Itisallgreek2me

Thursday, 14 July 2022… Since first reading many years’ ago, ‘Eleni’ by Nicholas Gage, I have yearned to visit Liá. A tiny village high up in the inhospitable Mourgana mountain range, close to the Albanian border, I somehow needed to connect with Liá, even though I knew the feeling would be somber.

Leaving Igoumenitsa at 05.00 hours on the only weekly bus, after dropping off 3 Greek people at another village, the driver invited me to sit up front in order to take in the views. Fortunately, I had thought to take some warmer clothing as when we arrived in Liá, it was only 14°C.

During the Greek Civil War in the 1940’s, Communist guerillas occupied Liá and did their best to take the children of the village, sending them beyond the Iron Curtain. Eleni Gatzoyiannis, an incredibly strong, intelligent and loving mother, arranged to have 4 of her 5 children smuggled out under darkness and for this ‘crime’ she was held prisoner in the cellar of her own home. Being the largest home in the village (3 rooms) the guerillas had taken it over to use as their headquarters. Eleni was tortured and then shot… her body and others left in the ravine where they fell. There being no room left in the garden… with 37 bodies already buried under the mulberry tree.

Eléni’s last words to her son Nick were to join his father in Massachusetts and never return to Greece. However, many years’ later as an investigative journalist, Nicholas Gage returned to track down his mother’s killers.

Only by visiting could I understand the remoteness and beauty of Liá and obviously much has changed too over the years. Liás Inn, a place for travellers to stopover is closed, the kafeneion is closed, the museum temporarily closed. Not so much as a toilet anywhere for public use, meant heading for the bushes, keeping an apprehensive eye open for snakes which I’m told there are plenty of in the area. A number of street dogs too… one in particular was determined to stick with me. Another fearlessly chased away a cow, many of which roamed aimlessly along the winding road.

With very little life in the village, I did manage to ask a couple of people where I might find Eléni’s house. Rebuilt in 2002 by Nick Gage’s daughter Eléni, Eléni’s granddaughter, I followed a road upwards, came to a sign saying ‘ELÉNI’S HOUSE’ and in spite of following the direction of the arrow, eventually I had to admit defeat. So close and yet so far.

Not long before the bus returned for me around 15.00 hours, a local passerby offered to take me to see Eléni’s House on his motor scooter. Although seriously tempted, I had no wish to miss my ride back to Igoumenitsa. It had been a very long, albeit fulfilling day on which I will reflect forever… Eléni, the Greek mother who made the ultimate sacrifice for her children. ❤

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