The Greek diet

I'm a foodie. I admit it. (Only eleven more steps to go and then I'm cured.) (Hmm, maybe I'm not really a foodie.)

Anyway.

Of course I loved everything I ate in Greece and everything that I didn't eat, but saw others enjoying. It all looked just as wonderful as what was prepared and placed before me. All of the food was very simple and nothing I ate left me feeling stuffed or overly-full afterwards; which being an American who has head-sized sandwiches and sacks of potatoes in terms of deep fried portions placed in front of her, this was a welcome change.
I never knew what would arrive in front of me. I knew what I had ordered and what was described on the menu. However, what was ordered to what would show-up, two different expectations. Food ordered: salad, chicken, lamb. What showed up: a salad was fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. Chicken would be this large, simply prepared dish with several sides. Lamb, grilled with a few fresh vegetables.

My favorite part, every single time, was simply sitting down at a table. There isn't a hostess to seat you. You enter, you find a table, you sit, the waiter comes and does his little performance.
The table already had a cloth covering the tabletop, but then the waiter would place a paper table cloth over the linen, would tie the paper cloth down with clips, set the olive oil and vinegar carafe on the table, light the candle, set the silverware down, and then lastly, place the menu before me. Every time. Every place I went to. It was highly enjoyable. It was a little performance just for me.
A basket of bread was served with every meal and wine was served either glass, half liter, or liter and poured into a carafe, not from the bottle. Beer is either Amstel or Mythos. (Still trying to figure out the Amstel fascination.)

My first meal was at the restaurant right next to my hotel in Mykonos. The restaurant was right on the sand and my view was a night seascape. I ordered a Rocket Parmesan salad. What I got was Rocket lettuce with four very long thin strips of Parmesan cheese with large chunks of tomatoes. Dressing was the oil and vinegar placed on the table.
Another time I ordered Chicken Creme. At this point I had been through the, what I order is not what I'm expecting and usually a salad was just a salad accompanied by a basket of bread, so I was really only expecting a piece of chicken with a cream sauce. What I got was a non-hormone produced piece of regular sized chicken with a side of risotto and a side of french fries (only in Greece they are just called potatoes. Hmmm, go figure.) A salad of tomatoes and cucumbers is just that; a plate of tomatoes and cucumbers, undressed, and cut into large chunks served on a white plate.

My favorite meal was the day I climbed the volcano and swam in the caldera. It was mid-afternoon and we pulled into a tiny port town. There weren't any shops and the only places to eat were along the coastline (literally along the coastline.) I had picked a table on the lower level, but when I went to use the restroom I discovered there was a rooftop terrace. I quickly changed my table and ate rooftop. My waiter was the families eight-year-old son who was simply too adorable for his own good. He wrote each item down with his nose about (-) far from his note pad. My meal was grilled calamari and it was just that: calamari on a metal scour with tiny (tiny) pieces of onion and carrot. I think it's safe to assume it was caught maybe an hour before it landed in front of me. The only thing it tasted of was salt from the sea and freshness. My company for the meal were three ladies I met on the boat, a beautiful blue sky and sea, a warm breeze, a one-eyed black cat with a limp, and a Tabby cat without a limp and both eyes. The one-eyed cat was dubbed Willie and he was happy to have the tentacle from the grilled squid. (Very happy to take it from me. No hesitation at all. Willie was rather feisty. Might explain his lost eye and gimp.)

The only thing I didn't do was indulge in the desserts and that wasn't intentional. It wasn't until I reached Athens that this occurred to me. I then ate gelato twice in one day just to make up for my mistake.

I ate every meal, no matter the wind or the temperature, seaside, outside, along the sidewalk, port side, rooftop, or on the beach. My exercise after the meal was a walk back to my hotel, around town, to do some shopping, or to the bar. Believe it or not, I actually lost about 10 lbs. on vacation. Talk about wonderful.

