Spring Break in Greece

This is my forth trip to Greece and Spring Break was the perfect time to visit.  Christos has close family there, so it's a real immersion when we visit.  The family home, in Poulithra (a small village of 400), where his father was born, is traditional and typical for the eastern seashore of the Peloponnese. What's so unique about the house is that the stairs are on the outside.  I guess you can get away with that in a climate when the winter is so mild.

We often hear the fish truck driving up and down the streets, with the fisherman/driver (who probably just got off the boat with his fresh catch) yelling "psária" or the farmer with his fruit and veggie truck ringing it's bell. This system of a traveling market is convenient for the yia yia's who don't drive.

Everyone has a garden with fresh vegetables and flowers.  Right outside the door there were blooming Calla Lilies, orange, lemon and olive (500 year old) trees.  So, when you need a lemon, you just go outside and pick one.    

The family keeps a small vineyard in the village slightly higher in elevation.  Each fall they gather to harvest and press the grapes, yielding enough wine for a years supply for everyone in the family. 

We took several day trips, often being stopped on the road by a passing herd of goats and a shepherd.

One place we always visit is Leonidio, since it's the next biggest village and we can buy groceries there.

Not to mention the most delicious baklava.  Nostimo!  (Greek for tasty)

One of our favorite places to walk takes us along the water, through olive groves...

to a small church only reachable by foot or boat.

We take a picnic and stay awhile, to soak in the beauty and just enjoy.

This trip we visited Hydra together for the first time. Poli Aurea! (Beautiful!)

There are no cars on the island, so anything you can't carry yourself gets loaded onto a donkey.

View of Hydra from above

These little ones took care of the crumbs someone left behind at a sunny cafe where we enjoyed a Greek coffee. 

On my last night in Athens, our friend Lucas took us to a music club.  To get there we had to go through the meat market, find an unmarked door and take the elevator up to where we enjoyed a night of Greek Rembetika, dinner, wine and lots of fun.