It may be that nowadays the electric car makes quite the impression and is funded by big industrial firms, but in Greece, it was already constructed for the first time 45 years ago!

The electric car is hosted in the industrial museum of Syros. The car was built in 1973 in an old mill building close to the Neorion yard of Ermoupolis, the capital of Syros.

This electric car is the model Enfield 8000, an innovation at the time when the problem of air pollution had made its appearance in the big cities. At the same time, the concern related to oil stocks and dependence on them also grew big. It seemed that an electric car would solve many problems.

History of the electric car of Syros island

The car’s history began in the late 1960s. The company Enfield Automotive, based in the Isle of Wight of Great Britain and owned by the Greek John Goulandris (a member of a large shipowner family), won a competition for a contract with the Council of Electric Energy of England. Shortly before the start of the production of the car, Goulandris encountered technical problems with the Isle of Wight and so decided to move the factory to Syros. It was a risky decision, as the island of Syros had a long tradition in shipbuilding but no relation to the manufacturing of cars, let alone electric. However, it seems that the outcome vindicated Goulandris. The designer of the electric model was George Michael. The construction involved men from the yard, engineers, craftsmen from Syros, Piraeus, and many other places around Greece. It was a truly Greek affair.

To celebrate the history of the first electric car in Greece, a documentary was filmed, titled "A tale of two Isles", directed by Michael Stavropoulos (Director of the magazine for cars). One day Michael Stavropoulos went to Syros to try a modern electric car. On this occasion, he was introduced to the Greek story of the electric car, talked with people involved in the construction, and finally made a movie about the Enfield 8000.

To read this article in full and discover more about the Enfield 8000, please visit: omilo.co

Omilo Greek Language and Culture inspires people from all over the world to learn Greek, while exploring Greece. They offer 1- and 2-week courses for adults that combine beautiful course locations, experienced teachers, and a balanced combination of Greek classes with cultural activities. All these make Omilo a place where people enjoy learning modern Greek and have fun.

Besides the courses, Omilo also creates online publications to help adults expand their language skills through Language Books and eBooks for different language levels.

How do I set a new goal?

Of course, you’ve heard that it is necessary to have goals. The goal is a buzzword, practically what drives us to go further. It can be small and immediate or grandiose and long-term. It can be magical and fulfill your deepest dreams, it can also be something simpler and possible. In any case, it is useful and if we set it correctly, it drives us, creates a way forward, and fuels our dreams. A goal is a vision for the future that we desire.

Of course, you will have set goals in the past, but there is a high chance that you did not achieve them. What do we do wrong and most importantly, how can we correct it?

Here are some ways to get it right, using all the functions of the brain, conscious and unconscious, to achieve what you want from now on.

For maximum achievability, your goal must be:

• Well-formed. Proper goal setting achieves the upgrade of our quality of life to multiple levels. A not-so-successful goal slows us down, reduces our self-confidence, disorients us, and at worst fills us with doubts and procrastination.
• Inspirational and alluring, and motivational to you. How do you imagine your life a month, a semester, or a year from now? If you had all the tools and power, what would you want to achieve?
• Challenging, stretching us a little. Our brain wants the challenge, we need to get out of our comfort zone, dare new things, and see what we can achieve. If the goal is very easy, the subconscious mind achieves it immediately and then does not deal with it anymore. If a goal is not realistic, there is no hope, but if it’s not challenging, there is no motivation.
• Toward a positive direction. If you are thinking: “I want to leave this job”, then all your attention is where you want to leave from. But if your goal is stated positively: “I have a job I’m in the flow, I feel passionate about, a job that motivates me”, your brain looks at your goal.
• SMART – including various “technical characteristics to succeed”.
• Starting from and ending with you. If you are responsible for the success of the goal and only you (e.g. to run in the next marathon), then you have a much better chance of achieving it. If your goal depends on others (e.g. World Peace), then you are more likely to not be able to control the outcome. This does not mean that you will not do your best to achieve all the goals, just don’t be disappointed if you do not achieve what you want immediately.
• Ecological. To help/promote our “ecology”: our family, our work, our environment, and society in general. A goal that works in line with the needs and wants of others is much more readily achievable.
• Certifiable. How will you know that you succeeded? What will you see, feel, hear, and say to yourself when you achieve it? What is your own evidence procedure? The subconscious brain moves on until it receives this confirmation, and when it receives it, it moves on to the next goal you set for it.

For example, if your goal is a trip that you really want, you write it as follows: “It is August 5th. I am on a beach in South Crete, I feel calm, relaxed, and happy. I hear the wave and feel the heat on my face. I put on my swimsuit and read my favorite book. Life is beautiful!”

