Greek Food – Page 6

Crete – Chania: Madonna Studios and lunch at Vasiliko

April 23, 2012 mmm-yoso Chania, Crete, Greece, Greek Food, Seafood

We were kind of sad to leave Iraklios, especially after the two really nice meals we had, but it time to move on. We checked out of our hotel and walked the couple of kilometers to "Bus Station A" and bought our tickets to Chania. Compared to other cities w had quite an easy time finding our way to our hotel, even though it was tucked away down a little street a few yards from the Venetian Harbor. Once you find Plateia 1866 it's just a matter of time before you hit all the tourists and you'll know you're there.

We walked along the waterfront, past all the tourist tavernas and shops and found a quiet little side street where Madonna Studios was located.

There are 5 studio apartments in an 800 year old building that is Madonna Studios. I've got to truly say, of all the places we've stayed, this is one of our favorites. And one good reason is the hospitality. The one woman running the place is named Thomais and embodies the spirit of your favorite aunt in the world. She is kind, warm, and as we were to find out very generous. When we arrived there was a little welcome gift set out for us.

Which included apple cake, cookies, and water…….it really made us feel welcomed. The place had a small kitchenette which we ended up using and a small television which was did not use. The Missus was taken by the rustic charm of the place and immediately told me to run downstairs and take a photo of Her on the little patio.

There was another little patio overlooking the small courtyard. We ended up having coffee here in the morning, some wine in the evening, and even eating dinner here one night.

For some reason the place just seemed right up our alley……….simple, but charming.

We loved watching the tiny street below…..even when nothing was going on.

After taking our sweet time stowing our stuff and taking a nice post bus ride shower, we headed out past the now maddening crowd on the waterfront. Even though the place was crowded, the beauty of the Venetian Harbor shone through. One only needed to look out at the Venetian Lighthouse which guards the harbor, a Chania landmark.

The Missus' birthday was approaching and She decided that Chania would be the perfect place to do some shopping. Somehow, we ended up past most of the tourists, in the area near the Agora. The Missus looked into this little shop, which had opened so recently, that they didn't even have a sign yet.

It was a cute Mom and Pop operation. The owner's son was a very mellow and nice guy, and the Missus found something She liked.

The young man was so nice, we asked him for a lunch recommendation. He had a couple ofsuggestions and told us that his nearby favorite, "is not very pretty, but they make good food, is reasonable, and is even on the waterfront, but many locals eat there." Sounded like the right place! He drew us a little map with the name of the place, Vassiliko. We thanked him and with the Missus's new earrings in tow headed out past the Mosque and the Great Arsenal and easily found the little Taverna.

It was indeed not a fancy place, looking a bit worn, but there seemed to be quite a few older gentleman eating there, a good sign.

What we noticed during our visits, we made more than one, was that tourists would sit at the outer four or five tables and order something like tzadziki and a glass of wine. All the men were having some major meals.

Of course, we were in Greece, so the Missus had to have some wine…..this time the house white.

Another thing I quickly noticed were the cats. THey avoided the outer ring but were right at home past those tables and obviously knew a good thing.

We started with horta, because the Missus couldn't get enough of it, and also because the gentleman taking our order told us that we needed some vegetable to make it a balanced meal! He was a hoot and we have an even funnier story about him later.

Anyway, the horta was nicely prepared, slightly bitter, with a mildly sweet flavor.

We saw another table just going to town on the small fried fish, basically fried whitebait so we had some of that as well.

On the way from the bus station I passed two fishmarkets and there were a couple of items that looked really good. The clear waters around the Greek Isles is so breathtakingly beautiful, but it is not especially fruitful, except for a couple of animals.

The Missus is not particularly fond of octopus, but I just had to order it.

Grilled and seasoned with salt, lemon, and olive oil, this was heaven. The octopus was so tender you could cut it with a spoon! For the Missus it was love at first bite, She had never had octopus like this before and just loved it. This was one of, if not our favorite dish of the trip. So perfectly simple.

The Missus was afraid of the cuttlefish, but after the octopus She was game.

Not as tender as the octopus, but this had picked up a bit of smokiness during the grilling process.

And the meal ended in just perfect fashion for us, some cheese pie, savory and mildly salty, drizzled with honey, and some raki…….

Vasiliko was the perfect place for us, not crowded with tourists, and we could still people watch while having lunch.

Lunch had energized the Missus and She decided to make the kilometer or so walk out on the sea wall to the lighthouse.

It an easy walk, though perhaps a bit windy.

The Missus climbed up the stairs of the lighthouse to take a zillion photos. The view of Chania's waterfront from here is amazing.

Though I took this photo….wish I had a panoramic camera for the shot. It's almost too eays to take a nice photo here.

As we walked back to our room for an afternoon nap, we reflected on how really pretty this city was.

