Sweet Memories

[JulieBB]

I thought it would be fun for everyone to share their first memories of Halki.

I first visited Halki 20 years ago and it really hasn't changed very much over the years. The two island boats then were the Aphroditi and the Halki boat. They both went to Rhodes each day and competed for trade, racing each other back to Halki hoping to arrive first.

The tavernas then were Omonoia, Houvadas (where Thodosia is now), Lakis, and Maria had a few tables in the court yard. Maria was helped by three small girls - her triplet daughters, and the menu was always lamb stew. Yiannis taverna was also thriving, and this is where Dariel and Lefteris have their shop now.

For bars there was a choice of Steki, Costas and Areti. During the early years, a bar opened on the road to Pondamos and when we asked the name of the bar we were told, to our amazement, that it was called Green Wellies! We later heard that it was called Sweet Memories but the owner didn't speak good english and it got lost in the translation.

Electricity was provided by the generator on the hill and was more reliable than it often is now. Street lights were none existant and we were asked to leave porch lights on to light the streets.

The main shops then were Petros and Diamanti. Diamanti had the phone box in the corner of his shop. There was a kiosk at the bottom of the church steps and a small ouzeri where Apostoli and Pelagia now have their bar. marina and Dimitri were at the bakery with three small boys - how they have grown!

The main beach was Pondamos with Nicks taverna. Ftenagia was just a walk across the rocks and take your own picnic for peace and quiet. The road to Kania was a dirt track, as was the road beyond pondamos to horio and st johns.

The people were very friendly and I have made some life long friends, greek, english and american. On my first visit I was one of 8 travelling with Twelve Islands and stayed in one of the houses that Unesco renevated. There were only about 20 tourists and I am still in touch with many of them to this day.

A wonderful place with very sweet memories.

[Deleted]

Well done JulieBB, quite accurate. Your recall is good and goes back almost as long as mine. You missed out the chicken grill beside Diamantis mini market and of course Haralambos had his little store open beside Lakis taverna. There was another taverna Antonios where Remetzo is now Much missed indeed is the old ouzerie run by Marianthi, Apostli's aunt. As you say, sweet memories.

[daisy]

What wonderful memory's you both have.
Not much change since my first visit in 2001.
Lefterias's shop has moved and so has Francis she was on the road to Pondamas.

Of course the ice house has has gone and the tables that used to be on the harbour edge when eating at the Black Sea.

We used to go to Kania where there were a few rickety sunbeds and a very pretty blond girl ( I rthink her name was Olga)used to come over with drinks and collect the money for the sunbeds.

She would also make you a toastie if you went over to the petrol station that used to be down at Kania.

She was a waitress at Omonoia in the evenings.

even in 2001 Ftegnia only had a few sunbeds and you risked life and limb sitting on them.
The wonderful Taverna was there though.

Like you say wonderful memory's and lets hope nothing much changes for the next 20 years

[Liz]

Good Thread Julie

I think 2001 was our first visit we stayed up by the town hall ..Villa Roula I think it was called ..the bathroom and the kitchen where across the courtyard which made for some interesting night time dashes

Pondamos was lovely and long and wide, to the left ( as you look out to sea ) there where two rows of sunbeds and on the right there was a row almost to the end of the wall ..that was the 'executive lounge ' ...we weren't allowed cos we had kids

I remember being scared in case my youngest fell in the harbour but after a couple of nights of watching the local kids on bikes and playing football and not a single splash I did relax
we ate mainly at the Omonia that year ( Thomas from tartan tables worked there then and became a good friend of OH's )
It was just a lovely family holiday swimming,snoozing and eating ....the next year we returned and met Mr & Mrs Daisy on the boat ..and thats a whole new chapter ;D

[kathy]

:)its great to read about peoples first memories of Halki! I first went there either 21 or 22 years ago,. I had resigned from my job as a sales manager, arranged to rent out my house,(the intention was to just jump on a plane to Greece and find work) and while I was working my notice, saw a job advertised in a national paper to work as a rep for Laskarina on Halki.Of course it was love at first sight, from the moment it comes in to view,it never failed to make my heart miss a beat at being back.After 4 months Kate M wanted me to move islands, I refused, resigned and instead worked at Andonis restaurant at the harbour with him(always with a cigarette dangling from his mouth)and Faranee some evenings, and at Pondamos with Nic and Yannis almost every day.I went back 2 - 3 times every year on holiday until I had twin girls 16 years ago followed by a third daughter a year later...... I haven't been back since,(lack of cash!) but August 2009 I will be there again. I most remember the lovely people Ive mentioned, Petros at the shop (me trying to order villa welcome packs with my little Greek, his little English!Petros the fisherman,Costas with his bar(always happy!) My Laskarina "office"was a table in front of his bar, Nicolas bar,The brothers from the boat and Lefteris. Most of all I remember it as the place Ive always loved....And I cant wait to be back.Halki, Ive really missed you

[Liz]

Kathy ..you've brought tears to my eyes this morning !..How wonderfull is that going to be when you sail into the harbour ? and to see all those people again after all this time .....I think we all wish we could come with you

