Today, after 12 days of research in Portugal and 10 days of filming in Greece (we’re nearly finished with two Greek TV shows), my battery ran out.
I told the crew I’d take the afternoon off while they covered more of the script in Athens and sent home a pile of precious tapes via DHL. Lounging on the 10th-floor roof terrace by the pool at 5 p.m., the sun was strong enough to burn.
I went to dinner with a print-out of my son Andy’s travel journal (experiences enjoyed as weekend side-trips from his semester-abroad base in Rome).
The hotel (the epitome of a “front-door” place the tourist board kindly set us up in for our filming) lances my spirit — noisy tour groups, smoking business men, and menus with international food for triple the price you’ll find for the equivalent just down the street.
I walked around the corner to a great little dinner spot. Ordering dinner alone without the TV crew (Simon and Karel), I couldn’t share dishes and therefore had less variety. It made me realize how much fun I’ve had with Greek food. The mixed appetizer (meze) approach is great — the three of us order one fish plate and four or five (meze)plates.
We joke how each night the bill comes to almost exactly €45 (about $23 each). The selection, while predictable and routine after 10 dinners, never got old. Tzatzikidip, garlic dip, fava bean dip, or a mix of all three on single serving plate (€4 with fresh bread — often toasted). Fried aubergine (eggplant) or zucchini. Four big grilled peppers on a plate — red or green — stuffed with feta cheese. Always a big Greek salad (€7, one salad feeds three people and the waiters are honest about not up-selling…each night saying, “One is enough”).
While the salad Nicoise so popular in France comes with a variety of recipes and lots of controversy on exactly what makes a proper salad Nicoise, the Greek salads we ate were always the same simple, wonderful, locally grown, fresh ingredients (tomato, green pepper, cucumber, onion, olives, feta cheese) with the perfect olive oil.
And then something from the sea — grilled calamari or sardines or a plate of fried small fish (three inch), very small fish (two inch), or very, very small fish (one inch). One night we took it to an extreme and had taramosalata(fish roe spread) — underwhelming.
The Greek beer, Mythos, comes in a big half liter bottle is good and feels right here. Big lemons beg to be squeezed and just about everything is cooked in or drizzled with olive oil.
Proud Greeks told us that their new prime minister is stopping the practice of Italians buying Greek olive oil to sell as Italian. Until now, the Italians (with their extra virgins) have the marketing edge…but the Greeks are determined to show the world that (regardless of virgins) their olive oil is at least as good.
It seems when our bill hits a certain threshold (or we come back for a second meal) we are given a free little dessert (halvah with shredded coconut tonight).
For price of club sandwich in our boxy skyscraper hotel (€17), I get a plate of very small (two-inch) fish, a huge salad, and a big cold Mythos. It was a delightful evening as I was alone with my son’s journal (24 crisp pages printed in the hotel business center). Andy’s writing shows me that a critical part of the mix is generating experiences. He does Europe without business concerns — filling each day with new European friends and college kid adventures and artfully describing it all. I hope to serialize his journal this June on this blog (when I’m back home for a month). Stay tuned.
With three-inch fish, I leave the head and tail (and try not to wonder about the once inky, now dry-black guts). With two-inchers as finger food, and working my way through my son’s journal, there’s nothing left but a line of greasy fingerprints on the fringe of my paper tablecloth.
I walk home a traveler, an eater, and a dad well-satisfied.
I am excited to see that you blog details about your colorful excursions. I absolutely adore your travel shows, and can’t wait to see new ones! I TiVo them and savor them often while I sip my morning coffee. I love waking up to views through your well-framed window to the rest of the beautiful world! I think that you and Rudy Maxa create the best quality travel shows on television. When will Portugal and your other new places air? Sincerely, Jessica from the Philadelphia area http://swedehartjournal.blogspot.com/
I cannot wait to see these shows and read your son’s journals, wonderful readings. I had to laugh about the olive oil, a few weeks ago I was at a party with history and language teachers and the conversation went to olive oil…the discussion was how Italy has been for years taking Spanish, Tunisan and Greek olive oil and selling it as Italian ( now the Italians are adding soybean etc.)–the spanish teacher was livid (LOL)..however, the history teacher made an analogy, during the olympic games Alexander the Great was known to lose and not be a great athelete (it was all about merit and pride) then when Rome took over and performed in the Olympic games, it appears that no emperor lost a game–especially Nero–things have not really changed over the centuries….
Awesome post Rick! You always do such an incredible job putting me right there with you. It’s interesting to see how the prices there are now the same as here. When I was in central Europe in 2000-1, I was able to get an amazing meal just about anywhere for a couple bucks and I ate at my 4 star hotel for only $6. However, they didn’t seem to have some of the conveniences we have here (like a blindly lit megamart on every corner). But now I’m hearing that Europe now has megamarts everywhere, Wendy’s on every corner, etc. Now that the European economy and the Euro has exceeded the US economy/dollar, do you see this as a reflection that the Europeans now have the same ubiquitous “conveniences” that we have?
Rick………..Thank you again…..the colour of this entry…….the details……the flow……….it is one of your best…..you describe things seemingly with no effort…but it comes from a lot of skill and a desire to have us readers feel as if we are right there….I have enjoyed many trips with your books and DVDs to help
I is really great to hear the real exhausted side of travel. It’s a good thing. Because we haven’t really done the tour group thing, we haul all our stuff and wake up each day to make the days plans, we always build in some down time, because we learned years ago you really burn out if you don’t pace yourself. I remember being on the Great Wall of China with a girl friend years ago and we had been doing China at a fast pace because we were there visiting her daughter who was there from Chico State. And we both were so tired we couldn’t care if we even moved and we laughed and said we are at one of the 7th wonders of the world, and wanted to lay down and take a nap!
Great post! I have been looking for Greek oil olive lately and have been unable to find any. Everything is Italian or an occasionally a Spanish olive oil. I want to try Greek olive oils. Looking forward to reading reading about Andy’s travels. Thanks again for all you do for us!
Ahhh! Sounds like a lovely evening…wishing I was at a table myself. One thing keeps popping into my head as I read so many of your blog entries Rick…can a person who does not eat seafood find much to enjoy in places like Greece and Protugal? I know I am in the minority but I do have friends who, like me, don’t like any type of sea food and it seems that’s all you eat in your travels! Please don’t forget us when you write your recommendations!
Oh my, I am so hungry now. It is so cruel to speak of Greek food to those not in Greece. So cruel!
Sali, my wife and I were on the Rick Steves Athens & the Heart of Greece tour in 2006 and ate no seafood nearly the entire time, kalamari once. You can eat very well on things that have never been swimming in the ocean. Greece is a great destination for eaters. Try it!
Many have stated that Athens informations guides are few in nature, coming soon are Lonely Planets Athens Encounter and Frommers Athens Day by Day–they should be out by fall/winter…hopefully Rick gets a tourbook soon, his is always the best…
When will the Athens show air on TV? We are going there in September.
Rick, if you ever want to write another book, I have an idea for you: “Food From Europe’s Back Door” or some such title. Include the recipe for nun’s tummies, and whatever other recipes only you could obtain from some of the places you visit. I want that boook! So write it soon.
Rick, I loved my ETBD tour of Greece last year. Thank you for sharing some of your experiences with us about Greek food. I found it to be very yummy and nutritous. I’m not surprised your exhausted. Research and writing are hard work. I’m looking forward to hearing more about your time in Portugal. I’m going on the Spain/Portugal trip in October and plan on staying a few extra days in Portugal after the tour. Thanks again for taking time away from your family to share your travel ideas with the rest of us!