Kyrstyn in Kriti

Epiphany in Kissamos

noreply@blogger.com (Kyrstyn) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:24:00 +0000

The Epiphany celebration commemorates the anniversary of the baptism of Jesus, and wraps up the "12 Days of Christmas". It's when many people take down their Christmas trees, and here in Greece it is celebrated with the "Blessing of the Waters", during which a priest blesses a cross, throws it into the sea, and any brave (crazy) young greek guy who wants to can dive in after it. The first man to recover the cross is said to have good luck for the coming year (you'd think they'd throw in an Ipod or gift certificate to the local souvlaki joint or something...the water is COLD this time of year!). I had read about this custom long before ever coming to Crete, and was happy to learn that my town performs the ceremony so I didn't need to take the bus into Chania to watch theirs.

I walked down to the waterfront around 10:30am in order to get a good spot...someone told me it fills up fast, and the ceremony was to start at 11am. There was one ambitious lad already warming up for the competition, although I seriously doubt there was anything warm about it.

Apparently I didn't need to be down there quite so early...

but it was a pretty nice morning to be outside anyway, so I grabbed a double Elliniko and a ham and cheese sandwich for breakfast at a waterfront cafe. This was the biggest double coffee I've had here...really seemed more like a quadruple.

Good to know the coast guard would be on hand, although I'm not really sure why. I think they were just there to show off their uniforms and try to pick up chicks.

Church must have let out, because everyone showed up at once. I was able to squeeze in front of a few people and grab a seat on the wall where I had a decent view. Mostly it was little kids sitting on the wall, but I figure since I'm about the size of a little kid, I qualified.

Plotting their strategies.

People on small craft gathering to watch from a different angle, and maybe to jump in and break up any fights in the event that two guys grab the cross at the same time.

I may not be religious, but I DO like their costumes.

I think we've got all the contestants here now!

The pre-dive chanting begins (by the priest, not the swimmers).

I kept trying to get a decent frontal shot of this guy, who was super-cute (aside from the little dippy-thing he's done with his hair), but he was not cooperating.

Focus, Kyrstyn - focus. We're here to watch the Blessing of the Waters, not drool over guys are young enough to be your offspring.

OK, cool - we're reading from the big silver book now. I remember seeing the big silver book at the Christmas Eve service, too. Hmmm, could it be a ...bible? We never had bibles that pretty in Roman Catholic Mass.

And away they go!!

We have a winner, and he's letting everyone kiss his crucifix. I bet he feels like a pretty big deal right now.

He reverently gives the crucifix back to the priest...

Who then throws it in again so someone else can try for it.

Huh?

When it was all done, the priest threw the cross 3 times, and it was retrieved by three different guys (I think, it was kind of hard to tell exactly what was going on at this point). This must be one of those new, modern-minded touchy-feelly priests who thinks that everyone should feel like a winner! Although I guess technically, there were still three losers. Oh well.

And the boats head back from whence they came.

As did most of the other observers, including the marching band.

KIK for Summer 2010 Campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Kyrstyn) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:45:00 +0000

It was during a walk along the shore today that I came up with what I think is a rather catchy acronym for a campaign to keep "Kyrstyn in Kriti for Summer 2010". As I dipped my toes in the icy water, I realized that as things stand I'll be leaving Crete at the end of May, just as the water is starting to warm up for the season. Seems a shame to miss a whole summer's worth of swimming, and DC is so godawful humid during that time of year anyway.

So, if anyone would like to make a donation towards the effort to extend my stay here through the end of August, please enter the amount you'd like to pledge and your contact info in the comment field for this blog posting, and I'll get back to you with an address where you can send your check or wire transfer (sorry, no credit cards or Paypal).

We need to raise $7000 in order to make this happen. That may seem like a lot for just three months, but the exchange rate sucks. If 280 people will pledge just $25 each, we can make it a reality. This blog only has a readership of 7, and my Facebook friend count is only at 81, so everyone should definitely try to talk their friends, families and co-workers into donating, too. If we exceed the $7000 then the extra will go towards a good cause, like a side trip to Santorini.

