Leros, Greece

Returning from the harbor of the island of Leros on the ship’s Zodiac inflatable boat.

Leros was our destination this morning, after our ship — the National Geographic/Lindblad Orion — anchored in the beautiful harbor. We spent the morning seeing several interesting locations on the island. From the port where we disembarked, we took a small bus up the very narrow streets of the town, and then winding up the tallest  hill to an old Crusader fort at the top.

Windmills. These no longer have their sails.They are around 300 years old.

First, we stopped at a very picturesque group of windmills (no longer in use). Then we visited a small chapel, with more impressive views of the small coves that are everywhere along the coast of this rather small island.

Inside the chapel, which was open because it’s Sunday.

The chapel.

At the Crusader Castle. The town priest is the only person who has the key.
We had to wait a while for him to come up to the hilltop and open up for us.

Looking towards the harbor from the Crusader Castle.

After walking up the ramparts of the castle and exploring the crumbling walls and battlements, we proceeded back down the hill to the War Museum. Leros was the site of a very bloody battle in World War II, in 1943, when the Greeks and British tried to prevent Nazi German forces from taking over the island after several horrifically destructive days, the Germans prevailed. Our tour was accompanied by Adonis, a man from the community who is active in the historical center in the town, and he related a personal view of the war — based on his own memories and those of his family and other members of the community that he knew.

Some time after the war, the people of the island contributed their war objects to
make a museum. The museum is inside of tunnels that go under the mountains of the island.

Our guides: Adonis and Dena.