The Death of Carnevale and Orion the Hunter

My morning stroll through the park

After numerous inaccurate weather forecasts by overzealous meteorologists these past few weeks, we finally got the opportunity to experience some snow again in Brooklyn—though it still wasn’t as bad as they predicted it would be.

The first decent snowfall since the light dusting we received about a month ago, I’ve been looking forward to it since the beginning of winter. Unlike many of my fellow city dwellers, I enjoy the snow. Yes, it’s fleeting and quickly turns into a mess, but for a short while the grimy streets turn into a winter wonderland free of pedestrians.

Seemingly contrary to my Mediterranean ancestry, I always fared better in the cooler climes. While my kin are generally sun-worshipers, I prefer winter and trips upstate and Canada. Give me forests and mountains over the beach and oceans any day.

Fasolada Yiahni

Unfortunately, due to the long commutes for some, our planned Fat Tuesday dinner party at a French bistro in Manhattan had to be canceled. This sadly meant no steak au poivre for me.

Having cleaned out my fridge and pantry of all meat, eggs and dairy for Lent, this also meant there were slim pickings at home—certainly nothing worthy of Martedi Grasso.

Meeting up with a friend, we went to a local Greek gyrádiko for dinner and ouzerí afterward for café and dessert.

Horiatiki

While not the rich decadent meal we originally had planned, we did get one last taste of lamb, feta and tzatziki before the Great Fast. We also got to toast the death of Carnevale with some ouzo, instead of absinthe.

During our passeggiata, the night sky was unexpectedly clear of clouds. Doing a little stargazing, we briefly accompanied the fearsome Orion on his celestial hunt. This was the second time in as many weeks that I got to see the constellation. Nowadays the stars are almost always obscured by light pollution.

With the revelry over, we now prepare for Christ’s Resurrection at Easter with fasting, abstinence, and penitence. We wish you all a blessed Lenten Season.

Souvlaki