Step into the light

Step into the light, originally uploaded by Spyros Papaspyropoulos.

I took this photo sometime about 20 days ago and I remember waiting for these two to step into the light so I could capture them. It was late morning, early noon and the sun was still sideways, creating this lovely effect in the dark alleys of the Old Town of Rethymno.

Road to Delphi

Road to Delphi 2, originally uploaded by viewgatherer.

In The Alleys Of Astypalea

In The Alleys Of Astypalea, originally uploaded by jimbonzo079.

Astypalaia - Greece - Αστυπαλαια - Ελλαδα

Cradle Mountain

Cradle Mountain, originally uploaded by stevoarnold.

Tasmania - Cradle Mountain

Between the walls

Between the walls, originally uploaded by ~Lily_Sandrita~.

Between the walls

Photographer's Delight @ #Gergeri #Heraklion #Crete #Greece

Photographer's Delight, originally uploaded by macropoulos.

Η Γέργερη είναι μεγάλος οικισμός και έδρα του Δήμου Ρούβα της επαρχίας Καινούργιου με 1.506 κατοίκους το 2001 και με υψόμετρο 520 μέτρα. Αν προχωρήσουμε προς τα νότια η πορεία μας θα μας οδηγήσει στον Ψηλορείτη που είναι 39,6 χιλιόμετρα στο δρόμο προς Ζαρό ή Καμάρες .
Στο χωριό υπάρχει υδραγωγείο και οι ιεροί ναοί: Μεταμόρφωση του Σωτήρος, με μαρμάρινα μέλη αρχαιοτέρου ναού (εντός του οποίου είχαν σφαχτεί) από τους Τούρκους πολλοί Χριστιανοί, ο Άγιος Γεώργιος, ο Άγιος Στυλιανός και ο Προφήτης Ηλίας. Ο τελευταίος βρίσκεται σε βράχο μέσα στο χωριό και οικοδομήθηκε το 1905. Σε μικρή απόσταση είναι κτισμένη η Παναγιά η Κερά με τοιχογραφίες του 1443, αλλά καπνισμένες. Από τη θέση αυτή τουφέκισαν οι Γερμανοί 25 κατοίκους της Γέργερης.
Στα υψώματα επάνω από το χωριό βρίσκεται το μεγαλύτερο δάσος πρίνων στην Κρήτη. Είναι το δάσος του Ρούβα, το οποίο αποτέλεσε καταφύγιο των Χριστιανών κατά τις επαναστάσεις των προηγούμενων αιώνων. Στην περιοχή του Ρούβα βρίσκονται τα «μητάτα» των κτηνοτρόφων της Γέργερης, όπου το Μάιο διεξάγονται οι «κουρές». Πρόκειται για το κούρεμα των προβάτων, που συνοδεύεται από γλέντι, οινοποσία και φαγοπότι με συγγενείς και φίλους. Στις 3 Νοεμβρίου ανοίγουν για πρώτη φορά τα βαρέλια με το νέο κρασί και εορτάζεται ο πολιούχος, Άγιος Γεώργιος ο Μεθυστής.Επίσης, στο χωριό γίνεται πανηγύρι και της Υπαπαντής (2 Φεβρουαρίου).
Στο δάσος από πρίνους του Ρούβα έξω από το χωριό, αναπτύσσονται ενδημικά είδη χλωρίδας και πανίδας. Στο χωριό υπάρχει Μουσείο Φυσικής Ιστορίας και παραδοσιακή δημοτική επιχείρηση που προσφέρει όλα τα κρητικά παραδοσιακά φαγητά.
Ανάμεσα στα άλλα, λειτουργούν στο χωριό υπηρεσίες, ΚΕΠ, νηπιαγωγείο, Δημοτικό Σχολείο και Γυμνάσιο.

Όμορφος κόσμος μαγικός - magical beautiful world

Όμορφος κόσμος μαγικός - magical beautiful world, originally uploaded by Christos Tsoumplekas (Back again!).

Lake near Gergeri Village.

Untitled

file:///C:/Users/brexians/Downloads/pinterest-2bdd4.html

Shipwreck

Shipwreck , originally uploaded by Eleanna Kounoupa (Melissa).

