Oxi-day del 2

[lars]

forts

The meat, to vrasto, on the other side is now ready and the men are straining the broth, which is going to be used for pilaffi.
Young boys put chestnuts, salads and bottles, both wine and tsikoudia, on the tables.
Everywhere I hear the famous and well-known words "Yamas" or "Si gia".
The fan has changed from white into a mixture of red, blue, green, yellow, brown, black, and pink and so on in the most beautiful way. People are dressed in all colours and this has given life to the fan and it is moving and changing all the time. The party is on.
But where is Sofia?
I am looking around and soon I find her in a big company eating, drinking and laughing.
She has met a good friend of ours, Nikos, the cook from Taverna Moutoupaki, and his company.
She is in good hands so I continue to explore what is happening with the food.The pilaffi is made inside the "chestnut-house" and the cook in charge stir rice and broth together with a wooden ladle.
The critical moment, when to stop, in order to have a perfect pilaffi does not seem to bother him at all because his wife support him. She is the specialist in the village.
From outside we hear musicians tuning their instruments, the lira and the laoto
After a few minutes the pilaffi is ready and now things happen very fast. Boys and girls run in high speed out to the tables with dishes filled with meat and pilaffi and from the other side of the road brizoles are brought out in the same way. The young boys in the orchestra start to play.
What a perfect timing!
I return to Sofia and join her and her company. Good and much food, wine and chestnuts, good and bad stories and a lot of laughter in the company of friendly and nice people, what more can we ask for. After too much food we need to move a little and therefore we take a walk along the road.
Cars are parked everywhere and the evening-bus is stuck in a bend. The driver is trying over and over again but it is impossible for him to pass. A couple of passengers jump out from the bus and the rest is very simple. They lift two of the cars into a ditch and the road is free. The car-drivers will for sure wonder; did I really park my car that bad? I sincerely hope that is was the man in the family parking the car otherwise…
The hours pass fast and soon it is dark. Above the mountains the man in the moon is looking down at the people and the good food. It is new moon so he looks kind of hungry. I invite him to the party:
"My friend, how about a brizola and some pilaffi?"
”Yes wow, that would be very nice, thank you. As you can see I am starved"
What a happening that would be. From a new moon to a full moon in one night. In each end of the "market" fires are lit by a couple of women while others are making short cuts in the chestnuts with a knife before they, after a while, are put onto the live coal to be roasted.
Children are running around, playing and screaming of joy and happiness. In front of the fan young men are dancing and singing to the traditional music accompanied by people clapping their hands. "Opa! Opa!"
We can almost touch the atmosphere; it is one of those magical Cretan nights. Unfortunately there is an end to everything and we have to go back to Chania but… who is that man over there, yes, the man with the grey hair, the moustache and a big smile on his face? He looks very familiar. I am sure; he is the "robber", whom we brought back from Omalos about six or seven years ago. Shall we or shall we not make us know to him? Will he or is it possible for him to remember us?
We decide to leave him and his company behind. Maybe we can come back some other time and look him up (as a matter of fact we did but that will be another story). It is late when we arrive back to Chania. It is impossible to sleep. When I am closing my eyes, the impressions from the village and its people are running like a movie and I am back in Prasés again. Next to me in her bed Sofia is dancing the night away and I am sure she also is back in the village. It has been a magic day and night in Crete…again

Kriti stis kardies mas
Lars and Sofia

[UlfWiman]

Lars, detta kallas stämning, WoW vilken känsla.
Själv har jag märkt genom åren att oplanerade utflykter på de speciella dagar som finns är oftast de bästa.
Gå hemifrån utan förväntningar och ta dagen/kvällen som den kommer. Kommer det en grek och med sitt "ella" drar i dig. Följ med, du vet aldrig var som händer.
-Du vet Lars och jag, men inte andra (tror jag).
Nu plingar det på dörren. Troligen "trick or treat"

Uffe