Two Sore Backs

I had the very good fortune of working with Denis Blais for over 20 years at Capilano G&CC. Denis was Executive Chef, I headed up the Finance department.

We often talked about career parallels – a country club isn’t normally a chef’s dream job. Neither is it the dream job for most accountants. But the aesthetics of Capilano, the (mostly!) appreciative clientele, the freedom of running our departments more or less unencumbered, the fact that bottom line profits did not define success, and the camaraderie/family atmosphere of the operation appealed to both of us. In that way, we were, I think, kindred spirits.

Of course, department heads in the same enterprise need to maintain some social distance in order to maintain professional objectivity. They were infrequent, but Val and I really enjoyed the occasions we did get together with Denis and his partner Paras.  And now that we are all retired, there is a new freedom to our friendship.

Paras is a Greek native and a dance choreographer, so he and Denis are true artists, very social, and, especially in Paras’ case, flamboyant. It’s surprising that they get along with us two accountants!

Denis and Paras have spent the last decade, plus or minus, planning and building their home outside of Porto Heli. Their dream was to retire there full time, and they did it! In fact, Denis had finished putting their personal belongings in a shipping container in Vancouver and flying one-way to Athens just days before we arrived from Singapore to take them up on their invitation.

Our first thought after arriving in Athens?  Was it ever f*cking hot in Asia!!  The gentle warmth and dry air was fantastic.

This is my first time in Greece. The landscape and olive groves are so different from what I’m used to. It really is stunning.

Denis picked us up in Kranidi, which is just a bit north of Porto Heli,  and we made our way to their place. These photos, some just from quick walks with their Scottish terrier Dougal, give a sense of the landscape.

The rockwork at the front of their home is beautiful. Albanian rock workers have left their permanent marks all over Greece.

Kritios Villa refers to the self-contained Airbnb suite on the lower level. It is an incredible space – anyone traveling in the area should stay here.  Tell your friends!

The pictures of the house speak for themselves.

Something I didn’t capture was the size of their open living space, overlooked by the kitchen and opening up through wide sliding doors to a large terrace. Perfect for entertaining large groups, and that doesn’t include the expansive roof deck above. Impressive. 

Porto Heli is a small port village, traveller-oriented with a marina and, questionably, car parking on the waterfront.

There is a nice sidewalk between the boats and the parking, and set back from the street is a wide pedestrian sidewalk lined with shops and restaurants. One of those is a clothing and jewellery shop with a small seating area out front. It’s run by Denis and Paras’ friend Zizi. 

Zizi is a force of nature, the social glue, it seems, for many people in the area. The seating outside her shop is always full of locals – mostly women. It’s where dinner parties, restaurant reservations,  and other activities get arranged. It’s a place where you can hang out and, before you know it, a drink is in your hand. And you know exactly who it came from. Wonderful.

Denis and Paras had encouraged us to come for Greek Orthodox Easter. Our first visit to the town was on Holy Friday.

After visiting the church we stopped for a snack on the waterfront. 

Later on, back at the house, I had time to explore the garden.

That evening, we returned to Porto Heli for the “Procession of the Epitaphios”. Parking was tricky so we saw the procession from a distance. It’s led by the priest and others carrying a large embroidered icon that depicts Christ being laid in the grave.

Afterward we met with friends of Paras & Denis for dinner, and it was terrific. No photos from the dinner, but here are some shots from afterwards.

Saturday is all about the resurrection, and part of the symbolism is the lighting of candles.  We join the crowd gathered at the Holy Church of Saint Aemilianus which is in Denis and Paras’ neighborhood.

Inside the church, the priest lit several candles which were carried out and used to light candles brought by others in the crowd.

After the ceremony, we went to town for dinner arranged by Denis and Paras’ friends. Saturday’s is a special meal signifying the end of fasting – meat, milk, and eggs, as well as alcohol and sugar, have been prohibited for a long time. Magiriza, which is a soup made from the offal of the lamb that is to be roasted on Sunday, is served. It is supposed to be “perfect for preparing the stomach” for the Sunday feast.  It normally includes plenty of dill, lettuce, herbs and greens, but the soup we had seemed mostly to be offal – lots of liver.

We’ve eaten lots of challenging food this trip, but I was defeated by the magiriza and was unable to finish it. Not only that, but on subsequent days when we had a chance to eat “better versions”, with lots of herbs and greens, I just couldn’t do it. 

Another custom is the red Easter egg game. Each person gets an egg. Everyone pairs up and hits their egg against the opponent’s. If your egg cracks, you get a second chance using the other end with a different person. When both ends of your egg are cracked, you are out.

We were a group of eight. Here is a picture of one end of Val’s egg.

And here is the other end.

Yes, Val was the big winner.

After dinner, we watched lanterns being released from near the church in Porto Heli. 

There was a small fireworks display as well, but we opted to go home because the big fireworks happen on Sunday.

For Greeks, Easter Sunday is the biggest feast of the year. Lamb is front and centre – it’s a symbol of Jesus for Christians. We happily participate, and this restaurant setting was lovely.

Later that day we enjoyed a few glasses of wine with a group of their friends. I’m pretty sure the arrangements and invites happened at Zizi’s.

It was at the home of a couple who live, for part of the year, nearby, in one of the most incredible oceanside properties we have ever seen. And the icing on that cake was the screening of a short film by Sophia, Zizi’s daughter. “Spiti (house/home)” is a moving film, partly a coming of age love story, and partly about the memories and pain when it is time to sell a home that is intricately associated with a loved one that has passed away.

Sophia is submitting it to several film festivals for consideration.  We hope it gets the audience it deserves.

Late in the evening of Easter Sunday,  after the priests symbolically declare that Christ has risen, fireworks happen all over Greece. Considering how small the village of Porto Heli is, the fireworks there were very good.

After the busy weekend, things got a bit more relaxed. We made a trip into Krandini so Denis could do some banking.

Later that day we took a water taxi to nearby Spetses for a walk through the town and a great meal by water.

Sidenote: Greeks fight over who gets the head. 

The rest of our stay was pretty relaxing. The kumquats got harvested, with most being given to friends, and some made into marmalade.

We went to nearby Ermione for dinner.

We did a nice hike with Paras to the Franchthi Cave. We were slowed down on our way there by a trip (just learned that) of goats, and a turtle.

This cave was used long ago to overwinter livestock. So long ago, in fact, that sea levels were low enough to provide easy access.

Val and I tried to take Dougal for a walk to the nearby church – we wanted to see it during the day. 

We got about half a kilometre away and Dougal turned around, facing back towards the house, and would not move. He must have thought he was being kidnapped.

Quick note regarding the weather. We hadn’t escaped the effects of global warming. The haze you notice in many of the photos is actually dust from North Africa.  It was everywhere, bad enough that we woke up some days with scratchy eyeballs. Local papers showed memes of the Sahara desert, emptied of all its sand. It would be many days before a steady winds from the northwest blew it all away and the ocean became blue again.

The church is on a point, and has a path around it. We found a couple fishermen along the way.

Our last day was spent getting a rental car and then enjoying a delicious meal prepared by Paras – rabbit cooked with white wine.

Here is a pro tip for travellers in Porto Heli. If you are renting a car or buying something, mention that you know Paraskevas Terezakis. You will get a great deal!