Page 60 - MYCONIAN COLLECTION MAG 2021
P. 60

discover|local people










                           Vasiliki, Asimina and Vaso Bakogia                                                                                        Lefteris

                           THREE WOMEN ARE serving the tradition of Mykonos on a plate from morning till afternoon, and it’s no
                           other than the three generations that are keeping alive the only authentic café of old on the island – Bakogia’s          Kantenassos
                           kafeneio. Behind Gialos, where there once were many such establishments, Dimitris Bakogias – who had                      LEFTERIS KANTENASSOS
                           arrived in Mykonos to work in the island’s mines – took over the café that became known as Kavourotrypa                   USED to play the bagpipes.
                           (crab-hole) in 1978. No local would pass by and not wish him a good morning before going to Gialos to                     Kantenassos-Bambeli, the most
                           shop from the outdoor greengrocers and fishmongers. Mykonos locals would stop by all year round after                     significant duo of Mykonian
                           Sunday mass to relax, talk politics, and play backgammon. Dimitris Bakogias’ wife, Vasiliki, was always                   traditional musicians,was famous
                           standing by in the kitchen. She would make coffee and prepare meze to serve with ouzo – and they were                     throughout the Aegean. Mykonos
                           quite the meze. It was Vasiliki, Asimina’s mother and Vaso’s grandmother, who taught them this impressive,                has six hundred churches, and on
                           simple craft. Fried eggs any way you like, mostra – the Mykonos version of Cretan dakos with tomatoes                     the night before the feast, they
                           and kopanisti cheese on rusks, local Mykonos sausage as well as fried meatballs, smelt, and calamari with                 all celebrate the day of the saint
                           potatoes. Any visitor finding themselves here from early in the morning can experience an authentic side of               after which the church is named.
                           Mykonos’ daily life the way it used to be 40 years ago.                                                                   Large churches celebrate with a big
                                                                                                                                                     “panayiri” (feast day celebration)
                                                                                                                                                     and smaller churches hold a more
                                                                                                                                                     modest celebration. The feasts are
                                                                                                                                                     organised by the families who serve
                                                                                                                                                     as the caretakers of the church.
                                                                                                                                                     Relatives, friends and strangers
                                                                                                                                                     are all equally welcome. Bread and
                                                                                                                                                     wine are always on the table, as is
                                                                                                                                                     mutton broth made from a sheep
                                                                                                                                                     that is slaughtered especially for the
                                                                                                                                                     occasion. And if it is a large feast,
                                                                                                                                                     there will be all kinds of delicacies,
                                                                                                                                                     such as meat balls, louza (dry cured
                                                                                                                                                     ham) and onion pie, as well as
                                                                                                                                                     sardines and fried salted cod with
                                                                                                                                                     garlic mash. In the past, during hard
                                                                                                                                                     times, the faithful used to entertain
                                                                                                                                                     themselves with banter and by
                                                                                                                                                     reciting playful couplets, and there
                                                                                                                                                     were always bagpipes, drums and
                                                                                                                                                     violins so the feast could come alive
                                                                                                                                                     with dancing. Small feasts which are
                                                                                                                                                     held outside of peak season combine
                                                                                                                                                     two elements which even today
                                                                                                                                                     afford visitors a rare glimpse of these
                                                                                                                                                     customs dating back to antiquity.
                                                                                                                                                     For example, the yearly custom of
                                                                                                                                                     slaughtering pigs, which begins
                                                                                                                                                     around the first chills towards the end
                                                                                                                                                     of October, is a tradition honoured
                                                                                                                                                     and prized by the locals. Despite
                                                                                                                                                     the fact that the main event is the
                                                                                                                                                     slaughtering of an animal - a ritual
                                                                                                                                                     said to have Dionysian influences                                    RICH AT HEART
                                                                                                                                                     – the custom is “cleansed” by the                       Lefteris Kantenassos plays the bagpipes at an improvised feast.
                                                              THE OLD WORLD                                                                          sense of community, gastronomic
                           Bakogia's kafeneio in Gialos is the only authentic coffee shop on Mykonos and one of the last of its kind in the Cyclades. Located in Gialos,   indulgence, music, singing and the
                                 with a view towards the small harbour and the sea, this traditional hang-out serves coffees and authentic island delicacies.
                                                                                                                                                     dancing that surrounds it.





             060   MYCONIAN COLLECTION                                                                                                                                                                                                          MYCONIAN COLLECTION   061
   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65