-Are you still looking at the Selada trail?

I shake my head in affirmation.

-Yes, Manolis. Pappas Peak won’t get out of my mind.

-Hey, you’re not wrong, after what you pulled up there.

With these words Manolis Markakis places my first morning Greek coffee on the table. Then he sits down next to me. I let my gaze once again wander to the opposite, conical volume of the Thymena. Above the settlement I spot the imperceptible trace of the uphill path to “Selada”. It is the curved saddle-shaped neck between the two highest peaks of the island, Vardia and Pappas.

Memories of last summer’s climb to Pappas come back: the torrential rain, the fog, the destruction of the bike. It was a harrowing experience on the Pappas venture. But just as great was our determination to return one day.

-So, you’re going to go back to Pappas?, Manolis asks.

-Absolutely. I can’t wait to see Fourni from up there. No fog and no rain. In fact, I’m thinking of suggesting you join us.

-Me? You must be joking, of course. It’s been 30 years since I climbed Pappas. It’s gonna be tough for me now.

-Alright, Manolis. When that time comes, I’ll see you again…

IN THE LIGHTHOUSE OF “KERAMIDA”

So, 13 months after June 2010, we are back in Fourni. Everything seems familiar and friendly, as if we hadn’t been away at all. In a few minutes, the 13-month time gap is bridged in memory. We drink our morning coffee again in the shade of the tamarisk trees, we stare at the vibrant fish and lobsters that the boats bring to the harbour, we run from beach to beach and dive into crystal clear waters, we enjoy every moment in this beautiful place, so dear to Greeks and foreigners alike.

However, Thymena does not leave our minds either. The only thing we have known of it so far is its peak, shrouded in fog, windswept and drenched by rain. It’s time to discover what else the island hides behind its stern exterior.

On our way to Thymena, “the road is not long”. Our journey from the port of Fourni to the island’s small port takes just 10 minutes. We could have stayed in the main settlement, with its cafes and taverns, the harbour traffic, the steep inclines and the numerous steps. We prefer the absolute serenity of the settlement of Keramida. To reach this private retreat, we have to walk for almost half an hour from the port. (1)

After the uphill dirt road, we arrive at a courtyard with the chapel of Ag. Dimitrios. From there we look down for the first time to the charming bay and the settlement of Keramida. 187 whitewashed and restful steps lead us to the sea level. Three small churches, a dozen or so small houses, a taverna and above three rooms to let. This is the whole infrastructure of the place. It is simple, almost family-run. A few small boats and small boats are moored in the clear waters of the bay. The sandy beach is dominated by a few old tamarisk trees with their impressive bulk and thick shade. They are the most precious and hardiest trees of the Greek coastlines.

In this shady oasis, just three meters from the water, Niki Kottara sets the table for us. An unrelenting cool breeze transforms the hot summer noon into a perfectly pleasant season, which is only found on the islands. The tavern of the Kottaras family (Argyris, Mrs. Popi and Niki) has been operating for 10 years now. During these years, the cuisine of the restaurant has become well-known. Not for exotic and complex culinary creations, but for the traditional Greek cuisine of the family with the pure ingredients of the place, such as the goat Thyme lamb braised or lemon, delicious moussaka and stuffed, ouzomezedes and various meatballs, fresh local fish and squid. The famous lobster pasta could not be missing.

In the afternoon of July. All over mainland Greece this time of day is fiery. But not in Thymena and, even more so, in the Keramida lodge. Our room, apart from the magnificent view from the balcony, is absolutely bright. Thus the meltemi penetrates unhindered and gives us an almost permanent coolness.

ALONG THE COASTLINE

In an inflatable boat, which defies the strong wind, reinforcements arrive from Fourni. The captain is Manos Mytikas from Thymena, a member of the Municipality of Fourni. His friend Kostas Korozis, philologist, a landlubber from Thebes but an enthusiastic – though late – lover of the sea and of Fourni.

-We came to take you for a walk along the coast, says Manos.

-Where are we going in this weather?

-We’ll move to the southern beaches, which are soothing.