This part of Chania just seemed to be made for postcards…….

It was hard to take a bad shot……

Thanks for reading!

Crete – Iraklios: Erganos

April 19, 2012 mmm-yoso Crete, Greece, Greek Food, Iraklios, Travel

The previous night we had a wonderful dinner, a recommendation from the hotel front desk…so why not go to the well again? This time, the gentleman at the front desk took a map and drew us a path toward the southern city walls, to a place called Erganos. It was a pleasant walk, the weather was perfect for a rather leisure walk. When we hit this building, the Missus looked at the sign and told me, "this is the place."

I guess the sign did say Erganos? I dunno, I might still be wandering around Crete if not for the Missus's savant like Greek translating skills.

The restaurant itself gives one a warm feeling, it tends to wrap itself around you upon entering. Of course, this being the ungodly hour of 530pm, the place was totally empty. Though the one guy working the front was moving tables together setting up for a large crowd. Luckily, he spoke very good English.

He was very friendly and chatty and with good cheer told us that the majority of folks coming here to eat were Greek tourists and locals.

The menu itself was very interesting, not a single souvlaki or moussaka on the menu! Those items were replaced with dishes like Apaki, a traditional Cretan smoked pork, and Gardoumakia, which was explained as lamb stomach wrapped in intestine and cooked in a dill white sauce.

Of course the Missus was just happy to have rusk, which came in the bread basket.

The bread was accompanied by some very briney olives and a light, but grassy olive oil….which led to a funny conversation with our server.

While talking about the Cretan's love for olive oil we mentioned that Americans only consume maybe one tenth of the olive oil a Cretan has during a year. He gave us an incredulous look and said; "but….but….how can you make a salad….how can you cook your food?" Which had us laughing….there's no life without olive oil in Crete!

Of course the Missus was on Her mission of having wine with every lunch and dinner….in this case She went with a half liter of the white and a half of the house red!

The horta, Cretan wild greens were very good, pleasantly bitter, and the lemon added a nice acid component which lifted the dish.

Of course the Missus wanted Her Fava Skordalia, which was very nicely prepared, thick and beany, without being grainy.

I'd been wanting to have a taste of the famous Cretan snails and they had those on the menu.

The snails looked pretty small, but where actually pretty good sized when you got one out of their shell. Very meaty, but too chewy for the Missus, who loved sucking on the salty and olive oil flavored shells. I actually enjoyed these.

I was thinking about trying the splinogardoumo, a pork spleen (blood) sausage, but instead went with the fried glykadia.

These were lamb sweetbreads, crisp at first bite, then meltingly rich and creamy, it was love at first bite. Man, did I enjoy these. The Missus thought it too rich, was this really the same person who loved the steamed pig brains in Luang Prabang?

I really wanted to try some straight up lamb dish and went with the lamb with potatoes roasted over wood.

You had to work for your meat, but man this was delicious….the potatoes had been "basted" with with lamb drippings and were very tasty.

At most places in Crete, dessert is complimentary……

And came with anywhere from a small carafe or a couple of glasses of Tsikoudia, which they call Raki in Crete (versus raki in Turkey which is more like Ouzo). This was a nice version, a bit of a bite as you'd imagine from a drink made from the residue of the wine presses. We were told, that Erganos, like any good Cretan restaurant, makes their own Raki. Apparently this stuff is like 70-80 proof and is the stuff, not ouzo, that makes Greeks "dance on the table". Don't know if was the vacation thing or what, but this stuff never touched us…even the Missus who is a bit of a lightweight. In fact, I've been trying to find this since we've returned from our trip….but perhaps it's better that I don't.

As you can tell, we were eating well in Crete……

Erganos (Εργανος)
Georgiadis 5 Oasi
Heraklion, Crete, Greece

Crete – Iraklios: Wandering Central Crete, Arhanes, and lunch at To Spitiko (I think…it’s still Greek to me)

April 17, 2012 mmm-yoso Crete, Greece, Greek Food, Iraklios, Travel

After leaving Peza, the Missus pretty much just pointed the way to go, we just kinda headed off, passing through village after village…..

Every so often the Missus would tell me, "stop….stop now…." And I'd oblige.

Of course I would stop….after all, we were in the middle of Crete, it's not like I had anywhere to go, right?

By that time, the Missus had found Her calling for this little jaunt; She wanted to photograph every single church in every village along the way…..really!

We'd be driving and She'd exclaim there's one, hurry, like the church was some kind of rare bird that would grow wings and fly away into the horizon.

After a while I seemed to enter a bit of a daze as the villages we drove through, Astraki, Mori Agarathou, Apostoli, Evangelisimos, all faded into one. We passed through the village of Thrapsano, famous for their pottery…did we stop to check out the shops? No, although I think there's a photo of the church around here somewhere.

