THE BAG LADY OF THESSALONIKI!! UP TO MY OLD HOBBIES IN GREECE!! Dumpster Diving with the Gypsies!!

My Gypsy companions earlier in the day

When I got back into the apartment loaded up with purses!!

You will not believe this!! Last night we were on the balcony and looking down at the dumpster. There were Gypsy's in it because a shop was being gutted next door and they were throwing tons of things away.

Anyway, I saw this white little purse in the dumpster from 4 floors up and decided to go down and take a look. I came back with over 15 brand new purses!!!!!!! The Gypsy in the dumpster kept handing them over to me, it was hysterical! Tonight we are going to have a 'Farewell Purse Party'!!!! I leave for Rome tomorrow...

I will never be able to stand waste of any kind!! Purses for Everybody!!

Eliza's Beauty Salon in Thessaloniki

My new friends Karen and Julia

Eliza and I after my new hair cut

We stoppped by our friend Eliza's salon yesterday. It was very nice. Eliza is such a kind and gentle spirit, you would love her. Her energy is like a sweet flower. She does not speak english, but she gestured that she wanted to cut my hair as a gift. She did a BEAUTIFUL job. I am all spiffed up for Rome!! She also gave me another gift, a beautiful scarf that I have on in the picture.

If you are in Thessaloniki, you must have this woman cut your hair, it will look great and also be a spiritual experience.

Her shop is called ENIZA, Kannaaokiae 81, K. Toymna THa. ria Panteboy: 2310 930147 (phone)

After that we all went out and met Karen and Julia, from the UK who have adopted Greece as their home. The teach English and have both been here over 20 years. They both use puplic transportation to be 'green'. The are thinking of opening a coffee shop with books to lend and possibly volunteers to teach those less fortunate English!! I hope they do. I said I would come back and help!

ELIZA'S RATING

COMMUNITY * * * * *

Food Waste Reduction - unrated

LUNCH AT SAKI'S PLACE IN PIREA

Saki's Place

Fried squash with Tasiki sauce

Grilled octopus and greek salad with fresh lemons and Ouzo

Mariana looking gorgeous by the sea

If you ever visit Thessaloniki, you should try to take a little ride over to Pirea. You can sit by the shore at Saki's Place ( Saki is actually there and knows English!) and eat and look over at Thessaloniki. We ordered octopus, grilled salad, calamari, and fried squash to share..... As we sat right on the shore the tide came right up to our shoes.

The food was excellent!! Unfortuantely I discovered in Greece ( at least the big cities) it is thought to be low class to take any food home. And Greeks tend to over order and just leave the food there to be thrown away when they leave. I was shocked!! They will occassionally take some bones for their dog.

I remember years ago when you would go to a restaurant and ask for a 'doggie' bag and it would have a little picture of the dog on it and everything. I was a little girl. I do not recall what made the shift in America to take out boxes. I will have to ask my mother what she thinks tonight when we talk.

I told Mariana we were not going to leave all this food and she descretely went to the kitchen and asked for something to put the things in. We had enough to eat two more meals!! I even took the mini bottle of Ouzo we bought, it was 3/4 full and we had the cap. Normally that is left too!

SAKI's Place and the Pirea Community

COMMUNITY * * * * * ( very friendly )

FOOD WASTE REDUCTION * ( for all of Greece in Restuarants) very sad

Eating Goat for the first time in Potidia

Vangelis grilling the goat

Mariana, Eliza and husband Vangelis

Our Feast, the goat and eggplant were to die for!! This eggplant dish will be in our new cookbook!

Saturday after the wedding we continued to Potidia where we had dinner at Eliza and Vangelis's house on the coast. We feasted on grilled goat, meat patties,stuffed chicken with red pepper, roasted eggplant salad, salad, baked potatoes, grilled pita bread, roasted hot peppers and sweets!! Plus Greek wine..The goat was extremely tastey and I highly suggest trying it!

Town of Potidia Rating

COMMUNITY * * * * * ( very warm and loving evening and town)

Food Waste Reduction * * * * * ( We ate everything!!)

My Big Fat Greek Wedding!!

