On the quiet Greek island of Serifos, where the sun caresses the hills and the wind gently flows through ancient olive trees, lies the village of Megalo Livadi – a place once alive with the hustle of mining. Here, iron ore was extracted and shipped to the world. The mountains echoed with picks and voices. But now, silence has taken over.
And nestled just above the shimmering water sits a small whitewashed house. From the outside, it may look like many others in Greece – simple, clean, traditional. But for Giannis, now in his seventies, it's more than a house. It’s a heart. A memory. A life story told in chalk and stone.
A Childhood in a Paradise of Simplicity
Giannis grew up in this house, alongside his four siblings. Two rooms. One was his parents’ bedroom. The other – a multifunctional space that served as the kitchen, the living area, and every night, a shared sleeping room for five children. Crowded? Yes. But not in the way you might think. Because in Giannis’s memory, the house was not too small. It was enough.
He doesn’t recall a lack of space, but rather the scent of fresh oregano on the patio, the laughter bouncing through the stone-lined village streets, and the endless games played with the neighborhood kids. On Serifos, there was freedom. No fences. No restrictions. Just mountains, sea, and children’s imagination.
It was a different time. A time when life was built on connection. When evenings meant returning home, eating together, and falling asleep close to one another while sharing the day’s adventures.
From Naval Engineer to Keeper of Memories
Life took Giannis away from Serifos. He trained as a naval engineer, served in the Greek navy, and traveled the world. But every time he returned to Megalo Livadi, something tugged at his soul. A longing, perhaps. Or simply a love that never faded. The little house stood there – weathered, forgotten, but not abandoned in his heart.
When Giannis retired, he knew it was time. Together with his wife Popi, he decided to bring the house back to life. But not as a luxury getaway. There would be no concrete pools or vast glass walls. No. This would be a tribute to simplicity. To silence. To the life once lived there – and still living within its walls.
Restoring with Respect
It took time. Every decision was made with care. Which floor tiles best echoed the home’s spirit? Where did the morning light used to fall? How could they rebuild the kitchen without erasing the past?
Popi, whose gaze is as warm as the Greek sun, tells how they searched for materials that carried a sense of history. The house was painted white, like the nearby church, and each piece of furniture was chosen with love. There are no screens here. No distractions. Just a table, a sofa, a bed. And the sea, always the sea.
On the veranda, white curtains dance with the breeze. They move like whispers from the past. Giannis often sits there, gazing out at the bay where cargo ships once anchored. Today, only seagulls float in peaceful reflection. A place transformed from industry to introspection.
A Home – Not a Hotel
Almi House is now available for rent to those seeking more than a vacation. For those seeking stillness, authenticity, and a breath from another time. But this is not a hotel. It’s a home.
When you step inside Almi House, you feel it immediately. The scent of chalk, wood, perhaps a hint of salt from the sea. Nothing plastic. Nothing staged. And Giannis and Popi greet you not as hosts, but as old friends. They’ll offer you coffee, speak of life, and share – not just the house, but their hearts.
It’s a kind of generosity that can’t be bought. It comes from a life lived with presence. From a time when people mattered more than appearances. When children’s laughter mattered more than square footage.
A Village Etched in History
Megalo Livadi tells its own tale. The remnants of its mining era remain. Rusted structures. Abandoned tracks. Silent mine shafts. And in the middle of it all – a strange beauty. A calmness only places with history can emit.
Giannis speaks of how the workers once descended into the mountains with pickaxes and helmets. How life was tough, but full of solidarity. Today, the mines are quiet. But their soul lingers. In the stones. In the sea. In the house.
And that’s what makes Almi House so special. It’s not a stage set. It’s not a photo-op. It’s a reminder. Of how we once lived. Of what really matters.
The Little That Is Enough
In a time when many chase more – bigger homes, more things, more experiences – Almi House reminds us that small can be plenty. That two rooms can hold an entire world. That a childhood memory can carry a whole philosophy.
Giannis says it best:
"We didn’t want to change it into something it wasn’t. We just wanted to give it life again."
And what a life. The little house breathes. It speaks with the wind, the waves, the visitors who come through its doors. It says:
"Slow down. Let go. You’re here now."
A Future Rooted in the Past
For Giannis and Popi, Almi House is no business venture. It’s a love story. A bridge between generations. They hope that others will experience the same feeling they have each time they open its door – the sense of coming home, no matter where you’re from.
And maybe that’s what the world needs more of. Not more places to go, but more places to return to. Not more moments to tick off, but more moments to live slowly.
Want to Visit Almi House?
If something stirred within you while reading this – maybe it’s time. Almi House stands ready, on a small hill above the sea. Not as a product, but as an invitation.
Contact Giannis and Popi: 📧 almihouseserifos@gmail.com
Air B&B: Almi House on Serifos
A Gentle Reminder for Us All
We don’t always need to search farther or aim higher. Sometimes, it’s enough to look inward – to our roots, our memories, our need for stillness. Almi House is one of those places. A home that awakens questions, memories, and dreams.
Thank you, Giannis and Popi, for choosing to share your small paradise. You remind us that the greatest treasures often reside in the humblest of places.
By Chris...
And to get a feel for the house before you go, watch this beautiful video by Kirsten Dirksen:
On the quiet Greek island of Serifos, in the once-bustling mining village of Megalo Livadi, sits a small whitewashed house perched just above the water. It was here, in this humble two-room home, that Giannis, a retired naval engineer now in his seventies, grew up alongside his four siblings.
One room was his parents’ bedroom. The other — the kitchen, the living area, and each night, the shared bedroom for five children. But what the house lacked in size, it made up for in freedom and joy.
Giannis remembers those years not for the constraints, but for the laughter echoing through the narrow streets, the games played with the many other children of the village, and the simple rhythm of returning home for dinner and sleep.
Today, he and his wife, Popi, have lovingly restored the house, keeping its modest spirit alive. Painted bright white like the nearby church, the home once again watches over the bay where ships once loaded ore, now a place of peace and memory. It’s not just a renovation — it’s a return, a tribute to a life rich in simplicity and connection.
To rent Almi House, email Giannis & Popi: almihouseserifos@gmail.com
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