If pure generosity and altruism isn't motivation enough for people to donate towards this worthy cause, I'd be willing to do something ridiculous like swim naked in the sea in February during a storm and have someone record it, and then post it to the blog (although I'd prefer just to walk for 10 miles or something like that, honestly). Suggestions and ideas welcome.

Together we can do this!!

This last photo was not taken on my walk today, I just liked the colors and was thrilled to see that they had avocados at the supermarket yesterday! I also noticed that my bread looks like it's got a perturbed look on it's, er...face? Is this what goes on when you hear about Jesus's image showing up on a piece of french toast?

Happy New Year, Everyone

noreply@blogger.com (Kyrstyn) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 18:33:00 +0000

Mine was pretty subdued. I was originally supposed to attend a New Years Eve party in Rethymnon put on by the Cretan International Community, but I began to feel a bit under the weather on Wednesday and canceled my RSVP, thinking that I was not going to be up for the two hour bus ride and then an evening of socializing with people I didn't know, followed by a night in a hotel room and another two hour bus ride home the following day.

I had just finished cleaning up after my lonely little New Years Eve dinner when my friend Mike called (he's in town visiting family for the holidays) and asked if I felt like some company to ring in the new year. It was perfect. We sat on my patio drinking some 2005 Xατζημιχαλι Ερυθρο, enjoying the unseasonably warm weather under an almost full moon while Mike differentiated the sound of fireworks from gunshots for me. Midnight came and went, woop-de-do, and then we watched Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels. He headed home around 3am, and I must say that I'm proud to have stayed up that late (I'm an early to bed, late to rise kind of woman these days).

2009 has been an amazing and exciting year for me, but I know that there are a lot of folks out there who have seen some pretty rough times lately. For 2010 I wish everyone the strength to deal effectively and gracefully with the difficulties, and the ability to recognize and appreciate the good stuff.

Χρονια Πολλα!

The Stark Family

noreply@blogger.com (Kyrstyn) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 16:47:00 +0000

My greek tutor recently gave me an assignment to write a profile on a family I know. I chose my Aunt Katie's family, and she was kind enough to give me a rundown on what life in the Stark household is like. I told her I'd give her a copy when I was done, so I'm typing it up here for her. Unfortunately I have been unable to get my keyboard to add accent marks above the letters which are emphasized, so this is technically incorrect (the picture is the actual completed, handwritten assignment, with corrections by my teacher) but I thought it would be helpful to me to practice my typing in Greek anyway. Below the Greek version is the English translation, in which I may have deviated from time to time from exactly what Katie told me, but which was the best I could do given my very limited vocabulary/grammar. Αpologies for any embellishments or non-truths!! Thanks for your help with this, Katie.

Η Κατερινα ειναι η θεια μου. Ειναι παντρεμενι με τον Μαρτιν, και εχουν δυο κορες, η Τζακελιν και ν Ασχλη. Εχουν δυο σκυλους, επισnς.

Η Κατερινα ειναι σαραντα εφτα χρονων και ο Μαρτιν ειναι σαραντα τεσσαρων. Η Κατερινα δουλευει στην κλινικη και ο Μαρτιν ειναι δικηγορος. Η Τζακελιν ειναι εντεκα χρονων και η Ασχλη ειναι εννια. Ειναι μαθητριες, και η Τζακελιν παιζει με την ορχηστρα του σχολειου, και η Ασχλη τραγουδει με τον χορο.

Η Κατερινα ξυπναει στισ πεντε και μιση και ο Μαρτιν στισ εξι και μιση. Δουλευουν απ' τις οχτω το πρωι ως τις πεντε το απογευμα.

Το σαββατοκυριακο, η Κατερινα γυμναζεται, ο Μαρτιν παιζει γκολφ, και τα κορτισια ψηνουν. Την Κυριακη η οικογενεια πηγαινει στην εκκλησια μαζι.

Ζουνε στον Πορτ Τζαρλετ, στν Φλοριδα. Το σπιτι τους ειναι διπλα σ'ενα ποταμι.

English translation:

Katie is my aunt. She is married to Martin, and they have two daughters, Jacqueline and Ashley. They also have two dogs.