Last but not least, your goal that is specific, that is well-formed, that meets all the specifications, should be installed in your subconscious brain. There are two brains, the conscious brain works intelligently, logically, and linearly and gives us commands. We use this brain in deciding what goal to set (goal-setter). There is also the unconscious or subconscious brain, which has stored all the knowledge, all the tools, and all our psyche and is constantly at work. So, we install the goal in the subconscious mind to collect the data that are suitable for this purpose, that help us to go in the correct direction. The subconscious brain is the one that manages to achieve the goal (goal-getter). There are various ways and techniques to install the target in the subconscious brain and activate it to achieve our goal much more easily and directly.

Finally, on the way to achieving the goal, we need to calmly and realistically change course if necessary. We take in all the information, asses it, and if necessary, adjust accordingly.

The help of an expert can help in this process at all stages, from concretization to targeting, overcoming obstacles and limiting beliefs/behaviors, and of course implementation.

Do not forget, we are talking about your life. Insert passion, and imagination and kick-start your dreams!

Originally published on: christinadrakopoulou.com

---

I help outstanding individuals get unstuck from personal fears and limitations and fast-track to the life of their dreams. I specialize in the problems of modern life in urban environments: a job we do not love, dead-end relationships, lethargy, burnout, inability to live in stereotypes, excessive stress, a general feeling of “blockage”, “helplessness” and “entrapment”. For more information about me and my work visit my website.

Trekking through challenging terrains across the globe, enduring hours of arduous running in hundreds of marathons, breaking numerous athletic records, and constantly pushing his personal limits, Dean Karnazes has rightfully earned his title as the Ultra Marathon Man. Beyond long distance endurance running, the Greek-American athlete also enjoys competing in triathlons, is a successful entrepreneur, best-selling author, philanthropist, and dedicated father.

In 2013, Karnazes took on another title as the official ambassador of the annual Navarino Challenge, which takes place in Arcadia and Messinia, Greece. The three-day sporting event brings together a diverse range of participants in an effort to raise awareness on the issue of childhood obesity, while promoting the benefits of the mediterranean diet. Karnazes speaks with Portes Magazine about the upcoming Navarino Challenge, to take place September 11 through 13, and offers some insight on his athletic career.

What is unique about the Navarino Challenge as a sporting event?
To me it’s a very progressive event, and I’ve done hundreds of different types of running events across the globe. For Greece, this an event that is ahead of its time, and it’s an event conceived for mass participation. The core concept is similar to the original notion of the Ancient Olympics, which served to bring all of the citizenry out in a celebration of fitness and health. The [Ancient Olympics] were not only for elite athletes vying to win a gold medal. All of the participants received a laurel or a Greek wreath, so to me the Navarino Challenge is approachable to anyone regardless if you were an elite runner used to running great distances, or just someone who is going to run their very first challenge. And that’s something that appealed to me from the very beginning, making sure the challenge is not so intimidating so that many people are welcome and encouraged to take part.

How would you compare this sporting challenge to past events or courses in which you have participated?
I don’t know why, but there is something magical about the Navarino Challenge. I think in part people are inspired by me because they think, well here is a guy who runs hundreds of kilometers at a time and he’s out here running a more casual 10 kilometers with me. I think that inspires people, but I think people fail to recognize how much I’m inspired by seeing people who are pushing themselves to their very limit. For me, going out and running a half marathon is not extraordinary, and while it doesn’t necessarily come easy to me it’s less difficult for me than for others. But in this event, people really rise to the occasion and prove to themselves that they are better than they think they are and can go further than they thought they were able.

As the ambassador of the Navarino Challenge, what advice would you give to someone who is participating in a marathon or athletic endurance event for the first time?
Start from the ground up and invest in a good pair of shoes. Then I would say try starting your training program by running a set number of minutes instead of a set number of feet or miles. When you first start out you might just say I’ll commit to running just five minutes straight while pacing yourself, and then work up that way and try to expand that to ten or fifteen minutes as days go by. You’ll find that’s much easier than setting mile goals and much simpler in terms of keeping track of your goal.

You referenced earlier the concept of the Ancient Olympics is reflected in the Navarino Challenge. Can you share with us what ancient Greek wisdom or ideal you think might still apply to athletes and athleticism today?
The Greek ideal of ‘arete’ suggests goodness comes from finding a perfect balance of the mind, body, and spirit. And I think in the Western world unfortunately we have really neglected our body. I mean the Greeks embraced physicality and the balance between mind and body as being important. For example, in Ancient Greece gymnasiums were not only a place of mental learning, but also physical learning, and I really embrace that idea, because when your body is sharp your mind is sharp, and that’s a very ancient kind of notion that the Greeks honored. Other things the ancient Greeks taught us was to dare, to question everything and to go beyond what you think are your limitations. As they used to say “he who dares wins” so in practice I try to be fearless and explore new things, and not be afraid to fail.

