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Christmassy Athens, stunning Macedonia, and a delicious hot drink

CHRISTMAS IN THE RAIN AND A BIT OF GUINNESS IN ATHENS

SEE THE PHOTOS ON FACEBOOK

Hubby and I picked the wrong day to visit Athens for our Christmas shopping this year and we weren’t even prepared for it. The weather forecast had promised dry weather, partly sunny skies even, and instead, we found ourselves driving into Athens centre in the rain. By the time we parked it was a proper downpour.

Luckily, we had an umbrella in the car, and we shared it during our 10-minute walk to Monastiraki (a touristy area under the Acropolis with a flea market and many eateries and shops) but our pace was snail-like.

To make matters worse, I had sneakers on made of fabric, and quickly enough my feet were drenched to the bone. Too many puddles to manage to avoid them all.

I began to whine in a typical Greek manner as we made our way, while trying to persuade Andy to go with me back to the car to return the next day. We Greeks hate the rain with passion and avoid it at all costs, that’s my excuse hehe! But he, being a Brit, was happy as can be getting wet and he wouldn’t have it.

On retrospect, I am glad he insisted, because we made it fun anyway, despite the difficulties. Anyway, we made it to Monastiraki, each drenched on our side of the body that didn’t fit under the umbrella.

We made a beeline for Mamoz, the cafe we always like to sit, as it offers a wonderful view of the Acropolis and is situated right at the entrance of the Ancient Agora.

The view to the Acropolis was rather grey but beautiful as always, and it helped to restore our dampened (literally!) spirits. Especially mine ha ha.

By the time we had a coffee and caught our breaths, the rain had stopped, allowing us to walk around the flea market for a little while.

It came back with a vengeance soon enough, so we had to use the Metro to Syntagma as we wanted to see the Christmas tree and to go shopping in the big store called Public that stands at the edge of the lower square (it is housed in a beautiful neoclassical building).

Once the shopping was done in Public, we walked back to Monastiraki along the cosmopolitan Ermou street to absorb the festive city vibes fully. At that point, I was so full of the Christmas spirit I didn’t care any more if it was raining unstoppably.

Our shopping bags from Public got wet soon enough but a nice lady at a bookstore where we made purchases later was kind enough to give us plastic bags to use instead.

The only thing that worried me? If you’ve walked around Ermou, you know it’s a pedestrian street paved with marble. Let’s just say that my trainers had turned into skates. I didn’t dare let go of my husband’s arm for a second.

As we made our way to Monastiraki I kept sliding every two seconds, it seemed. He saved me a million times from a fall. And I was so glad he had opted to put on sturdy boots that day!

By the time this culinary masterpiece manifested before me I was well prepared for it!

Having chosen our favourite hangout in the whole of Athens for lunch, the James Joyce Irish pub in Monastiraki, it had to be Steak and Guinness Pie with a glass of Guinness to satiate our extreme hunger after all that walking (and skating haha)

Returning back at home, the happy vibes of the day lingered on in my heart.

I had to literally peel my socks off my drenched feet, but I was still happy and laughing (as I lathered my feet with soap, then antifungal cream, of course haha)

SEE THE PHOTOS I TOOK IN ATHENS

A WARM BATH ON A COLD DAY

Just looking at this photograph makes my heart sing.

Dipping in that warm natural bath was one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life.

I visited the natural Pozar baths in Central Macedonia on a 2-day trip up in that amazing region of Greece, staying overnight in Edessa – a beautiful town with a stunning waterfall park.

We visited Litochoro at the foothills of Mt Olympus on the way back to Athens and other places too.

I have a plethora of photographs to share with you in the months to come from various amazing places.

Early December found me at Litochoro Pierrias with Mt Olympus on the background, covered with snow. What a view…

I confess that since the loss of my father last August I have been in a bad place. Emotionally, mentally and physically. Doctors advised me to take anti-stress pills in order to manage the crippling psychosomatic pains that wouldn’t let up in my neck and all over my head, but I opted for excursions instead to heal myself emotionally first, thus assisting my physicality to follow suit.

I figured, I might as well give my money to travel operators rather than spend it on doctors. And it was a good decision.