Looking at these photos I noticed something interesting…..

Do you notice that all of the photos seem to be somewhat tilted one way or another?

The Missus would rush out of the car, set-up and quickly snap a photo, run back to the car and tell me, "ok, ok, lets go….." It's not like the sun was setting on Kastelli or anything.

By the time we hit Lyttos I was fried….plus the smell of fresh manure was strong in the air. It was surely a sign to turn around and head back…..

But not to Iraklios, oh no, weI had to find the village of Arhanes…which actually wasn't that hard to find.

We found parking above the village, then walked down the street to the very photogenic and relaxed area near the square. As we walked along, it was hard not to stop and enjoy the wonderful houses, full of plants and flowers.

It was hard not to just slow down and relax……..

By the time we reached the square I was starving. It seemed that most places weren't open yet…perhaps it was too early in the season? We made our mind up on one of the restaurants right on the square. I think the name was To Spitiko, but can't be certain, after all, "it's all Greek to me….."

The place was empty and three was a very nice woman working the front of house. Of course the Missus had to have Her half liter of red wine. She was deteremined to have wine with every meal in Greece. Thankfully, breakfast was the exception….god knows if She'd tried to do that!

Of course the bread arrived and the Missus got Her "rusk".

We started with the "Spitiko Salad", which was a hefty salad featuring boiled eggs along with the standard Greek salad items. That rusk was used as "croutons" just made the Missus enjoy it more.

The Fava Skordalia was very thick though without a strong bean or garlic flavor.

The horta, boiled wild greens had a nice bitterness, though were on the "water-logged" side.

The woman recommended the Bekri Meze, literally "Drunkard's Meze", which is made with red wine.

Though the pork was on the tough side, the sauce was a nice combination of salty-sweet-spice which we sopped up with the bread.

Overall, this was a decent meal, after which we walked back to our car and headed to Iraklios. Past those scenic wine groves…..

We saw an older woman hanging off one of these tractors, probably hitching a ride to the next village on the way back. I wish we were a bit faster with our cameras….

Speaking of on the way back……one thing I noticed as we made our way into Iraklios; things looked different. We didn't pass Knossos, nor the hospital as we did on the way out of town. We were confused and perhaps a little disoriented…until we saw McDonald's (remember I mentioned the importance of that landmark in an earlier post?). Getting back to the hotel was a piece of cake after that….though we'd have to find parking on the street. If you've ever tried parking on the street in Europe you'd understand. Actually, the Missus was quite impressed with my parallel parking skills as I made it into a slot barely bigger than the car itself. It was time for a nap……then maybe i'd be ready for dinner!

Crete – Iraklios: Arrival, The Galaxy Hotel, and dinner at Pantopoleion (aka, it’s all Greek to me…)

April 10, 2012 mmm-yoso Cheese, Crete, Greece, Greek Food, Iraklios, Memorable Meals, Travel

We arrived at the Nikos Kazantzakis (whose book I'm sure you've heard of) International Airport ready to go. The airport was indeed fairly small for an international airport. We made our way out of the airport and caught public bus #1 asking the driver to drop us at the stop near Dimokratias Avenue. The hotel we were staying at was outside the city walls, but Iraklios didn't seem like that large a city and we were a bit away from the main tourist tract. Many of the signs were just in Greek (ελληνικά) so we were a little confused. I stopped and asked the very tall soldier with the big gun (there were a couple of riots recently) and he smiled and pointed us on our way. By its looks the Iraklios Galaxy looks like a business hotel, but the room were probably the most modern of our entire trip, most unlike the B&B stops we had. It was fairly large, had great A/C, the television actually worked and had the BBC….and the Missus loved the breakfast (more on that later).

Several of the staff here were very nice and we depended on their recommendations for two of the best meals we had on this trip.

Staying the in nice air-conditioned comfort of our room was tempting, but hey, we were in Crete! So after freshening up we headed down the road parallel to Dimokratias, Ethniki Antistaseos past the McDonald's (this will be important in a later post), down to the harbor and past Bus Station A, which is where we'd have to catch our bus to Chania in a couple of days, all the way to the Old (Venetian) Harbour.

Which leads to the Koules Venetian Fortress which was called "Rocca al Mare" or Sea Fortress by the Venetians.

I've read both that the fortress held out for over 20 years of attacks by the Ottomans and that it played little or no role in the invasion. Which is true, I'm not sure. But under Ottoman rule it became a prison.

Under the influence of the blue sky and ocean I guess it's pretty easy to get in touch with your inner child….or perhaps the sun was getting to the Missus……

By this point we'd made it down the shoreline to the Historical Museum of Crete.

The Museum is small but interesting. It also has the famous painting Modena Triptych by El Greco who was born Doménikos Theotokópoulos in Crete. I also loved all the different Coat of Arms of the Venetian and Greek aristocracy in first Chandax, it's name during the Byzantine Greek era, then Candia when it was bought by the Republic of Venice.