Katie is 47 and Martin is 44. Katie works in a health clinic and Martin is a lawyer. Jacqueline is 11 and Ashley is 9. They are students, and Jacqueline plays with the school orchestra, and Ashley sings in the chorus.

Katie wakes up at 5:30am and Martin at 6:30am. They work from 8:00am until 5:00pm.

On weekends, Katie exercises, Martin plays golf and the girls bake. On Sundays they all go to church together.

They live in Port Charlotte, Florida. Their house is next to a river.

(Note: I have no idea if Martin really plays golf on the weekends, I made it up!)

A Brit, a Belgian and an American walk into a bar...

noreply@blogger.com (Kyrstyn) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:09:00 +0000

Sorry...there's no joke to follow (couldn't find one online) but I thought it would make a good blog title.

I've just had the most enjoyable visit with my friends Chantal and Clive, who took the time to travel all the way out west to spend a couple of days with me. I visited Chantal in her home earlier this year, but it was the first time I've had the pleasure of meeting "Clivios" as the locals in his village call him. What can I say? They are two of the most gracious, interesting and fun people I'm privileged to know!

Below are some pictures from their visit.

We took a walk into the center of Kastelli to have a few beers, after visiting Falarsana on the west coast for what turned out to be a non-existent sunset (well, I'm sure the sun set, we just couldn't see it through the cloud cover). Along the way we passed this board with a gazillion pins, where death notices are posted for several days when someone in the town/village passes away. Kind of like our obituaries. I've passed these boards before but never knew what they were for. I suppose I assumed they were classified ads or something like that. Thankfully, my very knowledgeable guests informed me of their purpose...I learned a lot from these two over the next few days.

Chantal making friends with the locals. What's funny is that she isn't even particularly fond of cats, but this one certainly took a liking to her.

And then came the dogs, who must have been wondering why anyone would make a fuss over a cat.

Back at the house we had lamb in red sauce for dinner. Chantal insisted on helping with the cleanup afterward, despite my protests. Clive...well, he offered amusing commentary for the process:-)

The following morning we drove into Hania. Clive has visited the town before but this was Chantal's first time. We finally found parking near the old harbor (or is it harbour?) and stopped into a building with a Christmas exhibit so that Chantal and I could use the loo.

In addition to Christmas themes, they had several fairy tale displays set up, to include this rather surreal room housing the Sleeping Beauty. Normally this would automatically make me want to take a nap, but I'd had plenty of coffee and was able to resist its call.

Back outside, we wound our way west along the waterfront.

We experienced a scant drop or two of rain at this point, but fortunately it didn't last for long.

We then visited the indoor market with the intent to browse a bit and then eat lunch at one of the small, traditional establishments set up inside. We stopped into a stall where an extremely ebullient woman named Antionette was selling various spices, candies and liqueurs. Clive and Chantal chatted her up and found out that she is originally from Australia. Before we left I ended up with some candied ginger, and several packets of different spices that Chantal purchased for me.

There were several interesting old photographs hung above one of the shops, unfortunately this was the only one I took that didn't turn out blurry.

I now have a lovely bunch of oregano hanging in my kitchen thanks to Clive's purchase from this shop.

OK, I'm not exactly sure what these are, besides dead. I think they might be goat's heads. At first I thought they were rabbit heads, but who eats rabbit heads? Nah...pretty sure they're goats. Anyway, we didn't buy any since we had plans to eat at a restaurant that evening...

Just some shots of the old buildings as we walked around the Old Town.

There appears to be a death notice next to this graffiti. Can't be sure though, will have to look at it more closely when I have time.

We ended up having lunch at Tamam instead of at the market, I don't really remember why we changed plans except that the fare at the market looked extremely filling and we thought we might just have some small plates (errr...excuse me...MEZA) at Tamam instead. Lunch was good, but our waiter was a μαλακας.

Anyway, after lunch we walked through to the west end of the Naval Museum and took some more pictures. You can see how the weather had cleared up at this point, and this seems illustrative of how the winter weather is here (at least in the west). Very fickle.

I probably should have posted this at the beginning, since it was upon their arrival that I received these wonderful gifts from Clive and Chantal. We managed to make a decent dent into this beautiful cake, and I'm planning on working towards polishing it off over the next few days. Delicious!!!!

