Our Home Where We Were Born
A Family Story Built in Stone and Wood
Next to our guesthouse stands a house that, to our family, is much more than an old building.
It is a part of our history.
Built in 1870, our old family home still stands proudly in Volimes, having withstood the passage of time, earthquakes, the changing seasons, and the many transformations of the island itself.
Its stone walls have witnessed generations of people being born, growing up, dreaming, and creating.
This is where our ancestors lived.
This is where children were raised.
This is where life-changing decisions were made.
And this is where memories continue to be treasured and passed down from one generation to the next.
Among all those who lived within these walls, two members of our family hold a special place in our history.
The first was our grandfather, Dr. Spyros Komis, a physician who devoted his life to both medicine and society at a time when practising medicine required not only scientific knowledge but also exceptional personal sacrifice.
Later came his son, Dr. Alexandros Komis, physician and medical researcher.
Alexandros dedicated his life to the study of some of the most serious diseases of his time and worked alongside distinguished scientists of his generation.
Our home preserves one particularly treasured photograph.
It was taken at a medical event in Athens during the 1950s.
In the photograph, Dr. Alexandros Komis stands beside Sir Alexander Fleming, the scientist whose discovery of penicillin transformed the history of medicine around the world.
Standing beside them is Sir Alexander Fleming's wife, Amalia Koutsouri Fleming, who was Greek.
To us, this photograph is far more than an historical document.
It reminds us that even from a small mountain village on the island of Zakynthos, people can set out with great dreams and make a meaningful contribution to humanity.
This house was also home to our great-grandmother, Asimina.
She lived long enough to witness several generations of our family grow, prosper and build lives of their own.
She had the joy of standing beside her husband, Dr. Spyros Komis, and seeing their daughter, Georgia, marry a physician from Crete.
She was also proud to see her eldest granddaughter, Asimina, marry Dr. Leonidas Theodosiadis from the island of Lesvos, a man remembered for his social commitment and his unwavering belief in justice and human dignity. He was known for his dedication to opposing the exploitation of one person by another.
In 1946, amid the political tensions of the time, local fascists forced him to leave the very building where our guesthouse stands today, where he had established his medical practice, and ultimately to leave the village. He first relocated to Meso Gerakari and later to Ano Gerakari. Tragically, during the devastating earthquakes of 1953, his son lost his life.
Asimina also lived to see her second granddaughter, Anna, build a family with Giannis Theodosis, affectionately known in Volimes as "Lampoudis." A beloved village barber, he was renowned for capturing the events, celebrations and humorous moments of village life in traditional fifteen-syllable verses, preserving the spirit of the community through his poetry.
She was equally proud to see her grandson Spyros continue the family's long medical tradition and become a distinguished surgeon in Athens, serving his patients with the very same principles that had inspired both his father and his uncle.
She also had the happiness of seeing her own home remain open and full of life through her son, Dionysios, who, together with his wife Zacharoula, raised six children.
One of them, Alekos, chose to remain in the family home so that its doors would always stay open. Together with his wife Alexandra, who established the village barber shop and café respectively, they transformed the house into a welcoming meeting place and an important point of reference for the people of Volimes.
She also lived to see her great-grandson Alekos Theodosiadis continue the family's medical tradition and excel as a psychiatrist in England, serving his patients with the same values that had guided his father Leonidas, his uncle Alexandros—after whom he was named—and his great-grandfather Spyros Komis.
Before Asimina passed away in 1973, she had known her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even great-great-grandchildren, earning the respect and affection of the entire village.
Today, the old house continues to be a point of reference for our family.
We strive to preserve it with respect, maintaining as many of its original features as possible.
The old sitting room, the furniture, the doctors' diplomas and parchments, their libraries, the scientific archive of Alexandros Komis, the objects used by so many generations, all remain here and are gradually being restored. The stone walls and the small details that have survived—and continue to be lovingly preserved today by Dionysis and his partner Kaiti—are not merely objects.
They are keepers of memory.
Every corner has a story to tell.
Huge thanks to Konstantinos_boat_rentals for making the sea experience possible. Rent your own boat or explore Zakynthos with an experienced skipper.
: https://www.facebook.com/paulofreitasview/subscribenow...