After being refreshed by our visit in the cool confines of the museum we headed back out. The Missus was searching for the Morosini Fountain in Lion's Square which was built in 1628. We headed in the general direction of the center of the walled portion of the city, up streets, then back down street, sometimes turning around at dead ends….part of the fun is the trip, not necessarily the destination. And in this was certainly true in this case as the fountain itself was a bit underwhelming for us.

Just off to the side of the fountain is 1866 Street, named after the year of the famous Cretan uprising against the Ottomans. The narrow pedestrian street that is the site of the Central Market. There are tons of stands, restaurants, and shops along the street. This is where I got my first glance of the famous Cretan snails which was supposed to be delicious.

Eventually we turned around and headed back toward the hotel, cutting right through the middle of town and out through the city walls. Back at the hotel we asked the really nice gentleman at the front desk for a recommendation for dinner. He recommended a place called Pantopoleion, where he oftens dines after work.

The name was said to mean "Market of good tastes" or something like that and we were told it was right down Ethniki Antistaseos, the street we had walked down in the morning. However, I could not, for the life of me, find the place. Until the Missus saw a sign that said "ΠΑΝΤΟΠΩΛΕΙΟΝ", and told me, this must be the place. Now how the heck She got Pantopoleion from that I'll never know, but we found that She had a knack for reading street and business signs. And She was without a doubt right in this case.

You want to eat at a popular restaurant in Greece? Go around opening time and there won't be a soul in the place, as was our experience here. Of course, the Missus immediately ordered some house red wine.

Our next challenge was when we were handed our menus. This was indeed more of a locals place….the entire menu was in Greek….with no translations! This was really funny….it really was "all Greek to me!" Lucky for us, the young lady serving us, whose name was I believe "Helene" was so funny, good natured, and full of pep, decided that to get maximum enjoyment, she would read and describe the entire menu to us…all four pages, well three minus drinks! And so she started with an "ok lets go…." Laughing all the way, we asked her to stop and with a few hints, asked her to order for us and she proceeded to bring us what was probably one of our top three meals on this trip.

Of course everything started with bread…..

The Missus had already fallen in love with "rusk" the twice baked bread that is very crisp and toast like.

Helene arrived with a sampling of cheese she selected for us.

The two thin slices on the top were just plain fantastic, intensely flavored, just plainly great. When we mentioned this, Helene beamed and told us that this cheese isn't on the menu. It's a local artisan cheese that they use in another dish she ordered for us, but it's flavor is so unique she decided we should taste it.

The roasted vegetables with fresh tomatoes and goat cheese was quite delicious…this is where the Missus started eating roasted vegetables every couple of weeks.

The least favorite dish of the evening were the stuffed mushrooms.

Stuffed with something that tasted like panchetta, these weren't bad, but paled in comparison to this:

Horta is what the Greeks call wild greens and there are literally hundreds of varieties. We'd come to really enjoy simple Horta Vrasta, simple boiled wild greens, never knowing exactly what we'd get, but tasty all the time. Funny that the first taste of horta would be in the form of very tasty fritters paired with goat cheese.

But my favorite dish of the night was the pork chop stuffed with the cheese we'd tasted on the cheese plate and sun dried tomatoes.

This was so tasty and as far form the "other white meat" as you can get. It had that great pork flavor and the flesh near the bone was barely opaque, as it was moist and cooked to perfection. Even the Missus, who had sworn off pork ages ago couldn't help but have a couple of slices and gnaw on that done. It was one of most memorable dishes.

It was a fantastic dinner, thanks to this young lady:

We would come to love the traditional digestif that accompanies dessert (usually free) which is normally a cheese pie. It's called Raki, the stuff "that makes you dance on the tables if you drank enough". Made from grape skins, it has a nice bite, but goes so well with sweet-creamy-mildly savory items. Usually something like this would KO the Missus….but for some reason, having all that wine, then finishing with Raki never touched Her in Greece.

As we were leaving Helene gave me a copy of the menu……the all Greek menu that we could keep "to remember".

Pantopolian Gefseon (ΠΑΝΤΟΠΩΛΕΙΟΝ ΓΕΥΣΕΩΝ)
Ethniki Antistaseos 72
Heraklion, Greece

We had spoken about returning for dinner the next night, but were told that they were closed on Tuesdays. I'll make sure to drop by if I'm ever back here…….

After doing some post-dinner walking we returned to our room. As I looked out onto busy Dimokratias from our balcony, I thought to myself, "man do I love Crete……"

Thanks for reading!

