North of Leros island (March-June 2023)
On the 15 of March, we arrived in Leros to prepare for the new season. The trip to Leros was quite
long as the flight to Leros was cancelled twice and finally we had to use the ferry arriving at Leros
at 3:30am. After a good rest on the boat, we started to complete the list of tasks to be done.
First, we applied some antifouling, cleaned and polished the hull and reconnected all the
instruments we had disconnected before leaving the boat to limit any damage in case lightning hit
the boat during the winter. A few days after Easter, Terus returned to the sea and our first stop
was in the port of Leros where we could finish preparing Terus by replacing the genset priming
pump and rehoisting the sails. In the Middle of April, we had to wait for a few more days until the
weather improved. We wanted southerly winds so we could visit the islands north of Leros.
However, as the prevailing wind was from the north, we had to wait a few days before we could sail
to the islands of Chios, Ikaria, Oinussa and Lesbos. Those islands are still part of the Dodecanese
and are located close to the Turkish coast. Sometimes you have to wait several days, but the
islands are very interesting destinations as they are very different from the other Greek islands.
Ikaria island
Located 10 miles west of Samos is the island of Ikaria. It has a little harbor that offers good
protection from the northerly winds. Beside the harbor there is a hot radioactive spring. If you
want to enjoy the water, no problem, but do not soak for longer than 3 or 4 minutes to limit the
amount of radiation. Further north of the harbor there is a bigger spring that is the main tourist
attraction on the island, but we did not go there.
Chios island
Located 11 km from Turkey with an area of 850 Km², historically, this island has mostly been
occupied by Turks, Ottoman soldiers, Genovese and other colonists. For a time, slavery was legal
in Chios which benefited the economy of the island. Since ancient times, Chios has been known for
the production of “mastica”, a resin harvested from a particular tree that only grows in the
southern part of Chios. Originally, the gum was used as a medicine to protect the mouth and teeth
as well as avoid bad breath. The right to harvest the valuable resin was often reserved for the
ruling elite and anyone else who tried to engage in trading it could face the death penalty. Several
attempts have been made to cultivate the tree in other places, but for some unknown reason, the
trees failed to produce the valuable resin. Besides the use of the resin as a medicine it is a
valuable ingredient in chewing gum and ouzo, the national Greek alcoholic drink. There is also a
drink produced with mastica, but it is not so popular. To collect the resin, small notches are made
in the trunk and branches out of which a little resin is secreted. When the resin dries out it often
falls on the ground. The farmers growing the trees work all year long on their land to make sure
that the ground under the trees remains clean so that the little drops of resin can be gathered
easily. Once gathered, a lot of time is needed to clean the product, which today is still done
manually. There is a museum that explains very well all about the cultivation of mastica and I highly
recommend you visit it. Not far away from the museum you can visit the village of Pyrgi. This
village has strange looking houses as they are white with geometric designs on the facades. It is
certainly very original.
As explained, Chios has often been invaded, but the worst invasion was in 1822 by the Ottomans
when they killed 25,000 people and captured 45,000 people to sell as slaves. The Ottomans were
upset by the fact that the people of Chios refused to join Turkey. If today the Greek people do
not like the Turks, it is partly because of this massacre from which only 15,000 people managed to
escape. If there was one thing that disappointed us in Chios it was the bad condition of the port
and the fact that it is located quite far from the city center. The harbor is free and offers very
good protection from the northerly winds. There is also a good supermarket where you can buy all
food related items, but for the rest, such as to rent a car, buy fresh fish etc.… you need to go to
the commercial harbor. If you prefer to wait for favorable winds you can go to the island of
Oinoussa. The island is located a few miles from the port of Chios. It is very nice, but the island
only has a bakery, so if you need groceries you have to go back to Chios. I am sure there is a
shuttle, but we did not inquire about it. Oinoussa has a little maritime museum that we visited
where you can see several nice model boats all made of ivory.
Lesbos Island
After having waited for several days on Chios because of the northerly winds, we had a little
window of southerly winds which we took advantage of to move to the island of Lesbos. Our first
attempt failed because the wind changed direction soon after our departure, but two days later it
was much better. Lesbos is a big island, and you need a car to explore it. In the west of the island
there is a big area where you can see a lot of fossilized trees that are 18 million years old. At that
time, a big volcanic eruption covered the western part of the island with a big layer of dust. Many
of the trees that were buried under the dust became fossils and when you travel in that area you
see very many fossilized trees. Today since roads are being constructed, it is not rare for new
fossilized trees to be discovered. There is a little museum that explains very well the formation of
those fossilized trees and it contains a few trunks.
While you drive across the island you notice that the cultivation of olives is the agricultural
activity on the island. In the past, the oil was mainly used to make soap, but today a lot of the old
soap factories have been abandoned. Luckily, one oil press factory has been beautifully restored
and is open for visitors. This olive oil museum allows you to understand the oil extraction process.
