‘WELCOME TO my island!” That is the refrain of Achilleas, owner of the first stall in the fish market in Aegina, to the tourists passing by. They can’t help but smile as he jokingly adds, “Are you from Sweden?” to a Japanese group.
All life takes place in the Aegina fish market and there is no better observation seat than Stelios Geladakis’s taverna, which is situated beside it. It would be an easy restaurant to miss – tables are haphazardly placed outside it – except for the broad range of clientele it attracts. Everyone from the ordinary fisherman to the obviously well-heeled can be seen sitting at the wobbly tables, savouring Stelios’s simple but delicious food.
On annual holidays (I first went to Aegina in 1986) we eat there every day. The routine is the same. The kids sit down and order minerals. I order an ouzo, a Greek aperitif, which I like straight, with ice. I then wander into Stelios, to the minute space he calls his kitchen at the back of the taverna.
Pots are boiling furiously and octopus legs are blackening under the old grill. Standard trays on the counter hold shrimp, octopus, horta (greens), numerous types of fish and vegetables and his “plat du jour”. Stelios goes through all specials and will take requests. “Gemista (stuffed tomatoes) tomorrow, matia mou? (my eyes)” as he knows it’s my favourite.
Outside, a paper tablecloth is placed over the check cloth and the food arrives – Greek salads with the sweetest of tomatoes and crumbly feta, garlicky tzaziki, baby courgettes, beetroot in oil, fried aubergines, grilled sweet red peppers and fresh fish which flakes to the touch.
For years I thought that this taverna was a hidden treasure, only to realise this year that Stelios has competed in cooking competitions all over the world.
Aegina is the nearest island to Athens and takes only 45 minutes to reach from the main port of Piraeus. It has a long and varied history and was the first capital of the Greek state. There are a number of historic ruins on the island, including the Temple of Apollo on the hill of Kolona (you can walk there from the beach) and the Temple of Aphaia in Aghia Marina, both of which have beautifully constructed museums. Another claim to fame is that Nikos Kazantzakis wrote Zorba the Greekat his home in Aegina.
Because of its proximity to Athens, Aegina is a getaway for roasted Athenians and many own summer houses there. There is a small number of foreign tourists, but Aegina survives mostly on the mass influx of Athenian guests at the weekends. The port consists of cafe after cafe. Sitting there, with a small Greek coffee or a creamy cappuccino, it is easy to while away a couple of hours, watching the comings and goings of the yachts and their tanned, bikini clad women – and men!
One morning, so I was told, a thoughtless skipper forgot to let his guests know that they were coming into port which left them scrambling, naked, from their sunbathing, much to the amusement of onlookers.
Motorbikes of all shapes and sizes zip up and down the port, carrying everything from families, dogs, shopping, machinery, boxes and even a parrot. Or you can gaze past all the activity and fill up on calm, blue, silky sea.
We spend the afternoons lazing on the beach or at a hotel swimming pool. The temperatures can reach 40 degrees in the height of the summer, so we tend to go out at about 4pm and stay until just before the sunset.
Then it’s home to the apartment for showers. I’ll try and shower before the kids and meet friends on the port for ouzos and blood red sunsets. This is my favourite time of the day, the milky light, the worst heat gone and another chance to watch the port activity. The ouzos arrive with meze – plates of toast with sausage, cucumber, cheese and other pick-me-ups.
The port is closed to traffic during the evening hours and the Greeks stroll by, scrubbed and dressed up for their evening volta (walk). One evening while sitting there, a local fisherman docked with his catch of swordfish, which he wheeled across the road in a special container, stopping to chat. We bought, as yet unsliced, swordfish steaks, which he dropped off at Stelios’s to be cooked and which we were devouring within the hour.
If you need a break from regulations and restrictions and health and safety and sterile apartments and tourist throngs, go to Aegina. It is a place to rest your mind and your soul. You can rise to the sun every day, swim in the smooth turquoise sea, drink your first coffee next to the water, stroll down narrow, white-walled streets, visit markets, eat to pure satisfaction, drink well and sleep the deep satisfying sleep of the Gods. It’s no wonder Zorba had such a zest for life!
- Geladakis’s restaurant is located beside the fish market in Aegina town.
- aeginagreece.com
Get there
Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) flies from Dublin to Athens during the summer months. Take a bus or taxi to Piraeus, where you have to stay overnight as there are no late ferrys. Hotel Triton (htriton.gr) is across the road from the port and is reasonably priced. The following day, catch the ferry (one hour, 10 minutes) or hydrofoil (45 minutes) to Aegina.