ΑΓΙΑ ΜΑΡΙΝΑ, ΚΡΟΤΗΡΙ-ΒΟΛΚΑΝΙΔΙΑ
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| 2022 |
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| 2012 |
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| από το εσωτερικό της Αγίας Μαρίνας |
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| ο Γιάννης Μαρκάκης |
*Ευχαριστώ τη φίλη μου, τη Μαρία, που με "έσυρε" ως εκεί
*Η συγκεκριμένη εμπειρία μου δίνει την ελπίδα πως υπάρχει ακόμη ελληνική φιλοξενία, υπάρχει ακόμη Κωακή φιλοξενία.
Ακολουθεί η μετάφραση του κειμένου στα αγγλικά:
SAINT MARINA, KROTIRI – VOLKANIDIA
About 500 metres along a dirt road beyond the church of Agios Georgios Petroumianos, in the area of Krotiri–Volkanidia, stands the picturesque chapel of Saint Marina, owned by the family of Yiannis Markakis. It belongs to the parish of All Saints (Agioi Pantes) and celebrates its feast day on 17 July.
I first spotted this little chapel from above during a hike to Sympetro in 2012. I took a photograph of it from the mountain and only afterwards asked around to find out exactly where it was located.
Ten whole years passed before I returned. Very little had changed. It remains the same charming little chapel, beautifully maintained and spotless, with its magnificent panoramic view.
A few days before the feast day, I found myself—quite unexpectedly—at Saint Marina. The Markakis family was there preparing the chapel for the celebration, cleaning both the church and its surroundings in readiness for the Vespers service and the traditional festival on 16 July, the eve of the feast.
Inside Saint Marina Chapel
Although I was a complete stranger, they invited me to sit at their table as if I were part of the family, or an old friend they had known for years. I enjoyed their delicious home-cooked lamb, homemade posa cheese, and refreshing watermelon grown by Manias. I listened to three Cretan musicians singing while accompanying themselves on the laouto, watched the family's younger children dance the traditional Isso dance, and had the pleasure of meeting Yiannis Markakis, who shared with me the history of Saint Marina.
Yiannis Markakis
I asked him about the ruins standing near the chapel. They were the remains of the house where his father and his eleven siblings—twelve children in total, seven girls and five boys—had grown up together with their parents. As he spoke, I could almost picture the scene: a black-and-white film unfolding in my mind, showing a dozen children growing up on the mountainside during the Italian occupation, alongside stories of German soldiers fleeing from the advancing British forces.
The present chapel of Saint Marina was built in 1993, on the ruins of an older church that had stood there before it was destroyed by fire after nearby reeds caught alight. Ever since that loss, Yiannis' parents had dreamed of rebuilding the chapel, and in 1993 that wish finally became a reality.
The Vespers service is celebrated every year on 16 July at 7:00 p.m., followed by the well-known traditional village festival.
My sincere thanks to my friend Maria, who persuaded me to make the trip.
This experience reminded me that genuine Greek hospitality—and more specifically, the warm hospitality of the people of Kos—is still very much alive.