Greece: Meteora – The Holy Monastery of Saint Stephen, Holy Monastery of Roussanou (St Barbara), and lunch at Estiatorio Meteora (Kalambaka)

April 6, 2012 mmm-yoso Greece, Greek Food, Travel

In spite of a terrible tourist buffet dinner at the hotel, the Missus and I slept quite well. The rain had really cooled things down and the previous day had really been long…….sitting in a bus for six-seven hours just isn't our thing. But here we were, the Missus had always wanted to visit the Eastern Orthodox Monasteries perched on sandstone pinnacles (Meteora literally means "suspended in air"). Even the rain didn't dampen Her spirits….She was ready to go. We did wake hungry, of course this was the same type buffet type affair of that dinner was, so we kept it simple and didn't eat much. I'd always thought that you couldn't get terrible goat cheese in Greece….but this meal proved me wrong.

Of course, our first stop was to a bit of business……

No hard sell at this shop of religious icons. I was entertained by the dog out front who just loved any and all attention……..she would come up to someone and just roll over begging to be rubbed. She was adorable.

You might recognize the structure in this photo at one of our first stops. Especially if you're a James Bond fan. This is the Monastery of the Holy Trinity.

Quite dramatic, even on a cloudy drizzly day, huh? It was said to have been established around 1438, but there are manuscripts indicating that men were living the monastic life here in 1362. The main church was built in 1475.

I think it deserves another photo……

Our first stop was at the Holy Monastery of Saint Stephen, whose existence dates back to 1192, but was officially built in 1545. It's now the Holy Nunnery of Saint Stephen…and we were told, I'm not sure if it's true, but apparently a while back a Canadian tourist came to visit and she was so taken and inspired by the place that she became a nun!

There is a museum on site and the icons and artwork is absolutely stunning. We respected the request of no photos, so you'll just have to visit and see for yourself.

We were told that the skull of Saint Charalambos is kept at this monastery and still works miracles to this day!

During the German occupation, the monastery was bombed and damaged. The Nazis believed that the monastery was harboring resistance fighters.

The view from here is amazing…….

What interesting is that this monastery is only one that doesn't reside on a peak.

If you're wondering what all those folks are taking photos of, it's this…….

There's beauty everywhere…….

The bus picked us up then dropped us off a bit further down the road. From that spot we'd walk down a path to our next stop. But not without taking one more photo of Saint Stephen.

It was a nice walk and we got glimpses of some of the other monasteries. I believe this one is the Holy Monastery of Varlaam.

At the gates of our next stop, the Holy Monastery of Roussanou, this little fellow was waiting for his master. He was so well behaved.

This monastery is also known as the Holy Monastery of Saint Barbara, who is the patron saint of artillerymen! This nunnery is dedicated to the transfiguration, one of the miracles of Jesus and takes up the entire peak…which really ain't that big.

You walk up some stairs……

And across a walkway, which used to be a drawbridge. We saw the ancient pulleys and cranks that were used ot retract the old bridge to keep the occupants safe. In fact, we were told that before the advent of roads, the only way one could make it up to many of the monasteries were by net. You were cranked up or down the peak. Man, talk about isolation and asceticism!

The nuns have a little shop where we bought some olive oil soap and other stuff.

One thing I forgot to mentioned was the rules of modesty. Everyone, including men need to have their knees covered. Women need to wear long skirts. The Missus had some slacks on so She had to go with one of the "one-size-fits-all-wrap around skirt" thingys at each stop. They really are one size fits all; She had to wrap it around Her four times!

After spending a bit of time here, we walked a bit further down and met our bus. We stopped one more time at the site of some abandoned monasteries. Apparently there were a great number here, but only six survive to this day. If you closely to this photo, you can see one of the defunct locations on the right side of this peak.

That town you saw in one of the photos above is Kalambaka the closest town to the monasteries. So of course we stopped there for lunch. Based on the previous night's dinner and this morning's breakfast I had my doubts about what we'd be having. But it turned out to be not bad.

The place we ate as was Estiatorio Meteora. Here you walk into the kitchen and get a choice of two veg and a protein. You pick what you want from the pots lined up for you.

Drinks are extra….but hey, this was Greece and the Missus just needed Her red wine.

The food is hearty, stick-to-your-rib stuff that will keep you going for a while. It was nothing particularly memorable, but after what we had previously, this was a feast.

We finished lunch (and the wine) pretty quickly, which left us with some time to explore the town. I swear this was a Chinese restaurant….but I found out that many tailors and retail clothes shops had Chinese lanterns in front of them in Greece.

What really stood out was how the presence of Meteora loomed over everything in the city.

For some reason, the ride back to Athens didn't seem quite as long. Though we were pretty tired by the time we got back to our hotel. Our dinner was at a nearby diner/restaurant which was totally forgettable. What we did remember was that we needed to catch the 5am bus to the sirport and our next stop, Crete, where we'd have the best meals of the entire trip.

