Leros, Day 5 – First Glimpses of ’43

I woke up reasonably early, about 6.30 am, surprised by how my body clock seems to know it’s not 4.30.

I still have a mild agitation in my body, but things are beginning to settle now, the bothersome events around cars and phones fading into the background. I do some meditation practice, literally just sitting, allowing thoughts, worries and hopes come and go, which is remarkably difficult, yet quite illuminating when I allow myself to sit with the mild discomfort of it. After that I do some gentle yoga based stretches, now softly becoming aware that this adventure I am on is profound, and is stirring up all sorts, that will not doubt take quite some time to process.

Then a lovely breakfast on my sunny balcony feeling grateful that I had gone to the supermarket on Monday to buy breakfast supplies despite feeling all up in heap after the car hullabaloo.

At about ten I get a message from Nikos, apologising for not getting back to me the previous evening to make arrangements. He had nothing to apologise for, I had not expected to hear from him that quickly and was delighted to get his message suggesting that we meet that afternoon.

I gratefully accepted the offer, and he got back to me about an hour later to say he was hoping to have his friend Markos come along, to take us into some of the remoter, less accessible parts in his four-wheel-drive, but he was unavailable. Seeing as Nikos did not have a car of his own he suggested we meet in Lakki at 4 pm and take it from there.

This suited me perfectly as I had tentatively arranged with my niece Ella to have chat that day, and she’d just got back to me to let me know that midday would suit her perfectly. The Saturday before I had left for Leros, Ella had become a new mother with the arrival of her little boy Asher, and I had been dying to talk to her, but also knew she would need space and time to recover and to start to adjust to her new world.

We had a wonderful chat for nearly an hour. She and her husband Tim were clearly thrilled to be parents, and she expressed with beautiful clarity and honesty the challenges around adjusting to parenthood.

What also particularly touched me was the deep interest she showed for the journey I was on, and it was clear how much she really got how significant it was for me. The whole conversation left me feeling very much connected with life, the world, and those dearest to me.

After our chat I made some lunch and decided I would use the rest of the day to go into Lakki to explore a little and locate the exact spot I was to meet Nikos, and do some shopping to get supplies for a couple of evening meals.

By this stage Lakki was becoming pretty familiar to me and I found the meeting spot very easily. I parked my car and made my way up and down and across all the streets of downtown Lakki. This did not take long. On my explorations I came across the official lottery outlet and bought a ticket for that coming Friday’s Euro Jackpot, as EuroMillions is called in Greece, convinced this would be the one. I also came across a homewares shop and bought myself a mug for my morning cups of Barry’s tea, the ones supplied in my room being very small. I also popped into the local supermarket, but they did not seem to have a great range or any fresh produce, so I decided I would stop off at the larger supermarket on the way back to my hotel.

I got back in my car feeling content and delighted with my exploration and purchases. At the supermarket on the way back I got in enough supplies to last me for the rest of the week, including the ingredients for making a big pot of spaghetti sauce that would do for two evening meals. By the time I got back, read the day’s news, did my puzzles and cooked up the sauce and washed up it was time to head off to meet Nikos.

Perfect. I was all set for the days ahead.

I got to Lakki and Nikos turned up right on time. We chatted and he laid out the options for our outing. There was Meraviglia up in the nearby hills where the HQ tunnel used during the Battle of Leros was; there was Partheni to the north west where my dad had led his SBS comrades to escape the island just before the surrender so they could return as needed later, or Alinda Bay, where my father would have first landed in 1943. I got the impression that Nikos being a high energy and very focused man was open to covering all three. I was not sure how able I was for that, so I decided to see how things would go and prioritise where I would like to go first.

Despite it being a bit tricky to get to, I opted for Meraviglia. Nikos reckoned that if we took it carefully and slowly we would be able to manage it in my wee hire car, and off we went.

The drive there was straightforward, the last stretch being up a steep, rutted unpaved road that was easy enough to navigate with care as long as no one came the other way, which Nikos thought was doubtful. Thankfully all went very smoothly and we arrived up at Meraviglia without a hitch. We parked up and got out of the car.

Taking no heed of the ‘No Entry, Military Personnel Only’ sign, we ducked under the red and white striped barrier and headed along the rocky dusty paths through the wild thyme, beautifully aromatic in the heat of the late afternoon. Meraviglia commands an impressive view over the centre of the island, and Lakki bay in particular, which was a major naval base back in 1943. Nikos showed me around what remained of the large gun emplacements, pointing out the concrete openings that led to the ammunition tunnels, from where the ammunition would be passed to the gunners. One of these tunnels was still accessible so we were able to explore that too.

We covered all these sites that circled the hilltop. Nikos pointed north and explained how after the 52 day aerial bombardment, the German parachuters who had landed on the large hill opposite had then made their assault up the almost impossibly inaccessible northern slopes of Meraviglia to finally overcome the defending forces on November 16^th 1943. He also pointed out the spot where Lieutenant Alan Phibbs RN fought and died having set up a machine-gun post on the precarious northern slope to try and ward off the invaders. He was a friend and comrade of my father’s, recommending Phibbs for a posthumous award for his outstanding bravery on that day.

It was quietly awe inspiring to be standing there, and imaging all that had happened in that place.

On the way to that spot we had walked along a stony track, beneath which, Nikos told me, ran the HQ tunnel, where, he said, my father would have been very much present and active during the closing days of the Battle of Leros. We then turned back and headed off down a steep, stony slope to the entrance of the tunnels. “Your father would have been up and down this slope many, many times during those days”. A stillness came over me as I felt the presence of my dad.

We went to the entrance of the tunnel, now closed off with a locked iron gate. Nikos described the layout of the tunnel, and showed me the spot where the British commander Brigadier Tilney would have finally surrendered to German forces. Unfortunately we were not able to go in as Nikos did not have a key, but he said if we were lucky, he might be able to get access in the coming days.

It was a beautiful spot, bathed in sunshine, with the scent of wild thyme and the sound of goat bells trilling across the hills. Yet here, back in 1943 was mayhem, violence and heartbreak, and my father lived through it all. Something began to move inside me and an internal voice reached out to my father “I am here dad, I am here”.

We then headed back to the car. I felt that, for me, that was enough for today. Nikos understood and we agreed that I would message him later to make arrangements to meet the next day. I dropped him off back in Lakki and headed back to my hotel, grateful for everything Nikos had showed me.

When I got in I phoned Dorothy and we had a lovely chat. I could feel her love and support, and how she really understood the importance and significance of the journey I was on. It makes all the difference.

After our chat, I messaged Nikos and we arranged to meet in Lakki at ten-thirty the next morning. I then cooked up some spaghetti and threw in a portion of the sauce I had made and served up a hearty meal generously topped off with grated Gouda, which I happily devoured, washed down with a cold beer.

I cleared up, showered, and collapsed tired and happy into bed, looking forward to what the next day would bring.