1)
was called.... MARLERA or RAGOUSSA or EREIKOUSA .
It is on the very end of Greece by Albania and Italy, and that makes it a very important
passage through the Mediterranean along with the island of Othonoi and Mathraki.
From ancient times this island was used by all kinds of different seaman.
Merchants and pirates and travelers from all the countries stopped short and got
protection from rough waters in the quiet and very well protected bay of PORTO from
the very strong north winds of MAISTRO.
in the year 1290 a monk named AGIOS NEILOS O EREIKOYSIOS had a monastic life in
the island for about 12 years.....his remains still there ...
the people in Ereikousa came to the island from Othonoi around the 1670 s.
first they came to Othonoi after the occupancy of CRETE from the Turks in the year
1669.
many Cretans left and moved to the Eptanisa in CORFU and other islands.
some people say that we are the sons and daughters of pirates who the stayed in
Ereikousa from time to time...that is so wrong i say....
because.....
No pirates would ever build houses and produce fruits and vegetables or work in the
boats and go fishing for living.
The people who came to live there first of all were well educated and very good workers.
They build good housing and they were friendly and very well together as a community
in these small places.
years ago when i was in Ereikousa for one summer i discover in the cemetery two
stones that they were from two different graves ..one said on top...BASILIS KATEHIS
ANASTOS 1777....
Notice the year!
And the paratsoukli !
The other said..... NIKOLAOS MANESIS BLAKIS 1800...
I say they used their paratsoukli for people to see the difference between so many
KATEHIS and so many MANESIS...
so in the year 1777 having so many people and of coerce this person had live some
years of his life
i say that Ereikousa was full of life and as an organized community that's how they
started and in the 1700s they had about 75 merchant ships..
4 SKOUNAS
3 LEVERETS
5 BRACHERAS
13 TRAMPAKOULOS
20 GANTZAOUS
5 GOLETA
for the above ships we have details from the Greek government ,the British, the Italians
and the French
archives.
After the start of the war between the Russians and the FRENCH all the ships were
loosing grounds and the Ereikousiotes lost them all slowly .
Some were taking by the French navy and others lost their business because of the
wars in the region.
After the years of depression ,the people started to do work on the island as agricultural
work with the olive trees and their gardens , as well as fishing with smaller boats
2)
I grew up in Ereikousa and I remember everything since the 60s.
I remember KAKOKAIRIA and FOURTOUNAS like no other.
I remember the 6 kafeneia .all of them busy back in the days.
I remember the nice people. the good women.
The school and teacher DAMASKIS.
The boat ..KAIKI . of ANDREAS NAPPAS.
The boat of BARBA GIOSYFIS BLAKIS.
The boat of SIDARI of GIORGIS AND MARIETA.
The boat of my uncle PERIKLIS KALAMARIS
And GIAZIMIS ,my father' s boat MITSIS KANATAS
All of these people along with some of their workers as sailors on those boats always
amazed me for the job they have done for years and years.
They went through hell for one kilo beef, for one frantzola bread , for the flour, the corn,
for the chickens and all the things the people needed back then.
AND UNTILL TODAY NO ONE ... I mean nobody . no individual or club or society or
even the Church or any government officials has ever given any
Thoughts of appreciation or just a small little placate to say THANK YOU
To them.
To show them that we know what they went through for us.
They were almost drowned every day in the sea and we never said or
give any thanks to them.
Some or most of them have past away allready, but some still here with us.
Maybe it is not too late for us.
As I like to go on ...I remember the women.
Those heroes too..
What they did?
Well they did everything.
I mean everything.
They worked the homefront because the men were way sta Karavia as the men.
They plowed the fields, the brought water from the kipo on their heads, they cut wood, and they
picked olives. They baked bread, they cocked, they cleaned and they raised their children without
baby food, baby formula, pampers or credit cards.
Did we ever give any appreciation to them yet all these years ?
Of Course NOT.
Not us. How can we realize what we have not done . we are so busy making money and
trying to make more and more every day . our mind is occupied with so much thinking
that we forget what we owe to the WOMAN of EREIKOUSA.