The Missus really enjoyed Meteora. It gave Her a glimpse into a different time…..a totally different world.

Thanks for reading!

Oh, and please read fellow San Diego Food Blogger Little Miss Contrary's posts on Meteora and Greece.

Greece: Delphi and the Leonidas Monument at the site of The Battle of Thermopylae

March 30, 2012 mmm-yoso Greece, Greek Food, Travel

*** Not much food in this one. you can come back tomorrow and hopefully I'll have somthing a bit more delicious for you…..

The Missus really wanted to get to Meteora during our trip to Greece, but there seemed to be only a short two day window to fit a trip. The only way we could make it was to take a bus tour…..as you probably know by now, this really isn't our preferred way of getting to places, but sometimes you just can't avoid it. Which is how we ended up on a pretty long bus ride……for some reason, we find this more exhausting than say…..hiking the Great Wall from Jinshalang to Simitai. The sitting just sucks the energy out of us.

Anyway, we ended up with quite an animated guide….who loved to weave stories and seemed truly excited when we stopped at the site of Delphi, probably most famous for being the home of the Pythia, the priestess of the oracle of Delphi, whose translated prophecies held great power. Of course, there are those in modern times who think it was just, well "gas".

The site itself is quite beautiful as it is located in the mountains.

Delphi was also well known for several other reasons. When the oracles of Delphi were credited with providing advice key to the victory of the Battle of Marathon, the spoils were supposedly used to create the Athenian Treasury, one of the few restored buildings on the site.

The Theatre of Delphi, while not as grand as the one at Ephesus, is still impressive. It could hold up to 5,000 people in its 36 rows and provides a wonderful view.

If you look past the theatre you'll see the ruins of the Temple of Apollo.

It must have been quite a building in its day……

For me, the most interesting structure was up the hill from the theatre…..

Around the 6th century BC, Delphi held the Pythian Games every four years, between the Olympic Games. Athletes from all over Greece competed in a number of events. Up that hill is the stadium, a long (about 550 ft) and fairly narrow (about 84 feet) track.

The stadium could seat up to 6500 spectators.

In Greek Mythology it is said that Zeus sent out two eagles in opposite direction around the earth. Where the eagles met was deemed the "navel of the world", the center of the world…Delphi.

It's quite a sight and a worthwhile stop…..

We made our way down from the mountains and onward toward the plains of Thessaly, man the ride was getting me sleepy. Eventually we stopped on what seemed like a parking lot right off the main road. Right next to the parking lot was this monument:

This roadside stop was home to the monument to Leonidas the King of Sparta. Now does that sound familiar to you? Perhaps you've heard of him…..maybe from the movie 300. Indeed, the Battle of Thermopylae occured just a short distance away.

Looking at the topography changed by land reclamation projects and silt, it's hard to imagine what took place here 2500 years ago.

I'm thinking after the movie, most folks know about the 300 Spartans. But this monument to the side of Leonidas's also adds to the story.

It's a monument to the 700 Thespians who died alongside the Spartans in battle.

After a while, the boredom of the bus ride just seemed to be sapping all the energy out of us. Rain had started falling, which left me wondering how manageable the next day's visit to Meteora was going to be. We eventually stopped at our hotel for the night….which was a massive resort-like complex in the middle of nowhere………

The rooms were nice, but as we figured, dinner was a buffet style chafing dish affair where everyone ate in assigned "shifts".

We actually walked out to the road to see if there was a way we'd be able to avoid this….but it was raining and there was nothing for miles…..

And as brutal as the bus ride seemed, the food was its equal.

Things could be worse…….it could be baloney sandwiches. At least it was sustenance and we knew there'd be another busy day ahead.

Athens: A little self catering

March 23, 2012 mmm-yoso Athens, Greece, Greek Food, Markets & Grocers, Travel

We headed back to our room after a pretty long day, starting with the Acropolis, down to the Ancient Angora, up to the Central Market, back to Syntagma Square and the changing of the guard. It was time to head back. We did take a short break at Hadrian's Arch, built by the Emperor Hadrian in 131 AD. It is said that the arch marked the dividing line between the old city and the new city of Athens. Just a handful of yards away stands the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Work on the temple was started in the 6th century BC, but not completed until the reign of Hadrian. It was built to be the greatest temple Greece, but was pillaged by the Romans in the 3rd century AD. Eventually, much of the temple was removed to be used for construction elsewhere.

By this time, I'd pretty much had my fill of ruins and temples. Walking back up the hill to our hotel, we ran smack dab into the farmer's market that was just getting started when we left in the morning.

This was how it looked in the morning…….

Right now it was going full blast……..

It had been a pretty long day and we didn't feel like heading off into the mass of humanity that is the Plaka, so we decided to self cater. Hotel Tony had a small kitchenette stocked with plates and utensils. We first headed down a couple blocks and went to the market. We bought some cheese and a bottle of wine.

