Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Read more about Greece in International Living Postcards--your daily escape

Thursday, Oct. 4, 2007
Skala Eressos, Greece

"Alright, luv? I've not seen you here before."

I'm at the Tenth Muse bar in a beach town called Skala Eressos. I'm here to observe, not seek amorous female company. But if this is a chat-up line, it's disappointing.

Certainly so when you're on one of Greece's most romantic islands. Think pink flamingos, hot springs, 5,000 years of history, and almost 12 million olive trees. Then factor in wild mountains, the shimmering blue Aegean Sea, flaming sunsets, and bonfires on the beach. Oh, and dancing under the stars.

"Do you want another ouzo?" Silly question. The stranger (wrist-to-armpit tattoos and a toilet-brush haircut) definitely isn't making my heart pound faster. But it's not in my nature to spurn the offer of a drink.

In Greece, lone foreign women usually attract attention. Whether you're 17 or 70, many local men can't resist laying on the charm. Not that my new drinking companion is Greek…and not that Skala Eressos abounds with lovelorn men. While its tavernas have male waiters, one told me earlier that all female visitors are regarded as off-limits.

Here at the Tenth Muse, there's not a man in sight. Including Rosie, my interestingly coiffured ouzo provider, its clientele are all women.

On the island of Lesbos (Lesvos to Greeks), Skala Eressos was the reputed birthplace of Sappho, a 6th-century B.C. poet. Plato called her the Tenth Muse. Along with running a school for women, she wrote the world's first-known lesbian love poetry. Thanks to Sappho, Lesbos is where the word "lesbian" originated. But contrary to popular belief, the island's population isn't wall-to-wall gay women. That said, Skala Eressos has been on the alternative map since the 1960s.

A number of businesses are lesbian-owned and there's also a couple of women-only hotels. For $39 a night, I'm staying in Hotel Sappho--not exclusively for women, but it might as well be.

A great time to catch the vibe is during September's International Women's Festival. Organized by Sappho Travel's Joanna Savva, the two-week festival is billed as being for all women, not as a lesbian-only shindig. However, expect to meet plenty. Most come from the U.K., Holland, and Germany.

Hard partying, yes, but it's as much a celebration of female arts, culture, and empowerment. Workshops cover everything from creative writing to live model art classes, Ayurvedic breast massage, self-defense training, and Hawaiian healing dances. Organized local walks take in botany and archaeology; for sporty types, there's five-a-side soccer and beach volleyball. (See www.sapphotravel.com and www.womensfestival.eu.)

Joanna says the women-only sunset boat cruises are most popular. I'd guess less attend the Fly Me to the Moon workshop where Natasha explains the science of space rockets. That sounded so bizarre I almost regret missing it.

You don't have to join the party scene to make new friends or enjoy yourself. Some women have young kids in tow and I've spotted a handful of heterosexual couples.

Skala Eressos won't suit everyone, of course. The long-suffering Scotsman (my husband) wasn't too thrilled when he saw the travel plans. So I've left him to devise his own R&R in Mytilini, the island's main town.

I don't think I'm a closet lesbian who somehow got led astray by men. But just to make sure, I'm now off to check out the dancing, the divas, and other after-dark entertainment in Sappho's Garden of the Arts. Tonight's German DJ uses Miss Thunderpussy as her stage name. Glad I'm not the emcee…

Steenie Harvey
Roving Europe Editor, International Living

Editor's Note: Steenie will speak at IL's Ultimate Event, at the Panama City Sheraton Hotel and Casino, Oct. 24-27. As a reader of these Postcards, here's how to get $100 in casino chips to use in Panama: Just say "chip me" when you call 1-866-3... to register.

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- What It Costs to Live on Karpathos Island, Greece

- The Best Summer Festivals You May Have Missed

- How to Get the Best Deal the Next Time You Travel