That was the question asked of me more than once when I told family and friends I would be heading to the island of Ikaria, Greece in March. “We’re going to try to figure that out,” I would reply, “by immersing ourselves in the residents’ culture. We’ll eat and drink their locally grown food and wine, mimic their active lifestyle and listen to the Centenarians’ wisdom.”
There are so many planned activities that I am excited about: visiting the House of Honey (honey is an integral component of an Ikarian’s diet), visiting with a local doctor and pharmacy, taking a hike to forage for local greens and herbs and then participating in a cooking class where the greens will be incorporated into the meal. I also look forward to meeting with colleagues from an Athens university and visiting several of Athens’ important historical sites. March 19 can’t get here soon enough!
Naomi Bechtold, Extension Educator, Purdue Extension-Marion County