Lesson Day! Music, Cooking, Dancing - Greek Style!

Today we are introduced to Francesco Albertazzi who joins us from Italy.  He has been studying to become a teacher using the James Hill Method of ukulele instruction and he can't wait to get started with this lively and diverse group!  He has energy!

Somehow an hour and a half flies by.  Tomorrow he says: "There will be improvisation from each of you!"  Hum......

This lovely afternoon, finally a break in the stormy weather and we find ourselves in the kitchen for a Greek cooking lesson.  Little did we know...we are helping to prepare a dinner for not only the 28 of us, but it seems Katerina has also invited another 25 local Poros people!  We are like mad kitchen elves, doing every job she gives us.  Here Steve, grate these 25 cucumbers!  Nan, it's the zucchini for you!  Ready, set....GO!

Sitting in the kitchen ready to be used...baskets of fresh organic produce.

 We get a great lesson on how to chop dill very very fine.  You take a big bunch, fold it up, fold it again, hold it down, and....chop away!

 There is a special way to do the onions too.  We notice: There are no food processors in this gourmet kitchen....just people!

 The list above is all the things our group of four students and our teacher Katerina are going to make in three hours!

Steve is hard at work on the cucumbers for one of my favoirite dips: tzatziki!  This is the yogurt, dill, onion, garlic sauce / dip that is in a gyro "sandwich"....and I love it!

Here's my zucchini assignment.  These are shredded and then mixed with yogurt, feta cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic, onion and then wrapped up in little triangle pockets of thin pastry dough.

 Here's some of our hard work....that was all before the "cooks break" where we sit down with a cucumber juice and vodka pick me up.  Not a bad rule!

 The dinner is a big success and then the dancing begins!  Katerina has a dance couple preform a few Greek dances for us, before everyone is dragged into the circle and now we are learning Greek dances!  The fun never stops!

Ahhh, this is not exactly a traditional Greek dance....but, I said, the fun NEVER stops! 

There is lots of music, dancing and I think I remember some ouzo being passed around.  Another night when I welcomed the "quiet hours"....as the clock strikes midnight.  Tomorrow is just around the corner.....and we have two more days of Big, Fat, Greek Ukulele (and other things) Adventure!