Kalo Paska – Easter in Kastelli
By Helen Grubner. Filed in Uncategorized |
My time for turning the spit - Easter Sunday
Megali Paraskevi (Holy Friday) – a day of mourning. In the evening, like all good Orthodox Greeks, Katina and Katerina would go to one of the local churches, however, I stayed back at the house, not wanting to leave Anna on her own. My friends from Hania are here too – I would visit Antonia after Katina returned home. At 2240 hours, Vassiles arrived to assist Anna upstairs to bed – made my way to Antonia’s … no one home. Since I was late, they too had gone into Kastelli … never mind, we would catch up sometime on Saturday.
Saturday morning I purposely rose late, knowing full well that the sheep grazing in our yard was to be slaughtered and within 24 hours would be roasting on the spit – a scenario being repeated the full length and breadth of Ellada (Greece). With butchers in high demand on Easter Saturday, although he did not much like the job, Vassiles had done the deed and the carcass was hanging from the clothesline. I distracted myself by going to see the young goats, rabbits, chickens and Bin Laden … all very much alive!
The morning passed quickly with a visit to see Antonia, the arrival of Yanni and Joanna from Hania, also Kostoula and her daughters Maria and Katerina. Gorgeous weather saw me sitting in the sun reading, until it was time to begin making Kalitsounia – sweet or savoury pies made with rolled pastry, filled with anthotyro (a soft fresh whey cheese, usually made from sheep’s milk) and sometimes spinach and herbs, then either baked or fried. We made at least 150 which were taken to the local bakery to be baked as our oven was playing up, plus a smaller quantity for frying – to be eaten drizzled with thyme honey. When the baked ones were brought home from the bakery in a large basket, we covered them with Faskomilo (wild Sage) from the mountains – the smell simply divine. Vassiles and Yanni had prepared the pit for spit roasting the lamb.
I remember well, Easter in Kastelli in the early 1980’s when the family consisted of 22 members … including me. At that time, Costas’ four siblings and their families all lived in Kastelli, within walking distance of our house and it was easy for us all to get together. Now the family are spread out with one branch in Germany, another in Hania and two remaining in Kastelli. As Vanna and Roma’s branch would be celebrating Easter Sunday at their house with family and friends, Roma and Despina called by on Saturday evening. At midnight, most of Greece would be out on the streets and in churches to celebrate The Anastasi (Resurrection of Christ). Then church bells tolled, pistols were fired and fireworks lit.
Sunday morning arrived and with favourable weather, by 0900 hours the roasting of the lamb on the spit had begun. Everyone takes a turn at sitting by the embers of the fire, turning the spit and enjoying the company and camaraderie. We would be joined for the meal by Joanna’s fiancee, Antonis, his brother, parents and grandmother. Joanna and Antonis are to be married in Kastelli on 22 October … I will be invited and plan to be there! No sooner had we sat down to eat and drink when a neighbour called by to tell Vassiles about a swarm of bees nearby – beekeeping happens to be a hobby of his. Without eating he went off with a jar of honey to coax them – returning jubilant … the job done. What a feast we had … then as is tradition, cracked our red dyed eggs to see whose would be the last undamaged – the lucky one. A visit from big Vassiles – always enjoyable company, with his marked Cretan accent.
Monday, another lovely day … I walked to Vanna’s to have coffee, then back via the garden shop to buy a plant (this time, a white carnation) to leave at the cemetery for Costas. Last October I had left a Gardenia and to my surprise and joy, it is still there, looking healthy and well. Tuesday morning, an early lunch of Horta (wild greens), broad beans and hard boiled eggs … the usual sad farewells and aboard the 1230 hours bus to Hania. Walked to Antonia and Vassiles house, later in the afternoon into town for a little shopping and to buy my ticket for Anek Lines ferry boat “Elyros” departing 2100 hours for Piraeus. A brief moment of despair in the ticket office when I was told the ferry was full, however, a telephone call to somewhere, then a ticket for me produced – phew! Antonia drove me to Souda Bay, boarded around 2000 hours, a massive ferry and rather posh compared to the one I had gone down on, found myself enough space on a seat where I could later curl up and doze, arrived in Piraeus shortly after 0500 hours this morning. Dark and with persistent rain, no wet weather gear, I stayed on the ferry for another two hours, eventually setting off with a plastic bag on my head (looking like a complete idiot) to walk to Gate E8 and to catch the 0800 hours hydrofoil to Spetses. Arrived here around 1030 hours, walked again in the rain to the house, oh am I so happy to be here.
Travelling is not always plain sailing!