The Olive Tree

In the village of Symi, 500 steps uphill from Gialos, there is a café hidden away in the narrow streets, called Elia. Janine and Tina, the owners, came to Symi 13 years ago and decided to settle on the island. Elia (or Olive Tree for visitors) is more than just a simple café. It organises guided tours, excursions and photography walks, whilst also offering a range of catering services, including cakes and tarts for special occasions. What struck me, however, were the books. The space is very well-kept and cosy – unlike most tourist cafés on the islands. In every corner, there are books – lots of books. “This is where I keep my favourite cookbooks,” Janine tells me as I browse through them and notice little notes and dog-eared pages on her favourite recipes. Next to us, a tourist from England is using the laptop provided for guests to write to her own family. Next to the sofa where we’re sitting, there’s a bookcase full of children’s books, most of them in English. Out of professional curiosity, I start taking them down one by one, whilst Janine tells us with a smile that if we want, we can play with the Lego in a huge bucket. “I have children and I know what it’s like to have them around whilst you’re trying to have a coffee.” Beneath the stacks of books, there are notebooks and coloured felt-tip pens for budding Picassos. Among the books, I’m delighted to find three or four by Axel Scheffler, whose books we’ve already published at Ikaros. A chocolate cake later, we say goodbye to Janine and head down the wide steps of Kalis Stratas, and I think to myself: Why don’t you see books in shops like this more often? Is it down to the owner? A matter of culture? Arriving at Yialos, passing in front of the tavernas, I count the aquariums...