Due to popular demand, here is THE Lemon Cake recipe:
Stir together in a separate bowl:
1-1/2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Beat in a separate bowl:
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. salad oil
1-1/2 tsp. lemon peel
Add liquid to flour. Mix just until blended.
Bake in 8" floured/greased metal pan
350° 15 minutes, then
325° 35 minutes
or until lightly brown and firm.
Glaze
Heat in small pan:
4-1/2 Tbs. lemon juice
1/3 c. sugar
When cake is finished, poke holes all over top--going clear down to bottom of pan. Pour hot drizzle over top. Let cool in pan 15 minutes minimum. Dust with powdered sugar.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Meeting New Friends in Paros, Greece
By Claire
I didn't know it could get any better. I am sitting on our front porch enjoying the tiniest of breezes gently caressing my neck. We have arrived to perfect weather in paradise.
But let me go back a few hours to this morning. We woke at 5 am in order to meet our taxi at 6. We had arranged this the day before. It was a big decision because of the cost but the bus and metro would have been too stressful and delivered us to the port just before the ferry departure, if we were lucky. We walked out to the road and waited. And waited. By 6:15 I was beginning to hyperventilate. We moved up to the corner at 6:30. Now, I was beside myself. I was convinced that the taxi was not going to come so I started flagging down cars, going up to the window and begging a ride. I even offered to pay. One guy told me he was only going 2 km. but if we walked over the overpass and turned right we would come to the center of town and find a taxi. It was now 6:45 and our ferry was scheduled to leave at 7:25. We tried hailing the few taxis that sped past but they all had passengers. Chuck raced into a bakery and managed to get the woman behind the counter to call us a taxi. He was told it would arrive in 5 minutes. It arrived at 6:55 and we took off.
I can't begin to describe my anxiety. All I could think of was what it was going to cost us to get there by taxi, and the ferry would be just pulling away from the dock. The next ferry was at 5:30 pm. Chuck remained outwardly calm. Traffic was in our favor but we had no idea how far we had to go. I tried not to steal a glance at my watch every 30 seconds. My neck was starting to seize up and my great joy and excitement about meeting Karin and Michael was turning to terrible frustration and disappointment. But wait, what's that in the distance? I think it says, yes, it's Blue Star Ferries and it's still there! We came to a stop, Chuck and I jumped out, grabbed our bags and ran. We were among the last to arrive, handing our tickets over, then dropping our bags in the luggage storage area Karin had told me about via email. As we fell into our seats, the ferry took off. Whew! We'll never know what communication error kept our reserved taxi from showing up. The ferry ride was a smooth, relaxed 4 hours and gave us a chance to regain our equanimity, or mine anyway. Chuck seemed to just glide into relax mode, opening his book and settling in.
Karen and Michael were waiting for us with huge smiles as we stepped off the ferry. We recognized them instantly and with camera in place, it was clear that Karin did too. Hugs all around, all talking at once, we made our way to a stone bench in the shade to sit and chat for a few minutes until the bus was ready to take us to their village, Aliki. They followed on their motor scooters and were a happy sight at the end of the ride.
Arrival photos courtesy of Karin Shepard
The village is small, charming and the Greece we've been looking for. Everything is blue and white, it's quiet and we can walk everywhere. We arrived at Maria's Village and Karin and Michael showed us our new quarters, including kitchen, bedroom and bath. There is even a washing machine. The patio has views of sheep and goats and the beach.
Our apartment
Bedroom
Kitchen
Patio, flowers courtesy of Karin
Sheep
Church across the road
The four of us walked back into town to do some shopping and Chuck and I stocked up on the essentials—yogurt, honey, olives, tomatoes, bread, etc. Oh, and some beer. This is beer weather. After unloading our things, Karin came back on her scooter and she and I zipped off to the bakery on the other side of town for bread. She helped me pick out a treat for Chuck: chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. He was delighted with her choice.
Gin and tonics on Karin and Michael's porch was next on our non-agenda. Their friend Louisa, from Amsterdam, was visiting and we had a good time talking about the Bibliothek, travel, living in Greece, Paros and much, much more.
Later on, Karin and I went on a walk, admiring the flowers, the view, and the houses, stopping in to visit with Brian and Bruce. They live in a wonderful place and I was given a tour by Brian. The view from their fabulous deck up above is just spectacular. I could see the water, the farm fields and the hills behind us in the distance. Below, is their remarkable garden, a feat they created together. I even found out that Bruce is following our blog. Hi Bruce!
Later, the four of us got together for dinner at their place, 2 doors down (very convenient) and we enjoyed a very relaxed, cozy evening together. They have a nice fireplace that Michael had “fired” up and Karin served homemade minestrone soup and bread, passing around some grated Greek kefalotiri cheese to top it off.
