A long stay...
My family and I have been on Kythera for almost a month now and we've enjoyed the company of the dozens of wonderful Diaspora Kytherians on the island. Although the days can be seriously hot at this time of year, the evenings are balmy and most of the socialising is done then. We've had a series of windless nights to enjoy, and yesterday a few drops of rain were even recorded in Potamos and northwards. We intend to stay until the end of November, and our temporary shelter here in the beautiful north of the island near Karavas won't keep us dry when the rains start. We've been asking around for houses to rent but so far haven't found anything big enough for us. If you know of a house with at least two bedrooms which might be available please let us know. As the children are being tutored in Perligianika - between Potamos and Aroniathika - we'd prefer something in the north of the island. Any help would be much appreciated. Also, if you know of children on the island who might enjoy playing with our 10 and 7 year-old boys who are fluent in a few languages but still need to learn Greek properly, let us know.
>Mr Karekla
The "Gypsies" are on the island at the moment. Actually I don't know if they really are gypsies or "Roma" as they are more correctly termed. They travel around Greece in small and large trucks, whole families sleeping by the wayside, and often sell household goods from the backs of their utilities. I saw one this morning in Potamos, the back of his pick-up stacked 4 metres high with plastic chairs and tables of all shapes and colours. It looks like a circus balancing act. They drive from village to village, house to house, their tinny loud-speakers interrupting the cries of cicadas with "Karekla, Trapezia" (Chairs, Tables!)
My cousin Joanne, who's holiday home here is more like a luxury hotel as she always has every corner of the place filled with guests, is ever on the look-out for more outside furniture to seat her many guests. She asked "Mr Karekla", as she calls him, for 8 chairs. He untied the various ropes around his vehicle and climbing his mountain of wares hauled 8 chairs down from the top, various others falling around him in the process. With a big smile he presented them to Joanne. "But they're four different types of chairs!" she complained. "So what", said Mr. Karekla "you can still sit on them." "But I want a set". The chair-man climbed back up his mountain and spent the next 10 minutes taking apart the balancing act which is similar in sorts to the life he leads. Smiling again, he presented his next offer to Joanne. Two sets of four chairs. Joanne shook her head. "A set of eight chairs, all the same type". "But why??" he asked, still perplexed by Joanne's stubbornness. She simply scowled. He looked at his load of chairs again, shook his head, pulled out the last of his patience and said "tomorrow!" Then he proceeded to rebuild his rolling mountain.
The next day he was back and it all started from the beginning. First a "set" of three different models, then two different styles, and for a finale he managed a set of six chairs of one style and two stools. "No stools" Joanne told him, then, feeling some pity for him: "How much for the six?" This is what Mr. Karekla has been waiting for, his chance to bargain. "Only six-hundred and seventy Euros!" Joanne just looked at him dryly, shaking her head. "Including the table!" he added, seeing his opposite number was no pushover. Joanne was adamant: "Eight identical chairs, and a matching table, for two-hundred". Mr Karekla looked back at his unloaded truck and scattered trapezia and kareklas, shook his head again a few times, and was beaten.
>On Our Island
I'm sitting in the cool kitchen of my Aunt Koula's home in Mitata. It's a scorching 37 degrees outside. My Aunt is having an afternoon rest and I'm waiting for a load of washing to finish so I can hang it up. It is so hot that even the big weekend gathering at the Sunday markets in Potamos was quieter than usual as many people chose to stay indoors. To escape the heat I went to the spring just down from Mitata - the shade and coolness of the grotto and the sound of running water around me was an amazing contrast to the screaming heat outside.
In my last article I told you about our attempt to pinpoint springs on the island and asked for information regarding the original source of that water. My cousin Peter Prineas suggested that the porous rock under the surface of the island soaked up rainwater in winter and this was confirmed by my friend Professor Antonis Bartsiokas, who is Kytherian on his mother's side and an incredibly learned man with not only a PHD in anatomy and paleoanthropology, but who is also exceedingly well-versed in physical geography, mineralogy and dozens of other areas. He is – although his humility would not allow him to admit it – a walking fountain of knowledge. Antonis explained the way various water deposits exist on the island, as well as the general water-table of the island which sits above the sea-level. There are various points on the coast of Kythera where enormous amounts of fresh water flow into the ocean – Antonis told me of one close to Kapsali. I "discovered" one myself while snorkelling just south of Kalami Beach below Mylopotamos. While swimming into a huge cavern there the water turned cold, the vegetation disappeared and the water had a strange translucence like when you mix large quantities of salt into cold water. At a few points in the walls of the caverns you could feel the fresh cold spring-water flowing into the sea - I assume that is where the water from the waterfall at Neraitha finally meets the sea. While at the spring in Mitata today I estimated a water-flow one litre a second - that is 86,400 litres a day and about 31 million litres of water a year! Just from the one spring at Mitata. Assuming a similar flow from Kapsali and Kalami, at least 60 million litres of water is flowing off the island into the ocean each year. Right now there are major problems which one of the main water sources on the island - the Gonia close to Mitata - so being able to collect the wasted water flowing off the island is an important topic. If you know of other fresh water flowing into the sea please let us know.
And last but not least: included in this mail are two wonderful articles by Maria Whyte and Gaye Hegeman - don't miss them!
