Ela, Grecia!

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And finally an update about my fall vacation to Greece:

09/30/07 Madrid-Athens

After a discouraging bout with a flight-booking agency that ended in an irredeemable plane ticket, lost money, and dampened spirits, my friend Breezy and I ended up buying last minute tickets to Greece. We had planned the trip and had it in our hearts that we were going to see Greece, and we weren’t going to let anything get in our way. So we flew across the Mediterranean Sea and had the most incredible and lovely vacation.

We flew into Athens on September 30 at 3:30am (well, what could we expect for times when buying tickets a day before our trip?) We were to meet with my father’s friend, Stamatis, at Syntagma Square. I hadn’t seen him since some ten years ago, and had a very faded memory of what he looked like. So when he and his son entered the restaurant, I stood up to greet Stamatis with a hug… it wasn’t him. We eventually did find him, though, and he was as sweet as can be, joking and laughing as he drove us to his flat in downtown Athens.

We had a breakfast of whole-wheat toast and honey as we chatted with Stamatis, his wife Katerina, and his two sons. Our next stop was the National Archeological Museum where we viewed artifacts from the ancient Minoans of Santorini, and of course the plethora of ancient sculptures, noting how the art became more and more detailed and exquisite over time. We also saw a special exhibit of Praxiteles, the artist that Michael Angelo studied to make his David, which had made its way to Athens from the Louvre in Paris. After the museum we had our first taste of Souvlaki, and I think this was the point where we became enamored with Greece.

We spent the rest of the day discovering the various neighborhoods of central Athens and walking around the little shops in Monasteraki. My first impression of the city was that it was a bit rundown and dirty, but full of color and activity. Feeling tired, we made an early night and headed back to Victoria Square where we were staying at Stamatis’ psychology office, which was pretty much just another house with a kitchen, bathroom, and most importantly warm, comfy beds!

10/01/07 Athens-Santorini

The next morning I awoke at 4:30am with Breezy at my door: “Kendra, I just wanted to wake you up 15 minutes early, and I’m not sure if I want to eat eggs.” I said, “Okay, well, I’ll talk to you about it in 15 minutes when I wake up.” She’s always nervous about time, and I’m always late: we balanced each other out well on this trip. Sleepy-eyed, but excited, we hopped the first metro, to Pireus Port to catch our 7:30am ferry to Santorini. We met some fellow backpackers, Aussie Archie and Josh from Indiana, with whom we passed the 7 hour ride in contemplative conversation and travel stories. At the island’s port, Breezy a bit white with seasickness and me gaping at the beautiful white houses, we met Stamatis’ friend Sofia, daughter of a famous Athenian artist and an artist herself. With caramel skin, long black hair, and wearing flowing linen, she looked like a Greek Goddess, and I would later come to realize that she is pretty much the goddess of the island. Making our way up the winding road of the mountain, Sophia told us about the massive eruption of the volcano at the time of the Minoans about 1500 BC, which formed the present day island. We drove around with the windows down as she showed us the black sand beaches of Perissa and Kamari, old palaces, and the numerous stretches of vineyards. Santorini is known for its white wine and its award-winning Vinsanto, a desert wine made from white grapes sun dried for 12 to 15 days. The grapes are cultivated in circles low to the ground to retain more moisture in the dry, volcanic earth.

Finally we made our way to Oia, the village on the very tip of the island that is known as the premiere place to watch the sunset in all of Greece. Sofia told us that she had found us a beautiful place there that her friend rents out and we stay for the next four days. We were nervous about the price, as Oia is the most expensive place on the most expensive island in Greece, but while others were paying 1,000 to 5,000 euros a night for rooms in this area, Sophia got us the place for 70 euros a night. It was a dream: a little studio apartment right on the tip of the island with our own terrace overlooking the sea. We even found postcards with pictures that were taken right from our terrace, with our patio plants and everything! We couldn’t believe our luck.

We watched our first sunset from the castle in Oia, and walked around the village a bit. The town is so quaint and quiet, and the white stucco buildings dappled with colorful flowers creates an beautiful dreamscape. There are many stray dogs, which are all really gentle and nice, as the entire village takes it upon itself to feed and care for its animals. In fact, there are two girls who know every single stray animal and make sure that they are all “fixed” and healthy. While we were there, a dog had eaten poison and the girls were there within minutes with their little medicine kits. Everyone in the town was talking the entire night and giving updates on the dog’s status.

