The people of Agios Stefanos

Irini

Niko at work

Niko and Irini. Two lovely people . They open a cafeneon in the middle of the village. It is small but very nice. Your typical greek place.

A somba some tables and people that like to have a conversation. They lived all there live in the village . There home made red wine is the best of the village. Be careful it is quit strong.

Even there son is still running the local wood-shop. He is a very good carpenter  and Lots of people in the village use him when they renovate the house.

Sitting at there cafeneon Niko loves to sing a song. Never be afraid to ask to put a table outside. They will do this for you strait away.

Two Maria’s two of the many we have in the village.

Maria is the most common name in greece. Children are named after there grandfather or grandmother So the change that you hear  in a family plenty of time the same name is big.

Plenty of people like to sit together and have a drink together in one of the cafeneons. Talk about every day live.

Also foreigners that have a place here under the sun love the village and his locals.

People from Sweden.

Average age is about 60

The oldest one of the village she is born in 1918.

Here daughter Petroula runs also a cafeneon in the village together with here husband Giorgos. There daughter is again Maria.

The cafeneon is named “Platanos”

Some pictures of the other locals that like to relax with a coffee

In the village you can find a lot of renovated houses but also ruins. So in the streets between some ruins suddenly some very nice houses pop up. The people that are still living in the village do take a lot of care in there houses. The ruins are ruins because a lot of people also moved away to an other area. For there job and also because they closed down the school-building many years ago. So now it is like half of the village is for sale. Those house and ruins how ever there are being   purchased by other greek people and also foreigners. However some of those broken down houses are a nice backdrop to make very nice pictures and also drawings during the art-workshop.

What a bit of cement and plaster can do!

If you take a peep inside one of the old ruins you can still see how the people lived many years ago. Some houses feel like the people will be back any moment. Some pots are still on the stove or in the fireplace. Ready to make the next meal.

In previous years the village was very much full of life and still you can feel this. Also the older people have still that feeling within  them and this feeling they project this to the newcomers.

After a lot of work and love in to the project some houses look really beautiful. The houses are still kept in there own character only a satellite disc some times  gives you a hint that new comers are living there.

One area in the village is really bad. But bit by bit also that area is being taking over so in time this will look also nice.

The streets are very nice to get lost in.

Every where you go you will find small gardens between the narrow streets and also chickens in the downstairs of the houses. The coolest part is for the animal and the people live up so they have a nice view and are also closer to the roof-terrace.

A lot of the locals still have a donkey . They take care of that donkey very well because this is for a lot there only way of transport. It is a pity that the young people do not keep any donkeys any more. So in time this picture will be no more.

Georgia that is on the picture also raised her family in the village even here sons are still living in the village. She is quit a character and a lovely person to talk to. Do not be fooled by here size. Every day she go’s to the land to do some work. And  then she always takes the donkey with here.

Walking trough the village way up high you find the cemetery. Overlooking the village and his in habitants. Such a nice place where you can look towards the mountains and the sea. A lot of effort is being done to the cemetery. As you know religion is very important to the Greek people.

The locals find that even when you past away you are still a part of there every day life. A lot of widows have still a candle burning every day for the rest of there lives as honor and respect to there husband . Every week on Sunday there is a service in the big church and on special days like name-days there is a service in every other chapel.

Only when it rained they have the permission of city-hall to burn some there wood and left over rubbish from there garden.

On the same level in the village but on the other side you find the old washing place . Nobody uses it any more off-course . They did how ever restored it and it looks nice now.

You can see how the stones are worn out from using the basin. If you touch it you can feel how smooth the stones are.

Every body loves to relax people and animals

In one of the six cafeneons that the village has.

Certainly after a walk trough the mountains that surrounds Agios-Stefanos

Some people have the luxury to relax on there own roof-terrace with a view .

And that is what they call a house with a view!!

The smallest door in the village.

Niko