Now The Carnival Is Over …

 

Orthodox Easter falls on April 12^th, the first Sunday after the spring solstice first full moon, one week after the ‘Catholic Easter’ as they dub it here. We’ve been celebrating the pre-Lenten period with Carnival revelry and fun. Below the locals in the nearby village of Souroti celebrate ‘Clean Monday’ when the 40 days observance begins, running up to Easter.

 

There are specific gastronomic no-nos: meat, dairy produce, fish with backbone – no me, neither :{ - olive oil and wine. This means vegetables and sea food dominate the diet of observing families.

We joined friends for lunch at a local ouzeri and it seemed that ALL the permitted dishes were there: beans, salads, octopus, kalamari, prawns, crayfish, lobster – hardly smacking of abstinence at all as we emptied the plates, downing quantities of ouzo and wine! Then we came back to ours for coffee and a definitely non-kosher cheesecake! :o

As February wanes the weather hasn’t yet settled and can be cool, but the sun is slowly  warming and there are signs that spring is on its way.

The almond trees are flourishing and sleepy bees busy about the blooms. Prunus roots Z planted nearby have taken and are now in flower.

Last night our night sky was a definite ‘red sky at night’- the sailors’ delight!  The carnival is, indeed, over and we must say our last goodbyes to February. Looking forward to new days in a new month with hope.  

ESTIA

Let me introduce you to the Greek goddess, Estia. Sister of Zeus, she was regarded as the kindest goddess, forgiving, content and, along with Athena and Artemis, was a virgin goddess, who swore an oath of celibacy. She protected the family, the home, the hearth.

The Greek word estia bears a rich semantic load and ‘the hearth’ is probably the sense that it most commonly conveys.

Our recent, dreich, dismal weather does not entice you to move far from your fireside. Cold winds and rain encourage me to produce more wholesome, comforting fare.

This week we enjoyed chicken soup and by the pot is a banana bread mix ready for the oven.

On Burns’ Day I fancied food from the homeland: beef stew, mashed tatties with the nearest turnip substitute I can find – a mix of carrot and parsnip.

Angeliki, our upstairs neighbour, celebrated her birthday with a pavlova I made for her – albeit a bit out of season.

                                              
The left-over cream and strawberries prompted me to bake a batch of scones which cheered up our cold-day breakfast. 😊

These foods I’ve been describing- and readily consuming - could be described as comfort food, childhood favourites representing the warmth of the home, recalling enjoyed and extended hospitality, with the focus on sharing food with others.

The word estia is one I love - with all the connotations of warmth, it even depicts the ‘hob’, another home focus.  It can refer to ‘state-offered student accommodation’ ‘the origin’, ‘the cradle’ – even ‘the epicentre of an earthquake’.

However, my beloved Chambers dictionary sadly let me down. It claims the word comes from the French verb ‘to restore’. Don’t believe a word of it. The derivation is unarguably Greek – ‘estiatorio’- where hospitality is extended. 

So next time you go out for a meal, remember our kindly Estia! 😊

 

 

 

An’ Forward Tho’ I canna See

Having just celebrated Burns’ Day and looking ahead to what 2026 has to offer, the lines,

 ‘An’ forward tho’ I canna see, I guess an’ fear.’

came to mind. Written by Burns in 1785, he bemoans how his plough has rendered the mouse homeless and how unpredictable the future can be.

But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane

In proving foresight may be vain;

The best-laid schemes o' mice an 'men

Gang aft agley,

An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,

For promis'd joy!

Still thou art blest, compar'd wi' me

The present only toucheth thee:

But, Och! I backward cast my e'e.

On prospects drear!

An' forward, tho' I canna see,

I guess an' fear!

However, I’m going to change that last thought to something more positive:

‘I guess with cheer.’

2025 had some momentous …. moments that will bridge into 2026.

Below is our much-loved niece, Jen, who recently was promoted to the position of Public Health Principal at Barnsley Council and also gained a much-in-demand place on a course to become an UK Public Health Register Practitioner. All this while bringing up two little ‘uns with a husband who often works away. Awesome – and she will continue to be so!

I posted about bestie, Angeliki’s MA graduation ceremony in Plymouth. Since then she has joined an American college staff, is presenting at an international conference soon, has been asked to convene an professional Special Interest Group, and invited to have an article published in an academic journal. Recently she has gained accreditation as Fellow of the British Association of Lecturers in English for Academic Purposes.

 Flying high, gals – so proud of them both!

This is my splendid teacher, Vasiliki, who accompanies me on the ups and downs of my piano/ music progress. May her patience, passion and humour continue to flow!  😊  

And so to my next ray of hope: literally for years this orchid, a gift from a dear friend, has lain dormant but I refused to pitch it. Imagine my surprise when, before Christmas, it began to produce small shoots. Now I see tiny buds forming. Such a delight!

Planned in 225, table set, food ready - the warmth of friends’ good company saw in 2026.  

Z found the lucky coin in his slice of Vasilopitta (dumpling equivalent) thus hopefully gaining good fortune throughout the year!

So, let’s think positively. May 2026 bring us all health, happiness and peace.

A 2025 Retrospective

 Naturally there were sadnesses and losses over the year but I feel the need to focus on things positive – what 2025 gifted us with. We went for trips away - local and further afield. One fairly local destination was the mountain village of Arnaia, remarkable for its stunning stone buildings, singular architecture style and great colours.

A birthday treat was our memorable trip to Trikala – a town remarkable in itself with great food outlets. Nearby in the famed Meteora area, the monasteries cling to their vertiginous sites.

Throughout the year we enjoyed having guests at our home/table and it’s an embarrassment to see the volume of such scenes we recorded, especially eating out! :o I will, however, give a particular mention Jean and Max who came to visit in May. We don’t see them often as they reside in Canada so we really enjoyed their company.

In July we travelled to Sandanski in Bulgaria about one-and- a-half hour driveaway. It’s a lovely town set in an even more beautiful park area with interesting works of art.

August saw us in my hameland. First we stayed in Durham to catch up with family and friends. Z really enjoyed his Marco Pierre White breakfasts at our hotel. Nice ones!!

We travelled by train to Mallaig, crossing the ‘Harry Potter’ Glenfinnan Viaduct.  But our main base was Glasgow and we enjoyed what the city had to offer. I was born there which happily gives me the right to be dubbed a ‘Weegie’ though I’ve never lived there. As the song says ‘I belong to Glasgow’- and when we’re there enjoying sunny mild weather, surrounded by homely local accents and humour, then ‘Glasgow belongs to me’!

Z continues to offer his services on the homestead and we happily assist in the consumption of olive oil and rather good Cabernet/Merlot thus produced. 😊😊

Our last trip was my Christmas gift – a trip to Prevesa in the south west, about a five -hour drive, but the Duchess ensured that we had a comfortable ride. Our hotel was in a beautiful location, and we enjoyed fine weather during our stay. We took the opportunity to drive through the under-sea tunnel to visit the nearby island of Kephalonia. Beautiful jasmine and bougainvillea festooned side-streets even mid-winter.

On our last day this shot from our hotel is apposite: the warm early-morning sky shades ease our spirits as we prepare for the dawning of a new year.