Another Life

 LIVING IN GREECE ... A repost 

Imagine having a mother in law who threatened to have the police stop your wedding ceremony, who couldn’t understand that all the world didn’t speak greek, didn’t want her son to marry you because you didn’t have a dowry and couldn’t understand why my brothers didn’t buy a house for me.  An alien culture.

Growing up in the Bay of Plenty.  Growing up in the 60s.  We were free, the world was our oyster.  I remember biking, many miles, with my younger brother , from Te Puke to our bach at Papamoa.  A bach* still there, now prime waterfront real estate** but no longer owned by the family  

In the olden days and up until few years ago  the traffic was constant, the side wind from  logging trucks could have hurled us into the road or over into a silage pit.  No place for 10 year olds on bicycles.  Main highway. 

I haven’t been back since my father’s funeral in September 2006.  20 years. 

** real estate, realestate, relestate.  I had to look that up.  Nowadays a thesaurus is essential equipment as I write.  No longer fluent in English, or Greek

*This bach, small holiday home, was built by my father from an old garage. Basic, long drop loos in the early years and artesian water we had to pump to fill the tank, but right above the waves. 

I used to miss NZ acutely, smells, sounds, accents, family .   Now I’m just as much at home in Greece as I once was back there.  I used to feel rejuvenated as I stepped back on New Zealand soil, back to a place which I knew and understood.  I could understand the language, the laws, those laws which back then Greeks considered so strict and suffocating.  But NZers took for granted and (mostly) obeyed.  I understood the culture, could (sort of) pronounce the Maori place names, and knew my way home even though I had been away for years.  No, amend that.  I did not know how to get out of Auckland.  A huge city surrounded by multi-lane highways.  I was used to just one road, most of it without a white line down the middle, no traffic lights, no pedestrian crossings.

I once got a traffic ticket in Tauranga for parking facing the wrong way.  Is that possible?  I wrote the Council a letter explaining what a law abiding citizen I was BUT also explaining where I came from.  A small greek island where we double parked and left the keys in the car in case someone needed to move it.

Where most roads are so narrow you drive in the middle.  Where, back then, there were no traffic police, no-one wore a helmet or a seat belt.  The right hand rule was probably on the books but you gave way, or not, depending who was approaching and where you met.  One golden rule.  Always give way to taxis.  The Tauranga council cancelled my parking ticket.

My father told us that we should see our own country before leaving and we had summer camping holidays all over the country.  I wish I could remember more about these trips.  I know we loaded up the car with a huge roof rack of tents and tables.  Four kids in a car. Arguing of course. One of my brothers was once turfed out and left on the side of the road. That shut us all up.  We did go back to pick him up, to my relief 

 We visited the far north and went to Coromandel many times.  I remember going down to a farm to get a container of milk from the farmer’s  cows.  All things you just wouldn’t do anymore.  Someone would call child services on you for ‘abandoning’ a child on the sound of the road and milk now has to be sterilized or pasteurized, or both.

I felt, ‘knew’ , when I left New Zealand that  I  wouldn’t be returning for a long time.  It took 11 years before I came back to NZ, with my greek family, and that was only because the extended family rallied round and bought our tickets.

Now my daughter Elli says she feels a very strong tie to NZ, as though she has been born in the wrong country.  My niece Katy says the Maori have a word  for this.   Tangatawhenua, the feeling of belonging.  All my greek family love anything NZ and they’ve all visited except the youngest grandchildren. Daughter  Elli should be living there.  At the moment its hard to even afford the passport.

My downunder family, brothers, beloved sisters in law, the next generation, nephews and nieces all love Poros .  I'm lucky, grateful, that they visit year after year.  

NZers will understand 

Chocolate fish. Iconic treat (thanks Elli, just  a bit of NZ colour)

Mince on Toast

 Mince... or you may call it ground beef

Leftover mince on a piece of toasted bread is true comfort food.  The toast preferably is smothered with real butter. 

When I make a savoury mince sauce for spaghetti bolognaise or pastitsio or moussaka and there's a bit leftover this is the simplest and tastiest dish imaginable. 

Is it NZ or a British recipe? Or Australian.

It's a favourite in our house. Even K actually enjoys it. Not traditional Greek at all. So where are it's origins. I grew up with this. As far as I'm concerned it's a traditional kiwi recipe. 

