Easter on Crete

Alright friends, we have officially survived both birthday season and our first Greek Easter. I thought carnival, at the start of Lent, was strange and wonderful. Of course they don’t mess around when it comes to closing events. I was not prepared mentally or physically for last weekend. Am I dreaming? Is this real life?!

I did not realize that there are lilacs here! I’m going to have to get some for my yard!

Now that I’ve hooked you in with the promise of a wild Easter tale, I would like to complain about some things. First off, my health. I had a sore throat two weekends ago. It sucked. I canceled plans. I stayed home. On Monday our first visitors arrived! I was feeling much better, so we joined them for a pink wine lunch that later ended at karaoke. So a long day of talking to old friends. I started losing my voice around dinner time, and it was completely gone when I woke up the next day. No, I did not sing that night. Haha

Long story short, I had laryngitis, and I couldn’t speak for approximately four days. I communicated with a notepad, text messages, and hand gestures. I have now had my first visit to a doctor here, and I know some of you are curious about the process.

I just walked in to the medical office in Kalyves, which looks like a house inside. I showed the receptionist my note explaining my situation, and she told me to sit down. I read my book for 20-30 minutes, then the doctor himself brought me to a room. He took my temperature, tested me for covid and the flu, listened to my lungs, looked in my throat, gave me a nebulizer treatment, and then called the pharmacy to see exactly what they had on hand so he could prescribe the right things. My appointment cost 30 euros, and the medication cost 36, 20 of which was for an inhaler. 10/10 stars. I’ve waited longer to see a doctor with an appointment in America.

So having guests and not be able to talk sucks. I was also dealing with hormones and felt really disconnected from everyone. I was straight up not having a good time, but I could talk a little on Friday and was able to join our guests, Ryan and Daphne, on a hike.

Saturday is when shit started getting real. About Easter. Not me dying from not being able to talk too much, which I was, but not literally. There was a band playing at the bar, and I knew there would be fireworks at midnight. When Felix and I got down there, the square was filled with a giant pile of sticks with an effigy of Judas on top. I heard we were celebrating the burning of Judas, but I did not realize it was going to be literal. Like I had zero idea.

All the restaurants were full of people, and then the church bell rang at 11 pm, signally the start of services. A little before midnight, some male youths set it ablaze early because of course they did. Fireworks were blasting. People came out of the church with candles. It was absolute mayhem. I have never seen a fire so big in my entire life. And we’re all just right there standing around it.

It was so loud! Constant explosions.

I left around 12:30. My ears were aching. My voice had had enough. Felix said the youths were later grilling sausages over the flames. It’s a big meat holiday since it marks the end of fasting.

Our friend Robert arranged for us to go have a traditional Easter feast at a local taverna. We ate roasted lamb, sausages, salad, tzatziki, and potatoes. We also drank our weight in wine. Then we played tsougrisma, which is where you crack dyed red eggs together. Robert said that the unbroken egg holder wins a wish, like a wishbone, but upon further research, it seems like you actually get good luck throughout the year. Also eggs are red because they symbolize the blood of Christ.

And since they’ve been sitting out all day, we did not eat them. I know ya’ll are egg poor in America, but we are RICH.

Also I got a haircut last week. I wasn’t necessarily intending on getting it so short, but I was unable to speak for the appointment and just had to go with the flow. I am really loving it. It gets very crazy looking in the humidity.