The machines used to extract the oil have been repaired well and are in good working order. Even
the steam machine that powered the plant is working. From the steam machine you see the big
belts in the ceiling that transferred the power to the rest of the plant. We were surprised to
learn that after they were pressed to extract the oil, the remaining olive skins were used as
combustible fuel in the steam machine. In other words, the factory was carbon neutral before its
time. During the winter months the factory could grind grain to produce flour and keep providing
jobs for the workers.
After the factory tour, we went north to visit the village of Methymna. Above the village there is
a fort built in the 14th century, that protected the village. It was ideally located to watch out for
any approaching Turkisharmy. Below the fortress there a some nice hotelsif you wish to stay
longer.
But a must to visit in Lesbos are the Ouzo factories. Lesbos has 2 inner seas and around them
there is a particular Aniseed plant, with a particular taste, that grows only there. This particular
aniseed is the basic ingredient of ouzo, the national Greek liquor. The plant is smaller than other
aniseed plants found in the rest of Europe. We visited two factories, and it was
really interesting to see the manufacturing process. The first plant was closed to visitors, but we
were lucky, as the guide decided to explain to us the Ouzo making process. We could not visit the
production area, but the explanation we were given in the museum was very interesting. To make
Ouzo you need a large number of ingredients, and the recipe is more than 100 years old and hidden
in vaults. To limit variations in the taste from year to year, they mix 3 years’ worth of ingredients
together. Among the ingredients are aniseed, cloves, mastika, mint, salt and many other things. In
the factory they produce different kinds of Ouzo with different levels of alcohol content, up to
50%. The second factory that we visited did allow us to visit the production area and the bottling
line. Needles to say, we thanked the factories by purchasing some bottles of Ouzo and since we
had a good impression we find that it tastes very good.
But we still don’t know what is the best way to drink Ouzo. Some say dry, while others recommend
with ice and a little bit water. So, I recommend that try both ways and then stick to the one you
prefer. To make Ouzo a large quantity of synthetic alcohol is required as other alcohol produced
from fermentation always has a particular taste that alters the normal Ouzo taste.During our stay
in Leros, we stayed in the main harbor when we needed a car, but otherwise we went to the inner
seas were it was extremely quiet. Along the shore you can see some abandoned oil factories
serving as testimony to the old soap industry.
Samos island
We had already visited Samos, but we decided to return to meet some Belgian friends in the port
of Maratocampos located on the south west side of Samos. This harbor is well protected and the
village around the harbor is very quiet. There are two places where you can moor. If you tie up to
the pontoon at the front of the entrance, you are safe unless the wind comes from the south. The
place offers water and electricity. If you go to the marina on the west side, you can find a place
protected from all winds and can enjoy showers and washing machines. However, we heard a rumor
that in the future the harbor will be made available for ferries to drop passengers and cars. We
hope that this will not destroy the charm of the port of Maratocampo.
at 3:30am. After a good rest on the boat, we started to complete the list of tasks to be done.
First, we applied some antifouling, cleaned and polished the hull and reconnected all the
instruments we had disconnected before leaving the boat to limit any damage in case lightning hit
the boat during the winter. A few days after Easter, Terus returned to the sea and our first stop
was in the port of Leros where we could finish preparing Terus by replacing the genset priming
pump and rehoisting the sails. In the Middle of April, we had to wait for a few more days until the
weather improved. We wanted southerly winds so we could visit the islands north of Leros.
However, as the prevailing wind was from the north, we had to wait a few days before we could sail
to the islands of Chios, Ikaria, Oinussa and Lesbos. Those islands are still part of the Dodecanese
and are located close to the Turkish coast. Sometimes you have to wait several days, but the
islands are very interesting destinations as they are very different from the other Greek islands.
Ikaria island
Located 10 miles west of Samos is the island of Ikaria. It has a little harbor that offers good
protection from the northerly winds. Beside the harbor there is a hot radioactive spring. If you
want to enjoy the water, no problem, but do not soak for longer than 3 or 4 minutes to limit the
amount of radiation. Further north of the harbor there is a bigger spring that is the main tourist
attraction on the island, but we did not go there.
Chios island
Located 11 km from Turkey with an area of 850 Km², historically, this island has mostly been
occupied by Turks, Ottoman soldiers, Genovese and other colonists. For a time, slavery was legal
in Chios which benefited the economy of the island. Since ancient times, Chios has been known for
the production of “mastica”, a resin harvested from a particular tree that only grows in the
southern part of Chios. Originally, the gum was used as a medicine to protect the mouth and teeth
as well as avoid bad breath. The right to harvest the valuable resin was often reserved for the
ruling elite and anyone else who tried to engage in trading it could face the death penalty. Several
attempts have been made to cultivate the tree in other places, but for some unknown reason, the
trees failed to produce the valuable resin. Besides the use of the resin as a medicine it is a
valuable ingredient in chewing gum and ouzo, the national Greek alcoholic drink. There is also a
drink produced with mastica, but it is not so popular. To collect the resin, small notches are made
in the trunk and branches out of which a little resin is secreted. When the resin dries out it often
falls on the ground. The farmers growing the trees work all year long on their land to make sure
that the ground under the trees remains clean so that the little drops of resin can be gathered
easily. Once gathered, a lot of time is needed to clean the product, which today is still done
manually. There is a museum that explains very well all about the cultivation of mastica and I highly
recommend you visit it. Not far away from the museum you can visit the village of Pyrgi. This
village has strange looking houses as they are white with geometric designs on the facades. It is
certainly very original.
