Autumn - Greek Style!

I've been living abroad - in Greece - half my lifetime come this October! In that time I haven't really talked about where I live or what it's like being a stranger, learning Greek or getting used to a different routine so I thought I'd post occasionally, on what I've come to love, live and learn here. The atmosphere here in Trikala has started to feel autumnal early this year, due to a plethora of thunder storms so strong that storm warnings were even issued and mobiles started buzzing all over the city. (Mine, having English as its prefered language, reads out the Greek as phonetic gobbledegook in an overtly strong American accent. This obviously diminishes the urgency or severity of any warning...) So with the drop in temperatures to a cool 22 degrees centigrade (at the time of writing) I'm in full-on autumn mode and thought I'd share five things that I enjoy at this time of year. 

1. Autumn Leaves No list would be complete without enjoying the autumnal colours. Trikala is one of the few towns in Greece to be blessed with a river traversing the centre of the city. The banks are lined with horse chestnut and plane trees for the most part, both of which sport gorgeous colours from early September through to mid November. More spectacular colours can be seen around the city on the trees along the roadsides, on Prophet Elias Hill (pictured here) or in St. George's Park.

2. The Panegyri Most provincial towns and villages have a fair called a Panegyri. In Trikala, this starts around September 14th and lasts a week. The fair consists of a funfair and market stalls selling anything from kitchen gadgets to clothes and a huge food area where local businesses showcase their wares, usually any form of barbecued meat - gyros, (Did you know that September 1st is national gyros day in the US?) souvlaki etc, or for the sweet toothed, Halvas Farsalon, candy floss or toffee apples.

3. Picking fruit. There is a variety of fruit that can be harvested throughout autumn here in Greece, in September (or August if the weather is damp) blackberries are ripe and up for grabs. (Pictured below, my friend and I picking blackberries up in the mountains.) In October, grapes and some pomegranates are ready and then in November, olives are collected.

4. Enjoying a steaming hot drink. Of course, the hot chocolate trend has taken off here and you can stop off at any café and get one in any flavour you imagine. But for me, a more authentic autumn drink would be a cup of hot 'salepi' or salep (what the Victorians called saloop). It is made from flour of the orchid genus Orchis, to form a slightly gelatinous beverage and is seasoned with cinnamon. In Trikala, you can buy yours from a traditional street salesman who cycles around on a tricycle, calling out 'Salepi zesto!' - 'Hot salepi!', which he serves from a huge brass urn. If that doesn't sound like something you fancy, try a tiny cup of Greek coffee; it's only a few mouthfuls, but it's pure heaven.

5. Pumpkin or Apple Pie, but make it Greek. Trikala is renowned for its pies and Greek pumpkin pie, which can be either sweet or savoury, is no exception. Both are made with layers of filo pastry and both are delicious! The other autumn classic is apple pie, though actually more of an apple cake, it is usually garnished with cinnamon and walnuts to add that pure autumn feel. (Just let me know if want my recipe pictured below.)

Let me know if you try out some of these ideas and add any of you can think of. Tell me what you most enjoy doing during autumn where you live. Until next time, have fun!