Simple, no-fuss and hearty.  And apparently still a New Zealand favourite. 

The Guardian says it appeared in British cookbooks as early as 1865.  However it's gone out of fashion in Britain. 

The NZ Herald says the recipe wasn't stolen from the British but rescued. 

The reason I'm writing about it is because it came up as a recipe on an online NZ site.  It doesn't need a recipe for goodness sake. It's an idea. 

I would never make it from scratch, fry the mince, add tomato and spices.  Far too much trouble.  But when you've got leftovers it's the first thing that comes to mind for breakfast, lunch or dinner.   

Leftover mince

a piece of buttered toast, or 2

and maybe

a poached or fried egg on top

If you're a kiwi reading this then you'd probably add sliced avocado too.  They seem to add avo to everything thing these days.  We don't.  They're far too expensive.  Special occasions only

Minced beef is becoming a luxury too.  It's around 12-14 euros a kilo

Greek Menu

 Food

Glorious....Greek food... 

Giant beans stewed with tomato

The essential greek salad 

Grilled sardines

It's not a feast without  octopus. Stewed with oil, oregano and lemon juice. Fried zucchini as a side. 

Fried potatoes seem to come with everything nowadays. Even in Greece

My brother Paul.. 

Eyeing up the selection

I can see prawns there. Probably saganaki. Prawns, or shrimps, with tomatoes and feta

Looks like grilled chicken.

It must have been their last night at Sofia's taverna.

The K approved taverna at the moment.

He looks overwhelmed. Food...again!

Cabbage leaves stuffed with rice and herbs in an egg and lemon sauce.

Delicious in the cold of winter. 

This photo was taken at the maiden aunt's house. A different Ratatouille.  Thin slices of potato, zucchini, onion and tomato. Baked in the oven.

Simple and delicious. Olive oil of course and parsley.

Fish from the Med

Whole fish, scaled and gutted

In the oven with carrots, zucchini, parsley, onions and lots of olive oil

Kali Orexi

Bon Appetit

Enjoy your meal with a healthy appetite 

Today and Yesterday

 Summer heat is continuing still.

The crowds have thinned slightly, nerves aren't so ragged but it aint over yet.

Yes, it's the fa-mouse Poppi

We leave for our holiday on the 18th and she leaves for her school on the 28th so we won't be able to 'engage' her services again until Xmas. We have only seen Poppi in passing this summer so it was wonderful to have her full-on personality and athletic strength for a few hours.  She has spent all summer as a Life-Guard at one of the pools, working long hours

But we have hardly seen any of the family this summer.  Everyone is working long hours.  

I had a list for the girl.  A 'Nana-list'.  

First  job was hauling all the heavier summer chairs, umbrella and tables out to the back verandah, storing and covering them.  Then she cleared a space so we could lay out the big living room carpet and wash it.  It has never been so clean in all it's life.  She got the pressure hose out and got the top dirt off then scrubbed it down with a hard brush.  

Then out into the garden to trim the bougainvillia to an inch of it's life.  That darn thing, and the roses, have been tearing my thin skin to shreds.  This is a white bougainvillia and it doesn't start blooming till the end of September.  It should have shot up again and be full of white blooms by the time we return. 

We trimmed a few pots which have suddenly gone brown and dry.  I can't understand why.  The thyme and oregano and the lavender have lasted years but all of a sudden have started dying out.  They all got the 'bum's rush' as my father used to say.  I'll replace them in October with new plants.

She filled up the car boot with garden rubbish and a few old chairs, hoorah!  Then was on her way, on her motorbike, wearing a helmet, to deliver  bowls of  food I made for the busy family.  Pastitsio and bifteki with potatoes this week.

Pastitsio - a sort of greek lasagna

Bifteki - rissoles, hamburgers, big meatballs, you get the gist

Thank you Poppi Mou

Here she is again

Our Diva!  She rode in on her motorbike while I was visiting her Mother in the expensive bottle store.  I move very warily in there.  Some of the bottles of wine are hundreds of euros and the vodka and whisky are up to almost 1,000

Horrors

Instant tzakiki.  Just add water

You don't even need to buy any yoghurt or peel a cucumber

I visited her Mums shop to say a huge 'thank you' to Danae and her sister Elli.  I had  my hair cut and coloured.  When I went to pay Voula, our favourite hairdresser, she said 'oh you don't owe anything, your girls paid in advance'.  I was truly overcome, had a wee sniffy moment.  How nice

And D gave me this classey back pack

Now I can hold my head up amongst the retired Rear Admiral's wives and the widows of Naval Commanders when we are at the Naval Resort.

