Through the Greek Gate

If Boats Could Talk

What a story they could tell.....

What seas have you sailed upon?...I would ask.

Describe the Greek sunsets you have seen....

And, oh the stars under the Greek sky.

You were once a beauty, I'm sure.

I wonder how old you must be,

and I imagine you

as you once were.

If boats could talk.....

Blessings

*****Yaya*****

Welcome to the Land of Myth

I want to sit here and read.....

pondering thoughts.....

Homer claims that the hero Odysseus

came from the Greek island of Ithaca.....

Homer, the Greek poet and writer

describes Mount Athos

as being the home of the gods,

Zeus and Apollo,

before they moved to Mount Olympus.

Imagine this.....

The Greek town of Kavala

is where Brutus and Cassius retreated in 42 B.C.

to regroup after assassinating Julius Caesar.

Alexander the Great

was born in Pella, Macedonia in 356 B.C........

The Temple of Poseidon

is very near Athens

at Cape Sounion....

Poseidon, god of the sea.

There is so much ancient history here,

it boggles the mind.

Blessings

*****Yaya*****

Shopping in the Ancient Plaka

Greek shoes.....

Handmade.....

Exotic clothing of brillent color.....

Jewelry.....

And more.....

Wonderful silks.....

Horse-drawn carriages, motor scooters and tiny cars.....

In the narrow streets of the Plaka,

cars are not allowed.

Quaint shops.....

Outdoor cafes.....

This sweet Greek lady

insisted on cleaning the jewelry I bought.

Jewelry of silver.....

The Greek design of eternity.....

Bangels, earrings, necklaces.....

Greek treasures.....

Blessings

*****Yaya*****

A Greek Super Market

The neighborhood market.....

Little blue tables & chairs.....

Old men playing checkers.....

Dogs sleeping.....

Life in Greece.

Blessings

*****Yaya*****

Greek Wine, Food and Recipes

Tomatos and Green Peppers with Minced Meat Stuffing

'GEMISTA me KIMA'

6 medium tomatos

6 medium green peppers

1 1/2 cup olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

500 gr (17.6 oz) minced beef

1/2 cup rice

Parsley, finely chopped

Salt, pepper

Rusk crumbs

2 cups tomato juice

Wash the tomatos and peppers.

Cut a thin slice off stem ends. Hollow out interiors.

Keep tomato pulp. Puree in blender.

Heat 1/2 cup olive oil.

Saute onion and minced beef.

Add tomato pulp, rice, parsley, salt & pepper. Simmer.

Stuff tomatos & peppers. Put lids back on them.

Arrange in baking pan,

pour the rest of oil & tomato juice over them.

Sprinkle with crumbs.

Bake at moderate heat for 1 hour.

Here we are enjoying a wonderful dish of stuffed tomatos.

And here we are having fried zucchini (courgettes).....

Fresh baked bread and tzatziki...

And, of course, Greek wine.....

TZATZIKI

Yoghurt, Cucumber and Garlic Dip

2 cups full fat yoghurt

1 medium cucumber

4 cloves of garlic, mashed to a paste

2 TBS olive oil

Sea Salt

Pinch of pepper, fresh ground

A little vinegar

Fresh dillweed, finely chopped

A few ripe olives

Grate peeled cucumber on coarse grater.

Press out as much liquid as possible.

Mix cucumber with rest of ingredients.

Garnish with olives.

This is so good eaten as a dip on fresh hot bread.

One of our favorite Greek dishes....

MOUSSAKAS

3 large aubergines (purple eggplant)

1 kg (2.2 lb) potatos

1 onion, finely chopped

1 kg (2.2lb) minced beef

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup olive oil

2 medium ripe tomatos

Parsley, finely chopped

Sea salt, pepper

Olive oil for frying

Becahmel sauce

Wrap eggplant in foil & bake until soft.

Wash, peel, slice and slightly fry potatos.

Heat oil and saute onion with minced beef.

Add wine & tomatos (peeled and put through food mill).

Add parsley, salt, pepper and let meat mixture simmer 15 minutes.

Arrange potatos in bottom of baking pan...

Salt them and pour meat sauce over them.

Cover with sliced eggplants....salt.

Top with a layer of Bechamel sauce.

Bake in moderate oven 30 to 40 minutes.

Sprinkle grated cheese on top before serving.

BECHAMEL SAUCE

4 cups hot milk

8 TBS flour

3 TBS butter

Salt, pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

Melt butter in small pot, add flour & stir well with wooden spoon.

Turn heat on low..add hot milk, little by little.

Stir constantly to keep flour from lumping.

Let sauce thicken..stirring constantly.

Add salt, pepper & nutmeg.

When sauce has thickened, remove from heat...

Gradually stir in two beaten eggs.

1/2 to 1 cup grated cheese (kasseri or kefalotiri) can be added at the end.

Papa certainly enjoyed the grilled lamb chops and pork chops

GRILLED LAMB CHOPS

'PAIDAKIA ARNISSIA SCHARAS'

Lamb chops

Oregano

Salt, pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

Lemon wedges

Wash chops. Sprinkle oregano, salt & pepper over them.

Lightly brush with olive oil.

Place on hot grill.

One of my very favorite dishes was the baked spaghetti.

MAKARONIA FOURNOU

500 gr (17.6 oz) thick spaghetti

1 cup ham, finely chopped (optional)

2-3 cups Bechamel sauce

1 cup kefalogavriera cheese, grated

Boil pasta in salted water and drain.

Place in a deep baking dish. (Mine had been chopped in 1 inch pieces)

Add ham, bechamel sauce and most of the cheese.

Stir and mix.

Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over top.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes.

This is SOO delicious!!

The Greek cheese gives it a very different & unique flavor.

Unlike anything I've ever tasted.

Happy Eating!

Blessings

*****Yaya*****

A Night of Bouzouki and Greek Dancing

Come on, everyone.....

Get up and dance.....

An around and around and around we go.....

Wonderful Greek nights.....

Wonderful Greek memories.....

Blessings

*****Yaya*****

Greek Cats and Dogs

Such lazy fat cats.....

residents of our very old, quaint hotel.

The perfect Greek dog picture.....
This represents the slow-paced Greek life.

Mew

"Thrice the brinded cat hath mem'd"

Blessings

*****Yaya*****

The Real Greek YiaYia

Blessings

*****Yaya*****

Greek Windows

I am always drawn to windows.....

Closed shutters behind beautiful wrought iron.....

I wonder who lives here.....

I wonder if the inside is as beautiful as the outside.....

An open window in Athens gives you many pleasures.....

Pleasures of the senses that feed the soul.....

The smell of bread baking.....

The clopping of horse hooves and the sound of a carriage.....

Church bells ringing every half hour.....

And birdsong.....

Never ending birdsong.....

Laughter.....

Children playing.....

Dishes clinking.....

And Greek.....

Of course it's Greek. We are in Greece.

An ancient land long before Christ.

Ancient and mystical.....

And it's all just outside my window.

I'm certain a real Greek yiayia lives here.....

I took this picture of this beautiful Greek window,

and all of a sudden,

the downstairs door opened

just as I, Yaya, and Papa passed by.

Out walked this young Greek-God looking man/boy,

in his black t-shirt and

white underwear.

He passed right in front of us

as he crossed the sidewalk

and walked over to the garbage dumpster

sitting on the crub of his street.

He dropped in a small bag of garbage.

Why, I was STUNNED! SHOCKED!

I turned to Papa

and I said,

"did you see that"?!?!

He said, "what"?

ROFL

Blessings

*****Yaya*****