That's a big bowl of fresh Greek yogurt with black cherries and melon drenched with local honey -- breakfast on Kalymnos, the island where we recently touched down for a week. We stayed in Emporios, a village at the very end of the main coastal road, where goats roam the hills feeding on the thyme, oregano and rosemary that grows wild. So the meat here comes pre-seasoned and all those wild herbs help cancel out the eau de goat. The goats wear bells around their necks, each tuned slightly differently, so the goatherds can tell which goat is where. The result -- a daylong goat symphony from the hills.
The family that keeps the goats and the bees invited us to join them one afternoon as they made their rounds. A pretty steep hike, especially for flatlanders from Florida. Thousands of years ago, the rocky facade above Emporios served as a fortress when the locals had to fight off invaders, and the sanctuaries they carved out from the mountain still hauntingly remain, like armored faces looking out on the sea. The payoff comes at the top -- a view for the ages.
6 comments:
Are you trying to make me drool all over my computer?
My favorite find in Greece--next to the grilled octopus, Florina peppers, hand-rolled dolmades, seared haloumi, smoky eggplant spread and caper leaves--was the breakfasts of Greek yogurt, honey and fruit...followed closely by the afternoon treat of Greek yogurt and fruit and evening desserts of Greek yogurt, honey and desserts.
Must book plane ticket soon...
I'm with Victoria on this one - after seeing that picture of the cherries and yogurt and honey, I had to wipe off my keyboard! I have good friends who are Greek, and their dinner parties are wonders to behold. The olive oil they get from their relatives is superb - such a wonderful, fruity taste. And the best spanakopita I've ever had. I think I'll give them a call! Thanks for the vicarious treat.
We brought some honey home, but funny, it just doesn't taste the same. Must have something to do with being there when you eat it. And Victoria, let the record show that, including the time we spent in Seychelles, I had octopus 21 out of the 30 days we were gone. My stomach now rises and falls with the tides...
If that mountain view was from the Caribbean, I could conjure up Jimmy Buffett's "One Particular Harbor."
Bob,
Thanks to my friend in SW FL, Betty P, I was able to see your posts about Kalymnos. That is island that my husband is from, and we have a home in Pothia. He just spent 4 months there and I stayed a month. And yes we brought back 5.5 kilos of honey! Kalymnos is a wonderful out of the way island that takes you back in time. So glad you enjoyed it.
Becky
Yes, Betty mentioned you to me. You and your husband have a lovely island. We were clear at the other end from Pothia, but we got in there a couple of times and hit restaurant row. Hope to visit again someday.
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