I FEEL SO ASHAMED.
The only thing I have done for the KAPETANEOUS and THE women of Ereikousa is a
little poem for each one of them.
That's all just a poem.
I AM SO SORY
3)
But I still remember..
I remember so many things , different than today.
So many people , different than today.
Ereikousiotes were going from one coffee shop to another with out the fear of anyone
to say . why did you go there !
From BARBA STEFANIS to ANDREA NAPPA..
FROM BARBA STAMATIS to TATSIS KOKOROS,
Every one was buying OYZO to all others.
The church was full every Sunday.
We were draping the TRATA at night in PORTO and BRANGINI.
We waited for the mail man to call every name and give the letter to each of us.
We waited for the boat to come and run to the MOLO to help unload and take home the
goods ANDREAS OF GIOSYFIS brought for us.
We played in the sea with the water, we played soccer in the MEGALO LIVADI.
We hunt and fish as I remember from very young age. We snorkel and scuba dive . we
actually contributed to the dinner table with the fish and other eatables from the sea.
4)
A) I remember the people ...
They were so different so much better than today.
They were gentle and kind.. Men and women
They had different and better feelings for each other.
They were helping each other at anytime and anywhere.
I remember when the boat . KAIKI.. Came from Corfu or from Sidari
Everyone rush to it and stared unloading all the goods they brought.
We as kids also help to put the flour or corn or other heavy stuff on the women's
donkey to take home.
I even remember the women borrowed the animal from each other to finish early so
they go home and feed the family on time.
They help each other in many ways ..when my father brought heavy machinery for our
LOUTROUVIO ,the olive oil factory, I remember about one hundred men pulling the
ropes from FYKI to DENTRA inch by inch.
It took days.. And everyone was there.
My mother was making coffee and serve water and ouzo all day to everyone.
Those days are not to bee forgotten.
B) I remember so many things that made the people so much better than today.
There was no hate like today in Ereikousa.
People were pulling jokes and enjoy themselves back in the days.
There was never police in the island.and very rare was a dispute between the
Ereikousiotes about some property or some kind small issue that was solved by the
PRESIDENT of the island.
Today the president had about 45 dates in court an has been in
trial as many times. And I say so many trials on him self with others.
The policeman is a busy man in Ereikousa today...
Go there go here . stop this guy who is building a KOTETSI for his chickens without
license .
Go stop the old man who is fixing his road to his back yard without the OK From him.
There is so much hate today in Ereikousa and all of it has developed
the last 15 years...
is this telling you something ?
Everything has been build up in the kokinoris saga.
What happened to some respect ...
My own father MITSIS KANATAS last year asked him for a paper that tells the
government he is a citizen of Ereikousa. He would save a couple of hundred euros with
that paper on his income taxes.
And of course he is.
Kokinoris replied with another paper that said ,he can't give him that because he is
not sure that my father is a citizen . (!)
He asked my father for 4 (four) different certificates and he (!) was not sure that my
father is not in the army !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My father is 86 ,at the time he was 85 .
I leave the comments to you .
And I ask..
WHAT IS GOING ON HERE ?
WHAT IS WRONG IN EREIKOUSA TODAY?
WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING TO OUR PARADISE /
ARE WE ALL OK WHITH THAT ?
WHY DO WE ALL SHUT UP? IS THERE A REASON?
I like to know.
C)
My father was elected president two terms in the island.
I was there for a while when he was the president.
Twice he was sitting home drinking his coffee when some came to tell him that he was
elected ,the votes were counted and he won.
He smiled and he went to sleep.
The next day he went to the office and thank the people for giving him their votes.
And that was it.
Last year I was in Ereikousa at the elections and I freaked out.
My God .. WHAT WAS THE BIG DEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They were dancing, singing, shots were fired in the air. Lambs were sacrificed and
GLENTIA were set up.
Fireworks blew in the night and lightened the sky..
Music was heard in all the island...
WOW I just like to know
FOR WHAT?
Is just the proedro of a small community not the president of GREECE OR
USBEKISTAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By Kostantinos Katehis Kanatas.