Actually I don't think these particular females mix with the hoi polloi.  They have little bungalows at the far end of the bay, right on the water with private beaches and shaded sun loungers.

But the rest can be a bit cliquey.  They arrange to holiday at the same time, wander along the waterline in groups showing off their saggy brown bodies and play Biriba (rummy) at night on their balconies

Yesterday started off with a bang.  The sound of me taking a flying leap along the floor and ending up under the table 2 metres away.

Poor K was woken up by a strangled scream.  He says it's the fastest he's managed to get out of bed in years.

I slipped, tripped, almost made it but went down at the last moment banging my head on the edge of the big heavy dining table.

Fortunately nothing was broken and although rather shaken I managed to get up with a little help.  I had a bloody cheek and have a few bruises but that's all

I went down to get some arnica to put on the wound and Nektaria at the Pharmacy applied some antiseptic cream.  All is well but K is watching me like a hawk in case something else happens.  It won't!!

The orange bougainvillia which grows around the front of the chemist shop.  The colour is amazing and it blooms all summer

The day before all this I was at Galatas visiting inlaws

K had the car serviced so we are all ready for a trip across country

A visit to our old neighbourhood

I had to photo this beautiful bougainvillia in full bloom and the classic blue and white island house

That's it for now folks

 

Darn Comments

 That should read 'Darn Blogger' . I wrote 4 comments this morning on various blogs and couldn't publish any of them.  Then I saw Tigger had the same problem and then 2 others. And I can't reply to the comments on my own blog, if they appear. 

Is Blogger coming to an end and they're trying politely to give us the hint..... Give up and get out. 

I know my posts aren't turning up on everyone's Reading lists when I publish.  That doesn't worry me. I write anyway because I like to.  But not being able to comment, when I want to, is annoying and breaks up this community.

Hope they sort themselves out. I'm not giving up yet

Shovel or Squash?

 Peas squashed on the back of a fork or just shovelled in ?

It's always peas used in the example. You'd think it was difficult to eat peas balancing them on the back of a fork. It's not. You squash them

I eat both ways.  The other day, at a souvlaki shop of all places, I found myself using my knife and fork in the 'correct' English manner to eat my gyro and chips.  K opposite was 'shovelling' in the European manner

Tines up or down? 

. 

Or do you just use your fingers? 

Fingers are quite OK here to eat chips or 

As the Greek saying goes

'Fish, chicken and women should be managed with your hands' 

Disposable

Responsible people no longer use disposable, one-use 'anything'.  I rarely use plastic bags, except for rubbish and I buy a roll of them, mostly.   The back seat of the car is strewn with canvas and heavy duty shopping bags.  Some plastic items though are a necessity.

Plastic straws.  I do not like paper straws or  metal 'washable' straws.  They sound very unhygenic and I don't want to drink my iced coffee through metal or paper

Paper straws were banned in Greece a few years ago, by order of the EU, and we couldn't even buy them in the supermarket.  They were very unpopular and plastic straws have slowly re-appeared.  

In Greece coffee, especially the iced kind, is savoured for hours.  One glass of coffee lasts through many changes of conversational topics and table companions.  Paper straws went nasty and soggy very quickly.  Not sustainable

 I have a cupboard full of plastic bowls, tupperware, but mainly the cheaper version.  They all lose their lids sooner or later.  Lids I presume go to the same place single socks disappear to.  Into the great unknown, abducted by aliens. 

I also have a supply of these handy one-use metal bowls with their cardboard lids, lids which go into the rubbish along with containers.  I have them in several sizes and they're very handy for giving away traditional sweets and treats as is the custom here at Easter, Xmas, name days, and local fiestas.