Best regards,
James Prineas (James@kythera-family.net)
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>Message Board
(direct link to message board with contact facilitation: http://www.kythera-family.net/index.php?nav=36)
> Important meeting in Chora 23rd August re wind-turbines on KYTHIRA
To all interested parties,
We are beginning an information up-date service with the aim of keeping you all informed of discussions, meetings and information pertaining to environmental issues effecting us all, not least the various applications, (currently underway) of creating several electricity generating wind-turbine (euphemistically called ...PARKS...read FACTORIES!!) on Kythira. We are NOT talking about 5 or even 10 wind turbines which would be ample to supply all Kythera's power needs, but proposals which would lead to up-wards of 100 to 200 of these turbines supplying power for the main-land.
NEXT MEETING: ON 23RD AUGUST STARTING AT 21H00 HELD BY "THE KYTHERA CULTURAL ASSOCIATION" AT THE KYTHERAIKOS SYNDESMOS (large building just before the Archeological Museum on the main road as you enter Chora.) The meeting will be CONDUCTED IN ENGLISH led by John Stathatos.
Please forward email addresses of anyone you feel may be interested in keeping abreast of developments regarding the above mentioned to kythira@hotmail.co.uk
Do also please inform as many people as possible of the meeting.
Many thanks
Clive Chidley
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Life Story: Matina (Stamatina) Aroney - formerly Glitsos
by Gaye Hegeman:
A visit with Matina at her home in April 2009 encompassed all that is traditional about Greek hospitality, beginning with greetings and pleasantries followed by offers of coffee and Greek shortbread. At the conclusion of the visit there was a tour of her garden, which nowadays consists of a collection of carefully tended exotic plants in pots tailor-made to Matina’s decreased mobility. Beneath her front steps in a sunny position facing north grows a magnificent basil bush as tall as a man, brimming with life. The bush, a mass of leaves and flowers attracts many bees that busily dart from flower to flower, so dense that it has to be tied back with pieces of stocking to keep it from blocking the side path. From a nearby bucket of water Matina took a handful of basil cuttings that had already sent out tiny white roots and offered them to me for my garden as a gesture of friendship. Gestures like this come from a long tradition of sharing with friends and neighbours and in a small way perpetuate some of the customs of village life.
Located along the main road half way between Chora and Agia Pelagia is Dokana a small village comprising of about 25 houses. This is where Matina was born on the 19th July 1920 with the assistance of her maternal grandmother Matina Glitsos. Her father Vasily, was also present that day. Matina was the third child with an older sister Alexandra, a brother Anarios (Erny) and two younger sisters Dorothy and Eleni. Throughout her childhood Matina was blessed with good health. Although Matina’s mother and father both had the same surname prior to their marriage they were not related. She said that everyone in their village had the same name, ‘Glitsos.’ Her maternal grandparents were Mina and Matina Glitsos and her fathers’ parents were Anarios and Alexandra Glitsos.
The home in which Matina was raised was built in the traditional style with a domed ceiling. There were three rooms which provided enough space for each child to have their own bed. A table and chairs where they sat to eat meals furnished their kitchen and to ensure they had good table manners her parents taught their children to eat with knives and forks. As there was no electricity, kerosene lamps provided light and wood fires were used for cooking and heating.
Out of necessity their lifestyle followed a pattern of hard work and self-sufficiency. Provident living ensured there was enough to eat but it took a lot of work to produce everything and their comfort came at a price which was their father’s absence. He went to America four times always putting away money for his daughters’ dowries. The only one to benefit was the eldest daughter as all of the family’s savings was lost during the Great Depression. Whenever her father returned to the Island, the money he brought went towards the upkeep of their small farm and family essentials - there were never presents or luxuries.
Maintaining a garden meant there was always plenty of work and each child was expected to contribute. Their garden was planted with a wide variety of vegetables the main crops being potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, radishes and lettuce. The water supply for their household came from a well on their land with additional wells supplying water for cultivation in other fields. One good crop of potatoes and onions lasted the family all year and after the harvest these vegetables were stored in a cool, dry place under their house away from the light. When they returned home from school each day they had jobs to do. The animals had to be fetched and brought home for the night. There were three sheep, several calves, two donkeys, goats and chickens. Winter on Kythera was very cold and if you left a dish of water outside during the night it would turn to ice.
In addition to bread, their daily diet comprised of cheese, meat and vegetables. A large dome shaped brick oven, built separate from the house baked seven large round loaves of bread at a time which was enough to last their family for a whole week. Matina remarked that the bread was not like today’s bread. If there was any left after a week it was still fresh enough to eat. She thinks the bread’s freshness was due to the type of yeast that was used. Her mother also baked delicious biscuits called Paximadi. The old oven is still there though the shed that housed it has long since fallen down. Her family owned fields here and there with lots of olive trees, fig, apple and pear trees, grape vines and they also cultivated wheat. After harvest, the wheat was taken to the mill at Mylopotamos to be ground into flour.
Sometimes they ate lamb and once a year they had pork. Matina’s father used to buy a young piglet from the market at Potamos which they raised until it was large enough to slaughter. The meat lasted two to three months. Portions of it were given to the grandparents, and what was left over was preserved in a mixture of olive oil and herbs or made into delicious sausages. Every part of the pig was used.
‘My mother was a lovely woman. She did everything,’ recalled Matina. ‘At night she used to cook meals and milk the goats - she never stopped. She was always very tired. My poor mother worked so hard.’ The milk was used to make a beautiful soft cheese. To make the cheese hard it was hung outside in a basket to dry. It was similar in taste and texture to ‘fetta’ cheese. To entertain her children she used to tell them stories. She was very popular in the village. Her mother was skilled with the loom and used to make fabric from cotton and from wool fibre which she spun from the fleece gathered from their sheep. With the aid of a loom that was kept in the house she made beautiful clothes, blankets, jumpers and shawls for her family. Matina still treasures the bedspread her mother gave her seventy years ago when she left the Island. This colourful bedspread patterned in yellow, brown, pink, red, purple, and aqua is made with home spun wool and finished with an unusual decorative fringe. Matina’s mother never went to school and could neither read nor write. She once came to visit the family in Australia, but then returned to the Island. Her mother passed away when she was in her eighties. Their family house is still there and one of Matina’s nephews lives in it now.
