A Greek Odyssey - Final Thoughts

While in Greece, we had many memorable eating experiences,

including sharing meals with our host Angelo's family.

With them, we shared lamb and lemon potatoes,

spinach pie, bread and garlic spiced yogurt dip,

and, at every meal, a very fresh Greek salad:

fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, oil and vinegar dressing,

black olives and a large slice of seasoned feta cheese!

We went to a restaurant one evening, right by the water,

where we ate freshly caught fish with lemon.

Another evening we traveled over twisty roads,

high up into the mountains,

to a restaurant with spectacular views,

and there we had a dinner of rooster and spaghetti!

One day on the beach, we were offered freshly caught 

sea urchin eggs called "uni".

On the last evening of our stay in Monemvasia,

we went to a festival in a neighboring village.

The village square was filled with family and friends

and the live band played continuous music, as one singer 

replaced the previous one with no interruption. 

The sounds of spoken Greek, laughter, and children's

exclamations provided a warm atmosphere.

When the dancing began, I felt mesmerized by the

sight of people of all ages dancing the centuries old dance, 

which I think is named Kalamatianos.

These are not great photos, but the dance is done in a circle, arms raised,

with a very distinctive pace. People would join the circle

or leave the circle without a hitch, and at times there would be

a circle within a circle- young, old, children, families -

and it went on and on for hours.

I felt privileged to be witnessing such a beautiful tradition.

On our way back to Athens, where we would leave for home,

we visited the site of the original Olympic Games.

The stadium was merely a dirt field, and the "bleachers" were sloping lawns.

Throughout the grounds there were ruins of ancient buildings and temples...

and the museum housed some beautiful statues and exhibits.

This trip was so much more than a vacation -

it was a very moving and memorable experience

which I'll never forget.

Souveniers?

I bought a few.

But the most precious is a collection of found stones and shells,

collected on the shores of the Aegean Sea.

Thanks for sharing this journey with me!

Hope you're having a very good week!

A Greek Odyssey, Part 3

                In the Greek village of Monemvasia, our hotel room was simple but comfortable,

and we had a lovely balcony looking out over the beautiful sea.

Walking through the village, we saw many postcard-worthy sights...

hints of the water peeking between houses,

lovely flowers and, unfortunately, graffiti...

Hotels,

many outdoor restaurants by the sea,

with octopus drying in the sun!

We picked up supplies at the local market and explored the village daily.

In my next post I'll show you some of what we ate and places we enjoyed!

                  Hope you're having a fun and safe weekend!

A Greek Odyssey, Part 2

After visiting Athens, our party of 3 couples boarded the blue van which would take us on some real adventures. All three men had obtained international drivers' licenses and took turns driving the standard shift vehicle, which most had not driven in years. We were headed for a village on the southeastern tip of the Pelopponesus called Monemvasia.

The terrain was very dry and rocky, and olive trees grew everywhere. Our journey took us over steep mountain roads...

                           

with many hairpin and tight 'S' turns...

which seemed to go on forever!

Finally (after several hours) we arrived at the "half way" point, at a restaurant where we met our friend and guide, Angelo, who grew up in Monemvasia, and who was eager to share his love of the area with us!

After lunch, we followed Angelo's car and made a few stops along the way,

and finally reached our destination, beautiful Monemvasia.

Right across the street from our hotel was the ocean, and in the middle of the ocean was a huge rock, or so it seemed. In reality the rock is a mile long fortress which houses an ancient castle and city, built right into its far side. A narrow causeway connects it to the mainland.

We walked the narrow road one morning (about 20 minutes) and arrived at the ancient door of the fortress, 

traveled up the steep rocky street inside,

stopped for a coffee outside the stone belfry, 

saw one of many local kitties, and visited some shops.

All deliveries were made by handcart up the rocky street and down rocky steps in the alleys.

Some fearless members of our party hiked up to the ancient upper town, which, according to my husband, was quite a climb on a very hot day! You may have gathered that I stayed behind!

There were ancient ruins,

and, at the top was the church of Agia Sofia,

a few still inhabited houses,

and, of course, a spectacular view!

I promise not to take so long with my next post, where I'll finish up with a few more wonderful adventures we experienced!

Hope you're having a very good week!