MY CHRISTMAS GIFT

My Christmas gift from Z was a trip to Prevesa in the south west of Greece. Our 5-hour journey was beset with initial very heavy rain, a tractor blockade of striking farmers and extensive roadworks involving detours into unknown terrain. ☹

However, we arrived safely at our hotel – in an ideal location just outside the city- ready to party.

We celebrated Christmas Eve with a buffet meal and live music. A real surprise was Z making a rare sortie onto the dance floor to honour his homeland as they played Thracian music. I actually found myself, at one point, in the lead dance position – argghhh! I did manage to lead without any mishaps in step/tempo for a few sets before graciously conceding the role!

Christmas day dawned mild and sunny – the shot below shows the lovely setting of our hotel there in the background. Exploring Prevesa in spring-like sunshine was a joy. Its port, in a well-sheltered bay, is the winter quarters of magnificent yachts from all over the world - N. Europe, the States, Australia

Walking around whetted our appetite – I had to kneel on the pavement to get us-at yet-another-table from an interesting perspective. This taverna offered us its famed prawns.

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Boxing Day saw us going across, down and over to the nearby island of Lefkada. Here we are driving through the one-kilometre under-sea tunnel ……

…while below we see the road bridge, with more beautiful yachts moored on the island. En route we saw a flock of magnificent flamingoes obviously drawn by the local shrimps, but traffic conditions didn’t allow us to snap them. ☹

The narrow streets, with bougainvillea and jasmine still in bloom, were really picturesque.

We had a glorious time there and only the thought of our lonely kitties made us ready to leave. This early morning shot from our hotel balcony helps you understand our reluctance to go.

 

Our OAP Outing !

 

After much persuasion on my part (!) we became members of the local senior citizen group and attended our first trip with them. We explored parts of Halkidiki on a cloudy but mild day.

We first visited the village of Arnaia but despite the efforts of our patient, adept driver our large coach could not manoeuver the narrow, cobbled streets so we went on foot. We marvelled at the beautiful, brightly coloured stone buildings. Our driver was, indeed, excellent!

Our planned visit was to the Saint Kosmas Nunnery outside the village where the nuns offered us coffee and biscuits. One sister related an interesting account of the sanctuary history while another gave a talk of a more ‘spiritual’ nature: extolling the Orthodox faith, she pronounced that only those believers would be admitted to paradise - in one sentence banishing the 2.5 billion Christians to hell fires, claiming divine security for the 280 million Orthodox followers. :O  Clearly, she had not got the memo explaining that those of the Jewish faith believe they are the chosen ones. Scenes I’d like to see: representatives of those groups debating the issue and, for good measure, we should throw a Free High Scottish Presbyterian into the mix.  😊

What did impress me there were the lovely stained-glass windows with the peacock design.

Another wee visit we made was to the richly embellished St Stephen Church.

The original one had been burned down in 2005, and while it was renovated, they retained some of the original features, clearly visible through the partial glass flooring – fascinating.

Our lunch stop in Stratoni allowed us to see the loading bay for exporting ore concentrates – mainly silver, zinc and lead – to European markets. The mine, non-operational for a few years, was re-opened in 2006 by Hellas Gold.

Here is our cheery band of co-travellers who entertained us on our return trip with ribald jokes and lusty singing! May we enjoy other such well-organized outings in future!

Zissis and I wish you all a happy festive time with health and peace. 😊

 

Plymouth

In my last post about our trip tp Plymouth, I didn't mention so much about the city per se - so here goes - my descriptionof Britain's Ocean City, as she is also known! She boasts three universities : Plymouth University, Plymouth College of Art and Plymouth Marjon University. 

This was our excellent hostelry, The Three Crowns, which are just visible on the wall. Their rooms were above the bar,  so booze on tap and right in the busy Barbican area.   

As in London, the name denotes an original fortified post or gateway, its narrow cobbled streets conceal lots of surprises. Below you can see the gin-producing distillery stack. There are lots of tourists shops, many luring you in with their goodies made from Devon's famous dairy products: fudge, tablet, toffees as well as establishments offering scones and cream teas. 

We had learned our lesson in Brighton when Marina's longed-for breakfast was snaffled aloft by a marauding gull. Here there is clearly a similar problem. This poster warns  against feeding gulls as they can become aggressive nuisances.  This one is certainly not appealing !

 

Now I had heard of Plymouth Hoe but I must confess to not knowing what that was . :0 Here it is : The Hoe is a green park area sloping down to the sea.   It is a site for major events, has a putting green, picnic areas, and an Art Deco Lido with a natural sea-water pool, open from April to September. The War Memorial  honours those in active service who fell in both world wars.

 

Below you can see Smeaton's Tower. A lighthouse originally warning mariners of the Eddyson Reef, it was relocated inland in 1882 and is now  regularly visited by tourists.