The nearest villages, Mylopotamos to the east and Fratsia to the south west were important both economically and socially. Matina remembers her godmother Katina Stratigos from Mylopotamos with deep affection and also her sons Anagrio and Pavlos. She thought the village of Mylopotamos was something special and declared that it was her favourite village on the Island.
Matina enjoyed going to school and most of all loved reading and would read anything she could find. She attended Fratsia elementary school until the age of twelve. Each day Matina walked to school in the company of other children from her village. They had no shoes and went barefoot summer and winter. It was a one-teacher school attended by about 120 pupils. A class mate of Matina’s, Betty Comino, also resides in Brisbane. (See the Oral History story "Betty Comino"). Several times a year, their teacher Constantine Pavlakis took the whole school on a nature ramble. On these occasions they examined the natural surroundings, collected flowers and objects of interest, enjoyed a picnic lunch and played games.
Matina’s teen years were spent helping her mother in the garden, with cooking, making bread, general housework and washing. The procedure on washing days was to place the clothes in a large round cane basket and cover it with a clean cloth on which a quantity of grey ashes was sprinkled. Boiling water was then poured over the top of the basket and left to stand. The final stage of the washing was done in a long tub made out of wood which sat on a garden bench. Finally the clothes were hung out to dry on a line that was strung between the olive trees. Matina still remembers how clean the clothes became using this method of washing. No one on the Island uses this method any more as these days most people have washing machines.
Her family attended Saint Lefteri church in their village. A priest came once a month. The whole community took care of the general maintenance of the church and saw that it was cleaned, painted and kept in good order. Matina does not have any special memories of Easter or Christmas other than the lack of a priest, but recalls there was always plenty to eat. New Years day was her father’s name day - St. Basilis. All of the children and grandchildren gathered together that day to celebrate. This was a family tradition. Alexandra her older sister who was married to Panayiotis Cassimatis lived in another village and used to come with her family.
At the outset of the second World War Anarios (Erny) Glitsos, Matina’s older brother who resided at Tamworth in country New South Wales, offered to sponsor his younger sister’s migration. He sent Matina forty pounds to cover her expenses which included enough money for her return fare to Greece in case she changed her mind when she got here. Matina was eighteen years old when she left in 1938. She sailed on the English passenger liner “Otranto” with six other girls from the Island. She remembers Port Said and passing through the Suez Canal and enjoyed the voyage very much especially the entertainment, games during the day and dancing at night. Of the six girls who travelled together from the Island, Matina and Stella Cassimatis (Manalessos) from Logothetianika are the only ones still alive. Her brother Anarios (Erny) whom she remembers fondly as a very good brother married Silvia Georgiades in Sydney. He passed away in 1977.
One of her uncles, Vasily (Bill) Glitsos, her mother’s brother, was waiting for her when the ship docked in Sydney. They spent the following week shopping and enjoying the sights before they departed for Tamworth which was a full day’s journey north by steam train. Although it was September, the beginning of spring in Australia, Matina was surprised at how cold it was when they reached their destination. Bill Glitsos owned the “Canberra Café” (which is still there) at Manilla, a small but wealthy town surrounded by farms that supported sheep and wheat growing, a distance of about twenty-three miles from Tamworth.
Another uncle, Bill Kalokerinos, who was married to her mother’s sister Doris, lived in Tamworth where they owned a very good business called the “Golden Bell Café.” Bill Kalokerinos anglicised his name changing it to Summers and was known locally as Mr. Bill Summers. He and his wife Doris had a four month old baby girl called Mary. Matina went to live with them and for the next few years helped out wherever she was needed. In the beginning she looked after the baby, took the baby for a walks, did the ironing, helped in the home and in the café. When she first arrived in Australia Matina did not speak any English. Her uncle she remembers was a very nice man and she liked Tamworth very much. The baby she used to look after all those years ago is Mary Notaras married to Angelo Notaras. They live at Bellevue Hill, Sydney.
Peter Theo Aroney originally from the village of Aroniathika came to Australia when he was twelve years old in 1927. Coming from a large family of eight boys and two girls he established hard working habits from an early age. When Matina first became acquainted with Peter, he and his uncle Jim Aroney were partners in a business in Tamworth. His uncle left the business in 1950 and one of Peter’s brothers Jim Aroney entered into the partnership. Jim’s wife was Helen and they had two sons, Theo and Jack. In 1952 they brought out another brother Tony who worked in the shop for several years before he moved on to Wallsend at Newcastle in New South Wales where he married Polixeni (Xeni) and had two daughters Vickie and Chrissie.
Matina and Peter were married at the Church of England, Tamworth by a Greek priest in February 1941. Because there were so few Greek families living in Tamworth at the time they did not have their own church. However over the years the number of Greek families increased to about thirty. Following their marriage Peter’s brothers joined them and helped run the restaurant which was known as Aroney Bros. Fish Shop. Matina said that Tamworth was a rich town, and remembers there were at least fifteen cafes trading during her time, most of which were Greek owned.
