My father and I started a villa rental company, called Greek Islands Club, in the late 1960’s on the Ionian island of Paxos. My father sold the holidays, based in a small office above a Wimpy Bar in the Strand, and I was the troubleshooting Rep based on Paxos.
The supply of Paxos houses for rent soon outstripped demand and so in the mid 1970’s, I visited Ithaca (135 miles south of Paxos) to see if anyone might be interested in renting an unused village house. Ithaca had the same attraction of a simple escape from the crowds as did Paxos. No big hotels, no traffic lights, no jet ski’s, no signs in English advertising “Full English Breakfast”.
I arrived in Kioni, a tiny port on Ithaca’s east coast, where it seemed that life had decided to stand still: just a few fishermen and a small population with no one under the age of 50. After the Greek Civil War of 1946 many Ithacans left the island to start new lives in Australia, South Africa and USA. Many of the village houses were empty and falling into disrepair.
After a week of talking to many Ithaca house owners, I could not find any properties available for rent apart from three dark waterfront rooms in Kioni. I was told by many islanders that Ithaca did not need tourism.
I returned to Ithaca towards the end of the 1970’s and arranged to meet up with Tzikos, the husband of a good friend and a teacher at the Kioni school. Island teachers, policemen, tax officials and harbourmaster were posted from different parts of Greece. Tzikos came from a mountain village on the mainland.
I arrived in Kioni on a cold March day. The village was deserted – not a single person, cat, dog or chicken to be seen. As I walked along the waterfront a voice from a balcony, in perfect English, broke the silence: “Would you like a cup of tea?” There started a 25 year friendship with Thalia Callinicos.
Thalia was a young girl when she and her sister left Ithaca, with many other islanders during the Civil War, and started a new life in South Africa. Thalia and husband, Yannis, and her sister returned to their Kioni home in the 1960’s.
The locals of Kioni were suspicious of my suggestions that some of the empty waterfront properties could be converted into holiday lets. They saw no reason for any change although they understood that there was little on the island to stop the younger generation moving to Athens or further afield.
As the village teacher, Tzikos was well known and trusted by all the locals. Seen by my side as a friend, barriers started to come down. Thalia too, was able to introduce me to most people in Kioni (a village population of just 40). The following year a small programme of just three properties was set up – all within a few minutes’ walk of Kioni waterfront. One small house had no inside kitchen and one therefore had to be installed, a rustic bathroom modernised and new furniture brought from the mainland. The other two houses needed extensive repairs and redecoration. All three were simple island homes but a rarely found, total escape from the outside world. Amongst our first year clients staying in Kioni were Cecil Parkinson and Bob Holness! Both seeking that total escape.
I was able to find the owners of one closed-up Kioni house living in Haringey – they were delighted to lease their house on the understanding that I would pay to have modern comforts added.
Guests were met at Kefalonia airport (a tiny building with a corrugated metal roof) and taken by taxi to the northern port of Fiscardo and then a 2-hour caique crossing to Kioni on Ithaca.
Fast forward 40 years and little has changed in Kioni. The village population is now around 200 (with many under 50); 10 different kinds of pasta are for sale in the small minimarket and there are 4 waterfront tavernas but there are no new building blots on the landscape; lifestyles are still simple and slow; there are only a few houses with a swimming pool and there is still that comforting feeling of having escaped from a frenetic outside world.
One of those original three houses (now with a swimming pool) owned by the Callinicos family is still rented through us. My son, Alex, now liaises with the granddaughters of my friend Thalia to make bookings. The villa can be found on our Ionian Villas website Ithaca programme: Hilltop House.
