PREFACE TO ALL 5 (really 4½) WEEKS OF OUR GREEK ADVENTURE
Just back from our last trip to the Cradle of Civilization – GREECE. As with every trip we take, I have documented our adventure with words and provided pictures we took along the way. And as I put my feelings into words, I don’t hold back on how I perceive a place or situation. So, if you want a glowing description of everything there is to see, eat, and experience in Greece, stop now, and find yourself a glossy brochure. Because even as I reviewed what I wrote before presenting it to you, I didn’t rewrite or change my very personal thoughts about what I was feeling or thinking at the time about any given aspect of our holiday. So, please know this is not just a glowing report of our travels. It’s what I experienced – wonderful, not so wonderful, or indifferent.
Plus, if you have ever read anything I have previously written, you know I tend to be verbose. So, come along for the ride if you want. But consider yourself warned. I tend to get caught up on a subject and assume you too would enjoy the history behind “whatever” as much as I do. So, feel free to skip ahead and just look at the pictures. But remember, context will always give you a more rounded picture of what we enjoyed or failed to appreciate along the way.
Now, if you have read up to this point, know that this post is only for week 4 of our trip. There will be 4 more opportunities to become bored stiff to follow. And all will contain this same preface. So, having read this explanation once, and you care to read more about Greece, you can skip to the meat of each post by jumping directly to Greece 2023 – Week 1, 2, 3, and 5.
So, without further ado, I hope you enjoy reading about our time in Greece. But remember, this is just one person’s view of a country. And that person, who once was an intrepid traveler, is now a 79-year-old woman whose nerves of steel have diminished to nerves so cowardly as to be non-existent! But one who still loves to travel. Go figure! And as always, wishes you peace and love.
Sunday, October 1, 2023 – Theatro Hotel Odysseon, Kalambaka (second day)
We woke early even though we had set Andy’s phone alarm for 7:00 am. We had told the hotel concierge that we wanted breakfast at 8:00 because our tour bus would be picking us up at 9:00 am for our visit to the Meteora monasteries. All went as planned and soon we were in our small 28 passenger van heading up into the rocks. BTW, the Meteora rocks begins directly behind our hotel. But first we had to stop at a couple hotels to pick up other riders.
Our tour guide was a young man named Dimitrious. His command of the English language was impressive. Also, he had a great sense of humor. To the point where a few of us were internally groaning at some of his comments. But it was all fun and the facts he spoke about this area were very informative.
The Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas of Anapafsas or Agios Nikolaos is the first active Monastery we encountered.
The monastery was founded at the end of the 14th century. For the name Anapafsas there are numerous interpretations, two of which are the most popular. The first one is that the name Anapafsas was attributed to one of the monastery’s benefactors, while the second explanation has to do with the monastery’s position.
Agios Nikolaos Monastery was the first monastery on the way to the other monasteries and probably served the pilgrims as a resting place before continuing onward and upward. Resting translates into Greek anapafsis, so Agios Nikolaos of Anapafsas literally translates into Saint Nicholas the one who rests you.
Well, there was no rest for all but two of our group at this first stop. Our guide told us there were many steps (about 140) up to this monastery, so another lady about my age from Mexico and I decided we would let our husbands enjoy the site and take the pictures of this first monastery. So, while we enjoyed talking to each other on a shaded bench, both our husbands made the climb and lived to tell the tale.
Part way up to the monastery on foot.
Looking up at the monastery.
Getting closer. Almost there.
Looking across the valley.
Looking down on the parking lot.
Then it was back in the van and toward our next destination. But along the way we stopped to take pictures. I was having trouble getting my new camera to work properly (user error), so many of the sights I thought I was capturing were not recorded properly. So, we decided that the next day we would drive up into the Meteora in our rental car and this time get it right! But all the pictures from both days are included in this day’s post. So, some general pictures of the area.
Two happy people along the way enjoying the view. Notice the skirt on the lady. In order to visit a monastery, women must wear long skirts and have their shoulders and heads covered. No sleeveless shirts for men or shorts either. So, not total discrimination towards women. Just required respect shown for these sacred dwellings and their inhabitants. Made total sense to us.
