“SPRECHEN SIE GRECHISCH?”

MARCH 10, 2022 –  While most tourists flocked to the Cyclades, Germans, I discovered, had staked out Samos. Nearly everyone I encountered on the boat from Piraeus was from the FRG (West Germany). During the high season, regular flights brought West Berliners directly to Samos. Though I interacted with Greek servers and shopkeepers, everyone else I met during my week on the island was German. Without exception, they were agreeable and interesting. I shared an early version of an “AirBnB” with Uli, from Munich, and developed a potential romance with “Inge” from West Berlin, who invited me to see her again when I “reached her part of the world.”

In her own right, Inge was a well-educated, interesting person, but it was Uli, an intelligent, easy-going Bavarian, who introduced me to Raymond Frey—one of the most interesting characters I’d yet encountered in my travels. He owned a highly successful Greek restaurant (in Munich), which Uli and his friends patronized frequently. For many years, Raymond had been a regular on Samos, and Uli insisted that I meet his unusual friend.

Uli had vacationed in Samos before and knew where to rent mopeds for the week. Our first stop was a magnificent beach, where we encountered several of Uli’s comrades from Munich—and the kindly Inge and her friends from Berlin. At an appointed time Uli and I returned to the village of Kokkari, site of our accommodations, to meet Herr Frey, whose flight from Munich via Athens had arrived that morning. He greeted us heartily, then blazing off on his moped, led the way to “his village.” 

From the main road, Raymond showed us onto a dirt cartway, then up the side of a mountain via a series switchbacks offering stunning views of the lands below and the blue Aegean beyond. Eventually our course opened to a hidden village of a handful of residents, several small abodes, and a public square with two or three shops and the town gathering spot—a café/ouzo bar. Two sides of the square afforded commanding views of the outside world, framed by olive trees.

Every local with a cane, it seemed, appeared to welcome Raymond back. He was soon visiting with them effusively—in fluent Greek. After a tray of ouzo and feta was served, Raymond and I got acquainted. The exchange of pleasantries soon turned to serious subjects—the situation in Poland, the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the politics of Greece, the life and outlook of isolated villagers on Samos. Raymond asked probing questions in the tradition of his mentor . . . Socrates.

The German was a brilliant intellect—scholar of all things Greek, ancient and modern—with huge reservoirs of curiosity, knowledge, and analytical proclivity, not to mention his command of language (Uli had informed me earlier that Raymond spoke six languages fluently. His English was impeccable.)

As we coasted back down to the sea, I savored the enrichment from my unexpected encounter with a German genius in a Greek paradise.

(Remember to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.)

© 2022 by Eric Nilsson