Fasting Orthodox Style

Just a quick note. I wanted to find out a bit more about the diet diary fro Greek Orthodox Easter, and so I did some searching around and found a few sources on various websites. Not that I intend to keep to this diet myself, and, as far as I can see, not everyone does. But here are a few notes from one particularly detailed site that you might find interesting, along with a few random images.

Weekly Fast
Unless a fast-free period has been declared, Orthodox Christians are to keep a strict fast every Wednesday and Friday. The following foods are avoided:
Meat, including poultry, and any meat products such as lard and meat broth.
Fish (meaning fish with backbones; shellfish are permitted).
Eggs and dairy products (milk, butter, cheese, etc.)
Olive oil. A literal interpretation of the rule forbids only olive oil. Especially where olive oil is not a major part of the diet, the rule is sometimes taken to include all vegetable oils, as well as oil products such as margarine.
Wine and other alcoholic drink. In the Slavic tradition, beer is often permitted on fast days.

Exceptions
The Church has always exempted small children, the sick, the very old, and pregnant and nursing mothers from strict fasting. While people in these groups should not seriously restrict the amount that they eat, no harm will come from doing without some foods on two days out of the week — simply eat enough of the permitted foods. Exceptions to the fast based on medical necessity (as with diabetes) are always allowed.

Those two paragraphs are from this page, and you can click the link to find the full details if you are interested. http://www.abbamoses.com/fasting.html

Other days and fast periods are listed there too.

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Clean Monday

It’s Clean Monday as I write, and the beginning of Lent. There have been carnivals and parties, celebrations and feasts before the fasting begins, and already there are firecrackers and the occasional dynamite going off to ward away the evil spirits.

The weather is calm and a little cloudy, but we’ve not had heavy rain for a few days, and it’s generally warm outside, though the other night saw a drop which necessitated heaters and blankets while watching the television. Most of the shops are closed on Clean Monday as families go for seafood barbeques on the beaches, or in the hills, at their farmsteads and small holdings, or in their village and harbour houses. The schools are closed, so the children have an extra day to play and join in with family events, and there’s a calm, friendly atmosphere all across the village.

From now on, for the next 40 days, it’s all about preparing for Easter, fasting for those who follow the Orthodox calendar, not complete no-food fasting, not yet, but there is a strict diet. Not everyone follows it, and you will still find the regulars at certain bars and tavernas in the evenings. Usually, I have to say, the men, but then the women tend not to use the cafes as much as men, not the older, more traditional women at any rate. It’s still common to see an older lady wait at the kafenion door and shout in, rather than enter when searching for a husband who should have been home hours ago.

Anyway, that’s me rambling on. I have nothing planned for this week apart from my usual, though Neil has taken up aerobics again and has been going out for walks. We’re looking forward to our holiday which is coming up in four weeks’ time. More on that later, no doubt and I hope to have The Witchling published before we go. That’s my next target.

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Saturday Night In Horio

There were a few celebrations taking place on Saturday night in Horio. The scouts had a party in the square (the photos were taken early in the event) with souvlakis and later fireworks, games and music. Instead of buying a ticket, guests were asked to bring something from the kitchen cupboards that would then later be donated to the needy, which was a nice idea. Later, Georgio’s was busy with birthday parties, locals out for a Saturday night and there was the usual friendly atmosphere – and some very juicy pork chops.

Today is Clean Monday and the start of Lent, so no more parties and carnivals until Easter in forty days.

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Symi Saturday – A Greek Summer

Before the usual Symi Saturday photos (today with a summer feel) here’s new of a new book that’s just out. ‘A Greek Summer’ by Patricia Few.

“Summer is drawing to a close on the island. Manolis, who owns and manages the only hotel, discusses with his childhood friend the comings and goings, the lives and deaths and the loves and relationships of the visitors and locals alike that have transpired during the season. They sit next to the sea smoking, drinking and reminiscing.

This is a book which will offer you the sense of the ambience and rhythm of life on a Greek island and the culture that still exists on some of the smaller and more remote islands.”

Here is the link to Amazon Kindle where you can download a copy right now.

The author bio is also on that Amazon page, but many of you may already know the author, who lives not far from us in the village.

And here are some photos taken last summer. Have a good read!

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A Walk In Yialos

This morning we are going for a short walk in Yialos. This is Symi Town, the main harbour and the place where most people arrive when visiting the island. As you arrive, you see the horseshoe-shaped harbour and the houses clambering up the hillside as if the sea was a stage in an amphitheatre. Many folks get off the boat, follow the guide, listen to the talks and then are sent to certain places for lunch. They might then have a look a few shops or have a coffee before re-joining the boat and saying, ‘There, done Symi.’ But there is more to see, even if you don’t make it out of Yialos.

For example, you can explore the backstreets where there are restaurants and cafes and more shops. You can take a look at the outside of St John’s church, the island’s ‘cathedral’, though the bell tower is currently roped off. Go beyond that and start to see the real Yialos where there are schools and the playgrounds, some large mansion houses, and also the artisans’ shops and buildings. You can let the children play in the square on the playground or take them for a walk up the hill towards Nimborio for a view back towards the sea.

On the south side, opposite the clock tower, you find more cafes and shops and places to eat where you can watch the sailing boats coming in and out. That’s often good entertainment as not everyone who hires a boat knows exactly what to do with it. You will also find fresh fruit and veg stalls in the backstreets, the butchers and bakers, a newsagents, several supermarkets, and souvenir shops alongside working craft workshops. So, there is more than just the quayside offerings. There is the war memorial to view and the famous steps up to the lovely house on the north side; not so bad going up, but you need a head for heights coming down. Explore behind the houses on the north side, and you can find a path that leads across the hill there, looking down onto the bay. Explore on the south side, and you may even find your way to the village.

And those are just a few ideas. I think the main point is to explore. Get away from the guides, or better still, come on your own. (Sorry guides, but few allow their guests to explore in Horio or other places that are reachable by bus and taxi within the allotted time of three and half hours, or whatever.) If in doubt, ask someone. You’ll always find a friendly welcome and many locals speaking your language who can direct you to something slightly off the beaten, well-worn track.

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