Kampos of Chios and a wonderful man
A SPECIAL ISLAND
In the Northeastern Aegean Sea lies a large island that holds a special place in my heart. The main reason is a simple man.
BLESSED LAND
Chios is a beautiful, large island, with little tourism, and secrets well hidden. It has endless, rough roads, with more bends than you have ever driven on. It has many many kilometers of trails (unfortunately not well marked) and is a place that has experienced indescribable glory and wealth in the past.
“A single ear of wheat in a large field is as strange as a single world in infinite space”
WELL HIDDEN FROM THE REST
It was quite some time ago that I undertook a mission to Chios, with my beloved Olga Charami, on behalf of “Kathimerini” publications. So we took the airplane and landed on the huge island, which is the fifth largest in Greece. We picked up our rental car and drove straight to our accommodation, which was our first stop. The Perleas Guesthouse.
It is a mansion that was founded in 1896 and completed in 1900. Some of the trees on the estate are estimated to be 150 to 170 years old! It is located within the famous Kampos (Plain) of Chios. Even just walking around is a strange experience. There are mansions everywhere, surrounded by high stone walls, so you can't even sneak a peek inside. Your imagination runs wild, especially when the fragrances of the fruitful trees fill your nose, and the reality what lies behind the walls is usually even more impressive.
Kampos of Chios is a blessed place. This guesthouse is equally blessed, and its first blessing is the care of Vangelis Xydas.
A WONDERFUL MIND OF A WONDERFUL MAN
Some people cross paths in our lives and leave their mark, no matter how brief the encounter. Such was the case with my meeting with this wonderful man named Vangelis.
Vangelis is a sturdy, kind man, hospitable and always wearing the sweetest smile. He works tirelessly for the estate, the guesthouse, and his homeland. A great connoisseur of the area and the history of the island, he grew up in a farming family on another estate. With his mellifluous voice, he can tell you countless stories about his beloved Chios and his own life.
He was born in Kampos, Chios, and has lived here almost his entire life. His father took care of the estate since 1968, acting as its caretaker. The estate has been organically farmed since 1992! In 1998, he started making his first spoon sweets and jams, and slowly but surely, the business grew, the range expanded, and they started making more products. Word of mouth spread, leading to the creation of the brand name Citrus.
Today, the estate features a lovely café, the guesthouse, and the Citrus Museum, all meticulously maintained by Vangelis and his son Odysseas.
Of course, if you decide to stay here, you will get to experience Kampos firsthand for a while. Even the rooms are named after citrus fruits!
My intention was to write a large post about Chios (I will someday), but in the end, this man's life story really pulled me in. The beautiful stories of beautiful people deserve to be told, and Vangelis's story is worth hearing from him.
Visit the man in love with mandarins (tangerines) and get to know him and his beautiful island.way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
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