The excursion I mentioned earlier is the third group coach excursion I’ve been on since I made that choice last October.

And I have another short break coming up for the New Year.

I am feeling a lot better by now after all these trips. My heart is light again, and the pains are less intense and frequent. I’ve even started to write again! I have this novel I’ve been trying to finish for over a year. And now, at last, it seems possible to finish it, as my mind begins to let go of painful memories and shifting to joy and positivity.

And I’ve done it pill-free, a feat in this dark world, as I perceive it, where every doctor out there nowadays pushes pills that battle stress or depression. I was asked twice to try pills and twice I turned them down flat.

But I cannot take full credit for finding a path to healing that worked. It’s my faith in the Divine that’s kept me strong, no matter what, all through the last 7 years of caring for my parents through unbelievably hard-to-take-and-to-accept circumstances.

So, yes, God has proven to be the best doctor for me and the excursions are my ‘anti-stress pills’ of choice. And, so far, this patient is healing well.

There will be many more travel reports to share with you. I do not intend to stop now. And I’ll tell you all about the Pozar baths in the new year. The pictures and videos I took there serve very little to convey the beauty of the place, but I’ll do my best to show you.

GO HERE TO SEE A SHORT VIDEO I MADE AT POZAR FOR YOU. YOU’LL GET TO SEE YOURS TRULY AND MY HUSBAND SAYING HI!

A SPECIAL TREAT FOR YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Okay, so this is not a Greek recipe, but I had to share.

Golden turmeric tea tastes amazing whether you use almond milk or coconut milk, though I do prefer almond.

I urge you to try this highly nutritious Indian drink. The health benefits are endless and it could make a special treat for your family and friends this holiday season.

For me, it’s wonderful to enjoy in a cold afternoon as I get all cozy with a book on the sofa.

GO HERE TO GET THE RECIPE!

That’s all for now, and we’ll talk again ‘next year’ haha! Have a wonderful holiday season and may the New Year find you smiling and enjoying happy times with those you love.

 

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A clean romantic suspense short read with an unreliable narrator that’ll keep you guessing! Vera is losing her mind over famous actor Yannnis Ksenos, except, she isn’t just a fan… Now, she plucks up the courage to ring his doorbell… Visit Amazon

 

For my delicious Greek recipes, go here. 
 
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How to grow sprouts in a jar. Delicious and packed with nutrients!

Hi All!

Today, I am sharing a bunch of free books in my newsletter, including a very special book from a man who is saving cancer patients in India, just by talking to them! Interested to hear more? Scroll all the way down for my newsletter link!

And now, to tell you about this exciting new discovery I made…

I recently watched a video by nutrition expert Mike Adams about how to grow sprouts in glass jars and got so excited I immediately set out to find jars with suitable lids. I just had to grow sprouts in a jar! It looked so easy to do. Growing alfalfa seeds in particular seems to offer a wealth of health benefits.

Finding sprouting seeds online was easy, but the jar was a totally different story. It proved impossible to find glass jars with mesh (plastic or metal) on the lid. Once again, hubbie saved the day. He cut up the metal lid you can see here and added a sheet of plastic mesh. That did the trick to grow the sprouts twice, then the lid began to rust, which wasn’t good. So he made a ring out of plastic to use as a lid. Using brass nails he then attached some plastic mesh to the lid. This did the trick just fine.

Basically, I put a spoonful of organic alfalfa seeds in the glass jar, fill it with filtered water and leave it standing upright covered with a towel away from sunlight for 10 hours (the seeds should not be left to soak much longer).

I always start soaking the seeds in the morning. Then, in the evening (10-12 hours later max), I drain the water and put the jar upside down in a narrow container, a little tilted, in indirect sunlight. I use a strainer to sit it on, with a breakfast bowl underneath, and I rest it against a wall to be safe. Anywhere in a sunny room will do, as long as the sunlight doesn’t directly shine on the jar.

After that, twice a day, morning and evening (about 10-12 hours apart), I fill the jar with water and drain it immediately. I repeat 2-3 times to rinse the sprouts well, then leave the jar in its makeshift cradle upside down. That’s it.

You can start eating the sprouts after 4-5 days of doing this twice a day. I leave them for about 5-6 days in the jar in the way I explained, then I drain well and put them in a container in the fridge to enjoy in salads or sandwiches. They are delicious!

