Day 3 - Saturday, May 4
It was a warm, sunny day inviting us to spend it outdoors. Although the park in the city centre isn't very big, it is a haven of peace and relaxation. We spent almost the whole day there enjoying espressos in the sun and later doing some shopping. If you ever happen to be in Serres don't forget to buy "akanes" - the local sweet. "Akanes" is similar to loukoumi, but it is flavoured with fresh butter instead of fruit essences and it is made exclusively in the city of Serres. The name "akanes" dates back to the period of the Turkish occupation of Greece, when the Turkish local governor would tell the Greeks preparing the sweet "aka" which means "stir" in Turkish and they would reply in Greek "ne" which means "yes". You can find it everywhere in Serres as well as in certain deli shops throughout Greece.
In the evening, we visited friends and family and later attended the Midnight Mass of the Resurrection. After the Mass, Zoe and Stratos invited us to supper at their place where, according to tradition, we had magiritsa, tsoureki, salad, Easter eggs and dessert. Stratos served an excellent red and pink champagne with the dessert. It was 4:00 in the morning when we went back to the hotel to get some sleep.
Day 4 - Easter Sunday, May 5
That was a memorable Easter Sunday which we spent at Gazoros - a small village near the city of Serres. Thanasis proved to be a master at preparing and cooking the "Ovelias" - traditional Easter lamb on the spit. The lamb, of course, was only the main course. Evangelia and her sister had prepared a variety of traditional dishes and desserts! Everything was perfect and we had such a great time!
to be continued