The sign of Mermaid (top picture) was a painting on the wall, made by Penelope, the sister of the owner, Stelios.
Penelope painted at first, a bare chested mermaid, but after Bishop Timotheos termed the region as "a home of moral decay", Penelope painted a second (moral) mermaid (see second, with the bra top). The Mermaid Cafe, has been famous by Joni Mitchell's song, Carey...
"...Come on down to the Mermaid Cafe and I will buy you a bottle of wine
And we'll laugh and toast to nothing and smash our empty glasses down.."
Mitchell has stated publicly that "Carey"
was a memorable hippie, named Cary
Raditz (or "Carrot" Raditz), a cane-carrying
chef with bright red hair that she met in Matala
during her European odyssey of 1970.
I was there 1970 with my guitar and portable battery operated record player. The Scratchy
ReplyDeleterock and roll records (in the Carey song) were mine.I remember getting free Mama sandwiches because I played Guitar and plenty of fellow hippies would turn up. We were young ,idealistic looking for something..... anyway it was fun.
I wish I had a story like that to tell. Sounds like an amazing time.
DeleteI had a cave up on the left side together with Benjamin Mac Anderson from California. What a time, barefoot over the rocks, no sun protection , little food, much wine. Everybody on the way to India...
ReplyDeleteI was in Matala in 1969 and 1970. There was a scratchy record player and the owner were proud that Joni Mitchell had sent them her album. The sister made good apple cake and I got sandwiches from Mama’s. In 1969 a woman sleeping in one of the caves cooked me dinner. And one day the police removed all the hippies by bus to Heraklean. In 1970 I was sleeping on the beach on Ios and a yacht with Donovan stopped in the bay and some of us swam out to it. His crew said they were going to film a concert in town that night. You can YouTube it at Donovan-there is an ocean. It’s a trip to spot the 21-year old me in the audience.
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Passed by in the summer of 1978, all the hippies long gone of course. Just as well perhaps, my true love was able to put one of the caves to good use indulging her secret passion for al fresco canoodling in broad daylight, I don't recall complaining. Now we're respectable married folks, time moves on but kind memories stay with us...
ReplyDeleteWas there in the summer of 78 also, for 3 weeks... camped and had a ball. Soooo quiet compared to a nostalgic revisit in 2019.
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ReplyDeleteI hitch hiked there from the UK in 1975 and slept on the beach for 3 months. When the rains came I slept on the roof of the famous Mermaid Cafe. Helped down in the morning to help with the washing up.An unforgetable time.
ReplyDeleteI WAS THERE IN 1973 I THINK. THERE WAS A BIG BEARDED, SCARY GREEK GUY WHO IT TURNED OUT WAS FROM THE BRONX. HE USED TO WEAR A SPEEDO AND COMBAT BOOTS. HE INVENTED THE "ZILCH". HE WOULD CLIMB UP TO ONE OF THE HIGH CAVES OR THE LEDGE AND TAKE THESE GREAT SHEETS OF PLASTIC AND TWIST THEM ALL UP TIGHT THEN LIGHT THEM AND THE SOUNDS OF THE FLAMING PLASTIC WOULD MAKE A ZILCH SOUND WHEN IT HIT THE WATER BELOW....
ReplyDeleteI was there 1970/71 with my 5yrs old daughter ,we could spend the whole summer in Greece for £50. stayed in a small room behind the mermaid cafe fresh yogurt peaches with honey for breakfast. swapped joints for US army rations from US 6th fleet company that came ashore. evenings in the mermaid cafe drinking retzina and raki. hearing care brings it all back to this old lady. thank you Joni your an alchemist!!
ReplyDeletetravelled around Greece summers of 71/72 with my 6yrs old, rented a small room behind the mermaid cafe, yogurt honey and peaches for breakfast. retsina and raki in the mermaid cafe beneath the Matala moon. swopped joints for US army rations on the beach when the 6th US fleet was in. when I hear CARRIE this old lady smiles with memory of it all.thank you Jonie
ReplyDeletetravelled around Greece summers of 71/72 with my 6yrs old, rented a small room behind the mermaid cafe, yogurt honey and peaches for breakfast. retsina and raki in the mermaid cafe beneath the Matala moon. swopped joints for US army rations on the beach when the 6th US fleet was in. when I hear CARRIE this old lady smiles with memory of it all.thank you Jonie
ReplyDeleteMe and my ex spent a week in Matala just chilling out on the beach near the caves. I will always be grateful to her for introducing me to Joni.
ReplyDeleteI remember as says sandra in 1971 i was 6years ,i remember when came at comos usa army and they gave me cocoa chocolates and other things,i brought them water melons ,small ones cause i was very small child,later about 8 years i remember i went under the caves to get empty bottles to sell,was a big party on the beach and over300 hippies played giutars ,they had a big tape recorder and played cat stevens,there was george of matala the fisherman,i was sitting between two beautiful young girls on the beach and then the one girl who smoked kissed me and pushed the smoke in my mouth,i slept there but before sleep a hippie man shouted to the girls,i remember in my half sleep they brought me 100 about metres near to a boat on the beach and left me there,i slept at all ,later my aunt came on the beach and asked me why my eyes are red,for me was nice experience and i will never forget
ReplyDeleteI born in 1965 in heraklion crete,my father had a sister in pitsidia who had no children and sended me there ,i remember the us army in comos about '71 iwas 6 years old and brouht them 2-3 times water melons and they gave me cocoa chocolates etc ,later at matala my aunt opened a mini market her name was maria ,an afternoon michalis a child older 3 years from me asked me to go under caves with the trees ,the name was lenica,about over 300 hippies with george fisherman had a party on the beach,was a big circle with a big fire in the middle,they had a big tape recorder,we went there to find empty bottles to sell,i was sitting between two beautiful hippie girls,then the one girl who smoked kissed my mouth and pushed the smoke in,that made me to cough and dizzy i layed on the sand ,some body shouted to the girls,they took me some of them on the hands and brought me many metres farway beside a boat on the beach ,i slept at all until later my aunt found me there and asked why my eyes are red,i was about 7 years old ,i will never forget,any way for me was nice experience,i never told about this at my family
ReplyDelete