Close up of the happy travelers. And why not? This is one of the most glorious spots in the world. And to be able to see this wonderland firsthand, makes us exceedingly lucky. We are well and truly blessed.
On our way we got a good look at Holy Trinity Monastery which is not open to the public.
Holy Trinity from another angle.
The second monastery, The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron is the largest and oldest of the original 20 monasteries built on the top of these amazing rock formations. It was named the monastery which remains “suspended in the air” because of the cliff formation on top of which it was built. The Great Meteoro Monastery or “Megalo Meteoron” was founded in the 14th century by Saint Athanasios the Meteorite. The monastery would normally have been open to the public even though it was Sunday, but apparently it would not only be closed today, but also tomorrow for a religious holiday. So, the 300 steps up and 300 steps back that I might possibly have considered, I don’t have to feel guilty about not completing. But we got a good view of the monastery from the parking area, and it was still amazing to see this colossal monastery perched on its rock.
Looks like the monastery is on flat ground from this position. Right? Nope.
Four monasteries in this picture. Bottom left corner – Rousanou. Just above Rousanou on the left bottom – Saint Nicholas. Top middle – Great Meteoron. And last but not least, far right – Varlaam.
Varluum on the left, Great Meteoron on the right.
Great Meteoron from below.
Closer view.
Varlaam, the third monastery we visited on our guided tour was accessible to me. Yes, there were plenty of stairs (around 140 again), but somehow, I managed to climb and descend the stairs with only a tiny bit of assistance (balance issues) from Andy. And what a wonderful and exciting vista from every window and balcony in the entire monastery. And more tourists than we had encountered so far anywhere in Greece. Herds of foreigners, all being drawn to the history and beauty of this amazing place.
For the fourth and final monastery of our tour, we descended a very long trail of wooden stairs and a dried mud path to the Holy Monastery of Rousanou. This monastery probably received its name from the first hermit-monk who settled on the rock in around the fourteenth century. The monastery is one single building occupying the entire available surface of the cliff. It creates the impression that the building was carved out from the cliff as the extension of the rock itself!
It was built on three main levels in the 16th century, in what is believed to be an effort to increase the available space inside. The main cathedral was founded at the end of the 16th century and was decorated thirty years later by a monk who was a very skillful artist and lived at the monastery.
Compared to other rocks where monasteries were built, Rousanou has a lower elevation, which makes it more accessible. The monastery suffered severe damage during World War II. In 1988 it became a convent and today more than 15 sister nuns live in this small and cozy nunnery.
This is a very small monastery and very hard to photograph because of its location. But it was interesting to visit.
By the time we had visited the Meteora and all its marvelous sights and sites, I was ready to head for the barn. But ever so proud of myself for having actually managed to walk to and from 2 of the 3 monasteries we were able to visit without having an aid car involved. In fact, this whole trip has changed my attitude about my aging body. I am actually physically capable of doing a lot more than I had expected. Of course, some things are still not possible. But the old gal can still enjoy many of the offerings this amazing country has to offer. And I am taking advantage of every minute of feeling younger and more able than anticipated.
But I still don’t like the food as much as I thought I would. But you can’t have everything. Even the trips we took to Italy where the dishes were universally wonderful, I yearned for variety. I think we American cooks don’t give ourselves enough credit. We cook from the cuisine of many countries. And while we are at it, we blend spices, and change and adapt flavors that never get changed in their countries of origin. So, hurray to all of us who cook and create memories and traditions using the bones of favorite recipes from our own and other cultures and make these dishes our own. (And often, much better than the original if I may be so bold as to say so!)
And of course, just after I wrote the sentences about food above, we headed off to dinner. And this time, the food and ambiance at the taverna were wonderful. Plus, there was live music. A guitar playing singer and another older gentleman on the bouzouki. To our uneducated ears, the music sounded how one would expect traditional Greek music to sound. And the gentlemen certainly appeared old enough to have been playing these same tunes for 50-60 years. Plus, if there was any enthusiasm in playing this music, it certainly was not on display for the public. Taciturn might be the right term for these 2 old guys. The guitar player did smile once after an unusually enthusiastic applause. But other than that, another good word for these musicians would be dour. Nevertheless, it was nice to hear live music in a lively outdoor setting. And the Carbonaro we shared was fabulous!