As explained, Chios has often been invaded, but the worst invasion was in 1822 by the Ottomans
when they killed 25,000 people and captured 45,000 people to sell as slaves. The Ottomans were
upset by the fact that the people of Chios refused to join Turkey. If today the Greek people do
not like the Turks, it is partly because of this massacre from which only 15,000 people managed to
escape. If there was one thing that disappointed us in Chios it was the bad condition of the port
and the fact that it is located quite far from the city center. The harbor is free and offers very
good protection from the northerly winds. There is also a good supermarket where you can buy all
food related items, but for the rest, such as to rent a car, buy fresh fish etc.… you need to go to
the commercial harbor. If you prefer to wait for favorable winds you can go to the island of
Oinoussa. The island is located a few miles from the port of Chios. It is very nice, but the island
only has a bakery, so if you need groceries you have to go back to Chios. I am sure there is a
shuttle, but we did not inquire about it. Oinoussa has a little maritime museum that we visited
where you can see several nice model boats all made of ivory.
Lesbos Island
After having waited for several days on Chios because of the northerly winds, we had a little
window of southerly winds which we took advantage of to move to the island of Lesbos. Our first
attempt failed because the wind changed direction soon after our departure, but two days later it
was much better. Lesbos is a big island, and you need a car to explore it. In the west of the island
there is a big area where you can see a lot of fossilized trees that are 18 million years old. At that
time, a big volcanic eruption covered the western part of the island with a big layer of dust. Many
of the trees that were buried under the dust became fossils and when you travel in that area you
see very many fossilized trees. Today since roads are being constructed, it is not rare for new
fossilized trees to be discovered. There is a little museum that explains very well the formation of
those fossilized trees and it contains a few trunks.
While you drive across the island you notice that the cultivation of olives is the agricultural
activity on the island. In the past, the oil was mainly used to make soap, but today a lot of the old
soap factories have been abandoned. Luckily, one oil press factory has been beautifully restored
and is open for visitors. This olive oil museum allows you to understand the oil extraction process.
The machines used to extract the oil have been repaired well and are in good working order. Even
the steam machine that powered the plant is working. From the steam machine you see the big
belts in the ceiling that transferred the power to the rest of the plant. We were surprised to
learn that after they were pressed to extract the oil, the remaining olive skins were used as
combustible fuel in the steam machine. In other words, the factory was carbon neutral before its
time. During the winter months the factory could grind grain to produce flour and keep providing
jobs for the workers.
After the factory tour, we went north to visit the village of Methymna. Above the village there is
a fort built in the 14th century, that protected the village. It was ideally located to watch out for
any approaching Turkisharmy. Below the fortress there a some nice hotelsif you wish to stay
longer.
But a must to visit in Lesbos are the Ouzo factories. Lesbos has 2 inner seas and around them
there is a particular Aniseed plant, with a particular taste, that grows only there. This particular
aniseed is the basic ingredient of ouzo, the national Greek liquor. The plant is smaller than other
aniseed plants found in the rest of Europe. We visited two factories, and it was
really interesting to see the manufacturing process. The first plant was closed to visitors, but we
were lucky, as the guide decided to explain to us the Ouzo making process. We could not visit the
production area, but the explanation we were given in the museum was very interesting. To make
Ouzo you need a large number of ingredients, and the recipe is more than 100 years old and hidden
in vaults. To limit variations in the taste from year to year, they mix 3 years’ worth of ingredients
together. Among the ingredients are aniseed, cloves, mastika, mint, salt and many other things. In
the factory they produce different kinds of Ouzo with different levels of alcohol content, up to
50%. The second factory that we visited did allow us to visit the production area and the bottling
line. Needles to say, we thanked the factories by purchasing some bottles of Ouzo and since we
had a good impression we find that it tastes very good.
But we still don’t know what is the best way to drink Ouzo. Some say dry, while others recommend
with ice and a little bit water. So, I recommend that try both ways and then stick to the one you
prefer. To make Ouzo a large quantity of synthetic alcohol is required as other alcohol produced
from fermentation always has a particular taste that alters the normal Ouzo taste.During our stay
in Leros, we stayed in the main harbor when we needed a car, but otherwise we went to the inner
seas were it was extremely quiet. Along the shore you can see some abandoned oil factories
serving as testimony to the old soap industry.
Samos island
We had already visited Samos, but we decided to return to meet some Belgian friends in the port
of Maratocampos located on the south west side of Samos. This harbor is well protected and the
village around the harbor is very quiet. There are two places where you can moor. If you tie up to
the pontoon at the front of the entrance, you are safe unless the wind comes from the south. The
place offers water and electricity. If you go to the marina on the west side, you can find a place
protected from all winds and can enjoy showers and washing machines. However, we heard a rumor
that in the future the harbor will be made available for ferries to drop passengers and cars. We
hope that this will not destroy the charm of the port of Maratocampo.
Our Journey: 2023
