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| Village Life in Aegina, Greece Posted: 16 May 2011 08:40 AM PDT Got a sec? Vote for Almost Fearless here. We spent a week in Aegina, Greece just a 45 minute ferry from Athens. It’s the off season, so the place was quiet, empty and hauntingly beautiful. I loved our extremely expensive hotel room (compared to Asia prices) which overlooked a garden with lemons, lavender, heaps of oregano and quiet little nooks to sit and read or catch some sun.
There was just one other couple at the hotel from the UK and they were trying to “avoid the whole Royal Wedding thing” that was going on back home. Of course, even Greek TV was full of excruciatingly detailed accounts and speculations leading up to the event, so even if you didn’t speak a word of the language, it was hard to miss the continuous video loop of Ms. Middleton.
I spent one afternoon writing in the garden. It was fantastic.
Our room, so lovely to watch the sun set from the balcony.
The oregano in the hotel’s garden. I would pick some just to smell it.
I included the above photo, because I noticed something interesting… here I am in Greece and I’m still wearing a pashima shawl to cover my arms, a relic of my time in Asia where modesty is a social norm. It took me a few weeks, almost a month, to drop the habit. In fact, the first few days in Europe I was a bit shocked, pointing out nudie magazines on the newspaper stand to my husband like a giggling teenager. It does seem so vulgar and strange after so much time of not seeing any nudity, and then to suddenly see women totally nude and bent over some object (but still twisting around to make eye-contact and expose a little breast, naturally) as you buy yourself a bottle of water.
The local octopus, served in a white wine sauce. Very tender for octopus and even the baby liked it.
My first time having stuffed grape leaves and I loved them. They are filled with a seasoned rice mixture and it was pleasant to bite through the grape leaf (they are surprisingly succulent) which I didn’t expect.
The moto is the preferred method of transport. We rented an absolutely horrendous one with squeaky brakes for a day.
An olive grove over-grown with wild flowers.
Flowers, flowers, everywhere.
This probably translates to: “The Gate” but I was still charmed at seeing Greek signs.
This was the first time I ever saw olives on the branch, up close. They are fuzzy.
I even picked one, you know, for science.
When I cut it open it was very sticky inside, and didn’t smell like anything. I know that olives go through a lot of processing before they are edible, so I didn’t try eating it.
Figs! I love it here!
We did more, um, experiments, but I’m sure the owners of the fig tree, growing on an empty lot, didn’t mind.
Errant oranges growing up a cement wall.
My favorite drink in Greece: Loux. It’s sour cherry drink and I’m addicted to it.
My husband celebrated his 35th birthday so I bought him a tart.
Did I mention the cherries? Cherry gelato from an ice cream shop who’s name is Greek so I can’t even begin to pronounce it. We went back there three more times. Good-bye Aegina! You were lovely. Related Travel Books
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