Mr. Zafiris, the Zafiris Michalakellis He spent all his life, profession of his “mania” with horses as he says.
It goes close to half a century who studied next to an elderly Samaritan in Mytilene, learned to make it go to say this, samaria and saddles and bridles.
Mr. Zafiris Michalakellis He is one of the last, if not the last sailor of Lesvos. A profession that once flourished in every village, a town, even in the city of Mytilene and concerned the construction of the “fair”, of all sorts of horses, mules and donkeys, the main ones to say means of transport of the time.
“They say that what I was doing was good,” says Mr Michalakellis, noting that in the 1980s he was sending his creations to Chios, Samos and even Thessaloniki. “Now I make saddles for horses in the villages and samaria for the donkeys with which they carry the sacks with the olives from the mountains down the streets to load them into the cars. But a few things are because there are few animals. Earlier in Lesvos It only had 5,000 animals. Now a little bit of the time they gather the olives. “
Of course, the living is saved by the Lesbian mania with the horses.
“He has a tradition on the island with horses. In Agia Paraskevi, in Plomari, in the villages of Gera, in the east have many horses For the festivals, for horse races for their taste. And with them that it is happening, ”he says.
As for the future of the profession, Zafiris Michalakellis is clear. “I got married in Athens, my groom has his own job. So, we’re done, “he says. This work is not learned. Wants mind, fun and appetite to make the saddleto decorate it, to do the “alive” for the living.
And the rider should sit well on top and the horse from below stand well. And the little ones who come ask how much I will get, what I will do, what to get out … These things are not done. Those who came left. She wants to love this job. If you don’t love her and with her and the animals … alert. It is our job. And we were fastening out of the jokes. “