For students it always seems
the summer has to ‘earned’ by being examined beforehand. My picture here testifies
to the other side of the assessment desk not being much fun either! Anyway, for
assessment purposes we went, not too long ago, to Volos, a town about half-way
between Thessaloniki and Athens.
So there we were, enjoying a
sea-side ouzo-meze ... till the bill
came. Yes, that scrappy piece of paper was presented to me as my 'receipt'! The
authentic document was grudgingly brought on request. Now the establishment had
made had no declaration, as legally required to do, that they did not accept
bank cards for payment. Guess what? Their POS system had broken down ....that
very day.....hmm!
This is the unacceptable face
of Greek tourism. Tax evasion
continues to be rife, so our salaries and pensions continue to be cut to make
up for revenue deficit. If this should happen to you, let's try to do something about it: name and shame, my dears, name and shame - I have already done so on Facebook!
From Volos,
we moved off for few days of relaxation in the nearby area of Pelion. Visiting parts of Pelion is for
the more intrepid tourist, perhaps having to drive, as we did, through mist and
cloud, round vertiginous corners, while marvelling at the beautiful buildings
clinging to the rock-face.
But we knew it was worth it as we arrived in Tsangkarada at the award-winning Amanita Guesthouse, run by Filaretos and Marianna Psimmenos.
Our room was lovely and the fresh flowers being
placed inside during our absence was a lovely touch. Set in lush surroundings,
the buildings look onto herb and vegetable patches along with a variety of
fruit trees.
But the best
part of our stay had to be the breakfasts.
I could go into a huge list of what we wolfed down with great pleasure but that
would be a spoiler for those of you who go – the element of surprise is part of
the experience. Suffice it to say that the breads (black poppy-seed, white with
Chios gum and aniseed, soda bread with oats), pies and jams (orange curd, white
peach with ginger, and bramble) were
exquisite - all homegrown, home-made and if not, as in the case of the cheese,
then provenance was provided! I have to mention, however, the Greek ‘muesli‘,
an inspired, tasty twist on the traditional
‘kollyva’ dish, and what was described as a fruit pie turned out to be a
rich cherry sauce atop the most magnificent pasta flora base. Marianna, may I have your recipe please?!
Gourmet is a term often associated with pretentiousness and paltry portions. This
was cooking that was informed, inspired and imaginative, and which Filaretos
generously served up with unbridled relish. He had us – Germans, Greeks,
French, Scots – all trying to guess what the jam he served with the cheese and
ham was - delicious but ….not telling !
When
Greek ‘meraki’, or passion, is brought into the hospitality recipe, the outcome
is superb.
Thank you, both, for making our stay such an unforgettable one!
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