Then we went back to our room to plan our next day’s adventure.
Monday, October 2, 2023
After a good night’s sleep, we had breakfast again at 8:00 am so we could beat the rush up into the Meteora to do some selective picture taking. It felt like fall this morning so we each grabbed a sweater. Then we proceeded up into the land of rocks and monasteries.
Although the monasteries had just been built this morning, geologically speaking, the rocks that support the monasteries were believed to have been formed some 60 million years ago. At that time, the area was submerged under a shallow sea, and layers of sediment, including sand, silt, and clay accumulated over time. These sediments eventually solidified into sedimentary rocks, with sandstone being the dominant rock type in this region. And to this day, these rocks are incredible to witness, both from right under foot and viewed from further afield.
After taking our pictures of the rocks and monasteries as close as we could get without paying more entrance fees, we headed across the valley of the Pinios River (yes, the river that overflowed from Storm Daniel on September 7, 2023) and up into the Pindus Mountains. (If you care to look for Meteora on a map of Greece, it is located near the town of Kalambaka at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly near the Pinios river and the Pindus Mountains.)
And what a lovely ride it was. A little difficult to map out the route because several of the roads and bridges were closed because of the flood. But we made our way into the mountains and through several peaceful little villages.
Then we turned around and decided to drive for a while through the plains along the Pinios River. But driving next to and just above the river was sad to witness. Rushing water had played havoc with hillsides, orchards, corn fields, and basically anything that got in its way. At one point in a lower dip in the road, we turned around because heavy construction vehicles were busy restoring the roadbed. Apparently, a small creek had become a major river during the storm. And oh, what a mess it made. And the riverbed of the Pinios River itself had obviously broadened during the flood. And along its banks where normally water didn’t flow, trees and vegetation had been stripped. And many of the roads we travelled on still held piles of rocks and other detritus.
Some pictures from the area.
Notice the small amount of water that usually flows in this river.
But now it was time to retrace part of our route and try and find a way back across the river.
Since we were in a rural farming area, where I’m sure many tourists would not bother exploring, there were no signs that indicated which roads or bridges would be closed ahead. Being local farmers, it was assumed we would already know which routes were unavailable.
But we had plenty of gas, time, and a burning desire to see everything there was to see, so, unphased we made it back to Kalambaka unscathed. Then pizza for a late lunch and back to our room for me to write and Andy to go down to the lovely, shaded area underneath our balcony to finish his current book.
I told him he might come back to the room, and I would be in a prone position. And that is indeed how I planned for him to find me! So, adieu for now.
Well, 5 minutes after I lay down, he walked through the door. Like they say, timing is everything. So, while the sun was already over the yardarm by an hour, we decided to go down to the bar and have a before dinner drink. And low and behold, they had Tanqueray gin. No vermouth of course, so for the first time on our trip I enjoyed gin over rocks. Which of course I enjoyed immensely. (Thanks, Mark, for the inspiration to simply order Tanqueray on the rocks.) (With a twist would have been nice. But who knows what kind of “twist” it would have been. Better safe than sorry!)
After sipping our drinks at a very leisurely pace, we decided it was time to go to dinner. So, back to the same taverna for moussaka.
Now, I basically have never liked moussaka. But, deciding that it is probably one of the foremost dishes associated with Greek food, I decided I really should eat it at least once while we were here. And once again, I was reminded that some dishes should be allowed to evolve into something a bit different and at the same time a whole lot better! OK, there was a potato and eggplant layer. So far, so good. But the ground meat layer tasted weird to me, and the bechamel sauce was, let’s see, how should I put this – ghastly. Basically, flour paste with no flavor whatsoever. Andy being the great guy that he is, let me off the hook. I ate the salad that came with the moussaka, while he finished off the main dish.
