dollsFrom Jim, I learned that "Panegyri" (pan E year E) is a common festival in Greece and that what lay before me was analogous of the traditional island event. There was a "bakaleeko", or grocery store, gift shop, and art gallery, and, of course, a restaurant and a cafe. All filled with the bustle of shoppers chatting back and forth in a multitude of languages. Happiness seemed to flow from everywhere. It was a warm, jovial place. Jim helped me with my pronunciations from the small Greek dictionary in the back of the brochure as Laura wandered the booths, perusing the artworks and jewelry. After a very enlightening conversation with Jim, I caught up with Laura at the doll rack. These food signintricately designed dolls were dressed in the traditional festive gowns as was seen on the dancers performing just outside.  And then it was time to sample the local cuisine, and as we looked over the hand printed menu, it was the appetizer plate that we decided to try. Yiayia's Mezathakia, Grandma's hors d'oeuvres featured Keftethes , (Greek meatballs) dolmathes (stuffed grape leaves) feda cheese, olives, Greek sausage grilled with lemon juice, and Saganaki, a kind of flamed cheese, followed up with Greek coffee. Brewed in a small brass pot called a "Briki", it is strong and thick when served in a demitasse cup. The unhurried Greek lets Bob Madiganthe grounds settle in the cup as he slowly sips, a tradition that dates back to the 15th century. All this in a beautifully laid out, clean, outdoor type calf, with blue check tablecloths and flowers on every table.  We just sat for a while and watched the world go by, sipping until the residue at the bottom of the cup was apparent enough to read a fortune, which is also a Greek custom. The art of idle cafe sitting is a learned talent, obviously taught with much more resolve in Greece than here. As we cleaned our plates and swirled the coffee in the bottom of the cup, I could feel that restless desire to be on the move again. We were missing something somewhere, I was sure, so accepting culture for being what it is, we gave into our urge to move on and vacated the lovely setting.


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