MOLYVOS
Molyvos, or Mithymna as it was called during
the middle ages, is truly a the
Byzantines and renovated by the Gattelusis, who were from Genoa and were
ceded the island when Francesco Gattelusi married the daughter of the
Byzantine Emperor John Paliologos. The original castle which this one
replaced, was conquered by none other then Achilles during the Trojan war.
There are still ancient ruins scattered around the town including
impressive polygonal walls and a few giant holes where archaeologists have
begun their slow work.
The town itself is built of stone houses and shops
which surround the castle and follow the coast to one of the most
beautiful harbors in Greece. As one enters the village there is certai
nly
a lot of tourist activity, at least more then anywhere else on the island,
yet nowhere near Cycladic proportions. But rather then terrifying teens on
motorbikes, these are a more sophisticated breed, some of them actually
carrying books of Greek Mythology and Histories of the island. I think one
of the things I like about Molyvos is that the tourists are interesting.
You can sit down with one and have a decent conversation at breakfast. You
can get drunk with one and actually learn something because unlike places
like Mykonos, Ios and Santorini which people hear about by word of mouth
or from their local travel agent, to know about Molyvos, you have to at
least know how to read. Many of these tourists not only know how to read
but they devour literature on the island and return year after year, some
of them eventually buying a house and settling here.
There is a stone beach and a small park down by what
used to be the village Olive Oil factory but what is now the Olive Press
Hotel, one of the most interesting hotels on the island. Living in America
or any modern industrialized country it might be hard to conceive of
turning a factory into a hotel. But the Olive Press is a simple, large
stone building, broken up into different rooms with a beautiful courtyard
garden and a very nice restaurant right on the water. The beach is small
stones but once you get out a few feet this gives way to soft sand and
there are few beaches that have the view you get when you
turn around and
face the land. It is a view of the town and castle so beautiful that you
will risk the possible destruction of your camera in order to get a photo.
(I didn't risk it). There are a few cafe-bars and restaurants in this part
of the village and also an inexpensive Hotel called the Trianna where we
stayed one night. Unfortunately a garbage truck hit my rental car while I
was asleep in my inexpensive room and any money I saved was quickly spent
on repairing it. Because of this experience I should warn you that it is
not a great idea to park on the small streets of Molyvos. There is a
parking lot outside the village that is within easy walking distance from
most of the hotels and another lot in the harbor.
The most unfortunate aspect of this part of the
village is the fact that during the summer and particularly on weekends
there is so much motorbike traffic that it sounds like you are living next
to the Indianapolis motor-speedway. All the traffic seems to come from the
small bar between the Molyvos I and the Olive-Press hotel and it seems
simply amazing to me that the town officials would allow the owners of the
bar to infringe upon the right of the tourists for a good night's sleep. I
spoke to several of the local residents and the managers of the hotels and
asked how was it possible that a town so reliant upon tourism would allow
motorcycles to race i
n an area of the town where the guests of the village
are trying to get some rest. "It is a complicated situation" was what one
owner told me "and there is nothing that can be done". But the general
consensus is that it is the fault of the local government and until
someone from the village steps forward to challenge the local leadership
which seems to be beholden to certain interests and tied to the ways of
the past, these hotels will continue to suffer from the noise and tourists
will stay in other areas of the village which are quieter. But that should
not stop you from coming here in the daytime to swim because this beach
has won the prestigious Blue Flag award from the EEC for cleanliness and
the sea here is cool and refreshing and also shallow and safe for
children.
Molyvos at Night
For those who crave a little nightlife with their
relaxing holiday, Molyvos will not disappoint. There are many bars in town
and a few discos and some large clubs on the outskirts of town and enough
young people to make it interesting. A popular place for foreigners and
local ex-pats is Christine's, right down in the harbor where the Irish
owners claim to know the names of every customer who has spent an evening
in their bar. In fact it is said that some of their clientele come to
Molyvos for the primary purpose of drinking with their friends here at
night, the days being an
inconvenient period of time between sunrise and
sunset that must be somehow gotten through. Those who are into serenity
won't be bothered by the nightlife since the louder clubs seem to be set
away from the hotels (with the exception of those by the town beach).
Those people who enjoy an evening of ouzo or wine and deeply profound
philosophical conversation about life, love, God and other important
matters, should have plenty of company. Or if you love Greek music played
by a talented musician just follow Vangelis around to whichever restaurant
he happens to be playing at that night and by the end of your visit you
should be able to sing-along with most of the songs.
