In the Mountains of Greece- Anavriti

 

Anavriti is a village just outside of Sparta built in a notch of Mount Taygetos, one of the tallest mountain ranges of the Peloponnese. A zig zag road across the mountain leads to the hidden village at 2000 feet elevation.

Once the village had a thriving leather-tanning trade and a large prosperous population. It's abundant running waters that spring straight from the mountain were conducive to that trade. Today, most of the full time inhabitants are gone, save for the family of the restaurant owner and a few older people.

If you are lucky to run into the shepherd and his goats, stop for a while and chat but never ask him how many goats he has. It's considered bad luck to count the flock.

 Wildflowers in the rocks

 

A view of Sparta from the footpaths of Anavriti

The people of Anavriti immigrated to the United States after WWII in the 50's, 60's and, 70's. A number of them have restored their ancestral homes and return each summer to spend some time in the village where they grew up

Beautiful Ruins

Rose Hips

 

 

Restored home

Abandoned to the elements

Anavriti

The town Tavern

Yummy omelette

Grilled bread with olive oil and mountain oregano

Greek Salad

Make sure you try the feta made by the local shepherd whom you may meet in the mountains with his flock if you were to hike one of the many paths

A carafe of Red

The Anavriti Cave

Stelios exploring the cave.

I've been fortunate to spend a couple of days there myself and wanted to share the beauty of the Taygetos Mountains and one of it's most attractive villages.

Enjoy!

Maria

Lobster lunches at Poulithra by the Sea

Poulithra is a small town on the shore of Southern Arcadia on the foothills of Mount Parnassos. We were there with our cousins, Yianni and Anna, for a couple of days of relaxation.

The little harbor of Poulithra

 

 It's about a four hour drive from Athens and if you take the scenic shore road you will run the risk of driving off the cliffs and into the wide blue sea! I couldn't keep my eyes off the beautiful shore that wove like a ribbon around the coast. The small beach towns beckoned me but we had to keep going if we were to reach our destination in time for lunch with the cousins.

The swim ladder off the Smyros Resort platform

Swim Platform into the secluded cove

Happy swimmer

The Smyros Resort Pool 

View from the pool area

 Outdoor Dining area at the Smyros Resort

We were headed for Smyros Resort, a new hotel with a gorgeous swimming pool set on a hill overlooking the sea and secluded swimming from a platform off the cliffs into a cove that felt like a piece of heaven.

View from Dining area

 

We arrived on time and the cousins told us that fresh lobster was available. Yes! We ordered our lunch and got settled in.

 Simple side dish

The Lobster Dish!

The lobster with Spaghetti. Delicious!

 

According to the chef, the sea around Poulithra is a crossing for lobsters on their way to the open sea and if you are lucky you can find many of them.

A passage in the Resort

Our Room with a view!

Ripe Olives

Full Moon

 

Smyros Resort corner

Last swim

The pool at night

Our stay at the Smyros Resort in Poulithra was magical. The memory of the sea and the mountains, the taste of the lobster and the hospitality of the local people will nurture me through the cold Northeast winter.

Maria

Vlitopita-Greek Amaranth and Cheese Pie

Greek Amaranth is a fast growing plant that is very popular in Greece in the summertime. The Greeks pick the tender leaves and steam them, serving them with lemon juice and olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. They buy them in large quantities and eat them with almost every meal.

The greens are almost always available at Greek restaurants and I would recommend you try them if you are in Greece. They have a succulent earthy flavor and are very nutritious. Think of them as a kind of spinach.

A great way to use any leftover vlita(you can substitute spinach or any other greens) is to make a pita. Anything that goes between two pieces of dough is called pita in Greece. Hence, spanakopita, spinach pie.

Mix 20 ounces of flour, 1 packet of yeast and 1/2 tspn. sea salt

Add one third of a cup of extra virgin Greek olive oil

and 1/3 cup warm water

add an egg and mix well

Cover and let rise for about an hour

 

When dough doubles it is ready to roll

Divide your dough in two and roll out two pieces to fit an 18x9 deep sided pan

Steam about 2 lbs. of greens. Let them cool and squeeze them so there's no water left. Chop greens

chop about a third cup mint leaves

 

To the greens add 6 ounces crumbled feta cheese, 6 ounces grated parmesan or Greek graviera cheese and, 6 ounces fresh ricotta or Greek anthotiro cheese. Lightly beat two eggs and add to the mix. Also add 1 teaspoon of seasalt, 1/2 tspn. black pepper and grate about half a tspn of fresh nutmeg. Mix well.

Lay down your first rolled piece of dough and top with the greens filling

Top with the second piece of dough

Cut off any excess dough and crimp the edges

Bake for about an hour in a 350 degree preheated oven

Voila!

 

Enjoy!

 

Maria