​OTAN PINEIS STIN TAVERNA - by Tsitanis

"When you drink in a taverna, you sit and don't talk.
Every so often you sigh, from the leaves of your heart.
I would like to ask you and get informed
What distress made you so melancholic?
Maybe you also loved and got betrayed,
Come and sit with us, so we can party together."

The sounds seduce us – backgammon tokens clattering on boards, cards slapping on the table, whoops, laughs, loud protestations, altercations, shouts – angry sounding – surely there will be a fight? But no, there are more laughs, more arguments, more vigorous debates. The TV blares in the background – endless dancing competitions or, our favourite, emotive Rebetiko music.

​Men, usually old, gather in the traditional Kafeneio of Plomari. They talk politics, the state of the nation, sport, the price of bread. They make jokes, or sit alone in contemplative silence. We love these spaces where we sit for hours with a coffee or an ouzo and absorb the atmosphere. We've got to know the characters – the funny guy, the grumpy guy, the few odd fellows with tattered clothes who are left to sit quietly, hands in laps, staring into the distance. Our friend who always greets us with a nod, picks up his bazouki and strums a tune. This is Plomari. This is Greece.

​We amble down to our latest favourite - To Steki (The Hangout). In a narrow alley with marble topped tables, it's like stepping back in time.

​We order a glass of wine, an ouzo and a meze – which is in reality 5 meze. The plates are delivered, one or two at a time. Fried potatoes, beans, feta drenched in olive oil, tomato and onion salad, meat balls in egg lemon sauce, sardines from the nearby gulf of Kalloni; pork ribs; tzatziki.

​The bill comes with the drinks - €10.50. Even with a dismal Rand exchange rate that's amazing. R212.00

We go home with full stomachs and a swagger in our steps. Because of course, one ouzo is not quite enough!