And although we've only known each other for a short period otime, it seems that they know me well;-) I'm looking very forward to trying these wines from Sitia, a region in the east that has a very good reputation among Cretan wines.

This was taken just a bit before Clive and Chantal headed back home. We took a stroll down to the waterfront and stopped into one of the few tavernas that is still open in that part of town. We ordered three Greek coffees, and were brought free baklava to go along with them! This was my first time stopping into this particular establishment, but I will definitely be visiting them again.

I'll just wrap up here by saying thanks to Clive and Chantal for an incredibly enjoyable visit. I'm really hoping to catch up with you both again in March. Stay warm and happy in the meantime, and Χρονια Πολλα!

Kyrstyn Goes to Church

noreply@blogger.com (Kyrstyn) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 16:28:00 +0000

Quite by accident, I assure you. Organized religion and I parted ways long ago, the reasons for which I will not go into here lest I upset my dear Grandma, who is as devout a Roman Catholic as you're likely to encounter.

My intention was to go see a re-enactment of the birth of Christ in the cave of Agia Sofia. I learned of this event last time I visited the cave with Lisa when she was visiting in October. The woman who "worked" in the cave, which contains a chapel and some interesting, albeit potentially mythical history, informed me that they perform this re-enactment every year on Christmas Eve. It sounded like something different and interesting to do. Having not remembered exactly what time she told me it started, I arrived a little after 8:30pm and waited around with about 30 other early-birds. As soon as I saw the priest, I realized that there was probably going to be a service of some sort. No big deal...I was curious to see what an Orthodox service was like anyway, so I figured I could sit through it until the real entertainment began.

An hour later they had still not served Communion, the priest and three old men were still chanting away, it seemed to be getting colder and damper by the minute, and my bladder had begun to quietly inform me that it was going to require emptying sooner rather than later. At this point the place had really begun to fill up, and I debated whether or not to try and tough it out. Certainly if all these people were arriving, the real show was going to start soon, right? Well, I gave it about another 15 minutes and there was still no end to the ceremony in sight, and I think it was my bladder that probably decided it for me. So I left the cave and descended the many steps that I had climbed, encountering a flood of visitors coming up the other way. It was almost 10:30pm at this point, which is usually around the time that I start thinking of pillows and blankets and closed eyes, and I remarked to myself (not for the first time) how very un-Greek-like my sleeping/waking/eating habits still are.

Anyway, I'm glad I went even though I didn't stay to see the performance. It was nice to be out with others on Christmas Eve, and interesting to spend the evening in a cave with pigeons, bats and incense.

This was on the way up. It's a relatively short but steep climb, and part of the way was lit by only tea lights. Coming back down I could hear those still ascending breathing heavily, and I felt proud that even though I don't always take the best care of my body, I can still kick ass going uphill.

The "stage" preparations.

I don't know why demon sheep would show up for a Christmas service...

I guess the priest must have been moving his head when I took this. Come to think of it, he looks almost as scary as the sheep do here (his blurred visage reminds me of a scene from Jacobs Ladder).

Is it me, or do the angels even look a little bit creepy?

As I was descending, I came across a group of guys in hooded robes serving up drinks and food next to this bonfire. I didn't stop for any, probably should have because I have a feeling that's where the real action was happening.

By the way...this really is an interesting and unique event. I realize that my comments here are somewhat snarky, but I appreciate all the work that must go into planning something like this, and I give kudos to everyone involved - not least to the poor cop who had to tell people that they couldn't park alongside the road below the cave, and who was catching a rash of you know what from many visitors.

Christmas Eve Eve, and a few other odds & ends

noreply@blogger.com (Kyrstyn) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 16:40:00 +0000

Mike and I went into Chania to have dinner at Tamam last night, and I snapped a few photos along the way from the car to the taverna.

Yes, they are actually ice-skating here, although "skating" may be a bit optimistic. To give the kiddies credit, they were given skates with very dull blades, probably difficult to make fancy moves in them. Probably much safer for all involved, too.

One of several restaurants/tavernas that are still open on the harbor this time of year.