In your athletic career, you have participated in countless running challenges across the world. If you had to choose, what would be your ideal natural terrain to run in?
I really enjoy running around Greece. I know it sounds funny to say but it almost feels like a homecoming to me. When I run around Athens, and especially when I run around Messinia, Arcadia, or Laconia or some of the more rural areas, you don’t often see people running down the street. And I can’t tell you how many people stop and just ask me if I want some food or if I want a ride, or they just congratulate me, and it’s really magical to see that you can break through to people in that way. If you think about it, it’s kind of a foreign thing for them to be driving down a road that they’ve been driving down for 20 or 30 years and all of a sudden they see some guy running, and he’s healthy and enjoying it and he’s Greek. I’ve run on all seven continents twice and I’ve run in some of the most exotic and beautiful places in the world, and still running in Greece to me has a certain magic that nowhere else does.

To read this interview in full, please visit: Portes Magazine

The hip central Athens district of Koukaki was recently voted among the top 10 must-visit up-and-coming global neighbourhoods, and for good reason! Not only is this area located just steps from the enchanting historic centre of Athens, it sits in the shadow of the magnificant Acropolis.

Koukaki has always been a popular neighbourhood in Athens, but recent additions to the area have made it that much more attractive to locals and visitors alike. Here are some of the area's best picks for food and coffee that will surely have you returning for more!

The Fabrica Of Euphrosinos
Address: An. Zini 34, 117 41 

Price per person: € 20-25
Hours: Weekdays: 11.00-23.00, Friday-Saturday: 11.00-1.00 

This new hot spot is a real food factory by George Gatsos who studied theology in Belgrade and passed through the kitchens of Mount Athos as a student. Gatsos' love for the authentic comes through in atmosphere and flavors. The decor is simple, by Serbian artist Gora, the food is delicious the wine selection unique from various small producers. The name of the restaurant is a dedication to Saint Euphrosinos, the patron saint of cooks. Euphrosinos is a busy spot so don't be suprised if it's full even if you visit mid week.

 

Garyfallo-Kanella
Address: Zan Moreas 28 & Falirou 84, 117 41
Price per person: € 10
Hours: Weekdays: 11.00-18.00, Friday - Saturday until late.

In the kitchen at Garyfallo-Kanella you'll find Dimos and his mother. The menu consists of homemade traditional Greek mezedes dishes and the bread is also made in-house. On Fridays and Saturdays they're open late and serve traditional dishes from Asia Minor. Prices are great and they offer a delivery service within central Athens.

ManiMani
Address: Makriyianni 10 & Falirou, 117 42 
Price per person: € 22 - 25
Hours: Open daily and on weekends - closed on Sunday night.

This restaurant made Mani sausage with 'siglino' (celery) fashionable and with a 10 year history, its cuisine honors the traditions of its southern Greek origin. Fava, village hot dogs, giouvetsi (beef in tomato sauce) and pork with spinach all have an interesting twist from chef Alexandros Foroulis. It's location is perfect and offers a quiet oasis from the bustle of the city. Prices are at mid-range restaurant level and they also offer half portions at half the price too!

Valparaiso
Address: G. Olympiou 7, 117 41
Price per person: € 10
Hours: Daily from 10.00-3.00

Located on the pedestrian walkway of Olympiou, this local gathers many people! Port Valparaiso in Chile was the inspiration for the name. The excellent design, great cocktails and amazing coffees of rare varieties all come together perfectly. 

Pagaki
Address: Olympou 17, 117 41
Price per person: 10€
Hours: Daily from 11.00-00.00

Pagaki, meaning bench in English, is a collective-urban partnership where everyone works for everyone. The food options are few and excellent, including anchovies, beans, lemon flavored pork lemon and are all € 4 or less. Wi-fi is free and Pagaki is one of the few spots with excellent access for the disabled.

Lotte
Address: Tsami Karatasou 2, 117 42
Price per person: 10€
Hours: Daily from early in the morning

Lotte reminds you of a cfe that you'd find in Monmarte. It's small, vintage, and if you close your eyes you get the feeling that you're in mum's living room; the tiles are from the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus before it was remodelled. It's the perfect spot for a cup of tea and some hand made cakes!

Guarantee
Address: Veikou 41, 117 42
Price per person: 10€
Hours: Daily from 10.00-17.00

A gourmet sandwich spot that made sandwiches fashionable, Guarantee is celebrating 27 years of service. After this many years its inevitable to have a number of fans who love their famous cold cuts, roast beef and fluffy buns. Make a sandwich of your choice and combine it with a yummy fresh juice.

Originally posted in Greek on: AthensWiz

Traditional Greek Tahinosoupa is quick, simple, colorful, utterly delicious and of course, authentically vegan! Served hot or at room temperature, tahini soup is a light, wonderfully flavorful dish that’s just the thing for summer and it’s ready in 20 minutes – including prep!

Ingredients

• 6 cups of water
• 2 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup small pasta (Italian stars or Greek Misko peponi)
• 1/4 cup celery, grated (about 2 stalks)
• 1/4 cup scallions, sliced very thin (2-3)
• 1/3 cup grated carrots (1/2 medium carrot)
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/3 cup tahini, mixed well
• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

To view this recipe in full and for the directions on how to prepare Tahinosoupa, please visit: The Greek Vegan