Our Groom waiting for his Bride

The Church being decorated before the wedding

Saturday Mariana and I drove out to the coast to visit friends and stopped first at a little village called Therita. I noticed that two women were decorating the very small church we went into and that there were people startng to gather outside. On our way back there were more people and I remembered reading that in Italy everybody waits for the bride outside of the church. So I begged Mariana to stay so that I could see the bride arrive, even though we were a little late to our friends house. It turned out to be one of the highlights of my trip!!

Mariana said it is the same in Greece and in fact the Groom stands outside of the church waiting for his bride, and when she arrives it is typical for the car carrying the bride to pass him by 2-3 times before finally delivering her!! The bride is also picked up by her godfather and delivered to the church. She has to leave the house barefoot and he puts her shoes on for her for good luck. He also has to pay her ( a token amount) so the bride will pretend that the shoe is not going on right and he will stuff money in there to make it fit. They will also break some sort of Easter bread for luck over her head, but I am not completely sure about this.

The bride must also exit the car with her right foot, so the couple will start off their marriage good and she must step forward with her right foot when she is handed over to her groom and the enter into the church. She also writes the names of all of her unmarried friends on the bottom of her shoe ( shoes?, i guess this depends on how many friends she has!!) and the first name to be erased off the shoe throughout the wedding and reception will be married next!!

So here are some pictures and two videos that I took, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!! Sorry I cannot figure out how to load the videos yet!!! Stay tuned if I can get them on they are very exciting!! There is a moment where you can see a procession in the distance and it looked like many people were walking with the bride to the church, but it was just the flower girls, still very moving!! What an experience!!

Town of Therita Rating

Community * * * * *

Food Waste Reduction unrated

HUGE MARKET IN THESSALONIKI

A few of the crowded local market

The carrots from my story

Yannis, the generous farmer "Everybody Eats If you look closely you can see the man with the cart I was talking about in the white T shirt

THe fish section of the market, must of been 20 booths

After I got home, I bit into the best apple I have had since childhood!!

Today we went to a huge farmers/flea market. There were many roads blocked off and lots of stuff. When we first walked in there was a pile of clothes just heaped on a table all for 1 EUR. My friend Mariana said they were being sold by the Gypsys. I bought 3 tops!!!

There were many produce booths, herbs, fish, pasta, household products, and even may booths with fabric that will make you drapes. You just give them a down payment and pick them up nest week.

We bought red peppers, lettuce, parsley, lemons, scallions,an asparagus fern,apples, and I was able to find a purple sweater for the upcoming cold months in Rome.

As we were walking along, one man was packing up his booth very early, out of everything but a few carrots. The carrots looked very good so we asked him how much for the 3 or 4 we wanted and he said "Free, Free"!!!! I am noticing that the Greeks are very generous with their food. ( Remember the Fig Lady in Knosos??!!) Oh yes, I also saw a perhaps homeless man pushing his cart going around to all the booths. I noticed he had a pack of hamberger and some shirts in his posession. Mariana says it is very common for the venders to give people in their commuity their leftovers and things to help out. I am told that the churches here take on most of the responsability of feeding thise in need, but I will have to find our more.

Everybody was friendly and in a festive mood. I was ready to turn the corner and see the Gypsy cart with horses! I am told that this market travels to a different neighborhood every day of the week in Thessaloniki.

Thessaloniki Street Market

Community Rating * * * * *

FOOD WASTE REDUCTION * * * * *

Life in Thessaloniki, Greece

Mariana, me, Chris, Fenya, and Litza last night at Litza's coffee shop,Arte

One of the complimentary snacks at Leetza's Cafe , ARTE

A mosaic table that Litza made

Litza and Denise at her coffee shop

As you might remember I ran into my long time highschool friend, Mariana at the JFK airport 11 September. Now here I am visiting with her in Thessaloniki. I also know Litza, who owns a wonderful coffee shop, called Arte, and Fenya( Mariana's daughter) and Chris Boyanides

Thessaloniki, which is named after Alexander the Great's sister and means mermaid is a wonderful community. You will see people walking around, sitting out in one of the many cafes or just stopping to chat with each other. The city is clean, safe and friendly.

Last night I saw Litza for the first time in 7 or 8 years and went to her coffee shop for the first time. Litza is an artist and a very loving person. She certainly enjoys all of her customers and considers them her friends. Her place, called Arte, has a very warm and inviting atmosphere. She serves coffees and alcoholic drinks and provids free snacks which are healthy and delicious.