But other than that it was very quiet on the waterfront.

Tamam Taverna. We got there early, around 8pm so there were no other diners yet. Greeks don't usually eat until after 10pm.

I doubt I would have noticed this if Mike hadn't pointed it out...around Christmas time they tack 8% onto all bills as a Christmas bonus for the staff. I certainly have no problem with that, especially considering that two appetizers, two main dishes and a half liter of red wine only came to 32 euros even with the additional charge. A bargain! Mike ordered my favorite, the Tas Kebab, and I tried something new...baby goat with staka cheese. Yum! Although I seriously doubt there's a bad dish on their menu.

Lots of pretty lights.

I took this picture this morning when I went to the butcher to get some lamb for a stew I'll be making for guests. Nothing like a dead pig's head with a fallen-off ear and blood coming from the nose to get ya in the holiday spirit! But hey, I think he really enjoyed that soft drink they left for him.

My Greek teacher gave me this when I had my lesson this morning. You can't tell from the picture, but the little snowman is actually a little stuffed guy, sewn onto the pillow. I love it:-)

Chicken in yogurt tomato sauce with roasted eggplant

noreply@blogger.com (Kyrstyn) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:45:00 +0000

Thanks to Helene for cluing me in that I can use yogurt in lieu of cream for making "cream" sauces.

Grilled eggplant seasoned with olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Sauteed chicken w/ fresh garlic and crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper and two bay leaves.

Plain yogurt seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder and cumin.

I topped the eggplant with a bit of the yogurt sauce once it was out of the oven, then mixed the remaining yogurt sauce in with the chicken/tomato mixture once I removed it from the heat.

Served over rice.

I thought it turned out really well, and was particularly happy with the eggplant/yogurt sauce combo.

I see looking back at the recipe that it seems that I used an awful lot of garlic, but I'm one of those people who believes that there is no such thing as too much garlic! Perhaps anyone fortunate enough to wake up next to me the following morning would disagree...

Eric Williamson Found Guilty by Virginia Court

noreply@blogger.com (Kyrstyn) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 08:59:00 +0000

Of being naked in his own home. Full article here:

http://www.dailychilli.com/news/1400-guilty-of-being-naked-at-home

My feeling is that the real obscenity here lies not only in the violation of this guy's rights, but in the horribly unhealthy attitude we have towards nudity. The kid in this article probably has been traumatized - by his mother's over-reaction.

I'm not a nudist, nor do I advocate that everyone start walking around in the buff. I like clothes, I think they're fun and functional. But we are ALL naked underneath our clothes, and I think that this case speaks volumes about how sick we are as a society that we would prefer uphold irrational, puritanical values over individual freedom.

My Mediocre Moussaka

noreply@blogger.com (Kyrstyn) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:17:00 +0000

I worked off of two different recipes - one from the book that my neighbor let me hang onto while she's away, and one that I purchased in a bookstore in Hania. There were aspects of both that sounded appealing to me, the former instructed to add bechemel sauce to the dish before baking, but I couldn't find any so I went with the instructions for making the sauce in the latter, along with a few other variations.

I began by cutting three potatoes and three eggplants into moderately thin slices. I baked them in the oven with some olive oil for about 3o minutes to soften them. Both recipies say to fry, but I hate frying (it's so messy) and one of the recipies mentioned baking as an alternative.

I then browned 1/2 kilo of ground beef and one onion in a skillet, added three pulped tomatoes, a dash of red wine, salt, pepper, cumin and cinnamon. Let cook for about 30 minutes.

Took off heat, added to the ground beef mixture about a cup of very fine bread crumbs, 1 beaten egg, and about a cup shredded kefalotyri cheese.

Buttered a large baking pan, sprinkled the bottom with some more fine breadcrumbs, put a layer of potatoes, then a layer of the ground beef mixture, then a thin layer of some more of the grated cheese, then a layer of the eggplant slices.

At this point I made the sauce: heated 4 tbsp. butter in a saucepan, added 5 tbsp. of flour once the butter was very hot, stirred until well blended. Added about 2 1/2 cups of milk (not really sure how much to be honest...I was halving the recipe which called for two liters, but even one liter seemed like so much to me, so I used about 3/4 of a liter). Stirred for a long while until that thickened up, then added another beaten egg, some salt, pepper and more cinnamon. Poured on top of the other stuff in the baking dish, stuck in the oven for a little over an hour, until the topping turned golden brown.

