After long struggles, we crawl out of bed. Eyes swollen, hair and head messy, we are trying to forget the unpleasant events we experienced at the beginning of our two-day island holiday and enjoy the moment we are together… we prepare and leave. After taking the map of Samos given by the helpful and friendly staff at the reception, just in case, we head towards Kokkari with our ‘Picanto’, which moves freely on the narrow and winding roads of the island.
Kokkari
Kokkari, which is 10 kilometers from Vathi, the capital of the island, takes its name from the bay where it is located.. In Kokkari, which can be reached by a 15-minute journey in total, there are many hostels, eating places and cafes lined up along the beach. We go for a walk in the form of a tourist Omar.. There are many different coves in Samos, the shores of which are stone and sand.. There are more stony beaches (including Kokkari) in this part of the island, which overlooks Gümüldür, Menderes.
A holiday in June, when the summer is not yet hot for German and northern European elderly tourists. Kokkari is one of the most touristic areas of Samos.. However, when compared to other Greek islands, it is not one of the first routes that comes to mind in terms of tourism.. Although there has been an increase in transits from Turkey with the introduction of Turkish-Greek relations and visa facilitation in recent years, it is still early to say that the island has a very serious income from tourism.. However, in Samos, which is among the places frequented by Turks, the Turkish influence can be seen in many different points, including the menus of restaurants.
While it is difficult to move on the large stone beach, we look to the right and left in detail and find ourselves. we leave it on hot stones. In the roar of the waves and the crowd, we decide not to swim in Kokkari Bay and start looking for a place to eat.
While walking among low-rise buildings on a quiet island away from the hustle and bustle of life, you realize once again that you are on vacation.. We let ourselves go with the flow of the thought that happy moments pass very quickly and work days come back quickly.. In our dialogue, we pass on our knowledge of cola, including the theses that cola is actually a medicine… While we are already fighting each other with the Evrim-Eren-Buğra theses on many different subjects, we inevitably contribute to one another with our research aspects.
Diarrhea. After sharing the information about the use of coke in the over the counter treatment, we close the coke conversation and start the Greeks’ search for chicken skewer “souvlaki”.. While we could not find any option other than pork in a few places we asked, we settled in a place that does business in the format of a cafe during the day and a tavern in the evening and has a view of Kokkari Bay.. We order our meal in the company of the sea and old tourists on both sides of us.
In the face of the heavy service of the Greeks, who are characteristically slow-moving and can not be stressed in any way, we finish our drinks before the meal and excitedly start estimating when the food will arrive.
It is impossible to find the service quality in any place in Turkey in the Greek Islands.. People are as relaxed and carefree as possible.
After a long wait, souvlaki and doner kebabs come to the table.. We eat our food quickly when talking is minimal.. In the meantime, Evrim has finished the second cola that is good for her stomach.
After the meal, we take one last look at Kokkari and leave the view behind us.
Potami Beach
Our choice for a beach where everyone will be happy is Potami Beach.
Potami Beach is located within the borders of Karlovasi, the city with the most populous population of the island with its student population.. The name of Karlovasi, which is located right across the Seferihisar district of Izmir, comes from Karlıova in the Ottoman period.. While the highest mountain of the island is located on Karlovasi, there is also a port used for passenger and freight transportation in Karlovasi, the only region of the island where it snows in cold times. We rejoice when we realize that the pain of people is slowly starting to pass.. While our ongoing journey, accompanied by Turkish or Greek songs, continues on the narrow and difficult roads of the island, Eren’s constant switching between radio channels raises our blood pressure.. While Evolution often warns Eren, Eren complains that the radio does not pick up.. Karlovasi, where the Aegean (Aegean) University, which continues its activities with the center of Lesbos on the Greek islands, has mathematics and numerical departments, is a complete student paradise.
The mobility in the city where students from different parts of Greece live is noticeable. Those who come to Karlovasi after Vathi will easily see how the age characteristics of the population suddenly reversed.. I share what I have learned about the island as I head towards Patomi Beach from Karlovasi, which Eren tried to engrave in his mind with names such as Karlovitsa and Karlovitça. Patomi Beach, also known as Lovers Beach, gets lively at night as well as during the busy season with its heart-like natural look.
We take a look at the beach where curvy Greek boys and girls play backgammon, drink frappe and beer and settle into the sun loungers we find. After we sing our frappes, which are frequently consumed on the islands and serve as insurance against the heat, we watch the people playing games, sunbathing and chatting on the beach. We share our trump cards on the backgammon, the scales of which are completed with materials such as plastic water bottle caps, soda caps and stones.
The sea break we took in the backgammon we played, ignoring the “everyone is watching me” gaze of Eren, who wears his glasses and gives deep messages to his surroundings with sunbathing poses. I am the winner in the game that ends after that.
While we speed up the steps towards our hotel in Vathi due to the advancing hours and evening plans, it is not very predictable what the night and the next hours will bring us.. The painful journey of Samos continues with pleasure and pleasant conversation…
First part of the article: False Travel
Second part of the article: Siesta in Samos
Third part of the article: Kokkari and Potami
Fourth part of the article: The night that makes you forget the bracelet
Fifth part of the article: Pythagoras or Pythagoras?
Sixth part of the article: We have closed an era