 

Legend has it that it was here in 1588 that Sir Francis Drake played his cool game of bowls while awaiting the arrival of the Spanish Armada which he famously thrashed .  From here The Pilgrim Fathers embarked on The Mayflower in 1620 seeking  freedom  to practise their Protestant faith in the New World. Other world-famous explorers who left on their adventures from these shores are : Captain Cook (1768), Charles Darwin (1831) and Scott of the Antarctic (1912).

Plymouth is essentially a seaport whose economy was originally based on ship-building and sea trade. She houses HMNB Devonport, the largest operating naval base in Western Europe.  Today there are regular ferry links to Brittany and Spain and her pretty harbour bustles all year round. 

Incidentally this  shot  below used no filters - these were the natural colours of that grey day !

 

But let's not  forget why we visited this grand dame : to attend Angeliki's graduation ceremony.

This is my fave picture  of her, gowned and hooded,  taking a celebratory sip of champagne. 

A Worthy Celebration.

The Intrepid Two meet up at 07.30 at Athens airport for another adventure, which meant a very early rise for me ....and my driver ! :) Our Aegean flight to Gatwick was fine ... apart from the catering. Breakfast, purporting to be Croque Monsieur, was brittle and well-nigh impossible to cut without  little pieces of 'shrapnel' flying off the tray. Croque Missile, more like! Then a train trip ( again disrupted !!) to Plymouth. What is it with English trains?!

  

We were there to attend Angeliki's graduation at Marjon University and she had organised everything beautifully. Our b&b accommodation at the  Three Crowns bar was perfect  with this lovely view of the harbour 

                                               

We needed some sustenance beforehand and, instead  of the local Devon cream tea, we went for the  Cornish Pastie - well, we were  on the borders of the two counties. A semi-circular short crust pastry pie, usually filled with meat and potatoes, it has a thick bevelled crust all around for ease in holding. Tradition says this was the food carried to work by the Cornish tin-miners.  

First the gown, hood and cap had to be picked up and here she is titivating a little before going to the venue, St Andrew's Church.

 And here The Master's - with distinction !! - is being conferred on her by the Vice-Chancellor. Isn't the University officials' rich regalia  impressive? 

 When it came to  shooting Angeliki , her fellow course-members and their tutor, I wanted  to show off the hoods, shaped according to the university with colours  dependent on the faculty department. It's interesting to see that the graduates wear the traditional mortarboard - the square board attached to a skull cap, while their tutor wears the doctoral soft-crowned, round-brimmed Tudor bonnet. Incidentally, since there are now so many universities in Britain, with each one selecting designs and colours for their academicals, in 2001 the Groves classification was  introduced whereby details for each uni are identified by a code of letters and numbers.

                                               

Christina, a friend, currently a doctoral candidate and tutor at the University of Lancashire, came down to share in the celebrations, bringing a beautiful bouquet. 

 

Her family run the award-winning  Greek restaurant, Greekouzina, in Preston and we were delighted they came to join us.  

 

The local gin distillery with restaurant seemed the ideal venue for our celebratory meal. 

Good food, great company and high spirits - a really memorable evening !

Grapes And Their By-products.

 
It is that time of year again -  grape-picking time.  Once more this year there has been a fine yield. Once the grapes - red/white being used to produce still, dry  wine - have a juice sugar reading of 22-27o Brux on the refractometer for every 100 grams, then they are deemed ready to pick.

 I reckon it has something to do with the enthusiasm  of the pickers, despite the back-breaking conditions under a hot sun. 

Our worthy team have filled the crates and empied their contents into the grape destemmer crusher machine. This means foot-trampling is no longer necessary . Shame that, as  it might have been an interesting experience!

The fermentation process then begins and continues until there are no more bubbles in evidence and once there is no more residual sugar or the temperature is around 140o F  / 60 oC -all of which indicate there is nothing more for the yeast to feed on. A specific gravity reading on a hydrometer of less than .998  will also indicate the process has been completed. Once the liquid turns clear and no further sediment collects, bottling can begin.  

This year the grapes produced 300 litres of Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon - not too shabby! As ever the vineyard owners put on a spread for the team. It reminds me of years ago back home when local farmers would band together to take in each other's harvest  and the farmer's wife would cater for them all. Nowadays farmers complete the task single-handedly using massive  combine harvesters. 

Angeliki had really honoured the team effort as she'd prepared: meat balls - with / without sauce, stuffed vine leaves, Greek salad, fried potatoes, fried peppers, aubergine salad lashings of wine and tsipouro! Thankfully the lads had completed the harvesting , so they could enjoy a long siesta after the meal!  

 

Once the grape mash has been drained, you get  grape juice  - pure and unadulterated. I boiled this down to become more concentrated, heading towards the molasses stage. 