End result? Eh. I think it's the sauce that foiled it, for some reason it didn't solidify as much as I think it should have. Oh well, I'm eating it anyway because I'm starving!! But I don't think I'll be bringing a piece to my greek tutor tomorrow as I had planned...

Σιγα Σιγα

noreply@blogger.com (Kyrstyn) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:06:00 +0000

Slowly, slowly. Bit by bit. Eventually.

It's the phrase that comes up frequently when I'm speaking with the locals about my Greek language skills.

I've had more opportunity lately to engage in brief conversations with various shop-keepers about town, and while my vocabulary, grammar and comprehension is abysmal, I have been given props on my pronunciation:-)

I was able to articulate to the woman who cut my hair today that I just wanted a little taken off, with some layers added in. She understood enough to give me a decent cut, and not the mullet that I was dreading might result from lack of communication.

I figure I'll just be getting rolling when it's time to leave!!

A Walk to the Port

noreply@blogger.com (Kyrstyn) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:11:00 +0000

I took a walk to the port yesterday and snapped the following photos. The first two in first collage were actually taken the day before, but I threw them in because I didn't know what else to do with them.

The first is a nativity scene set up by the chapel in the main square.

Dad - I'm working on a deal to get you the vessel featured in the last collage, center. Sure, it's a "fixer-upper", but I've seen what you can do with a can of wood sealant!

A Perfect Winter's Night Meal

noreply@blogger.com (Kyrstyn) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:44:00 +0000

I dug into the stash of goodies that Helene had left for me when she moved to London, and decided to make a go at lentil soup. I surely would have never attempted it had the basic ingredients not been sitting in my cupboard, so thank you Helene for the impetus!

I boiled 500gr of lentils for 10 minutes, then drained them but caught the water in which they had cooked in another container, and added a vegetable bouillon cube to that. Then sauteed one finely chopped onion and three cloves of garlic in about 1/2 cup of olive oil. Added drained lentils, 500 gr of chopped tomatoes, enough leftover water/bouillon to cover, a couple tbsps of freshly chopped dill, 3 bay leaves and some salt and pepper, and simmered covered for about 1/2 hour. 5 mintues before cooking time was up I added about 3 tbsp. of vinegar. Served with some hot bread and a glass of 2003 Kir-Yianni Ramnista, it was a very nice mid-December meal! Looking forward to the leftovers...

Note about the wine: I found a bottle of this at the Inka supermarket and bought it on a whim, never having tried it but knowing that I've liked everything else I've tasted from Kir-Yianni. I liked what I tasted very much, despite the fact that the cork came apart when I tried to open the bottle. So I bought two more bottles, and tried one of them tonight. Again, the cork split in half when I tried to pull it out, and unfortunately the wine was very obviously corked once I got it open. So I pitched that bottle and opened the third and last bottle, and AGAIN the cork broke in half trying to remove it. Fortunately this bottle didn't evidence any TCA that I could discern, but I am curious as to the cork situation in all three bottles. I'm assuming it's that they were stored improperly, and since it is an older year they have probably been sitting upright with no cork contact for several years?

Tricia's Boost

noreply@blogger.com (Kyrstyn) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:12:00 +0000

My halls are as decked as they're going to get...

noreply@blogger.com (Kyrstyn) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:14:00 +0000

Cheap and chintzy - that's the theme this year! No point spending money on a lot of decorations that I won't be taking with me when I leave.

But it's enough, and alongside the lights and decorations that are going up around the town, it all makes me feel quite festive.

Now I just have to get around to roasting those chestnuts I bought the other day...

Ugh.

noreply@blogger.com (Kyrstyn) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:17:00 +0000

I had a dream last night that I was eating bugs. I didn't want to, but they were being offered to me as a delicacy by someone and it would have been rude to refuse. The bugs in my dream were akin to very large, thick dragonflies, about 12 inches long.