Long hours and hard work dominated their life style during the years they were in business. They never went to bed before 1 am, rising again at 7am. The only time they had for relaxation was on Sunday which they usually spent with friends. When they had a family holiday they went to Sydney. Matina said that Tamworth was a good town and considered they were very lucky to have such nice neighbours. Their only child, a daughter Chrisanthe (Chris) developed a close friendship with the daughter of an Australian family who lived next door. Chris married Con Gleeson in Brisbane, Queensland in 1962. At first they lived in Kyogle before establishing their home in Brisbane where they raised their four children Katina, Stanley, Peter and Maria. Matina and Peter remained in Tamworth for 32 years relocating to Brisbane when Peter retired in 1970. Peter had heart trouble and sadly passed away on the 28th November 1981.
Most of Matina’s immediate family lives nearby. They are all very close and provide emotional and social support for one another. Matina’s one surviving sibling - her younger sister Eleni Cassimatis - lives across town at Toowong. Eleni has three children, Irini, Mina and Maria. Matina’s daughter Chris and her family live at Coorparoo, while her nieces, sisters Chris Comino and Anna Comino (formerly Aroney) and their families live at Wishart. Chris and Anna Comino are the daughters of George Aroney, another brother of Peter Aroney. (See Oral History story "Chris Comino").
Still independent and self-sufficient Matina maintains an interest in gardening, needle-craft and enjoys social activities with her friends and family. She loves to crochet, embroider and knit and has made countless items including doilies, table runners as well as a cotton bedspread for each of her grandchildren. She began to crochet after she came to Australia explaining that she could not afford to buy cotton thread when she lived in Greece. When her house was broken into one Christmas while she was holidaying with her family, Matina’s large collection of craft work which was stored in a wooden trunk, as well as other valuables, were stolen. Matina was inconsolable as these items represented a lifetime of work. This year in June 2009, some of Matina’s embroidered tablecloths were showcased in an exhibition exploring Greek embroidery in Queensland, at Fortitude Valley, Brisbane titled ‘Stitches of the Heart.’ Never idle, her current project is to knit matinee jackets for new born babies.
A broken hip last year set her back for a while but has not dampened her spirit and with the aid of a walker she is still able to accomplish most of the things she did before her accident. Twice a week she meets friends and enjoys a variety of social activities, games and outings.
The best time in her life she said was when she had her husband and daughter together as a family. Her greatest sadness was to have lost her husband in 1981 – he was 78 years old. She said he was a very good husband. He sent a lot of money to his mother. Finally, Matina expressed that her husband worked too hard and she would like to remind others that it is important to take time to relax and not always be working. Matina recently celebrated her 89th birthday at a special breakfast in the company of her ever expanding family.
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A KYTHERIAN CHILDHOOD
by Maria of Lourandianika
As I begin this article, I would like to make mention of a wonderful Kytherian, the former president of the Kytherian Brotherhood for 8 years back in 1963, Peter E. Aroney, who recently passed. A fine man, so respected by the Kytherian Community, who worked tirelessly for all Kytherians and the Community, accomplishing so much not only in his role as president but also by assisting Kytherians in need, both in Greece and Australia, as well as any deserving cause.
Many times now, on cold nights, I find myself wrapping myself in a warm blanket, and reading the journal from my childhood journey to Kythera. Although memories tend to fade as the years pass, those young Kytherian immigrants, most now deceased, left a legacy for their wives and children and grandchildren, having come to a strange country all those years ago to create a better life for them. Such were the accomplishments of these proud Kytherians.
Memories of my childhood consist only of happy times. So much laughter. But, as I read my journal, I read that such was not always the case.
When my family visited Kythera from Australia in the 50s we lived with our relatives. This would place a strain on any household, as so many identities, fixed in their ways, must surely place a strain on any extended family. From time to time, as opinions differed, and the existing members of the household uncertain of the new ways we did things, and we sometimes unhappy to do things their way, caused friction. But, fortunately, consensus prevailed, and tempers which at times flared, were calmed with discussion.
Breakfast every morning was so different from what I was accustomed to. The paximathia eaten together with tinned milk in a cup of tea. This was something I could not enjoy as the taste was so strange, and in the end I chose to drink tea with lemon.
Our days slowly built up a rhythm and regularity. Like the daily visit to my grandparents. My grandmother would be so upset if we did make the long journey to Upper Livadi to visit. My grandfather loved having his long white beard pulled as I sat on his knee, laughing as I would look into his eyes, and seeing a twinkle there. Never was the walk over the hard stones on the road begrudged, and, when the fear of riding a donkey was overcome, the visit became so much easier.
My wonderful Aunts explained to me the words that these stubborn donkeys understood and usually obeyed. The notion that donkeys are stubborn beasts is correct: the donkey, mostly on the return trip after visiting my grandparents, sometimes refused to obey while I was high up carried on the hard wooden saddle which I had to ride side saddle because of the size and bulk of the donkey, ignoring my commands for it to stop. How many times did I have to call out to my Aunts and other family members to assist me to alight this beast, with a mind of its own. How much laughter these escapades generated, as the story was told often, and always, accompanied by laughter, at the vision of me on the wooden saddle, so high off the ground, needing a ladder to get down. It had taken some time to convince me to ride these animals, and the stable, not a place I wished to be in, was situated well away from our home, and how often were my cries for help unheard. But I grew to love them.
