Οι ζεστές ώρες του χειμώνα στα Κουφάλια, Ελλάδα‏ *Winter warmth in Koufalia, Greece

kiκη, Χρήστο, Δήμητρα και Γιαγιά Δημητρούλα-

αγαπημένη μου οικογένεια!

Δεν έχω λόγια να σας ευχαριστήσω για όλα που κάνατε για μένα.

Μου κάνατε να νιώθω σαν στο σπίτι μου.

Περνούσαμε μαζί υπέροχες μέρες!

περπατούσαμε, ταξιδέψαμε, περάσαμε καλά ,μιλούσαμε, μάθαμε ελληνικά και αγγλικά,

αγκάλιασαμε, φάγαμε, μαγειρευτήκαμε, γελάσαμε

και κυρίως κάνουμε πολλά χαλαρά όπως πρέπει 🙂 !

Σας αγαπώ πολύ! ❤

να είστε πάντα καλά!

Kiki, Christos, Dimitra and the grandma Dimitroula-

My beloved family!

I have no words to thank you for everything you did for me.

You made me feel at home.

We spent wonderful days together!

We walked, we traveled, we had a good time, we talked, we learned Greek and English,

We hugged, ate, cooked, laughed

And mostly did lots of xalara 🙂!

I love you very much!❤

Κουφάλια, Θεσσαλονίκη ,Λουτράκι Αριδαιας

Koufalia, Thessaloniki, Aridaia, loutraki

It is December

Thousands of leaves are covering the ground and the roads

Some of them are flying like birds with colorful wings.

Kiki ,Christos and me are sitting in their dining room, at their warm home, in  Koufalia,

after a nice  breakfast, having a Greek coffee- Ελληνικός καφές

(tiny cup of strong Greek coffee served with the fine grounds in it).

We are ready for our daily lesson in Greek and in English.

I have to tell them in Greek all the things we have done and seen in the previous day

and they do the same in English.

But seeing all those beautiful falling leaves through the window I must first listen with them

to my favorite Autumn song “Les Feuilles mortes” – The Autumn leaves of Yves Montand

And In the English version – Nat King Cole

“Christos”, I asked, “how do you say falling leaves in Greek?”

” Πεσμένα φύλλα ( pismeni filla ) he answered me.

Then he opens the book – the lesson starts.

You look at his face and you know that you have to be a good student

Christos was a History teacher and he is an amazing teacher.

Για να αρχίσει η μέρα μας μυρωδάτη!

To start the morning with smells of baked bread, rich cheese pie and almond cake.

The tomatoes, the peppers, the cucumbers and the onion in the bowl are shining from an amazing olive oil.

And all the other yami food that waiting for us that Kiki cooks during the days.

Christos poured us the sweet pomegranate juice that he had prepared.

And we both say ” Μπράβο kiκη,  γειά στα χέρια σου!  (Bravo kiki, health to your hands)

Time to visit yaya/grandma Dimitroula – Γιαγιά Δημητρούλα, as we do every day.

Yaya -grandma Dimitroula is living next door.

She is sitting in her chair with bright eyes full with life.

She is always doing something: reading books, knitting, cooking, hosting friends

We sit over sweet liqueur that she made talking in Greek.

She shows me pictures from her past and then some of her beautiful handicraft.

She keeps talking about George and Dimitra, her grandchildren and how much she loves them.

And guess what else. I don’t believe my eyes.

Great Yaya Dimitroula has an active Facebook, where she writes all kind of things.:)

On Wednesday evening our amazing Dimitra, who is a well-known marathon runner in Greece

and has many achievements, giving a fascinating lecture about victory and loss in sport as in life,

speaking from her experience.

We are all so proud of her.

Πήγαμε στο Λουτράκι νομού Πέλλας μέσω Αριδαίας.

Thursday morning,  we are traveling to loutraki  from Pela, via Aridaia.

On our way we see the winter in his best.

There are  many falling leaves every where, necked trees, grey forests,

the misty weather is  climbing up on the mountains of northern Greece .

The beauty of the cold season impresses us very much.

Here we are in loutraki  hot springs.

one of the first thermal destinations in Greece,

known during ancient times for its curative waters.

It is freezing cold out side, but there are always people that must try any adventurous,

and here you can see them in the water.

I don’t want to think how they will feel when they will get out from the hot water.

we continue to drive

Time to go to eat.

On our way back home we are visiting dear Efferousni and George-  Ευφεροςυνη και Γιώργος,

In their lovely home. Kiki and Efferousni are artists they have homes like Art galleries,

they are painting, collecting art pieces and beautiful things.

George is taking his guitar and star to play and sing

some of the classic old Greek songs and we join him.

And I think to myself, how great, cosy and Greek it is.

There are so many beautiful places for eating and drinking In Thessaloniki.

Variety of restaurants, well decorated with excellent traditional food.

This is something that the people of Thessaloniki love to do.

Spending outside, lots of time with family and friends,

talking over a glass of local excellent wine and delicious food.

(the iPhones are in their pockets and bags-

people go out to be together and to talk to each other. )

It is Friday evening – today I am in charge to cook some Israeli / Iraqi dishes.

When people let you get into their kitchen, they let you get into their heart.

And when you are cooking together with people you love, it feels like home.

kiκη, Χρήστο, Δήμητρα και Γιαγιά Δημητρούλα

Σας ευχαριστώ πολύ μέσα από την καρδιά μου!

Σας αγαπώ πολύ! ❤