I  have a drawer of plastic throw-away cups and plates too, but we rarely use them, prefer China and real glass. We have a dishwasher, the plastic plates remain in the drawer

 

And my latest 'disposable' acquisition

A cheap watch from one of the Online Chinese Giants

I've got a box of watches, good watches.  They all need batteries.  The battery is replaced and then the strap breaks and then they need new batteries again.  So I decided to buy a cheap plastic watch online.  I love it .  4 euros.  3 months later it's still working, keeping good time.  I'm going to get them in a few different colours.  If it stops working I'll just throw it away and buy another one.  A new watch is cheaper than new batteries and I can colour co-ordinate with my outfits.

Miracle Cake

 27th August The day of the Fiesta of Orthodox Saint Fanourios. Agios Fanourios

He is the finder of all things lost, from your purse to your peace of mind

There's a special cake, that's made for him, no eggs, no milk, no butter.  It's  a cake made to say thanks.  A cake which must be shared around with friends, strangers, neighbours and family. We have been given squares of this cake many times by acquaintances we hardly know, following the tradition. Neighbours have knocked on our door sharing it around the neighbourhood. 

I made the cake on his fiesta this year to say thanks on behalf of my daughter who had lost her purse, keys, cards, the lot.  All you have to do is pledge the cake and he opens your eyes, or in this case your ears.  2 minutes after promising to make a fanouropitta her phone rang, her  daughter had her purse. 

Then she offered some pieces to our friend Birgit whose husband couldn't find his watch.  It wasn't long before they found that too, under the bed, where they'd looked before of course

Many people would scoff, I probably did too, back then.  But Fanourios has proved his ability to guide our eyes straight to that lost object over and over again.  No one in our family scoffs. We believe. 

My fanouropitta 

K made a cut-out of a cross and it turned out very nicely

Daughter Danae didn't have time to bake so, as the one who made the promise, she bought the ingredients. I made the fanouropitta

Last year, niece Julie, who was here buying Poros Olive oil for the NZ market, lost the key to her hotel room. She had looked in her bag and along the road. As she'd been visiting us at the house I searched the car and the house. No key.  Then I thought, Agios Fanourios!  I promised to bake a cake if he showed me the key.  I kid you not, I went over to a chest of drawers by the door, where I had already looked, picked up a book and there was the key underneath it! 

Then there was my Greek ID card last year.  I had been searching for it for weeks.  I hadn't told anyone.  Didn't want someone to think I might be 'losing it' , and I don't mean the card.  I'd had a tight feeling in my stomach for days.  Finally that little light bulb lit up and I prayed fervently to Agios Fanourios.  Please, please, just one more miracle.  You guessed it.  The card turned up, almost immediately,  where I had put it weeks ago after filling out an official form.  I phoned the girls and told them with huge relief and an even bigger smile 'Yes, he did it again!'.

The story is that you bake the cake, hand it around, and those who eat it say a prayer for the mother of the saint, asking for her salvation.  Apparently she was a sinner, not a very nice person.   I don't think the church supports that tale but it seems a special way of saying 'thank you'.  A prayer for St Fanourios' Mum and  thanks to the saint himself.

He also will give you guidance, show a way forward and a solution to a problem.

The cake, or pitta as it's called, is made with either 7 or 9 ingredients.

    I usually use 7

Mix in a bowl

- 1 3/4 cups of orange juice (400 grams)

- 1 1/2 cups of sugar (300 grams)

- 3/4 cup of oil (180 grams)  Olive oil, sunflower oil, soy oil, whatever oil you've got or a mix of them

- 100 grams of raisins

- 1 heaped teaspoon cinnamon (kanella)

1/4 teaspoon of cloves (or sometimes I use a teaspoon of ginger instead)

Finally add

- 4 cups (500 grams) of Self Raising flour

Stir it all together.  Pour into a baking dish.  I line mine with baking paper because I hate washing baking dishes.

Say a little prayer

Bake at 170o C for 50 minutes in a normal oven or

170o C for 40 minutes on air, which is what I do.

When cool sift over icing sugar, cut into pieces and hand it around

A more modern version can be made with chocolate chips (not milk chocolate) 

And a lot of people add chopped walnuts

August Days on a Greek Island

 Cicadas

Their chorus is not nearly as loud, deafening even, as it has been in other years.  They started later in the season.  Instead of quietening at sundown they chirp on till almost an hour after dusk.  Then the crickets chime in and the odd ferret or 2 screaming into the night.

