Explore Lesvos from Skala Kallonis, the ldeal Seaside Village

Around this time last year, I was invited on the most unique blogging trip I had ever had. This dynamic woman from Lesvos, with an ice cream parlour and rooms in picturesque Skala Kallonis, saw that Lesvos' hospitality industry was having a hard time, after a half a million refugees had passed through the island, sometimes literally washing up on the the shores. The crisis had touched everyone we met, on a deeply personal level. So Maria invited us, Travel Bloggers Greece, to experience what Lesvos is- beauty, inside and out. Today is her birthday- and honestly we think about her all the time- that trip made us all think about Greece, and about blogging, with a deeper sense of purpose than before. Greece offers a lot, possibly everything, as a destination- culture, history, natural beauty. But at its best it also offers inspiration, values, an opportunity to connect with your humanity.

This was not your typical FAM trip (familiarization trip- like bloggers and journalists are invited on to get to know an area and write about it). The regional authority got us plane tickets, but all the other hospitality was personal. We stayed with Maria and Giorgos at their Natura Studios, right on the main square. From our balconies we looked out at the harbor, and we had fabulous breakfast in the sunny courtyard every morning. Great, cozy rooms, and perfect for families- like little apartments.

and we dined with their friends at cafes and restaurants. We went to a party at a distillery, made a little film there, and heard the Amanes- Lesvos' beautiful genre with a longing, haunting voice. 

Most FAM trips have an agenda- a tight schedule. We had some scheduled cultural visits- the Archaeological museum, the Gatalousi Castle, and the Petrified forest- all  of which you will want to see- but the rest of the schedule was determined by... the Island. But what do I mean by that? We're right across from Turkey; my phone thinks I'm in Istanbul.

Like the Amanes, life here has an Eastern taste; this gives them a more familiar relationship with the metaphysical. We are happy to put ourselves in the hands of the Island itself- no plan. Giorgos has the ideal approach- he is ready to take us wherever fate commands. He- and fate- get it right, every time.

Giorgos has a 4 wheel drive- useful for the island's most wild roads- with a flatbed in the back for taking in a 360 degree view and tasting the Lesvos air. 

We are out on the road seeing the whole island, but on our last day, we get to know Skala Kalonis, the perfect village where we have been staying every night.

The Ideal Location:

This map is several centuries old. But Lesvos looks more or less like this- intricate shape, lots to discover. See the bay on the left? Skala Kalonis is nestled in the bay- the most central spot on the island.

Fish, and the life of the sea:

This is the quintessential fishing village- trata (small fishing boats) bobbing in a peaceful harbor, winds at night that would wake the devil but are sweet as a lullaby if you have a clean conscience, a shipbuilder- 

Mr. Psaradelis, in speaking of shipbuilding, spoke beautifully of life itself

did you know that every single piece of wood in a boat has its own name, like our bones?- and simply the best fish you will have in Greece, which is to say, the best fish anywhere.

Passionate Ornithologists from all over the World, and the birds that draw them:

Lesvos Birding, by Steve Dudley, offers all the information you need to make the most of a birding trip. He is also a great supporter of Lesvos now during the refugee crisis. The worldwide birding community continues to visit Lesvos! The birders seem to like Dionysos restaurant- we certainly did- and that is where we met Steve Dudley.

Classic Dining Experiences:

We had dinner at a different restaurant every night- the food in Skala Kallonis is excellent.  You can rate a homestyle restaurant by how they do a classic dish- moussaka can be so-so or sublime- the aptly named Ambrosia has the best we'd ever tasted. Dionysos- mentioned here above, is a favorite of birders and I think anyone else- great seafood and fish, very friendly. For classic tastes with a more playful approach, Caprice Kitchen Bar gets it totally right. I noticed the trip advisor reviews mention the chicken fillet and prawns in creamy ouzo sauce- this was delicious. Great beachfront spot, and probably a good place to have ouzo meze, all afternoon. 

"It's five o'clock in the afternoon eleven-thirty in the morning somewhere"

You know how they say "it's five o'clock somewhere" to justify a drink early in the day? They don't say that in Lesvos. Pleasure needs no justification, and on Lesvos, neither does ouzo. Our schedule required that we have lunch at 11. And what is fried fish without an ouzo, especially on Lesvos, the island that has perfected the culture of what is possibly the world's most civilized drink. The fish was fresh caught mullet- fried, I think, in a little cornmeal. The restaurant was Mimi's. Perfectly fried seafood, stellar meze. 