While the really nice fellow behind the counter fed the Missus samples, I had a look around. I even noticed Soy Sauce being sold. Having picked out what we needed we headed back up to the now dwindling mass of humanity and started browsing.

Of course olives were on our list and this stand had a great selection.

We went through all the booths of tomatoes and found some really ripe ones and some great cucumber as well. No stove so their wouldn't be any cooking going on, though that's not to say I wasn't sorely tempted…..

While the Missus freshened up, I popped open the bottle of wine and set the table. You see, the other thing great about this room at Hotel Tony was the little balcony.

Dinner was perfect for relaxing at the end of a somewhat busy day. It gave the Missus and I time to reflect on our day and plan what was coming up next.

As I watched folks going about their daily routine, getting home form work or taking the dog out for a walk, I was reminded of something that I always mention to folks…… we are more alike than different.

I also reflected on the fact that here I was…in Athens…..over 2000 miles from my home in San Diego, sipping wine on a balcony watching a young woman walking a dog. How did some poor kid from Hawaii ever manage to get here? I have really been lucky……

Of course, I didn't have too much time to dwell on the subject…..I was dog tired.

We'd be having a long day again tomorrow….maybe not physically…..we were headed to Delphi and Meteora in the morning.

Thanks for reading!

Athens: Diporto and the Changing of the Guard

March 17, 2012 mmm-yoso Athens, Greece, Greek Food, Travel

By the time we'd finished walking through the Central Market we were pretty hungry. Luckily, we happened to be right outside the fruit and vegetable section of the market. Here, on the corner of Theatrou and Sokratous, down these stairs and past these doors was a place I first read about on Matt Barrett's wonderful Athen's Survival Guide.

Matt calls this place the "Secret Underground Taverna", but later on, when one of the customers, a very friendly young woman originally from Athens, but now living in London, who was quite surprised seeing us eating here, told us the name of the place is Diporto. Yes, "double doors", those very doors you walk through when you enter.

There is indeed a sense of mystery as you walk down the stairs and enter what looks like a wine cellar…..

In the corner was an older gentleman moving at a steady pace preparing the various offerings for the day. This basement taverna has no menu, the two men working that day didn't speak any English. They smiled and invited the Missus over to the pots so She could choose our lunch for us.

Based on our experience, you'll get a tin of wine and some glasses delivered to your table regardless if you request it or not.

This tasted pretty astringent. Later when that young lady started talking to us, we were told that next time we should order a Sprite to mix with the wine.

In good order our food arrived, the food was simple, but like many of these types of places, very comforting. The Missus favorite of the two soups was the Revithosoupa, a simple but well seasoned Garbanzo Bean Soup.

I enjoyed the Black Eyed Bean soup, which was very hearty.

The Greek Salad seasoned with sea salt and oregano, was quite delicious. The tomatoes were so perfectly ripe…….

The stewed lamb shank actually had more flavor than what we'd had at Strofi the night before.

In retrospect, this was my favorite meal in Athens. As we ate our meal, we watched the locals, mostly older gentlemen come in and get their lunch. Overall, a relaxing and enjoyable experience.

After lunch, we walked on over to Syntagma Square. The Missus really wanted me to see something. She led me to the gathering of tourists in front of the Parliament Building.

I really didn't know what the heck was going on until I saw some soldiers dressed in ceremonial uniforms march up.

This was the changing of the Presidential Guard in front of the Parliament Building, which I understand occurs every hour….24 hours a day.

The uniforms are based on those worn by the Klephts, the mountain people of Greece who fought the Ottomans.

I'm sure the ceremony itself is full of symbolism…….

And is full of synchronized high and kick like steps along with arm movements.

I think you'll have a better understanding after watching this Youtube video…..

Athens: The Acropolis Museum and a return to Strofi

March 8, 2012 mmm-yoso Athens, Greece, Greek Food, Travel

After a nice lunch at Strofi we took the short walk to the Acropolis Museum. This was, of course before all of the economic and civil turmoil in Greece, before the word austere was more commonly used to describe someones taste in decorating. We did though, see some signs which I'll describe in a future post.

The museum has a very modern design, though you're quickly reminded of the historic underpinnings of Greece by just simply looking down before you enter the museum as it built right over an archaeological site. You can look upon the site through the glass floors before entering the museum.

The museum consists of four floors and beyond the ubiquitous restaurant and multi-media areas, is divided into basic time periods, with the Parthenon display taking up almost all of the third floor. sorry to say no photos are allowed. But since we didn't find out until we snapped a couple….there was no clear signs….here's a couple.

We did stop as soon as we saw a sign.

Worth a visit if you're in Athens, admission is 5 Euros.

