SPEND A WEEKEND WITH ME IN MYKONOS
Friday morning started out like any other on this magical Greek Island. The sun was shining brightly and the water was glistening like diamonds. It was a great start to what would become one of the greatest and most special weekends of my life.
As a Greek American I was born and raised in the US to a Greek American father and very Greek mother. My mother’s family never immigrated to the states and all still live in Greece. My mother and father met while my father was vacationing in Greece. I have been visiting Greece since I was a baby but I have never spent a holiday here until now.
Now after having experienced Easter in Greece, I am not sure I could ever go back to what I knew before. Here are a few highlights that I experienced over the weekend that have left my heart full of joy and me swimming in gratitude...
After a very FAILED attempt to dye “American Easter Eggs” with Paws packets I brought with me, we quickly pivoted to the traditional way of toxic Greek red dye (the kind my grandmother used to use that gives you that super amazing deep red color and makes the whole house smell terrible). Yup that is the one - don’t knock it till you try it!
Our eggs came out beautifully and even more importantly, I got to teach my Godson and all the other littles in the family how to make them. Such a special way to kick off the weekend festivities.
Friday morning we made our way into town to see the beautifully decorated EPITAPHIO which was so elegantly done in purple fresh flowers. We went to church, lit candles, prayed and then it was on to one of my favorite activities - coffee and chit chat with my friends! The children were all happy and running around and we were enjoying a nice proper girl talk catch up.
Soon after we headed to Ornos for a 3-hour EPIC lunch of fresh seafood and lots of rose wine... lots of laughter and fun was had. Maybe a bit too much fun for me so I decided to go home and take a “disco nap”.
It was a good call because I napped for 3 hours and woke up ready for round 3. My Godson and I, along with lots of family and friends made our way back into town for a celebration where the Epitaphio is carried all around town while cantors are chanting. You can follow it as we did for a while or you can sit and have ouzo and meze which we also did. Best of both worlds!
The next day I slept in and put my rally cap on for what would be my most favorite lunch of the weekend. Nestled in the mountains of Mykonos off a dirt road there is a little farm and that farm has a little tavern... and this redefines "farm table”. There were fresh loaves of bread and a special way they cook meats. Good thing I am taking a vacation from being vegan on this vacation!
I devoured all my favorites… taramosalata, beets, skordalia and the most amazing roast pork. Then this was followed by a traditional Greek coffee and it was INCREDIBLE.
After another “disco nap “I woke up refreshed and ready for the midnight resurrection service. This service is so beautiful and celebrated by lighting candles and chanting beautiful hymns. We then made our way to one of my favorite spots on the island, Obati, for a 6 coarse traditional meal of magiritsa, eggs, tsoureki, lamb and a few other treats. We celebrated all together by cracking eggs and saying “Hristos Anesti" and "Alithos Anesti”!
After a few hours of sleep, I was ready to celebrate Easter Sunday. I made my way to a dear friends house high in the mountain top of Mykonos with a view that makes you feel like you are in a movie. There were all the traditional pites, kokoretsi and lots and lots of champagne! A world-class DJ was playing such fun music and there were dogs and children playing and laughing. It was AMAZING.
I spent a few hours with them catching up and then went on to the “lunch” portion of my day. If you haven’t noticed yet - it is all about the lunch here! Allemagou is an incredible beach restaurant with a chic boho vibe. We ate lamb, potatoes, pites and everything else that you can imagine. We drank lots of wine and danced all together.
Once I ate not one but two pieces of Portokalopita I decided it was time for me to put myself to bed. Like I have always said to my daughters… knowing when to leave a party is a skill. One I think I have finally mastered after so many failed attempts! I showered and put my pajamas on and drifted off to a blissful sleep.
Easter Monday was the perfect finale to the epic weekend celebrations. It was an intimate lunch hosted by Lebanese friends at their incredible villa. They had prepared lamb their traditional way as well as specialties like hummus and dolma, followed by Lebanese baklava! It was a beautiful way to wrap up the Easter weekend.
My heart and belly are full and I couldn’t be happier to share this with you! Thank you for coming along with me. ❤️
