Traditional Domestic Dancing

We went to another local church (Kalampaka has very, very many churches) for some local dancing. The men chant a verse and then the women say the same verse, then the men repeat the last part of the verse and add a new verse and the women repeat this, this goes on for several minutes depending on the story they are telling. As they sing/chant they swing their arms and walk around in a big circle. The top photo was done by the artist known as Arthur with friends from Athens in the background along with Arthur's beautiful wife.

Easter Day

"I WANT the KOKORETSI" Yum Yum kokoretsi, when you come over for the wedding we will make kokoretsi for you. We had a big grill day here at Koka Roka, we not only grilled kokoretsi, but we also grilled one lamb and one little goat a total of 45 lbs of meat. The guy in the photo is a friend of Arthurs from Athens, who came to visit for a couple of days. In Greece on Easter (PASHA, ΠΑΣΧΑ) all families celebrate by roasting a lamb or goat on a skewer.

Big Friday

Big Friday, Greek Orthodox Church, 4 churches created an Epitafios (symbolizing the ceremonial burial of Christ). The Church we went to created the one you see at the top photo, covered in flowers and carried by the choir boys. As you can see their were many people inside of the church and on the streets (the police had closed the streets earlier for the procession). This celebration is in all Greek Orthodox communities, all of Greece and in countries abroad, check out your local Greek Orthodox church next year for their Easter celebrations they are well worth seeing.

Anastasia our Godchild

Anastasia is our godchild in Naoussa, Arthur baptised her last year and her 2nd birthday is July 14. But on every Easter godparents give their godchildren a candle (to light her all of her life), tsooreki (special Easter bread), candy and a present. This is a proper gift to give to a godchild but of course it is up to the godparents.
So we drove to Naoussa on a Sunday and enjoyed a proper lent lunch with Calamari and Trout. We ate so much that I had to undue my pant buttons and took a walk in the park next to the restaurant.
First photo: Anastasia's parents, Arthur, Anastasia, and Stavros (brother)

Day Trip-Pili

"No Arthur, not another picture of me take a picture of the bridge." (this is the first photo)
This bridge is outside of the town of Pili, it was built in 1514, very old and in great condition.
This is me taking a seat inside of a tree next too the bridge.
We visited a Vitoumas (βιτουμας) nunnery in the mountains south of Kalampaka. This is a picture of Arthur climbing down a stairwell that was so short we were stooped over and then decided to just scoot down each step on our butts. We were laughing so hard we had to take a couple of breaks, I don't know if your allowed to laugh in nunneries. Our destination was a cave where a relic from Mary was found, as you can see from the last picture the cave was also for very short people. Jon will have to slid down the stairs or come up the mountainside to see the cave, you can't be over 6feet tall at this monastery. I borrowed a skirt from the nuns, you aren't allowed in without it, this also applies to the monasteries over our house.
Back to Pili we enjoyed some of the best hot chocolate in Greece, they had 63 varieties of different chocolates. The original was delicious, we then had white chocolate hazelnut and that was okay (real chunky nuts-not something your used to drinking but eating) and also a wintry forest one that was for dark chocolatic alcoholics. So we need 61 volunteers to come over so we can try all of the hot chocolates (you buy).

Honeymoon

Okay, technically we did not go on a honeymoon, but we did visit the hospital in Trikala. In order for me to get my 5 year visa, we had to show the Greek government that I was a healthy speciman. So after our wedding we went straight to the hospital in my wedding outfit, I got a few strange stares. While Arthur ran off to get 10euros (niether of us had any money on us in our wedding finery, my purse held lip gloss and my passport), a nurse approached me and started talking to me and I said to her "Δεν καταλαβαινω ελληνικα, ειμαι αμερικανα" Ι was very proud of my greek, I basically told her I don't understand greek, I'm american, she then started shouting to the people walking by and other hospital workers, Americana, Americana, I guess this helped explain to people why I was dressed the way I was.
Thankfully, Arthur finally came back with the 10euros so we could get an X-ray of my lungs and a TB test, this is all that they did to make sure I was healthy.

Wedding Rings

These are our beautiful rings, they are multi-colored with gold on the outside and beaten white gold on the inside. They are also inscribed on the inside with our names in the Greek alphabet and the date of the wedding 21-3-2007, I have Arthur's name (Αθανασιος) and he has my name Mara (Μαρα). I'm still not used to wearing a ring, I've never been the ring wearing kind of girl, so I'm constantly moving it from finger to finger and have the habit of taking it off and forgetting to put it back on. Eventually I will get used to wearing it, but when I start doing massages in the summer I will have to take it off again. Aah, the plight of being married, otherwise I don't feel any different and I am continuing to be my wonderful self.

JUST MARRIED

The First Day of Spring, MARCH 21st, our wedding day.
The first picture is from left to right, Katerina (Arthur's mom), Arthur, Mara, Nik (Arthur's dad)

The next photo is with our koubaros, Stergios (a long-time customer at KOKA ROKA), Mara, Arthur, and Niki (a neighbour and family friend).

Arthur signing the wedding papers, the mayor standing next to him and then the mayor placing the ring on Mara's hand.

We have been in the process of trying to get all of the papers done and going through the greek red tape to get married. Everything was going slow as molasses that we were coming up with plan B's and C's, we were unsure if we could get everything done by the 30th of March when my stamp expires and I would have to leave the country and re-enter. But yesterday, Teusday, the women at the Town Hall said the wedding would have to be tomorrow at 9am, we were trying to get it on Friday to give our Koubaros time to get here and organized. But she said either tom. or she didn't know when it would be and being short on time we decided to go with the Wednesday date of March 21st.
This made a mad scramble to find our koubaros, best man and women or witnesses, since the ones we had spoken to previously were unable to make it on a Wednesday morning. But we found some great ones so it worked out in the end.
Arthur says to come anytime for the wedding party, its open season. We will be having a religious ceremony in the future possible January 2009. Give us your vote if this is enough time for you to gather money and time off to visit us in Greece, and would you like it to be the first weekend or the second weekend of the month. Let us know by e-mail and also leave your mailing address Mara's E-mail: maracapron26@hotmail.com
Arthur's E-mail: kokaroka@yahoo.com