March 2008
was called.... MARLERA or RAGOUSSA or EREIKOUSA .
It is on the very end of Greece by Albania and Italy, and that makes it a very important
passage through the Mediterranean along with the island of Othonoi and Mathraki.
From ancient times this island was used by all kinds of different seaman.
Merchants and pirates and travelers from all the countries stopped short and got
protection from rough waters in the quiet and very well protected bay of PORTO from
the very strong north winds of MAISTRO.
in the year 1290 a monk named AGIOS NEILOS O EREIKOYSIOS had a monastic life in
the island for about 12 years.....his remains still there ...
the people in Ereikousa came to the island from Othonoi around the 1670 s.
first they came to Othonoi after the occupancy of CRETE from the Turks in the year
1669.
many Cretans left and moved to the Eptanisa in CORFU and other islands.
some people say that we are the sons and daughters of pirates who the stayed in
Ereikousa from time to time...that is so wrong i say....
because.....
No pirates would ever build houses and produce fruits and vegetables or work in the
boats and go fishing for living.
The people who came to live there first of all were well educated and very good workers.
They build good housing and they were friendly and very well together as a community
in these small places.
years ago when i was in Ereikousa for one summer i discover in the cemetery two
stones that they were from two different graves ..one said on top...BASILIS KATEHIS
ANASTOS 1777....
Notice the year!
And the paratsoukli !
The other said..... NIKOLAOS MANESIS BLAKIS 1800...
I say they used their paratsoukli for people to see the difference between so many
KATEHIS and so many MANESIS...
so in the year 1777 having so many people and of coerce this person had live some
years of his life
i say that Ereikousa was full of life and as an organized community that's how they
started and in the 1700s they had about 75 merchant ships..
4 SKOUNAS
3 LEVERETS
5 BRACHERAS
13 TRAMPAKOULOS
20 GANTZAOUS
5 GOLETA
for the above ships we have details from the Greek government ,the British, the Italians
and the French
archives.
After the start of the war between the Russians and the FRENCH all the ships were
loosing grounds and the Ereikousiotes lost them all slowly .
Some were taking by the French navy and others lost their business because of the
wars in the region.
After the years of depression ,the people started to do work on the island as agricultural
work with the olive trees and their gardens , as well as fishing with smaller boats
2)
I grew up in Ereikousa and I remember everything since the 60s.
I remember KAKOKAIRIA and FOURTOUNAS like no other.
I remember the 6 kafeneia .all of them busy back in the days.
I remember the nice people. the good women.
The school and teacher DAMASKIS.
The boat ..KAIKI . of ANDREAS NAPPAS.
The boat of BARBA GIOSYFIS BLAKIS.
The boat of SIDARI of GIORGIS AND MARIETA.
The boat of my uncle PERIKLIS KALAMARIS
And GIAZIMIS ,my father' s boat MITSIS KANATAS
All of these people along with some of their workers as sailors on those boats always
amazed me for the job they have done for years and years.
They went through hell for one kilo beef, for one frantzola bread , for the flour, the corn,
for the chickens and all the things the people needed back then.
AND UNTILL TODAY NO ONE ... I mean nobody . no individual or club or society or
even the Church or any government officials has ever given any
Thoughts of appreciation or just a small little placate to say THANK YOU
To them.
To show them that we know what they went through for us.
They were almost drowned every day in the sea and we never said or
give any thanks to them.
Some or most of them have past away allready, but some still here with us.
Maybe it is not too late for us.
As I like to go on ...I remember the women.
Those heroes too..
What they did?
Well they did everything.
I mean everything.
They worked the homefront because the men were way sta Karavia as the men.
They plowed the fields, the brought water from the kipo on their heads, they cut wood, and they
picked olives. They baked bread, they cocked, they cleaned and they raised their children without
baby food, baby formula, pampers or credit cards.
Did we ever give any appreciation to them yet all these years ?
Of Course NOT.
Not us. How can we realize what we have not done . we are so busy making money and
trying to make more and more every day . our mind is occupied with so much thinking
that we forget what we owe to the WOMAN of EREIKOUSA.
