Dinner at Godzilla's castle and his neighbor

"I want to cook tomorrow, can I invite you?" That was the word of my mother-in-law, Ursula's for a invitation. What kind of question, of course I would LOVE to be invited!!
So we knock the door of Godzilla's castle at 9pm.


Hmmmm,,, yummy smell was full in the outside kitchen. Ursula was preparing warm meal.


Godzilla's castle looks a little different from daytime under sun. Moreeeeeeee misterious....


and beautiful.




My husband instantly started playing computer before the meal ready. This is his habit. Here comes Godzilla.


The meal was indeed good. After having unfamiliar Greek food for a while, of course, I miss something different, specially rice!
The above is salad produced by Ursula:) Ingredients are almost same as Greek salad but taste different! Sauce was yummy yummy.

Curry, rice, warm okura salad and fruits as side dish. Ursula mixed chicken and pork in curry. It was indeed super good! I missed something like this Asian food. Okura was also very tasty. I eat warm vegetables more than cold salad. Everything was perfect!!

I admire how she prepare big full meal for guests here in Greece. I need too many things to treat guests so for me, it's too much pressure if I have to cook dinner for guests. But Ursula seems to be enjoying.

After a meal, Godzilla started working on with strange machine. I really had no idea what that is. I thought, hmmm Pachinko in house?? no way.



I went closer and suddnely,,, a loud music played!! It was Music Jute Box!! Godzilla start playing many Greek music over and over. Ursula, who was washing dishes was almost start dancing:)



Normally, after dinner at restaurant, we move on to cafe for dessert or coffee. This time, funny Greek neighbor offer us a coffee!! The neighbor used to own restaurant but now retired. We brought grape from home and enjoyed chatting for a while.
The man who used to own restaurant has still hospitality and he was conscious about the coffee for guests.
The above man is fisherman. He knows indeed everything about the ocean. Me, who was stinged by sea jelly, need to know how to cure the scar. He told us that Anmonia works the best.
He was proud that he once caught a shark! He even gave the DVD with photo.

So the Greek evening goes by.. People simply gather at the corner of the street, enjoy small cup of coffee and chat for a while. Real "Slow Life" existing here.

Excursion from Ermioni

5th day in Ermioni, we decided to rent a car and visit the other beach. Driving from Ermioni about 20 minutes, there is a big harbor call "Portohei". Last year, we found very beautiful beach near the town and wanted to visit again this year.
We drove through the coast. Along the coast, there are some big houses standing there almost middle of the nowhere. I always wonder what kind of people are living, or staying here. Of course, the house is huge but it standing there all alone. Road are offenly not smooth. Sometimes, it look like the asphalt only poured from a backet and spread on the soiled ground. The trip from Ermioni to Portheli is always interesting.

This time, as we looking for a new beach on the way to Portoheli, we happened to found "Beverly Hills in Greece!" Many beautiful huge holiday houses along the coast. It was the feeling of "Lost in Beverly Hills".

The view from Beverly Hills.
Since we saw such a beautiful sea from the hill, we absolutely wanted to swim somewhere in the area. And we found perfect one!

Sand beach! As I knew only stoned or rocky beach in Ermioni, I was soooo happy to find a sandy beach! The feeling that I can walk in to water without wearing a beach shoes was great!

And then we arrived Portoheli, where you can check around cool boats at the harbor. We enjoyed lunch at a nice restaurant and moved on to the beach which we found last year. The beach is named "Yuka Beach".

Yuka beach was there like last year. Long beach with beautiful small stones and super transparent water. Two things were different from last year. First, the restaurant where serve good Soublaki was closed. Second, wind was so strong and caused lots of wave. Last year was totally still and I enjoyed snorceling but this time, I enjoyed jumping among the waves.


When we came to the beach, there were 3 Greek people. I instanly thought that they were also here last year and kindly told us "you are beautiful couple". Surprisingly, they remember us as well and asked us "you were here last year, right?". Just one encounter in a year before, but I was toched by their warm heart.
Another surprise. Last year, we wrote our message down in the water. We picked white stones and placed them in a big heart shape. We had to dive into water a lot. After one year has past, surprisingly my husband found it in the water!! Of course, stones are not there but we could see the trace of heart even now. Among the trace was many beautiful fish. It seems like they were protecting our heart message for q year.


It was very beautiful day and beautiful excursion. Compare to the family of my husband, I haven't had that many memories in Greece yet. But like this, slowly slowly like a layers, I will make my memories in here as well. "Yuka Beach" will remain as my special place in Greece.

Days in Greece

I've never felt a day so long like this in Greece. The problem of Tokyo girl is not knowing how to "enjoy doing nothing". Every day, the time went by unbelievably fast and I was always squeeze my schedule in limited time, limited day. Therefore, first time in Greece, I felt so uncomfortable with enormous time. I didn't have a habit of reading a book, (no time in Tokyo!) I had plenty of sleep so couldn't take a nap. At beach, at home, I was at lost in time.

But my third visit is a littl bit different. I'm slowly learning how to enjoy time by myslef. I brought lots of books and also a computer.

A day past like this.

9 am Morning swimming. No one at the beach and very quiet.


Back to house, take a shower and get ready for a breakfast. Sometime we are invited by my husband's parents, sometime we invite them and I prepare.