Michael
Karin
It was great to really get to talk, rather than email, and Chuck and I both enjoyed hearing their stories about living and running a business in a tiny village in Ireland. We have so much to talk about! Thank goodness we have 4 more days!
The finale was Karin's lemon cake, the best I've ever had. As usual, I started eating before I remembered to take a picture (this is becoming more and more of a problem.)
What a completely perfect day it turned out to be. We are thrilled to be here and can't believe our good fortune in how this came about.
Friends are the most important part of your life. Treasure the tears, treasure the laughter, but most importantly, treasure the memories. ~ Dave Brenner
I didn't know it could get any better. I am sitting on our front porch enjoying the tiniest of breezes gently caressing my neck. We have arrived to perfect weather in paradise.
But let me go back a few hours to this morning. We woke at 5 am in order to meet our taxi at 6. We had arranged this the day before. It was a big decision because of the cost but the bus and metro would have been too stressful and delivered us to the port just before the ferry departure, if we were lucky. We walked out to the road and waited. And waited. By 6:15 I was beginning to hyperventilate. We moved up to the corner at 6:30. Now, I was beside myself. I was convinced that the taxi was not going to come so I started flagging down cars, going up to the window and begging a ride. I even offered to pay. One guy told me he was only going 2 km. but if we walked over the overpass and turned right we would come to the center of town and find a taxi. It was now 6:45 and our ferry was scheduled to leave at 7:25. We tried hailing the few taxis that sped past but they all had passengers. Chuck raced into a bakery and managed to get the woman behind the counter to call us a taxi. He was told it would arrive in 5 minutes. It arrived at 6:55 and we took off.
I can't begin to describe my anxiety. All I could think of was what it was going to cost us to get there by taxi, and the ferry would be just pulling away from the dock. The next ferry was at 5:30 pm. Chuck remained outwardly calm. Traffic was in our favor but we had no idea how far we had to go. I tried not to steal a glance at my watch every 30 seconds. My neck was starting to seize up and my great joy and excitement about meeting Karin and Michael was turning to terrible frustration and disappointment. But wait, what's that in the distance? I think it says, yes, it's Blue Star Ferries and it's still there! We came to a stop, Chuck and I jumped out, grabbed our bags and ran. We were among the last to arrive, handing our tickets over, then dropping our bags in the luggage storage area Karin had told me about via email. As we fell into our seats, the ferry took off. Whew! We'll never know what communication error kept our reserved taxi from showing up. The ferry ride was a smooth, relaxed 4 hours and gave us a chance to regain our equanimity, or mine anyway. Chuck seemed to just glide into relax mode, opening his book and settling in.
Karen and Michael were waiting for us with huge smiles as we stepped off the ferry. We recognized them instantly and with camera in place, it was clear that Karin did too. Hugs all around, all talking at once, we made our way to a stone bench in the shade to sit and chat for a few minutes until the bus was ready to take us to their village, Aliki. They followed on their motor scooters and were a happy sight at the end of the ride.
Arrival photos courtesy of Karin Shepard
The village is small, charming and the Greece we've been looking for. Everything is blue and white, it's quiet and we can walk everywhere. We arrived at Maria's Village and Karin and Michael showed us our new quarters, including kitchen, bedroom and bath. There is even a washing machine. The patio has views of sheep and goats and the beach.
Our apartment
Bedroom
Kitchen
Patio, flowers courtesy of Karin
Sheep
Church across the road
The four of us walked back into town to do some shopping and Chuck and I stocked up on the essentials—yogurt, honey, olives, tomatoes, bread, etc. Oh, and some beer. This is beer weather. After unloading our things, Karin came back on her scooter and she and I zipped off to the bakery on the other side of town for bread. She helped me pick out a treat for Chuck: chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. He was delighted with her choice.
Gin and tonics on Karin and Michael's porch was next on our non-agenda. Their friend Louisa, from Amsterdam, was visiting and we had a good time talking about the Bibliothek, travel, living in Greece, Paros and much, much more.
Later on, Karin and I went on a walk, admiring the flowers, the view, and the houses, stopping in to visit with Brian and Bruce. They live in a wonderful place and I was given a tour by Brian. The view from their fabulous deck up above is just spectacular. I could see the water, the farm fields and the hills behind us in the distance. Below, is their remarkable garden, a feat they created together. I even found out that Bruce is following our blog. Hi Bruce!
Later, the four of us got together for dinner at their place, 2 doors down (very convenient) and we enjoyed a very relaxed, cozy evening together. They have a nice fireplace that Michael had “fired” up and Karin served homemade minestrone soup and bread, passing around some grated Greek kefalotiri cheese to top it off.
