I would be interested to see how it holds up to a more sophisticated palate (basically, I wonder if my mum would enjoy it as much as I did) as I have a feeling it might be a touch too sweet for some. This was refreshing, fruity with a touch or sweetness and didn’t disappoint. I don’t often drink at home (but when in Greece, do as the Greeks do, right?) and wasn’t convinced I would enjoy retsina. We splashed out and ordered a bottle of Tinian wine, Vaptistis. I also had with the fava bean dip, which was perfect– beautifully seasoned with carefully balanced sweet / salty / sour flavours from the sundried tomato, capers and lemon, and crunchy crouton slices to complement the velvety dip. The staff were helpful when it came to finding vegan options and recommended the courgette balls, which they omitted the milk from. We also visited Metaxi Mas for dinner, which offers a fusion of traditional and contemporary Greek cuisine and is at the high end of the price scale for restaurants on the island. The food was always good and unfussy but, as with many small islands, most places don’t offer vegan options so be prepared to be patient when ordering. We had a couple of meals in the town square, which consisted of Greek salads, breads, stuffed tomatoes, and fried aubergines in tomato sauce. About 2 minutes after this photo was taken, I realised I will likely never be able to wear that hat again I would definitely eat the fruit again, although I will definitely research my picking and preparing method next time to avoid another episode of splintergate. It was filled with a jelly-like centre and small, hard black seeds which you eat and spit out. The flavour was refreshing like a watermelon, with the bubblegum hint of fresh jackfruit, and texture similar to a dragon fruit crossed with a persimmon. Prickly pears are usually best in August so trying them in March probably meant they weren’t at their peak sweetness. If anybody is considering a pick-your-own prickly pear day out, definitely learn from my mistake and don’t touch the unpeeled fruit! I had vague memories of Eleni’s parents talking about picking the fruit with gloves so as to avoid splinters. My first mistake was going rogue and enthusiastically picking the fruit with my bare hands and carrying them back inside my cap – there were teeny tiny spines EVERYWHERE. One of my regrets from my last visit was not sampling a prickly pear fruit so it was high on my list of things to try. In the garden of Eleni’s family house is a lemon tree, a tall fig tree and a huge prickly pear cactus. The Church is one of the most significant Orthodox pilgrimage sites in the country, with pilgrims often using the carpeted path which stretches up the road and through the Church grounds to make the journey on their knees. The island is known for the Church of Panagia Megalochari, located at the top of the hill in the main city of Tinos. The mountainous landscape is rich with intricately designed stone dovecots. Small white towers and the occasional terracotta tile roof can be seen among the little cube houses, legacies of the 500-year Venetian rule of the island. The traditional houses in Tinos are like little white and blue cubes sparkling on the hills. It is a beautiful little island in the Cyclades archipelago that I have been lucky enough to visit a couple of times with Eleni, staying in her family’s home by the Old Port.
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