Greek writer and Nobel Prize nominee, Nikos Kazantzakis: “One of the purest joys that man can afford in this world is to visit the Aegean Sea in the spring, with a breath of light breeze; I have never been able to imagine paradise in any other way.
This joy grows right upside down, but God does not allow it to escalate so that the beloved visible world does not disappear with it, on the contrary, the invisible world becomes visible, and what we call God and eternal life and bliss join us on the ship and accompany us on the voyage. In the bitter hour of your death, close your eyes, and you will see Santorini, Naxos, Paros, Mykonos.”
If that is what you see right before you die you are lucky indeed. The stunning, sweeping views of blue/green waters of Aegean Sea, the constant balmy breeze and the endlessly fascinating artifacts at every turn are truly magical, and I am glad I get to share a glimpse of my trip with you.
While on Mykonos we took a tour of Delos, which is one of the islands that makes up the Cyclades archipelago and is also a UNESCO world heritage site. Long touted as the birthplace of Apollo, I was most excited to see the Terrace of the Lions. The marble lions originally stood as guards of the Sacred Lake and the Temple of Apollo. They are unsure how many lions there were originally, it is thought that there were between nine and 19, today there are four reproductions and the originals that have survived are on display inside the Archaeological Museum of Delos.
After seeing the stately lions we looked at so many ruins I can’t even remember them all. The koinon of the Poseidon and the ancient theatre of Delos were all a testament to the ingenuity of the people who populated this tiny island as early as the third century BC.
House of Dionysus features murals that are still striking after 1800 years. The House of Masks is home to a giant outdoor cistern that was a part of a complex water delivery system. Touring Delos was transformative, the beauty in the ruins, the brilliance of the people to build what they did with what they had, seeing what is left of a proud people after thousands of years was both humbling and inspiring.
From Mykonos we visited Santorini Greece which was also amazing.
The island is tiny, 10 miles from north to south and 3.7 miles wide. It is just 28 square miles in total with a 43-mile circumference.
We rented a buggy for a day and took on the island starting in Oia and continuing on to Fira and all points in between. While in Oia we feasted on fresh, Greek food at the Blue Domes Restaurant which I chose because it was touted as the best views on the island and certainly did. From there we took in the stunning sights of the Akrotiri peninsula, even hiking up to the lighthouse. Although Santorini is just as ancient as any other part of Greece it had more of an Instagrammer feel to me, which did not make it any less stunning but perhaps slightly less mysterious.
When we meet again I’ll be sharing some of my time in Turkey.
This is the last time we will be together before the Easter Bunny comes and I will be spending Holy Week in San Miguel de Allende, but I will be home just in time to celebrate Easter with my sweet family. This sumptuous Banana Pudding will be on my table because it is rich and easy to make - the perfect combination. Happy early Easter from my kitchen to yours!
Ingredients:
• 8 ozs softened cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
• 1 family size banana creme pudding (Instant NOT COOK AND SERVE)
• 3 c whole milk
• 2 tsp clear vanilla extract
• 1 tub of Cool Whip Extra Creamy
• 1 box Nilla wafers
• 5 large bananas sliced
Preparation:
Using a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the sweetened condensed milk, pudding mix, milk and vanilla and mix until combined well.
Gently fold in half of the Cool Whip. To assemble, lay one layer of Nilla wafers on the bottom of your dish, top with sliced banana pieces, then cover with the pudding. Repeat until you have used all the ingredients (for a 9X13 baking dish you should have two layers). Cover the top with the rest of the Cool Whip and sprinkle the top with crushed Nilla wafers. Cover and refrigerate for at least one to two hours before serving.
