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Birthday feast at Marianthi's!After a wonderful week of relaxation, we returned to the boatyard for a gruelling day of work on the boat!
Fortunately we were rescued and whisked back up the mountain to Panagula where we celebrated Kevin's Birthday at Marianthi's - again! We had a feast of Souvlaki, the hugest and most delicious, fresh garden salad and chips. And a few carafe's of wine too!
The next day Lynne and I trudged up the hill to collect manure from Alexi's (the local shepherd) goat manure heap, so that we could fertilize her veggie garden. We learnt that goat manure is far better to use than sheep manure, because goats pick leaves off branches and therefore there are no weed seeds in their droppings. Whereas sheep eat grass and weeds and so produce weed-ridden droppings.
I wonder how many of you knew that little pearl of wisdom...? 😊
We were then off to Messolonghi for the evening to watch the annual Parade, held on Palm Sunday, which commemorates the siege of the Greeks against the Turks and the Exodus of Messolonghi in 1826 - another bloody chapter in the Greek struggle against the Turks.
A bit of history:
Alexi the shepherdDuring the Orlov revolt in 1770, the fleet of Messolonghi was defeated and the town passed to the Turks. Messolonghi revolted against the Turks in 1821 and was a major stronghold of the Greek rebels in the Greek war of independence. The inhabitants successfully resisted a siege by the Ottoman forces in 1822.
The second siege began on 15 April 1825. It was led by Resid Mehmed Pasha whose army numbered 30 000 and was later reinforced by 10 000 men from Egypt.
After one year of relentless attacks and facing starvation the people of Messolonghi decided to leave the city in the 'Exodus of its Guards' on 10 April 1826. There were only 10 500 people (including men, women and children) and only 3500 were armed! Very few survived the Ottoman pincer movement after the betrayal of their plan!
Another interesting bit of information is that the celebrated French painter, Eugene Delacroix and the British Poet, Lord Byron, were famous philhellenes who lent their support to the Greek cause. Lord Byron died in Messolonghi from Malaria in 1824. A cenotaph containing his heart and a statue in the town were built to pay tribute to this
Lynne and Alexi shooting the breeze...Poet's generous support of Greece's struggle for independence!
Every year, at this parade, hundreds of people come from miles around Greece in traditional dress (portraying the various tribes) and carrying arms (many of them original) to pay tribute to and commemorate this Exodus of Messolonghi. It truly is a spectacle to behold.
After another weekend of respite, we again returned to the boat for a week of hard slog to get her in the water before Easter! Yes, the orthodox religions celebrate Easter at a different time from us. It all has something to do with the sighting of the moon. The western religions have agreed on a set date from which they then calculate when the moon will be full. The Orthodox religions wait until the moon is full and then do their calculation! (I'm sure I haven't got this explanation quite correct! But suffice to say, the Orthodox religions celebrate Easter at a different time from the western world!)
Easter is a HUGE thing in Greece. It is more important than Christmas. On Easter Friday night all the various churches congregate with their icons and there are marching bands and they do a parade through
A goat finding the juiciest leavesthe town. On Easter Saturday morning the people gather in the town square and throw traditional clay pots to the ground. (This is not done everywhere, but some of the towns are trying to resurrect this tradition.) We were then offered some greek cake (It tastes a bit milk tarty, without the base.) Quite delicious!
On Easter Saturday night the townsfolk all gather in the church and outside at about 11.30pm for a service. They carry unlit (and beautifully decorated) candles. During the church service the Priest switches all the lights out, but for a few. Then at midnight he lights a candle and goes around the church lighting everyone's candles. This is symbolic of the resurrection of Christ - the Light of the world!
It really is quite something to watch and participate in this ceremony. Everyone really dresses up to the nines and there is much festivity just after midnight. Everyone kisses each other and there is usually also a fireworks display. Apparently people then go home and partake of a traditional soup, made of liver and various other delicacies.
Then, on Easter Sunday a lamb is roasted on a spit, together with something called
Lynne and Dunto shovelling...kokaretsi! (This is offal, mainly liver, wrapped in intestines and then grilled) It really is delicious - if you can get your head around the idea! (No problem for the Scots folk as it is similar to Haggis! 😊 )
The lamb is served with vegetables, roasted potatoes and salads and a mezze to start. It truly is a feast that lasts the day and is usually shared with family and friends.
We were lucky enough to be invited to take part in the Easter celebration with George and his family at Karnagio at little Vathi, on Meganisi. Wow! What a treat we had. We sat down at the table at about 2.30pm and never left until about 10.30. The food just kept coming - as did the liquid refreshment! What a day!
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cecile du Preez
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Hi Morag so enjoyed reading your blog!! Your life is full of adventure ,treasure it and keep the blogs going for us who are not able to have this experience, can still be part of it!! Are your running shoes packed to possibly do the Athens marathon?? Happy travels lots of love Cecile