Sweaty Tree Fun!!

 You may think that February 14 is Valentine's Day.  In MAK this day is Saint Trefun' s Day, pronounced kind of like "sevetty tree fun" -- and it is fun!  On this day you go out to your small vineyard with family and invoke St. Trefun to give a good harvest.  You start with bread made by your Baba.  This is special bread.  Note that she is also holding rakija.  All rakija is special in my opinion and a sure-fire way to get into the good graces with Trefun.

 You then go into your beautiful vineyard and pour wine on the ground in the shape of a cross.  I am not sure if Trefun likes this part as it seems to me to be hard to drink served like that.

But no matter, there is still work to be done.










The special bread is then broken and served.  The rakija also comes out. I am sure at this point that you have Trefun' s attention, I know they had mine.  The barbies are fired up and tables are set up in the vinyard

 Now for the fun part.  The eating sequence is rakija/vegetables/bread/more bread/much more rakija/stuffed cabbage rolls/bread/switch to wine/cheese and then the real meal is served.  The grills are cooking sausages, ribs and chicken. This is served with beer and at this point I had a direct line to Trefun and was begging for mercy.  After the meat, you guessed it, the baked potatoes were ready.  This is followed by dessert (honey cake), which, shockingly, goes very well with wine.

Finally, Trefun must have heard me as the food torrent ceased.  We wandered about, me still speaking to Trefun, and the others admiring the vineyard and other vegetables which grow here year-around.  We then packed up and after 5 hours of fun headed back into town.  I think Trefun is a fine Saint and apparently a great admirer of the grilled meat.  For this, I thank him mightily.  We also thank mightily the Popova family for the honor of including us in this tradition.  Trefun  surely appreciates this fine day and their hospitality.  I know that I do.
Al