A stroll in the old city of Nafplio and Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, with Roasted Garlic and Tuna / Σπαγγέτι με Τόνο και Ψητό Σκόρδο και μιά βόλτα στην παλιά πόλη του Ναυπλίου

Μετάφραση της συνταγής πιο κάτω

Hello from Athens again,

Before coming to Athens, I’ve been trying to write a blog post for over a week unsuccessfully and I haven’t been visiting my friends’ blogs for quite a long time, as I hardly find any time any more.

Living in the countryside is so beautiful that one cannot stay at home for long.

Besides the weather is so good that we still go to the beach almost every day, after going for shopping and cooking. By the time we finish eating and showering it’s almost afternoon, so we need to rest for a couple of hours to continue doing some other house chores, after sunset when it’s not so hot.

Some days we don’t feel like sitting at home for a long time so we usually go to Nafplio for a stroll in the city.

Nafplio, known by the locals as Anafpli, is one of the most picturesque and romantic places to visit. Its streets are a palette of colours, especially when the bougainvilleas are in full bloom.

After walking around its narrow streets, we sit to rest and enjoy a cup of coffee at the sea front gazing at Bourdji, the landmark of the city, or at Palamidi from Syntagma Square.

We are still new here and there are so many places we haven’t explored or visited yet.

I have written about Nafplio in previous posts and you can find the links below. Nafplio is such a beautiful town, steeped with history so I am sure there will be more posts in the future as well.

Our last stroll was on a Saturday morning.

We parked our car in the parking of a beautiful park near Pronia and from there we walked across the farmers’ market, which is twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

In the park there is a small pond, a lovely cafteria, lots of places for the children to play, as well as the old train station. The train is not operating any more and the old train station is now operating as the Municipal Music school. A train still sitting there is full of graffiti.

This time of the year, you can find amazing fresh vegetables and fruit but also other local products such as fresh eggs, live snails, wine, grape must (moustos), petimezi (concentrated grape syrup), nuts, honey from citrus trees but also thyme honey, from flora and coniferous trees, all kinds of olives, hand made pasta (chilopites) most of which are from the Argolic plain or from nearby Tripoli.

On the same road, on 25th March street, opposite the farmers’ market is the Fire brigade as well as two cinemas, one serving during wintertime and the other is an open air summer cinema, which is a lovely experience if you have never visited one.

Just where the farmers’ market ends there is a statue with no inscription. I guess that it must be dedicated to the unknown soldier or if the woman represents Greece, it could be the soldier sacrificing himself for his country. If anyone knows what it is please let me know as well.

A few minutes away, we reached the Old Land Gate.

From there you can see Palamidi castle and from there if you do not want to go by car, which is about 3 km from Pronia, you can climb up its 999 steps to reach the top, where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Argolic bay, the Argolic plain, Acronafplia, the old town of Nafplio and of course a beautiful view of the castle of Argos in the background as well as the Argolic plain and the nearby villages.

The view will compensate you even on a cloudy winter day.

In the park is the statue of Staikos Staikopoulos, a general who participated in the Greek Revolution for Independence and with only 350 men, sieged Palamidi for several months and finally conquered. In the background, there is a beautiful cafeteria with small waterfalls, which is a lovely place to rest and enjoy a cold drink on a hot day.

From there, passing from narrow, beautiful streets, we reached the Catholic Church or Frankoklissia, as it is called in Greek (the church of the Franks). The church is just next to Sarai Hotel, the fuchsia building below.

This building on the left used to be the First Courthouse of Greece, now operating as a hotel.

Day or night the view of Palamidi is breathtaking.

The Franks occupied Nafplio in the years 1212 to 1388. In the nineteenth century it was converted into a mosque, by the Turks. In 1840, after the Independence,it was consecrated as a Catholic church again and it was dedicated to “Metamorfossi tou Sotiros” (Transfiguration of the Saviour).

This was a way to say thanks to all the philhellenes (meaning “friends of Greece”), who had assisted King Otto during the freedom fights.

There is a crypt in the courtyard where the bones of the philhellenes are kept. Some of the Bavarian soldiers died after a devastating typhoid epidemic in Nafplion. They were originally buried in the cemetery of Aghii Pantes, but later their bones were exhumed and now lie under the crypt of the church. The place where they were originally buried is marked with a memorial showing a sleeping Lion on the rock. (You can read more here). In the Church, right above the entrance the door is surrounded with inscriptions of the names of the philhellenes who either died or were killed.

The view from the Catholic Church is beautiful either viewing Palamidi or the old town and the Argolic Gulf.

From there we rested for a while at Syntagma Square and ended our stroll at the Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation Museum.

Apart from the costumes, you can see everyday household objects, jewelry, looms, paintings, musical instruments, military costumes, medals, etc.