If I start eating from the jar, I cannot stop haha. They are so crunchy, a wonderful texture. Last time, I threw in a few broccoli seeds too (they have a slight kick) so I enjoyed a mix with the alfalfa seeds. It was very nice. Radish seeds are supposed to have a kick too, but I haven’t tried those yet. Always use organic, no matter what sprouts you go for.

You can watch Mike Adams’s short video HERE

I hope it will inspire you the way it inspired me.

 

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A clean romantic suspense short read with an unreliable narrator that’ll keep you guessing! Vera is losing her mind over famous actor Yannnis Ksenos, except, she isn’t just a fan… Now, she plucks up the courage to ring his doorbell… Visit Amazon

 

For my delicious Greek recipes, go here. 
 
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Purple jellyfish

YIKES! I remember other early summers of the past when I was looking at the big brown jellyfish in the sea here in my little town of Nea Peramos, West Attica, and I used to think that was scary. Never had I ever imagined that it could get worse!

Well, there is worse, and it’s called ‘purple jellyfish’. Also mentioned as Mauve stinger (Pelagia Noctiluca) online, the Latin name owed to the fact that it glows in the dark! And this exotic creature is now found all over the coast of Attica right now, including in my local beaches. It has also been sighted in Ionian waters, so if you’re swimming in my beloved Corfu this summer keep your guard up, folks, just in case!

No one knows with certainty how these jellyfish wound up in our waters in such large numbers this year.

Because of this, I haven’t braved a visit to the beach yet for a swim, and this week it’s 38 degrees C and not fun at all.

The scientists say the phenomenon could abate soon, but then may reappear at the end of July because of the fluctuations of temperature that affect that of the water. So, the news is bad for this summer.

Still, the scientists have given the public precise advice on how to tackle the problem if someone gets stung. As it turns out, the purple jellyfish is not like the others. It is actually recommended not to use the well-known remedies of ammonia and… erm… Joey Tribbiani’s infamous trick of… uhh… ‘weeing on it’.

No. The purple jellyfish’s neurotoxin-carrying cells left on the skin can only be neutralized with the use of baking soda! This is the best way to alkalize the affected area immediately. And, before applying the baking soda, you need to wipe the area with something like a glove or a towel (not the naked hand) in order to remove any cell debris carefully, using seawater. Strictly NOT tap water.

The instruction is very particular, but thankfully clear, as if someone gets it wrong and is allergic to the sting, they could wind up in hospital.

With these horrors to consider, I am definitely packing a small thick towel in my beach bag this summer and some baking soda. Not taking any chances, folks! And it looks like I’ll have to leave my usual straying to the deep waters for another year maybe. I’ll be paddling in the shallows–and checking all around me incessantly–for the foreseeable future this summer!

Note: I found the above on Facebook and I am including it here for more detailed instructions. From what I found out in Facebook groups people do get stung over in Corfu right now. So, if you’re swimming in one of the affected regions of Greece this summer, get the treatment details right!

 

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NEW! Clean Christmas romance. Single mother Cathy Roussos gave up on love long ago, and veterinarian Alex Rallis doesn’t believe in it, but one magical Christmas on a Santorini farm might just change everything…
Check it out on Amazon     Read a FREE sample!

 

A clean romantic suspense short read with an unreliable narrator that’ll keep you guessing! Vera is losing her mind over famous actor Yannnis Ksenos, except, she isn’t just a fan… Now, she plucks up the courage to ring his doorbell… Visit Amazon

 

For my delicious Greek recipes, go here. 
 
Planning to visit Greece? Check out my  FREE guide to south Corfu!
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My springtime processes involve flowers, books, and marvellous sea views

Hello, All! Today, I am sharing about the processes I follow every spring! Interested? Curious,even? Read on, I hope it will give you some ideas to follow 😉

Springtime, for me, is a time for renewal. It’s the time to shake away the chill of the winter, and not just from my bones – from my heart and soul too, as I find winter depressing and dreary. Not my favourite time of year at all, so the spring has always been for me a time when I take conscious action to renew myself and to ‘come alive’.

