Over Consuming on the Mediterranean Diet and Schooling Nia Vardalos!

 While we planned this vacation to be a hiking trip, in the first 1 1/2 days we have definitely used our mouths more than our feet.  Sure, we’ve walked a lot, but boy have we eaten a lot too.  I am trying to make myself feel better by saying,“The Greeks follow a Mediterranean diet and that is heart-healthy! While that is true,  the volume of food we have consumed in the last 36 hours can only be described as problematic.  This is particularly true since we have another 12 days to go before leaving Greece and upon our return to the States, we will be attending a wedding in which the gown I am wearing was already a bit snug before leaving. If I keep this up, there will not be enough Spanx in the world to solve my attire dilemma!

Today, we walked around the city but the highlight was a six hour food tour.  (I am sure that the reason for my gown anxiety is becoming more apparent)  We love such tours because it often introduces the participants to both different types of food and to different parts of a city that may never have visited independently.  This was certainly the case today.  We have been on many of these tours and always enjoyed them, but six hours?  We decided to soldier on and it was worth every last calorie! (Until I have to try on that damn gown when I get home) Our guide was a Greek chef who, besides introducing us to incredible Greek foods, taught us so much about Greek history, and how it relates to the country’s culinary masterpieces, such as its wines, its cheeses and of course, its Ouzo!  I was crushed however to learn that “Opa,” a famous line from the legendary movie, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” is used improperly in the film!  Instead of a cheer used before downing a shot of Ouzo (which by the way, she also told us that Ouzo is never consumed as a shot but rather mixed with water in order to cleanse ones palette while eating fish-(I have the recipe!) “Opa!” is something one says when accidentally bumping into someone else or dropping something, similar to how we Americans use, “Oops!”  So who is going to tell Nia Vardalos that she has gotten it wrong for YEARS and led millions of Americans astray with for many, the only Greek word we thought we knew!? I was pretty crushed because I really like the way it sounds! 

One of my favorite parts of the tour was when we were in a small food store discussing salt. She told us that she only bought her sea salt from one of two specific Greek  islands—neither of which I can remember the names of, because while having this tutorial, we were drinking some 40 proof liquor, whose name also escapes me. I realized that I am a little less discriminating when purchasing man’s oldest flavor enhancer.  I too gravitate towards two spots when purchasing salt:Aisle 4 out our local Shop Rite, or when really living  large, at the seasoning section of Marshall’s or Trader Joe’s.  It may not be the same, but it gets the job done! 

“OPA!” RIP.


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