Kalo Taxidi - Andros - Taverna with no food

An extract from my book "Kalo Taxidi"



Andros - Taverna with no food

Andros - the smell of food for the evening cooking yet nothing available to eat. I sat on the taverna terrace, hungry, as tantalising smells of unobtainable food wafted past. On my early visits to Greece most places would offer to rustle up an omelette if nothing else was available, but more recently I have found "eating" places at which nothing to eat is on offer.

I had walked a long way across Andros. I had passed a number of tavernas - all closed. I was thirsty. I was hungry.

Eventually I reached Ipsilou which not only had a taverna that was open, but a spacious rear terrace, with a glorious view down over Chora. The Ipsilou bus stop was just up the road; right next to the taverna was a path that seemed to head chorawards. Delicious smells were coming from inside the taverna. I was going to like Ipsilou! If the taverna was in serving mode, I would indulge. The taverna door was open and I went through to the terrace at the back. The taverna was open. My taste buds quivered. I asked for an Amstel, wanting to quench my thirst before ordering any food. The prop. was apologetic, saying that he had only just put the Amstel in the fridge and it was still warm. Would I like a different make of beer? I plumped for the warm Amstel (the beer was not that warm) and enjoyed the view from the terrace as I sipped it.

The smell of food wafting out from the taverna was irresistible but I had to stay hungry. Food was served only after 7 p.m. at the Ipsilou taverna - and there were no evening buses from Chora to Ipsilou! The smell was most delicious. I supposed I was lucky they were open to serve beer. When dark, there would be no view (only lights) to enjoy, and perhaps it would be too cold to sit outside. The irony of sitting, hungry, with the delicious food smells wafting over me. Not even an omelette was offered yet the props. seemed friendly enough. I thought of the bar on Serifos, with nothing on sale although outside was a huge pile of beer crates. The person in charge of the Serifos non-bar dipped a glass into a bucket of water and offered it to me. He would not accept payment. The hazards of travelling out of season.

Hungry still but no longer thirsty I set back for Chora, having taken the precaution of checking with the prop. that the path beneath the taverna was the right path. It was.


An extract from my book "Kalo Taxidi"