A Journey Across the Aegean
As a young woman, Kalliope left her island home. My great-grandfather, Ioannis Podaras, brought her from Skyros to his village of Xeroxori in northern Evia. They married and began their life together in a sturdy stone house built around 1870. This house, now a family heirloom, still stands strong and functional—a vibrant testament to their story.
The Olive Groves
Kalliope’s childhood among Skyros’s olive groves, had given her both knowledge and respect for the land. Her husband, Ioannis, had already inherited land from previous generations, and once in Evia, she carried this inheritance forward. Many of the trees we harvest today were planted by her hands. She saw the promise of the existing trees and adding to the established groves that would nourish generations.
The details of Ioanni’s death have been lost to time, but what followed is clear: Kalliope was left a widow. In an era when women rarely owned property, she not only inherited her husband’s plots but took charge of them. Through resilience and wisdom, she safeguarded the groves, ensuring that the land remained fertile, productive and expanding.
Kalliope’s story is more than a family memory—it is part of the history of this land, a testament to endurance, and to the timeless bond between people and the olive tree.
