Beekeeping and petting chicks.

I went to Linda Fagioli-Katsiotas' house (look at The Nifi Book Review post to see who she is) and she showed me her bee hives. Luckily for me, the honey was ready to eat, so we cut it up and put it into jars so I could bring them home. It was the most delicious honey I have ever tasted, and I thank you, Linda and Nick, for giving me some. Then, they told me that they also had newborn baby chicks! So obviously, I had to take pictures. Here are some of them:

                                           Taking the drawers out from the hive.

Yikes! Full of bees!

All chopped up

Nearly ready...

The final product!! (So good)

A baby chick

So many of them

The Nifi Book Review

The Nifi, meaning the bride in Greek, has become over the course of the last few days, one of my favourite books. It's a true story about an American woman named Linda Fagioli-Katsiotas, who marries a Greek man named Nikos (Nick) and talks about how she tried to fit in in the village of Margariti, Greece. Linda also explains very well the hard life of Nick's mother, Chevi. I am having a lot of trouble trying to review this book, as I love it so much, and as I know the author. She is one of the most amazing and wonderful people I know, full of kindness and generosity, as well as her husband Nick. 

As I was in Margariti, I took the opportunity to take pictures of the actual places that Linda describes in her book. Obviously, they have changed since the first time Linda visited. 

Also, there is a blog that she created.  Visit Linda

Here is the house that Linda and Nick were going to buy, which is now a museum.

This is the taverna that Nick's brother owned, which is now a really good pizza restaurant.

This is the house that Chevi put a cross on so that she could live there. 

This place wasn't in the book, but it could've been. It is a matchmaker's house. So if you ever want to get yourself a husband or wife, you go there!

Animals in my yard?!

This morning, we heard numerous bells ringing in the distance. As the sounds became louder, we rushed outside to find to cows grazing in our driveway! Next, we went out to lunch, and hundreds of sheep were baaing their way up the road! 

Hike Down The Vikos Gorge, Zagori

A few days ago, I got up early in the morning to hike down and up the Vikos Gorge. It wasn't the best time of day to do it though, because the bears were still awake. Or at least the one the Shepard's dogs were chasing! It was very scary, because we not only heard the deafening yapping of dogs and their bells clinking constantly, but we could also hear faint growling sounds that we later realised were from a brown bear! Sadly, I didn't get a picture of the bear, but I did get a few of the gorge.

Stalagmites or Stalactites?

I often get confused as to which is which; stalagmites or stalactites? Stalactites are the rock formations that hang from the ceiling, and stalagmites are the ones that grow from the ground. I went to an enormous cave today, and I learnt many things regarding caves. 

Link to Official Page

River Acheron/Styx

Yesterday, I went swimming in the river Acheron, or as the Romans called it, Styx. Now, the river Styx is very famous for Hades and other gods who travelled across before going to the Nekromanteion (You can see another post of mine on that subject). As it happens, the river Acheron is a very nice place to swim. With some friends, I walked upriver for a while, then floated right back down to a restaurant. It was amazing, and I want to thank the people who brought me there.

Let's Go To The Underworld

Today, we went to the Nekromanteion (the Oracle of the Dead). In the story of Persephone, she was brought to the Underworld by force to marry Hades. Any normal person could go, to ask a question to the dead. They could only go once though, because then they would figure out the scam. First they had to pay a lot of money. They were cleansed in utter darkness so as not to get contaminated by the spirits of the dead. They ate pork, broad beans, lupin, barley bread, and drank water, milk, and honey. The priests prayed to the demons, then throws a stone to chase away all evil. The broad beans and lupins cause indigestion, hallucinations and vertigo. They believed they were walking for days into the Underworld, when actually they were walking through a short maize, with disoriented shadows all around them. When they arrived in the room that they would speak to the dead, they had to stay on the other side of the room, so they wouldn't see that their great-grandmother was actually being played by a random man. During the cleanse, the pilgrims didn't know how long they were there (it was 28 days). Also, the priest would ask them questions about what they were looking for, and put together an answer they could invent. 

  
                  
          The different rooms would be covered by dirt, so we could only see a church.

                 After the cleanse, this arch is where the priest would throw the stone.

                           
                                          This is the beginning of the maize.

                                            The room to speak the the dead. 

Goats On The Move! (Zagori, Greece)

As we were driving back from the pools of water, down the windy mountain road, a herd of goats appeared out of nowhere and blocked our path. It was quite a funny sight, actually. 

Natural Swimming Pools In The Zagori

Today, I went to some natural pools of freezing water near a village called Mikro Papingo on top of a mountain. I went swimming, but it was very cold. I recommend it as a place to visit in the summer for swimming early in the morning or in the winter for taking pictures, as they freeze over. Her are some pictures:

                                                                        The view

The main pool

A smaller pool to wade in

                                                                A walkway of grapes

Kiwis 

                                                               A little frog

Captain Corelli's Mandolin Book/Movie Review

                 










Captain Corelli's Mandolin is a well-written book by Louis De Bernières and an amazing movie. Set on the island of Cephallonia in Greece during the second world war, it is about a young Greek girl called Pelagia who lives with her father, and how she has to choose between two men, one of them is part of the Greek resistance, and the other an Italian captain. The island is bombed, families are torn apart by war and earthquakes, while Pelagia is trying to live her life normally. I really recommend either the book or the movie, although I must say, even if the movie is easier to understand, the book has more details and is better. 

A Greek Meal

This simple meal is one of my favourites. It's perfect for when you're too lazy to cook, or when you don't want a heavy meal. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:  Olive oil, sliced tomatoes, feta cheese, mint, white toast, salt and pepper (optional)

Preparation: Pour the olive oil into a bowl, then place the sliced tomatoes on top. Cut the feta into cubes then place them on top of the tomatoes. Now, for the mint, I used mint that was grown in my garden, but store-bought mint is fine. Rinse then cut the mint into small, thin pieces, then sprinkle them over the salad. You can dip the toast inside the olive oil at the end. Salt and pepper are for the salad. ENJOY! :) 

A hike in the Zagori

This morning, I went for a marvellous hike with some friends in the Zagori, where we looked over the Vikos Gorge. On our way, we saw amazing rock formations made naturally. Sadly, I forgot to take pictures of the rocks, but I did take a few of the view. 

                           
                              A panorama (photo by JR)

A Blog I like

It's called Corfu Blues

Art

          What is art?

To me, art can be anything that expresses emotion or colour. Here are a few examples:

Music is art.

Pastel drawings are art (I made it) 

Patchwork is art (I made it)

Paint is art

Dabbles are art!