Skala Kalonis is the perfect destination, and the perfect home base for exploring this extraordinary island. George and Maria at Natura Studios will help you make the very most of your stay, and you will leave them as friends.

No place in Greece has left a more profound impression on me, in every way.

When you see the news and say "oh that's so terrible look at all those people fleeing their homeland..." you can do something really easy, and really fun, to help. The refugee situation will not affect your holiday at all, but in going to Lesvos, you will spend your holiday money supporting the people who have supported all these people in need.

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Loving Pelion- the Ultimate Greek Weekend Destination (Part I- Sunshine)

You know how they say it's about the journey, not the destination? In Pelion (in Greek- Πήλιο "Pilio") it's both. Called the mountain of the Centaurs, Pilio forms the curved peninsula that defines the nearly enclosed Pagasetic gulf. With the coves and rocky beaches of the open Aegean on one side, the gulf on the other, the snow capped mountain above, and the woods all around, getting from one place to another is a pleasure in itself. The best vacation deal in Greece is the 5.60 € bus ticket from Volos to Tsagarades- the first half hour hugging the sea, then a steady climb through forests, postcard villages, and glimpses of the turquoise waters below. 

We're here on a special trip- our Travel Bloggers Greece Anniversary celebration, hosted by the hospitality group Spyrou Philoxenia and the Aglaida Hotel. John Grigoras of Spyrou Philoxenia has planned an ambitious and generous itinerary, which fills up even more as invitations mount. We get to meet a lot of wonderful people. Pilio can offer a staggering range of experiences over the course of a single day- here are some of ours-

Tsagarada

This beautiful village overlooking the sea, snowy Tsagarada is our home for two nights. The well - maintained roads of Pilio are narrow, and few, navigated by the world's most skillful bus drivers. No superhighways mar the landscape. But there is an alternative transportation route: stone pathways - in use for hundreds of years - connect the villages. After a breakfast at the hotel of traditional dishes- cheese pies and στραπατσάδα -strapazada- the region's popular egg and tomato scramble eaten at any time of day - we set out for to the next village on foot. 

Hiking on a 17th C path-
Nikos, our guide from Trekking Greece, is very well-informed- he gives us some history of the region (he also gives us walking sticks to navigate our snowy path). The richness of nature ιs matched by rich architecture - Αρχοντικά - aristocratic homes speaking of a prosperous history rooted in the cotton industry of Egypt (fascinatingly boosted by the American Civil War- with the world's leading cotton exporting nation out of the picture, the already strong Greek industry lead the market). There is little Ottoman influence here. It was untouched until the 17th C, then Murad IV (Sultan reigning from 1623-1640), called "Murad the Hunter" for probably various reasons (he was notoriously brutal)- one of which was actually hunting- delighted in the wild boar, and the region itself and gave it as a present to his mother, forbidding anyone but locals (and the few Viziers who collected taxes from them) to live here. This quality of charmed separateness remains to this day.

Family trip- Daughter Mei Mei with Odysseas Asithianakis (son of Dimitris of 
Photography Traveler)

Marissa of Travel Greece, Travel Europe and Mei Mei
descending into a rocky cove.

It's an easy and exciting hike- a leisurely hour and a half if you don't endlessly stop to gaze and take photos, but of course we do- and you will too. The stone path- sometimes steep enough to be really glad Nikos gave us walking sticks- brings us through dense woods opening up all the time to dramatic sea vistas, waves churning in snug coves, waters so pale opalescent green from above you think it must be summer. It also takes us from the 17th C to the ultra-present- via ...Hollywood. 

Damouchari

Damouchari cove- site of scenes from Mama Mia- is really more like a film set than nature. 

It's a cold January day, but the generous Greek sun is already heating up the golden rocks, begging you to take off your jacket, even wade a little- providing a sharp contrast for the winter pleasures of the afternoon.

Zagora-

On our way, we get another taste of mountain hospitality. Zagora is all plane trees and stone houses, smoke from wood stoves in the air, gray slate roofs and a pretty church. We are given a warm welcome by Sakis of the Hotel Owners Association of Magnesia with a classic Pelion lunch at Patis- wild mushrooms, σπετσοφάι- spezofai- (sausages with peppers and tomato), some greens we love and have never seen before and have to ask the name like three or four times until we get it right- τσιτσίραβλα- tsitsiravla are the leaves of a wild pistachio shrub, pistachio in color, too, served with a small handful of chopped garlic. It would seem bold but the table is covered with individual serving size bottles of τσίπουρο- tsipouro- the region's even bolder spirit.

