AGIASOS
Agiassos is 26 kilometers from
Mytilini town on the pine and olive covered slopes of Mount Olympos. The
amount of geenery here is stunning. There are plentiful platanos, apple,
chestnut, pear and cherry trees as well as varieties of
other trees and shrubs. The town itself is a completely traditional
village of narrow stone streets and picturesque lanes. Many of the houses
have projecting upper floors known as sachnisia with wooden balconies
decorated with flower pots of begonias, carnations, geraniums and other
ornamental plants. The industrious women of Agiassos still spin and weave.
For many years the town was known for its pottery and this tradition is
carried on today. There is also a high level of wood-carving. The
craftsmen make beautiful carved wooden icons and furniture.
Agiassos is the known throughout Greece for the
church to the Virgin Mary, the Panagia ti Vrefokratousa in the center of
town. 
It is second only to the island of Tinos for pilgrims who used to
walk the old stone road from Mytilini to pay tribute to the miracle
working icon, brought here from Jerusalem by the imperial priest Agathon
the Ephesian in the year 803. In 1701 Agiassos, because of a miracle by
the Blessed Virgin who cured the Turkish administrator of an illness was
absolved by Sultans decree of having to pay taxes to the Ottoman
government and many people moved there until it was recinded in 1783.
Pilgrims still come throughout the year but especially on the eve of the
feast day of the Panagia (August 15th).
The worshippers come into the monk cells and the
church enclosure, many of them having spent 15 days waiting outside. Many
still walk from all over the island to give offerings to the icon. After
the service the icon is paraded around with great pomp. The festival also
attracts many merchants and there is a great deal of celebration in the
nightspots of the town. It is quite a party and the musicans keep it going
until dawn.
The center of night activity revolves around the
many cafeneons that surround the church and some others in the upper
village. Men drink ouzo and eat special meze dishes that are cooked by the
cafe proprietors. The village is at a high enough altitude to be cool in
the hot summer months and once
you get a feel for life there you will
never miss the beach. Since most of the islands tourist activity takes
place on the beaches and the coastal towns, places like Agiassos have
maintained their traditions and time spent here is similar to the way it
would have been 100 years ago. In the lower part of the village there are
several restaurants that cater to visitors, mostly Greeks who have come to
see the church and the icons. If you are coming here by car it is
recommended you leave it here and walk up through the village and avoid
the stress of having to stop and go on a ninety degree hill that makes San
Francisco look like the plains of Iowa. Then walk up through the village,
see the church and find a nice little cafe for a meal and a drink. There
are plenty and they are all great.
On the road to Agiasou from Mytilini there is a tiny
settlement called Karini which should not be missed. There are several
cafeneons and a very nice restaurant next to an amazing spring that pours
from the ground into a large pool and then is channeled into a fast moving
stream that flows down the mountain to the fields and villages below. The
area is shaded and cool, with ducks swimming in the spring w
ater. You can
walk down the steps and cool your feet in the torrent. On the other side
of the restaurant is a large platanos tree, one of the biggest on the
island. The hollow of the tree is a room, and I was told is where the
artist Theophilos lived for a time. If you are traveling with children
this is a great place to stop and spend an hour or so since the ducks,
stream and tree will keep them entertained. If you are on the island
during summer and need a break from the heat and have had your fill of the
sea then come up here and bring a good book. You will discover that it's
better than an air-conditioned hotel room.
