A Walk Through the Streets of Vrahassi

Hello Blog Readers,

As promised here is a video shot yesterday as I walked through the streets of Vrahassi. There wasn't much going on, maybe because it was 1 p.m. and I missed the morning rush hour, but I think you can get a flavour of the place. The temperature is about 28 at the moment, and it's a bit cool to sit out in the evening, but very pleasant if you have a jacket.




Vrahassi has a wonderful charm to it even though there are lots of old buildings that have been left to
crumble. It is a bit like living in the middle of an archaeological site, but all the more interesting for that. The narrow streets are wonderful to explore, and it is not difficult to imagine how life once was when the village was a thriving center of industry: weavers, carpenters, butchers, lots of coffee shops, a post office, and a host of other trades. Now, time has moved on, and we are left with one village shop and a museum. Even so, this is such a special place to visit. You should definitely put it on your list if you are coming to Crete.

As you can see in my video, there is a wonderful internet connection in Vrahassi, and most of the young kids have a computer. It is a strange mix of ancient and modern.

Last night, David and I went down into the square for a glass of wine and food at one of the tavernas. It was a pleasant experience; we talked to a few locals and enjoyed the company. Then it was back home and back to work. In fact, because of the time difference in America, David and I were up at 3 a.m. to listen to the co-owner of Empower Network, on the internet. He was outlining details of the launch of our new product, the ENV2 blogging platform. This is cutting edge technology that will revolutionize blogging, and give every business an edge in the market place, whatever that business is. We are very excited about being able to promote it. And if you don't know about the ENV2, then this is where you can find it. We shall get right back to you.

So, hope you enjoyed a walk with me through the streets of Vrahassi. I'll be back with more Vrahassi news, tomorrow.

Love Jane x

Cretan Traditional Almond Drink - SOUMADA

Soumatha is a soft drink made from almonds and sugar. This video is well worth watching; it shows how the drink is traditionally made in the area of Neapolis, which is our local town. And if you would like to try making it yourself, here is how:

Ingredients:

• 500 grams almonds (skins removed)
• 60 bitter almonds (see note)
• 1700 grams sugar
• 1700 grams water

Preparation:

Remove the skins from the almonds by boiling them for a minute or two. The skins will slip easily.
Dissolve the sugar in half the water and boil until you have a syrup consistency. Set aside. Using a food processor or blender, grind the sweet and bitter almonds into a fine powder. Combine the ground almonds with the remaining water.
Using a strainer lined with cheesecloth, strain the liquid from the ground almonds and reserve. Kyria Anna passes the ground almonds and water 2 or 3 times through the cheesecloth to extract the most flavor.
Combine the strained almond liquid with the sugar syrup and heat on the stove, being careful not to allow the mixture to boil.
To serve, add about an inch of syrup to a tall glass with some ice. Add water and enjoy.

 A bit more information about soumada (pronounced soumatha)
 Mastic resin is exported throughout
the world for confectionery, distillery
and pharmaceutical purposes. In
Greek cuisine, masticha is used in
cakes, cookies, drinks, liqueurs and
candies. In the summertime, Greeks
enjoy a masticha drink called
soumatha. To make soumatha, a
syrupy almond milk is made from
pounded almonds, sugar and masticha,
which is then mixed with an equal
part of water.

It has been a fantastic day in Vrahassi today, blue skies, sunshine, about 15 degrees. The moon is coming up to full on Tuesday so I'm looking forward to our 'full moon' outing. Not sure where to yet.

Have a good week.
Love Jane x