Michael
Karin
It was great to really get to talk, rather than email, and Chuck and I both enjoyed hearing their stories about living and running a business in a tiny village in Ireland. We have so much to talk about! Thank goodness we have 4 more days!
The finale was Karin's lemon cake, the best I've ever had. As usual, I started eating before I remembered to take a picture (this is becoming more and more of a problem.)
What a completely perfect day it turned out to be. We are thrilled to be here and can't believe our good fortune in how this came about.
Friends are the most important part of your life. Treasure the tears, treasure the laughter, but most importantly, treasure the memories. ~ Dave Brenner
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Nafplio—Venice in Greece
By Claire
We left Finikounda this morning early—Katie and Derek even dragged themselves out of bed to hug us goodbye. I said goodbye to Erika and another German couple then walked up to pay the bill, turn in our bathroom keys and return a book Chuck had borrowed from the camp library. Spiros and his wife are the kindest, sweetest people you can imagine.
Spiros—in his everyday yard work clothes
It’s always hard to leave our comfort zone, but once we hit the road (stopping at our favorite market for provisions along the way), I was ready for our next adventure. We stopped at a small town and sat on benches in front of the Mediterranean to eat fresh bread and a little cheese before carrying on, a late breakfast. Our goal was to have time for a few stops—with Nafplio the certain one.
It’s a charming little port town, small and cozy and perfect for walking. Naturally, we whipped out our Rick Steves’ Athens and the Peloponnese. He has a walking tour of the town that has a stop at Antica Gelateria di Roma, owned by the very friendly Marcello.
Marcello
We walked directly there, fearing that it would close during the siesta time. It’s been a long time since we’ve had gelato. It was wonderful and gave us a taste of Italy, good preparation for our coming journey back.
The entire town has a very Italian feel to it; no surprise since it was occupied by the Venetians. When they weren’t in charge, it was the Ottomans. Apparently, it went back and forth time and again. There are three castles guarding the port:
Bourtzi, located on a small island
Palamidi Fortress, high up on the hill—we decided against climbing the 1,000 stone steps to the top.
The third was just above the Old Town.
We continued on the walk, stopping in Syntagma Square, Nafplio’s central plaza. It was a perfect, sunny day to stroll around and this square is lined with nice restaurants and old buildings and best of all, kids playing soccer. One boy was even wearing gloves and playing the goalie, defending the archway of the old Venetian arsenal.
Soccer—note the ball just above the boy leaping in the air in the red shirt.
We mostly ignored the many shops along the way—this is a tourist town, after all—and instead took in the Greek Orthodox church, the architecture and the 18th century Turkish fountain hiding in a niche in a wall across from the church.
I really enjoy the Greek Orthodox churches, perhaps because they are different from the many huge, open cathedrals I’ve seen. They have a cluttered beauty inside—many impressive chandeliers and gold or silver decorated saints and icons and lower ceilings. I’m still trying to figure out how they all have the same clove scent that we found in Meteora. I want to bottle it and take it home.
There are two mosques left in the town—one is now a gallery, theatre and cinema. The other became independent Greece’s first parliament. It is now a conference center.
We made our way to yet another town square and into a lovely park, surrounded by restaurants. A gyro sounded just right and we found a place making them for only €2 each. We sat outside in the sun, basking in the day.
Chuck just had to try the traditional bakery, recommended by Rick Steves. Their specialty is ekmek, cream topped-baklava, and they’ve been making it since 1955.
We’re now at Camping Dionissiotis in Athens where Manos, who I’ve been emailing with for a few weeks, greeted us warmly. “Welcome to my camping!”
He carefully explained the bus and metro system—we will be storing Homer here while we are in Paros and will need to get to the port at Piraeus early Monday morning. As he walked me to a camping spot, with Chuck driving behind us, a man walked by, spotted the Dutch plates and started speaking either Dutch or German. I told him we were American and he instantly spoke perfect English. He’s from England! He hustled over to talk to Chuck, sitting at the wheel of Homer, while Manos whispered, “He drinks and wants to live here. I don’t know how long he will be staying.”
In fact, it was difficult for Chuck to extricate himself from the guy so that we could get into our spot. He finally left and we got settled and pulled the curtains. Neither of us was in the mood to entertain a lonely drunk.
While we were driving towards Athens, with the sun shining on the very blue water, we somehow started talking about the Munich Olympics where the Israeli athletes were killed. That was 38 years ago, and those men have lost all that time and more. It served as yet another reminder of how fortunate we are to be on this trip enjoying yet another magical day.
Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction. ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery
We left Finikounda this morning early—Katie and Derek even dragged themselves out of bed to hug us goodbye. I said goodbye to Erika and another German couple then walked up to pay the bill, turn in our bathroom keys and return a book Chuck had borrowed from the camp library. Spiros and his wife are the kindest, sweetest people you can imagine.
Spiros—in his everyday yard work clothes
It’s always hard to leave our comfort zone, but once we hit the road (stopping at our favorite market for provisions along the way), I was ready for our next adventure. We stopped at a small town and sat on benches in front of the Mediterranean to eat fresh bread and a little cheese before carrying on, a late breakfast. Our goal was to have time for a few stops—with Nafplio the certain one.
It’s a charming little port town, small and cozy and perfect for walking. Naturally, we whipped out our Rick Steves’ Athens and the Peloponnese. He has a walking tour of the town that has a stop at Antica Gelateria di Roma, owned by the very friendly Marcello.
Marcello
We walked directly there, fearing that it would close during the siesta time. It’s been a long time since we’ve had gelato. It was wonderful and gave us a taste of Italy, good preparation for our coming journey back.
The entire town has a very Italian feel to it; no surprise since it was occupied by the Venetians. When they weren’t in charge, it was the Ottomans. Apparently, it went back and forth time and again. There are three castles guarding the port:
Bourtzi, located on a small island
Palamidi Fortress, high up on the hill—we decided against climbing the 1,000 stone steps to the top.
The third was just above the Old Town.
We continued on the walk, stopping in Syntagma Square, Nafplio’s central plaza. It was a perfect, sunny day to stroll around and this square is lined with nice restaurants and old buildings and best of all, kids playing soccer. One boy was even wearing gloves and playing the goalie, defending the archway of the old Venetian arsenal.
Soccer—note the ball just above the boy leaping in the air in the red shirt.
We mostly ignored the many shops along the way—this is a tourist town, after all—and instead took in the Greek Orthodox church, the architecture and the 18th century Turkish fountain hiding in a niche in a wall across from the church.
I really enjoy the Greek Orthodox churches, perhaps because they are different from the many huge, open cathedrals I’ve seen. They have a cluttered beauty inside—many impressive chandeliers and gold or silver decorated saints and icons and lower ceilings. I’m still trying to figure out how they all have the same clove scent that we found in Meteora. I want to bottle it and take it home.
There are two mosques left in the town—one is now a gallery, theatre and cinema. The other became independent Greece’s first parliament. It is now a conference center.
We made our way to yet another town square and into a lovely park, surrounded by restaurants. A gyro sounded just right and we found a place making them for only €2 each. We sat outside in the sun, basking in the day.
Chuck just had to try the traditional bakery, recommended by Rick Steves. Their specialty is ekmek, cream topped-baklava, and they’ve been making it since 1955.
We’re now at Camping Dionissiotis in Athens where Manos, who I’ve been emailing with for a few weeks, greeted us warmly. “Welcome to my camping!”
He carefully explained the bus and metro system—we will be storing Homer here while we are in Paros and will need to get to the port at Piraeus early Monday morning. As he walked me to a camping spot, with Chuck driving behind us, a man walked by, spotted the Dutch plates and started speaking either Dutch or German. I told him we were American and he instantly spoke perfect English. He’s from England! He hustled over to talk to Chuck, sitting at the wheel of Homer, while Manos whispered, “He drinks and wants to live here. I don’t know how long he will be staying.”
In fact, it was difficult for Chuck to extricate himself from the guy so that we could get into our spot. He finally left and we got settled and pulled the curtains. Neither of us was in the mood to entertain a lonely drunk.
While we were driving towards Athens, with the sun shining on the very blue water, we somehow started talking about the Munich Olympics where the Israeli athletes were killed. That was 38 years ago, and those men have lost all that time and more. It served as yet another reminder of how fortunate we are to be on this trip enjoying yet another magical day.
Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction. ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Friday, March 19, 2010
Farewell to Finikounda, Greece
By Claire
All good things must come to an end and our wonderful time here ends tomorrow. We went to dinner in town Tuesday night with Derek and Katie and Pat and Brian. Pat and Brian drove but didn't have any room in their car due to packing up for their departure the next day, so Derek, Katie, Chuck and I biked in as a convoy in the dark. We did have flashlights duct taped to the handle bars and Katie and Derek even had bike lights. I think one car went by and we made it just fine.
Not much happens in this little town but we did manage to find a place that served dinner. No menu, just walk into the kitchen and choose what you want. The food and wine was good and we stayed and talked for a long time. Riding back was fun, even if it was pitch dark. Not a single car came along. Once we were back, Derek, Katie, Chuck and I walked to the beach to watch the stars and enjoy a glass of port. I saw 3 shooting stars!