The men of Greece

One thing about being a single gal traveling alone in a country where they are known for their big strong men; a single gal won't be single for long.
I only ate alone once. The waiter/host would either offer to join me for dinner or they would offer to take me out for drinks after they were off work.
Um, okay!
I'm also pretty sure the first English words all Greek men learn are: you are very beautiful, I live just a few (feet, miles, a short scooter ride) away, and don't worry, I can take you home.
Just a guess, but I'm assuming I am correct on that one.

The first glass of wine was always free of charge provided by the waiter/host as a gesture to get me to come into their restaurant. Hey, no problem. Where should I sit?

My hilarious marriage proposal from the aging Greek fisherman happened in Mykonos. The man who liked a bee-u-tee-ful, no skinny, strong wo-man. After passing him on the sidewalk that afternoon I passed him three times later that night. (Not on purpose.) I was trying to find a place to eat and I managed to get lost on my way back to the shore line. (The locals told me they get lost and turned around all the time. Good info to know.) When I passed him once, his face lit up like the twelfth day of Christmas. When I passed him again, he thought I was a tease. When I passed him the third time,he took it as a sign and he wasn't going to let me go. He cleaned off his stoop, set me down, and asked me my name. His, was Adonis. (Of course. A Greek Adonis standing before me. Well, he was an Adonis at one time, but no longer.) He is looking for a strong bee-u-tee-ful wo-man for a wife and he can tell I am a strong bee-u-tee-ful wo-man. He will only marry an Aquarius. What is my horoscope? I have to be an Aquarius, he can tell.
No, I'm an Aries.
He will only marry two wo-mans an Aquarius or an Aries. An Aries is a strong sign. I am bee-u-tee-ful and strong.
This went on and on with me laughing on the outside and secretly coming up with an escape plan on th inside. Each time I would stand up, he would, with both hands on my shoulders, push me back down onto the stoop. How I managed to escape is still a mystery. When I was finally able to free myself from the grips of Adonis I said a silent prayer of thanks to all of the Greek gods, not to let me pass him again. If I had walked by him a fourth time I am pretty sure I would now be married.

In Santorini I went to a little place that was away from the main center of town and I was the only other person in the place. (Which I honestly don't mind.) The waiter offered to join me.
Sure, why not.
He drank while I ate and drank. I taught him English while he taught me Greek. Sadly, he also kept bringing me shots of alcohol that I am sure was pure fire-water and all I remember is Yammis (spelled phonetically) which is Greek for Cheers! After a liter of wine and several shots of the fire-water, into a taxi and back to my hotel I went to pass out. he offered to take me back to his place, "which was only five feet away. Right across the street." But of course.

Mykonos: Delos

Delos is the birthplace of Apollo.
During the Hellenistic period the city was a major port of trade both in terms of goods and slaves. The city had no planning in terms of building or population control, thus is suffered from poor planning and over-crowding. At its height over 30,000 people lived there. The architecture of the homes and buildings started in Delos and then was copied in parts of Italy and Pompeii. The houses were made of granite, mud, and stone and the main source of light came from oil lamps, candles, and the homes also had no roofs.




The theater of Delos





The museum of Delos








Yep, it's a giant penis.

Yep, it's an alter to the almighty penis.

Mykonos

The pelican who joined me for lunch.






He's finished with me.



The streets and sidewalks of Mykonos






Aphrodite's breasts. (They're kinda big. She must of had a boob job.)



The monostary of Mykonos. Camera flashes aren't allowed inside the church, thus the blur of the pictures.

Cheesy self-portraits

I know this probably isn't the most flattering picture, but I LOVE it. This is after a day of sun, jumping into the sea, sea salt, chlorine, and hiking to the top of a volcano. This was taken on the balcony of my hotel in Kamari, Santorini.

Greece

Santorini: Fira

Fira is the capitol of Santorini. My hotel was in the town of Kamari, which was about ten miles from the major hub.
My hotel, the Plaza. A tad different than the one in New York. My room was at the far left...the one away from all of the other rooms. Not sure why...

A church just down the road from the hotel











The streets of Santorini are essentially made of volcanic rock protruding from concrete. Pretty, but not easy or comfortable to walk on.