There was not much organised public entertainment on Kythera, so when it was announced that there would be a cinema-night out in the open, there was great excitement. What a wonderful event for my Grandmother. She rode her donkey as I led it to the outdoor cinema. The film by a Mr. Cassimaty was about Australia, and this caused even more interest in us visitors, as the unspoiled locals had heard so much about Australia, but knew very little of this country, so far away. Each time the lights were lit during an interval we became the focus of interest again as we had not been in Kythera for long. The evening weather had started so pleasantly - no one thought of bad weather ruining this special occasion. How fortunate for us though: the dark clouds gathered as the movie finished, then light rain started. All ran home, and the heavens opened to a downpour.
My father would often go hunting, taking with him the dog Pisti, Greek for "faithful". How I wished I could go with him, but, he felt they were times when I should spend time with my relatives. Time would pass quickly he explained, and he wanted me to value every minute with my grandparents and family members, as when the time came to return to Australia, those times would be so precious. How right he was.
Our departure from the island was not something I wanted to contemplate, as my love for Kythera deepened as each day passed. At the beginning of our stay I would never have believed that I could feel this way, away from all modern facilities, almost going back in time. Each passing day bringing our departure one day closer worried me even more.
Gone were the thoughts of the first few days, as I sat on the stoop at the front of the family home, looking over the vast fields, asking myself how would I survive this change of lifestyle. Now I dreaded the day when we would leave this idyllic life, to return to the normality of living the life of a Kytherian teenager in Australia once more.
To this very day, no longer a child on Kythera, but a mother and grandmother, the longing to return once more to Kythera is always in my heart and soul.
Maria (Marcellos) Whyte
maria.wwhyte@gmail.com
4 Trinity Crescent
Sippy Downs
Queensland 4556.
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On Our Island
I'm sitting in the cool kitchen of my Aunt Koula's home in Mitata. It's a scorching 37 degrees outside. My Aunt is having an afternoon rest and I'm waiting for a load of washing to finish so I can hang it up. It is so hot that even the big weekend gathering at the Sunday markets in Potamos was quieter than usual as many people chose to stay indoors. To escape the heat I went to the spring just down from Mitata - the shade and coolness of the grotto and the sound of running water around me was an amazing contrast to the screaming heat outside.
In my last article I told you about our attempt to pinpoint springs on the island and asked for information regarding the original source of that water. My cousin Peter Prineas suggested that the porous rock under the surface of the island soaked up rainwater in winter and this was confirmed by my friend Professor Antonis Bartsiokas, who is Kytherian on his mother's side and an incredibly learned man with not only a PHD in anatomy and paleoanthropology, but who is also exceedingly well-versed in physical geography, mineralogy and dozens of other areas. He is – although his humility would not allow him to admit it – a walking fountain of knowledge. Antonis explained the way various water deposits exist on the island, as well as the general water-table of the island which sits above the sea-level. There are various points on the coast of Kythera where enormous amounts of fresh water flow into the ocean – Antonis told me of one close to Kapsali. I "discovered" one myself while snorkelling just south of Kalami Beach below Mylopotamos. While swimming into a huge cavern there the water turned cold, the vegetation disappeared and the water had a strange translucence like when you mix large quantities of salt into cold water. At a few points in the walls of the caverns you could feel the fresh cold spring-water flowing into the sea - I assume that is where the water from the waterfall at Neraitha finally meets the sea. While at the spring in Mitata today I estimated a water-flow one litre a second - that is 86,400 litres a day and about 31 million litres of water a year! Just from the one spring at Mitata. Assuming a similar flow from Kapsali and Kalami, at least 60 million litres of water is flowing off the island into the ocean each year. Right now there are major problems which one of the main water sources on the island - the Gonia close to Mitata - so being able to collect the wasted water flowing off the island is an important topic. If you know of other fresh water flowing into the sea please let us know.
And last but not least: included in this mail are two wonderful articles by Maria Whyte and Gaye Hegeman - don't miss them!
Best regards,
James Prineas (James@kythera-family.net)
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>Message Board
(direct link to message board with contact facilitation: http://www.kythera-family.net/index.php?nav=36)
> Important meeting in Chora 23rd August re wind-turbines on KYTHIRA
To all interested parties,
We are beginning an information up-date service with the aim of keeping you all informed of discussions, meetings and information pertaining to environmental issues effecting us all, not least the various applications, (currently underway) of creating several electricity generating wind-turbine (euphemistically called ...PARKS...read FACTORIES!!) on Kythira. We are NOT talking about 5 or even 10 wind turbines which would be ample to supply all Kythera's power needs, but proposals which would lead to up-wards of 100 to 200 of these turbines supplying power for the main-land.
NEXT MEETING: ON 23RD AUGUST STARTING AT 21H00 HELD BY "THE KYTHERA CULTURAL ASSOCIATION" AT THE KYTHERAIKOS SYNDESMOS (large building just before the Archeological Museum on the main road as you enter Chora.) The meeting will be CONDUCTED IN ENGLISH led by John Stathatos.
Please forward email addresses of anyone you feel may be interested in keeping abreast of developments regarding the above mentioned to kythira@hotmail.co.uk
Do also please inform as many people as possible of the meeting.
Many thanks
Clive Chidley
.._ _ _..._ _ _...
Life Story: Matina (Stamatina) Aroney - formerly Glitsos
by Gaye Hegeman:
A visit with Matina at her home in April 2009 encompassed all that is traditional about Greek hospitality, beginning with greetings and pleasantries followed by offers of coffee and Greek shortbread. At the conclusion of the visit there was a tour of her garden, which nowadays consists of a collection of carefully tended exotic plants in pots tailor-made to Matina’s decreased mobility. Beneath her front steps in a sunny position facing north grows a magnificent basil bush as tall as a man, brimming with life. The bush, a mass of leaves and flowers attracts many bees that busily dart from flower to flower, so dense that it has to be tied back with pieces of stocking to keep it from blocking the side path. From a nearby bucket of water Matina took a handful of basil cuttings that had already sent out tiny white roots and offered them to me for my garden as a gesture of friendship. Gestures like this come from a long tradition of sharing with friends and neighbours and in a small way perpetuate some of the customs of village life.