Both places merit a visit but even just walking in the narrow streets of Nafplion there is always something beautiful to see.

After our stroll it was noon and yet we still wanted to go to the beach because it was so hot. We ended back home at 3 p.m. so what’s easier than a pasta dish? By the time we showered lunch was ready.

We came to Athens a couple of days ago to visit our children and we also had some other business we had to attend to. I’ve also been very busy cleaning the house and cooking for my children. Waking early in the morning or late in the evening, I finally managed to finish this post which cannot but end with a recipe.

This is a very easy and cheap recipe which uses roasted garlic and garlic infused olive oil. Anyone who loves pasta will be amazed by the wonderful taste and flavour.

If you are like me with a sweet tooth and always wants a dessert after lunch, check out my Chocolate Petimezi Amygdalota Cookies and lots of ways to make good use of your leftover egg whites.

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, with Roasted Garlic and Tuna, recipe by Ivy

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

200 grams spaghetti
Salt
2 tbsp garlicky olive oil
4 – 5 cloves roasted garlic
1 small canned tuna (70 grams)
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (add parsley if you don’t like it)
2 small green onions
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp pasta water

Directions:

Boil pasta al dente for 6 – 7 minutes or according to instructions on packet. Drain and keep some pasta water.
In a non-stick frying pan heat the garlic olive oil, mash the roasted garlic and sauté it for 1 – 2 minutes. Add the pasta, with pasta water and mix.
Add the drained tuna, spring onions, salt and pepper and mix to combine.
Serve with more fresh herbs on top as well as freshly grated black pepper.

Λυπάμαι που δεν μπορώ αυτή τη στιγμή να μεταφράσω την ανάρτηση, αλλά θέλει πάρα πολύ χρόνο. Θα προσπαθήσω αργότερα να ενημερώσω την ανάρτηση και στα Ελληνικά. Υπάρχει όμως ο μεταφραστής που προς το παρόν μπορείτε να χρησιμοποιήσετε.

Αυτή η συνταγή προϋποθέτει να έχετε ψητό σκόρδο, που προσθέτει υπέροχη γεύση και άρωμα στο φαγητό. Είναι μία πάρα πολύ εύκολη συνταγή και στοιχίζει ελάχιστα. Εάν σας αρέσουν τα ζυμαρικά η συνταγή αυτή θα σας καταπλήξει.

Εάν είστε γλυκατζού σαν κι εμένα και θέλετε ένα γλυκάκι μετά το φαγητό, δείτε μια υπέροχη συνταγή για Σοκολατένια Αμυγδαλωτά με Πετιμέζι και επικάλυψη Σοκολάτας και πολλούς τρόπους να χρησιμοποιήσετε τα ασπράδια που σας περισσεύουν από άλλες συνταγές.

Σπαγγέτι με Τόνο και Ψητό Σκόρδο, συνταγή της Ήβης

Χρόνος προετοιμασίας: 15 λεπτά

Χρόνος μαγειρέματος: 10 – 15 λεπτά

Μερίδες: 2

Υλικά:

200 γραμμάρια σπαγγέττι

Αλάτι

2 κουταλιές ελαιόλαδο σκορδάτο

4 – 5 σκελίδες ψητό σκόρδο
1 μικρή κονσέρβα τόνου σε λάδι (70 γρ), στραγγισμένο

2 κουταλιές ψιλοκομμένο κόλιανδρο ή μαϊντανό εάν δεν σας αρέσει

2 μικρά φρέσκα κρεμμυδάκια, ψιλοκομμένα

Αλάτι και φρεσκοτριμμένο μαύρο πιπέρι

3 κουταλιές νερό από τα βρασμένα ζυμαρικά

Εκτέλεση:

Βράζουμε τα μακαρόνια al dente για 6 – 7 λεπτά ή σύμφωνα με τις οδηγίες στο πακέτο. Τα στραγγίζουμε και κρατάμε λίγο από το νερό που τα βράσαμε.

Σε ένα αντικολλητικό τηγάνι ζεσταίνουμε το σκορδάτο ελαιόλαδο μαζί με 4 – 5 σκελίδες ψητό σκόρδο και το σωτάρουμε, πιέζοντάς το να λιώσει. Το σωτάρουμε για 1 – 2 λεπτά μέχρι να αρχίσει να ροδίζει. Προσθέτουμε το σπαγγέττι και λίγο από το νερό και ανακατεύουμε.

Προσθέτουμε τον τόννο, τα κρεμμυδάκια, τον κόλιαντρο, αλάτι και πιπέρι και ανακατεύουμε καλά.

Σερβίρουμε με περισσότερο κόλιαντρο ή μαϊντανό ψιλοκομμένο από πάνω και φρεσκοτριμμένο μαύρο πιπέρι.