Spetses Island, old port

These daunting creatures had already been bashed on the rocks and rubbed with sea salt and vinegar before being hung out in the intense heat, a time-honoured way of preserving octopus in Greece.
The reason I hadn’t seen them was due to being parched and tired after bicycling around the dazzlingly beautiful island all morning. Spetses is one of the best kept secrets in the Aegean and belongs to the Saronikos group of islands south of Athens (it lies just south of Hydra which is more rugged and also much more tourist-oriented).
Like all Greek islands, the daily diet – like the lives of the people themselves – revolves around the sea. Seafood dominates most restaurant menus.  At the Giorgos Taverna on the old harbour, most of the fish is charged per kilo weight and includes red mullet (barbounia), swordfish, tuna and others, the names of which I didn’t recognise.  I did try one -  a seasonal fish called ‘mayiatiko’ (or May fish)  – which reminded me of swordfish and was very good char-grilled. Lobster, calamari and prawns were also plentiful as was fresh large octopus stewed in red wine. You can dine here on a wooden platform which stretches out over the water. In typical Greek fashion, the tables are covered in blue and white check cloths with a matching awning, the chairs are wooden, the cooking is simple and the house wine is cheap.
Fishing boats putter out past the brilliant white lighthouse opposite and further out at sea you can spot long flat ships and – in summer – swanky gin-palaces.
Many of the hills on Spetses are covered with pine trees, a rare sight in the Aegean. Others are studded with ancient silvery olive trees. An old olive press, owned by the Niarchos shipping family, still functions during the olive harvest .  Wild herbs grow all over the hills and at the very top of one of the highest hills is a monastery where the nuns make yoghurt and sell fresh milk and eggs. Prolific lemon and orange trees grow in the gardens around the white-washed houses in town and in summer terracotta pots of basil (both small and large leaf) can be seen on every doorstep and windowsill.
All these foods are essential in Greek cuisine and, along with whole grain breads and fresh vegetables, form the basis of the Mediterranean diet. I would venture that the  simple island lifestyle also contributes to the well-being of these people – and you’d be foolish to overlook the spiritual effect of such an environment. For as John Fowles wrote many years ago in “The Magus” about Spetses:
“(It) was beautiful.  There was no other adjective; it was not just pretty, picturesque, charming – it was simply and effortlessly beautiful. It took my breath away when I saw it, floating under Venus like a majestic black whale in an amethyst evening sea, and it still takes my breath away when I shut my eyes now and remember it.”

Try this simple octopus dish which is part of the ‘meze’ at C’Aphrodite in Cremorne, Sydney: wash and clean a large octopus (make sure you remove the beak).  Put it in a pot with a tight-fitting lid and steam over medium heat for about one hour (use a simmer pad to prevent sticking)– or until a small knife pierces easily through the largest tentacle. Remove the octopus from the pot and when cool, cut it into bite-size pieces and place in a sterile jar.  Strain the juices from the pot.  Return them to a pan along with an equal amount of red wine vinegar, a few slices of lemon, a couple of bay leaves and a few peeled garlic cloves. Bring to the boil, remove from heat, cool and pour over the octopus. Store in the refrigerator and serve as part of a ‘meze’ – or just on its own with a glass of ‘ouzo’!

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