So. Much. Fish.
I think I was close to reverting back to pescatarianism in Greece. I notice I eat fewer ocean organisms when I'm living alone, so a trip to Greece funded by my dad was the perfect opportunity to eat back all the fish I've missed.
First things first, fried platter of seafood in Heraklion after much history and heat in the Palace of Minos... and then getting terribly lost. Driving in the super narrow, unlabeled streets of Crete is not an easy task.
I love the sight of a plate piled high with fried things, and my guilty pleasure meze is definitely little fried fish. Pop 'em into your mouth by the tail fin: meat, head, spines, and all. Not sure where this pleasure comes from, seeing as my brother who was raised on mostly the same things as me, had no interest in the seafood while eating his first of many pork souvlaki/gyro platters. Now, I have no idea what assorted fish I devoured in the open, seaside fish market restaurant we got roped into. But after some Googling, I'm going to guess either marides or sardeles. And the fatter ones might be gopa? Then there were two red guys - fagri? Definitely not barbounia because apparently that fishy is expensive. Although, in the end, as much as I love seafood, I'm not so great at discerning white fish anyways - maybe fresh vs salt water, but that's the best I've got.
Kalamari, I recognize though, mmm.
I thought the quick and easy plating from banquet nights were just because they were trying to feed the bunch of us in a reasonable three hours time. I would throw things on any clean plate if there were a hundred or so hungry mouths waiting outside. But restaurant to restaurant, that's how it was done. It could just be the places we happened upon (usually in tourist-y areas, of course), but I kind of decided I like the home-y and humble servings that were set before me. The Greeks also spare nothing in the way of quantity for relatively cheap prices... reason for financial crisis solved.
In Elafonisi, there was only one option for lunch if we didn't want to go driving to find one. At the top of the hill, a little place aptly named Panorama where you could see the entire beach all around you, we had some unknown to me (but fresh) fish. Here you go to the kitchen to pick out your sea creature of choice and method of cooking - grilled, please. With a sauce of lemon, olive oil, and cilantro. If it's been a long time since I've had fish, it's been longer since I've had whole fish. I really made an effort to share, I promise.
And this is my brother looking super concerned about the happy, loopy cactus creeping on him:
P.S. Final banquet of the conference catered right at the hotel. Best thing I had that night - the meatballs. Need more conference trips in my life.
First things first, fried platter of seafood in Heraklion after much history and heat in the Palace of Minos... and then getting terribly lost. Driving in the super narrow, unlabeled streets of Crete is not an easy task.
I love the sight of a plate piled high with fried things, and my guilty pleasure meze is definitely little fried fish. Pop 'em into your mouth by the tail fin: meat, head, spines, and all. Not sure where this pleasure comes from, seeing as my brother who was raised on mostly the same things as me, had no interest in the seafood while eating his first of many pork souvlaki/gyro platters. Now, I have no idea what assorted fish I devoured in the open, seaside fish market restaurant we got roped into. But after some Googling, I'm going to guess either marides or sardeles. And the fatter ones might be gopa? Then there were two red guys - fagri? Definitely not barbounia because apparently that fishy is expensive. Although, in the end, as much as I love seafood, I'm not so great at discerning white fish anyways - maybe fresh vs salt water, but that's the best I've got.
Kalamari, I recognize though, mmm.
And this is my brother looking super concerned about the happy, loopy cactus creeping on him:
P.S. Final banquet of the conference catered right at the hotel. Best thing I had that night - the meatballs. Need more conference trips in my life.
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