Sunday In Kritsa

Wow what a day................

We decided to go to Church today. Yesterday we went to the Church and introduced ourselves to the Priest. We asked what time church was and he said between 7-9 am. We woke late at 8:00am but were in church by 8:30. I thought we would catch the last half hour. However we werent late as Church didnt finish until 10:00am!. The priets had sold us the dummy!!

Inside there were around 50 people. There were 5 men including the priest and the rest were old women. Sue would have been the youngest lady, besides a young family who came late and had obviously christen their child recently and took communion.

Afterwards we walked straight accross the road and had a coffee. Eventually the priest came and had coffee in the same coffee shop.

Around 11:00am Yanni and Maria arrived and we went to Yanni's cousin place Maria. She has a beautiful house over looking the village right at the top of the mountain. She came with us to lunch in the next village. The next village has not been touched by tourism at all and is very tradional. Old ladies sit in the streets and crack almonds open. Old men sit and play backgammon. Yanni told us how they live very simple lives and have a few goats, grow their own vegetables or go into the mountians and pick wild fruit( apple and pears). I foget the name of the village but will post it tommorow night when I find out.

It was in this village that we had this amazing goat for lunch. What they do is boil the goat and then bring the goat on a plate. With the broth they boil up rough pieces of pasta and then finish it with a cheese( which no one would tell me the name off) . As you eat the pieces of goat you also enjoy the pasta coated with cheese).... I asked Yanni if the water had herbs in it but he insisted it was just salty water. The flavour of the goat was amazing and I am sure their were herbs in the water. However Yanni kept insisting it was good goat. He believes that we wouldnt have goat like this in Australia. I think he is probably right. However I am sure it was flavoured with herbs............oh well we will never know. Suffice to say it was an amazing and special meal. The village was a very special place further up the mountains in a little valley of sorts. I can not describe it better and hopefully Sue will be able to describe it better for you later.

After we went back to Kritsa and Yanni drove around and showed me old Papadoulis houses and where he grew up. I met a man who would have been 70/80 who operated the oldest coffee shop in Krista. Before him his grandmother use to run it!!...He told me that anyone who knew anything about our Papadoulis family had long since passed away. The Papadoulis in the village cant remember much passed their own parents and they certianly dont know anything about their great grandparents. I am going to have to return and spend some time here ( like a month) and go through the births/deaths register of the village to be able to complete the family tree.

After lunch Yanni returned home and I had a sleep with Cassiana.Sue went for a walk through the village.

This evening we went out and had a few mezzi ( light snacks) as we had such a big lunch.

That was our day today. Tommorrow I will place some photos.

It has been raining all afternoon and cloud has almost covered the village. We are in the heavens here.

Good Night from Kritsa