From the wooden pier of Keramida we jump to “Apnea”, Manos’ inflatable boat. As Apnea leaves the apnea of the bay, we are met by a light breeze, which just wrinkles the water. In two minutes we enter the calm embrace of Lakkos Bay. It’s beautiful, clear water, perfectly sheltered from the north wind.

-You should definitely come here for a swim, says Manos. The path from Keramida is short and easy.

However, as velvety as the waters of the bay are, the slopes leading to the shore are even wilder. To the west in particular, where the rocky hill ‘Tsibes’ dominates, the slopes are very steep. The only gentle, yet unexpected, interlude in the rugged coastline is ‘Neraki’, a lily-pad shingle beach, totally inaccessible from the landward side. Here are the rocky islets of Lemonopetres (Lemon Rocks).

-There’s a seal that hangs around here, Manos comments.

A few miles offshore stands the massive Alatsonisi.(2) We sail along the rocky shore after the Lemonopetres. The massive hill of Tsibes keeps the waters sheltered from the north wind. However, as we capsize the “Skali” cape, we are met by the weather with all its gusts. The pounding in the waves lasts no more than three minutes. As we approach the shore the waters calm down and eventually calm down completely. We are at the famous “Kleftolimano”, a bay of unparalleled beauty, with its entrance unseen until the last moment. It is a natural pool with clear waters, providing sheltered shelter from almost all weather conditions. We tie up the boat, jump onto the rocks of the shore and emerge onto a pebbly, tiny shore. With an opening of just 10 meters a single old tamarisk, the shore is completely private.

We sit in the coolness of the precious shade. Some people dive into the clear waters. We watch the surface of the Kleftolimano, sometimes still and sometimes slightly wrinkled by the swirling wind.

We leave Kleftolimano and continue westwards. Absolutely rocky coastline, inhospitable and salted. Its only advantage is its protection from the north winds. Manos mentions a variety of local names. The most typical is ‘Polemika’, a relatively accessible part of the coast with four small concrete bollards. There, small boats of our Navy can moor during exercises. Interspersed are successive bays, surrounded by limestone cliffs, almost vertical, where the only thing that grows is a few seaweeds, scattered here and there.

We approach the “Trachili” cape, the westernmost of the island.

-Get ready, says our captain, outside the cape there is a possibility of getting wet. We may not even be able to continue our course.

Trachili is our last protection. Immediately afterwards, at the mercy of the north wind, stretches the dreaded Icarian Sea, a fear of sailors from ancient times to the present day. The surface of the sea bubbles before us, the foam of the waves scattered in countless droplets by the gust of the north wind. Thus, we don’t even have time to go 20 meters against the weather. We eat a few wild blows, taste the saltiness of the waves and, as if hunted, we rush to find shelter behind the bulk of the Trachili.

On the way back we meet several cormorants. After Keramida we continue north on the diaspora, between Thymena and the long-stretched Kisiria.(3) Here the weather is wild, wide open to the north. With reduced speed we pass openly through the port of Thymena and very soon we reach Phokospilia, with its calm waters. We tie the boat and dive for the cave.

As we enter the shade of the walls, the difference in temperature is noticeable. We emerge onto the pebbly shore, with an opening of no more than 15 meters. The walls are decorated with simple parapet stalactites, and the maximum ceiling height approaches 7 meters. Note the varied colouring of the walls, the strange shades that the water takes on. It is beautiful in Fokospilia. And it would be even more beautiful if a seal would do us the favor of showing up with her pup…

AT ST. GEORGE’S CHAPEL

-I now invite you on a land tour to St. George’s Chapel. My grandfather built it, says Manos.

From the beach of Keramida we climb the familiar whitewashed staircase with 187 restful steps.

-Once, at the age of 15, I worked here, says Manos.

He bends down on the 20th step and shows us the initials “MM” of his name (Manolis Mytikas) engraved on the concrete.

-This is how my name became indelibly linked to the staircase, our friend says with a laugh.