[carol]

Oh Kathy what a fantastic story, you will obviously see changes after all that time but nothing to concern you.We have been going for over ten years now and mostly there have been improvements, Nicks taverna at Ftenagia being the major one for us as it certainly contributes greatly to us returning year after year.The wonderful people you mention are still there and I am sure will welcome you with open arms and you will feel like you have never been away ;D

[kathy]

thanks so much for the responses to what I wrote yesterday. I forgot to include Yannis, the "senior " policeman, and Stefanos, the doctor,they were happy to enjoy the quiet peace,even though they were young, and the wonderful Tomas,the even younger policeman who was completely frustrated to be sent somewhere so quiet! He felt he had been posted there as a punishment,all he wanted was to be surrounded by young girls - and a night life! Happy memories!

[lisa]

Julie - a lovely thread. so lovely to read your memories.

Kathy - yours really bought tears to my eyes. Halki and it's people really do capture your heart.

We only discovered it 10 years ago but in may ways it seems much longer, may be because of the amount of visits we've squeezed in or just because Halki really has become a big part of our lives.

The things that really stuck in our memories from our first visit are:-

Petros (fisherman) making us so welcome and spending an afternoon with his relatives at their family home.

Being invited to join Shimentos (Katerinas father) and others having lunch at Ftenagia, having just eaten our own lunch we then feasted on the entire contents of Nick's menu which was of course washed down with copius amounts of Retsina, Suma and Raki !

Not being able to walk after two cocktails at Costas!

There are of course many other things like the inside of Petros' shop, Dimitris pinching John's nipples, the sheer beauty of the island and the wonderful people that we met, locals and other holiday makers.

As it says in one of the Halki books:-

As the ship departs it makes you think that you are leaving. But you never leave Chalki. You simply take a break for days or for months. Or even for years. And you always come back. Because it is now in your soul....

[kathy]

Lisa, I loved your quote from the book. Its so true, Halki is not a place you really leave, even as you sail away. Its just lives on in your heart until you can go back, however long that takes, in my case, many years.The hard part for me has been that when I was last there, I didnt know I was going to very quickly meet and marry and be having twins!  I didnt know i wouldnt be back again a few months later so I never got to say " bye " to the people or the place. My husband and girls have spent years hearing me talk about it, now they will soon ( i hope!! ) understand.

[Liz]

Kathy I am sure they will love it as much as you obviously do..and all these years of seeing it through your eyes and now they will see it for themselves ...I'd love to be on that boat as you sail in ..it takes my breath away every time the boat turns into the harbour and you catch a first glimpse of it .
Halki is the only place I've ever been to that I cry on arrival and cry when I leave

[carol]

Kathy do you know Bob who worked for Laskarina ? He owns a house and lives on the island. When in august are you going to be there ? Quite a few of us regulars who post on here go at the end of august/ beginning september, it would be lovely to meet you if we should be there at the same time ;D

[lisa]

I'd be very surprised Kathy if your family don't feel the same way about Halki once they have been there. I must admit that the quote I used is exactly how I feel about the island.

My partner John, some of you of course know him, actually gets tears in his eyes when Halki comes into sight. And believe me John does not do tears!

[kathy]

Hi everyone!
I dont know Bob, so he must have come after me,the only Brits then were Christina, married to Alex from The Captains House ( are they still there?) Pauline, and Roy who was the beekeeper, along with Yannis, they lived in Rhodes though (not together!)and came over for a few days every so often to do the neccessary with the hives.
We are going to be there 12th August,just for a week. Were spending the second week in Pefkos, Rhodes. I thought 1 week may be enough for teenagers, the second week is for them, the first week is for me and John!We are lucky enough to have booked Villa Fiona From Jane, it looks fabulous, (and nice and close to stagger back from!) Are any of you due there when we are? It would be lovely to meet all the fellow Halkiphiles.Is the "Nic"from the other beach area the same Nic as at Pondamos? Is his brother Yannis still around and doing the cooking? I havent heard him mentioned on the site. Is Petros the fisherman the same one I remember? If so, he must be pretty old now. It seems like I have a thousand questions!
Do you like the pig graphic...I let my 16 year old loose with my laptop - im a bit of a novice and wouldnt know where to start!

[carol]

Hi Kathy, I cannot answer all your questions but someone else will help out I am sure. Petros the fisherman is most definitely still there and was in fine form in September, there are a couple of photos of him on the photo page Halki locals, I would doubt he has changed very much. Nick from Pondamos is not the same Nick at Ftenagia, again his ptoto is on the locals page, you must visit the beach and taverna at Ftenagia when you visit as neither would have been there when you were there last, it is our favourite and where we spend every day. I have never stayed in Villa Fiona but friends went to look at it and said it is beautiful so I am sure you will love it. Unfortunately we go to Halki later than you, normally the last week in August for two weeks but next year we go on the 2nd September so we will miss you, hopefully you will return again and again and we will catch up some day. ;D Love the pig ;D no chance of me doing anything like that, I would not know where to start