11. Sing with me, sing for the years
Trip Start
Jun 17, ????
1
14
36
Trip End
Ongoing
Skiathos,
Greece
Wednesday, October 7, 1992
There are many good things about Greece and the Greek islands, but my favourite thing is easily the yoghurty-cucumbery-garlicy snack. I can spend a week in Greece and have tsatsiki every lunchtime and as a starter every evening. Every time we visit a different restaurant I note the qualities of their tsatsiki for future reference. The garlicy ones are nicest....
Still, I don't just go to Greece for the Tsatsiki. In 1992 I went there on my honeymoon - to Skiathos. We were married in October and by this time of year a lot of things are closed. We found the odd restaurant, but luckily we had brought our own entertainment. Actually, it was on this holiday that I managed to forget sunglasses and sun lotion. Bad news for someone still goth at heart and not very keen on sunlight. Since then I've kept a packing list on the pc to be printed off before every trip. I might seem tragic, but it does save me from any unneccessary thinking.
The thing I love about the Greek Islands is that there are loads of them and they are all different but also, all the same. In a good way. Those beautiful harbours, the crazy paving, the blue painted doorways on white painted buildings. Overflowing pink flowers and green vnes. Steep hills and winding roadways. Open air restaurants that sell tsatsiki (obviously), souvlaki, stuffed peppers, tomatoes & vine leaves, moussaka...... The novelty wears off after a week, which is another reason why this is the ideal length of time to go!
So far I have been to the mainland and the islands of Zakythos (aka Zante), Skiathos, Andros, Alonnisos, Lesvos and Lefkas. These are laid back weeks for me, when I get to read books all day, or explore beautiful countryside.
If I had to pick an island out of those I've visited I think I'd go for Alonissos. This is partly because the the Greek rep there was so nice and had such a jolly way of saying "Alonissos". I remain unable to say "Alonissos" without impersonating her....
PS: The blog titles are all lines from songs that make me think of the country or something about my visit there. Since my favourite visit to Greece is (of course) my honeymoon, I have picked a line from the first song we danced to after our wedding. Other people have a DJ and carefull choose the song for their first dance. We went to heavy metal club in Brighton and took whatever the DJ chose for us. He chose Dream On:
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/a/aerosmith/dream+on_20004389.html
Although it is quite a bittersweet song to have chosen, I really like it, especially these lines:
Sing with me, sing for the years
Sing for the laughter, sing for the tears
Sing with me, if its just for today
Maybe tomorrow the good lord will take you away
Dream on, dream on
Dream yourself a dream come true.
1. Skiathos