At the first signs of spring, I get to work, opening windows wide and letting the sun soak every nook and every cranny of my home, while I go through it with a fine comb, so to speak, to renew it from the inside out.

Starting from the inside, other than the much-needed spring cleaning, I always make sure to go through my wardrobe, giving away what is not needed. Next, I go through the books in my heaving bookcases. Thank goodness for the local library and the eager friends, who take the unwanted ones from my hands!

I believe in the Universal Law of Recycling, which says that if you create a vacuum in any physical space, the Universe will rush to fill it with something new. More often than not, people come with offerings shorty after I’ve given things away. Always makes me chuckle!

Other than cleaning the house and giving away what I don’t need, I also tidy up all living spaces from the clutter that tends to accumulate in the winter months. I find this helps to calm and clarify my overloaded mind, which tends to get worse when I see disarray and overstuffed corners, especially when it comes to paperwork in my study.

Tidying up and getting rid of unnecessary old papers do wonders for my sense of well-being and mental clarity.

All the above are indispensable procedures I follow religiously every spring.

But that’s not the fun part. The fun starts when I venture out to my balcony and garden… where my two fur babies daily offer me laughter and affection in abundance.


Meet Loulou (left) and her daughter, Sissi. They are both gentle souls, and the only cats I’ve ever had who’ve never clawed at me. I feel so lucky to have them, as they bring me untold joy, though I may occasionally feel otherwise – that is, whenever they bring up to the balcony birds of all kinds and sizes, mice, roaches, or lizards. I tend to like them a little less, just for a little while, as I clear up the carnage LOL.

Loulou and Sissi take great interest in my activities on the balcony and around the garden – when I replant pots or pick weeds or vegetables, for example. They tend to follow me around when I water too, making me laugh with their excited manner and meows.

Every spring, especially, there is lots of that, because I tend to plant colourful flowers to place on the balcony. By miracle, Sissi, who is quite naughty, has never destroyed a single one of them, even though she tends to attack everything else!


Working from home, especially in the spring, has wonderful benefits. One of them is that I will occasionally take a small foldable table outside to sit with my laptop and work in the fresh air, sweet birdsong in my ears. Having beautiful blooms around certainly brightens my day even further.


I live in a small seaside town near Athens, which means I get to enjoy wonderful sea views during my walks along the seafront. There are beaches and a large marina with a string of cafes and eateries, and it’s all pretty idyllic.

This is one of my favorite spots for sitting to look out to sea (and the island of Salamina that’s opposite at a very short distance). Sitting on this bench, I love to empty my mind, and other times to plot my stories, or even to pray or meditate when I feel stuck mentally or emotionally. Sitting on this bench has often proved a lifesaver, my mind clearing and my heart lifting within a few minutes as if I’d been touched by a magic hand. In the spring, of course, this idle pastime serves to plan my summer vacations, too, or simply to dream endlessly about them!

Living near the sea is a huge blessing that adds fun and beauty to my days all year round. Enjoying swims daily is easy throughout the summer since the beach is only a five-minute drive away from home. My husband and I love to sit under a pine tree and enjoy a packed lunch (or a bought souvlaki!) sometimes after our swims with the cricket song in our ears. During the spring, picnics on the beach are just as precious and help to bring the summer a little closer. Personally, I start daydreaming about the summer at the first sign of spring, and it tends to offer new inspiration for new stories to write too. Blessings all around!

 

YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY… SHARING IS CARING! Tweet this to spread some love:

Springtime processes from a Greek author #spring #springtime #Greece Share on X

 

3 FREE books for you! Sign up below to receive them instantly!

NEW! Clean Christmas romance. Single mother Cathy Roussos gave up on love long ago, and veterinarian Alex Rallis doesn’t believe in it, but one magical Christmas on a Santorini farm might just change everything…
Check it out on Amazon     Read a FREE sample!

 

A clean romantic suspense short read with an unreliable narrator that’ll keep you guessing! Vera is losing her mind over famous actor Yannnis Ksenos, except, she isn’t just a fan… Now, she plucks up the courage to ring his doorbell… Visit Amazon

 

For my delicious Greek recipes, go here. 
 
Planning to visit Greece? Check out my  FREE guide to south Corfu!