Hangin with Herc

I have just a short post today because I am on the island of Santorini waiting for what is billed as the best sunset in the world. I'm in the honeymoon suite (something is missing from that equation) at a villa at the highest point on the island with a patio and a spectacular view. This is a wine region because of the volcanic soil, although the grapes are grown on the ground rather than on vines. I'm about to go get a bottle (or two) and start sampling the goods.

But I just have to relate the story of Herc taking everyone out for dinner.

He had come by the apartment last week and said he was taking me and the French girls to dinner on Monday night at 8. I thought he said we were going back to the place he took me on the first night I was there that was all Greeks but good food and a lot of it. So I had a small lunch around 3:30. Good thing. I would have been unconscious by the time we actually ate. Herc arrived around 8:30 on his moto (I knew we weren't all getting on that thing) sporting some pants that were so tight I could see the numbers on the key pad of the cell phone he had in his pocket. Front pocket. And much to our surprise there was also a large group of Spaniards joining us. Apparently there are Spaniards staying at the apartment-8 of them to be exact. Staying in a place the same size as mine. I guess they are sleeping on the Ikea furniture. Anyways, it was a family and some friends and most of them spoke some English. So Hercules' plan was to take everyone out to dinner. Which was very nice of him. He is a nice guy and tries to be very helpful. But I could smell trouble with 12 people and no car. So we walked to the bus and then to the metro where we got off at my favorite place, Syntagma Square. It's the center of the universe there. Lots of activity all night long and the Parliament is there where they have the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier every hour all night long. So we arrive at Syntagma and go straight to the Parliament. It's about 9:30 by that time. Herc wanted to show the Spanish and the French the guards. I had already seen it twice and taken a ton of pictures. But let me just point on here that, although I am just visiting, every single guide book and Greek publication I have read says that if you don't eat dinner before 10 pm, you're not eating dinner until midnight. I have followed that when I've been out on my own and eaten pretty early (and got crappy service even when no one was there.) So, we watch the guards for a while and leave about 9:50. Getting pretty hungry. And head towards the Plaka, which is a lot of restaurants. But we passed the Acropolis on the way and it is lit up at night and very beautiful. So we had to stop and look. Uh, 10:10. Danger, warning, tables are disappearing. I have seen the Acropolis, taken pictures, etc. I want food. But the Spanish haven't been here that long. So they look at everything. There are street performers everywhere. We stop at the teenage belly dancer. Hey, that's not Greek. But it's a half nekkid girl so who cares.10:30. So hungry, blood sugar beginning to drop. Must eat. We leave the belly dancer and enter the restaurant area and begin circling as there is not a single free seat or table at any restaurant we pass. We circle that area TWICE and it's not a small area. Herc says we have to try a different area. The Spanish say they want to go to the Acropolis so they are going to leave us, which seems to hurt Herc's feelings and I really feel bad for him. It was a rude thing for them to do. But I think they were starving and getting frustrated too. So, now it's just me, the French girls and Herc. Going to another neighborhood. Food. Please get me food or I will have to kill someone. The other neighborhood is even bleaker in terms of availability. 11:10. Blood sugar is 30. Delirious, speaking in tongues, thinking of taking bread from a dining strangers basket. Finally, on about our 4th round of the 3rd neighborhood, just before I was about to collapse, we spot a table in the corner of a restaurant. Take it and push anyone out of the way who tries to get there first. We sit down. Corner table. In the dark. I predict we won't eat until midnight, IF the waiter even sees us. Luckily, Herc chased the waiter down, got us bread and water and placed our order. 11:30. Better, but need more than bread. 11:50-Herc gets up and goes over to the waiter and gives him the business, waving his arms about, hopefully telling him that we are about to start eating other people's food. 12:05 am. Dinner arrives. I almost don't care what it is at that point, but I have to say if it was fish, I would have probably just eaten some more bread. Herc ordered several different dishes for us to share and wine for me and him (the French don't drink). The food was excellent. Everything was good. Even the tablecloth which I had just started to eat when the food arrived. Unfortunately, the wine wasn't very good. Herc even said it wasn't good. He said it had turned to vinegar. But no sooner had he said that than he said I wasn't drinking my share. So, I figured I better swig my big glass of vinegar and get on with it. The whole dinner was less then 40 euros and Herc paid for it. He still looked kind of sad about the whole thing. We headed home, all of us chatting, me talking to the French so much that the daughter said "your French is very good."
Amazing what a big glass of vinegar will do for you.