11. Business offices

This house was built in 1891 and housed the offices of the company that made use of the coal. Even though it is a private residence today, its features have not changed and its old nobility is evident. It is founded on pre-existing rooted boulders, has cornerstones, a staircase and door jambs hewn from local marble. The tiled balcony has a sea view, which rarely occurred back then. The ground floor was used to store materials, such as wires, hinges, pickaxes, shovels, metal rods, acetylene lamps and lumber.

Zorbas stayed on that floor when he first arrived in the area and then rented Andreas Exarchouleas' house in Kalogria. Then, he organized the business office. Vernikos, later a shipowner, was in charge of accounting, Elpidoforos Chureas, owner of Prastova, was in charge of payroll and the legal issues were tasks of Kazantzakis and Farandatos. The handmade desk has been saved and can be seen at the "Stoupa" restaurant. It's impressive because it has padlocked drawers in which payroll money was kept. The desk where the business's accounting books were kept has also been saved and can be seen at the "Akrogiali" restaurant in Stoupa.

On the north exterior of the house, high up on a cornerstone, there is an inscription in fine writing, which was usually set on houses before 1900. It wisely says: "Mine today, another's tomorrow and never only one's." In the garden, the well-used for the needs of the workers can still be found. Workers from surrounding villages stayed in nearby caves. There they lit fires in order to cook and keep warm and that is why they are still blackened today.

A little further from the house, there are traces of the apiary structure, while only 2-3 orange trees are left as a reminder of the huge orange grove that used to be there. It was a uniquely aromatic and delectable variety whose scent was intoxicating when in bloom and it supplied the residents of the general area with delicious fruit. Kazantzakis' references to the fragrant orchard are frequent. "The closer I got to the orchards, every breath caught the scent of lemons, oranges and laurels."