Kastellorizo: Awarded Mediterranean
Kastellorizo is a small, picturesque island at the very south-eastern limits of Egeo sea, close to Turkish coasts. Through the centouries, due to its position on the routes to the East, it has been a vrey important commercial and military base. St. John Knights, Naples King, Venice Doge, Turkish and Russian occupations, and the Italian one from 1921 to 1945 succeded themselves on the island.
During the last century the majority of Kastellorizo people migrated: nowadays only 150 souls still live on the island; 20,000 Australians'origin, for example, is to be serched in this island.
The island atmosphere is magic: the coloured neo-ellenistic houses look like a theatrical background whose pit is the limpid water of the bay and port.
Nowadays, as a consequence of the tourism and the world wide advertaising made by the Oscar winner film "Mediterraneo", the island is knowing a new birth. It is surely worthy of it!

Patmos: the Monastery Island
Patmos' aspect and its atmosphere have been characterized by Aghios Ioanis Theologos (St. John) monastery since XI centoury. Similar to a Medieval fortress, the monastery stands on the highest point of the island, between Chora white houses and the old part of the city.
Patmos is not free from tourism, but it has never been really invaded by it. It is also true that a few V.I.P.s bought and restored some of Chora labirintic Houses.
Religious ceremonies are very suggestive and in particular the Holy Thursday Moundy. The Abbot plays Christ's part together with twelve monks that personify the Apostles.Kalimnos: Sponges Island.

Kalimnos is universally known as the sponge-fishermen's island.
Even though intensive fishing and pollution have drastically diminished the number of specimen living right close to the island, sponge-fishing and its processing are still one of Kalimnos' main activity.
Nowadays, in most cases, this kind of fishing takes place along the North African coasts (in front of Libia and Tunisia), which are reached by small wood boats (7-9 m long) that Kalimnos brave fishermen don't hesitate to use to cross the Mediterranean Sea.

Olympos, A Living Museum
Long and narrow, montainous and sour where vegetations appears just in small areas, the windy Karpathos island is located right betwwen Rodi and Creta, quite detached from the other Dodecaneso islands. Due to its geographical position, it has always been left out by the main touristic streams and it could preserve such places as Olympo, a small village in the very north of the island.
Here, everyday, women still wear Grece traditional dresses and their tasks have been the same for centouries: they weave by hand, cook bread outside, usind stone ovens and wood to light the fire, and they still practice the elaborate traditional wedding ceremonial.
Unfortunately, the new airport won't help keeping this "living museum".

Where: Dodecanese Islands, (Greece)
Images : colour slides, HR and LR scans available
Text: English, French and Italian versions available on demand