scientists and their banquets τρία

Things are not going well.  So I resort to blogging. 

This is what people mean when they say your head's not in the game.  My head is definitely floating far far far away from research, and my muscles forgot how to science.  As I told Alicia, must have crossed one too many black cats in Greece.

I was on vacay for too long.

Our last banquet outing was after the tour of Chania at Neoria.  Mixed things up this time around with chorta, which, as we learned from our Greek seatmates, is a generic term for greens.  Simply boiled but simply delicious.  The zucchini balls were basically fritters, and anything fried makes for a great side dish.
Rice-stuffed wine leaves.  One of the dishes (along with gyros) that makes me crave Greek food.  Success is when you get your picky little brother to try something new and he actually likes it.  Lesson learned when he only gave the last piece a try, and there weren't any seconds.

I had been waiting for seafood for dinner, and Neoria finally delivered.  Large pieces of fried calamari, and charred and meaty octopus legs.

Unbelievably large pan of seafood spaghetti I only managed to take a few bites of - the sauce didn't stick well to the noodles anyways.  No worries though, I eventually got my fill of seafood spaghetti... popular dish in Greece.

Dessert goes straight to a different stomach. 

Most interesting goes to the semolina cakes that were cinnamon-y and smokey with a gritty but not bad texture.  Most delicious goes to kalitsounia of the sweet variety.  It was like a hot funnel cake stuffed with tangy cheese... drowned in honey.  Sometimes I think about these little pockets of sunshine when I'm nibbling on my failed scones for breakfast.

And most American award goes to the chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream.  But the shot of raki made it Greek.

By the way, wine and fruit complimentary of our hotel.  To be consumed in one of their giant wine glasses.  Preferably before bed.  Yamas.