Chania

Not to be confused with Chania, the Venetian town of western Crete- that one is Chaniά; this one is Chάnia. Zagora has a light dusting of snow. As we zig zag up the mountain, the landscape whitens, branches bent under the weight of the snow. The cleanly plowed road has walls of snow half a story high and the sky is like a pearl. When we arrive at the ski resort, we climb a mountain of plowed snow- no slush, no dirt just- while powder that squeaks when you walk on it and makes perfectly packed snowballs. I've heard you can see the sea from the snowy peaks as you're skiing but nothing has prepared me for what that actually looks like- pure white with the sea shimmering gold in the distance.

After a stop for coffee at the charming mountaintop hotel Manthos, and the cutting of the Travel Blogger's Greece Vasilopita (the Greek New Year's cake with a coin hidden in it for good luck) we wind down the hill in the dusk, time for one last stop.

Church of Agia Marina, Kissos

Kissos
We reach Kissos in darkness but the snow covered charm shines through in the night. Chrysoula of Travel Passionate has been to the Church and says it's wonderful. (Is it open though? No matter- this is our driver's village and he can find the priest if the church is locked). It is wonderful-  

The church is rustic and modest from the outside- stone and a slate roof characteristic of Pilio. But open the doors and it is  all opulence- Pilio wears its wealth discretely.

Travel Bloggers Greece were guests of the Aglaida Apartments- a collection of cottages and small buildings all in traditional Pilion style situated in a stunning location with views to the sea. We were equipped with a kitchenette, phone, and television.

The hotel's traditional slate roofs, with the Aegean in the distance.

Pilio in winter is cold- if you visit in the snowy season (and you really should- that combination of the Aegean + snowy peaks is out of this world), bundle up. But don't worry- a roaring fireplace and a warming tsipouro are never far away.

Next up- Pilio in the rain, and endless dining- a romantic winter Sunday.

Where is drinking elevated to a form of art?: Drinking Tsipouro in Volos.

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Inspiring Destinations in Greece: 2016 was all Beauty and Character

2016, a year of sadness and loss in so many ways, was generous in experience and inspiration. When you blog and write about travel, experiencing is the very core of the vocation, and the year was rich in it- from the grittiest of ouzeries to five star rooftop gourmet heavens, we had many fabulous experiences. 

It's not the beauty that keeps Greece fascinating: it's the fact that the beauty represents an ideal. It has been a hard year for many in Greece, and throughout Europe, for the people already here and for the refugees being welcomed every day.  Reflecting on the many wonderful, authentic experiences I had, a handful stand out.

It all comes down to character. 

Lesvos:

Giorgos- our host, guide, and friend -
on a dirt road high above the sea, 
the most beautiful and remote place we visited all year.

The longing strains of Amanes reveal a part of the island's exotic, elusive identity 

Skala Eressos- world's most romantic beach. But no need to take my word for it:
"When I look on you a moment, then I can speak no more, but my tongue falls silent, and at once a delicate flame courses beneath my skin, and with my eyes I see nothing, and my ears hum, and a wet sweat bathes me and a trembling seizes me all over."-Sappho

By the measure of character and beauty both, Lesvos was the destination of the year. Some friends and I from Travel Bloggers Greece were invited on a unique trip to experience the beauties of an island whose shores have welcomed over a half a million refugees (more like 600,000). That was the true beauty - the grace and compassion. Tourism on Lesvos has suffered. This dynamic woman, Maria, invited us to stay at their Natura Studios in Skala Kalloni. Her husband Giorgos took us all around the island in a 4 wheel drive, sharing their lives with us. Angeliki and Vassiliki from the regional authority arranged our airtickets, Eva distillery a celebration of the island's culture, Gabriela a wonderful day in Molyvos. We fell in love with Lesvos, an island that represents the best Greece has to offer on every level- nature, history, music (amanes), the refined pleasures of ouzo, charm, and - best of all - grace.

Istanbul:

Charlene, just learning that the suicide bomb we heard had killed ten people. 

The year started with sadness. My first morning ever in Istanbul was also my first brush with the brutality growing around us. We could hear the explosion at the Blue Mosque, then a long silence, then sirens, then helicopters. After such a traumatic event, our main impression remained the gracious, refined behavior of the people of Istanbul, an inspiring example of living life with grace.

