Greece - Turkey

Given I was to have an unexpected 2nd day on Lesbos, I thought I would try and see some more of the island. However there was no tourist office, and timetables of the local bus service were all Greek to me. I spoke to a young guy who seemed to know about transport and it turned out he was a refugee from Syria. He had been in Greece two years with a condition he could not leave the island. Well there are worse places to be stuck, I suppose. He suggested the best way to see some of the island was to hire a car - so that’s what I did. Fifteen minutes later I was driving my little blue Micra across the centre of the island heading north. It really was beautiful scenery - very green and mountainous in places. I traveled to Molivos - a medieval town with an impressive fortress atop. The day was very hot again and so I headed for another beach. Again a warning about naturist bathing but this time another sign ‘No textiles’. As the bay was completely deserted I thought, what the hell - when in Rome... The sheep grazing on the cliff tops above probably thought ‘the water must be awfully cold.’

At the edge of the beach there was a small white building offering thermal baths. The large woman in charge resembled a Greek Bloody Mary who smiled and gestured to me to come in ‘you like?’ After I paid my 4 Euros, the smile disappeared and she barked instructions - ‘cold shower, then hot bath then again four times’. The hot spring bath was a pleasant experience but very, very hot. After the third time I couldn’t stand the heat of the bath any longer and made for the exit. ‘I say four times’ bawled Bloody Mary, and I meekly returned to the steaming cauldron. This time I was joined by a topless young woman wearing nothing but a g-string who proceeded to perform various double jointed athletic positions along the tiny poolside. The temperature rose further.

The views driving back down the East coast of the island with the Aegean sea on your left were absolutely spectacular - although riddled with hairpin bends.

I boarded the rescheduled tiny Turyol ferry at 18.00 and it was farewell to Greece - hello Turkey.Read more