I had an awesome afternoon yesterday. In fact, I can confidently declare it was the most awesome afternoon of the summer. I realize it was September 18th, but hey, fall doesn’t technically commence until September 22nd, so my awesome day still falls within the summer parameters. And when the afternoon boasts a temperature of 90 degrees F your mind doesn’t stray far from summer mode.
The scene: an afternoon beach trip.
The partners-in-crime: Mom, sister, San Diego and Fak.
My afternoon started after my jail shift work shift with a fabulous dip in the nearby beach of Plaka. Plaka in Greek means “a large plate,” and so in Plaka the pebble-covered beach has these large rocky plates in the water – a geological aberration that is not really a hassle, but they is just enough of a deterrent to keep most of the tourists away – or at least the tourists that you don’t want to deal with.
Behold the beauty of the Argolid coastline:
A sloth invades the view!
Let’s try this one more time without the unwanted intruders…
Blue skies, blue sea, blue perfection.
Marvelous, fantastic, refreshing, gorgeous, perfection.
I can't really explain just how great this feels.
The sea water was so clear, you just wanted to drink it all in. Or simply stay in the water until your skin was as wrinkled as a raisin. It was simply marvelous. And after our swim it was time for sustenance.
How convenient for us that we decided to take our swim in front of the beachfront tavern. Oh so convenient, indeed.
The tavern name is "The Little Bridge", although no bridges are to be found nearby.
Who wouldn't want to eat and look out on this view?
Greek living is all about enjoying the moment – the company, the drink, the food. And this particular afternoon all the elements were aligned just perfectly.
We had our lovely drink; licorice-flavored, potent Plomari Ouzo.
Greece in a bottle, essentially.
We ate briny, pickled octopus, fried-to-order anchovies and calamari – the quintessential seafood for us.
Fear not, the octopus.
What an actual, whole calamari looks like - forget calamari rings!
Eat the anchovy whole and you won't regret it.
Maria and San Diego sure know how to strike a pose. Yay, fun!
- The mood was relaxed, to say the least. Fof and Fak pictured.
To quote the great Elaine Benes from the “Little Kicks” episode of Seinfeld: “Here’s to those who wish us well, and those who don’t can go to hell…”
Yia mas! Cheers!
Two hours late we were relaxed and, one might say, a bit under the influence…
Three people, two bottles - we can hold in our ouzo...
I needed this afternoon. I needed to drink a little, laugh a little, eat a little, swim a little. You can’t really describe what an afternoon like this does to you. It refreshes you. It relaxes you. It essentially renews you. It was perfect.
Sans tan + shiny face = story of my life.
Expat Uncensored 