1948 was a Vintage Year!

A foreign birthday party with english friends

A 70th birthday party, not mine

Some live on Galatas, the little village across the waters, others on Poros, some are long time residents, some long time visitors.  We're all veterans and pleased to be able to sit at a taverna table by the sea, eat greek food and drink greek beer and wine in the middle of the day

We chose Babis Taverna across from the car ferry.  Easy to get to from either side of the sea.

View from the table.  We could have kept an eye on all the comings and goings but when you can speak to everyone in your native language and catch up on all the gossip you've missed over the winter months then why bother looking elsewhere for entertainment.  The chat and humour here are so different from a greek table.  Refreshing for me

Some of those paler skin ' furiners'

We go inside to see what the taverna has cooked that day, all displayed in big oven trays.  Bifteki (rissoles or hamburgers) with potatoes, giant beans, moussaka, fish baked with lemon juice, lemon chicken and potatoes, boiled greens, zucchini and carrots and lots more.  I  chose a roll of chicken breast stuffed with local cheese and peppers.  It's the best thing I've eaten in a long time.  No boiled greens or greek beans for me.  Down the end of the table they were eating tiny fried fish with big greek salads . The fish are fried till crisp and include heads, tails, eyes and innards. They are very small so you don't notice

We arrived in brilliant sunshine, experienced a short storm with rolling thunder and left in brilliant sunshine.  Spring weather

Some drank a really good local white wine, from the barrel.  Some drank this greek beer, called Zeos

Opening present time.  Something missing from a greek party.  When you take a gift to a greek house you are thanked and the present is put aside to be opened when all the guests have left.

We enjoy the oohs and aahs and looking at all the booty

The best present of all?  A wooden toilet seat!  If you can find them here they are very expensive.  This one came from England, in someone's luggage I presume

Birthday cards, another english tradition the greeks don't follow.  I forgot to write one of course.  I used to make my own cards and write short funny, I hope, verse in them about the person.  In days gone by. 

'The secret to staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly and lie about your  age.'

1948

What a terrific card.  

Taverna dogs lying very peacefully around the edges.  There was a minor sker-fuffle when another dog came too close but when he was chased out of their territory all was well with the world again

And with us.

Kronia Polla