10 am Breakfast

After breakfast is relaxing time at home. The beach is too hot in the noon so better to stay inside in cozy home.

But my husband often work his computer on the small table, small chair. This doesn't look comfortable.
3pm again swimming.

Gadzilla, about to spring into water.

This is the place where we alway go swiming in the afternoon.
After swimming and relaxing at the beach, we go to cafe to pamper thirsty throat.

6pm Cafe

Here, we could enjoy 100% fresh mixed fruits juice.

and ice cream,,

after cafe, we go back home, take shower and enjoy another relaxing time until dinner.
9pm Dinner

The restaurant by sea.

Beautiful scenery. The detail of the dinner will be found at Yucocktail's "All about food".
After diner, sometime we move on for coffee of dessert, sometime go straight home.
11pm Bed.

So like this, lazy days in Greece past by slowly.. "enjoying doing nothing" this is the most luxurious way to spend time.

Castle of Godzilla

2nd day in Greece, Ursula (mother-in-law) and Jürg=Godzilla(father-in-law) have invited us for the breakfast at their home. I was sooo excited since I've never been to their home in Greece yet. If that is the house for normal person, I believe I was less excited. However, Godzilla is not a normal person. He is a big artist!! Since I know how artistic his house in Zürich is, I was curious how it will be in Greece..
As we knocked the door, Ursula welcomed us with a big smile. I went it a little nurvosly and upon I entered,,, "Oh my god!!"

Palm tree is standing at right in the middle of the yard!! The tree is still young and short so it gave us even more impact than tall thin tree. What a Godzilla,, even a Palm tree is artistic. Something orange plant is hanging among it's leaves of palm tree and adding more jungle impression.
Actually, this back yard is functioning as a living room.

Behind the palm tree is comfy cozy relaxing place for Ursula and Godzilla. The stone is made by marble! Under a perfect shadow of palm tree, it is a very beautiful place to relax in the early afternoon when the sun is still strong.

Palm tree is very much insisting himself in the yard but actually there is variety of plants here. Lemon tree, mimosa, rose and yukatan.

Ursula prepares very nice breakfast. This date, she was in orage, she herself looks like a flower in the yard! The table is also a proud one equipment in Godzila's castle. This stoned table can easily accommodate 12 people and can organize big party.

Behind the table is a useful kitchen. It's design enable many people to cook at same time.

Explored further Godzilla's castle. Here is a working room with view. Godzilla can work here and could go straight to the balcony and relax when he is tired.

Up on the stairs in the middle, there is a sleeping room with agin, awesome view.
I went out,, a saw a beuutiful scenery of Ermioni!

.. and back yard of this castle from the above.

The yard is completely covered by plants. Hmmm natural roof plants for the outside living room.. This is also an art of Gadzilla.

Actually, living room inside is like this. A photo taken from sleeping room.
What a life, what a holiday, owning and staying in such a house by ocean. But I believe there are long time effort for Godzilla to make this castle. "over time, I'm building a castle of love..." suddenly this song came up to my mind. Godzilla built a castle for his family and his satisfying holiday time. It was my honor to be invited to such an impressive castle!

Back in Ermioni

Third visit in Ermioni in Greece. Here, the family of my husband own 4 houses in same area. My husband has his own and his parents have theirs. This time, it's my third visit here but first time traveling together with his parents. I was looking forward to it.

Above, our house.
We arrived Athens late. As we flew from chilly Zurich, I was surprised with the temperature. I knew, this is how the summer should be! It was warm even in the night and a little bit humid. Just like that of Japan.

The view from the hotel in Athen.
We stayed one night in Athens and the next morning, I was astonished once again by it's total clear summer climate. We woke up at 8 o'clock in the morning but sun was shining like in the noon of Zürich. Since the temperature of Zürich is already shifting like Autumn, I was so glad to have summer back!

First thing we've done in Athen is swimming in the hotel pool:)

From Athens to Ermioni, we took a boat "Flying Dolphin". We walked through a shopping street in Athens and then took a train to Pireus, which is the core harbor in Greece.

Train station of Pireus.

"Flying Dolphin". The bigger on in behaind is "Flying Cat"= "Flying Catamaran"
"Flying Dolphin" stop by twice before arriving Ermioni. Poros and Hydra. I like to see people getting off from the Dolphin. I see many heart warming meeting of people who might only see each others during holiday. Many hugs and kisses with big smile on everybody.


Finally arrived in Ermioni. Like in other islands, many people are waiting for their friends and guests getting off from Dolphin. Nobody waiting for me but first time I felt like I'm in back to home. Compare to last year, the town showing more friendly face to me, not acting like a stranger anymore.

Last twice visit, the town was complete stranger to me. I mean I was a total stranger at the place. Up to now, I see no Asian face. Everything in this town is way too different from anywhere else I knew. But now, as I got off from the Dolphin and smelled the air, I felt at home.

First thing we have to do in Ermioni is just dive into the water. I surprised once again how warm the water is and how easy to swim in the salt walter! I think I have been trained by Zürich lake.

I found my home once again when I put my googles on and looked under water. There, fish of Ermioni was there just like last year. I like snorceling in Ermioni. As I saw same scenery, same sea creature there, I felt once again "I'm back".

It is only first day back in Ermioni. We arrived at late in the afternoon but already fully enjoyed refreshing ocean water, Greek cafe and also Greek dinner!