Provocolate: Peloponnese

Showing posts with label Peloponnese. Show all posts

Sunday, January 8, 2017

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.

A Drive to Gytheio, Peloponnese, is all Curves and Romance

While I was visiting Eumelia a couple of weeks ago, we spent an evening in Gytheio with our hosts. The drive was all green and rocky and curvy with the sea weaving in and out of view- very Grace Kelly via Hitchcock. And on that note, you won't find a more confident driver than Janet- who grew up driving an endless assortment of vintage cars in various states of repair. She takes a curve with control and style, and there are plenty of them.

Also, I'm not so easy to drive with- "Oh!" then "Oh!" every time we take a new corner - it's like the landscape is posing. Summing up the coastal drive down the central peninsula of the Peloponnese- it is beautiful, but more than that, it is stylish. You feel chic just careening around in it, taking snapshots.

I imagine the thrill of taking the road during a winter storm, waves lashing the car.

As soon as we enter Gytheio I enjoy a flashback to a '70's Dachia with no seat belts (Mei Mei's godfather secured the car seat with a fat rope), en route to Kythera- from Gytheio you can go to Kythira, Antekythira, Crete. There were two boats a day- morning and evening. I remember we had a reservation, so a priest had to drive off the boat to make space for us. We didn't see anything of Gytheio- just the line of cars for the ferry. i see it now- a town of ferries and fishing boats, it has the self-sufficient charm of a place that doesn't really care if you are there or not.

The fishing boats set out at sunset; children dance in the plateia:

These are cheerful sights, but to be honest, there is a faint melancholy in the humid air, a romantic kind of melancholy. We see an island with a beautiful lighthouse, connected by a short causeway. Out there, among the pines, the wistful mood takes deeper hold -

-only to be banished when we return to the mainland and see the blue and white checkered tablecloths at a taverna so close to the sea you could fall right in. We stroll, and soon meet our hosts. And we walk to the very same taverna of my dreams, and we do sit dangerously close to the sea, but no one falls in, and we have a great time. Actually, a perfect time, and a perfect meal- I think the calamari- fried crisp and juicy and dry on the outside-not a bit greasy- are the high point, but that turns out to be the plate of red mullet to come. Fried fresh mullet taste like crab that has decided to become a fish. Georgia, our hostess, has kindly invited us, and I want to thank her mother for the excellent cooking.

In the front of the restaurant, a gentleman watches the match- England is losing to Iceland (this just after the brexit vote) in the UEFA final sixteen. Well, it is Georgia's father, and he caught the mullet we loved that very morning. He beams with pride, and leaves the photos to his wife and daughter.

The sweet melachcholia of the island had by now faded from my heart completely- the lively conversation, the ouzo, the fish. "Did you go to Kranai?" The island has a name? I tell Frangisko we did, and that it was sweet but somehow a little forlorn (like a crush that doesn't turn out like it should.)

"Kranai is where Paris consummated his relationship with Helen, and it was from here they left for Troy." A beautiful explanation- the ultimate, epic, crush gone wrong at its romantic beginning.

The perfect meal-

If you go to Gytheio, you can have the quintessential taverna meal- tables at the waters' edge, the freshest seafood, and the warmest service - at Trata (the name means small fishing boat).

The perfect home away from home-
As for Eumelia, I miss the velvet black skies and the olive trees at dawn a little every day.

Getting here was easy, but also and adventure. KTEL buses leave several times a day from the Kifissos KTEL station in Athens (get the #51 bus on Menandrou street near Omonia square). The grungiest of bus stations makes a great contrast to the drama of the canal of Corinth and the mountains of Taygetos you will be seeing on your way.

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-