Then it was back to our room for a bit of reading before lights out. While we were out, the maid had changed our top sheet and light blanket for a full-on thick comforter in its own sheet like covering. And no option to go back to sheet and light blanket. Why, you might ask. Well, it had been fairly cool that morning and I guess the hotel felt we might freeze overnight. So, in order to get any sleep at all under this thick comforter, we were forced to turn on the air-conditioner. Sometimes, I truly cannot understand the workings of other people’s minds. Of course, I can’t. I can’t even figure out my own mind most of the time!
Tuesday, October 3, 2023 – Helen’s Little Castle, Thessaloniki
After a quiet and lovely breakfast, it was time to say goodbye to our hotel nestled right up against the rock formation called Meteora. I will miss eating breakfast with the rocks within view. But it was time to push on to our next destination.
When booking a vacation where you can’t see the location beforehand, it makes every new accommodation a surprise. The only thing I am sure of at this point is that I must have booked our apartment in Thessaloniki under the influence of a larger than usual martini. Because, as we were trying to find our “castle” driving up and down streets so narrow that a cow would have had trouble not touching the walls of the buildings on both sides, I vowed never ever again to be responsible for the mess I got us into today. But before I go any further with our present situation, I want to tell you about our drive here. It was lovely.
Through valleys, up hillsides, down again, and through farm country. A great view of the whole of Mount Olympus and even signs along the road warning us of bear crossings. When was the last time you saw a warning sign with a bear on it? (Andy thinks it’s a hoax. And I think he might just be right!) There was even one sign that I saw that warned of wild horses crossing the roads. And the roads in question were major 130k maximum roads. Imagine hitting a bear or a horse at 130k (a little over 80 mph). But luckily, there were not many cars on the road, and no bears, deer, horses, wild boars, or cows were in evidence, so driving was easy. Until of course, we hit Thessaloniki.
The metropolis of Thessaloniki has a population of over a million and is the largest city in the northern part of Greece. It is actually the second most populated city in all of Greece. Athens being the largest, at a colossal 4 million inhabitants in the greater Athens area. The Port of Thessaloniki is also one of the largest seaports in the Eastern Mediterranean. It is considered the gateway Port to the Balkans and Southeast Europe.
And according to Helen’s son, when we mentioned how difficult it had been to drive the roads, find the castle, and find parking, he informed us of three facts about living in this huge metropolis and especially where we were in the oldest and original part of the city. Too many people, too many cars, and too narrow roads. (As if we hadn’t figured this out for ourselves!) What he failed to mention was that cars shouldn’t be allowed in this area at all. Only donkeys! However, it was nice to hear that my take on the situation was spot on. But once again on this trip, I was almost in tears before my feet once again touched terra firma. (I’m almost sure the car rental folks will notice that the passenger side floor is indented from my trying to apply non-existent brakes on my side. But I’ll deal with that problem when the time comes.) (For now, I just want to live to tell the tale.) Because some of the twists and turns finding our hotel were so narrow and crazy, that they required Andy to back up, go a bit forward and turn, back again, etc. until he could proceed. And all of this in the area of the city within the remaining Byzantine walls that I had especially wanted to see. Well, we saw the walls all right. Absolutely too close and personal for my liking. And because we were still looking for our hotel, there was no time or place to pull over and take a picture. So, you will have to take my word for the fact that walls from centuries ago still remained in this ancient part of town.
The main construction phases of the wall were undertaken during the 3rd, 4th, and 5th century AD, while the parts that have been better preserved belong to the Byzantine period, particularly the time of Emperor Theodosius (4th century AD). Overall, of the 8,000m of Byzantine walls about 4,300m remain today. The walls were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list because of their outstanding Byzantine architecture. (One of the reasons I was so eager to see the walls.)