This must, generously spiked with cinammon, along with butter and flour, produces these must cookies. On a chilly morning, with a cup of tea, they make a cheering breakfast.  :)   

 

GLASGOW - The Dear Green Place.

On our Scottish trip in August, our base was Glasgow, The Dear Green Place. This endearing name derives from Gaelic and  the city does contain many parks and green spaces. This sign was on  the hoardings around George Square where extensive work began earlier this year and is expected to be completed by August 2026. Running to the tune of over 123 million  pounds, this project will provide widened peripheral pavements, raised lawns, new trees, new seating and sheltered areas.  Statues have already been removed for cleaning and restoration  - I can't wait  to see the refurbished popular area. 

 

One of our first 'Scottish' experiences in the city was hearing the skirl of the bagpipes. Off we wnet in search of the musicians and , to our surprise, found they were from Brazil. All decked out in Highland garb they proudly played with enthusiasm!  

When in Edinburgh we met a friend who confessed he was a bit 'drouthy' - a lovely Scottish word, with the same roots as 'drought', for 'thirsty'. So when I saw this establishment name I had to record it. Colin, this one's for you ! :) 

You'll notice the sign includes a traffic cone  - a nod to the local habit of placing one on the statue of the Duke of Wellington, thus expressing their pride, affection and humour. It's now an established land mark : he has been officially bedecked with a yellow and blue cone in support of Ukraine, a gold cone to honour team GB's success at the 2012 Olympic Games and a replica of the statue took its place in the Commonwealth Games in 2014.  Wonder if he'll be a feature of the same event next August?

 

This marvellous mural is just by the banks of the river. A favourite of mine - we have a replica of one of his chairs -  Charles Rennie Mackintosh  was a famous local architect and artist. Here is his handsome rendition adorned by his famous rosebud design.  

When we attended the Tutankhamun Immersive Exhibition, it was on the Scottish Event Campus which was completed in 2000. One of the three venues there is the impressive Clyde Auditorium seen below. It is better known by the  local nickname, The Armadillo!

 

Of course while there we enjoyed epicurean experiences  - here we are at The Ivy, part of a national chain of restaurants. Its warm ambience and friendly staff really helped us savour our steak and fish'n'chips.  

I have to close with my Clydeside pose .I am so proud to say that, being born in the city, I am considered to be a 'Weegie'. May it not be too long until we return to the Dear Green Place.

 

TheTutankhamun Immersive Exhibition

                              

A special Glasgow experience was attending Tutankhamun, The Immersive Exhibition  at the Scottish Event Campus.  

The Egyptian civilisation in North Africa was located in much the same geographic area as modern Egypt. Generally speaking, in the 4th millenium BC, in the Predynastic Period, there was evidence of cultures in different parts of the Nile Valley. In 3,000 BC , after conflict amongst these groups, they were united under one leader, Narmer, who is credited with being the first King of Dynasty O.

It was during the Old Kingdom around 2,250 BC that the Giza pyramids were constructed. The Middle Kingdom, however, around 2,000 BC is one of the most brilliant times of the Pharaonic culture characterised by its advanced art and literature.  

Below is the putative family tree with Tutankhamun being the son of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, his great royal wife - though there are other maternal possibilities! 

Tut's tomb was discovered in 1922  in the Valley of the Kings, Luxor by the British archaeologist Howard Carter. Comprising four chambers in all, they were full of spectacular treasures: gold-covered chariots, ornate alabaster vessels, inlaid furniture, jewellery and other personal belongings.  

We were shown the tomb contents in all their glory.There was even a demo of how the mummification was carried out but, thankfully it was not shown in detail ! :0  

 This really was a unique experience with the worlds of hi-tech and history merging impressively. Images projected  on the walls of the 'black box'  led us through the Pharaonic times, making our protagonist almost come to life.  At some points we had individual virtual reality helmets which heightened the experience greatly.  There were even holographic images of little silver geckos scuttling around the floor and appearing to climb on the legs and the backs of the audience !!   Technology and scientific research could also tell us that Tutankhamun was only 19 at the time of his death, that he had malaria, a small cleft palate and  that he had a leg fracture which could have contributed to his death.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

 

The two items in this glorious trove that really  were awesome were  the famous solid-gold mask which was laid on his mummy and the gold throne.  The throne was embossd in gold sheet, inlaid with thick vitreous paste and semi-precious stones. The art work depicts his shoulders being annointed by his royal wife, Ankhsenamur.

                                     

The items on display in the exhibition were a mix of originals and replicas. Z and I were fortunate to have been to the Archaeological Museum in Cairo some years ago and so have seen the original pieces in situ. But what we await eagerly is to visit the new Grand Egyptian Museum  in Giza, due to open in November 2025. This new museum was necessitated since the  previous one was slowly sinking into the sand with the weight of its massive artefacts. 

At the estimated construction cost of a billion dollars it sounds to be very grand indeed!