Kali Orexi Blog

A Zesty Life

It’s always fun to catch up with friends overseas. The love and energy shared during these times feels infinitely heightened. Last year during our trip to Greece, we travelled to the Cycladic island of Milos. The night we arrived we caught up with friends from Melbourne. They had just spent the last few days in Milos and were travelling onwards the following day. The following day happened to be my birthday too and our time together felt like an early birthday celebration.

A Crumby Story

I started school at Windsor Primary in Melbourne’s south-east. We lived within walking distance from the school and an easy tram ride down Chapel Street to the Prahran Market, where my parents had a stall. When my sister needed to move to a secondary school, my parents again chose the secondary school closest to our home. It happened to be a Catholic girls’ school. The school had both a primary school and secondary school at that time and so my parents decided to send both of us there. I moved across in Grade 2 and completed my HSC there. What can I say, a double dose of restriction and guilt – between a strict Greek upbringing and Catholic doctrine. It took a good few years of my early adulthood to ‘recover.’ But it wasn’t all bad… in fact it was powerfully positive in one very significant way. Although I was the only Greek-Australian in my year level, I was accepted fully and I never once experienced racism. The students were mostly of Anglo-Saxon and Italian background. I wasn’t a ‘cool’ student, but I mixed in well with a number of different friendship groups and always felt like I belonged.

My friendships were easy, fun and fulfilling. One of my favourite memories was during the Easter season.

Tears of (pure eating) Joy

Trees and plants are so generous with their fruits, nuts, berries, bark, sap and resins. One resin that is well-known throughout Greece is ‘Mastic’ (Μαστίχα) – an aromatic resin obtained from mastic trees (Pistacia lentiscus) that grow predominantly on the island of Chios.

A Life Experience

When my good man Eugene decides that you must have a certain life experience, he doesn’t give up until you do! During our trip to Greece this year, we were given no choice but to have one of these life experiences.

The Wedding Watchers

In 2016, my family and I travelled to Greece. We had not been to Greece for a few years and so we were all very excited about staying at our favourite hotel in Athens, Fresh Hotel; visiting our favourite restaurants, Diporto in Athens, Restaurant Meteora in Kalambaka, Gardenia in Kastraki and O Platanos in Mykani; and enjoying our favourite past time, walking and exploring the Meteora. Our trip that year also included a twelve-day tour of the Peloponnese, taking in the glory of Ancient Olympia, the landscapes and beaches of Kalamata and surrounds, the ruins and ramparts of Mystras, magical Monemvasia, Neapoli and the awesome Kastania Caves and Nafplio with its Venetian vibe and its thriving artisan community. The Peloponnese was truly beautiful, with its villages perched on the sides of mountains, surrounded by endless olive groves and accented with cypress trees. It reminded me of Tuscany, but with complimentary views out to the endless, azure sea. Our eyes could not tire of the natural harmony of green and blue hues that surrounded us.