Update From Trikala...and Meteora

Somehow, when you order a mixed fried seafood plate at a small Greek taverna by the water, it doesn't make you think of calories and cholesterol. Instead, you think, Wow! And then you dig in, fingers only, and eat fried fresh anchovies and squid as if they're French fries. You squeeze lemon juice over everything and begin chewing and swallowing and thoroughly enjoying it all--cod, fresh anchovies, shrimp still in the shell (heads and all) and tiny, tender squid. And, because it's Greece, and it's traditional to dip the cod in skorthalia (potato, garlic condiment) you do it...and you love it. No need for prepackaged tartar sauce. Then you think, oh, I can eat that all by my hungry self! Trust me, as someone who eats well, all of these dishes are meant for sharing. Plan accordingly. This was part of our lunch in the small coastal town of Itea, looking out at Corinth straight across the gulf. It was an unexpected treat.

We've traveled through a big chunk of the Greek landscape. Athens, Sparta, Kalamata, Nafplio, Trikala. Currently we are in Athens. From Napflio, we chose to travel the longer, all-day, route so that we could experience the Rio Antirio bridge, the engineering marvel connecting the Peloponnese and Central Greece, suspended over the Rion Strait, between the gulf of Corinth and Patras. We traveled through the Peloponnese, Corinth, Patras, parts of Cental Greece to Thesally, where Trikala sits as its capital. Trikala is not touristy--it's a city of residents. It's touted as the birthplace of Asklipios, the best-known doctor of Ancient Greece, and as a beautifully planned city. Divided by the river Lithaios, the urban planners of Trikala have received many European Union awards for their work. Trikala is also the birthplace of Vasilli Tsitsanis, known as the founder of the Rebetiko music movement, now the official music of Greece.

Tsitsanis, the father of Rebetiko music.

Trikala is not a tourist town.  You won't find walking tours of the city. The hotels are not equipped to help you out with tours, locating a guide or finding you a bike to rent for the day. They are lovely, courteous people who never get these requests. This means that you've got to plan ahead or figure it out on your own while you're there. Or you can call Christos Derlos with Perfect Escapes to show you around the area. He was our amazing driver. Not only did he take care of us on our long trip to Trikala, he spent the day showing us around the Unesco World Heritage Site Meteora, which is about 30 minutes from Trikala. He treated us like royalty. 

Our fabulous driver (and new friend) Chistos

After Meteora, Christo drove us to a wonderful private wine tasting at the family-owned Liakou Winery They are also known as Meteori Gi and are found online. We managed to secure the tasting with a phone call. Everyone speaks English, so there was no communication problem.

If you're a dedicated carnivore, you'll love Trikala. There are almost as many butcher shops as there are coffee shops! I even saw one with a prepackaged meat vending machine! The meat-eating is real. Most of the restaurants offer charcoal-grilled meats and a variety cooked on a rotisserie. There are daily "cooked food" offerings--the traditional home-cooked dishes--so don't hesitate to ask.

The butcher meat-vending machine for after-hours purchases.

Our meaty meal with fries--not optional!

Coffee shops everywhere. No, it's not San Francisco. It's Trikala, Greece. So many options to stop and take a break, visit with friends and catch up for hours. Always with wi-fi, and typically with light food options and alcoholic beverages. Hey, you may come in for coffee, but you may want to top it off with another two hours and a beer. Coffee shops are popular all over Greece, but in Trikala it seemed that they were obsessed. Any opportunity to set out a few tables and chairs to invite strangers for coffee.

Bicycles everywhere. Yes, while this is not Amsterdam, Trikala may come close to Amsterdam in the number of people riding bikes. There were old people, young people, people going to work, people returning home from buying groceries or stopping for a coffee. One thing is certain, while the streets are well organized, the bicycling traffic is not. The bike are intertwined with pedestrians and they go wherever they wish. It's amazing. No one gets upset. No one is in a hurry. It's a calm sort of chaos that just works beautifully.

Would I return to Trikala? I'm not sure. But I am sure that I would be happy living there for a spell, especially if I owned a car to drive myself to nearby towns, lakes and mountains. The dining opportunities are wonderful, the farmers market is a treat, and if you eat meat, you might feel as if you have found your people. Again, thanks to our driver, Christo, we also discovered the tradition of ordering tsipouro, the spirit made from the grape pulp left after wine processing. You place the order (with or without anise flavoring) and you will get a small complimentary dish or two of chef's choice dishes. Read more about this tradition on the Saveur website, where they've published an authentic rendering. The bonus for my foodie friends is that this part of Greece is a haven for mushroom and truffle growing and discovering. We had grilled oyster mushrooms at lunch one day that I have been dreaming about since. I'm visiting you soon, Shane at Fresh Harvest Farms!