Later we met up with Sofia for dinner. Now, it just so happens that she is dating a famous chef and restaurant owner in Santorini named Cristos. He took us out to one of his restaurants named Scala, and ordered nearly everything on the menu, including a lovely bottle of Sigalas Assyrtico-Athiri. Here’s a list of what we ate because I know my dad will appreciate this:
Appetizers
• Fava (like a fava bean humus)
• Taramosalata (fish egg dip)
• Pliguri salad with yoghurt (cold cracked wheat salad)
• Pastouma pie (filo filled with pork)
• Onion and pie (filo filled with onions and pine nuts)
Dinner
• Steamed Shrimp (the biggest I’ve ever seen, and with heads and everything!)
• Octopus in Vinsanto and saffron
• Mussels
• Baked sardines with tomato and rosemary
Dessert
• Chocolate walnut cake with orange zest sorbet
• Baklava

10/02/07 Santorini

The next day Sofia took us to a neighboring village with very old and traditional houses. It was a bit more rustic and raw than Oia, perhaps more beautiful in an organic sense. As we were walking around, a very frail woman greeted us and invited us to come into her home to see pictures of her son who had recently died. We entered and saw the picture atop the tiny miniature table, which was the only piece of furniture besides the bed in her tiny house. It wasn’t that she was poor, only that people live so simply there. Well, I suppose it’s more simply when it comes to material things, but when it comes to the natural beauty of the island, that woman lives a very rich life. She gave us caramels as we kissed goodbye. We hung around a bit at another restaurant of Cristos’ as he and a camera crew prepared to film an episode of a popular Greek cooking show there.

Sofia then took us to an exhibition called “The Wall-Painting of Thera” where we viewed Minoan paintings from the excavation site at Akrotiri. After the eruption, the city was covered in 10 meters of pumice which preserved the entire city. I was captivated by the religion, rituals, and cosmopolitan activities of this highly-civilized and female-dominant society of the Bronze Age. This peaceful culture had developed international exchanges of ideas and artifacts, two-story houses, an appreciation for avant-garde art, and even a sewage system.

Next stop was Fira, the capital. It was pretty, colorful, and active. But with its tourist-packed streets and dirty bars, it just couldn’t compare to Oia. So we went back to eat lunch on our beautiful terrace and then headed down the winding hill to take our first dip in the sea. We passed colorful mules and fishing boats on our way to the rocky point where we swam, without another person in sight, watching the sailboats change color under our second sunset.

We met up with Sofia again for dinner at another restaurant in Oia. We forewent dessert this night, but stayed chatting with Sofia until all hours of the night talking about life, leisure, and love, as friends of Sofia’s kept ordering wine to our table.

Appetizers
• Tzatziki (cucumber dip)
• Grilled Haloumi cheese (just like your tomato mozzarella salad with balsamic vinegar and oil, Dad, but with grilled haloumi instead.)
• Lentil salad
• Red pepper feta dip

Dinner
• Balsamic liver
• Rosemary pork

10/03/07 Santorini

We had been learning a few words in Greek, and by this point I felt that I had the vocabulary to at least be polite:


Ela - come; come on
S' agapo- I love you
Ya - Hello
Yasu - Good day, or to your health
Yamas - To our health (used as a toast)
Efharisto - Thank you
Parakalo - You’re welcome


We met up with Sofia and started the day with a tour of the G. Koutsoyannopoulos winery and wine museum. We learned a lot about the history of wine-making in Santorini and how the different processes affect the taste of the wine. Of course we ended our tour with our first wine tasting, and since Sofia belly dances there, it was yet another free excursion for us. I would later realize that Sofia knows the owner of every single winery and they would be so tickled to have her taste their wine that we would get special treatment everywhere we went.

Our wine tasting was at Estate Argyros, which is known as the premiere producer of Vinsanto. We sampled a few white wines that were fantastic, especially the rich and complex Argyros Estate Barel 2005 that is aged in French oak barrels. I wasn’t big on the red wines, but we sampled a heavenly 1987 Vinsanto (my birthday) at its 20th and peak year. At this point Sofia and I were feeling a bit tipsy as the both of us can’t handle much alcohol. Breezy, on the other hand, was fresh as can be. We nicknamed her Breezy the Barrel at this point because Sofia and I would taste the wine, and give the rest to Breezy to finish off.

But we had one more vineyard to see: Art Space. This place was so cool. The very old stone winery is still used to produce wine, but sections have been turned into a rustic art museum featuring santorinian artists. We sampled more wines, Vinsanto, and something they call “Rain Water” which is a clear liquid made from the grape skins and vines and tastes like rubbing alcohol. I wasn’t taken by the wines here, but the art was absolutely enchanting. Although very diverse, the paintings and sculptures all seemed to portray something very sensual and of wild energy, exposing the true sentiment of Santorini.

Sofia wasn’t fit to drive and we were all hungry, so we went to a restaurant in Fira that is known for its baked feta pie. It was probably the most exquisite thing I have tasted in my life: A baked filo pastry filled with feta and sesame seeds, served in a pool of ouzo and honey drizzled on top. We also had artichoke dip and stuffed grape leaves.

After that we were exhausted, and in the golden afternoon sun, we rested a bit on our beautiful terrace. Needing a little refreshment, we made our way back down the mountain to the sea. While breezy swam around in a rocky cove, I breathed in the salty mist and watched our third sunset. Call me a party-pooper, but I was lucky that I stayed out of the water that night. Breezy came out with a sore foot, and upon further inspection, we realized that she had stepped on a sea urchin and had tons of little thorns stuck in her toes.

