Apokories - it's all good clean fun!

APOKORIES  is three weeks before Lent, and on the first day of Lent there is Clean Monday (Kathari Deftera)- putting it simply another reason to have food and celebrate. The three organisations who have arranged this here in the village in the past had not enough money and had not raised money for this event, which is a great shame, so it was not held.

   For us the answer was simple - a short ride to the seaside village of Sissi, which was the first area that we came to on holiday many years ago.

  Here the tradition is alive and very well, it matters not who or where you are from you can enjoy the hospitality of the village and of the region - completely free. There is music down by the harbour front as well, so this year we went with some English friends, and settled by the waters edge. The event is very well organised and you go to the food area, grab a tray and your plates are filled. There is Fassouladia, a hot bean soup served with traditional flatbread. The plates were then filled with Fava (mashed split beans) Taramosalata (Fish roes), olives, traditional vegtables and then halva (sweet sesame) further down the line you take wine, beers, softdrinks and water and everything was free.

  Music, BBQ foods and then Loukomades (sweet dough) deep fried and served with honey were placed on every table, even if the people there were up dancing to the excellent music.