What I had failed to consider while I was blissfully planning where to stay in this town is that if the walls had been built to protect the city as late as the 5th century AD, the roads in and out obviously came into existence at roughly the same time! What was I thinking? So, this entire driving to our new digs’ fiasco was my fault! So, as God is my witness, I AM NEVER BOOKING ANOTHER DRIVING TRIP THROUGH A HILLY OLD-WORLD COUNTRY. IF THE COUNTRY HAS HILLS, I’M BOOKING A TOUR! NO MORE RENTING A CAR. ESPECIALLY WITH A MANUAL TRANSMITION! I CAN’T STAND THE PRESSURE. GIVE ME A BUS WITH A DRIVER AND I WILL GO ANYWHERE. BUT NEVER WILL I PUT US THROUGH THIS KIND OF TORTURE AGAIN. And yes, you are right, Holland would be OK. The highest points in that flat country are the road overpasses. The country is basically under sea level. And yes, I called the country Holland not the Netherlands, because the two couples we met from the Netherlands, referred to their country as Holland. So, who am I to correct the natives!
Speaking of meeting people on this trip, we have truly enjoyed several wonderful conversations with people from all over the world. But I must say, it is very embarrassing for me when someone for whom English is their second or possibly fifth language has a better command of my native language than I do. When they are finding the right word and having to explain the word to me, I feel darn right stupid! But I just nod my head as if I knew all along what they were talking about and go on from there.
And FYI, there is one thing that every couple we have met agrees to and is concerned about. In every case, it is universally felt that the entire world is going to hell in a hand basket. It’s not just our country that is a mess. It is seemingly worldwide. So, before this trip I was concerned about being classified as one of those ugly Americans. But no one has in any way made us feel bad or embarrassed about the political turmoil we as a nation are experiencing. Apparently, political upheaval is happening everywhere. And with most of the Greek people we have encountered, they are at first a bit reticent. But by the time we have conversed a bit, they seem to realize that we are pretty much OK people. In fact, one waiter told us he was not used to people being as nice to him as we were.
Well, as I am writing this afternoon, we are firmly ensconced in our newly refurbished apartment. Andy is out on our balcony reading and after demanding half of our 1 remaining can of Alpha beer, my nerves have settled down, and my heart rate is back to normal. But I have already declared that the next time I go anywhere in our car, it will be the day after tomorrow, and we will be on our way out of this place!
If all goes as planned, we will be picked up at the bottom of the rock path we are on, that the good people of this town refer to as a street, by some kind of conveyance that will take us from Thessaloniki to Mt. Athos and our Ammouliani cruise. I sincerely have my doubts that they will find us in this maze, but a girl can dream.
In the meantime, before dinner, I am going to lose myself in my book. Perhaps with my thoughts directed elsewhere, I will stop beating myself up for booking us into a small 3 room apartment in the middle of the second largest city in this country. And in an area where cars shouldn’t be permitted and only donkeys should be allowed to traverse the rock paths!
And should you wonder – Andy is doing just fine. Through all the turmoil of finding our room, he remained cool as a cucumber while his crazy wife went almost catatonic. Again! The man deserves a metal.
Then down the hill to dinner at the restaurant Stafylos. Caeser salad and fried zucchini for me and lamb souvlaki for Andy. Then we went back to our room to get an early to bed because the next morning we had to be at the bottom of our street at 6:30 am.
Wednesday, October 4, 2023
Up at 5:45 am so that we could be ready by 6:30 for today’s excursion. So, breakfast, as it was, was pretty darn simple. Instant coffee, a slice of processed cheese, a slice of pressed ham, and a roll each that we had snagged from our dinner the night before. But it filled our tummies, so what more could we ask?
Anyway, the nice young man who would be taking us from Thessaloniki to Mt. Athos and our Ammouliani cruise, was on time and only about a block from where we thought he would find us. But at 6:40 in the morning, it wasn’t very hard for him to spot us, and us to spot a van going backwards in an alley close by. So, having ascertained that he wasn’t someone out to murder us or hold us hostage, and we weren’t waiting in the street to accost people driving vans, we jumped in and were on our way to pick up the next adventurers. Who, lucky for us, turned out to be a delightful middle-aged couple (Michael and Laura) from St. Louis. And, where normally there would be 4 more passengers in this small van, we had plenty of room to spread out and no one had to sit on the driver’s lap. Always a good thing. So, off we went.
