Poor Hut

On the northern slope of Mount Dikaio is the small village Bunny. Among the typical picturesque single houses we will find two small cafes. One, the ruined "Traditional Cafe", because the coffee man emigrated to the Lord and the other, "The poor hut" by Dionysia Mattheou.

We met her, one day at noon, in the yard of the cafe, eating fresh red mullets with her husband. He had been seeing customers since morning. She immediately treated us to ouza with appetizers and with a great appetite for discussion began her narration:

"The cafe you see here, I hold it for half a century! When my father left with my family and they went down to the town of Kos in 1960, I was left alone in the village, an eighteen year old girl. Poverty to see your eyes! In 1964 I got married. However, we spent the most beautiful moments during the "war" with Turkey… From 1974 to 1980 in the village we hosted about seventy soldiers. Wherever you found them, wherever you lost them, they came to my cafe. Sometimes for no coffee, sometimes for ouza, other times they brought me hunting, hares, birds and I cooked them for them ".

Her face lights up as she continues the narration:

"One portion - Sunday morning was - the store was full, I was preparing donuts. Suddenly the place darkens, the soldiers fly upright, souza marbled. Their commander had a fight as they had beaten her from the morning slope. -What will happen, Miss! One was left for me in the camp! -Don't punish them, my lord, school day, they pull so much, shouldn't I sweeten them? try and try my donuts! ”

Mrs. Despina recalls the old days:

"Do you know how many of them came every year with their families, with their children, in the summers, to see me and to remember the old days!" 

Mrs. Dionysia's stories in "Poor Kalyva" would never have ended if her husband had not played the violin. Let him tell us he sings his own stories.