My first bus tour! There’s always a time and a place for new experiences and the perfect place to experience your first bus tour…or should I say coach tour…is on vacation.
We were picked up at the entrance of Villa Vicky where we were staying. I got a front seat – cuz Deafblind people are freaking rockstars – and was able to enjoy panoramic scenary through the front window while listening to our wonderful tour guide tell us about Lesbos.
Today’s trip would include a visit to a lookout point where we could watch flamingos. Coffee at a monastery, where we could try greek loukoumades. An education lesson on cheese making at a cheese factory, where taste testing was absolutely part of the lesson. A visit to a ceramic shop where every product is not just hand made, but home made. A lunch stop and a visit to an Eco Farm.
The fully sighted group members were holding their breath as the talented coach driver took a sharp turn, without falling off the road. (Insert sigh of relief here). Simultaneously, the tour guide was explaining that there were some 73 more of these turns between Petra, where we had departed from, to our final destination in Kalloni. While I was wondering how many group members needed fresh underwear, I was enjoying the twists and turns in the road as if it were a peaceful nature walk and enjoyed all the history of Lesbos our guide shared along the way.
The first stop – the flamingos. Which aren’t pink in Lesbos, because they don’t eat shrimp. Unfortunately the flamingos we wanted to see, didn’t get the memo that we were coming and were therefore too far away for us to get photos of.
By now, I can’t remember if the cheese factory or the ceramic shop was next. I do remember us being unable to tour the cheese factory due to Foot and Mouth disease on the Island. But a nice lady explained the process of cheese making while we enjoyed the sun. Then we went inside their shop where we could try the different cheese and make purchases if we wanted to.
The ceramic shop was impressive. The owner, Ellios, makes everything from cups, to models of sea turtles. His wife hand paints them and the customer can buy them. He’s a proud business owner with a lot of talent and some very impressive fine motor skills.
At the monestary we got to enjoy some of the wonderful Greek architecture before taking a moment for coffee and loukoumades. Loukoumades are little crispy balls of dough, filled with honey. A traditional Greek sweet treat that… I quickly learned were made with nuts. So I ended up enjoying chocolate ice cream instead. Don’t worry, I get to try a nut free version of the Loukoumades later.
The lunch stop was a restaurant in Lepetymnos, which felt like the middle of nowhere. The delicious food served was all made from local produce and of course there was way too much to consume. But we enjoyed it. Along with the conversations with two lovely ladies in our group from Belgium. I like meeting new people.
On Karafillis Eco Farm the owner not only rescues animals, but believes that the animals are happier when they are allowed to roam freely. Happy animals, creates better produce. So many of the goats and chickens enjoyed scritches and pets as the owner explained all about the different animals they have. Including the black chickens, who even have black skin and bones! They are immensely pretty to look at.
While the day trip was an enjoyable experience where I learned about Greek nature, history and culture, there was one thing that stood out above everything else. The Greek’s willingness to help.
At the farm there were steep steps that I could never have climbed on my own but it wasn’t a big deal. The owner came forward to help me without making it feel like I was getting some kind of special treatment. I had a similar experience with the driver of the tour bus. He didn’t speak much English, I don’t speak Greek. Yet we communicated with eachother through gestures so that I could safely get up and down the steps on the coach. I didn’t need to explain how much I could see and hear, it just came naturally to him.
And of course, there were many Dutch and Belgian people in the group who offered help along the way. It all made me feel seen and understood.
DonnieTown 