It took us about 90 minutes to get to our destination. But the time went fast as the four of us got to know one another. The poor driver tried to inform us of significant sights along the way, but we were simply too busy talking to each other for him to get a word in edgewise. But the land we passed through was lovely. Mainly farmland with agricultural evidence everywhere to be seen. Olive tree groves, fields of planted whatever, large wheat silos, plowed fields, etc. And often off in the distance, window sized views of the sea.
Our destination was the charming little port village of Panagias. Where we boarded a sailing vessel that we were told could accommodate 150 passengers. (And no there were no sails to be seen. We were under power the whole time.)
Since October is considered off season in Greece, we were lucky to be able to take this cruise at all. Apparently, this was the last week the cruise was being offered until next spring. So, there were far less people than in high season, which made it very nice for us.
Our cruise on the Singitic Gulf of the Aegean Sea took us to the base of Mt. Athos, the second highest mountain in Greece. Along the way we were accompanied by a school of dolphins jumping through the wake from our boat. Fantastic!
Mt. Athos is at the end of a large peninsula. And only men are permitted to enter the Mount Athos area, conveniently excluding half the population. For a thousand years no woman has been able to visit Mount Athos or the monasteries except from a distance. That distance means only to be seen by boat. And then no closer than 500 meters from shore.
An Orthodox spiritual center since 1054, Mount Athos has enjoyed an autonomous status since Byzantine times. The ‘Holy Mountain’, which is forbidden to women and children, is also a recognized artistic site. The layout of the monasteries (about 20 of which are presently inhabited by some 1,400 monks) had an influence as far afield as Russia, and its school of painting influenced the history of Orthodox art. Cloaked by beautiful chestnut and other types of Mediterranean forest, the steep slopes of Mount Athos are punctuated by these twenty imposing monasteries and their subsidiary establishments. Covering an area of roughly 110 square miles, the property includes the entire narrow rocky strip of the easternmost of the three peninsulas of Chalcidice which jut into the Aegean Sea.
Farming constitutes an important part of the monks’ everyday life. The landscape reflects traditional monastic farming practices, which maintain populations of plant species that have now become rare in the region.
The transformation of an entire mountain into a sacred place makes Mount Athos a unique artistic creation combining the natural beauty of the site with the expanded forms of architectural creation. Moreover, the monasteries of Athos are a veritable conservatory of masterpieces ranging from wall paintings (such as the works by Manuel Panselinos at Protaton Church ca. 1290 and by Frangos Catellanos at the Great Lavra in 1560) to portable icons, gold objects, embroideries, and illuminated manuscripts which each monastery jealously preserves.
Even seen from afar, the monasteries along the coast are massive. And whereas the monasteries in Meteora were beautiful, from afar these structures looked more like fortifications. Which they probably were originally. And of course, without a woman’s touch, well you catch my drift.
Another tidbit we learned. Not only are women not allowed, but the monks also prohibit female animals such as cows and chickens from entering Mount Athos. The only living females allowed on Mount Athos are cats. The cats are needed to catch mice and rats. And the reason for no female of any species being allowed was handed out in a 1406 document: so that the monks may be pure in all respects and “may not defile their eyes with the sight of anything female.” (My take on this whole female cat exception is perhaps the first recorded example of the “rules apply to all, except to us” syndrome. Where exceptions to any rule can be made if it makes life easier for yourself or your buddies. Or of course, as is all too frequent in today’s political world, there is financial gain to be made) Grrrr. To my mind, you can’t have it both ways boys. Either no females, or all females allowed. And we wonder why humans haven’t evolved into a better, kinder, and smarter species! No doubt in my mind!
Anyway, the cruise took us as close to Mt. Athos as we could get. Then dropped us off on the island of Ammouliani, the region (like our states) of Macedonia’s only inhabited island in the Aegean. We were on the island for a couple of hours. First to have lunch provided by the tour, and then to lounge in the shade or take a dip in the sea. We chose to park ourselves in chase lounges and Andy to take a short nap and me to wake him up when he started to snore.
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Then back on the boat for the 90-minute ride back to Panagias. Then back in the van and back into the teaming city of Thessaloniki and our humble abode.
