Thursday, July 07, 2005

Gyros, Spanakopitas, and Loukomades

AEK and I went to the Greek Summer Festival this evening.

We were there for about three hours, and it was well worth it, because we had great fun. Upon our arrival, we immediately set out to go inside the Greek Orthodox Church of Saints Nicholas and Demetrius. Simply amazing! The beautiful icons inside were rich in meaning and colour. Candles lit the entrance, and quiet chants could be heard in the background.

Afterwards, we ate a simple but delicious Greek meal: gyros (pita with beef and lamb meat and tzatziki sauce), spanakopita (spinach pie), loukomades (greek mini-donuts), and a strong greek coffee.

Then we people-watched: men and women, boys and girls, danced to the tune of traditional Greek music. Families sat around tables and enjoyed each other. The smell of great food was everywhere. The music was loud. The atmosphere festive. Laughter was everywhere.

Somehow, it reminded me of what Jewish festivals must be like. I felt like we were witnessing genuine community.

On Saturday we plan to go there again, this time with some more friends. We've also arranged to get a tour of the church. Looking forward to it. Hopefully they'll allow us to take pictures inside the church.

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