Located along the main road half way between Chora and Agia Pelagia is Dokana a small village comprising of about 25 houses. This is where Matina was born on the 19th July 1920 with the assistance of her maternal grandmother Matina Glitsos. Her father Vasily, was also present that day. Matina was the third child with an older sister Alexandra, a brother Anarios (Erny) and two younger sisters Dorothy and Eleni. Throughout her childhood Matina was blessed with good health. Although Matina’s mother and father both had the same surname prior to their marriage they were not related. She said that everyone in their village had the same name, ‘Glitsos.’ Her maternal grandparents were Mina and Matina Glitsos and her fathers’ parents were Anarios and Alexandra Glitsos.
The home in which Matina was raised was built in the traditional style with a domed ceiling. There were three rooms which provided enough space for each child to have their own bed. A table and chairs where they sat to eat meals furnished their kitchen and to ensure they had good table manners her parents taught their children to eat with knives and forks. As there was no electricity, kerosene lamps provided light and wood fires were used for cooking and heating.
Out of necessity their lifestyle followed a pattern of hard work and self-sufficiency. Provident living ensured there was enough to eat but it took a lot of work to produce everything and their comfort came at a price which was their father’s absence. He went to America four times always putting away money for his daughters’ dowries. The only one to benefit was the eldest daughter as all of the family’s savings was lost during the Great Depression. Whenever her father returned to the Island, the money he brought went towards the upkeep of their small farm and family essentials - there were never presents or luxuries.
Maintaining a garden meant there was always plenty of work and each child was expected to contribute. Their garden was planted with a wide variety of vegetables the main crops being potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, radishes and lettuce. The water supply for their household came from a well on their land with additional wells supplying water for cultivation in other fields. One good crop of potatoes and onions lasted the family all year and after the harvest these vegetables were stored in a cool, dry place under their house away from the light. When they returned home from school each day they had jobs to do. The animals had to be fetched and brought home for the night. There were three sheep, several calves, two donkeys, goats and chickens. Winter on Kythera was very cold and if you left a dish of water outside during the night it would turn to ice.
In addition to bread, their daily diet comprised of cheese, meat and vegetables. A large dome shaped brick oven, built separate from the house baked seven large round loaves of bread at a time which was enough to last their family for a whole week. Matina remarked that the bread was not like today’s bread. If there was any left after a week it was still fresh enough to eat. She thinks the bread’s freshness was due to the type of yeast that was used. Her mother also baked delicious biscuits called Paximadi. The old oven is still there though the shed that housed it has long since fallen down. Her family owned fields here and there with lots of olive trees, fig, apple and pear trees, grape vines and they also cultivated wheat. After harvest, the wheat was taken to the mill at Mylopotamos to be ground into flour.
Sometimes they ate lamb and once a year they had pork. Matina’s father used to buy a young piglet from the market at Potamos which they raised until it was large enough to slaughter. The meat lasted two to three months. Portions of it were given to the grandparents, and what was left over was preserved in a mixture of olive oil and herbs or made into delicious sausages. Every part of the pig was used.
‘My mother was a lovely woman. She did everything,’ recalled Matina. ‘At night she used to cook meals and milk the goats - she never stopped. She was always very tired. My poor mother worked so hard.’ The milk was used to make a beautiful soft cheese. To make the cheese hard it was hung outside in a basket to dry. It was similar in taste and texture to ‘fetta’ cheese. To entertain her children she used to tell them stories. She was very popular in the village. Her mother was skilled with the loom and used to make fabric from cotton and from wool fibre which she spun from the fleece gathered from their sheep. With the aid of a loom that was kept in the house she made beautiful clothes, blankets, jumpers and shawls for her family. Matina still treasures the bedspread her mother gave her seventy years ago when she left the Island. This colourful bedspread patterned in yellow, brown, pink, red, purple, and aqua is made with home spun wool and finished with an unusual decorative fringe. Matina’s mother never went to school and could neither read nor write. She once came to visit the family in Australia, but then returned to the Island. Her mother passed away when she was in her eighties. Their family house is still there and one of Matina’s nephews lives in it now.
The nearest villages, Mylopotamos to the east and Fratsia to the south west were important both economically and socially. Matina remembers her godmother Katina Stratigos from Mylopotamos with deep affection and also her sons Anagrio and Pavlos. She thought the village of Mylopotamos was something special and declared that it was her favourite village on the Island.
Matina enjoyed going to school and most of all loved reading and would read anything she could find. She attended Fratsia elementary school until the age of twelve. Each day Matina walked to school in the company of other children from her village. They had no shoes and went barefoot summer and winter. It was a one-teacher school attended by about 120 pupils. A class mate of Matina’s, Betty Comino, also resides in Brisbane. (See the Oral History story "Betty Comino"). Several times a year, their teacher Constantine Pavlakis took the whole school on a nature ramble. On these occasions they examined the natural surroundings, collected flowers and objects of interest, enjoyed a picnic lunch and played games.