Both of us were exhausted. Too much sun. To the point that going out for dinner was not appealing in the least. So, we stayed in our room, ate dry ham and cheese sandwiches, and read until we could no longer keep our eyes open. For tomorrow we were on to the last leg of our holiday. Five days in an apartment right on the water to rest and relax before it was back to the Athens airport, with a couple of 1 night stops in between, and our final destination – our wonderful home on Camano Island.
Thursday, October 5, 2023 – Villa Rigas, Pefkohori
Slept like the dead. We were both wiped out from our busy tour day. So, getting a good night’s sleep was exactly what was needed. And it worked. We woke up ready to tackle driving out of Thessaloniki and our tortuous 90-minute drive to Pefkohori.
And no, it wasn’t at all tortuous. Good road and fairly flat.
We stopped in the small beachy tourist town of Kalliphen for lunch, where I had a burger and fries. Real ketchup for my fries and all the rest of the condiments (except pickles) any good old American gal could wish for. Of course, the meat patty was half pork, half beef, but the bun had sesame seeds on it and had been toasted. (You rarely see that anymore in America, which is too bad.) Anyway, the burger was great. Andy had a great meatball gyro. Also, very good. Then we toddled down the road to find Villa Rigas. No problem. GPS got us there and a nice young woman met us at the gate. Along with the requisite number of cats that come with every abode.
Then up one flight to our apartment. Great view of the water from our balcony. And the beach right there for us to swim in any old time we choose. Nice.
And this dwelling being an apartment, we have a kitchen. Breakfast does not come with apartments. But frankly, calling any of the tiny spaces one might consider making anything fancier than a sandwich in, a “kitchen” is really a misnomer. Yes, there is a stove. Great. And a fridge. Very small and not very cold. A double sink with no stopper. So, how does one do dishes? No spatula. No toaster. No paper towels. No salt and pepper. The list goes on and on.
But what this town does have is a great supermarket.
So, after Andy took a swim while I played lifeguard and read a book on our balcony, we went grocery shopping. A bit difficult since nothing in the grocery stores have English labels, but we managed. So, for dinner tonight, beef and pork patties with sauteed mushrooms, corn on the cobb, and bagged Caesar salad.
And for breakfast tomorrow morning – ham, eggs (going to be fun flipping eggs without a spatula), bread (no toaster) with jam or cheese, yogurt with mixed fresh fruit, cherry juice, and of course coffee from a pod. Life is still mighty fine. Considering!
Friday, October 6, 2023
We both slept really well. Woke when we were ready to get up, with no real plans for today. So, after a nice cup of coffee, I made breakfast. Turned out fine, but I will be extraordinarily glad to be home where conveniences such as spatulas are available and with a stove that I don’t have to figure out the logistics of the appliance in order to heat a burner.
For example: The stove in this apartment is just freakin’ crazy. First you must figure out which flush round button goes with which burner. Then how do you turn the dial? Silly Patti. You press it in, it pops out, you turn the dial to the level of heat you want, not in Fahrenheit or Celsius, but in 1, 1½, 2, 2½, etc. And to make things even more user friendly (not), most of the marks are worn off. But eventually, with Andy’s help, I found a burner that worked.
So, at least we will not starve. And truly, I am very glad to have even a tiny kitchen like this one at my disposal. I am extremely tired of Greek food. I’m totally craving Mexican or Chinese, or good old American cuisine.
After I made us a bread, cheese, ham, and chips lunch, we decided to take a ride around our peninsula. The peninsula of Kassandra is obviously the summer tourist retreat for affluent Greeks and Europeans. Beautiful villas, trendy shops, restaurants on every corner, and grocery stores, the like of which, I wish we had on Camano Island.
But after a bit of driving, I just wanted to head back to our apartment and read. We had been so busy the last 3½ weeks, that I just wanted to take it easy. No pressure, no narrow roads to traverse, no crazy drivers wanting to pass us on a curve at 80 k, and maybe a bit of a nap. That didn’t happen, but a had a chance to finish one book and start another. Then it was time to go to dinner.
