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Lesvos: The Village of Xidera



chidera, lesvos, greece The village of Xidera (or Chidera or Hidera depending upon what road sign or map you are looking at) on the island of Lesvos could be the most remote village in all of Greece, perhaps on a par with some of the jungle villages of the Brazillian rain forest except for the fact that they have TV's, wear western clothes instead of loincloths and drive pick-up trucks instead of yaks. It's at the end of a road that leads nowhere else. There is no bus. It is surrounded by wooded mountains, fields and olive groves. The inhabitants are all farmers, though some also make their living as carpenters, butchers and cafe owners. In a village of less then five hundred people there are seven cafeneons, all filled with men at various hours of the day and night. The women spend their days working at home. Everything comes from the village with the exception of the few things they cannot make like plastic buckets, shoes and fish, which are sold from pick-up trucks that travel from village to village. In the evening when their work is done and the men are gathered in the cafeneons to argue politics, play cards or watch the upcoming elections on TV, the women sit on the steps outside the gates, of the walls that enclose their gardens and homes, talking and greeting whoever passes by.


About the Village

Faces of Xidera

A Visit to Xidera

Slaughter of the Lamb

Elections in Xidera

Be sure to visit the Methymnaos Winery and the Iakovidis Digital Art Museum when you go to Xidera!



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