Κανει Κρυο!

It's cold! Ok, well not like Minnesota cold but a scarf and gloves have become necessary in my everyday attire.  The average temperature the past week has been about 10 C (50 F) which actually isn't too bad when dressed appropriately but its the rain and wind that make it much unpleasant! Everyday I walk to pick up Nicolas from school and today I was not looking forward to it... it is about 9 C (48 F) which I know to my Minnesota readers is quite warm but it is also raining and the wind is so strong its blowing the chairs over on the balcony. It has been raining the past couple days and they say it will continue through the weekend. I've been spoiled with a warm winter but I can't help but feel down about the bad weather that is to continue. My Saturday afternoons are typically spent with Jessica, we walk to the sea to get coffee and then walk along the sea side until we find a spot to sit, either on the beach or the rocks and soak up the sunshine. A very enjoyable way to spend a Saturday :) This weekend however, we will be confined indoors... watching the once dried up washes fill once again with water.

Something quite unusual that I have noticed here is that everyone is always so concerned with keeping warm. Ex. always wearing a scarf, wearing many layers along with a jacket, and always wearing socks or shoes even inside the house...but then, the strange thing is that many of the old people here swim all year round! It will be 10 C outside and you will see them in their speedos and bikinis walking along the beach and then diving into the water which I'm sure is freezing!!! I don't get it but that goes with a lot of things here in Greece :)

Istanbul

Istanbul, known in Greece as Constantinople (since it used to be called that when it was a Greek city) is absolutely beautiful. The largest city I've been to with its 12.8 million inhabitants but also one of the cleanest! While walking around I noticed there were always people cleaning: sweeping the streets, and collecting garbage...One of the cool things I learned about the city is that it is located partly in Europe and partly in Asia making it the only metropolis in the world situated on two continents.

view from my room on the european side to the asian side

It was a "family" vacation, so it was Van, Nancy, Nicolas and I that journeyed the one hour flight to this Turkish city. When we arrived we went straight to the hotel...we stayed at the Hilton because Van claims it to be the best. Side note: Van has offices here so he travels to Istanbul quite often. We stayed in the executive suites which I don't think was probably that much different than the other rooms other than we were allowed to go to the top floor where there was snacks, finger foods, and beverages (including wine and beer) at a (free) self serve basis all day long. We had adjoining rooms, Van and Nancy in one and Nicolas and me in the other. We went to the top floor where Van was to meet with one of his employees that is in charge of the Turkey offices (Ohan - not really sure how to spell his name actually...).

After chatting for awhile and enjoying a few glasses of wine we met up with some friends of theirs that were also visiting Istanbul at the time. Ohan then brought us to a Turkish taverna where there was live music and traditional Turkish food. The food was very similar to the Greek food I am now used to but I noticed there were more Indian spices used which gave everything a little bit of a curry flavor. I normally don't like Indian food at all but this mixture was actually quite tasty!

The live music was very entertaining, not only because Nicolas insisted on dancing but also because half of the restaurant got up from their seats and started dancing too! The man you see at the end of the video was dancing like this the entire night! I couldn't stop laughing....:)

The next day we got up and went to breakfast upstairs where they had everything you can imagine! So we ate and drank Turkish coffee, which by the way, is delicious! Similar to Greek coffee but a little stronger...We decided to walk around the city and go to the Grand Bazaar. The Grand Bazaar is a covered market place that is over 550 years old! It is one of the largest covered market places in the world with over 58 covered streets and over 4000 shops. Many of the shops carry jewelry, pottery, spices, carpets, and leather bags while others have tourist items such as key chains, t-shirts, etc.

This was definitely an experience, not only with seeing the different items for sale but I unfortunately got the pleasure of using a Turkish toilet....for those of you who have never used one, I do not recommend it. There is a stall, and instead of a toilet there is a basin in the floor which you are expected to squat over...not an easy task. They are said to be more sanitary but I prefer a regular toilet and seat cover any day!

We went for lunch at a small restaurant where we had kebab, coos coos, and pitas....all of which was delicious! Our table over looked the kitchen so I sat and watched them prepare our food...they weren't very happy with me when I took the following picture however :)

After lunch we continued to walk around the city, admiring the beautiful buildings and mosques that line the streets.