We take the dirt road from the top of the stairs. The view of the bay of Keramida is again stunning. We reach the neck, leave the settlement of Thymena below and continue along the dirt road to the left towards the area of “Kampos”. A sweet valley begins, the largest in Thymena, with nice stone walls, a few farmhouses, lots of olive, fig and almond trees. Almost 25 minutes after leaving we arrive at a 5×5 field. This is where the dirt road ends.

-If we had continued west, on a path not particularly obvious, we would have been over Kleftolimeno in 15 to 20 minutes, says Manos. But now we’re heading uphill towards St. George.

S-SW of the field we find an easy path that climbs up to Tsibes. Farms and nice fences with dark red stones in between. Every moment, images alternate in front of us with complex combinations of seas and landscapes, which constitute this supersea of Fourni, truly unique. Far away to the northeast stretches the long ridge with the peaks of Korakas and Fana, while further back, higher still, the horizon ends in the austere bulk of Kerki. Our footsteps pass through low holm oaks, chicory trees and olive groves. The most fragrant, of course, representatives of the flora are the thyme, oregano and sage, the “aliphasia”, as Manos calls it. There is, however, some other herb, very fragrant, which I happen to see for the first time. Our friends don’t know it either. So I put some twigs in my pocket to ask an old man on the island.

In 45 minutes, with only a few small steps, we arrive at the chapel of St. George. It is built at an altitude of 180 meters, a little lower than the peak of Tsibes, at 218 meters. The chapel is beautiful, tiny and stone-built, with a concrete balcony, overlooking Fourni and the sea, as far as Patmos, Arkios and Lipsi. Next to it there is a water tank and a small cell with a fireplace, simple furniture and utensils, a simple bed and a window overlooking the sea.

-I spent some of my best moments in this little cell, Manos says with nostalgia.

We take an uphill path a few meters above the chapel. The view is circumferential and unique, revealing all the details of our route and in addition a part of the mountain range of Ikaria. Here, the meltemi blows non-stop, more than anywhere else. For every visitor to Thymena, a climb up to Tsibes and the chapel of Agios Georgios is definitely worthwhile.

THYMENA SETTLEMENT AND THE CHAPEL OF ST. NICHOLAS

-It is worth visiting another chapel, says Manos. Not on the mountain but at sea level. It is Agios Nikolaos, the “St. Nicholas” of the Thymenians, at the northernmost end of the island.

So we set off in a northerly direction. Keramida stairs -so friendly now-, dirt road and then the neck. We take the fork going downhill to the harbour and arrive in 25 minutes in total. A healthy, early morning walk.

If anything characterizes Thymena, it is the steep slopes of the settlement and the ubiquitous steps. Which for a local are, from the very first steps, an integral part of life. I am sure that it is easier for a Thymenians to climb up and down stairs than to walk on straight roads. Which here, apart from a few short stretches in between, are non-existent. Philosophically, therefore, we take the uphill from the port. Manos is in his own territory, he has spent his whole life here. He marches ahead and, to motivate us apparently, climbs a couple of steps. We can’t keep up with him, he stops now and then and waits for us.

Above the harbour we come across the café of “Kolokotiri”, with its old tamarisk. New steps follow, restful, wide, in the shade of continuous fig trees. Everything is whitewashed and spotless.

About 100 such steps lead us to the chapel of Stavros, the oldest in the village. The date 1894 is inscribed on the wooden painted iconostasis. Next to the chapel of Stavros was built a few years later the identical chapel of Agios Georgios, the patron saint of the village, with an independent entrance and internal communication with Stavros. In front of the chapels, a concrete terrace offers a wonderful view of Fourni, the sea and Samos.

New steps, a large almond tree and immediately above the iconic village plane tree, with its thick trunk, lush foliage and wonderful coolness.

-The plane tree was planted by the father of the 78-year-old Nikolas, Manos tells us. So its age must be over 100 years.

Next to the plane tree there is a fountain, while the paved square with the terraces around it is a point of reference, a meeting place for the village’s friends.

We reach the highest points of the village. Here the stairs end, we meet the dirt road. Just a few years ago, there was a path in its place, connecting the village with the northernmost part of the island.

