Georgie, March 2011

 

Met my husband in Matala in 1968, we didn’t get together then but always had reunions in London and got together thru our love of Matala and all it represented.

Lived in the caves for the summer and featured in an English newspaper, who wrote an article on ‘the hippies’. I worked serving ‘chip omelette’ in Manoli’s cafe on the beach (no longer there), and K worked laying concrete.

My first vision of Matala, as my friends and I came thru from Pitsidia on the back of a three wheeler, were tanned long hairs, smiling and ‘Hey man’ walking in the river bed collecting snails. Big Canadian John, the Hammersmith Queen, Red - were characters on the beach, don’t even know their real names!

We do have photos and the press cutting, somewhere! We were in Matala last year, not in the caves which are in very bad condition, very eroded and actually unsafe, and some caves have collapsed. Lots of tourists climbing all over them which is increasing the erosion and destruction.

But, it is still beautiful.

 

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Have just sent this and seen on the website a message from Mara, who is one of the friends I was travelling with. Hi Mara!

 

Georgie