Lovely-lovely-lovely, Marlena. Did I ever thank you for introducing me to the amazing farmer's market in Nafplion? We loved it, couldn't get enough of it, just as usual longed for a place to cook all that provender.
Marlena’s recounting her first exposure to Greece touched a nerve. I had to respond. At a hostel in Rome, I hooked up with Marlena and husband David , rest in peace and may his memory be a blessing. Like them, my itinerary was a finger in the air to see which way the wind blew. They were going to Greece, they were friendly and, it was December. Greece seemed like a warm place to be. I rode across southern Italy in the wayback of their VW bus.
Marlena remembers a rough crossing of the Adriatic Sea from Brindis to Corfu. I remember sitting on deck eating walnuts and peeling off cloves from a garlic bulb. Where is that stomach today? Together we made our way to Heraklion and then to Agios Nikolaos. Somewhere along the way, we discovered we both liked to eat. And cook. And make our own food. We did a lot of that.
The VW bus gave up the ghost on Crete. A new engine was found somewhere and would be here some day. I had the choice to hang or continue my odyssey. It was late December, holidays upon us, a bad time to be a cheap traveler. I hung. The next two weeks in Agios Nikolaos were a splendor of making meals with Marlena and David, hanging with the fishermen and their dried fish, olives and ouzo (always ouzo) on the bay. When the new year came, we bid our farewells.
But this is not a travelogue. It was all about the food. Fortunately, we were self-aware enough to know that we were experiencing local, fresh foods with abundant olives and olive oil, cheeses, veggies and great fruit. For both Marlena, David and me, it framed our entire travel experience. Who would know? We now know.
Returning to the US, sigh, my then-girlfriend and now wife of 50 years had the opportunity to “test” various recipes for Marlena and David’s recipe book, “Naturally Good – International Whole Food Recipes.” (https://www.amazon.com/Marlena-Spieler/e/B0028BA4SM/ref=aufs_dp_mata_dsk). Today, as the weather chills, the lamb and vegetables (page 115) is our absolute go-to. Thank you, Marlena. And David.
Your words take us there! I swear I could smell everything you described.
Lovely-lovely-lovely, Marlena. Did I ever thank you for introducing me to the amazing farmer's market in Nafplion? We loved it, couldn't get enough of it, just as usual longed for a place to cook all that provender.
I am so happy for this! I loved the market so much, and when I knew how close you were, I knew that you had to visit it too!
Marlena’s recounting her first exposure to Greece touched a nerve. I had to respond. At a hostel in Rome, I hooked up with Marlena and husband David , rest in peace and may his memory be a blessing. Like them, my itinerary was a finger in the air to see which way the wind blew. They were going to Greece, they were friendly and, it was December. Greece seemed like a warm place to be. I rode across southern Italy in the wayback of their VW bus.
Marlena remembers a rough crossing of the Adriatic Sea from Brindis to Corfu. I remember sitting on deck eating walnuts and peeling off cloves from a garlic bulb. Where is that stomach today? Together we made our way to Heraklion and then to Agios Nikolaos. Somewhere along the way, we discovered we both liked to eat. And cook. And make our own food. We did a lot of that.
The VW bus gave up the ghost on Crete. A new engine was found somewhere and would be here some day. I had the choice to hang or continue my odyssey. It was late December, holidays upon us, a bad time to be a cheap traveler. I hung. The next two weeks in Agios Nikolaos were a splendor of making meals with Marlena and David, hanging with the fishermen and their dried fish, olives and ouzo (always ouzo) on the bay. When the new year came, we bid our farewells.
But this is not a travelogue. It was all about the food. Fortunately, we were self-aware enough to know that we were experiencing local, fresh foods with abundant olives and olive oil, cheeses, veggies and great fruit. For both Marlena, David and me, it framed our entire travel experience. Who would know? We now know.
Returning to the US, sigh, my then-girlfriend and now wife of 50 years had the opportunity to “test” various recipes for Marlena and David’s recipe book, “Naturally Good – International Whole Food Recipes.” (https://www.amazon.com/Marlena-Spieler/e/B0028BA4SM/ref=aufs_dp_mata_dsk). Today, as the weather chills, the lamb and vegetables (page 115) is our absolute go-to. Thank you, Marlena. And David.
XXX