So I ate several pieces of one, and I didn't enjoy it at all...the texture was thick and rubbery and the flavor pungent in some way I can't describe.

Tonight I reheated the leftovers from the cuttelfish stew I made last night, and as I dug in I realized that this was what the dragonflies in my dream tasted like. I tried to be rational and do the whole "mind over matter" thing, telling myself that this was cuttelfish and spinach ragu, not big, meaty winged creatures, and to just get over it. After about 10 bites I finally gave up...it was disgusting.

Not wanting to waste a perfectly good plate of food, I scraped it into one of those disposable aluminum tins and carried it out to the dumpster with me, planning to leave it on the ground by the bin if there was no one around to see. Surely there are plenty of hungry critters in the neighborhood who would welcome these scraps, even if only the rats.

On my way to the dumpster I found a kitty, gave him the old "psssst" and he was at my heels in no time. However, when I put the container on the ground, he sniffed, backed away as though offended and sat back on his haunches as if to say, "You have got to be kidding me."

So, either I am a worse cook than I thought, or that cat had the same dream that I did last night.

Either way, I think I'm off cuttelfish for a while.

Rikki's Photo Shoot

noreply@blogger.com (Kyrstyn) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:16:00 +0000

Rikki seemed a little jealous that Cleo got blog time yesterday, so I've mollified him by taking some pictures and posting them here.

He appreciates any fan mail but hopes that everyone understands that he's too busy with naps, eating and annoying Cleo to respond.

On The Run: Anzac Escape and Evasion in Enemy Occupied Crete

noreply@blogger.com (Kyrstyn) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:00:00 +0000

It's what I'm reading now. I'm about 1/2 way through and thoroughly enjoying it. Because I am no longer inclined towards book reports ever since I didn't have to do them anymore after the 4th grade, I'm coping verbatim from the back cover of the book here:

When the order to surrender was given after the Battle of Crete in 1941, over 6000 Australian, British and New Zealand soldiers were left behind on the south coast. Some escaped immediately on abandoned naval barges or took to the hills. But the vast majority was marched back over the White Mountains to makeshift POW camps.

Many escaped, relying on Cretan mountain villages to shelter and guide them. The relationships forged between these troops and their Cretan helpers are remembered to this day.

Drawing on previously unpublished memoirs, including a detailed diary kept by co-author Ian Frazer's Australian officer father, On The Run is a remarkable and moving picture of heroism and endurance.

I'll only add that I find the diary entries to be very entertaining and interesting, and that I am once again reminded of this island's incredible history.

Cuttelfish Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Kyrstyn) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:38:00 +0000

A month or so ago I ended up making a dish with cuttelfish by accident, and actually really enjoyed it. So I decided to try another recipe with the leftover fish that I had frozen (Gary...if you ever read this - this is the recipe that you suggested on Facebook). Here it is, cut and pasted from About.com http://greekfood.about.com/od/fishentrees/r/soupies_spanaki.htm

I liked it...a lot!! Served up with some hot bread and a glass of Amethystos 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, which is a very nice white from the Drama region with very light grapefruit and floral notes (might not have been THE best choice to go with this dish, but it was certainly suitable.)

Finishing up now with some camomile tea that I bought at the CIC Christmas Bazaar, some apple pie cookies that I bought at the supermarket, and Christmas carols.

Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

3 1/4 to 3 1/2 pounds of spinach
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 to 2 1/4 pounds of cuttlefish pieces
1/2 cup of white wine
1 14oz can of chopped tomatoes
1-2 teaspoons of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
2 tablespoons of fresh dill, chopped
2/3 cup of water
2 tablespoons of long-grain rice

Preparation:

Wilt the spinach: In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add all the spinach at one time. Stir well and remove. Drain and set aside.

In a stew pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until slightly softened. Add cuttlefish and continue to sauté until it turns white. Douse (deglaze) with wine. When the liquid comes to a boil, add tomatoes, salt, pepper, dill, and water. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. (If more water is needed, add a small amount of boiling water.) Add spinach and continue to cook for 15 minutes. 5 minutes before cooking time is up, add rice.

When cooking time is up, turn off heat. Keep the pot covered and let sit for 10-15 minutes longer, until the rice is done.

