Wild Wolf

During our stay in Therma, Ikaria, we were intrigued by the place on top of the rock on the left hand side of this picture. Was it a house, a hotel? So, one early evening after our pre-dinner ouzos we decided to go and explore.

In order to get there we had to walk past this abandoned building which we reckon must have been a hotel before it fell to ruin

We kept stopping on the way to admire views of Therma

We soon reached a well-tended path






and this sign, Agriolykos, Wild Wolf. The question now, was, do we turn back, or go in, and risk being told off for trespass? We decided to go on

before having another look at the view.

We walked up the steps

and reached the top and got another view of the wall that we saw every day as we swam

A low building with individual sitting areas in front of each door. So, a pension, B&B or something similar.

Looking to the right, we got a good view of the ruined hotel

and looking to the left, the rocks around which we liked to swim

We slowly moved around the place, getting further views along the rocks and the Fourni (Ovens) islands in the distance

and the drop down to the sea.

We were enchanted

it's a tidy, well-tended place, each sitting area different,

We saw a woman sitting in a lounge chair, with a cat on her lap, eyes closed, totally relaxed

a simple place, nothing fancy, but with great attention to detail

the views to the sea, ever-present

a calm, tranquil place

On one of the walls of the dwelling, a mural of Ikarus, the young man who flew too close to the sun. In Greek mythology, Ikarus was the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, the creator of the Labyrinth. They attempted to escape from Crete by means of wings that Daedalus constructed from feathers and wax. Daedalus warned Ikarus not to fly too low, because the sea's dampness would clog his wings, nor too close to the sun because it would melt the wax in his wings. Ignoring his father's waning, Ikarus flew too close to the sun, the wax in his wings melted and he tumbled out of the sky and fell into the sea by Ikaria.


 

Having had a good look around, we retraced our steps

By then, the sun had set, and the first lights started appearing in Therma. It was time to go and have something to eat.

Later, I checked their website: it's a 12-room pension, offering a seasonal schedule of yoga events, and art exhibits, specialising in a postural exercise programme and is furthermore, a breast cancer retreat.