A year after the Mati wildfires, people who experienced the tragic fire as rescuers or survivors, share their stories.

Alexis Andronopoulos
50, an engineer, rescued 18 people

"I got on my motorbike at my office in Athens and headed to Mati at 6.30pm. I've been a forest-fire volunteer for many years, but this time was different. My parents' summer home is there. I grew up with people who have apartments in the same block. They're all elderly now. I wanted to save them. ... It was hard to see in the smoke. The first woman I rescued was 80 and had just had a hip replacement. With some difficulty, I got her on the bike, saying: "Close your eyes, hold me tight and don't think of anything." I took her up to the roadblock where another friend said her six-year-old daughter was trapped on the beach. I drove back and found her. I'd seen a corpse in the alley leading to the shore, so led her through a garden on my way back. It was the only time I gave anyone my helmet. Again, I told her not to look. I did 18 runs, each time taking a person out and each time arguing with officers at the roadblock."

 

Mohammed El-Hamisi
47, an Egyptian fisherman, saved 48 people on his boat

"The seas around here are unpredictable. That night, the winds were up to 10 on the Beaufort scale, so it was very choppy. And there was smoke everywhere; visibility was nil. It was 7pm when I got the call from a lady who buys fish from me, saying: "Mohammed, we're on the beach at Kokkino Limanaki and we're either going to burn or drown. Save us!" My kids said: "Daddy, if there are children, you must go." I decided to leave instantly.

There were four of us who set out to help, but I couldn't even see the boat in front of me. My biggest worry was hitting someone who might be struggling in the water, or a rock, or one of the other vessels. From Nea Makri, where my boat Elpida (which means Hope) is moored, it usually takes 30 minutes to get to that part of the coast; but given the circumstances it took us three times that.

The others headed to the port in Mati. I headed to Kokkino Limanaki. As I pulled in, I saw all these people huddled together, holding one another. Thirty minutes later and I think they would have died in the heat. A lot couldn't swim. Children and their parents were the first to get on board – about 20 of them sitting anywhere they could, in the cabin, on the sides, all in a state of shock. We sailed to Rafina in total silence until we reached the port, where some cried.

I returned with an official from the coastguard. That time, we brought back 28. The last was a woman, an old, very large lady, who was sitting on a rock. She didn't want to budge. Her back and legs were burnt. She kept saying: "My boy, I've lost everything, let me die here." I kept saying: "No way, you're coming with us." I hurt my knee heaving her on to Elpida. I still don't know if she made it, but she is the one I can't forget...."

 

To read this article in full, please visit: The Guardian

Yoga helps coordinate physical movement and mental processes through gentle practice involving breathing, asana postures, and relaxation. Through soft, controlled breathing, participants gain peace of mind, self-control, and concentration, and develop positive thinking.

 

Participants should bring a yoga mat and wear comfortable clothes.
Admission is free on a first-come, first-served basis.

Schedule: Friday 19 July 2019 at19:00, Monday 22 July 2019 at 19:00, Tuesday 23 July 2019 at 08:00, Thursday 25 July 2019 at 08:00, Friday 26 July 2019 at 19:00, Monday 29 July 2019 at 19:00, and Tuesday 30 July 2019 at 08:00.

Fortunately, at the time the measure was drafted in 2008, 40% of Greeks were regular smokers whereas, by 2014, the percentage dropped to 27%–mainly due to the economic crisis.

The enforcement of the existing anti-smoking laws requires a determined administration that will cast aside concerns about political costs. After all, the majority of Greeks are now non-smokers.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Reporter

 

Scientists claim that the chunk of skull recovered from a cave in southern Greece is the earliest sign of the human species outside Africa. The fragments are estimated to be at least 210,000 years old, which indicates that our species began leaving Africa much earlier than previously thought.

The skull fossil was excavated in the late 1970s at the Apidima Cave in southern Peloponnese.

Woman’s visibility in urban spaces is key to claim the right to the city. Cycling is a particularly powerful way for women to become visible in the society and a complete new way to interact with the city. Fancy Women Bike Ride is an event for women, organized by women to remember the liberating joy of cycling and to inspire more women to use a bicycle in the cities.

The more women cycle, the more women will be encouraged to cycle.

Ride with us.

The guidelines for Fancy Women Bike Ride are as follows (although, these are not strict rules) :
* Dress code: fancy
* Decorate your bicycle
* Pose for the cameras and take selfies
* Greet and smile at people during the bike ride
* Bring your best friend.

The idea for these events began in 2013 in Izmir, Turkey. Every year, Fancy Women Bike Ride is held on World Car Free Day in destinations all over the world.