With George Vrana’s old farm truck we start the dirt road to the north. At about two kilometres we leave the seaside chapel of Agios Dimitrios lower down. Immediately afterwards we meet the beginning of a subtle downhill path, which in a minute reaches “Vagia”. It is a spring of cool water that springs from the mountain and specifically from Vardia. A beautiful place, with plenty of vegetation and visible terraces, which once hosted some of the island’s finest vineyards.

We quench our thirst with this unexpected spring water and continue on. A mile and a half later the road ends in front of a farmhouse belonging to Manos’ relatives. We are at the northernmost end of the island, just above the beach of Limniona. As we get out of the car, the place surprises us with the peculiarity of its characteristics. These are summed up in the bay of Limniona, the chapel of Agios Nikolaos and the islet of Thymenaki. Their beauty is so unadorned and their coexistence so harmonious that, I am sure, any landscape painter would be happy to render it with his colouring pen.

We descend a path, which has been turned into a rough ditch by the rains of last spring, unprecedented in intensity, in the islands. With an opening of about 40 metres, the little beach of Limniona has everything: rocks, coarse sand and pebbles. Access to its clear waters is friendly. The cove of the bay is protected from the north wind by the Christina cape, while the Thymenaki is an unguarded sentinel to the west, opposite the blowing of the pune. Observing the solid mass, the two opposite peaks and the “Selada” – the neck that joins them – between them, we could consider the islet a miniature of Thymena. With a completely barren and dry soil, with inhospitable and rocky coasts, but with a curvilinear, balanced and sweet contour, it is no wonder that Thymenaaki radiates such charm.

Equally idyllic and peaceful is the chapel of St. Nicholas. Built in 1958, just above the waves of the pune, it is simple and painted blue and white. Two large tamarisk trees cast their shadows on the chapel’s roof. Next to it is the old, small cell with the well inside and then the later, larger cell.

-This is where we spend our night every year on December 5, the eve of the feast of St. Nicholas, says Manos. In the morning we attend mass and then we all have lunch together.

A perfectly rocky path, carved a few meters above the rocky coast, continues to the W-SW, leaving behind Thymenaki and in about half an hour it ends up in Icarian bay just across the Icarian coast. It is a very special hiking experience walking on the rocky terrain with the strong breaths of the honeymoon and the roaring waves on the rocks of the coast.

Afternoon in Keramida. Just above the Kottaras tavern, a smooth, distinct path begins, which in 7-8 minutes leads us to the unseen beach of Lakkos. Here there are no meltemia, only indirectly the surface of the water is polluted. Which are crystal clear but also very cool. Some dirt steps lead to the tiny beach, which has pebbles, coarse sand and access is quite friendly. There is also a unique old tamarisk tree, which effectively protects us from the sun’s rays.

The bay of Lakkos, south of Keramida, is a very good swimming option, well worth getting to know.

PEAK PAPPAS, 13 MONTHS LATER

At the last houses of Thymena, at an altitude of 100 meters, is the water reservoir. From there the path to Pappas starts. There is also the meeting point of the group. A group with an unexpectedly large and interesting composition. Shortly before 8 o’clock we greet Manos Mytikas and his friend Kostas and three more men, unknown to us. They are Yannis Mytikas, Manos’s father, Markos Mytikas, Yannis’s brother and Manos’s uncle and with them is Nikos Meligaris, lively and stoic at 78 years old. They are all Thymenians, familiar with the mountain since their early years, sometimes grazing and sometimes hunting.

-Are we expecting anyone else?, I ask Mano.

-Yes, we are waiting for another one.

Two minutes later I wonder if my eyes are playing tricks on me. Manolis Markakis, from whose cafeteria we had gazed at the Selada trail the previous days, is climbing the last steps, smiling and sweating.

-Hey, this is a surprise, we shout with Anna.

-Dad, is Manolis going to climb to the top too?, Athena asks me in a whisper.

-Of course. He has everything he needs. A climbing stick, a hat, a backpack. But most of all, plenty of willpower.

We enthusiastically shake Manolis’s hand. Who, despite his extra weight, is here with us, ready for Pappas. My joy is indescribable and I make no effort to hide it.

