We rented Chris’s house for most of the summer, and it was the best vacation we’ve ever had. Chris is one of the most welcoming, generous people we’ve ever met, and our stay did not feel like a property rental - it felt like we had discovered a favorite uncle we never knew about, and came to stay with him for the summer. We arrived to a rental car waiting at the airport for us (which Chris arranged with a friend at an excellent rate), and Chris met us at the Moudros port to show us the way home and pick up the dinner he had ordered for us! When we got to his house, we found a fully stocked kitchen in a beautiful home with traditional stone and wood architecture, sitting in the middle of the most wonderful garden full of flowers and fruit trees - apricots, plums, pears, figs, pomegranates and more. The house was spotlessly clean (the sheets were even ironed!), and had beautiful views of the Aegean Sea from the windows and balcony. We spent mornings sitting up on the balcony, drinking coffee, listening to the birds, and looking at the sea. It’s in a very quiet area with few neighbors, so it was always very peaceful. The nearest beach is beautiful, has a beach bar and umbrellas, and is less than a 10 minute walk from the house.
Chris has an attached unit in the back of the house (we had plenty of privacy), and we could ask him questions, get advice about places to visit, and just socialize anytime. He helped translate for us, and spent most of a morning helping me navigate the postal system to mail something back to the US. He stopped by every morning with a treat for us - homemade soup, pancakes, eggs from his free range hens, fruit from his garden, or local baked goods, and often invited us to have lunch or dinner with him (he’s an excellent cook!) and his family and friends. We have 4 children, and they LOVE Chris, who was exceptionally welcoming, introducing them to his clan of friendly outdoor cats, teaching them how to milk his goats, helping them collect eggs from his chickens, showing them how to make cheese and homemade ice cream, and allowing them to roam freely on his property where they could run around and play safely.
Lemnos is beautiful, with beaches that rival the Caribbean, small villages and delicious tavernas, and wild fruit trees lining the roads. The only drawback to our stay was that, eventually, we had to leave - but now we’ve made a good friend and can't wait to come back as soon as possible!
