After I had finished the blog yesterday, Sarah, I and the dogs walked into Koroni. We browsed the various harbourside restaurants until the best salesman lured us into one! We had another really good value Greek meal, all vegetarian. Greek salad, fried pumpkin balls, stuffed tomatoes and stuffed peppers, with a large carafe of wine and a bottle of water all for €24! By the time we were finished we were stuffed.
It was then time to watch the Greek Orthodox Good Friday parade. We headed up to the square by the church and people, young and old, were milling around holding long thin candles, some with improvised shields to protect the flame from the wind. From inside the church came the same exotic chanting cum singing that we had heard from our restaurant the previous evening.
The Church Square
Sarah and I took it in turns to go into the church, while the other looked after the dogs. Inside there was smoky with the sweet smell of incense. People were milling about. Some sitting others standing, while yet others queued to buy candles. To one side sat some men, laymen I think, chanting from large books. This was being broadcast via an audio system to the outside, which is what we had heard earlier that evening and the night before.
Back outside a small band was congregating. I could hear English voices and asked a bystander whether the band was English. Apparently there are many ex pat Europeans living in Koroni and some of them participated in the band. Schoolboys, there were just boys, stood in a group dressed in purple robes holding various pennants and other objects they were going to carry in the parade. Like schoolboys the world they were larking about and not taking it very seriously.
Schoolboys Larking About!
Eventually, after about an hour of waiting, the parade started to form up and as the priest and his retinue emerged from the church the procession began. First came the band, then the schoolboys and in the centre a man carrying a life size cross, followed by the priest and a bier held aloft by a group of men. Finally came the ordinary citizens, many holding candles. Koroni has a population of about 2,500 and the number of people in the procession must have been approaching that number.
The Band
The Crucifix
One detail that made me smile, with all the pomp and tradition, was that the bier seemed to have flashing red LEDs set into it! For those of you dying to know what the significance of the bier is, I have looked it up. Apparently on Good Friday in the Orthodox tradition it will contain what is known as an Epitáphios. This a holy icon depicting Christ as he is removed from the cross. The icon will often be hand embroidered. Now you know.
The Priest and the Bier
Sarah and I followed the procession for a while, but the firecrackers which were being let off were upsetting little Melek, who does not like loud noises. So we bade farewell to the Good Friday celebrations and walked back to the campsite.
Today started badly. It was my turn (I only do it on Saturdays) to take the dogs for their early morning walk. Having taken them down to the beach for a run I returned full of unusual enthusiasm and thought I would do one of my other jobs and empty the toilet cassette. As I was withdrawing the cassette from Basil’s side I heard a shout from Sarah saying that she was on the toilet. Too late. For those of you who have used a toilet cassette you will now be laughing, for the rest of you I will leave it to your imaginations. Suffice it to say much cleaning was involved.
The rest of the day has been for relaxation. Sarah has done the washing and I have planned the next section of our journey around the infamous Mani peninsular. We think we will move on Monday.