Mavra Volia and Mesta

On Thursday, the temperature dropped a bit and the wind increased from the east, sending small waves onto the beach near the lab. We were busy with meetings and work in the lab. Lunch was a ham-and-cheese sandwich wrapped in plastic and some cookies from the market around the corner. The afternoon snack was a peach from the fruit stand - I tried to pay for it but the proprietor wouldn't let me.

Minis rented a car around noon. Around 6 PM Minis, Theodore, and I left in the car for southern Chios. We headed first to the town of Emboreios, a seaside town on a small protected bay that is used as a marina. Our destination was the beach at the next bay over. The beach, called Mavra Volia, has no sand; instead it is all smooth, round black rocks, from large pebbles near the water to small rocks away from the edge. It is hard on the feet but beautiful. There are a few little shelters for changing (like the structure that was at the Lake Thomas property), so Minis and I changed and went for a swim. The water was nice, with cool and warm spots and perfectly clean and clear and calm (except when some boats went by); it was wonderful for swimming. Under the water, the bottom is covered with bigger rocks of the same kind.

After rinsing in the shower and changing, we were off to Mesta via Pyrgi. Mastiha grows on this part of the island, which is not as rough as central Chios, so this drive was much straighter and flatter than the drive on Tuesday. The road we took was undergoing improvements; there were some spots where it was only a wide gravel road, but other stretches were a modern highway, and we sped along. None of the roads in the countryside here have names or numbers, so for guidance drivers depend on signs indicating the direction (left, right, or straight ahead) to the next significant city. We made a wrong turn in Pyrgi (I had the map and was navigating, so it was my fault) but the silver lining was that we saw some of the interesting old houses in Pyrgi; they are decorated with unique grey and white patterns. We got back on the main road and made it to Mesta.

Pyrgi and Mesta and the other old towns in this part of the island escaped the devastation of the Turks due to the economic importance of the mastiha. The center of Mesta, from the 14th century, is a wonderful old town, with narrow stone streets and interesting stone buildings around the central church and square. The city's location away from the water, the city walls, and the maze of streets were intended to help defend the city against pirates. Other cities built in that era had the same type of plan, but Mesta is the best preserved. We wandered around some, I bought a stack of postcards, and then we ate at a restaurant on the square. The weather was still and dry and warm but not hot, perfect for sitting outside. We started dinner with salad and greens. There was a dish with baked cheese and tomatoes covered in oil to eat with the whole wheat bread. I had a simple grilled chicken breast with french fries, and we ended dinner with a dessert of sliced peaches.