Retraction...

I no sooner got the words out of my mouth and written on the page when all of a sudden there it was on a menu... pita!!? and rice!!?
Well now I have to print a retraction... and this is it. Offered only at the Glyfada Beach Taverna!

The fnal sunset dinner at Glyfada Beach

 

Moussaka another 7

Don is back to the moussaka again! And mind you he never was very far from it...just decided to try a couple of other things (with a lot of coaxing from me).
http://www.greeka.com/ionian/corfu/hotels/corfu-glyfada-all.htm

This is the moussaka from the Glyfada Beach Taverna which he rates a 7.  He says it had good taste, good teeth (lots of meat), good texture (although he is not overly fond of the potato), and good tone. There was a little too much cinnamon for his taste but over all a good moussaka.

It is actually the first time moussaka has come with french fried potatoes. We asked about Greek potatoes and the server did not really know what we were talking about! Ohhh what a shame!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Taverna-Glyfada-Beach/414080748627530
 

Sun, Sand and Sea water

We are lazing around the Glyfada Beach Hotel http://www.hotelglyfadabeach.com/ for three days...oh the luxury! not having to pack and go each morning...

It is a beautiful hotel with great breakfast every day...and seconds away from the beautiful sandy beach with warm water to swim!
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corfu

The rooms are lovely and large and there are three dinings areas to choose from...we eat outside on the terrace facing the beach!

http://www.corfu-greece.biz/

The food is good and plentiful and the company is wonderful!

 

Whats missing from this picture?

We have known Greek friends for over 35 years, we have eaten and cooked with them.... in Canada!
Now we are realizing that there are some foods that we have come to know and love in Canada  that we just can't find here in Greece. Can you guess what they are?

We have tried grocery stores and markets, bakeries and small shops... no Pita!!!

Nor have we found any spanikopita on any menu at any restaurant or hotel or cafe!

Lemon Greek potatoes and rice are almost non-existant.... it almost makes me want to come home to eat!! You notice I said 'almost'....

 

Dionysus Hotel in Mytikas

The Dionysus Hotel in Mytikas really lived up to its name. Dionysus is the ancient god of food, drink, and hospitality who always makes sure everyone has a good time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionysus

Our hosts were wunderbar! They spoke fluent German (daughter lives in Germany). I didn't realize how much German I understand before staying with them!! They did not speak much English but were adept at hand language and sounds that exemplify meaning! They were so very helpful and friendly I would have to rate the service a 10 (only because the scale doe s not go any higher).
This husband and wife team made us feel right at home. He even drove us to a nearby village when the market we wanted to go to was closed at that time of day. They gave us a map and a tour book of the area with local archaeological sites and even drove us to one nearby.
Our hotel room was spotless, large, and well appointed. The hotel was modern and well kept.

There was a beautiful sandy beach within a few steps of the hotel in a secluded little cove with warm water and a few bathers. Our host mentioned that this was a wild beach (clothing optional)).

 

 

Breakfast at the Dionysus could be classified as an event which Dionysus himself would be envious of and would definitely approve. It consisted of fresh coffee, fresh squeezed juice, a tray of cold meats and cheeses, boiled eggs, fresh bread with creamy butter, breakfast cakes with jam, and jellies and to make sure we didn't leave hungry ....watermelon!

Oh my goodness...there was so much care and attention put into this breakfast preparation and presentation that we felt like long time friends visiting again! The hotel, hosts, and food well exceeded our expectations and I would highly recommend it to anyone who comes this way.

Hotel Hercules and To Steki

Our stay in Olympia was made all the nicer by having a great host at our hotel. The Hotel Hercules
 http://www.booking.com/hotel/gr/hercules.en.html?aid=311088;label=hotel-96706-gr-_fINLvplXUzeBS5CETLoFgS2580930723:pl:ta:p1:p2:ac:ap1t1:neg;ws=&gclid=CJiYoO2u2LICFUPHtAodwx8ArQ
is a family run hotel in the center of town. Nicolas was very helpful and recommended a restrauant for us for dinner.

 

 

We had the all important Greek salad,

 calamari, and some lovely lemon sauce drenched Dolathes.

Our host made sure our room was ready and provided a great breakfast the next morning. 

 

Ambrosia ...food of the gods!