Evia:

Our otherworldy winter paradise in Evia

Right after Istanbul was our Anniversary get-together, for which I had no heart after Istanbul. Voula Karat and the family at Thermae Sylla gave us an experience that was therapeutic on every level, and it was a joyous occasion. Being with blogger friends made all kinds of sense- embrace life, and share the experience.

Almopeia:

Pater Illarion inspires with a message of banishing misery and
embracing joy in everyday life

Almopeia is a quiet region in the north of Greece, known in the city chiefly as a destination for therapeutic hot springs. They are open all day and night, and an hour's drive will bring you. This makes them a wholesome cap to an evening of excess: that hot waterfall pounds the effects of any ill judgement right out of you. But on this trip, I found rejuvenation not in the falls, but in the words of a priest. He had found that in replacing "I have to" with "I want to" grace and joy has filled his life. I tried it- it works.

Eumelia:

Marilena, our sommelier, was literally bursting with life- 
The most engaging wine tasting ever.

In July, my friend Janet and I visited Marilena and Frangiskos to share in the vision of their bio-dynamic Eumelia. Frangiskos left an EU job in Brussels, drawn by the creative possibilities of living in harmony with the environment.  Theirs is a constant evolution, giving rise that extend to philosophies touching every area of life. And don't imagine some Guru/cleansing thing- we had an abundantly great time- pure joy. My most recommended trip for 2017 would be their fully curated (and sumptuously catered) "Experience, feel, taste Laconia" week.

Kilkis:

Olga and Natalia of the Pikrolimni Cultural Society 

The last trip of the year was local- Kilkis, landlocked and not even remotely touristy. Kilkis is known for its livestock and dairy, the fish of its lakes. We found serenity (Greece's Haiku Destination), endurance, and, indeed, wonderful hospitality. At Pikrolimni was the warmest of all; we arrived at the cultural center to find a grill smoking and a long table set up. They shared their cuisine with us- local Pontian specialties like piroshkis, and dark delicious wine.  It was the highlight of our trip. That is what Greece does at its best- make you feel truly welcome.

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Kilkis- Greece's Haiku Destination

The depth of Greece's beauty is astounding. usually it's bold, vibrant, unsubtle. But in the days of the first frosts under pearl gray skies,  and well before holiday sparkle, we found the quiet charm of Kilkis, a region of Greece's northern border, is not a tourist hot spot- part of its charm. There is plenty to see and do, without throngs of other map wielding visitors. You'll feel more traveler than tourist, and receive a warm welcome. 

Lake Doirani-

A favorite weekend activity in Greece is to take a long drive into the country to enjoy a specialty for lunch. Doirani is just such a destination, and its γριβάδι - carp - such a dish. 

For an aperitif, take in the lake's Zen serenity. The flat bottomed lake boats with their deep straight sides are completely still, the water's surface like a looking glass, but for the beavers, and the birds. There are few leaves to stir, and no breeze to stir them, but great flocks of wild geese break the silence, churning the water with the flapping of their wings. (They must be delicious, but this is a preserve protected by Natura, so we will never know).

Cave of St. George-

Greek caves are a treat, and for the traveler seeks hidden beauty. you can't get much more hidden than a cave. This one is a relatively recent discovery, from 1925, only mapped in 1960, and explored officially in the 1970's. But unofficially, much earlier- Vassilis Makridis (H.S.C.) carefully explored the cave and catalogued his findings throughout his early adolescence, before helping Anna Petrohilou of the Hellenic Speleological Society (H.S.C.). 

With him as guide, the cave is filled with the fresh excitement of discovery. The cave has six high spacious chambers and is full of markings, (like spot the Rhinoceros):

A noble and tragic fortress-

Γυναικόκαστρο- Gynaikokastro ("castle of Women"), from the last days of Byzantium, is so called for two reasons- 
1. It was strong enough that women could defend it alone and 
2. They did, lead by brave and beautiful Maroulia. 
While her husband the military commander led the men into battle, she and the women held the castle alone for days against the Ottomans. She leapt from the walls onto her horse, preferring a glorious death to sharing her enviable DNA with the invaders.

