The hairdresser on Nisyros

On one of our long trips in Greece we flew to Samos and then we went island hopping to Ikaria, Fourni, Lipsi, Leros, Astypalea, Nisyros and Kos. When we got to Nisyros, I saw an old fashion barber shop in Mandraki, and thought: I want to get a haircut here. I usually get my hair cut when I'm in Greece, and preferably hair salons which are not as flashy as today's men's hairdressers. Like the one on Nisyros.

The old fashion barber shop in Mandraki.

The guy who ran the hair salon didn't know any English, so I had to point to my hair with my fingers and tell him how I wanted my hair cut. A friend of the hairdresser came by and they started chatting to each other as only Greeks can. The friend knew English and told me that it was the first time the hairdresser had cut a foreigner's hair, and that he was therefore nervous about the haircut.

I was the first foreigner he had cut.

It was noticeable that he was nervous because he was extremely thorough. I don't remember today how long it took, but it felt like hours. Since he didn't know English and I didn't know much Greek, the cutting took place in silence. Only the clipper and the scissors were heard. When he was done, he took out a mirror and nodded his head, and I looked up and said: very good! Then he smiled broadly, and took out a bottle of talcum powder and nodded his head, and I answered: yes. I thanked him and paid the ridiculously low price he wrote down on a piece of paper, and of course I tipped him heavily. I was incredibly happy with the cut.

He was extremely thorough and I was very happy with the haircut.

In those days we always brought copies of photos we had taken on previous trips to give to Greeks we had met over the years. So when we returned to Nisyros in September 2001, together with Camilla's mother and father, we took the pictures you see above with us and handed them over to the hairdresser. Guess if he was happy! He immediately posted the pictures on the mirror inside the hair salon.

The hairdresser puts up the pictures we had with us from the last haircut.

Then he pointed to the chair and asked if I wanted a haircut, and of course I said yes, and then he was even happier. I had previously told my father-in-law about the hairdresser at Nisyros, and how happy I had been with the haircut. So he also wanted a haircut. I pointed to father-in-law and nodded to the hairdresser, who immediately became nervous. Two foreigners in the same day, he seemed to think.

First he cut me and then my father-in-law.

First he cut me and then my father-in-law. He was just as thorough this time and it took just as long, although twice because there were two of us. And maybe that was why he was extra nervous this time. It was particularly noticeable that he was sweating profusely. By the time he had cut us both, he was drenched in sweat, and looked exhausted, and very happy.

Afterwards he was drenched in sweat and looked very happy.

Afterwards, we humbly thanked and bowed for his fantastic work and commitment. We were both super happy, and so were Camilla and her mother. They had never seen us so beautiful before, and we could only agree.

This is how beautiful we became after having our hair cut by the best hairdresser in Greece.

When Camilla and I returned to Nisyros many years later, we had copies of the photos from when my father-in-law and I got our hair cut. We were looking forward to seeing the hairdresser put up these pictures on the mirror as well. But we couldn't find the hair salon no matter how hard we looked. We knew where it was supposed to be, but thought he might have moved, so we searched all of Mandraki, but no hair salon. Many thoughts arose: had he moved from the island?, had he quit his profession?, or even worse: had he passed away?

When we were on our way to the port to go to Kos on the last day on Nisyros, we saw him sitting on a bench, near where his hair salon was. Unfortunately, we were a bit stressed about catching the ferry, so we didn't have time to stop and give him the pictures, or even say hello. But I managed to take a picture, and it's the one you see below. We haven't been back to Nisyros since then, so we still don't know what happened to the greek island's best men's barber.

Read about Nisyros at Kalispera »