Yield: serves 4-5

Cleo's Big Day in the City

noreply@blogger.com (Kyrstyn) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:45:00 +0000

I finally made a vet appointment for my 17 year old cat, something I've been meaning to do since she's been acting a bit stranger than usual (loss of balance, twitching of the head like she's trying to be Katherine Hepburn). I figured it was probably just old age, but thought it would be best to get her a full check-up.

My rental car fell through at the last minute on Sunday evening, and I had no choice but to take her on the bus first thing Monday, since I wouldn't have been able to cancel the appointment on such short notice.

KTEL doesn't allow animals on the passenger part of the bus, and instead of just walking her on in her carrier in the hopes that no one would notice (her carrier is a Sherpa bag, and looks like a duffel bag of sorts), I had to be all proper and ask the driver if he would make an exception. He wouldn't. So down into the belly of the bus she went, along with a big bag of horta that someone had stowed down there.

I experienced a brief moment of panic when the bus detoured up into the hills and off of the usual route that I'm used to taking to get to Chania, and was sure I had somehow boarded the wrong bus and was on my way to Paleohora or some other destination that was not Chania. I asked the driver, and I was assured that we were in fact going to Chania. Phew.

Once in Chania I had to catch a cab to Souda where her vet is, just a 10 minute drive. We made the appointment on time, early in fact, and Cleo was then subjected to the indignity of sedation so that she could be molested without protest. I rather enjoyed seeing her so docile, as pathetic as it was. She is very easily agitated and doesn't really liked to be touched, and I was able to play around with her limp form while we waited for the blood work results.

Everything checked out OK, with the exception of some proteins found in her urine and cell count indication that she's got some sort of urinary infection. The vet gave her an injection of antibiotics, some Front Line for both cats since they've begun to scratch in earnest since we moved into the place, and a note for the bus driver on the way back to allow Cleo into the passenger section. He also told me not to bother asking this time, just to take her on, which I did and there were no problems.

She bounced back quickly from the sedative and enthusiastically devoured the food I put out for her when we got home.

So, all was well and the trip was much less stressful than I anticipated, but the BEST part about the morning was that I met a woman at the vet's office who lives here in Kastelli. She's a British expat who came to live here last September with her little dog, Sassy, and she has invited me to attend a coffee group that meets here once a month.

December is looking up...Mike is coming back to Crete to spend the holidays with his family, a couple of friends from the "other side" of the island are coming to visit me between Christmas and New Years, and now this. I'm really going to miss my family and friends back in the States this holiday season, but I'm happy that I'll be able to spend time with some new friends.

Hello, Sunshine!

noreply@blogger.com (Kyrstyn) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 08:56:00 +0000

Ο Κυριος Ηλιος dropped by briefly this morning, coming in through the kitchen window long enough to cast a few rays upon my Greek homework. He didn't stay long, though. The rain chased him away.

Diggin' My New Clothes Dryer

noreply@blogger.com (Kyrstyn) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 08:55:00 +0000

I'm ready for ya, Winter...bring it on!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Kyrstyn) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:49:00 +0000

Finally got around to buying a hat and gloves today...

And although dinner wasn't particularly creative, it seemed perfect for a chilly, rainy night (cup o' soup, salad and warm bread).

CIC Christmas Bazaar, Hania

noreply@blogger.com (Kyrstyn) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:22:00 +0000

I've been meaning to sign up for a membership to the Cretan International Community and finally got around to doing so when I came into Hania today for their annual Christmas Bazaar. It is an organization geared towards assisting expats in Crete, organizing social activities, supporting local tourism and charitable organizations. They hold special events like this as well as regular coffee mornings, meetings for various support groups, chess club, etc.

I believe the kids were belting out "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" at this point. They sounded great and seemed like they were having a lot of fun.

Santa was nice enough to let me take his picture, and thank God he didn't ask me if I wanted to sit on his lap. He did offer me a lollipop which I declined since I was moving on to the sweets table next...

And I bought my first Christmas decoration of the year:-)

Water Colors

noreply@blogger.com (Kyrstyn) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:06:00 +0000

Taken on the bus from Hania to Kastelli