That’s Greek To Me April 29, 2015
Posted by nrhatch in Food & Drink, Humor, Music & Dance.trackback
A few weeks ago, we attended a Greek Glendi Festival at Saint Barbara’s Church in Sarasota.
We toured the church to learn the history of its vibrant Byzantine icons:
Byzantine art combines the classical respect for material form with the capacity of the abstract style to suggest the transcendental. In this way it is able to present a pictorial world in which the historical and the metahistorical, the temporal and the eternal intersect.
We gazed up at the decorous dome which revealed Christ surrounded by evangelists, prophets, and angels.
For a Virtual Tour of St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, click HERE.
Returning to the massive festival tent, we enjoyed Greek Music, Greek Folk Dancing, and Greek Food.
The distinctive sound of the bouzouki bounced around the tent as we ate.
Spanakopita, Tyropita, Greek Salad, Loukoumathes, and Baklava Cheesecake!
OPA! ~> a joyous reminder to stop and celebrate life where you are.
Aah . . . that’s better!
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Spirit Lights The Way 
Looks like a fun and interesting time!
Just my kind of outing ~ music, dancing, food, and a dash of entertaining information.
A really joyous and delicious occasion, Nancy. Gorgeous pic of the bouzouki guys. 🙂
BFF felt like an honorary Greek when the musicians entrusted him with that gorgeous instrument.
The dome is beautiful! Looks like a great time.. 🙂 Cool bouzouki guys!!! I love to watch Greek folk dancing.
We sat on the fence about whether to go to the festival or just eat at the Greek restaurant on Manatee. We opted for the festival and enjoyed it all ~ the art, the music, the food, the dance, and the laughter. OPA!
I love the icons in Greek Orthodox churches. So fabulous. And the food at their festivals isn’t too shabby either.
In college, my best friend waited tables at a Greek restaurant in Wmsburg. I used to park in back and head through the kitchen, stopping to talk to the owner, Maria, who thought I was “too thin.”
Her mission: fatten me up.
Her means: offer me copious quantities of Greek delights (spanakopita, tyropita, dolmades, baklava, etc.)
OPA!
Lovely! Great shot of the dome!
Greek food–yummmmm!!!!
(I really should read your posts after I’ve eaten breakfast. Now I’m really hungry.)
Hungry is GOOD! Food is the key to a fulfilling (or at least filling) life. It allows us to start each day with appetite . . . hungry for more (instead of coasting day to day with that “been there, done that” feeling).
OPA!
There are two Greek restaurants not too far from me. I might have to visit soon.
Now you’re talking!!!
Someone asked me the other day if I’ve had spanakopita and I had never heard of it – but after a quick Pinterest search, I will be making that soon!
Let me give you a related idea . . . which is less work than buttering endless sheets of phyllo dough, just as tasty, and a bit more healthy:
Spanakopita Pizza!
Wow! What a beautiful dome. You do eat good, Nancy! 🙂
We do! Food = Good!
We have a local Greek festival too. You can’t beat the food! We go there to eat, sometimes twice on the weekend.
If this festival had been closer, we might have made a return trip the same weekend. It’s about 45 minutes south of us.
We do have a FAB Greek restaurant just down the street that offers up Good Eats!
Must have been quite an experience. What I find interesting about Byzantine art is that there is no sense of perspective. It’s very flat. Only later in art was perspective taken seriously. I feel the use of colour made up for the flatness. 🙂
Good points, Don. We enjoyed the colors of the icons, especially that brilliant blue!
Two of my favourite things – Byzantine style art and Greek food! Once the dancing would have made the list at #3 but alas, gravity and exertion too quickly take a toll nowadays 🙂
Greek dancing can be quite . . . exuberant! OPA!
Hope you’re hearing a bit easier these days, Pauline.
How fun! Something different to do, right. And, as long as the food and the music are good, why not?
That’s it! Something a little different . . . and a lot delicious!
Greeks know how to have fun and entertain. The food looks delicious. Seems like a good day was had by all!
One of my best friends in law school was a larger than life Greek. She and her dad knew how to Live Life Large!
Greek festivals are the best! OPA!!! 🙂
OPA!!!
I think BFF has a new career ahead of him!
Only for the deaf and hearing impaired. 😛
Greek food is so good, and you had authentic music to go with it! We used to visit similar festivals up in D.C. and now we sometimes drive to the Greek Village at the sponge docks in Tarpon Springs just to indulge in authentic Greek food. Have you been there?
Tarpon Springs is on our list, but we haven’t been yet. One of our favorite bands (Patchouli) plays there at a festival each year. They encouraged us to check it out. Bruce LOVES the food when they’re there.
You’ve been having lots of fun lately. Yum! Baklava. Sounds great.
Thanks, Nicki. It’s fun to ferret out different things to do/ try. This week, among other things, we visited the tasting room at the Drum Circle Distillery (rum) and played Bocce Ball and Corn Hole in a beer garden while listening to Tom Petty, the Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan ~ great weather for hanging out under the HUGE Oak Tree that shades the garden.
I so badly wanted to make it to a what appeared to be a great exhibit of Byzantine art at the Getty this past year, and it just didn’t happen. I enjoyed the photos from this church, Nancy. I do find the art very distinctive and always interesting. And Greek food festivals are just wonderful! It’s a cuisine I don’t really attempt to cook at home, so I would have absolutely loved sampling the Greek fare you enjoyed. I’m hungry after reading this post. 🙂
I’m with you, Debra. My days of playing with less-than-paper-thin phyllo dough are over. Since we love Spanakopita and Pizza, I combined the two to make a tasty combo that is delicious and nutritious (without all the extra butter): Spanakopita Pizza!
I can also whip up a mean Greek Salad with feta and olives. YUM!