Matina’s teen years were spent helping her mother in the garden, with cooking, making bread, general housework and washing. The procedure on washing days was to place the clothes in a large round cane basket and cover it with a clean cloth on which a quantity of grey ashes was sprinkled. Boiling water was then poured over the top of the basket and left to stand. The final stage of the washing was done in a long tub made out of wood which sat on a garden bench. Finally the clothes were hung out to dry on a line that was strung between the olive trees. Matina still remembers how clean the clothes became using this method of washing. No one on the Island uses this method any more as these days most people have washing machines.
Her family attended Saint Lefteri church in their village. A priest came once a month. The whole community took care of the general maintenance of the church and saw that it was cleaned, painted and kept in good order. Matina does not have any special memories of Easter or Christmas other than the lack of a priest, but recalls there was always plenty to eat. New Years day was her father’s name day - St. Basilis. All of the children and grandchildren gathered together that day to celebrate. This was a family tradition. Alexandra her older sister who was married to Panayiotis Cassimatis lived in another village and used to come with her family.
At the outset of the second World War Anarios (Erny) Glitsos, Matina’s older brother who resided at Tamworth in country New South Wales, offered to sponsor his younger sister’s migration. He sent Matina forty pounds to cover her expenses which included enough money for her return fare to Greece in case she changed her mind when she got here. Matina was eighteen years old when she left in 1938. She sailed on the English passenger liner “Otranto” with six other girls from the Island. She remembers Port Said and passing through the Suez Canal and enjoyed the voyage very much especially the entertainment, games during the day and dancing at night. Of the six girls who travelled together from the Island, Matina and Stella Cassimatis (Manalessos) from Logothetianika are the only ones still alive. Her brother Anarios (Erny) whom she remembers fondly as a very good brother married Silvia Georgiades in Sydney. He passed away in 1977.
One of her uncles, Vasily (Bill) Glitsos, her mother’s brother, was waiting for her when the ship docked in Sydney. They spent the following week shopping and enjoying the sights before they departed for Tamworth which was a full day’s journey north by steam train. Although it was September, the beginning of spring in Australia, Matina was surprised at how cold it was when they reached their destination. Bill Glitsos owned the “Canberra Café” (which is still there) at Manilla, a small but wealthy town surrounded by farms that supported sheep and wheat growing, a distance of about twenty-three miles from Tamworth.
Another uncle, Bill Kalokerinos, who was married to her mother’s sister Doris, lived in Tamworth where they owned a very good business called the “Golden Bell Café.” Bill Kalokerinos anglicised his name changing it to Summers and was known locally as Mr. Bill Summers. He and his wife Doris had a four month old baby girl called Mary. Matina went to live with them and for the next few years helped out wherever she was needed. In the beginning she looked after the baby, took the baby for a walks, did the ironing, helped in the home and in the café. When she first arrived in Australia Matina did not speak any English. Her uncle she remembers was a very nice man and she liked Tamworth very much. The baby she used to look after all those years ago is Mary Notaras married to Angelo Notaras. They live at Bellevue Hill, Sydney.
Peter Theo Aroney originally from the village of Aroniathika came to Australia when he was twelve years old in 1927. Coming from a large family of eight boys and two girls he established hard working habits from an early age. When Matina first became acquainted with Peter, he and his uncle Jim Aroney were partners in a business in Tamworth. His uncle left the business in 1950 and one of Peter’s brothers Jim Aroney entered into the partnership. Jim’s wife was Helen and they had two sons, Theo and Jack. In 1952 they brought out another brother Tony who worked in the shop for several years before he moved on to Wallsend at Newcastle in New South Wales where he married Polixeni (Xeni) and had two daughters Vickie and Chrissie.
Matina and Peter were married at the Church of England, Tamworth by a Greek priest in February 1941. Because there were so few Greek families living in Tamworth at the time they did not have their own church. However over the years the number of Greek families increased to about thirty. Following their marriage Peter’s brothers joined them and helped run the restaurant which was known as Aroney Bros. Fish Shop. Matina said that Tamworth was a rich town, and remembers there were at least fifteen cafes trading during her time, most of which were Greek owned.
Long hours and hard work dominated their life style during the years they were in business. They never went to bed before 1 am, rising again at 7am. The only time they had for relaxation was on Sunday which they usually spent with friends. When they had a family holiday they went to Sydney. Matina said that Tamworth was a good town and considered they were very lucky to have such nice neighbours. Their only child, a daughter Chrisanthe (Chris) developed a close friendship with the daughter of an Australian family who lived next door. Chris married Con Gleeson in Brisbane, Queensland in 1962. At first they lived in Kyogle before establishing their home in Brisbane where they raised their four children Katina, Stanley, Peter and Maria. Matina and Peter remained in Tamworth for 32 years relocating to Brisbane when Peter retired in 1970. Peter had heart trouble and sadly passed away on the 28th November 1981.
Most of Matina’s immediate family lives nearby. They are all very close and provide emotional and social support for one another. Matina’s one surviving sibling - her younger sister Eleni Cassimatis - lives across town at Toowong. Eleni has three children, Irini, Mina and Maria. Matina’s daughter Chris and her family live at Coorparoo, while her nieces, sisters Chris Comino and Anna Comino (formerly Aroney) and their families live at Wishart. Chris and Anna Comino are the daughters of George Aroney, another brother of Peter Aroney. (See Oral History story "Chris Comino").
