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ο οικισμός κι ο κάμπος από ψηλά |
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έντονα δαντελωτές ακτές στις οποίες σχηματίζονται βαθείς κόλποι, που μοιάζουν με μικρά φιορδ. |
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Eικόνα της Παναγίας της Πορταΐτισσας, ξυλόγλυπτο έργο διά χειρός Αντ. Μπάχα με αναθήματα και μια αφιέρωση από το 1949 |
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σιέστα στα Λέβιθα |
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η βάρκα Μαρία Λέβιθα με το όνομα της μονάκριβης κόρης του αείμνηστου Δημήτρη Καμπόσου |
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Καπετάνιε!!μας χρωστάς μια Κίναρο! |
Ποιοι είναι οι Καμπόσοι; – Ζουν μόνοι τους τρεις αιώνες στα Λέβιθα
A Journey to Levitha
It was a few years ago when a list came into my hands with the inhabited islands of Greece numbering fewer than 100 residents. There, for the first time, I saw the words Levitha – 8 inhabitants – Dodecanese, Kinaros – 2 inhabitants – Dodecanese.
I wondered how it was possible that I lived in the Dodecanese, traveled so much, and yet had never even heard of these two islands. I shared this with my friends and very soon, in June 2015, we found ourselves—eight daring souls—traveling to Leros, where we chartered a traditional fishing boat (trechantíri) with Captain Kostas Palapougiouk to take us to Levitha and Kinaros.
We set out early in the morning on a long and arduous journey of 2.5–3 hours. The weather kept getting rougher, most of us were seasick, we were almost “shipwrecked” by the stormy winds. We passed Cape Spanos, where the remains of the old lighthouse still stand. The lighthouse belonged to a French company and was destroyed in 1942 during the war. It was once a very beautiful building, with a well; now only a lantern remains next to the ruins.
The southern coasts of the island are mostly steep, but they conceal a huge bay, which in turn holds three smaller coves inside it: Smyrli, Gerani, and Katholiko. This is where most sailing boats moor.
It was there, in Katholiko, that we also anchored. Nothing had prepared us for what we were about to see. We crossed a long path that ended at a door. The revelation came when we opened that door. I still remember how I felt when I first laid eyes on the small, fairytale-like, Aegean settlement. I could not believe that such a place existed in the Dodecanese, and that we had never known of it.
The first thing you encounter when you open that door is the traditional tavern. This is where all the yachters stop on their way from the Cyclades to the Dodecanese. Whatever the little tavern serves is fresh and local—Levithan goat and cheese.
It was early June when we visited, so we were lucky. Even though several sailing boats were moored in Katholiko, at the tavern and on the island in general, we were completely alone.
There we met the only inhabitants of the island, the family of Dimitris Kamposos. Their story on the island begins with Dimitris’s great-great-grandfather, who settled there in 1820. The patriarch of the family, Dimitris Kamposos, passed away last year, at the age of 78, embarking on his final journey.
Today, Manolis and Anastasios Kamposos, two of Dimitris’s four children, live there as the island’s two winter residents. His other two children, Maria and Stavros, live on Patmos. Winter is harsh on the small island. The two men live far from their families, since their wives and children live on Patmos because, naturally, there is no school on the island. In fact, for the Greek state it is considered uninhabited, according to the 2011 census.*
As one would expect, the problems they face are many. It is not easy to live without neighbors, in the middle of nowhere. The closest people they can meet are 24 nautical miles away, or 2.5 hours by boat. Winters are harder than summers. They risk being cut off from the island for many days due to the winds—which blow there year-round—and must always be stocked with supplies. As for healthcare, it is simply out of the question. They just cannot afford to fall ill. Yet, they love their land and refuse to abandon it.
The coastline is intensely jagged, forming deep bays that resemble small fjords.
Right behind the settlement stretches the plain, a large cultivable area in the center of the island. On the small plateau, located just below the family tavern—the only one on the island—wheat used to be sown in the past. They would thresh and harvest it with the sickle.
Now, they are mainly engaged in livestock farming. They maintain the largest traditional livestock unit among all the surrounding islands. They have 650 free-range goats and sheep. They produce cheese and myzithra (a type of whey cheese).
In summer, they operate the tavern for the boats that dock in the coves. On Gerani beach, the little soil that exists—protected by a dry-stone wall—has been used so that the family can cultivate their vegetables.
To the north of the settlement lies the picturesque chapel of Panagia (Virgin Mary), built in 1858, and preserved to this day in excellent condition.
An icon of Panagia Portaitissa, a wood-carved work by the hand of Antonis Bacha, is kept there, adorned with votive offerings and a dedication from 1949.
In general, the settlement looks like a painting, with its little tavern, its few small houses, and the chapel. The island of Levitha is part of the Natura 2000 Network, along with northern Amorgos and the islet of Kinaros. It is also one of the important areas for the protection of birds and has been included in conservation actions for the Eleonora’s falcon (Falco eleonorae) and the Audouin’s gull (Larus audouinii).
After a stroll and a swim in Levitha, a few of us wanted to take a short trip to Kinaros since we had already come this far. We wanted it very much, but the weather was not on our side, and although we got very close—so close that we could see the port—we decided not to take any risks and returned to Levitha for food. After the meal, most wanted to relax and rest a little before the difficult journey back. Three of us chose to climb to the top of the hill, where we saw the ruins of an ancient castle. From there the view was enchanting!
In October 1943, a battle took place between New Zealand commandos of the British troops of Leros and the Germans of the Levitha outpost. The traces of this battle, as well as of the general presence of Italians and Germans during the Second World War, are scattered across the island.
Particularly moving is a plaque in memory of Douglas Athol Davison, who lost his life on 24/10/1943 in the battle between New Zealand commandos of the British troops of Leros and the Germans of the Levitha outpost. The plaque reads:
In memory of Douglas Athol Davison LRDC, Squadron 263694, DOD 24/10/1943, always remembered by his family in New Zealand.
On the other hand, the Hellenic National Defense General Staff informs that Levitha cannot be classified as an uninhabited rocky islet because, in such a case, international law does not recognize rights to a continental shelf and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Levitha is an island. Arbitrarily assigning it another designation, such as that of an uninhabited rocky islet, entails national risks.
According to Wikipedia, its population was 8 inhabitants in the 2001 census, while in 2011 the island appears uninhabited. In the Italian census of 1922, it is recorded that all residents of Levitha were Orthodox, that is, Greeks, and there are also documents concerning a hydrographic mission to the islands.
Today the island administratively belongs to the Municipality of Leros.
Captain!! You owe us Kinaros!
Our return to Leros gifted us a beautiful sunset.
Good night, Levitha!
Hallo Sophia, Danke für deinen Bericht. Wir (Captain James & Crew) hatten letzte Woche das Glück, diese wunderschöne Insel mit dieser atemberaubenden Landschaft Besuchen zu können.
ΑπάντησηΔιαγραφήDein Bericht hat mir meine Wissenslücke über diese Insel gefüllt.
Vielen lieben Dank dafür.
Ich habe Hochachtung vor Manolis und seiner Familie.
Jeder der die Insel besucht, verpasst einen kulinarischen Hochgenuss wenn er dort nicht speist.
Ich bin Griechin und habe in meinem ganzen Leben keinen so leckeren Käse, geschweige denn zartes Fleisch gegessen (mehr Bio geht nicht).
Lieben Gruß. Fedra Karagianni
thank you so much for your comment!
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