Read Part 1

My Greek holiday took me all over the mountainous country, – through history, up to numerous acropolis, via museums and agoras, over rocks and stony mountains, under pillars, past watchful marble sculpture, and through complete enchantment.
At the bottom of the Athens is an enchanting area called Plaka. This labyrinth is the oldest and most picturesque part of the city, – narrow streets overlooked by houses built in the neo-classical style, some bright, others dazzling white. Full of antique and souvenir shops, houses the old Roman market tower and more tavernas, where the locals seem to have nothing better to do than sit in the sun, listen to wandering musicians and sip ouzo, the strong local brew, argue lazily and stare at the gleaming Parthenon in the distance.

Our first stop, we piled out of the bus and pressed our noses to glass cases that showed samples of everything available on the days menu. With their prices, – a delightful European custom. My choice was the Gemista, mainly because the portions looked like they were something I could finish, but it turned out to be a delicious choice, if a little sour for a single-dish meal – grilled tomatoes stuffed with rice and aromatic herbs.
When we were satiated and ready to go, the smiling café owner came around with huge bunches of sweet green and purple grapes, completely on the house, to top of a wonderful meal.

Onward via Korinth over the 25 metres deep Korinthos Canal built to join the Saronic Gulf to the Korinthian Gulf way back in 1893. Also the home to a Greek delicacy, Soulvaki, not unlike sheek kababs, grilled over charcoal on long wooden skewers, and served up with a yogurt based dip called Tzatziki; that rather Indian actually.

Throughout my ‘Classical’ tour I spent mealtimes with 4 wonderful American women. Two friends newly retired from Citibank, and 2 sisters, a nurse and a deputy Sheriff in charge of a jail! Both pairs named Mary and Helen! We spent many late nights tossing back the ouzo and gorging on lovely cheese, spinach or mince pies in flaky diamond-shaped pastry covers.

Next, a daylong cruise to the picturesque Saronic islands – Poros, Hydra and Aegina. The sea extended sometimes blue, sometimes green, sometimes purple, on all sides and dolphins cavorted alongside the ship. Lunch was a 4 course meal, served in a long dining room. We began with the ubiquitous Greek Salad and chunks of soft warm bread drizzled with olive oil, followed up with an appetizer, the very traditional Dolmadakia Yialanzi, a long name for Vine Leaves stuffed with savoury rice. Next, smiling waitresses cleared the tables for fried fish steaks in garlic sauce – lemony, succulent and juicy. Some more bread, some more salad. And when you’re truly stuffed, huge servings of dessert. Today’s special was something that looked like small doughnuts without the hole, drizzled with honey and sprinkled with cinnamon. Awesome! Later I learnt they were called Loukoumades.

After that there really wasn’t anything to do but doze on the sunny deck.

Read Part 3

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