I FEEL SO ASHAMED.
The only thing I have done for the KAPETANEOUS and THE women of Ereikousa is a
little poem for each one of them.
That's all just a poem.
I AM SO SORY
3)
But I still remember..
I remember so many things , different than today.
So many people , different than today.
Ereikousiotes were going from one coffee shop to another with out the fear of anyone
to say . why did you go there !
From BARBA STEFANIS to ANDREA NAPPA..
FROM BARBA STAMATIS to TATSIS KOKOROS,
Every one was buying OYZO to all others.
The church was full every Sunday.
We were draping the TRATA at night in PORTO and BRANGINI.
We waited for the mail man to call every name and give the letter to each of us.
We waited for the boat to come and run to the MOLO to help unload and take home the
goods ANDREAS OF GIOSYFIS brought for us.
We played in the sea with the water, we played soccer in the MEGALO LIVADI.
We hunt and fish as I remember from very young age. We snorkel and scuba dive . we
actually contributed to the dinner table with the fish and other eatables from the sea.
4)
A) I remember the people ...
They were so different so much better than today.
They were gentle and kind.. Men and women
They had different and better feelings for each other.
They were helping each other at anytime and anywhere.
I remember when the boat . KAIKI.. Came from Corfu or from Sidari
Everyone rush to it and stared unloading all the goods they brought.
We as kids also help to put the flour or corn or other heavy stuff on the women's
donkey to take home.
I even remember the women borrowed the animal from each other to finish early so
they go home and feed the family on time.
They help each other in many ways ..when my father brought heavy machinery for our
LOUTROUVIO ,the olive oil factory, I remember about one hundred men pulling the
ropes from FYKI to DENTRA inch by inch.
It took days.. And everyone was there.
My mother was making coffee and serve water and ouzo all day to everyone.
Those days are not to bee forgotten.
B) I remember so many things that made the people so much better than today.
There was no hate like today in Ereikousa.
People were pulling jokes and enjoy themselves back in the days.
There was never police in the island.and very rare was a dispute between the
Ereikousiotes about some property or some kind small issue that was solved by the
PRESIDENT of the island.
Today the president had about 45 dates in court an has been in
trial as many times. And I say so many trials on him self with others.
The policeman is a busy man in Ereikousa today...
Go there go here . stop this guy who is building a KOTETSI for his chickens without
license .
Go stop the old man who is fixing his road to his back yard without the OK From him.
There is so much hate today in Ereikousa and all of it has developed
the last 15 years...
is this telling you something ?
Everything has been build up in the kokinoris saga.
What happened to some respect ...
My own father MITSIS KANATAS last year asked him for a paper that tells the
government he is a citizen of Ereikousa. He would save a couple of hundred euros with
that paper on his income taxes.
And of course he is.
Kokinoris replied with another paper that said ,he can't give him that because he is
not sure that my father is a citizen . (!)
He asked my father for 4 (four) different certificates and he (!) was not sure that my
father is not in the army !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My father is 86 ,at the time he was 85 .
I leave the comments to you .
And I ask..
WHAT IS GOING ON HERE ?
WHAT IS WRONG IN EREIKOUSA TODAY?
WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING TO OUR PARADISE /
ARE WE ALL OK WHITH THAT ?
WHY DO WE ALL SHUT UP? IS THERE A REASON?
I like to know.
C)
My father was elected president two terms in the island.
I was there for a while when he was the president.
Twice he was sitting home drinking his coffee when some came to tell him that he was
elected ,the votes were counted and he won.
He smiled and he went to sleep.
The next day he went to the office and thank the people for giving him their votes.
And that was it.
Last year I was in Ereikousa at the elections and I freaked out.
My God .. WHAT WAS THE BIG DEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They were dancing, singing, shots were fired in the air. Lambs were sacrificed and
GLENTIA were set up.
Fireworks blew in the night and lightened the sky..
Music was heard in all the island...
WOW I just like to know
FOR WHAT?
Is just the proedro of a small community not the president of GREECE OR
USBEKISTAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By Kostantinos Katehis Kanatas.
March 2008
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