I was asked if I could find some foreigners for a video shoot. Jannis from GS Tours and young Pandelis had this idea about cooking lessons Crete’s visitors and wanted to film a video for promotion. My Norwegian friends Tone, Guri and Bjarne was happy to join us. Me and my friend Katerina joined for filming also.

Pandelis and Jannis has roots in the area of Apokoronas. Here is the house of their grandparents, now passed away, and this is were the boys plan the cooking lessons with wine tasting and a nature walk. They believe that this will be a good project. Pandelis cousin, Theofilos was filming us and we are all very courius to see the result! They have a local lady to do the lessons, but she couldn’t join us for the filming. We had a stand in cook in Jannis. The plan is that everyone will be picked up from their hotels at around 3pm, and the lessons will start at about 4.30 pm. If the group enjoys it, the party might last till late…

Melidoni lays high up in the hills at the start of the mountains over kalives at 600 meters. Here the house of the boys grandparents lays on the top of the village. The house is turned in to a museum and cooking lessons will be held in the courtyard, while the wine tasting will be in the former living-room.

Pandelis and Jannis made the table in the yard, and everything in the house and wine-tasting room except of the old furniture. They made also 2 museum rooms with their grandfather’s tools and other old items. There is also a small wine-cellar with old barrels. The house still needs painting and the kitchen will be renovated.

We arrived on a wonderful sunny March day. The view is fantastic for high up.

The mountains behind, the whole of Apokoronas and the sea down there faraway.

For the shooting we followed the program as it will be. Firstly we took a walk in the vegetable garden to pick vegetables. Here there will be fresh vegetables for the meals.

Then we acted as learning to cook stuffed tomatoes, we laughed and enjoyed ourselves. Afterwards it was wine tasting in the room with the fabulous view from the window!

For the sequence with the walk, we just walked in the area, but for the real deal, the walks will be further up in the hills while the food is cooking.

We enjoyed a meal, but not our home-cooked one. At the lessons the food will be stuffed tomatoes and peppers and the local pies “kalitsounia”. They will also cook “Mpoureki” and some local recipes of meat etc. The feeling of sitting there eating high up with the view, was magical!!

We had a wonderful day, and I really hope and believe that this project will be successful and that the video will be great!! The boys have put a lot of love for their home place and Crete in it! They respect the tradition and will teach any participant the same. But remember that it is not going to be a cheap packet.

You get transfer, food, wine and a walk in the deal! The plan is to keep the groups small ( from 4-10), and to start in April. News and video will follow here on Fabulous Crete. Keep your eyes open for the news!

The idea is wonderful and the preparations very good and we wish them good luck with the project!

I will join once when it starts and tell you all about it!!