Tablescape Thursday - My Big Fat Greek Tablescape

This is the first tablescape that I've put together since we returned from our trip to Greece. Of course, you know that I made a purchase in the market of something for Tablescape Thursday....let's see what it is!



Take a good look at the table and see if you can guess what it is. Welcome to my big fat Greek tablescape!



While you're pondering let's have a look at the centerpiece.


Yes we did see some sunflowers in Greece - so I guess you could say that these were Greek inspired. Let's see if you guessed correctly.



It wasn't these gold rimmed champagne glasses -- these were antiques when they were given to us as a wedding gift almost 35 years ago. I kept saving them for some special celebration -- but my husband doesn't like champagne. Now I've decided that they're perfect for shrimp cocktails, or perhaps a fruit salad, or even dessert. And not the cream damask napkins or napkin rings either.



Not the green water goblets I was so thrilled to find at Goodwill before Christmas last year.



Here's a place set just for you. What's you favorite Greek food?



Do you think you know?



I told you how much I loved the olives we ate....and these green dishes are embossed with branches of olives....but they came from Cracker Barrel last Summer.




My gold rimmed glass chargers were one of my lucky finds on eBay a few years ago. The mis-matched silverware has been a recent eBay collection.



Did you guess these olive embroidered tablerunners? If you did...you're right! Now I looked at lots of runners at different shops and I really tried to fall in love with the ones with the Greek Key design, or the ones with the ribbon flowers, or the pretty Greek lace --- but over and over my eye would fall on the olive runners. I kept talking myself out of them because they looked so....well....Italian to me (not that I have anything against Italy)....but I wanted something that said "Greece" in the design. I was very perplexed until I found the perfect runners......



....olive branches AND Greek columns! I snapped these right up after passing up runner after runner in shop after shop. Perfect!



A look at the layers on our Greek table.



Now if you noticed this water pitcher, it would have been a very good guess.



Because it has a Greek Key border. This was a pitcher that my mother and father received as a wedding gift and one that set on many a holiday table in our home growing up. So this is certainly Greek inspired as well.



Do you remember my telling you about how the Greek waiters would bring small pitchers of wine to our table when we ordered wine (about 4 glasses or so)?



So I've set this small (but very heavy!) glass pitcher that I found at an antique store this weekend on my table today as well. I think from now on I'll use this instead of bringing the bottle to the table - another Greek inspiration. It's a little more squatty, but I think it will hold about the same.



Don't you love glass pitchers and glasses with a design on the bottom? I do!



Another shot of our Greek table.



Once I found the pitcher and added it to the table, I added these wine glasses too (no they weren't in the first pictures). I found two of these at Goodwill last winter. I'll be looking for more along this line on eBay and thrifting around.




A couple of overviews.




And the sun slowly sets on my tablescape of fond memories of a wonderful birthday trip to Greece. Certainly my Birthday wish came true and I hope that someday each of you will get the trip of your dreams as well.

Be sure to visit Susan at "Between Naps on the porch" this week to find lots of wonderful and inspiring tables set. It's always filled with lots of tabletop inspirations.

See ya!

More pictures of Athens

Sharing a few more pictures of our trip -- since we started out in Athens, I'll take you on our tour there. The first evening we were there we walked around after dinner and took a few pictures. Here's one of the Acropolis, I never could get a good one at night all lit up -- but it was beautiful.



I never saw a grocery store while we were there. Markets like this with fresh fruits, vegetables and wine.



The streets are very narrow. No big trucks or SUV's, lots of smart cars, little cars and scooters. And none of them particularly pay attention to lanes on the highways or stop signs! I wouldn't want to drive there.



Here we are at the "Tower of the Winds".


A view of Athens from the Acropolis.



It was quite a walk up -- if you ever go, be sure to take good walking shoes because nothing is really level (or handicapped accessible) and a good hat! Here we are at The Parthenon.



Greek columns.



This was from the Temple of Athena.


These pretty little chapels are all over Athens and the islands too.



Sunday we went to see the changing of the guards at the tomb of the unknown soldier.


The band started off the parade. Notice the dog joined in! There were dogs all over Athens. The city takes care of them and feeds them. They all have on tags and they really do look well cared for.



Notice that two dogs had joined them on the return parade.



Next were the solders.



All lined up.



And the ceremony begins.



The new guards join with the outgoing guards.



And the guard has changed. Check out the shoes!



After the changing of the guard we went to the Acropolis museum. I couldn't take pictures inside, but as you were going in you could look down through plexiglass and see the excavation. The museum was great and they had a video of how everything looked when the Acropolis was built. Beautiful and amazing.



This pretty building was our view from our hotel.



Here we are at one of the outdoor cafes. Evening meals are late and very unhurried. To check out some pictures of some of our wonderful meals scroll back to my Foodie Friday post!



Here's a picture of other diners at the cafe.



Our traveling companions Tom and Marti. It was great traveling with them because Tom's been to Greece many times and knows how to get around - it really made our trip worry free!




In the summertime, because it's so hot -- lots of places close down in the afternoon. We found it to be a great time for returning to the hotel for a nap. Now that's a Greek tradition I could really get used to! As you can see... Mr. Mid-Atlantic got a head start.

Next time, I'll post some pictures of our island excursions.

See ya!

Churches and religious sites from Greece

Since I already shared a taste of Greece for Foodie Friday, today I thought I would share the more spiritual side of our trip.


While we were staying in Athens we took a tour bus from our hotel to Corinth. This spot is where they would gather to hear politicians and speakers of news of the day. Paul first shared the good news of the gospels here and converted many to Christianity.



More ruins of Corinth.



The Church dedicated to St. Paul.



This beautiful mosiac was outside of one of the Greek Orthodox churches in Athens.



All the islands had small chapels - some were built for the fishermen to pray and give thanks each day -- this one was in Mykonos.



This picture is from the ruins of Ephesus, Turkey. Also where Paul preached and set up a church.



More pictures of the ruins.



Above the entry of the Holy Grotto of the Apocalypse where John wrote Revelations.



Some of the shields within a cross on the Street of the Knights in Rhodes.





Ruins of an early Church in Rhodes.

It was very inspiring to walk the paths of Paul and to see where the earliest Churches were formed I'll be posting more pictures of our trip soon.

See ya!