The four of us have mostly been sitting in the sunshine reading; talking occasionally too. However, some people just insist on keeping a tidy area.
Hans cleaning again
I spent some time with Erika and Hans in their immaculate caravan and extension room. It was warm and inviting with classical music playing softly in the background. He was drinking a small glass of beer while she pointed out some places on the map that we must see in Germany. Their cat wandered in and I found out she adopted them last year at the campground so they took her home. She loves to travel and has now spent 6 months in her old stomping grounds.
We canvassed the neighborhood to get opinions about which route to take for the next leg of our trip and generally, just relaxed and enjoyed ourselves. No one was in favor of the Bulgaria/Romania route. I met a British couple on the beach one day--I thought she was unconscious when I saw her face down on a lounge--and talked to them for about an hour. They've been to the U.S. and thought it was wonderful and the people were very friendly. That was nice to hear. They bought a massive camper and shipped it over here. They were quite surprised by the size of the food portions. We're so used to it we were surprised by how tiny the portions are over here. Hmmm. I wonder if it makes a difference? Mostly, people around our neighborhood are sprawled in their chairs and lounges either sleeping in the sun or reading. Others are gathered in small groups laughing and talking. Or working on travel plans or drinking beer. It's very quiet with just the birds singing and the bees buzzing around all the fresh new flowers sprouting up.
Katie making future travel plans
Our view
Time for a beer
Tonight the four of us are going out for a goodbye meal in town. It really is hard to leave.
One on-going problem we've had has been our refrigerator. It hasn't been cooling adequately so we moved everything over to the communal fridge (we're lucky there is one!). We dragged our feet about figuring out what to do, asked around a bit, did some internet searching, emailed the camper repair place in Thessaloniki, until finally, I asked the campground owner, Spiros--He is so wonderful. He listened attentively to our problem then called a guy who does some work for him on his heating and air conditioning. Two guys came out and spent some time on the frig, determining that a heating element is out (or at least that's what we think he said). We had Spiros call Zampetas Camper Repair in Thessaloniki who then talked to the repair guy. They directed us to a place in Athens that has the part and can fix it. We will meet with them and have it fixed on our return from Paros. It's always something!
So here is a little history about our trip to the island of Paros. Back in October, I received an email from an American woman named Karin living on the Paros with her husband, Michael. She had found our blog and a regular correspondence began. She sent photos and gave me an executive summary of her very interesting life from the U.S. to Ireland to Greece. I was beginning to feel as if I really knew her when she threw out the idea of meeting and suggested the idea of us coming to Paros. It didn't take long for us to say yes. After all, it's just another adventure!
We wrote back and forth about this and that and how best to arrange our visit. It was decided that Homer would have to stay behind since none of the campgrounds are open on Paros in March. She worked hard at finding us a small apartment, gave me advice about buying ferry tickets and, voilà, we are off to Paros on Monday.
Meanwhile, we've decided to take the ferry to Italy on April 1 when on-deck camping is allowed. We'll arrive in Ancona, Italy, about half way up the back of the boot. From there we will drive to Vienna, Budapest, Krakow and Prague with stops along the way. The input we received was great! Here's a breakdown:
Italy, Nanci
Road less traveled, Kim
Croatia, Elisabetta
Hungary, Jennifer
Budapest and Prague are amazing, watch out for theft in Poland, Jamie
Formula 1 European events, Tai
Italy, Karin
Free camp or hotels in Eastern Europe, Cathe
Go with the heart, Penny
We'll keep you updated!
A day without sunshine is like, you know, night. ~ Steve Martin
All good things must come to an end and our wonderful time here ends tomorrow. We went to dinner in town Tuesday night with Derek and Katie and Pat and Brian. Pat and Brian drove but didn't have any room in their car due to packing up for their departure the next day, so Derek, Katie, Chuck and I biked in as a convoy in the dark. We did have flashlights duct taped to the handle bars and Katie and Derek even had bike lights. I think one car went by and we made it just fine.
Not much happens in this little town but we did manage to find a place that served dinner. No menu, just walk into the kitchen and choose what you want. The food and wine was good and we stayed and talked for a long time. Riding back was fun, even if it was pitch dark. Not a single car came along. Once we were back, Derek, Katie, Chuck and I walked to the beach to watch the stars and enjoy a glass of port. I saw 3 shooting stars!
The four of us have mostly been sitting in the sunshine reading; talking occasionally too. However, some people just insist on keeping a tidy area.