After checking out the museum we took a leisurely stroll back ot the hotel, passing the various apartments and shops along the way. We even passed "Asian Market" a small convenience stored sized shop full of Filipinos buying snacks and other food items.

We freshened up, took a short nap, and being a bit tired decided to go back ot Strofi for dinner. After all, we enjoyed lunch so much and tomorrow was going to be a full day. Arriving at the restaurant we were led back up to the top floor patio with the wonderful view of the Acropolis.

And of course, the Missus ordered a liter of the house red wine vefore we even sat down. As with most of Europe, folks eat pretty late. The Missus and I however, usually eat fairly early, which was good since the restaurant started filling up. I'll get into this a bit more later on…..

We started with some bread with herbs, which was on the very dry side.

The Missus and I quickly noticed something about the staff here. There seemed to be no sense of urgency, even as the restaurant was filling up. There seemed to be a pretty blasé attitude. After seeing this, we decided to forgo appetizers and just order our entrees. Getting our order in was a good move. The couple sitting right next ot us came in about 10 minutes after us hadn't even gotten their appetizers and worked through a whole liter of white wine by the time we had finished our meal and left. They weren't the only ones, we saw several tables complaining about the slow service. It just seemed that the kitchen and the front of house was not up to the task. And the patio dining area wasn't totally full.

The Missus ordered the Kid Goat in Parchment Paper (15.5 Euros – about $24 US at the time of our visit).

The goat was very tender, though under seasoned for our tastes. The sauce was also quite bland and the gruyere cheese melted over the potatoes really didn't add much to the whole dish.

I went with the Baked Lamb Shank with Rosemary and Potatoes (14 Euros – about $22.50 US at the time). I was really looking forward to having some lamb in Greece, but this was a disappointment.

Pictures don't lie. This was tough, dry, and lacked the flavor of lamb. It was severely under-seasoned. I'm usually not a huge fan of rosemary, but in this case I sorely wanted more…well of anything. I actually poured olive oil and used the salt shaker, something I almost never do. The potatoes were done well, but also lacked flavor.

This had us scratching our heads. Lunch was pretty good, well flavored, what happened to dinner. Plus, we seemed to be in the midst of some pretty unhappy customers as most hadn't even gotten their apps yet. We decided to cut our losses and head back to the room.

After all, we'd have to be up early in the morning to grab some breakfast then get to here……

before the masses descend upon the place.

Athens: Hotel Tony and Strofi for lunch

February 11, 2012 mmm-yoso Athens, Greece, Greek Food, Travel

Upon arriving in Athens we headed straight for the X95 bus which took us from Athens International Airport to busy Syntagma Square, pretty much the heart of Athens…….

A couple of quick questions later and we were on the metro, headed in the direction of Hotel Tony. We got off the metro, found the street and walked up the hill to the hotel located on the corner of Dikaiou and Zacharista in the Koukaki neighborhood, located North of the Plaka and on the back side of the Acropolis. The neighborhood looked fairly residential and we kind of enjoyed that. Tony himself is quite a character, larger than life, very funny, whose tastes in furnishing and decor matches his personality. They were still working on renovating the building we were in….it looked like faux marble stairs and various statues were being put in. Tony's rooms, at least in this building were large and very colorful……

The room was large and had a kitchenette. We could tell by Tony's, how should I say it, physique, that he loved to eat. So we asked for a recommendation for lunch straightaway. He recommended a restaurant called Strofi a few blocks away, close to the back of the Parthenon.

The place was pretty empty when we arrived and we were led to the patio on the third floor.

The Missus ordered a half liter of red wine almost as soon as we were seated.

While looking over the menu, an amuse of sorts arrived. The place consisted of chopped tomatoes, feta, and what they called "brioche", but was actually "rusk". Rusk is a twice baked bread that is like toast, which they called paximadia. When served with tomatoes and feta, they call this "Dakos".

You dip the rusk into some water to soften, then top with tomatoes and feta. The Missus loved the paximadia and would end up consuming it every chance She got in Crete. Also, a small carafe of what was called Tsipouro was provided. This was pretty bitter stuff at first, but we both came to enjoy it. It is called Raki or Tsikoudia in Crete and we really got used to having it with dessert. It can be pretty potent stuff, but I really enjoyed it. You'll be seeing a lot of Raki in future posts……

We decided to stick with getting three appetizers…….

The Missus didn't enjoy the anhcovy with lemon and olive oil.

I thought this was decent, but the flavor of the anchovies were too much for Her.

We both really enjoyed the Melitzano Salata, the eggplant dip….

Wonderfully smoky and full of flavor.

The Fava Skordalia was a hit as well…….

Mild garlic flavor, wonderful texture, this was also a winner…….

Not a cheap lunch by US atandards at 30 Euros, about 45 bucks at the time. But it was a satisfying meal and put us in a good mood as we headed to the Acropolis Museum.