Hot coffee

Most summers I drink hot filter coffee till the end of June and then change to iced nescafe.  This summer has been much cooler and I'm still drinking hot coffee in the morning.  What's left in the pot is put into the fridge and I enjoy an iced filter coffee late in the afternoon

 Heatwave-s

A summer in Greece is never without it's heatwaves but they have been fewer and are not prolonged.  We're just going into the next one now and the heat will continue into the first days of September.  We have not suffered like the rest of Europe

Ants, flies and frogs 

The ants have been noticeable in their abscence.  Tiny ones have just started appearing in the kitchen but they're not aggressively hoarding every crumb for their winter supplies  

No flies at all and fewer wasps.  The garden is full of frogs which hop out when I water.  The small lizards, salamders, are not so prolific.  We used to hear them in our bedroom at night, making soft sounds in the silence.

22 August - the 1st memorial,  8 days after the Dormition ('sleeping') of the Virgin Mary

The Fiesta of the little blue and white church on the heart shaped island at the approach to the harbour

2  water taxis took the congregation out to the island for the evening and morning services

The yearly piano concert amongst the ruins of the Temple to Sea God Poseidon.  It was free but we didn't attend.  We went the first year, many years ago, and found the endless tinkling of piano music to be rather boring.  These are students from some European academy, polished and professional but the performance seems endless when you're sitting on white plastic chairs in a warm olive grove

Someone really doesn't like us

First someone stole Ks helmet from his motorbike 

and now

Our car was parked outside the house, as usual, way up here in the wop-wops, not in anybody's way,  but someone put a long deep scratch along the passenger side.  I know we didn't do it (no, not me!) because it was pristine the day before when I put the sunscreen on the front and checked the doors were locked.

Was it keyed or was it hit?

It looks as though a white vehicle was using that empty patch of land to turn and scraped along our car.  There's also scratching low along the front, where their bumper hit ours.  Normally we would be immediately aware of the noise and come running out but it must have happened during the hottest hours when we had doors and windows closed and the aircon running.

Needless to say we are damned annoyed and can do nothing about it.  I have a special paint repair kit which I used for another scrape.  It doesn't magically make the scratches disappear but at least they are not so noticeable.  A pox on the perpetrators.

I have my suspicions. If you don't see it happen you can't place the blame.  

Still........ 

The last pic of the day

Our grapes have turned into dried bunches of raisins on the vine

We have 2 vines, one gets a lot of water as it has flowers around the trunk.  The other gets no water because it's too far from the hose.  Both have the same bunches of raisins so it's not because of my watering system

Its almost September!  Just lovely .

Still hot, the island is still heaving with visitors but the end is nigh.  Schools open on the 11th and they'll all have to go home.

Smile girl smile!!

Cruising the Med

 We finally managed to make a date with Jan, to cruise on the good ship Socrates and meet at Fotini's taverna beside the sea on the opposite shore. Captain, and son-in-law, Kyriakos and the Socrates do this trip 5 times a day all during August.   But, some trips were cancelled because of high winds and rough seas, then the Socrates was out of action for a couple of days because of mechanical trouble.  Then there was the heat.  Cruising and dining, just moving, during a heatwave is not pleasant. 

I hadn't seen Jan for a month or so.  First because of a couple of  heatwaves and 2nd because she's awfully busy looking after stray animals and humans.  

This cruise and meeting at Fotini's taverna has become a summer tradition

Kyriakos jumping for joy at seeing his inlaws

Readying the water taxi for his mother-in-law

He pulled that boat right into the dock and kept it absolutely steady till I managed to clamber up through the entrance way,  and step safely down.  He wouldn't have dared otherwise!! 

Sailing along the waterfront

 I really enjoy this mini cruise every year

Out of the harbour and into open water

Thank goodness the sea is smooth

Those are the ruins of a Venetian castle on the island.  Underneath are far more ancient ruins. No-one is allowed to land because the older ruins have yet to be excavated

Called a submarine this strange little open vessel, the Nemo, is actually a glass bottom boat

It carries about 10 people on a trip around the coast staring at the sea bottom 

First stop Plaka beach

Cheek to jowl today

Jan and I

First thing we do, after the air kisses, is a goodies swap.  Jan had books for me and some bedding for Danae.  In return she got more books from me, some cheese pies and a jar of chutney and jam.  