Hans cleaning again
I spent some time with Erika and Hans in their immaculate caravan and extension room. It was warm and inviting with classical music playing softly in the background. He was drinking a small glass of beer while she pointed out some places on the map that we must see in Germany. Their cat wandered in and I found out she adopted them last year at the campground so they took her home. She loves to travel and has now spent 6 months in her old stomping grounds.
We canvassed the neighborhood to get opinions about which route to take for the next leg of our trip and generally, just relaxed and enjoyed ourselves. No one was in favor of the Bulgaria/Romania route. I met a British couple on the beach one day--I thought she was unconscious when I saw her face down on a lounge--and talked to them for about an hour. They've been to the U.S. and thought it was wonderful and the people were very friendly. That was nice to hear. They bought a massive camper and shipped it over here. They were quite surprised by the size of the food portions. We're so used to it we were surprised by how tiny the portions are over here. Hmmm. I wonder if it makes a difference? Mostly, people around our neighborhood are sprawled in their chairs and lounges either sleeping in the sun or reading. Others are gathered in small groups laughing and talking. Or working on travel plans or drinking beer. It's very quiet with just the birds singing and the bees buzzing around all the fresh new flowers sprouting up.
Katie making future travel plans
Our view
Time for a beer
Tonight the four of us are going out for a goodbye meal in town. It really is hard to leave.
One on-going problem we've had has been our refrigerator. It hasn't been cooling adequately so we moved everything over to the communal fridge (we're lucky there is one!). We dragged our feet about figuring out what to do, asked around a bit, did some internet searching, emailed the camper repair place in Thessaloniki, until finally, I asked the campground owner, Spiros--He is so wonderful. He listened attentively to our problem then called a guy who does some work for him on his heating and air conditioning. Two guys came out and spent some time on the frig, determining that a heating element is out (or at least that's what we think he said). We had Spiros call Zampetas Camper Repair in Thessaloniki who then talked to the repair guy. They directed us to a place in Athens that has the part and can fix it. We will meet with them and have it fixed on our return from Paros. It's always something!
So here is a little history about our trip to the island of Paros. Back in October, I received an email from an American woman named Karin living on the Paros with her husband, Michael. She had found our blog and a regular correspondence began. She sent photos and gave me an executive summary of her very interesting life from the U.S. to Ireland to Greece. I was beginning to feel as if I really knew her when she threw out the idea of meeting and suggested the idea of us coming to Paros. It didn't take long for us to say yes. After all, it's just another adventure!
We wrote back and forth about this and that and how best to arrange our visit. It was decided that Homer would have to stay behind since none of the campgrounds are open on Paros in March. She worked hard at finding us a small apartment, gave me advice about buying ferry tickets and, voilà, we are off to Paros on Monday.
Meanwhile, we've decided to take the ferry to Italy on April 1 when on-deck camping is allowed. We'll arrive in Ancona, Italy, about half way up the back of the boot. From there we will drive to Vienna, Budapest, Krakow and Prague with stops along the way. The input we received was great! Here's a breakdown:
Italy, Nanci
Road less traveled, Kim
Croatia, Elisabetta
Hungary, Jennifer
Budapest and Prague are amazing, watch out for theft in Poland, Jamie
Formula 1 European events, Tai
Italy, Karin
Free camp or hotels in Eastern Europe, Cathe
Go with the heart, Penny
We'll keep you updated!
A day without sunshine is like, you know, night. ~ Steve Martin
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
We Need Your Input!
By Claire
On April 1 we need to start heading towards central Europe if we want to see everything we want to see before we have to leave the EU again for 3 months. We have two strategies in mind but don't have the knowledge to make the best (right?) decision. Is there anyone out there who can help us?
Route idea #1:
Drive up through Greece to Bulgaria, continuing through Romania and Hungary, stopping here and there to see the sights. From there we want to see Krakow in Poland, and Auschwitz. After that, we plan on seeing Prague and then Germany, Austria and Switzerland from where we will drive to catch a ferry to the UK leaving out of Dunkirk. To make the comparison reasonable, I am giving distances to Vienna in both instances. Cost to drive through Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary to Vienna: fuel and camping--unknown. Distance approximately 2,893 km or 1,798 miles.
Route idea #2:
Take an overnight ferry from Igoumenitsa, Greece to Anacona, Italy, camping on deck in Homer. Cost: €228. Drive up through northern Italy to and through Austria to Vienna. Distance to Vienna, approximately 2,183 km or 1,357 miles.
Would we be missing a lot if we don't see Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary? Not a lot of campgrounds are open yet in these countries. There is a certain comfort zone about going back to Italy.
Feedback much appreciated!
