Delicious thistle buds

Sitting in the passenger seat of Christofer's car I squint to make out what the familiar shapes were that were nearly bursting out of the back of the rickety old pick up in front of us. Artichokes! A whole truck full of artichokes! I can't believe my eyes. I remembered seeing these spartan looking plants in Kevin's garden years back, but to see so many spilling out of the back of an old pickup seemed absurd to me. 2 Euros buys me about 15 massive artichokes and a lot more work than I anticipate, but well worth every second.

Seeing Athens

No trip to Athens is complete without a trip downtown for a little taste of thens across the ages. I especially like the old lady in black lighting a cigarette with the boys in the background. The quantity of smoking here is downright medieval. It seems they have only just barely left behind the medievl philosophy of putting their newborns in smoky cubby holes next to the fireplace to protect them from evil spirits. What I am meaning to say is that the first thing that overwhelms you about Greece is how much these people smoke

A plateful of Koukia

Koukia, or the fava bean, I had no idea how tasty this Mediterranean symbol of spring harvest could be. We were fortunate enough to arrive at George and Sandra's just in time to enjoy a fava and potato stew fresh from George's garden.

Originally from North Africa, fava beans in a dish known as ful medames is Egypt's number one breakfast item. In Southern Europe, the lowly fava, which grows heartily between early spring and late summer, has saved many a region from famine.

Having had George's fava stew I know that fava will definitely feature in my future dream garden.

Lemons, I've got lemons

I've mentioned in the past the whole lemon and lime debacle in Mexico. Now, Mexico calls limes lemons which in my mind is criminal because a lime is a lime and a lemon is a lemon and they both have their own magic - so stop trying to pass one off as the other! With one taste of the lemons that come fresh off the tree hanging in Helen's garden in Xiropigado, no self-respecting Mexican could ever go back to calling a lime a lemon. And when that day comes Christofer is ready to build a lemon empire in lemon deprived Mexico. For now I propose, simple breakfast of fresh squeezed lemonade with a bowl of strained yogurt smothered in fir honey and topped with almonds and a squeeze of lemon? So simple. So delightful! A natural accompaniment would be a little side dish of Zorba.

Arriving Xiropigado

What a lovely thing it is, after nearly a month of mishap filled travel, to arrive at Helen's Apartments in Xiropigado and to discover that there is still a little bit of Greek Easter left in Helen's ceramic bunny basket. A double surprise were the Easter dinner leftovers on my plate. Thanks to Helen and Christopher for hosting me in my obscenely sleep deprived and jet lagged state.