Lesbos is the island of poets, and has been since ancient times. A petrified forest and protected wetland are among its natural wonders. There a villages of note to explore...
If not fluent in Greek, a visitor cannot appreciate how witty the people of Lesbos are with words. They delight in telling stories, exchanging humorous tales, explaining political views. But, after all, Lesbos is the island of poets. Odysseus Elytis, a Nobel Prize winning poet, and Stratis Myrivilis, one of Greece's most famous authors, both came from Lesbos. This island is the birthplace of the ancient poets Alcaeus and Sappho. Sappho's lesbian themes made the island's name known all over the world.
Lesbos is an island of hidden charms, to be experienced, explored at a leisurely pace. Apart from the traditional and expected olive groves, ouzo, delicious foods and lovely villages, western Lesbos has a petrified forest. Fossilized tree trunks date back 20 million years. Visitors who wish to see the trees start by visiting the museum at Sigri. Nature lovers who come to see the multitude of birds of the Mediterranean should visit the Gulf of Kalloni, one of Europe's ten protected wetlands. More than a hundred species of birds, including flamingos, gather here each year as they prepare for migration.
To savour the essence of Lesbos, allow plenty of time for simply sitting in the coffee shops. These unique cafes serve coffee, but they also serve local ouzo - a strong anise-flavoured alcoholic drink- and appetizers or snacks called meze. The coffee shops of Lesbos mix east and west. They can be secluded along side streets without signs or they may be more visible. Some are vividly colored, while others are pastel pinks or yellows or greens. The shops can be very modest - just a wooden panel and shelves filled with ouzo bottles dividing the tiny kitchen from a sitting area. The simple, warm, inviting atmosphere grows on guests. Chairs may not be particularly comfortable, but guests still linger for hours, leisurely sipping coffee or ouzo, devouring meze. The small meze plates are served at a leisurely pace. First come fried vegetables, then dried bean salad, tiny dolma (stuffed vine leaves) and then stuffed zucchini blossoms.
Although they may know how to relax, never imagine the people of Lesbos are idle. Tourism has never reached destroyed the villages or the traditional island way of life. There is a year round life, independent of tourism. Farmers produce organic olive oil - elegant, thin bottles of fruity extra virgin olive oil. One islander has restored a water-mill at Ippios, and produces various home-made pastas by grinding the hard wheat grown here. Tourists interested in traditional food can see the mill in operation, then sample fresh baked bread still warm from estate's traditional wood-burning oven.
A century ago there were 125 factories on Lesbos, including olive presses and soap factories. The island was once an important economic center, trading with Egypt, Europe and the Balkans. Neo-classical mansions testify to the island's past prosperity. When Greece was defeated in 1922, during the last Greek-Turkish war, the country was flooded with refugees. Nearly two million Greeks fled Asia Minor. Approximately half a million landed on Lesbos. Many remained. The island's economy suffered. Industrial buildings fell into disuse. Some are now being used as cultural centres, museums or hotels, as the island is now recovering.
There are two villages of note on Lesbos. Mytilini, http://www.toplink.gr/gr … index.html the capital, is a bustling city that faces east. It is a place of contrasts. Baroque cathedrals and neo-classical buildings sit beside abandoned mosques or run-down houses and shops. Strolling on Ermou, the main street, you will find fishmongers - mainly on the southern end, then shops selling wrinkled local olives, freshly salted sardines and Lesbos' marvellous cheeses. Some shops sell ouzo, displaying the old copper distilling equipment. At the greengrocer's you will find lettuce, borage, dill, arugula and scallions, the ingredients for the salad, all tied in a bunch.
Molyvos, on the north-western coast, was built on a hill around a medieval castle. The predominant architectural style bears no resemblance to the whitewashed flat roofed villages common to the Aegean islands. Here the two- or three-story stone houses, with red brick-tile roofs, resemble the typical architecture of northern Greece. Some houses were decorated with frescoes on the interior walls and ceilings. One such is Vareltzidena's house, in Petra. The house and its marvellous frescoes have been turned into a folk museum.

Visit Lesvos - Mytilini island in north Aegean sea: http://www.toplink.gr/gr … index.html

About accommodation in Mytilini, hotels in Mytilini, rooms in Mytilini studios: http://www.toplink.gr/gr … index.html

Sailing in the Aegean sea: http://www.yachtinghomepage.com

More about north Aegean islands, Samos, Chios, Ikaria, Psara: http://www.toplink.gr/gr … index.html

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