On April 1 we need to start heading towards central Europe if we want to see everything we want to see before we have to leave the EU again for 3 months. We have two strategies in mind but don't have the knowledge to make the best (right?) decision. Is there anyone out there who can help us?
Route idea #1:
Drive up through Greece to Bulgaria, continuing through Romania and Hungary, stopping here and there to see the sights. From there we want to see Krakow in Poland, and Auschwitz. After that, we plan on seeing Prague and then Germany, Austria and Switzerland from where we will drive to catch a ferry to the UK leaving out of Dunkirk. To make the comparison reasonable, I am giving distances to Vienna in both instances. Cost to drive through Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary to Vienna: fuel and camping--unknown. Distance approximately 2,893 km or 1,798 miles.
Route idea #2:
Take an overnight ferry from Igoumenitsa, Greece to Anacona, Italy, camping on deck in Homer. Cost: €228. Drive up through northern Italy to and through Austria to Vienna. Distance to Vienna, approximately 2,183 km or 1,357 miles.
Would we be missing a lot if we don't see Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary? Not a lot of campgrounds are open yet in these countries. There is a certain comfort zone about going back to Italy.
Feedback much appreciated!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Rain, Rain, Go Away
By Claire
Saturday it rained. We rode our bikes into town early and picked up supplies. Then we watched 4 movies in a row. It was interesting to note that everyone in the neighborhood stayed pretty much to themselves inside their campers or caravans.
Sunday was nicer with intermittent sprinkles. Pat and Brian invited us over for a visit so we spent the afternoon inside their gorgeous caravan talking, drinking wine and eating their wonderful green Greek olives. They had printed out a list of all the places we must see in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland. We had a wonderful time talking about travel, life, books and more travel. They even gave us a set of six books about a crime solving 7th century Celtic nun in Ireland. I had tried to get these books (21 in the series so far), by Peter Tremayne, for our Kindles; but alas, they are not available. We were thrilled to get a starter kit and Chuck has already begun the first one, Absolution by Murder . What a nice couple!
Today opened with blue sky, sunshine and birds singing. We rode into town, hit the ATM, the produce market and the market with the really good green Greek olives.
ATM in town
For some insane reason I decided to make potato leek soup. It sounded so good two days ago when it was cold and we were holed up inside. I forgot what a tiny kitchen we have. At any rate, Chuck cut up the potatoes and I sauteed the leeks, borrowing some thyme from Katie's plant and using the chicken bouillon cubes she gave me. It just didn't seem right not to invite her and Derek over for lunch since she provided the key ingredients. They were busy doing a major laundry (just like everyone else around here as soon as the sun comes out--ha ha, I had already done ours and it was already swinging in the breeze and warming in the sun!) so we let the soup simmer and set the table outside, opened the wine and cut up the big loaf of bread we had picked up this morning. They seemed quite happy to join us.
Lunch
So lunch turned into a 5 hour conversation. After we finished the soup, bread and two bottles of wine, Katie sped off on her bike to get more and came back with three bottles of wine and two fantastic pastries each. It's nice to have great neighbors.
We were sorry to see Klaus leave the other day but he had places to go and people to see.
Saying goodbye to Klaus
This morning we stopped at a restaurant in town that appeared to be open--the woman was sweeping the place out and we smelled good things. I asked if they were serving lunch or dinner. She said yes, dinner after 7 pm. When we got back home we asked Pat and Brian if they'd like to go to dinner tomorrow night. They're leaving Wednesday and were delighted with the idea, especially since they'll be packing up and dinner will be the last thing on their minds. Katie and Derek were game as well. Should be fun.
Finikounda--Center of town
I do NOT want to leave this place!
Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love and something to hope for. ~ Joseph Addison
Saturday it rained. We rode our bikes into town early and picked up supplies. Then we watched 4 movies in a row. It was interesting to note that everyone in the neighborhood stayed pretty much to themselves inside their campers or caravans.
Sunday was nicer with intermittent sprinkles. Pat and Brian invited us over for a visit so we spent the afternoon inside their gorgeous caravan talking, drinking wine and eating their wonderful green Greek olives. They had printed out a list of all the places we must see in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland. We had a wonderful time talking about travel, life, books and more travel. They even gave us a set of six books about a crime solving 7th century Celtic nun in Ireland. I had tried to get these books (21 in the series so far), by Peter Tremayne, for our Kindles; but alas, they are not available. We were thrilled to get a starter kit and Chuck has already begun the first one, Absolution by Murder . What a nice couple!
Today opened with blue sky, sunshine and birds singing. We rode into town, hit the ATM, the produce market and the market with the really good green Greek olives.