One of the most beautiful buildings I saw was the Hagia Sophia, meaning Holy Wisdom in Greek, it originated in 360 as a Cathedral for the Greek Orthodox. After the Turkish conquered the city they went in and changed it to a mosque, taking down the alter, bells and any other catholic traditions and added the Islamic features. It stayed this way until 1935 when it was changed into a museum. It was the largest cathedral in the world for almost 1000 years! The building itself is most famous for its massive dome, it is an example of Byzantine architecture and said to have changed the history of architecture. Definitely a spectacular sight!

It was then nap time for Nicolas so after dropping the fam off at the hotel I ventured off on my own to see more of the city. It was a little chilly so I decided carrying around a chai latte from Starbucks was a great idea, I asked the concierge where to find one and he gave me directions....however, I couldn't help but notice the strange look on his face. I realized after walking away that I probably looked like the epitomy of an American...here I am in a city known for having excellent coffee and I ask where I can find a Starbucks...  oh well! Love my Starbucks :)

When I returned to the hotel we all got ready for dinner. Ohan joined us again and brought us to a jazz bar/restaurant. I had never been to one before (not even in the states) so it was a real treat! We had dinner and then around 21:00 the band came on. They sang all english jazz songs and we all enjoyed it very much. Nicolas even sat quietly and listened for most of the time!

The next morning Van brought us to see his new offices, they were on the Asian side of the city so now I can say I've been to Asia ;) (I hope to one day actually see more of the continent :p) 

We saw the offices and then went for coffee. It was then time to head to the airport and fly home. It was a short vacation but a very nice one as well! I would love to go back there spend more time someday!

Another random side note: I kept thinking I saw my uncle Jim, so Uncle Jim...if you're reading this...you look Turkish :) I know you're not of course....just sayin.... :)

I'm adding this picture because I find it hilarious! We were in the hotel room during this excavation...luckily....however, he is now obsessed with picking his nose and isn't shy about where and when he does it :p

Holidays Away From Home

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving for most Americans is about family, football and of course, food! This is my favorite holiday and I look forward to the feast all year! Turkey, mashed potatoes, buns, green bean casserole, creamed corn, and cranberries are a few of the dishes that sit upon our holiday table. This year was different of course, mostly due to the fact that Thanksgiving is only celebrated in the states...Some of my American friends here share my love for the holiday and we decided to celebrate together at Roosa's. (also including a few Swedes :))

We each made a dish to bring, mine was green bean casserole. This dish is usually very easy to make in the states: 2 cans of green beans, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, and 1 can of fried onions. Finding ingredients here has proven to be difficult but for this recipe I wasn't too worried...that is, until I got to the grocery store and the only ingredient they had was the green beans. I was able to find cream of mushroom soup in a powder form so I picked up a package of that and headed home. I spoke to my mother and she said that the fried onions are just battered with flour and salt so they shouldn't be too hard to make. My Thanksgiving morning went a little like this: heating a large pan filled with oil, cutting very small strips of onion, tossing them in the flour/salt mixture and dropping them in the oil. This actually went pretty smoothly other than half way through the oil became filled with the excess flour and started burning therefore giving some of the fried onions a burnt taste...I decided changing the oil was the best option. I then made the soup, since it was a powder I just had to add hot water. The only problem with this was I couldn't remember (with the original ingredients) if I was supposed to add water to the can of soup or if it is supposed to stay concentrated...so due to the 8 hour time difference I waited until I knew my mother would be awake and I gave her a call. Turns out you aren't supposed to add water for this recipe so this is where I ran into a problem...I had already added the water to the powder so I decided to go back to the store and get more of the powder in hopes of making it really concentrated...I added another 2 boxes to the mix so it looked like the consistency I remembered from the can's I usually get. So I mixed the soup with the green beans, topped it with the fried onions I had made earlier and popped it in the oven.

We all met at Roosa's around 20:00, each bringing our separate dishes. Jessica and Christine were in charge of the turkey but since turkeys take forever to make they had thought to buy an already made one...of course they couldn't find one so we just settled for chicken :) Roosa made crescent rolls and mashed potatoes, Alexandra made some greek stuffing, and Spyros brought dessert. Roosa had set the table and lit some candles, it all looked so nice!

