Tour Mani Peninsula [Day 7]
Churches of Kastania
We set off the next morning, tracing the coastline to the remote Mani Peninsula – a land of generations, clan wars, salt-of-the-earth villages, and distinctive tower houses. We made a brief morning stop in Kastania to visit the beautifully restored Church of St. Peter, the oldest of the Byzantine churches in the area, dating back to the 12th century.
The Reading of Coffee Grounds
Scott and I had sat down with several others in our group and after being coached on how to order our beverage (“Metrio,” With Sugar or “Sketo,” No Sugar,) we ordered our freshly made coffee. While we sipped, Victor explained to us the methods of making Greek Coffee which requires a special, extremely finely ground coffee, a small, narrow-necked pot called a briki, and patience to create the signature foam. The coffee is not brewed, but boiled, and is served unfiltered with the grounds settling at the bottom of the cup. For those who haven’t yet indulged in cup of Greek coffee – think rich, bold, and creamy, without a drop of cream.
Scott finished first and Victor asked if we’d be willing to have a Greek coffee ground reading. Apparently it’s a centuries old tradition of fortune-telling where the coffee grounds are dumped on a saucer and “read”, like tea leaves. Scott agreed and Victor prompted him to unceremoniously dump the fine, dark sediment that had settled thickly at the bottom of the cup into his saucer. Then Victor began to poke around, swirling and stirring the gritty pile of goo with his finger.
“Huh,” he proclaimed. “I think I see a K or maybe an S in here.” Scott’s eyes lit up and looking at Victor he replied, “Well, I was in the Kappa Sigma fraternity in college…”
Our friends who were shopping in the coffee shop, came outside, quizzical looks on their faces, listening intently.
“I see a little cat, maybe a kitten? Playing with something…?” said Victor.
Now Scott was entranced. “I had a cat when I was young. He used to fetch tinfoil balls that I would toss for him. He was little and grey, kitten-sized even though he was full grown.”
The group on the porch of the coffee shop had grown exponentially with each statement Victor spoke. People were listening as they sipped their coffee from the cups. At this point, almost our entire tour group was ringed around the table watching Victor as he eyed the saucer in his hand tilting it this way, and that. Finally, Victor couldn’t hold back any longer. He face reddened and puffed, he began giggling before bursting into laughter. The group was stunned.
He confessed to the crowd our duplicity. Victor had asked me for some facts about Scott’s past and was masterful at weaving the snippets of Scott’s life into his reading. He had everyone fooled, especially my skeptical husband Scott. PRICELESS.
Marvelous Marides
After leaving Kastania, we headed to a local fish taverna on the waterfront for lunch, where we indulged in a few new delights. Our table happily polished off platters of tiny, crispy fried fish – known as marides (picarel, or whitebait) – while the neighboring table left the dish almost completely untouched. Coated in flour, fried in olive oil, and eaten whole, head and tail included, this classic Greek meze wasn’t for everyone… but I absolutely loved it.
Gefira and Monemvasia
Arriving in Gefira, our jaws dropped. Monemvasia – aka the “Gibraltar of Greece” is a medieval town perched on a massive rock rising straight out of the sea, linked to the mainland by a skinny causeway. Dramatic doesn’t begin to cover it.
We learned this Venetian fortress has been inhabited for 1400+ years and way founded by Spartan refuges. Once guarded by a drawbridge, this fortress was famous for it’s single entrance (mone emvasia!) more of those language roots sneaking up again.
That night we dined seaside with front-row views of “the Rock.” Our dinner was capped off with a surprise limoncello and lemon tarts, on the house, then headed back to Hotel Panorama – which completely lives up to its name.
Oh, these Greek cats! We opened the door and the kitties come running out of the woodwork to see who has arrived.