ATM in town
For some insane reason I decided to make potato leek soup. It sounded so good two days ago when it was cold and we were holed up inside. I forgot what a tiny kitchen we have. At any rate, Chuck cut up the potatoes and I sauteed the leeks, borrowing some thyme from Katie's plant and using the chicken bouillon cubes she gave me. It just didn't seem right not to invite her and Derek over for lunch since she provided the key ingredients. They were busy doing a major laundry (just like everyone else around here as soon as the sun comes out--ha ha, I had already done ours and it was already swinging in the breeze and warming in the sun!) so we let the soup simmer and set the table outside, opened the wine and cut up the big loaf of bread we had picked up this morning. They seemed quite happy to join us.
Lunch
So lunch turned into a 5 hour conversation. After we finished the soup, bread and two bottles of wine, Katie sped off on her bike to get more and came back with three bottles of wine and two fantastic pastries each. It's nice to have great neighbors.
We were sorry to see Klaus leave the other day but he had places to go and people to see.
Saying goodbye to Klaus
This morning we stopped at a restaurant in town that appeared to be open--the woman was sweeping the place out and we smelled good things. I asked if they were serving lunch or dinner. She said yes, dinner after 7 pm. When we got back home we asked Pat and Brian if they'd like to go to dinner tomorrow night. They're leaving Wednesday and were delighted with the idea, especially since they'll be packing up and dinner will be the last thing on their minds. Katie and Derek were game as well. Should be fun.
Finikounda--Center of town
I do NOT want to leave this place!
Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love and something to hope for. ~ Joseph Addison
Friday, March 12, 2010
Moussaka Party
By Claire
I have to say, life is good. We wake to almost perfect weather—same old, same old. Ride our bikes into town, walk the beach, read, visit with other campers. This could become habit forming. While all of us here at Camping Finikes are whiling away our time, Rod and Spiros are busy maintaining the place. I love the truck they use for loading up all the prunings and hauling things around. No doors and no windshield.
This couple sit at a table in the car and sleep in a tent.
We really love Klaus's campervan and fantasize about getting a similar one when we return. His is the latest and greatest "California" model, unavailable in California or the U.S.
As evening fell, a large number of us walked to the campground restaurant where Spiros and his wife were putting on a moussaka dinner. Our table consisted of Katie and Derek, Klaus (I think he likes us even though he could have sat with other Germans here) and new friends, Brian and Pat.
We started with fried zucchini and tzatsiki. The plate was piled with it but, you know how it goes.
Moussaka--the best I've ever had.
Candied fruit--this was very different and quite delicious.
The food, all homemade, including a Greek salad (as good as mine!) was served family style and delicious, of course. Lots of wine, a few Greek coffees, and ouzo. Katie demonstrated lighting the ouzo then clamping her hand over the glass and raising her hand to show how it sticks. Unfortunately, my camera battery quit at that important moment. A good time was had by all.
We may look like we're acting like teenagers but trust me, no one lost their dignity. I can't stand ouzo but, when in Greece. Chuck finished mine for me and talked about the strange things that were going on in his stomach after mixing it with Greek coffee.
The best vitamin for making friends: B1 ~ Unknown
I have to say, life is good. We wake to almost perfect weather—same old, same old. Ride our bikes into town, walk the beach, read, visit with other campers. This could become habit forming. While all of us here at Camping Finikes are whiling away our time, Rod and Spiros are busy maintaining the place. I love the truck they use for loading up all the prunings and hauling things around. No doors and no windshield.
This couple sit at a table in the car and sleep in a tent.
We really love Klaus's campervan and fantasize about getting a similar one when we return. His is the latest and greatest "California" model, unavailable in California or the U.S.
As evening fell, a large number of us walked to the campground restaurant where Spiros and his wife were putting on a moussaka dinner. Our table consisted of Katie and Derek, Klaus (I think he likes us even though he could have sat with other Germans here) and new friends, Brian and Pat.
We started with fried zucchini and tzatsiki. The plate was piled with it but, you know how it goes.
Moussaka--the best I've ever had.
Candied fruit--this was very different and quite delicious.
The food, all homemade, including a Greek salad (as good as mine!) was served family style and delicious, of course. Lots of wine, a few Greek coffees, and ouzo. Katie demonstrated lighting the ouzo then clamping her hand over the glass and raising her hand to show how it sticks. Unfortunately, my camera battery quit at that important moment. A good time was had by all.
We may look like we're acting like teenagers but trust me, no one lost their dignity. I can't stand ouzo but, when in Greece. Chuck finished mine for me and talked about the strange things that were going on in his stomach after mixing it with Greek coffee.
The best vitamin for making friends: B1 ~ Unknown
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