Church of St. George -

Rather than baroque opulence or Byzantine splendor, it's quiet folkloric beauty that communicates best with the landscape. St. George's Orthodox Church, from 1830, was painted by two brothers from the marsh like, equally sleepy Kalochori. See scenes of the banishment from the Garden of Eden and the early lives of our first family:

Kilkis is less than an hour from Thessaloniki. With as much, or as little as you'd like to do on a Winter outing, it's perfect for a very full day trip, or a very relaxing weekend. 

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The Most Delightful Wine Tasting Ever.

Eumelia, this fabulous Bio-Dynamic universe I visited late last month, was so inspiring that ironically I have done pretty much nothing since then- at least nothing tangible. All those nights of black starry skies and afternoons of the din of cicadas bring on introspection (the Ai Wei Wei show at the Cycladic Museum right afterwards helped, too). The effect of nature on the deeply urban can be profound.

Does wine count as profound? Well, I'm starting to think so. I have never learned, and loved, more about wine in a single evening than I did there, our first night. Frangiskos and Marilena arranged a wine tasting- Marilena is a sommelier- just for my friend Janet and me. Given what I do and where I live, I taste a lot of wine. Sometimes it feels pretentious, sometimes genuinely interesting, but never is it just plain fun. That is because I never had a wine tasting with Marilena, who put all the delight back into something intended to be delightful, deepening our understanding along the way.  

We sat on the back patio, olive trees reaching as far as we could see into the distance until they are lost to the gathering darkness. Each of us had a board with five glasses lined up, and a plate like a tapa in front of each one with that wines accompaniment- a feta, a local semi-hard crumbling goat cheese, some siglino (that is a smoked pork), a rich cured sausage with plenty of orange from Mani, and a little bergamot peel simmered in sugar syrup until it shines like a jewel.

It's sometimes hard to get to central truth of something on its own, especially the truth of an unfamiliar thing. Comparison is a clearer route to understanding. For instance, there is a room in the Metropolitan where you can walk back and forth, back and forth, comparing the brushwork of Frans Hals and the brushwork of Rembrandt. Once you have done this (like I was urged to do growing up), you get Hals (the bolder by far) the better, and you get Rembrandt the better. And when you get things, you enjoy them more- like the poetry of geometry, for instance. And in fact like wine- the most available but sometimes also most elusive of everyday pleasures.

Well, not always elusive-
Here are Yonker Ramp and his Sweetheart,
also enjoying some wine.

The tastes Marilena has selected are like that- they will sharpen and define qualities of the wine, becoming themselves more enjoyable. And then as we go on, the wines themselves will play off each other, too.

How to love wine better, in five simple lessons:

The crisp Asproudi just manages to catch the pale cool light of evening.

1. Asproudi + Feta from Monemvasia:
A tart, grassy white with a fresh, tangy, salty cheese.

When we begin, there is still some light in the sky, and that is a good thing because we are starting out with the whites, and color shapes our expectations. Our first wine is on the light, cool, grassy end of the spectrum. The transparency of this is beautiful- fresh light colors signal fresh light flavors- tangyness, grassyness. We look, then taste.

Actually, we look, then sniff, then taste:
"This is not exactly a savoir-vivre process. Put your nose right into the glass and sniff it, short fast sniffs like a dog does." We do. The scent fits the look- unripe, fresh, sour, lots of fresh cut grass. Marilena says this is the most important step- the tongue tells us basic information- how sweet/sour/bitter something is, but it is actually the nose that tells us it is an apricot. Now we sip, swish it everywhere around the mouth, frothing it around and getting some air into it, under and around the tongue, and the flavors are revealed. 

How acidic is it? Roll the wine far back on the sides of the tongue. Do you salivate? Yes- the wine is fresh, tangy.

Remember litmus paper in science class in school? Sour of course is acid. To balance acidity, we look for something alkaline- mineral- for example, salt. That's why we have the feta- it's a bright zingy wine and it can stand up to the salty bite of the cheese.  We want to balance the opposing properties of acid with alkaline, but we want to match intensity- bold wine goes with bold food, light with light, heavy with heavy. Pair the bright fresh Asprodi with a rich spicy meat, and the wine will simply disappear. Likewise, pair a strong red wine with some gemista (peppers stuffed with herbs and rice), and the food will disappear.

We enjoy each of them more together than we would separately. And we enjoy every bit. There is a vessel to pour out unwanted wine. No one uses it.

Bursting with life, Marilena uncorks the wine as I look on.

