Delphi 2010

Clearly, I'm becoming a wee bit baby-obsessed! But I don't want to forget our lovely trip to Europe... in part because, with Mike's new job, I've been kissing him goodbye in the morning (during our 7 minutes of quality time) and often not seeing him again until the NEXT morning.

In comparison, the Europe trip was an embarrassment of riches. We had so much time to chat and sight-see. It was really just about the two of us. And as we move forward with the hectic pace of our current schedule, I don't want to forget that. I don't want to forget how important it is to make "just the two of us" time.

So.

I'm going to put up one more post for each of the places we visited. In Greece, we've still got to cover Delphi, Crete, and Naflpio.

Delphi is a definite contender for my favorite spot on the trip. We were only there for one day and night... but every moment was memorable. The Temple of Apollo was amazing... and much less crowded than all the Athens sights. The guidebook really built a picture of how these breathtaking ruins used to function.

The Treasury of the Athenians

Temple of Apollo


Theater (4th century B.C.)

Stadium for the Pythian Games

Next to the ruins was a perfect little museum--not too small, not too big, with a variety of pieces (small finds interspersed with statues and building ornamentation, dishes and jewelry placed next to huge blocks of marble).

After our investigation of the sanctuary and museum, we headed back through the modern town of Delphi. The alleys and streets were gorgeous, with plants growing on balconies and windowsills, then hanging down the warm stone walls. We had beautiful views on our whole walk back to the hotel, where we showered and rested before an awesome dinner.

Everywhere we looked inspired awe.

(Note to future Delphi travelers: the Acropoli Hotel might be a bit expensive, but it's worth it! It was our only Greek room that consistently had both air conditioning and hot water. And did I mention the views from the balcony? Gorgeous, as you'll see below.)

Dinner at the Taverna Vakchos: some of the best food on our trip. The salads consisted primarily of incredible olives. For an appetizer, we had fried local cheese with lime juice. And Mike is still dreaming of his entree--rooster with wine sauce on a bed of bucatini pasta. Our appetites were primed from all the hill-hiking, and the view was, again, truly awesome. We ate on a covered patio, surrounded by clean air and grapevines. Who could ask for a prettier dining experience?

Athens: Fabulous Food

Apologies for the delay in blogging. Leaving the country for a month means that you have LOTS of house/yard work to catch up on once you're home. (Of course, it's totally worth it!) Then there's that whole pesky day job thing...

Of course, it's kind of nice to take a pause in the midst of my hectic to-do list and remember our lovely vacation.

At the moment, I'm having "taste memory" of some of the delicacies we tried in Athens. Unfortunately, our jet lag meant we slept through several opportunities to eat (a misfortune that was NOT repeated on the rest of the trip).

Generally speaking, we'd have two meals a day: breakfast, and late dinner (though often with a snack in between). This was easy to do... the heat made us crave water, not food! Dinner was always a spectacularly filling affair and often took several hours to consume. (The wait staff in Europe isn't quite so concerned with hurrying you through your meal... you can sit for hours at a cafe table with only a lemon soda, and they'll just let you be.)

Our best meal in Athens was definitely Xenios Zeus on the Mnisikleous Steps. To get to this taverna near the base of the Acropolis, we had to walk up several winding alleyways. The view was gorgeous: grapevines and rooftops.


We had an insanely tasty feast, prepared simply with fresh ingredients. The salad was one of the best I've ever tasted, though it was just lettuce, salad greens, and lemon juice. We mixed it with a taramasalata (fish roe dip). There was also super garlicky bread as well as an olive tray. And this was just the first course!


Next came fried eggplant.


When the calamari came out, we thought (a) "We didn't order onion rings!" and (b) "This must be the main course."

We were wrong. There was also fish, still on the bone and absolutely delicious... crunchy skin, tender flesh, and lots of lemon.


This was also the meal in which Mike and I discovered that we are not the biggest fans of ouzo. Bummer! Still, it was nice to try the local libation and get another (literal) taste of the culture.


Next up: some actual sightseeing photos!

Goodbye, Summer!

Today I didn't want to get out of bed, because I was so nice and warm under the covers.

It's official: summer is over.

All the signs are there. It's raining (or drizzling) more often than not. I have to turn the heater on in the morning. It's dark when I go to work and dark by the time I get home. Sigh. Summer, you were gone so quickly!

Fall, of course, brings its own pleasures... heartier food, cups of cocoa, and plenty of excuses to cuddle under an afghan. No mistake, I'm going to enjoy the pleasures of autumn. And yet I can't help looking back on some of my summer enjoyments!

My favorite thing about summer: a free schedule, that I spend trying new recipes and puttering around my home. Here are some pictures from one of the last (and best) meals I made all summer: peach roasted chicken with jicama-avocado salad, followed by blackberry shortbread for dessert. Very Pacific Northwest! (Let me know if you want the recipes. Everything was actually quite easy to make.)