tim rang her. After much ‘we are here, where are you’ type conversation it was decided Stella and the second cab were in the wrong location. That was obvious because they weren’t here with us but waiting at the other, newer Marina on the other side of Lekki Bay. “Why would she do that, how is it possible?” mussed Tim. “Perhaps we are not the only people she had taxied into the marina last night.” questioned Suzie. Tim looked up and with a furrowed brow thought about this for a few moments and said no more. We three grinned again. Stella soon arrived and apologised profusely. Tim, then rather pointedly reminded her we were to be taken to the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery on Leros. “Are there two?” He asked.

We were looking for the grave of Captain Holt, Royal Artillery, killed here on Leros. We were to pay our respects. David’s parent regiment was Royal Artillery. Jackie and Suzie had earlier that morning collected some Thyme to place on the grave. The Cemetery here is rather small and whilst searching we rather unexpectedly noticed other SF graves belonging to LRDG members. Of which we took note and photographs. There was to be a presentation at the SF club in London within the next few weeks and photos were taken to e mail to the speaker to augment the talk.

 

Tim and David consult the CWGC Roll of Honour.

According to Stella, it seems that in the late 1930’s Hitler was invited to visit this most strategic and modern deep sea facility by Mussolini, one assumes to impress Adolf and thus he came to stay here with Eva Braun in a rather nice house barely a 100 meters from where we were moored.

The house in which Hitler and Eva Braun stayed on their visit to Leros. Must have been late 1930’s.

Mussolini’s house, the burnt yellow, in the photo above was next door. The town of Lakki has a strong Italian influence in its architecture due to the long period it was under Italian control. The old Gestapo Headquarters, barracks blocks, senior officer’s quarters, warehouses and admin centres are still in use today. The town council has decreed that any renovations must be in keeping with this style.

Attempts have been made to declare Lakki of special architectural interest. 

After signing the visitors book at Leros CWGC Cemetery Stella insisted we must visit the prominent castle on the hill. This feature dominate this side of the Southern coast and was one of the main objectives in November ’43 for the Germans.

The view from the old 5^th Century Castle and monastery. Pantelli beach and harbour are seen here in the photo. Lakki harbour is away towards the top of the photo, the blue sea just peering over the headland.

Passing the ancient windmills which now belonged to the community, in one there was a café which we had determined to take a coffee. However it was closed. We drove on.

Stella had driven us to the top of the hill upon which the castle was built. There was however, quite a few more steps to ascend. No sooner had we walked through the ancient wooden door and into the courtyard, a mass of beautiful pink bougainvillea than a wizened old lady approached, her hand held open asking for a donation to enter the church. Most unusual but we paid up. It was tiny inside but the size was more than compensated for by the gold gilt covering everything.

As the meter was running, so to speak, for Stella and her other driver were waiting for us we contented ourselves with a quick scan around the crumbling battlements and peered here and their into various dark and mysterious passages.

                                        The monastery courtyard inside the 5^th Century castle.

Back in the cab we asked to be taken to the WW2 museum. This took us back into Lakki and past Chrysanthi on her moorings to a valley just beyond. Past where Suzie and Jackie had picked the Thyme flowers that we had placed on the graves this morning.

The gate guardian. A Starfighter 105F. ‘The widow maker.’

Not exactly WW2 or anywhere near it but it looked good.

 

Inside the entrance to these tunnels sat a rather large Greek gentleman who relieved David of three Euros for each of us. These tunnels were originally built by the Italians pre/during the war and sections of which Stella told us were used as air raid tunnels. Bearing in mind that when Italy was an Axis power we British bombed them and when then switched sides to us the Allies, the Germans bombed them. Tunnels led off in all directions and it is always the ones you are not allowed down that seem to be more interesting than the ones you are.

 Our visit to the tunnel museum complete we made our way out into the daylight and took the taxi for the short return journey to the boat. The two taxis for the morning, including all waiting and the ‘history lesson’ en-route was E65 each cab.

We were now thirsty and somewhat peckish. Lunch was taken at one of the Tavernas on the main harbour side. It had a rather splendid view out into the bay, the mouth of which was visible beyond the distant mole. We enjoyed a most pleasant lunch with a Greek salad and a beer, or two. After lunch Mike and Jackie went in search of the bakery for tomorrow’s bread. It was closed.

On Returning to the boat we were told we would probably not need any as we were to slip our moorings at 0800hrs. Reveille was to be 0630hrs.

The remainder of the late afternoon was spent reading and sheltering from the sun under the bimini.

Stella was to collect us at 1900hrs and take us to dinner. She arrived promptly, rather well glammed up. We were to eat at a fish restaurant she recommended on Pantelli beach. Or rather the older part given over to the fishing boats. On our way there she had to drop a high chair off at the Resto she and her family wee dining in that night. It was her grandsons ‘name day’. Celebrated in Greece more so than your birth day.

She dropped us at the rear door of the Taverna and the owner was there to greet us like long lost friends. Stella promised to return at 2230hrs and with that was gone.

 

 

 

 

 2230hrs. As promised Stella and her man returned and within minutes we were back on board. A great full day had been enjoyed by all. Now it was time for some kip. We were to be up and away fairly sharp in the morning.