On The Road Again

 Willie Nelson..

 🎵🎶  Goin' places that I've never been

See'ng things that I might never see again 🎶🎵

Another long road trip. This time to the Monasteries of Meteora, perched on the top of steep rock formations.

A breakfast of champions

I can't describe how wonderful it is to be travelling with my brother and sister....in law

We talked about times long gone, childhood memories. Family. So many things in common. Music. Food. Recollections of our former lives 

A long drive through the fertile central Plains of Thessaly. Acres of solar panels, rice fields, the usual olive groves

To these amazing rock formations

But more of that tomorrow

Ancient Ruins

 Ancient Delphi....

Where Oracle Pythia sat and under the influence of volcanic vapours gave enigmatic answers to questions  from Alexander the Great, Socrates, the King of Sparta, the Greeks who fought the Trojan war. 

Roman ruins

The 'actual' omfalos or tummy button

Greeks considered Delphi the centre of the world, the omfalos

Ancient theatre

Temple ruins

Polyganic walls

Made from odd shaped stones fitted closely together

With nubs

Pointed out by Paul and Karen

What are nubs? 

These things sticking out from stone blocks

They are found all over the world, on walls in ancient Peru, Japan, Malta and Egypt. No-one is yet sure what their use was

We stayed in the village of Delphi, walking distance to the ruins. There were the usual lines of tourist buses but we got there before the main crowds arrived.  It's a huge area and we didn't go right to the top to see the stadium. There were steps going up and up and up. A guard with a whistle stood watching all the visitors, blowing her whistle at those who dared touch the ancient rocks. 

The whole area is spectacular surrounded by sheer mountain walls, high above acres of olive groves and the harbour below. 

Taverna with a view

After all the exertion of scrambling over ruins we needed a good traditional Greek meal.

Rabbit with onions, giant beans, sardines and a Greek salad.

We judge each taverna by the price of a traditional Greek salad. The first night the Greek salad cost 13 euros and it was not traditional. It had chunks of hard rusk, Greek croutons?  The taverna was full of tourists and attentive, scurrying waiters. Also they had run out of Ks favourite greens and herb pie. We won't be going back there. 

The following night the taverna had salad in a large bowl, no rusks, 9 euros. A more traditional Greek experience.

We did a tour of the tourist shops. Every where they asked where we came from . Australia, NZ via Poros.

The owner of one shop knew Poros well and mentioned a name. A name I knew well. She turned out to be a cousin of one of our sons in law. 

As the saying goes

'It's a small world'.

Next day we were off again, further north, to Meteora , with it's 'Monasteries in the air'.

The Road Trip Begins

 My dear brother (one of the 3) and his wife have just arrived in Poros from Perth. I can't remember how many times they have visited.  All my family love the island and come here year after year. It used to be just brothers and wives but now it's nephews and nieces, members of the extended family and many friends.   It always amazes me how much they enjoy their stay and it gives me so much pleasure when I see them walking down the gang plank of the Catamaran!! 

This time we are taking Paul and Karen up north to ancient Delphi, the naval of the world, and the site where the oracle Pythia announced her cryptic answers to the ancient's queries. 

From Delphi we go onto Meteora with it's Monasteries 'in the air' 

Paul in his Hellenic Navy cap ready to set off on our road trip 

Paul's cap brought us lots of chat about Greece, brothers in law, and Australia. Every Greek has some family member in Australia, and these Australians have relatives on a Greek island

We travelled along the top of the Peloponese and crossed over this magnificent bridge, Rio Antirio, to the rest of mainland Greece 

Octopus and grilled, fileted sardines

After a wee 'adventure' we found a taverna off the main road. One where locals were eating, and drinking,  and enjoyed a very good lunch. 

Here we are, the table groaning as usual with traditional Greek food

K and I on the left, P and K on the right

The view at lunch

Not bad is it. 

The village of Delphi is way up in the mountains and this is our view looking down to the sea. 

Happy couple 

Cocktail time

We were also celebrating our 46th Wedding Anniversary

Thank you Paul And Karen for making it a wonderful day

And thank you K for driving all the way

It was a 5 hour journey

Much more tomorrow 😊😊

There are ancient ruins to visit

Almost Summer

 

Coffee time at 'Utopia' 

Or this that the brand of coffee

The weather is ok for sitting outside though there is rather a nippy breeze 

We are still in long sleeves and jackets. The foreigners in short sleeves.

The garden shop is doing a brisk trade as everyone clears their winter gardens and stocks up for summer planting

The view this morning

Preparing for the Luxury Boat Show.

Soon there'll be a line up of floating palaces

Once Upon a Time

 Hard to believe our backyard was once a summer paradise 

The sight today

Old iron posts

Piles of broken paving stones

And yet.. 

13 years ago

There was even a small lawn. 

And a lawn mower. 

It lasted one summer. Maybe 2.

The lawn dried up

The lawn mower was sold

The old paving stones piled up

A load of old iron couldn't be resisted. 

ANZAC

ANZAC Day

Remembrance Day in New Zealand

And

Australia

They rose with courage in a world at war

Today we rise in peace, remembering them

From the trenches to today's parades we honour the brave. 

Lifted from Instagram

Thanks

My father's cap and medals 

In a display case on our wall

He served in the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy.

Captained this Motor Vessel which spent time working with the Greek Navy searching the islands as the Germans retreated .

His brother Frank Creasy served in the NZ Army and was killed in the Battle of Monte Casino. He is buried in the Commonwealth Cemetary at  Cassino in Italy.

My mother's brother George Perry also served in the NZ Army.  He was captured in Northern Greece when the Germans invaded and spent the rest of the war working on a farm in Austria growing food for the German Army.

We remember 

Family Feast Fotos

 
A photo is worth a thousand words. So they say

These baking dishes are huge

The lamb was lowered into them and dismembered 

Kyriakos

Son in law

Same pose, same photo every year.

Son in law Yiannis

There's always dancing

Yiannis cutting the last of the offal off the spit 

Just beginning

Family fun

Father daughter greeting

The male of the house cuts the Easter loaf 

All the family was present

George and Boem

Elli and Junior

Sunday Fiesta

 Easter morning moments

Early morning it's all about the boys. 

Hard work over, it's breakfast time . Wine, fried innards, offal soup, music and tall tales.

8 am and it's all on the spit

Lamb, head to tail, offal roll, everything from liver to kidney, spleen and heart and probably more I've forgotten. 

Last and not at all least a spit of half pork and half chicken. 

Putting toothpicks in the bits of skin hanging down

It's all turning merrily over the coals

Cracking red eggs for good luck

Sort of egg conkers

Hot no-cross chocolate buns

Not so traditional English recipe

The boys clean up and do the outside dishes.

Well taught by mothers and m-in-law

Last night's midnight meal

Offal soup, mayeritsa. Made with the innards, lettuce, rice and thickened with eggs and lemon juice

Homemade Easter bread