Thursday 19th May 2011 - Paralio Astros, Greece

A very relaxed day driving from one end of Paralio Astros to the other with a stop in the middle to wander around the centre. We found a wine shop where they sold wine from their own vineyard – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a blend of the two. In addition to the reds, they also had a rosé which was a Cabernet-Merlot blend. We tried them all and both decided that we preferred the Cabernet Sauvignon. The lady and her husband were from Canada but both born in Greece. Her husband had decided to leave his job in Canada and come to Greece to start a vineyard. He had no experience of growing grapes or making wine and started the vineyard from scratch just a few kilometres from Paralio Astros. A bold decision! I think that his wife would rather have been back in Canada but they had made a very good job of the wine – some of the best Greek wine that I have tasted. We could buy a 70ml bottle for €7 or a 1.5 litre plastic bottle of draught wine for €3.50. We chose the latter.
At lunch time I cooked a fresh fish bought at one of the fishmongers in the village and the remainder of the day was spent reading and relaxing.
Photos: A traditional taverna in the village; How did the Wendy House get here?