Lafkos is an attractive village in southern Pelion at a distance of about fifty kilometers from Volos. After passing Argalasti, you come throughout one of the crucial lovely and picturesque conventional settlements within the area.
A particular village, which is constructed at an altitude of 310 meters and has a panoramic view of the Pagasitic Gulf.
As quickly as you enter the principle street, you come throughout a big car parking zone, the place you could depart your automobile, since this explicit place maintains its conventional character with its paved cobblestones, the spectacular giant sq., the stone fountains and, in fact, the unique Pelion mansions.
For the identify of the village with its wealthy historical past and folkloric custom, the residents say that there are lots of variations and opinions, however in accordance with the prevailing one, it comes from the phrase “glavkos” which suggests clear, shiny, identical to its horizon.
“Solely the aged have remained within the village, within the winter months the place has about 300 inhabitants.
We’ve got lots of espresso outlets, however only a few historic espresso outlets.”
Within the middle of the village dominates the sq. with the enormous shady aircraft bushes, which supply a novel coolness, but in addition one of the crucial historic cafes of our nation.
In reality, since 1785, a stone mansion has housed the unique cafe of Forlida. Mr. Manolis, 82 years previous at the moment, is the proprietor of the cafe and tries as a lot as he can to make sure its uninterrupted operation.
“How do you drink your espresso?”
He asks me. As quickly as he brings me the Greek espresso, I discover that with out exaggeration it’s most likely the nicest I’ve ever had. That is how the talk begins on this small Parliament, .
Mr. Manolis has spent his complete life inside these partitions, in a espresso store that’s nonetheless a particular assembly place for locals and guests alike.
“The espresso store is an area for communication, expression, daydreaming and leisure. In summer season issues are higher as a result of the village comes alive and everyone seems to be searching for the peace of the countryside.
Sadly, because the years go by, the villages change into abandoned, so solely the everlasting residents come right here each day to speak in regards to the political life, to speak in regards to the issues that concern them, their anxieties, joys, woes and sorrows” , says the type and smiling Mr. Manolis, who doesn’t conceal his concern about what’s going to change into of the cafe.
“Solely the aged have remained within the village, the place within the winter months has about 300 inhabitants. I believe that these in cost ought to guarantee that such cafes live on, to not disappear. We’ve got lots of espresso outlets, however few historic espresso outlets”, says Mr. Manolis in a melancholic tone.
He then tells the historical past of the constructing:
“This cafe has been working because the distant 1785, seven entire generations, with the one exception, sadly, in the course of the interval of necessary suspension because of the pandemic. The primary to open this cafe was my great-grandfather Giannis Forlidas.
On the identical time, proper above there was an inn the place all of the vacationers from the islands of the northern Sporades, Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonissos, who had been certain for Volos – this was till 1960. In these days you went from Lafkos to Milina and from there you boarded in boats and traveled all the way in which to Volos”.
As my gaze rests on the photograph of the Skiathos author Alexandros Papadiamantis , Mr. Manolis explains: “Papadiamantis’ sisters and brother lived in Portaria, so he was continually coming and going.
As a result of the inn was there,
He normally stayed there with a purpose to proceed his journey the following day. He himself at all times had his favourite nook within the background, the place he appreciated to drink his wine.
Then everybody within the village knew him because the “good boy”. “Nonetheless, other than Papadiamantis, nice personalities of letters and the humanities have drunk their espresso right here, akin to Kostas Varnalis , when he was a highschool principal in neighboring Argalasti, the poet Giorgos Seferis , Alexandros Delmouzos, when he was the director of the Women’ College of Volos, and Zisimos Lorentzatos .
In reality, so long as I’m within the cafe I notice that it has remained unchanged over time. The previous images hanging on the partitions, the normal wood-burning range in the midst of the cafe, which is a trademark, the basic wicker chairs, the small marble-topped tables and the metallic shingles nonetheless current on the ceiling, reminding that when upon a time it additionally functioned as a butcher, every little thing testifies to its journey by means of time. On the identical time, it was a barber store and a tavern.
In my dialog with the locals who’ve come to drink their Greek, accompanied by loukumaki, the principle theme is the motion of younger individuals to the city facilities.
There isn’t any scarcity of puns, nonetheless, whereas Mr. Manolis, as quickly as he sees me taking images, affords me the European map – he had it framed – with the oldest working firms in Europe (The Oldest Firms in Europe).