Ambrosia was supposedly the food of the gods in ancient times...and now we know where it originated! We received a special treat from our host at the Mythos restaurant in Mytikas tonight. Grapes soaked in honey...Don says it was ambrosia! I could not believe the taste...better than baklava...like butter tarts with out the crust, raisin pie without the crust or grape nectar! Wow it was good!

 
The rest of our meal was wonderful too! The Slouvakia (both chicken and pork) was cooked to perfection

and the cheese filled grilled peppers were a taste sensation!

 

On the Road to...food

The road system here in Greece is great and the roads are pretty good too! There are so many road signs (most times quite necessary) that every few meters there is another sign (usually telling the driver of a bend in the road). It would be a booming business opportunity printing signs.

This sign tells us that not only is there a hairpin turn going down hill but there is a narrow bridge at the bottom!! YAY!
But the drive is wonderful on good roads with fantastic sea views and friendly people to help along the way!

The Kalamata country side is covered with olive trees, with a smattering of Cyprus groves and now a few fig groves thrown in for good measure. This country is just bursting with fruit of all kinds. The side of the road in many places is lined with cactus which is heavy with fruit (cactus pears) almost ready to pick. No one should go hungry here!
We look forward to buying some olive oil  to bring home and some big juicy olives to eat along the way.
We already picked up some beautiful crusty bread, some zesty cheese and some cold meat for a nice lunch on some deserted beach!
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalamata
Food grows wild here! It amazes me how much food is growing by the side of any road. Grapes, olives, pears, cactus, apples, persimmon,pomagranite, and oranges...the list seems endless!
 

Well.... Pier 1 did not disappoint. The food was good and the company was great!
My husband had the roast lamb and he was as happy as a Sheppard!! I deviated to a wonderful creamy  (and rich)shrimp fettuccine Alfredo. A pan fried sole with a heaping plate of beautiful roast veggies made my sister happy too.

The Greece Adventure has started

We have now left home and I am spending the day in Sidney by the Sea, Don is finishing his last day of 'work' before we head off to the Airport. We will fly directly from Victoria to Toronto, have a 3 hour stop over, and then direct to Athens Greece. A big thank-you to Air Miles www.airmiles.ca/ rewards program for the tickets (and of course all the miles savings we did to earn them). Safeway Canada contributed through our constant trips to the grocery store (it being foodies of the enth degree we do a lot of grocery shopping).
Sidney is a wonderful small town on the Saanich peninsula almost surrounded by sea! Beautiful with flowers and plants of every kind it is a place you should see if given the chance. There are many small boutiques here and some great little cafes and restaurants as well. One place to stop for fantastic baked goods (of every description for every sort of sweet tooth) is the Sidney Bakery sidneybakery.com/ . One of our favorite places and well worth the wait. It has been in business for over 108 years! and you can tell by the number of people lined up to get some yummy stuff!
The drive along the ocean on Lochside drive is fantastic! Beautiful rolling waves on a blue ocean and sun, sun, sun! The morning sunrise is wonderful as it faces eastward out on to the Stuart Channel.
Tonight, dinner with our favorite family/friends at the local Greek restaurant. (Sideline: you are most likely wondering why we are eating so much Greek food when we will be in Greece for a month... good question... answer: we LOVE it!). Pier 1  http://restaurants.worldweb.com/2-110408-Pier_1_Restaurant.html is a new one for us to try this time around. Sidney also has Theo's Place (which we love!)  http://restaurants.worldweb.com/2-279311-Theo_s_Place.html and Maria's Slovakia Place.
So, I am whiling away the day writing a blog! Life is good!!

Good Food...Good Friends...Good Fun

 The cruise to Mexico had some good food but what made it so great was our special family and friends!

 No one tells a joke like this guy..wonderful people and good foodies too!

The whole bunch...pretty chilly on deck at night! But we loved spending time with family and friends!

A beautiful spot in Mexico.

Family Travels

Our granddaughter and her pet snail. He doesn't go very fast but he goes a long way!

Food and pictures of food

I will be posting pictures of food and the friends that helped me learn how to cook it and eat it! Please post your comments.



Beef and Veggie stew

Africa ... good food... and beautiful people!! Nairobi, Kenya waht a great first day... and this was only lunch!

Carrot and Cabbage salad

Mixed veggie medley

Grilled meat and veggies

Green pea mash!!

Lamb and veggies

Lentil stew

Nope not rice! ??

Tomato and Onion salad

Marilyn jumping with the Massai Warriors...before lunch!