At 8 o’clock sharp the group starts. Partridges accompany us with their calls.

8:15′. Two-minute stop at the cave entrance, at an altitude of 215 meters. We continue sloping uphill on a distinct and passable path. At 8:35′ we reach the neck of Selada, at an altitude of 325 meters. The previously unseen western horizon is revealed in front of us as the bulk of Ikaria. The breeze cools us unobstructed, the conditions are ideal. Some moments come to mind in this place, when we were desperately trying under the fins, to shelter with Anna from the unstoppable rain.

-Just a little further and we’re on top, says someone from the group.

-We don’t like this time of day, because we’ll have backlighting, Anna remarks. We have to wait a few hours, until the sun comes back a bit.

-Hey, then let’s continue to “Kariotiko”, Manolis suggests at the water well.(4)

-Stop for a moment, to feed my goats, says Nikos.

Recognizing their boss’s voice, some goats, grazing freely on the mountain, surround him and some take the food from his hands.

We descend gently in a westerly direction. In the sea, behind the rocky mass of Trachili, the two uninhabited islets, Katergakia, loom up. We are already above the deep gully “Sargos”, which ends at the tiny beach “Kariotiko” or “Kampi”.(5) Above, the steep W-SW ends of the Vardia massif rise up. The path becomes quite downhill and loose. The slopes are covered with thyme and alfalfa.(6) Here is the unknown aromatic grass I had first encountered on the slopes of Agios Georgios.

9:25′. We arrive at the “Alonaki” area, flat and overgrown with lilies, olive trees and grills. A little lower down are the “Mantres”, where Thymenians used to make cheese and stay.

–They used to grow spinach here, Nikos observes. See the terraces opposite? That’s where they used to grow fava beans.

I think about how interesting a tour of a place becomes when it is accompanied by facts and information from the locals.

10:00′. Exactly two hours after our departure we arrive at the well, at an altitude of 115 metres. The location is called “Pano Kariotiko”. A huge holly tree of indeterminate age casts its shadow overhead.

-There used to be many large holly trees, but they were cut down to make charcoal, comments Nikos.

After the heat of the last hour, everyone is looking for a good shade. Meanwhile Markos is not wasting his time. He lifts the heavy iron lid that covers the mouth of the stone well.

-I caught this well when it was still a pit, 70 so many years ago, says Nikos. It was later built by one of my uncles, Elias Markakis, who was known by the nickname “Liontari” in the village.

The depth of the well is more than 10 meters. The water that Markos brings up with the bucket is tasty and cool.

-And very digestive, too, say the people of Thymeni.

-You eat half a goat, drink water from the well and in two hours you’re hungry again, I add.

-How do you know that?, they ask me in amazement.

-Well, all over the Greek countryside, they say the same thing about their water. However, this one here is already smelling like a scent. Or am I wrong?

-No, you’re not wrong, says Nikos with a smile. Before taking out the water, Marcos wiped the bucket with alifaskia.

-That’s why the meat and cheese of the local goats becomes so fragrant. Because their food contains alifaskia, thyme and other local herbs.

We drink some cool water and then drink some more. Even if we haven’t had a goat to digest. Next to me sits my good friend Manolis Markakis. The sweat on his forehead has now subsided.

-What do you think of my performance on the trail?, he asks me.

-You surprised me. You’re ready for Olympus!

Some people are snacking on a light lunch. The conversation of the group begins, until the sun rises a little in the sky.

-My late father had reached 100 years old, says Nikos. He told me that the village was left with only a few houses, stone and earth. But even the electricity came late, only in 1981. We had uncomfortable, tumultuous lives, working in the fields from the sun to the moon. But if I told you we were happier, would you believe it?

-Of course, Nikos. We were all better once.

-We ate simple and healthy, local products, continues the old Thyme man. We had no stress and not many demands from life. And one more thing: we cared more for each other. Many of us gathered together, put the milk from our animals and made cheese. Depending on the amount of milk each man got his share of cheese. Today, nobody makes cheese professionally.

