Lesvos is also famous for another reason, but before you start creating your sexual lesbian fantasies, you should read the following and try to understand the point of view for people living in Lesvos island. In the English-speaking world, the term lesbian is related to homosexual women. This use of the term derives from the poems of Sappho, who was born in Lesvos island and who wrote with powerful emotional content directed toward other women.
Due to this association, Lesvos and especially the town of Eresos, her birthplace, are visited frequently by LGBT tourists. This use of the term is considered offensive to many Lesvos islanders to such a degree that, in 2008, a group of Lesvos islanders litigated unsuccessfully a court case against the LGBT community of Greece. The islander group had requested a legal injunction to ban groups from using the word lesbian in their names, which the petitioners claim violated their human rights as it is "insulting" and disgraces them around the world. Imagine being a "Lesbian" (born in Lesvos) and not a lesbian (homosexual woman), similar to being a Jerk (if "Jerk" was ever an island), but not a jerk (also known as an asshole). Confusing?
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Lesbos or
Lesvos is a Greek island located in the northeastern Aegean Sea. It has an area
of 1,633 square km with 320 kilometres of coastline, making it the third
largest island in Greece. It is separated from Turkey by the narrow Mytilini
Strait and in late Palaeolithic/Mesolithic times was joined to the Anatolian
mainland before the end of the last glacial period. Mytilini is the
capital of the North Aegean Region and the population of Lesvos is
approximately 86.000, a third of whom live in its capital, Mytilene, in the
southeastern part of the island. The remaining population is distributed in
small towns and villages. The largest are Plomari, Kalloni, the Gera Villages,
Agiassos, Eresos, and Molyvos (the ancient Mythimna).
The entire
territory of Lesvos is "Lesvos Geopark" which is a member of the
European Geoparks Network from 2000 and Global Geoparks Network from 2004 on
account of its outstanding geological heritage, educational programs and
projects, and promotion of geotourism. This geopark was enlarged from
former "Lesvos Petrified Forest Geopark". Lesvos contains one of the
few known petrified forests called Petrified Forest of Lesvos and it has been
declared a Protected Natural Monument. Fossilized plants have been found in
many localities on the western part of the island.
The fossilized forest was formed during the Late Oligocene to Lower–Middle Miocene, by the intense volcanic activity in the area. Neogene volcanic rocks dominate the central and western part of the island, comprising andesites, dacites and rhyolites, ignimbrite, pyroclastics, tuffs, and volcanic ash. The products of the volcanic activity covered the vegetation of the area and the fossilization process took place during favorable conditions. The fossilized plants are silicified remnants of a sub-tropical forest that existed on the north-west part of the island 20–15 million years ago.
The fossilized forest was formed during the Late Oligocene to Lower–Middle Miocene, by the intense volcanic activity in the area. Neogene volcanic rocks dominate the central and western part of the island, comprising andesites, dacites and rhyolites, ignimbrite, pyroclastics, tuffs, and volcanic ash. The products of the volcanic activity covered the vegetation of the area and the fossilization process took place during favorable conditions. The fossilized plants are silicified remnants of a sub-tropical forest that existed on the north-west part of the island 20–15 million years ago.
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People are
nice, food is nice if you know what to eat, the safe choices are always fish,
calamari rolls, souvlaki and gyros. There are always variations in
quality and quantity, but always ask the locals for the best places to eat and
never go to eat in an empty restaurant! Immigrants were present, they are
not different from other tourists and they are not causing problems except in
rare cases.
There is no
strict advice for photo gear for this island. In August when there are strong
winds you can't use a tripod, but you should have your polarizer filter handy
as the buildings are usually separated, giving view to the sky with vivid colors in broad daylight. Wide angle lenses and telephoto up to 150 mm are
most suitable for daily use. Avoid, if possible, shooting inside churches
as the locals consider it "offensive to the religion". I never
understood why "photography is forbidden" in certain places.
"Forbidden" means "hidden" which means "secret"
in my mind. If you can actually visit the place and see something (sometimes even pay
to see it), why forbid photographing it (stupid selfies excluded!)? And
because of this, even less people know about "it" and visit, thus less tourists are attracted.
