In the summer of 1917, Kazantzakis' wife, Galateia Alexiou, her sister Elli, his close friend Angelos Sikelianos with his wife Eva Palmer, Marika Kotopouli and Kyveli arrived in Kalogria in order to visit him. On the first day that the company of artists arrived in Kalogria, a big feast was set up at the house where Zorbas was living. They also invited the mayor, Patriarcheas. He played the mandolin, Zorba played the bouzouki and they sang: "When my heart is shut, it does not open with any key/ it only opens with the sounds of bouzouki, mandolin and violins/ and with a nice company."