Everything turned out so well! I had warned everyone that I was unsure of how my green bean casserole was going to taste but surprisingly it was very delicious! We drank wine, chatted, and even played a few drinking games :) A very fun night!

Christmas

This was my first Christmas away from home and my first Christmas with no snow! We call Santa Saint Nicolas but here they refer to him as Saint Basil  ('Αγιοσς Βασιλειος). Also instead of riding his sleigh and landing on the roofs of houses he climbs a ladder to the roof and then drops down the chimney...I found this out because I was noticing all of these decorations on the outside of houses with Santa climbing a ladder so I asked my family about it.

Christmas morning we brought Nicolas into the living room to show him the toys Santa left for him under the tree. I don't think he payed much attention to the whole Santa story because he was too interested in what the presents were... typical 2 year old of course :)

After opening gifts we headed to church, one of two times they go each year...the other being Easter :) It wasn't too far away and it was the church Van and Nancy were married in. It was quite small but very beautiful. It had the typical charming white stone on the outside and once you entered the large doors you see dazzling crystal chandeliers and paintings that cover every inch of the walls and ceiling. It was very crowded so we lit a few candles and stood in the back to listen. They were signing, it was in ancient greek and unlike a noise I've ever heard before....not something I'd want to hear everyday...but overall a very cool experience. We then went to Nicolas's godmothers house for coffee. We sat and chatted while eating Christmas sweets and Nicolas quietly colored some pictures. The two main Christmas cookies are μελομακαρονα (melomakarona, a honey cookie) and κουραμπιεδες (kourambiedes, a shortbread cookie), both are delicious!!!

It was then time to go to Nancy's mother house for lunch. When we arrived the house smelled amazing! She had been cooking all morning and now that it was almost 13:00 we were all very hungry! We started with soup made with rice in a creamy chicken broth and cheese pie, then had chicken, potatoes, bread, and salad. She normally makes much more than this but Nancy insisted that we didn't need so much food, which is true because there is always still so much left when we are done eating! She baked a loaf of bread in which was a coin, you first cut a piece for Jesus, then one for the house, and then one for each person. If you get the piece with the coin it is said you will have good luck all year (they also do this tradition on new years). I ended up with the piece with the coin so I'm hoping my good luck will continue! We had brought the dessert, aka stopped at a bakery on the way to the house and picked up an assortment of sweets ;)

We said our goodbye's and headed home, we were all in much need of a nap! Around 18:00 people started coming over, Nancy and Van invite their friends over every year to celebrate together. We put out plates of meat, cheese and vegetables for everyone to enjoy and opened many bottles of wine :) The children played inside while the adults sat on the balcony and I drifted back and forth because Nicolas insisted on being glued to me the whole night.

People left around midnight and then we all crashed after the long day of festivities. I may not have spent Christmas with my family in Minnesota but this was the first Christmas spent with my Greek family and I enjoyed it very much :)

New Years Eve

It is typical for Greeks to spend new years eve with their family and then after the countdown at 12 they will go out with friends, so this is what I did. We went to Nancy's mothers house for a late dinner where we had chicken, lamb, greek stuffing, potatoes, salad, cheese pie, bread, and many different cheeses. Everything was delicious as usual! We drank champagne and at midnight went to the roof to watch the fireworks. Καλη Χρονια  is happy new year in Greek which I practiced earlier that day so I could say it to Nancy's mother who doesn't speak a word of english.

We left around 12:30 and they dropped me off and my friend Arialena's house. We met up with a few friends there and then headed to the bar where we had reserved a table.

There was a large group of us that met there and as it got later the bar got more and more crowded. We danced and drank for many hours where I lost complete track of time. At some point we decided to go to an "after club" where we danced a drank more :) I finally started feeling really tired and decided it was time to wrap up the night, when we left the club and walked outside it was broad day light! It's such a strange feeling entering a club when its dark and leaving when its light...We then went to get some food and go home. I walked into the house at 9:30 am and found Nancy in the kitchen making breakfast...she laughed at me and told me to get some sleep. I slept the entire next day! Not joking, I finally got out of bed around 19:30...and then went back to bed at 23:00. I may have lost an entire day but it was well worth the night out!