We both go home happy

Jan and K

Last year. I didn't take many photos there this year

There it is, the picturesque blue and white taverna beside the sea

It's a very basic  seaside taverna. Small wooden tables, hard rush bottom chairs and a paper tablecloth. You'll find cold beer and wine, bread, Greek salad, fried potatoes, cheese and if you ask they'll fry you some kalamari (squid) and small fish.  Which is what we ordered. 

Kyriakos got us safely back to Poros 

Till next year

Grug....Our Aussie Friend

Anyone else met Grug?   He's an Aussie hero

The delightful Grug books were given to us by my brother and sis in law in Perth in the 80's.  We have other children's books too from Australia.  Jackie Kookaburra and stories about Quokkas and other Aussie animals.  

Dear old Grug was the favourite

The Grug series was started in 1979.  Written and illustrated by Ted Prior. He wrote 35 Grug classics. 

Grug is a loveable character made from the top of a burrawang tree.  I'm learning this now, 40 years later.  No Mr Google back then.

  

He was always having charmingly simple adventures which delighted my young girls. 

Grug learnt to cook, discovered a rainbow, went fishing, tasted his first big red apple. 

Every page has a bright colourful picture of Grug with a few large words. Easy reading for my young girls . 

 English was their first language. Until they started Greek school. 

I learned Greek by helping them with their homework.

They learned to read and write English with the help of these simple stories.

It was great  to learn that Grug is still a  favourite with young downunder children. His tales were reprinted in 2022.

Spain and Greece

Good reading... 

Chris Stewart.. 

Once the drummer for the band Genesis

Fired from the band in the 70's (for poor technique says Google) he moved to a farm in Spain and began writing books and farming sheep.

'Driving Over Lemons' was published in 1999, describing his life on the small Andalusian farm.

It's a really good read and became a best seller.

It seems he's still on the farm in Spain and has written a lot more books, including the one above.

My niece Katy read the yachting book, Three Ways to Capsize a Boat,  and recommended it to me. 

Haven't read it yet. 

But I will

 

I wish I still had Driving Over Lemons to re-read.  Years ago I devoured books like this, starting with Peter Mayle and 'A Year in Provence'.  I bought books written by expats buying and doing up old houses in Italy, Spain and France.  Second hand books were cheap to buy 

 online back then and I could choose what I wanted to read.

I have a shelf of books written by expats living in Greece.  Some are excruciatingly patronising, badly written. So many think, after a year here, they know  the culture and traditions of the country and get it terribly wrong. However there are others that are a delight to read, especially when they have a little history and interaction with Greeks and not just other beer quaffing expats.

If you ever come across Chris Stewart, give him a read.  

The Greek classics are by Patrick Lee Fermor, Eric Newby, Gerald and Lawrence Durrell, Collin Thubron, Peter Levi, Eleni Gage.

Welsh broadcaster John Humphreys wrote a book about building a house on the mainland, not far from us.  His son was married to a Greek.  Still he got a lot of things wrong and over dramatised it all.  I read it a long time ago and then gave the book away.  

 

 

Time to Read

 Last summer's reading..... 

I sat on the beach and tried to block out my surroundings by immersing myself in a few good books. Our holidays at the navy resort are at the end of summer. 

Families are home, parents at work, kids at school. We share the resort with pensioners, like us. 

 Although the elderly don't let out high pitched screams like small children, boy can they talk the backside off a horse...or is it the hind leg off a donkey. I had to look that up! 

The men tell tall tales about their days in the navy, the women gossip and all of them spend hours discussing ailments and medication. 

Thank goodness my sis in law, Karen, left me this book.  Ann Cleeves writes a great who-dunnit. You're not likely to guess the culprit

Thanks Karen mou. I've found a couple more of her books down at the book Exchange. 

Now I've found her books on YouTube.  They're audio books, narrated very clearly, not AI. 

I'm on the 3rd one now

Books I'll be reading at the Navy Resort this summer. One month to go!!! 

These 3 are true life stories

Memoirs 

Who-dunnitz

And this little gem with puzzles from the NZ Herald...... No! they are in the Listener. A magazine all kiwis will know, if it's still in publication. Thanks Chris for mentioning that 

I do the crosswords in pencil, leave them for a year or so, erase the answers and do them again

You're given one letter and solve the rest by yourself

This is printed in 2006, the last time I was in NZ. It's almost archaic