THE LAST
GENERATION
On
this page we have something completely
different. Life on this island, (and indeed
on many Greek islands for which the main
industry is tourism) changed dramatically
about 30 years ago when tourists started to
arrive in significant numbers.
The
old way of life was more or less abandoned
totally. A new industry had arrived, and as
a result, a more comfortable way of life.
Tourism meant that the population could
afford to stay here. Many millions of Greeks
(particularly from the islands) have left
Greece to work all over the world because
for many people there quite simply was no
work, or what there was, was very poorly
paid.
Parents wanted something better for their
children than working the land from
childhood, or leaving their homes because
they had no other option.Tourism was
embraced whole-heartedly.
As a
consequence old houses have been left to
fall into disrepair all over the island.
However, they have a powerful story to tell.
They
tell of a hard life. They tell of true
community spirit. They tell of living with
nature. They tell of large,noisy families.
They tell of an incredibly deep-rooted faith
in their Church. They tell of waiting with
bated breath for the next Saints Name Day
where communities would gather to celebrate
and dance to the island music. They tell the
story of many generations, but most
poignantly, of the last one, because it was
the last to live the old life.
Here
you can see some photo's of 'mandras' (the
old farm houses); the surrounding inland
countryside; a water source (which is still
used for drinking water); orange and lemon
trees; olive trees; bee hives and goats.
This
is a typical 'mandra', an agricultural
workers home. It comprised one or two rooms
and was commonly home to parents with 6 or 7
children. There was no electricity, no
running water, no indoor plumbing )or even
outdoor in many cases!) They were
constructed of stone and the roof was made
of wooden timbers covered with a layer of 'kalami'
(which is something like bamboo) and then,
depending on where you lived, finished off
with a layer of mud, or seaweed. They were
not always watertight and the floors were
packed earth.
Here
you can see details of the traditional
roofing materials.
The
family oven
The
living room fireplace
....over the page for
more
