Ukrainian Freeze

 Ukrainian freeze refers to the polar weather  we are experiencing at the moment

The cold  snap comes down from the Ukraine, with temperature drops up to 10oC, gale force northerlies and snow on the peaks around us. 

I lit the fire at 11 this morning and brought in armfuls of olive wood.  It burns fast and I can see the huge wood pile going down, down. 

A big pot of traditional bean soup, fassolatha, went on the stove early in the morning.  This is Greece's National dish. Not moussaka. 

It would have been even better with a few pieces of sausage but I've eaten them all.  K approved of it as-is so all is well. We have some feta cheese and a tin of sardines to go with it.  Salted sardines are more traditional but he'll take what he gets today. 

Yesterday I was supposed to attend a memorial to commemorate the passing, one year ago, of an elderly aunt but it was just too darned cold. 

I would have had to drive down icy mountain roads to the harbour, huddle up against the glacial winds, take the car ferry across to Galatas and be blown along the waterfront to the church. My fingers would have turned white, my nose would have been running and I'd have been completely frozen when I finally entered the church.  Not to mention being vulnerable to all those seasonal bugs from the close company of a church full of coughing worshippers. 

So naturally I stayed at home. 

I did miss out on roast lamb and potatoes though.  The family had put in a large oven tray of meat before they left for church and they are renown for their excellent traditional Greek cooking.  Aunt Eleni, RIP, used to be head cook.   Her fried cheese bread was irresistible.  Thankfully she passed on her recipes, knowledge and love of cooking to others in the family. 

Daughter Danae has just added something which is worth noting.  Danae makes Tiganopsomo, fried cheese bread, and so do I sometimes.  I have even watched Eleni kneading and frying them but they just aren't quite as good as Eleni's .  Tasty, crunchy but her touch is missing .

She was a master chef and we were fortunate to have had her in our lives.  Eleni was the Aunt of our son in law Kyriakos and became part of our extended family only in the past 20 years

Poppi got another award yesterday

Her Aunt Elli picked it up for her. Poppi is at school in Athens

The Poros Rowing Club held their New Years cake cutting and Award Ceremony 

I'm not sure what the award was for exactly

She helps coach the younger ones when she's on the island too

Our house in the foreground amidst the olive trees

Under winter skies 

And underneath those abandoned houses on top of the hill