While Breezy worked the tweezers, I went for a walk around the village and met a little French lady who owned a lovely jewelry shop. She asked if I would watch her shop for a few minutes - that’s how relaxed and trusting people are there, that they would leave their shop in the care of a complete stranger. It ended up being about 20 minutes, but there were so many interesting things, it felt like seconds. I found a beautiful silver artisan collar with red and black coral with which I fell in love. She let me try on the magnificent choker, telling me that she has had that piece for years, and several people ask to try it on everyday, but it never fits them right: their necks are too thick, or their breasts make it just out awkwardly. Somehow, it fit perfectly in the crevice of my collarbone. But at 800 euros, it didn’t quite fit my pocketbook. I told her if I ever have the chance to return with 800 euros, I’ll come back for the collar. She told me it’ll be here waiting for me. She was a peculiar, beautiful, stranger.

Dinner this night was at Sophia’s house in Oia, which is about five minutes from where we stayed. She lives in a little house on THE tip of the island. We were still full from lunch and all the wine from the day, so we ate a light dinner of a tomato, basil, and feta salad served atop a crispy rye bread bowl. We stayed for a while, chatting and playing with Sofia’s puppy, Tupper, with the sound of the waves splashing below the cliff.

10/04/07 Santorini

It was our last day in Santorini, and we were determined to make the most of it. We started out the day with another wine tasting at Domain Sigalas, the winery where our first bottle of wine at Christos’ restaurant was from. This place has won countless awards for its white wines, and is known as the second best producer of Vinsanto on the island. I fell in love with the 2005 Sigalas Santorini Oak, a rich and acidic white wine with a long and complex aftertaste. I believe they import to the US, so any white wine-lovers should definitely try this one.

Next we went to another exhibition featuring artifacts from the excavation of Acrotiri. After that, Sophia, Tupper, Breezy, and I all climbed the second highest peak on the island to view the ruins of Ancient Thira. It was such blustery weather up there that we could lean back and the wind would hold us up, keeping us from falling off the mountain. We made our way down the mountain to the black sand beach of Perissa where we floated in the salty water and played with Tupper on the shore. After our swim, we drove to Pyrgos, a little neighborhood where a lot of the artists on the island live. We looked at art, and stayed a while in Sofia’s friend Terry’s shop where Breezy bought a bunch of necklaces, and I bought a pair of silver and precious stone earrings to remember my visit. Terry, an artist from Toronto, was absolutely hilarious.

We drove up to the highest point of the island to view the monastery, and then made our way to our last winery, where we sipped Vinsanto and looked out at the misty caldera. The sun started to set as we drove back to Oia, and we watched as the gold and pink rays gleamed through the vineyards a tinted the white stucco homes. By the time we made it back to Oia, we could only see the afterglow of dusk, but to have seen the sunset in motion, caressing the entire countryside, was stunning.

That night we said goodbye to Oia, and went to our final dinner that Sophia hosted in her belly dancing studio. We ate on the floor, seated on Moroccan pillows in the candlelit room. We had lentil salad, an avocado dip with whole-wheat bread, a rice dish, red pepper feta dip, and of course, white wine. Full and happy, we sprawled out amidst the silk pillows, laughing and gazing at the sea from the open doors of her studio. It was an absolutely magical way to end our trip.

10/05/07 Santorini-Athens

We woke up at 5:00 to take a cab to the port for our 7:00am ferry. I was sad to say goodbye to Santorini, but felt fulfilled with all that we had seen and done. The sun started to rise just as we pulled out of the port, and we were able to watch the island light up one more time. I slept the entire boat ride, and woke up in Athens. We dropped our stuff off at Stamatis’ office, and set out to see a bit more of the city. We ate ice cream for dinner. After that we met up with my high school buddy, Jack, who is studying in Athens. We met him at his hotel near Monasteraki Square and hung out a bit with him and his friends on their rooftop bar. Jack then showed us to his favorite bar and a bit more of the nightlife in Athens. We had so much fun with him and his friends, and had a much better impression of the city after that.

10/06/07 Athens

Even though we stayed out pretty late the night before, we were determined to take advantage of our time in Athens so we woke up and headed out to view the Acropolis and surrounding sights. A lot of the buildings were under construction, but it was really neat to see these buildings that hold so much history. Some of the buildings we saw were the Temple of Athena Nike, Propylea, the Parthenon, Odeum of Herodes Atticus, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, and my favorite, the Theatre of Dionysus.
Later, while walking around aimlessly trying to find a restaurant for one last taste of Souvlaki, we met an Athenian guy who brought us to lunch at Thanasis at Monasteraki Square, which apparently has the best Souvlaki in all of Athens. We also went to see the Olympic Stadium, the National Gardens, and the Parliament building, where we saw the changing of the guards.

By this time it was almost dark, so we headed back to the office to pack our bags and get ready to for dinner. We met Jack and his friends and went out to dinner at a beautiful little restaurant in a trendy area of Athens. And again, the menu for Dad:

• Olive dip with bread
• Roasted vegetables with Prosciutto
• Feta pie
• Chicken and mushrooms in wine sauce

We ended the night with a laid-back chat with Jack at the rooftop bar. At 1:00, sadly but contented with our Greek experience, we made our way to catch the bus to the airport. And by bus, airplane, metro, bus, and foot, we finally made our way back to sleeping Segovia, heavy-eyed but light-hearted.

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