The Greek island of Kos houses the Asklepieion, an ancient medical centre built to honour the god of health and medicine, Asklepios, following the death of the celebrated ancient Greek physician, Hippocrates. He is remembered as the inspiration for the famous Hippocratic Oath sworn by many doctors. The hospital dates from the first half of the third century BC and occupies part of a green hill some 2.5 miles (about 4 kilometres) southeast of Kos Town.

Visitors pass through the small village of Platani on the road to this site of ancient wisdom. Most travel the short distance in a vehicle. Being walkers, we strode the narrow, sometimes steep, way on foot. We were on the island during party of the Covid pandemic, so there were few other visitors around. Our tour operator considered the place a safe destination, since there’d been few cases on the island. Fully vaccinated, we were counted as safe to visit. Since the holiday hadn’t been cancelled by the tour operator, we’d paid in full, and the medical advice at the time was that such travel should be relatively safe for all concerned, we risked the visit.

It meant we had this fascinating exhibit more or less to ourselves, the usual charge had been waived, and we were free to wander the site almost alone for most of the time. The place was as intriguing as many of the ancient Greek remains have proved in the past. An enjoyable visit.

On the way back through Platani we were amused to discover this unusual plant pot by the roadside in the garden of a local resident. I’ve seen plants growing in old walking boots, wellingtons, and many other unusual containers, but never in an old pair of men’s trousers.
What’s the message here? Was the man no more active than the plant his pants contain? Is he, perhaps, the root cause of something unstated, and possibly soiled? Maybe he isn’t as decorative as the floral females. Can we suppose he’s merely a practical solution to a problem of containment? Or is there a deeper, darker secret here? Perhaps he’s the fertiliser feeding, after death, the life now springing from his lower half?

Whatever the creator of this unusual arrangement intended, it certainly made us smile as we passed on down the hill toward an evening of good food and entertainment.