Time goes by, no one seems willing to leave the shade and dew. At 11:30′, however, now rested and thirsty, we head back uphill. Sun and heat, conditions are not ideal. And they become even more difficult when, before reaching the neck of Selada, we decide to follow the slope vertically towards Pappas. What we gain in distance, we lose in effort and time. The rough terrain, the absence of a path, the steep slopes and the heat make crossing the slope a little torture. Little Athena protests in her own right. The child is not accustomed, for a long time, to such marches.

12:50′. In 1 hour and 20 minutes from the well, we gaze from the top of Pappas at the Archipelago of Fourni. The altimeter, like 13 months ago, shows 470 meters above sea level.

Manolis wipes away his sweat, moves his gaze all around, enchanted.

-Thanks to you, I’m back up here again after all these years.

-But you proved that the soul can put aside all difficulties.

Very happy, after the effort, is Athena.

-Good for you, says Manos. You’re probably the youngest girl who has ever climbed Pappas.

For a few minutes we gaze at the spectacle of the sea and the fjords. We would have preferred it to be sunset, of course. Maybe some other time.

-I suggest we go down a pass that the farmers and goats know, says Markos. We’ll get there faster.

From the highest peak of Pappas we walk to the lowest. The immediacy of the view is breathtaking, but an incredible cliff is also missing. Mark must be joking.

-Don’t be afraid, he reassures us. We’ll take a bit of care and get out of here.

13:30′. The vertical descent from Pappas begins. Steep, slippery, absolutely forbidding for someone untrained in the mountain. However, with Marko as our guide we quickly gain confidence and get used to the bumps easily. Athena meanders like a fearless little goat, sometimes alongside Markos and sometimes alongside Yannis, Manos’s father.

14:10′. After a 40-minute battle with the sarsas and the cliff, we arrive safely at the shady, cool hollow of the cave. For some time we enjoy our efforts, admiring the view. Then we take the last short stretch to the reservoir. But the wonders are not over yet. There’s another stop, this time a gastronomic one.

-My family invites you for a cold beer, says Yannis Mytikas.

To this tempting offer no one can resist. Manos’s mother, Charula, has set us up in the yard. It’s a sovereign meal, with cold beers, salads, pastitsio, a variety of snacks and a local goat, one of those that roam freely in the mountains. No comment is necessary. In Thymena, it is one of the rare times that, although we are on an island, we feel neither the desire nor the lack of fish.

Evening in Keramida. The moon in the sky is on the eve of a full moon. No one goes to bed early on such a night. We take out the little table on the sandy beach, next to the wave. Niki brings small plates, “mezedes”, and “tsipouraki”. The music stops, there is only the sound of wind through the leaves of floisvos and tamarisks. We let time flow effortlessly. Which seems to have stopped on this lonely beach of the island. Fortunately in Greece, we can still live peaceful, magical moments like that…

THANKS

For the unforgettable days we lived in Thymena, we thank you very much:

-The members of the team who accompanied us to Pappas: Nikos Meligaris, Manolis Markakis, Kostas Korozis, the Mytikas brothers Markos and Yannis.

-Charoula Mytikas for her care and the culinary experiences of her cooking.

-The Kottaras family in Keramida, for the wonderful hospitality and all the services.

-George Vranas.

-Manos Mytikas for everything he did for us.

-Finally, we especially thank the Mayor of Fourni, Yiannis Marousis, for his undivided interest and for all the help and means he put at our disposal to complete our work.

NOTES

(1) If we choose the relaxing transfer by the boat of the line, we will pay, for our 5 minute sea trip, a disproportionately high amount.

(2) With an area of 298 acres, Alatsonisi is the 8th largest island in the Archipelago of Fourni.

(3) With an area of 662 acres, Kισηria is the 4th largest island of the Fourni Archipelago.

(4) If one ascends from Selada facing south-southwest (200o), one can reach by sight between the two peaks of Pappas; it takes 25-30 minutes on rough terrain, without a path.

(5) Named Kariotiko because this is where they disembark from the opposite Ikaria.

(6) The island owes its name to the abundance of thyme.