On our ride today we had passed a pizza place called Casablanca. Complete with a full sized posterboard picture of Bogie. And since I was hungry for pizza, we chose that place for dinner. Bad choice. It wasn’t that the pizza was bad. It just didn’t have any flavor at all. But as anyone knows who has visited a restaurant for the first time (virtually everyone on this planet), you pays your money and takes your chances. Well, needless to say, we will not be going back to this particular restaurant!
Then back to our apartment, where we met the owner. He spoke very poor English, but seemed to know enough to tell us he was a retired Army General.
The place we are staying is truly in a wonderful setting. Big yard and the house is situated so that no direct sun comes in the water facing side. So, you can sit on the deck comfortably any time of the day. The owners have their own entrance and live in half of the dwelling. Then there are 2 apartments that they let to tourists. Ours is on the top level. And except for the fact that the kitchen is ridiculously small, there is no dining table inside, and the “L” shaped couch must have been purchased at a deep discount, the bed is comfy and the lighting better than in a couple of the places we have stayed. At least here I don’t feel like I’m in a cave!
Saturday, October 7, 2023
Slept late and woke up much refreshed. After breakfast, Andy decided he needed another cup of coffee. And this time he decided to froth some of the milk we had purchased. And yes, there was a milk frothing gizmo in our kitchen. So, after making the shot, he heated the milk, and used this new implement of mass destruction. Then he took a sip. Seems we had purchased buttermilk. So, down the sink it went. And back to the store for us later in the day.
But for now, I’m going to join Mr. C. on the balcony for a couple of chapters in my latest book.
At about 1:30 we decided to take a ride around the third peninsula of the Halkidiki.
The particular shape of Halkidiki resembles a small amount of land mass with three fingers pointing into the Aegean Sea. The 3 peninsulas are also referred to as Poseidon’s trident. The peninsulas are called Kassandra, Sithonia, and Mount Athos.
We had previously visited the most eastern peninsula, Mt. Athos, if you can consider seeing the peninsula by boat visiting it. But as I explained previously, the entire peninsula is inhabited by monks. So, we mere peons, especially those of us who were given female organs by the God these men profess to worship (I’m not going to say anymore on this subject), were not allowed to step on this land. Of course, regular men (and I use the term correctly) are also not allowed on this sacred ground unless they have obtained some kind of permit.
Kassandra, the furthest west peninsula is where we are currently stationed. And the one we explored the day before. So, for today’s adventure, we decided to drive around the middle finger, the lovely peninsula of Sithonia. And when I say lovely, I truly mean it! We were even lucky enough to see a jackal slowly loping across the road. He or she seemed totally unconcerned that we were there. And like most of the rural roads in Greece, there were very few cars on the road. Just the way we like it.
Another view of Mt. Athos.
The gulfs that surround this peninsula are the Singitic Gulf to the east and the Toronean Gulf to the west. With two very large peaks in the center of the peninsula. The landscape is covered with vineyards, forests, grasslands, shrubland, and mountains. With beautiful beaches on the northern, western, and southern part of the peninsula. And very large and lavish villas everywhere you look.
Porto Koufo, where we stopped for a late lunch, is the largest natural harbor in Greece. And by any standards you care to mention, the harbor is tiny. But extraordinarily beautiful. A very impressive area which puts you under a spell with its charming ambiance and secluded beaches. And apparently, it is the best fishing spot in the area. From the harbor’s exit we were driving on the most southern part of Sithonia.
The word koufo in Greek means “deaf”. This town was given that name because of one’s inability to hear the sea within the confines of the inlet. The inlet was also used to hide Axis (Nazi Germany & Fascist Italy) submarines during WWII. (Some claim to fame, eh!)
After our late lunch, it was already 5:00, so we had to bid adieu to this gorgeous area. We knew we had about an hour and a half drive ahead of us to get back to Pefkohori and our apartment on the sea. But first, we had to make a stop at our local supermarket for milk.
Since we had eaten such a late lunch, we made do with what we had in our apartment for dinner. No way could we have even shared an entrée. So, we read until about 9:30 pm, had a small nosh, read some more, and went to bed. Lulled to sleep by the charming sound of neighborhood dogs barking. But regardless of how hard they tried to keep us awake, we managed to sleep despite their incessant vocalization.