Ah Greece,
the land of my maternal ancestors, a place where I hadn't been since I was 9 months old, so it was all new to me. It was risky business I knew, but I took my brother with me for a supposed adventure. Getting there was a pain. We were at the mercy of the airlines from DC to London to Athens to the big island a few miles away from Turkey called Lesvos. Our destination, the town of Plomari, was way south from the airport. The car we rented, a mini Suzuki Jimmy, had a broken speedometer and horn. There were sharp turns and steep climbs along the road to Plomari which made the trip without a horn kind of exciting, and along the way was the distinct smell of goats.
From the picture above you may guess at our reaction when we reach Plomari. Awe-inspiring. The sea was a lovely clear blue, darker than the water at the Bahamas and not as salty. The coast was actually not sand but pebbles - a plus in my book. As long as you had sea shoes it was fine. The sky was clear 95% of the time. The white marble houses cast a shine that people miles away could see. With every turn of the head, there was a church - near the beach, at the top of every hill. Some churches were just alters with domes, standing room only, and they all had beautiful icons inside.
Our cousin who lived in Plomari had a farm by the sea with more than twenty fruit trees, mostly figs and pomegranates, but some oranges and limes too and plenty of grapes. She let us eat as much fruit as we wanted. If you go to Greece, go in early September when the figs are ripe and deep red inside and enjoy the taste of sweet nectar.
There were stray cats everywhere. But not like the dirty, disease-carrying strays you'd see in the city. These were more like community cats. They didn't have homes but always stood on porches waiting for a bite from the neighbors.
Speaking of food, the seafood was spectacular. During my stay I focused on eating mostly octopus or squid at dinner. I vowed never to eat squid unless it was fresh. But the rest of Greek food was just as good. Goat cheese never tasted bolder, the filo was always crunchy, and every Greek salad we had was scrumptious as well as healthy.
So if you were to choose a place that is not too hot, not too bland, and not expensive, Greece is the word.
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