Bouzoukia Night

Tonight was like no other I have ever experienced. I was told I had to go to a bouzoukia performance - they are very famous and it is traditional Greek music. So a group of us from the elementary school decided to go - I think there were about 25 of us. And I heard the dress was everything from jeans and high heels to formal dresses (a little broad - so I went with a black cocktail dress). My friend Stavroula and her husband "Peter" (it really is something else in Greek - but I don't remember) they picked me and off we went. I heard there would be dancing and something about flowers but I didn't really know what to expect. Our tickets included dinner and wine.

It was definitely an experience (maybe once in a lifetime) . I was really thinking that it would be this old man playing the bouzoukia and then the tables would cleared like a dance floor at a wedding.

Well it was nothing like that. It was like a Las Vegas show. Like a rock concert. Loud and dancers and rock concert leather outfits ..... so hard to explain. And of course all in Greek. We sat at long tables and some people danced on their chairs. At the end I did go and dance on the stage with my colleagues though. And no breaking of dishes (they don't do that anymore) now you buy flowers (carnations) and throw them up at the performers - it was really different.... fun but different.

And when you order alcohol like vodka or scotch you don't get a glass you get a whole bottle of it!!!! As I looked around the audience it was mostly native Greeks - not tourists - quite an experience!!!!

I was picked up at 10pm and was dropped off at 4:30 am!!!!! Glad I am on vacation!!!!