The North, The Mountains, and Somewhere In Between

The girls with the best chef I've ever met

Even blogging once a week is struggle for this little nomad. This week has been pretty packed with journeys and adventure. Yesterday we traveled to the Troodos mountains, which in a nutshell finally got me to appreciate this island for more than the city I live in. It may sound somewhat spoiled by the 1 mile radius we have become accustomed to was becoming somewhat tiresome. It was nice to see a different aspect. The Troodos' were covered in snow and the small cities gave you the feeling of ancient tradition and slow moving time. I can't explain the exhilaration of being in mountains for the first time in over four weeks. The high elevation gave the air a fresh clean feeling I've come to miss in the lowland city streets. Best part of the trip: seeing my first donkey!!!! SUPER cute! However, the donkey may come in second place to the wonderful meal we ate in Kakopetria. While strolling the streets of this scenic town a small we ventured onwards and onwards trying to find somewhere to fill our bellies. A small greek woman complete with mustache and beard greeted us with a warm smile and quickly ushered us into her restaurant. Assuring us good food she cooked all by herself. We quickly sat down and passed around the menus asking over and over what each dish contained, mouths watering and stomach grumbling. She was quick to but in, telling us what we should really be ordering instead of what we picked. Instead of arguing with this force to be reckoned with we quickly nodded our heads and took whatever she offered. Within mere minutes heaping piles of fresh food was thrust in front of. Chunks of beef baked for hours in a sauce with whole onions, fresh caught trout seasoned only with lemon, mousaka (potatoes, eggplants, and seasoned meat baked together), slow roasted lamb, rice seasoned with bits of ham and spices, and finally beets with fennel and vinegar. I have never eaten so quickly or happily in my entire life. This was a life changing meal. Every bite told me the world was good and this woman a God. I thanked her millions of times and with an old world smirk she replied "yes, yes, is good, yes." She was simple and proud, allowing us to shower her with affection briefly before returning to the comfort of her kitchen. She kept bringing more food until we finally had to tell her we were finished. With that she looked at us and told us sternly, "you are not finished"and left once again. Returning with a platter of fruit she finally brought the check and with it the ending to a meal I will never forget. We had to box the left overs, including a lamb bone she wouldn't let us leave without. I hugged her, took a picture with her, and reassured her over and over of our return.

My new best pal