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Published: August 19th 2012
Eresmia
Arranging the saltEagle-eyed readers will notice that there was an unannounced jump from Crete to Wales. Apologies for that, but decided to bring you up to the moment with the Olympic football etc. So here we are back in Crete. In spirit you understand, not in person!
'Agapemo,' he said, grinning slyly at me as he presented me with a glass of home-made raki.
It was the last thing I really wanted before sleeping but Mikalis, the Hotel Dimitri owner, had heard us coming in and made it perfectly clear we were to join family and friends out on the terrazza in the soft warmth of the evening.
In between teaching me a few Greek words he explained by the way of broken English, German and mime that he had to go into Xania three times weekly for dialysis. He was no longer drinking , unhappily, by the look on his creased face, but retained his sense of humour by insisting that his wife Eresmia and he were just like brother and sister and the glamorous resident from Athens working in Kolymbari was his new wife!
Eresmia continued bringing out roasted aubergine dip freshly made that morning, crackers, cucumber
chunks and another bottle of homemade wine. She had obviously heard it all before!
We sat ourselves down at a laid table in the deserted kitchen for breakfast the next morning. Eresmia eventually returned with a bag of fresh bread, tut-tutted about Graeme's coffee making alongside telling us Mikalis had driven himself into the hospital earlier in the morning.
We said our goodbyes as Eresmia arranged the salt crystals on a table on the terrazza as they dried in the sun.
*****
Heike brings out sliced bread, oil for dipping, tomato jam and packs of sea salt seasoned with various dried herbs and lemon rind. An Austrian, she first came to Paleochora fifteen years ago as a tourist and fell in love with the place. She found work as a tour guide for the Samaria Gorge and fell in love again, this time with the bus driver.
Now she helps her husband's family with their small farm located a few miles out of Paleochora mainly producing high quality olive oil pressed in the local factory. Even with a large family and many friends the glut of tomatoes last year saw her experimenting, making tomato jam
out of the surplus.
Finding the choice between sun dried tomatoes and spices too hard, I bought one of everything and she kindly put the oil into a small plastic water bottle for easy carriage. It made it home safely and is being consumed at a rapid rate. I have replumped the tomatoes as per her instruction and put them in a jar with garlic and freshly dried herbs. Thanks Heike.
*****
I sat eating my giant bowl of yoghurt and fresh fruit that had been placed in front of me by Katerina, the smiling friendly Romanian.
I watched as visitors walked inside to personally greet the owner. They smiled and said, 'We're here again!'
So who was this popular owner? Flora from Edinburgh started the Water's Edge cafe 14 years ago. on the harbour side of Paleochora, well, on the water's edge surprisingly.
'I came first to the North (of Crete) and worked my way down to Paleochora.'
'I just knew I was going to live in Crete,' she added. Not only does she live here but she runs and manages two holiday apartment buildings adjacent to the cafe of 7 and
9 apartments each.
The cafe, open for breakfast and lunch offers a special Saturday night menu sampling food that Flora said, 'I experiment with tastes. Perhaps I only do a recipe twice or three times a year.'
She bustled back into the kitchen as the cafe became more and more lively and then completely full with locals and tourists alike.
Katerina worked hard ably assisted by her 16 year old daughter out on school holidays.
Why Romanians, I asked Flora?
'There's always been a strong connection between Russia and Crete, both orthodox.
Due to Greece's woes with the Euro this Summer Katerina's fifth season here might not prove as busy as others but Flora said,
'I've always had Romanians or Bulgarians as the Greeks didn't want to do the work. Many (places) have had to downsize but I haven't had to let anyone go.' She wiped her hands on her apron and went to attend to some locals in for the good cooking.
http://www.paleochora-holidays.com/index.htm *****
In Xania we wandered around the harbour and settled down in the shade in Mihalis restaurant built against the old Venetian walls. The harbour with
its Turkish and Venetian influences spread out in front of us.
The restaurant was empty and we were actively encouraged to remain seated after our coffee. After all where could we go in this heat?
Chatting to Panayota she explained how difficult the season was this year. Slow and late to start.
Such atrractively accented English, did I detect a Kiwi twang due to her New Zealander husband. He had come to Crete on holiday many moons ago, fallen for her dark-eyed, dark haired and long-legged beauty and after a short sojourn back in New Zealand settled back here in Xania.
Do you prefer it here, I queried?
'Of course,' she replied,' my family are here.'
She went on to explain that her Kiwi husband's mother was from Crete and she had met her English husband in New Zealand and settled there.
We discussed how politicians and media had caused the problem this summer, not the Greek people.
'It makes locals nervous,' she went on,'they used to come out every day as it's so hot in their houses, but maybe it's only once a week now.'
So that is how we
left Crete this Summer. Bewailing the drop off in tourism and struggling economically. Keep visiting folks, everything is fine on the ground and the characters you meet are truly engaging.
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RENanDREW
Ren & Andrew
I'm so glad there was another blog on Crete :)