That is what I felt like shouting after tasting my first bite of Greek food. We arrived in Greece after an overnight cruise across the Mediterranean. I was drained the morning the ferry docked, but after loading up on Grecian carbs, I felt like I could run a marathon. I ordered a sampler plate and ate stuffed grape leaves, cheese and spinach pie, Greek salad, zucchini balls, and fried cheese sticks. I knew delicious fried food wasn’t exclusive to the southern United States! The hot food was just what I needed to wake up, so after I scarfed down some baklava, I sprinted outside.
The little restaurant was on the beach, and I wanted to be the first to get there. Instead of sand, there were small, round smooth stones of earthy tones: terracotta, charcoal, tan, and blues and greens. High cliffs loomed over the Ionian Sea to my right, and the beach stretched endlessly on to my left. I drank in the cool air that was whipping around my face and stuck my hands in the freezing water just to say I did. The wind picked up even though the sky was clear, and I wrapped my Columbia fleece tighter around me as I snapped pictures like mad. After a while though, I forced myself to put my camera away, and instead, sat on the cold stones and enjoyed the view and salty air.