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It's all about living in the moment in Greece. Slow morning waking up easy with the sun shining on your face. The smell of freshly baked pastries, ripe fruit and coffee brewing is what gets us out of bed.

 

Greece in July was tranquil, hot and beautiful. We traded the white buildings with blue roofs of Santorini and the fishermen's boats swooshing over the sea surface in Paros for the sunset-washed Thessaloniki. We drove, the whole family - five of us, six with the dog, - one car, the trunk full of luggage and the radio blasting songs we all knew by heart. Our journey started from our home in Bulgaria where the landscape is unique. Fields of sunflowers, crops of wheat and a chain of mountains escort travellers on their way whether they're headed to the big city or the coast. As soon as we left the border and entered Greece, the scenery changed. The land became a little bit flatter the further we went along. The crops gave way to fields of grass and the flowers transformed into olive trees.

 

As most Eastern European countries of the Balkans, over the summer Greece was also under the scrutiny of the blazing sun. The heat this year was more intense than I remembered it and the land reflected my observation. We reached Halkidiki in the afternoon and that gave us plenty of time to make a quick stop by the seaside before dinner. We were staying at a place on Kassandra, which was also known as the first "finger" of the island. Our accomodation gave us access to a private beach. The coastline was narrow and covered in pebbles. Sunbeds were set out for guests of the resort and the setting sun was bathing in the generous embrace of the Aegean Sea.

 

We went swimming. The water was saltier than I expected and the heat of the season had warmed it up. My sister Allie is a good swimmer. She takes a while to trade suntanning for swimming, but once she gets in the water, she can spend hours there. She swims gracefully and moves swiftly through the flat water surface. Watching her from a distance at the coastline makes it seem like she's part of the sea. It is fascinating to see and it makes me sure that if I got in the water, it'd be impossible to keep up with her tempo. 

 

The Aegean Sea was gorgeous, crystal clear and translucent, combining dozen shades of blue into a pallet that makes it hard to believe it is real. I could see the fish swimming all around me. Black, yellow and orange, their scales glistened underneath the clear surface. Kids were learning to swim in the shallows, couples were drinking cocktails and solo travellers were reading books in different languages. It was a lazy afternoon, the kind that makes you think that you must be right in the middle of summer.

 

The way back to the house where we were staying was uphill and Allie was a little tired from her swim so we didn't rush to get back. The whole family was getting ready for dinner. My mum took the dog for a walk. My grandma prepared the salad. My dad poured everyone a drink. My boyfriend Mike helped me set up the table. A fish was baking in the oven. My mum and grandma had spent half an hour getting it prepped earlier on. It was covered in spices a ton of lemon, the way the Greeks make it. The air felt salty and the light breeze scattered the heat through the early evening. We all sat down to have dinner together. The blue sky turned a hue of soft pink and peachy orange. The sound of mosquitos buzzing in the air and the crickets singing their songs in the grass were creating a summer symphony.

 

It was a quiet evening - a beautiful finale to a tranquil day. It seemed like life had slowed down just for us. Just for a little while. Just in time. We were taking it all in, the slow living and serenity, and peace of the moment. What might have seemed like a simple evening turned into one of my favourite moments stuck in time on the Greek islands.

 

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A summer grilled fish recipe 

 

Ingredients:

Four medium fishes (depends on how many people are coming for dinner)

Ten lemons 

Extra-virgin olive oil

Himalayan pink salt

Freshly ground pepper 

Parsley 

 

Time: one hour 

 

Preparation:

Wash, clean and scale the fish. Let the fish stay in room temperature for about 20-30min, then pat it dry with a kitchen towel. Light up the grill or turn the oven on. Put garlic, sliced lemons and parsley stems in the cavity. Brush the fish with olive oil and season with salt and paper. Lightly char the fish until the meat turns white if you are grilling or bake in the oven on high temperature until it's grilled to the desired scale. Let it cool for a minute and serve with freshly squeezed lemon juice to fully bring out the flavour.

 

Serving suggestion:

Pairs perfectly with handmade potato, red onion and parsley salad and chilled white wine.