Friday (Paraskevi in Greek) I awoke once again early as there was a wild wind whistling from down in the valley and into our garden or so it seemed. Quickly I ventured out in slippers and pajamas to collect the washing from the line as there was for sure rain heading our way.
The sky was no longer the deep clear blue of the previous days, it was looking grey and with a low cloud cover, the rain was just waiting to happen.
I call these Spring days, blip, blip rainy days - almost like one of those mild days in the UK Summer, back home when you plan a picnic and suddenly it all changes in a few blinks.
Now I normally start my day with a hot coffee in our cooler months of Winter and Spring but in fairness at 09.00 my application on the Android phone was showing a temperature in the shade of 19c so maybe I think it is time to move onto my summer morning coffee, a chilled iced coffee, known here as Frappe, normally we drink iced coffee as the temperature gets warmer and a hot coffee just seems out of the question. Frappe, made with Nescafe (I know this is a brand, but all Greeks seem to make coffee from this brand) I do find it quite bitter as the main brand here is Classic, and I do prefer Gold Blend, but we only have the original Classic available at the moment in the Coffee Jar in the kitchen at home.....
Frappe, Iced Coffee, was introduced to me back in 1981 when I arrived on holiday in the small resort (as it once was) of Sidari and Aris, whom I later married was working as a barman in one of the local bars near to were I was staying for my vacation.. Oh I thought I was so chic when returning back to London and introducing my family to this new way of consuming coffee. Really they were just not impressed and preferred their cup of tea or pot. I had given up tea back in the early 70's when mum told me as I was now a teenager and I could have coffee instead - well I never looked back and don't think, apart from a holidays in India I have ever drunk tea since. Of course all this was before the major Coffee Chains, now in abundance were around the UK. I did so think I was hip and trendy with my Iced Coffee, however it went down at home in our household like a Lead Balloon - but how things change as now my mum loves a Freddaccino or a Iced latte etc.......
So how to make a great Frappe - Iced Coffee......
In a large straight glass put coffee, sugar as required and just a small amount of water literally to cover the coffee ad sugar.......
Use your hand blender or coffee shaker (Jam Jars or similar make good shakers too).
Shake or blend to a frothy consistency.
In your glass add ice cubes and milk if required.
Add shaker or jam jar contents over the glass and top up with iced water.
Add straw and enjoy.
A local tip - if buying a large tin or Nescafe here in Greece and they are having special offers you get a whisker free (see photo).
So - 2 frappes later and still the rain hasn't arrived so its about time for a little stroll up to our village, of course as part of our daily exercise......
Our regular Kafenion (coffee shop) being Landos either for a coffee or lunchtime drinkees.......
Ah the fish man has arrived in his little white van, with his fresh fish and his weighing scales - well it is after all Friday and being Lent, fish is to be eaten in the Greek household and on menus today. We buy some lovely fresh whitebait and he throws in free some extra for Bella, our cat, he seems to be getting to know us now.
And then the heavens open and the rain arrives...oh well lets have another little wine and wait for it to stop........
It does and we head home, fish is cooked, green salad prepared and just maybe we will light the log fire this evening as it now feels a bit cooler as the temperature has dropped to a mild 17c.
Bella enjoyed her fish too.
Happy Friday from the village.
The sky was no longer the deep clear blue of the previous days, it was looking grey and with a low cloud cover, the rain was just waiting to happen.
I call these Spring days, blip, blip rainy days - almost like one of those mild days in the UK Summer, back home when you plan a picnic and suddenly it all changes in a few blinks.
Now I normally start my day with a hot coffee in our cooler months of Winter and Spring but in fairness at 09.00 my application on the Android phone was showing a temperature in the shade of 19c so maybe I think it is time to move onto my summer morning coffee, a chilled iced coffee, known here as Frappe, normally we drink iced coffee as the temperature gets warmer and a hot coffee just seems out of the question. Frappe, made with Nescafe (I know this is a brand, but all Greeks seem to make coffee from this brand) I do find it quite bitter as the main brand here is Classic, and I do prefer Gold Blend, but we only have the original Classic available at the moment in the Coffee Jar in the kitchen at home.....
Frappe, Iced Coffee, was introduced to me back in 1981 when I arrived on holiday in the small resort (as it once was) of Sidari and Aris, whom I later married was working as a barman in one of the local bars near to were I was staying for my vacation.. Oh I thought I was so chic when returning back to London and introducing my family to this new way of consuming coffee. Really they were just not impressed and preferred their cup of tea or pot. I had given up tea back in the early 70's when mum told me as I was now a teenager and I could have coffee instead - well I never looked back and don't think, apart from a holidays in India I have ever drunk tea since. Of course all this was before the major Coffee Chains, now in abundance were around the UK. I did so think I was hip and trendy with my Iced Coffee, however it went down at home in our household like a Lead Balloon - but how things change as now my mum loves a Freddaccino or a Iced latte etc.......So how to make a great Frappe - Iced Coffee......
In a large straight glass put coffee, sugar as required and just a small amount of water literally to cover the coffee ad sugar.......
Use your hand blender or coffee shaker (Jam Jars or similar make good shakers too).
Shake or blend to a frothy consistency.
In your glass add ice cubes and milk if required.
Add shaker or jam jar contents over the glass and top up with iced water.
Add straw and enjoy.
A local tip - if buying a large tin or Nescafe here in Greece and they are having special offers you get a whisker free (see photo).
So - 2 frappes later and still the rain hasn't arrived so its about time for a little stroll up to our village, of course as part of our daily exercise......
Our regular Kafenion (coffee shop) being Landos either for a coffee or lunchtime drinkees.......
Ah the fish man has arrived in his little white van, with his fresh fish and his weighing scales - well it is after all Friday and being Lent, fish is to be eaten in the Greek household and on menus today. We buy some lovely fresh whitebait and he throws in free some extra for Bella, our cat, he seems to be getting to know us now.And then the heavens open and the rain arrives...oh well lets have another little wine and wait for it to stop........
It does and we head home, fish is cooked, green salad prepared and just maybe we will light the log fire this evening as it now feels a bit cooler as the temperature has dropped to a mild 17c.
Bella enjoyed her fish too.
Happy Friday from the village.
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