2. Kidonitsa + Sfella (a semi-hard goat cheese):
A richer, more complex white with a stronger, older cheese.

The next wine is also a white- heavier, more golden, and delightfully named- the grape is "Kidonitsa," which means "little quince." Why is it special? It's not just local to Laconia, but ancient and indigenous, and has only barely been rescued from extinction- cultivated before the Ottomans came, just a few vines somehow survived. As you would think with the history, there is some depth, complexity there- cherries, almonds, a beguiling hint of bitter in the after taste. In my notebook, I have scribbled: " !! fun! "

This wine is less acidic, more alkaline, heavier and more intense, and with that edge of bitterness needs something bolder to stand up to it- a crumbly goat cheese from Mani called sfella that we cannot get enough of and have for breakfast very day with melon. The sfella tames the bitter edge of the wine; the Kidonitsa brings out the richness of the cheese. 

3. Agiorgitkio + Siglino (smoked pork):
A fruity, straight-forward and not very tannic red with a meat.

Now we move on to a red, an Agiorgitiko- which  have drunk for years without ever associating the name with Saint George- Agios Giorgos- which is exactly what it is. It is a popular grape in Greece- a fruity red, soft, drinkable, not so very tannic, with strawberries and black cherries on the tongue. Usually a fruity red is a young red, but Marilena says this is "a tricky wine," actually from 2008. Agiorgitiko is a great main course wine- the grape is a safe bet with red sauces, pork, and takes to the siglino well. It also sets us up nicely for the heaviest and most complicated of the wines-

4. Mavroudi + Sausage with orange zest from Mani:
A complex, tannic red with a bold, spicy meat.

Mavroudi- which has the same DNA as the Asproudi we began with- is quite a wine. It absorbs all our attention: we go through the same process like we have with each wine- the looking, the sniffing, the swirling, but it takes longer because the wine is longer- long aroma, long aftertaste. You can feel it rolling out like a carpet. It goes through an interesting spectrum as it unfolds- fruits first, then heavier spices, then - "zoikotita"- a certain animal liveliness- barnyard giving way to meat. When that fades, there is an aftertaste of black olives, like those that will soon weigh down the branches of trees all around us.

The Mavroudi is tannic- so astringent it has us all smacking our tongue and our lips. Marilena reveals a brilliant simple truth:

Proteins cut tannins. 

That's why strong black tea takes well to milk, and why a rich tannic wine like this one calls out for meat. We bite into the sausage- the bold flavors tame the wine, the proteins tame the tannins, and it is nothing but balanced liveliness as we alternate bites with sips. 

Did I mention how Caravaggio it has grown over the course of the first four wines?

Janet and Marilena aglow in the beauty of the evening.

Now it's time for dessert.

5.  Rosé + a homemade bergamot peel in syrup:
Semi sweet with sweet, or semi sweet with super-salty (like a Sauternes with brie).

This demi - sec rosé is delicious, complicated, from Agiogioritiko, Kydonitsa, Asyrtiko, and Moschofilero. We have it with some classic spoon sweet made by Ioanna- the complex bergamot stands up to the wine, but Marilena says that, although usually we try to pair the characteristics of the wine with the food- like this perfect match, it can be fun to go the other way and balance them- a salty cheese and a sweet wine. Contrasting in taste, but equal in intensity.

The stars have been growing brighter with every sip. Now we play- moving from one wine to another, paring off different tastes, testing out the basics we have learned. In the far distance, trees are lit from below, for a little cozy drama in the night. They are glowing, just like Marilena. You look at her and think ideally all sommeliers would be 8 months pregnant- there could be no subject more full of life, and no better presenter.

The wines we enjoyed were from two local producers, Theodorakakos, and Monemvasia.

Both are near Eumelia- a paradise so pristine and untouched you cannot imagine that it is actually right in the middle of everything you would want to see- 45 minutes in any direction brings you to a new wonder- Monemvasia, swimming in the turquoise waters of Mani and having a lobster macaroni by the sea in your damp bathing suit and a pareo, the mountains of Taygetos, and ridiculously photogenic mountain villages. Then you come home and walk to your bio-dynamic chic bungalow under a blanket of stars so bright they outshine the moon.

More about Eumelia-

Tea Time in the Garden of 
Eden

A drive to Gytheio is all glamour








More about Wine:

The Beautiful World of Wine at Ktima Gerovassiliou

Wine tasting in the Land of the Divine - Mt. Olympus

More on embracing Dionysus with style and grace: Mastering the Art of Greek Drinking.

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