Solitary life on greek island: One woman's remarkable journey
Irini Katsoturchi is the only resident of the Greek island of Kinaros in the Aegean Sea. She is accompanied by her dog, chickens, sheep, and goats. The woman assures that she does not fear living in solitude.
"Greek Reporter" describes this week the extraordinary story of Mrs. Rini, who has lived alone on the Greek island since her husband's death in 2013.
She was raised in Kinaros, lived on the nearby island of Kalimnos after marrying, and later, her family emigrated to Australia. Upon returning to the country, the couple settled permanently in Kinaros.
Grocery deliveries once a week, mailman every two weeks
"Life is not easy on Kinaros for a single, elderly woman," emphasizes "Greek Reporter".
In winter, her only contact with the outside world is a boat that arrives once a week with supplies. Every two weeks, a mailman also arrives. In summer, more boats dock, and their passengers exchange words with the residents.
Irini is accompanied by her dog, Siva, and a few chickens. Sheep and goats also live freely on the island.
The Greek service informs that in 2020, Mrs. Irini "disappeared from the radar" for a few days, which mobilized the Air Force and Coast Guard. Contact with the woman was impossible due to a malfunction and lack of power on the island. However, the Greek woman was located by a helicopter that delivered her supplies.
Despite living in isolation, the portal notes that the woman got vaccinated against COVID-19. In 2020, the President of Greece, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, visited the island and its sole resident.
Dodecanese - a Greek gem
The island, inhabited by 78-year-olds, has a surface area of 4 square kilometres and belongs to the Dodecanese archipelago, which includes 163 islands. Only 26 are inhabited. The most popular ones include Rhodes and Kos, which have attracted real crowds of tourists for years.
Kinaros is located west of Kalymnos and Leros, but east of Amorgos.
