New Year in an Aegean Village (2)

New Year's Day

Saturday was just as it should be for the start of the new year: bright with the colours of the sky and sea just singing.

We couldn't stay inside and anyway a walk down to the old harbour of Assos we felt would do us good after the feast that we enjoyed at Biber Evi  - literally Chilli House - the night before. This is a boutique hotel right in the heart of the village owned and run by our friends Lutfi and Beyhan.

 This is the place to stay if you are ever in the area. Lutfi is a man of many talents and one of them is cooking but the main attraction is the warm welcome and terrific hospitality. Dinner last night was a treat.

So we set off. The water was like glass. All the buildings you see which are now hotels and restaurants, were in fact abandoned Greek warehouses, left to their fate until their timely discovery in the early 1970s by Julia and Feyzi Katırcıoğlu. They took a risk, bought them all up and renovated them. Now Assos is a thriving little port with the village also known as Behramkale up above. Luckily it can't be spoilt as the natural geography of the place defies more construction.

We decided to have a grilled fish lunch at Hayrettin's and he did not disappoint. He grilled us a huge çipura or gilthead bream and we had half each with a few mezes. After all the rich food of the last week or so, this simple salad had a particularly fresh appeal.

We are in the heart of the olive picking season right now. This area is better known for its green ones. The villagers are lucky that the weather is on their side for the picking this year as it's not an easy task.