Some outdoor experiences begin exactly as planned. Others take a different direction, often making the day more interesting.

We arrived at Agios Ioannis, in the Prometheus Grove area just outside Litochoro, at 10:30 on a Saturday morning. A light drizzle was already falling. The clearing was surrounded by tall fir trees, with the small chapel of Agios Ioannis (Saint John the Theologian) at its heart. Fallen yellow leaves covered the ground and rested on the tables.

It was the kind of setting that makes you want to stay outside, prepare something simple and enjoy the surroundings. The only detail we had not quite planned for was the weather.

At first, the rain was gentle. I moved around with my camera and an umbrella, trying to capture the place and the preparations. Then the drizzle grew heavier. We had to protect the equipment and move the cooking under shelter.

This is one of the less visible sides of filming outdoors. Weather changes, plans need adjusting and equipment requires protection. What looks simple from the outside can involve quite a bit of improvisation behind the camera.

But that is also part of the experience. Cooking outdoors, especially in a place like Olympus, is something I keep coming back to.

Agios Ioannis: A Quiet Corner Beneath the Fir Trees

Agios Ioannis is a place where the forest sets the pace. The fir trees surround the clearing, while the small chapel dedicated to Saint John the Theologian gives the setting a familiar, human scale.

On this particular morning, autumn had already made its presence felt. Yellow leaves covered the tables and the ground, and the changing weather gave the clearing an entirely different atmosphere.

There was no need to create an artificial setting. The place had already done that for us.

As the rain continued, the sounds of the forest became more noticeable. Drops falling through the trees, birds calling from the branches and the smell of wet earth created an atmosphere that no production design could reproduce.

A Chef, a Grill and a Different Kind of Kitchen

For this outdoor meal, chef Christos Kyparissas prepared a Greek classic with a simple twist: kayanas (also known as kagianas), served inside French baguettes.

Kayanas is a traditional Greek dish made with eggs and tomatoes, often combined with peppers and other ingredients depending on the cook and the region. For our version, feta cheese, fleur de sel, freshly ground pepper and oregano completed the preparation.

We also used Forelia olive oil, bringing a local product from Pieria into the meal.

For us, cooking outdoors is also a way to discover and showcase the products and people behind local food. We enjoy bringing together local ingredients, creative cooking and places that offer something special. It is a natural way to tell stories about Pieria through its flavours and the people who make them possible.

It was a straightforward combination, without unnecessary complexity. Good ingredients, a chef who knows his craft and the pleasure of preparing food outside.

The Coral Gas Smart Grill was our cooking companion for the day. The plan was simple: prepare the food, enjoy the setting and capture the process as naturally as possible.

You can follow Chef Christos Kyparissas and his culinary work on Instagram.

Greek Kayanas Inside a French Baguette

The finished sandwiches brought together two familiar food traditions in an uncomplicated way. The French baguette provided the base, while the filling was unmistakably Greek: eggs, tomatoes, peppers, feta, oregano and olive oil.

There is something enjoyable about taking a familiar dish and presenting it differently without losing its character. The baguette made the kayanas easy to share and practical to enjoy outdoors.

It was simple food, prepared with care and enjoyed in a setting that made the moment feel a little different from an ordinary meal.

When the Rain Becomes Part of the Experience

As the morning progressed, the rain grew stronger. The shelter offered some protection, although it was not completely sealed. In a few places, water found its way through the gaps in the roof, including spots above the equipment.

We adjusted what we could, protected the cameras and carried on. It was not the neat, controlled environment one might imagine for a food shoot. But real outdoor production rarely follows a perfect plan.

There is a particular feeling to being in the forest while it rains. The colours become deeper, the ground darkens and the air fills with the smell of wet leaves and soil. Even familiar sounds seem different.

For me, these moments are part of the reason to work outdoors in the first place. The landscape is not simply a background behind the food. It is part of the experience, changing constantly while everything else takes place.

A Small Discovery on the Forest Floor

During the morning, we also noticed wild mushrooms growing among the wet leaves. They were an unexpected detail in a landscape already full of autumn colours.

We did not know which species they were, so we left them untouched. Identifying wild mushrooms requires proper knowledge; appearance alone is never enough to decide whether they are safe to collect or eat.

It gave us another reason to return to this part of Olympus, ideally with someone who knows the local mushrooms well. There is always more to discover when you slow down and pay attention.

Watch the Short: Cooking in the Rain

The short video captures a glimpse of our outdoor cooking experience: Christos preparing the sandwiches, the ingredients coming together and the atmosphere of an autumn morning beneath Mount Olympus.

A simple meal, a forest clearing and a morning shaped by the rain.

The Beauty of an Unplanned Outdoor Experience

Looking back, the rain did not make the day less interesting. It changed the way we experienced it.

It affected the filming, the cooking arrangements and the practical details of the production. At the same time, it brought a different atmosphere to the forest and made the autumn setting feel even more present.

This is something I value in experiences like this. Not everything needs to be arranged in advance, and not every unexpected change needs to be treated as a problem. Sometimes the most interesting parts of a day happen when the original plan meets reality.

Of course, there is work behind the scenes: cameras to protect, equipment to move, decisions to make and moments that cannot be repeated. But there is also the simple pleasure of being outside, preparing food and spending time in a landscape that keeps offering something new.

At Agios Ioannis, the meal was only one part of the story. The fir trees, the chapel, the rain, the birds and even the mushrooms we chose not to touch all became part of the morning.

And that is what made it worth remembering.

Behind the Scenes: Making It Happen

This experience was filmed by Olympus Media Productions, with photography and storytelling by Yorgos Gizelis.

Outdoor productions involve much more than the final images. They require preparation, adaptability and the ability to work with the conditions of a real location. On this occasion, the rain became part of the process from the first moments to the end.

It was not a perfectly controlled cooking shoot. It was a real autumn morning on Mount Olympus, with good food, changing weather and a forest that kept setting the mood.

For another story connecting local food, people and the landscape of Pieria, read Olive Harvest in Pieria, Greece | A First-Hand Experience with Forelia.