New Year's Eve

NEW YEAR’S EVE

I took Stef into the village to show her the new buildings in course of erection along the sea front.  What a surprise we had to find snow on the mountains behind Sellia.  I have never seen the snow so close to Plakias before.

After lunch we drove to show her the Dam that we have talked about over the years. We briefly saw the snow on the mountains, again surprised at how low down it had fallen.  I didn’t think it had been that cold but Maria did keep saying it was going to snow as she repeatedly looked at the sky behind ‘Creta Spirit’.  

Again Keith and I were surprised at how much more water was in the reservoir. Only the red roof of the little church is now visible. 

More rain showers on the way home giving us a lovely rainbow over Frati valley.

Back home it was time to prepare our evening meal, including making the traditional St. Basil’s cake to be eaten after midnight.  This is a very nice cake with plenty of cognac, orange and lemon juice and not just used in the baking but also made into a warm juice and poured over the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven.  I can feel the inches going on the hips just thinking about it! It also contains a coin and after cutting a piece for St. Basil and a piece for Christ the remainder is cut and handed to the family in order of seniority. The person who has the coin is allegedly going to have good luck for the coming year.  If no-one has the coin then everyone present will have the luck.  Lambros and his friend from Souda were out carol singing and returned home just as our meal was ready.  We were eating lamb with potatoes, well we were but Stef is a vegetarian so I had made her some stuffed peppers using the long pale green finger shaped peppers.  When it came to carving the meat, that had been basted in lemon and this season’s olive oil and seasoned with oregano (plus a massage as Maria says it tenderises the meat), we discovered it was not a leg of lamb but the leg of a goat given to the family by one Maria’s brothers. Maria also made a mixed cabbage salad to accompany our meal and decorated it with pomegranate seeds which was really lovely.  She told us that usually the pomegranate is placed on the floor by the door and trodden on to welcome in the New Year – but its too messy!!!!!  We greeted 2009 and cut St. Basil’s cake and once again Lambros had the coin.  We had a few more rakis before saying good night.