There is something mesmerising about the way Anita Cota rolls out thin layers of pastry using a small wooden rod.
Over and over again, she presses the filo layers flat, starting in the middle and rolling from the inside out twice to make them even thinner.
Not using a recipe, she just took flour, water and salt without weighing or measuring them. For this young Albanian cook, when it comes to pastry, it is all about feeling.
The secret of the filo she is making is the multiple layers plus plenty of olive oil, as we learn in this cookery class nestled in the Greek mountains.
We are making a savoury tart and started off by picking vegetables at the Karaiskos Farm in Portaria, high above Volos and the Pagasetic Gulf, in the east of the Greek mainland.
Fresh vegetables thrive in the farm’s garden all year round. Broccoli, leafy greens, spring onions plus fragrant herbs such as dill, parsley, rosemary and lavender grow here in the mountains halfway between Athens and Thessaloniki.
As chef George Kandilas fires up the wood-burning oven and the filo pastry rests, we chop the ingredients, mix them and stir in masses of fresh herbs.
The chef also reveals the secrets of a good tzatziki, which goes with the green pie like salt goes with a boiled egg. Here, too, it’s all about the right mixture of Greek yoghurt, olive oil, well-drained gherkins and garlic. He adds herbs and spices to taste.
Lively traditions
You find such traditional Greek cuisine in every restaurant up here in the Pelion region. Even though it’s a good four hours’ drive to Athens and three to Thessaloniki, that doesn’t stop the Greeks from heading up here to the mountains at weekends and during the holidays.
Life is simple in this mountainous peninsula that separates the Pagasetic Gulf from the Aegean Sea. Here, city-dwellers find the peace and quiet they miss during the week.
Some 800 people live in Portaria all year round, but at weekends the population swells, even in winter. Not only is it a perfect spot to enjoy the food and calm, but hikers will enjoy the areas around villages such as Kala Nera, Pinakates, Vizitsa and Milies.
You can also set off on a walk with guide Manos Manou. He is a botanist in Portaria. His guided walks take you along steep paths and through narrow alleyways overgrown with vegetation - rosemary and other herbs even sprout by the roadside. Olive trees are a rare sight; it’s too cold for them here. "Not everything that grows further down can survive here.”
Here, people live in harmony with nature. They still follow ancient traditions and practice crafts that visitors can try out at workshops.
We head to Estia Pelion, founded by Angeliki Vogdanou. Here, Antigoni Tsirogianni works intently at two looms, creating fine fabrics and coarse rugs, featuring stripes, patterns, pom-poms and other decorations.
Angeliki’s husband, Christos Gianakopoulos, is a potter. But he doesn’t just make vases and bowls from cool-toned clay; he’s also passionate about the history of pottery in Greece. Ancient pottery shards can be found near the small village and scattered across the whole country.
Alongside this, he and Antigoni introduce visitors to his art, which for some is like a form of therapy.
"It’s not exactly easy for untrained hands to shape a uniform, bulbous vessel," he says. Or to guide the wooden shuttles through the threads of the loom while simultaneously using your feet to direct the threads. You can also learn from Antigoni how the materials she uses to make clothes and bags are produced.
Home of centaurs
In Greece, no mountain is without its myth. The three mountains surrounding Pelion, which lie on the far side of the sacred Mount Olympus are said to have once been ruled by centaurs - half-human, half-horse.
Of them, the wisest of them was Chiron, who taught medicine and is believed to have initiated Achilles and Asclepius into his secrets.
The region above Volos and the Gulf can be explored not only on foot or by car, but also by train. Hidden away in the forest lie 60-centimetre tracks leading from Ano Lechoria to Milies.
The train takes a good hour and a half to cover this fairly short distance, as it winds its way up and down the mountains, partly over impressively high bridges.
In Makrinitsa, reached after an adventurous drive along narrow mountain roads, take a leisurely stroll through the cobbled village which appears to have been hewn from the rock. And visit the modern Byzantine Museum which is packed with icons and ecclesiastical treasures.
A monastery was founded here in the 13th century, whilst numerous manor houses were built during the Ottoman rule. These, just like the many churches and a painting by the Greek folk artist Theofilos, are well preserved and some are listed buildings.
In this area so rich in history and stories, each evening you can be sure of a relaxing evening in Portaria. Alongside tasty dishes, the restaurants offer a chance to engage in lively conversations with the locals and other guests from near and far.
That green tart with the crispy filo pastry tastes particularly good now that you know how it is made, the secrets of its filling and the effort involved in making it. – dpa