Still independent and self-sufficient Matina maintains an interest in gardening, needle-craft and enjoys social activities with her friends and family. She loves to crochet, embroider and knit and has made countless items including doilies, table runners as well as a cotton bedspread for each of her grandchildren. She began to crochet after she came to Australia explaining that she could not afford to buy cotton thread when she lived in Greece. When her house was broken into one Christmas while she was holidaying with her family, Matina’s large collection of craft work which was stored in a wooden trunk, as well as other valuables, were stolen. Matina was inconsolable as these items represented a lifetime of work. This year in June 2009, some of Matina’s embroidered tablecloths were showcased in an exhibition exploring Greek embroidery in Queensland, at Fortitude Valley, Brisbane titled ‘Stitches of the Heart.’ Never idle, her current project is to knit matinee jackets for new born babies.
A broken hip last year set her back for a while but has not dampened her spirit and with the aid of a walker she is still able to accomplish most of the things she did before her accident. Twice a week she meets friends and enjoys a variety of social activities, games and outings.
The best time in her life she said was when she had her husband and daughter together as a family. Her greatest sadness was to have lost her husband in 1981 – he was 78 years old. She said he was a very good husband. He sent a lot of money to his mother. Finally, Matina expressed that her husband worked too hard and she would like to remind others that it is important to take time to relax and not always be working. Matina recently celebrated her 89th birthday at a special breakfast in the company of her ever expanding family.
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A KYTHERIAN CHILDHOOD
by Maria of Lourandianika
As I begin this article, I would like to make mention of a wonderful Kytherian, the former president of the Kytherian Brotherhood for 8 years back in 1963, Peter E. Aroney, who recently passed. A fine man, so respected by the Kytherian Community, who worked tirelessly for all Kytherians and the Community, accomplishing so much not only in his role as president but also by assisting Kytherians in need, both in Greece and Australia, as well as any deserving cause.
Many times now, on cold nights, I find myself wrapping myself in a warm blanket, and reading the journal from my childhood journey to Kythera. Although memories tend to fade as the years pass, those young Kytherian immigrants, most now deceased, left a legacy for their wives and children and grandchildren, having come to a strange country all those years ago to create a better life for them. Such were the accomplishments of these proud Kytherians.
Memories of my childhood consist only of happy times. So much laughter. But, as I read my journal, I read that such was not always the case.
When my family visited Kythera from Australia in the 50s we lived with our relatives. This would place a strain on any household, as so many identities, fixed in their ways, must surely place a strain on any extended family. From time to time, as opinions differed, and the existing members of the household uncertain of the new ways we did things, and we sometimes unhappy to do things their way, caused friction. But, fortunately, consensus prevailed, and tempers which at times flared, were calmed with discussion.
Breakfast every morning was so different from what I was accustomed to. The paximathia eaten together with tinned milk in a cup of tea. This was something I could not enjoy as the taste was so strange, and in the end I chose to drink tea with lemon.
Our days slowly built up a rhythm and regularity. Like the daily visit to my grandparents. My grandmother would be so upset if we did make the long journey to Upper Livadi to visit. My grandfather loved having his long white beard pulled as I sat on his knee, laughing as I would look into his eyes, and seeing a twinkle there. Never was the walk over the hard stones on the road begrudged, and, when the fear of riding a donkey was overcome, the visit became so much easier.
My wonderful Aunts explained to me the words that these stubborn donkeys understood and usually obeyed. The notion that donkeys are stubborn beasts is correct: the donkey, mostly on the return trip after visiting my grandparents, sometimes refused to obey while I was high up carried on the hard wooden saddle which I had to ride side saddle because of the size and bulk of the donkey, ignoring my commands for it to stop. How many times did I have to call out to my Aunts and other family members to assist me to alight this beast, with a mind of its own. How much laughter these escapades generated, as the story was told often, and always, accompanied by laughter, at the vision of me on the wooden saddle, so high off the ground, needing a ladder to get down. It had taken some time to convince me to ride these animals, and the stable, not a place I wished to be in, was situated well away from our home, and how often were my cries for help unheard. But I grew to love them.
There was not much organised public entertainment on Kythera, so when it was announced that there would be a cinema-night out in the open, there was great excitement. What a wonderful event for my Grandmother. She rode her donkey as I led it to the outdoor cinema. The film by a Mr. Cassimaty was about Australia, and this caused even more interest in us visitors, as the unspoiled locals had heard so much about Australia, but knew very little of this country, so far away. Each time the lights were lit during an interval we became the focus of interest again as we had not been in Kythera for long. The evening weather had started so pleasantly - no one thought of bad weather ruining this special occasion. How fortunate for us though: the dark clouds gathered as the movie finished, then light rain started. All ran home, and the heavens opened to a downpour.
My father would often go hunting, taking with him the dog Pisti, Greek for "faithful". How I wished I could go with him, but, he felt they were times when I should spend time with my relatives. Time would pass quickly he explained, and he wanted me to value every minute with my grandparents and family members, as when the time came to return to Australia, those times would be so precious. How right he was.
Our departure from the island was not something I wanted to contemplate, as my love for Kythera deepened as each day passed. At the beginning of our stay I would never have believed that I could feel this way, away from all modern facilities, almost going back in time. Each passing day bringing our departure one day closer worried me even more.
Gone were the thoughts of the first few days, as I sat on the stoop at the front of the family home, looking over the vast fields, asking myself how would I survive this change of lifestyle. Now I dreaded the day when we would leave this idyllic life, to return to the normality of living the life of a Kytherian teenager in Australia once more.
To this very day, no longer a child on Kythera, but a mother and grandmother, the longing to return once more to Kythera is always in my heart and soul.
Maria (Marcellos) Whyte
maria.wwhyte@gmail.com
4 Trinity Crescent
Sippy Downs
Queensland 4556.
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