Going to Eresos on the Island of Lesbos

Is there a better way to wake up on a Monday morning than by the sound of waves gently crashing and a soft breeze from the Aegean Sea coming in through open balcony doors?

We don’t think so. That is exactly how our day began. After a quick breakfast of instant oatmeal we brought with us from Toronto, we set out for our drive back to the capital of Mytilini to return our rental car. For the most part, the windy road followed the rocky coast, with bright pink flowers on the shoulder in deep contrast to the aqua color of the sea. It was breathtaking!

Along the way we came across this:

The tranquility of our morning came to an immediate halt as we entered Mytilini, clearly in the midst of the Monday morning hustle and bustle. The abundance of narrow, one-way cobblestone streets packed full of pedestrians, parked cars, mopeds and delivery trucks was slow-motion chaos. As the driver, Mindy’s jobs were to ensure we didn’t hit anybody or anything and that we went the right way down one-way streets. Ligeia, the navigator, set the course for us and kept us going in the general direction of the rental car office. Eventually, white-knuckled and sweaty, we successfully dropped off the car without any new scratches or dents, and with our bags pulled from the trunk and hauled onto our backs, we walked the short distance to the bus station.

We purchased tickets on the only bus that day to Skala Eresou, the birthplace of Sappho. The Greek poet’s openness of her affection towards women has made this place a mecca for lesbians around the world and we were excited to make our pilgrimage there, but we had a couple hours to kill before the bus left. We decided to spend the time in a cafe overlooking the Mytilini harbor and the busy main street, enjoying a fresh Greek salad and a potato-cheese omelet.

With half an hour before our bus was scheduled to leave, we headed back to the terminal to ensure we had our seats and it wouldn’t leave early without us. The bus, from the outside, looked like any other coach bus, albeit a little bit older. From the inside, the seats lacked enough cushioning and leg room, and the air conditioning didn’t work. The bus was packed full of hot commuters trying to fan themselves so as not to overheat in the 30C summer (or, I guess it’s still spring) heat. The 3 hour ride seemed to last an eternity! Mindy was especially glad to have arrived as the anti-nauseant medication had begun to lose its battle against the windy, mountain roads.

Upon arriving in Skala Eresou, we wandered the main drag of the village, and the streets behind, looking for a beautiful (and as inexpensive as possible) place to stay for the four nights we’ve planned here. We opted for the Hotel Surf, located right on the beach with balconies overlooking the calm south shore of the Aegean. It is fantastic.

We capped off our busy day with some dinner (Ligeia had an avocado and red bean salad in a tortilla bowl and Mindy had a red bean burger with home fries) and ice cream for dessert. It was the first time Mindy had ever tried pistachio and it was pretty good! Ligeia chose the bright pink strawberry and it was yummy as well.

We fell asleep to German television, and succumbed to a very deep night’s sleep.

Stayed tuned for more Lesbian adventure!

Ligeia and Mindy 🙂 🙂