Relaxation
A visit to the mineral springs at Therma offered the prospect of a hot bath and a meal. It also meant the chance to relax in peaceful surroundings.
Given the limited freshwater supply on Lemnos – even worse on Gallipoli – a hot bath was a rare treat. Sister Olive Haynes had heard that ‘Helen of Troy used to bathe here’.
Australians appreciated meals served in the shade of the fig tree at the bathhouse cafe. Among the offerings were fruit, sardines, cheese and steak.
The journey to Therma from Sarpi Rest Camp was around 12 kilometres west along a rugged track. Some would walk; others travelled by donkey or on horseback. Some would also visit Castro, farther west, in the same journey.
‘We all had lunch. Omelette, cheese and biscuits and oranges – crowds of officers there, so we had to wait for the bath. It was beautiful. We had a bath, running hot water from the Spring all the time.’
– Sister Olive Haynes, quoted in We Are Here Too, p. 103
