Many of you will already be familiar with komboloi (κομπολόι) and in Greece will have seen it flowing, grain after grain, between the fingers of men of all ages in cafés and on the streets. For those who are wondering what we are talking about, the komboloi is a string closed in a circle on which pearls of different materials are strung. It is a pastime, if necessary a rosary, a precursor of modern anti-stress but also and above all a powerful cultural symbol which was and still remains a predominantly male accessory.
You will have noticed it during your travels in Greece: there is no drink more loved and consumed than coffee. Having a coffee here has nothing to do with the fast and mechanical gestures with which we usually bring a cup of espresso to our mouths before hastily continuing with our activities.
If for those who don't speak Greek it can be almost a challenge to pronounce the term Tsiknopempti, for those who don't know at least a little about Greek culture it can be equally difficult to imagine that there is a day entirely dedicated to meat and, even more specifically, to perfume of grilled meat. Not only taverns and takeaways, but also shops, squares and even schools will be filled today with grills, meat, music and festive voices.
Maybe it's because February is the month of love, the birds wake us up in the morning singing out loud melodious harmonies and everything seems more beautiful when you live on a paradise island... In short, it's spring, love is in the air and it is difficult to resist it even if you don't have a truly romantic spirit.
Blue sea, little churches with waving flags, octopuses lying in the sun... And goats, goats everywhere. Funny and very agile, sacred to the ancients and insatiable devourers of plants and more, goats are among the undisputed symbols of Greece. Do you think this is an exaggeration? Look back at your holiday photos and you will probably agree with us. But did you know that Kefalonian goats have something really special? Like real rappers, their teeth are golden!
Before setting foot in Greece for the first time, I imagined the Ionian Islands just like in the novels by Durrell and De Bernières that I loved so much: a small world on the edge of reality, with very hot summer days, immense olive groves and a sea as blue as the sky. I feared that upon arrival in Kefalonia my imaginary world would mercilessly collapse but a quick look out the window upon landing was enough to reassure me. One of the largest Greek islands, Kefalonia has dream beaches, mysterious caves and hidden lakes, picturesque villages, incredible views just waiting to be photographed and maybe shared with friends and family.
For what is probably the hundredth time, tonight we find ourselves watching "MEDITERRANEAN" with a melancholy smile and eyes that can't take off the screen, enraptured by scenes and monologues that we now know by heart. It is a cinematic masterpiece but also something more, a state of mind.
They are among the largest reptiles in the world, inhabit almost all the oceans and are so ancient that they shared the planet with dinosaurs over 210 million years ago. The Caretta Caretta turtle ("loggerhead" in English for its large and muscular head) is a symbol of the Mediterranean and of Greece in particular: our coasts host 60% of the nests in the Mediterranean area and two of the most important breeding sites for the species, one in Zakynthos and the other in the western Peloponnese.
In July 1633 a strange story, almost a fairy tale, was recorded in an official document of the municipal register of Kefalonia. The Venetian governor Fantino Malipiero declared that the inhabitants of the island were terrorized by a man- and sheep-eating dragon and issued an order to kill the terrible beast. As many had already failed in the difficult task, a reward was offered: anyone brave enough to slay the dragon would be rewarded with a large part of the forest at the foot of Mount Ainos.
A fearsome giant is buried under the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. His name is Enceladus, he has long dark hair and a thick beard, proud eyes and a rebellious spirit. According to the myth, Enceladus was at the head of the Titans who dared to challenge the gods of Olympus. What does it have to do with Kefalonia? Well, it seems that he is responsible for the earthquakes that occasionally shake the island.