Shipwreck #Saronic Gulf #Greece #travel #ttot #travelling2GR #visitGReece #comeinGReece #summerinGReece
photo via: Eleanna Kounoupa http://www.flickr.com/photos/ekounoupamelissa/6828469985/

Stifado

Stifado, originally uploaded by Travel Logger.

Stifado ( Greek Beef Stew) #gastronomy #recipe #Greece #travel #ttot #travelling2GR #visitGreece
photo via: Travel Logger http://www.flickr.com/photos/sitestory/2874753867/

This beef stew recipe is my family's favourite casserole.
I use either beef or rabbit, they both taste delicious, with very different distinct flavours with either meat.
My children love the flavour and the beef or rabbit is so tender it melts in your mouth. I often serve stifado with mashed potato and a green salad.
The large amount of onions give a rich sweet flavour to the sauce.
This beef stew recipe is a very old recipe and was traditionally made with wild rabbit, however, as it is slowly becoming harder to find rabbit, beef has become a wonderful alternative.

Ingredients

1.3kg boneless beef or rabbit, cleaned and cut into portions
800g - 1kg small pickling size onions, peeled and left whole
1 teacup olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic
1 teacup red wine
1/3 teacup red wine vinegar
640g tin tomatoes, or preferably fresh tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 stem of rosemary
1 teaspoon cinnamon
sunflower oil

Preparation

Cut the beef into cubes, or the rabbit into portions.
In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and saute the meat until lightly browned.
Saute the garlic.
Pour the red wine and vinegar over the meat. It will sizzle. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, rosemary, cinnamon and salt and pepper.
Add about 250 - 300ml water, make sure its enough to cover everything.
Cover and cook until the meat is almost tender.

In a large frying pan, fry the small onions until lightly browned all over. You may have to do this in batches.
Remove the onions when they are ready and place on top of the meat in the casserole.
Shake the casserole for the meat and onions to mix a little (don't use a spoon to mix as you may disintegrate the onions).

Cover and cook until all is tender - at least 20-30 minutes. There should be just a small amount of thick tasty sauce left at the bottom.
The reason for frying the onions separately and adding them to the sauce near the end is because this way the onions are more likely to stay whole.

Another variation to this beef stew recipe is to add the onions along with the meat at the beginning. Be careful throughout cooking as the onions are more like to fall apart this way. They do however, take on the lovely flavour of the sauce.

You can speed the cooking process up a little by using the pressure cooker.
I often use this method to prepare the food a little quicker. I will fry the whole onions in batches at the beginning and put them in with the meat after adding all the other ingredients. Shake the saucepan.

You will only need about 200-250ml water if using the pressure cooker.
Close and seal with the pressure cooker lid.
It usually takes about 15 minutes to get to pressure and cook for 20 minutes at pressure.
Once you have opened it up after cooking, you may need to simmer, uncovered, for a while to reduce the liquid to a thick sauce.


Kali Orexi - Bon Appetit

RECIPE via: http://www.ultimate-guide-to-greek-food.com/beef-stew-recipe.html

Sunset in Falasarna

Sunset in Falasarna, originally uploaded by lentina_x.

Sunset in Falasarna #Crete #Greece #travel #ttot #travelling2GR #visitGreece
Photo via: lentina_x http://www.flickr.com/photos/lentina_x/3725395038/

Pebble Pole

Pebble Pole, originally uploaded by Rupert Brun.

Pebble Pole @ Paxos #Ionian_sea #Greece #travel #ttot #travelling2GR #visitgreece
PHOTO via: Rupert Brun http://www.flickr.com/photos/rupert_brun/4975033156/

Loutraki

Loutraki, originally uploaded by volos.

Loutraki @ #Skopelos #Sporades #travel #ttot #Greece #travelling2GR #visitGReece #photo via: Volos http://www.flickr.com/photos/kostasdouk/4824705178/

Castle of Angels

Castle of Angels, originally uploaded by bazylek100.

angelokastro #Corfu #Ionian_sea #travel #ttot #Greece #travelling2GR #visitGReece #photo via: Robin http://www.flickr.com/photos/bazylek/5103177096/

Aegean blues

Aegean blues, originally uploaded by danichro.

Visit Greece campaign. #Mykonos ! #Greece #travel #ttot #travelling2GR #visitGReece
PHOTO via: Damianos Chronakis http://www.flickr.com/photos/danichro/7188646595/