LIFE & CULTURE
XpatAthens
Sensyo Traditional Caves
Sensyo Prices 2015
Check In: 14:00
Check Out: 12 noon
• LOW (April - May - Nov): Double 98€, Superior Double 130€, Quad 150€ (+1 extra = +30€ 5th person)
• MID (June - Oct): Double 110€, Superior Double 150€, Quad 180€ (+1 extra = +30€ 5th person)
• HIGH (July - Aug - Sept): Double 135€, Superior Double 200€, Quad 230€ (+1 extra = +30€ 5th person)
Cycladic Café
Hours Of Operation:
Mon-Wed-Fri-Sat: 10.00-17.00
Thursday: 10.00-20.00
Sunday: 11.00-17.00
Telephone:
Location:
Website:
Athens Isn’t Pretty, But It's Exciting: Discover The City's Cultural Rebirth
Those mismatched columns, so pragmatically reused, offer an object lesson about the problems and promise of Athens today. Six years of economic crisis, and several decades of thoughtless urban development, have focused many minds here on the task of building a better future from the usable past.
Apart from its classical monuments, Athens is not a picture-postcard capital. It is gritty, restless and spontaneous, as you can see from rampant graffiti that sometimes blows up into epic street art.
But the city seems to be rebounding from the depths of the crisis, which many say were touched three years ago. More and more Athenians are involved in a kind of civic infill activity, reimagining the town, improvising social services and engaging in what Greek photographer Eirini Vourloumis calls “a forced renegotiation of Greek identity.”
Athens is still living the hangover from the boom years of the 1960s, when Athenians were proud of the city they thought they were creating, but also strangely oblivious to the consequences of that process. Unco-ordinated development, fuelled by aid from the U.S. government, erased much of the city’s neoclassical heritage, and damaged the city’s ecology and infrastructure.
Now, ambitious plans are afoot to remodel the downtown in more sustainable ways, and to add cultural capital to civic life. Innovative restorations, led by artists and arts organizations, are reclaiming rundown industrial districts. There is a feeling here that creativity is the last and best resource when other resources fail.
Nikos Vatopoulos, cultural editor of the Athens daily paper Kathimerini, says that Greece “has entered its Weimar period” – a reference both to its political fragility and its creative dynamism.
Rethink Athens, a project led by the Onassis Foundation, will insert a “green spine” between two central plazas, starting later this year. The six lanes of Panepistimiou Street will be pedestrianized and planted with 800 trees, to become a grand promenade – with bike lanes and a tram line – between the neoclassical environs of Syntagma Square and the slowly reviving area around Omonia Square. Near the centre of that promenade, the Greek National Theatre is completely restoring the Rex Theatre, an art-deco building designed in 1935 that will become a three-stage theatre hub. Dozens of empty buildings along Panepistimiou will reawaken as cultural spaces through a citywide project called theatre of 1,000 rooms.
The Greek National Opera, which has expanded all over town with unstaged “suitcase operas” and pop-up performances, will have a new theatre as of next year, designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation’s new complex in the city’s southwest. The National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST) has already taken up quarters in part of a restored brewery building originally designed by Takis Zenetos, a leading Greek proponent of modern architecture’s International Style.
By: Robert Everett-Green
16 Million Euro Parking Garage Opens At Kerameikos
The plot on the corner of Pireos and Iera Odos streets lay unused for years until finally things got moving and the underground parking garage opened in early March. It has five stories, with each level measuring 2,500 square meters and with a capacity for 274 vehicles. It is open 24 hours a day (a wise decision considering it is located close to one of the capital’s busiest nightlife districts) and is reasonably priced: starting at 2 euros for metro passengers (who have to display their tickets) or 3 euros for everyone else from 6 to 9 p.m., and up to 5 euros from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The ground-level “roof” of the parking garage has been turned into a green space and ceded back to the City of Athens, which originally owned the plot.
The story of the parking lot is strange, aside from the fact that the facility has been ready for several years but didn’t open until now. To begin with, it was built simply as a way to hold on to European Union funding. According to the original plans in the 1980s, the plot was intended for the new Kerameikos metro station, which is now on the main square in the nearby Gazi district. Excavations began in 1992 and the metro tunnel was supposed to run 20 meters underground, well below the level that the majority of antiquities in central Athens were found at. But archaeologists had expressed serious reservations about the location because of its proximity to the Ancient Cemetery of Kerameikos.
As it turned out, they were right. After five years, the excavations hit the western end of the cemetery, prompting a scramble to find a new site for the station that took on such controversial proportions that it was taken as far as the European Parliament. In 1997, the Central Archaeological Council laid the matter to rest by prohibiting the construction of a tunnel beneath Kerameikos. In the meantime, however, Attiko Metro had started building the station’s shell, spending some 5.8 million euros on that phase of the project.
To read more please visit: eKathimerini
Koulourakia - The Greek Easter Cookie
Difficulty: Easy
Cooks in: 20 minutes
- 300 g butter
- 300 g granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, medium
- 120 g orange juice
- orange zest, of 2 oranges
- 50 g brandy
- 1 kilo all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
- 50 g milk
- 1 pinch salt
- cloves, for the eyes
- 1 egg yolk, diluted in 2 tablespoons water
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 190ο C (375ο F) set to fan. In the mixer’s bowl add the butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and beat with the paddle attachment at medium speed for 5 minutes, until the mixture is fluffy.
Step 2: Add the eggs one at a time, the orange zest and juice, the cognac, and keep beating.
Step 3: In a bowl add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda) and mix with a spoon.
Step 4: Add half of the dry ingredients into the mixer, the milk, the salt. Keep beating for 1-2 minutes.
Step 5: Remove the bowl from the mixer, add the remaining dry ingredients, and mix with a spoon until the ingredients are homogenized. Continue kneading with your hands until a dough is formed.
Step 6: For bunny shaped cookies, cut a 30 g piece, shape it into a strip, and swirl it like a snail for the body of the bunny. Cut a 15 g piece, shape it into a small strip, and roll it in the shape of a fish. In this way, you will create the head of the bunny. Add a clove to create the bunny’s eye. Use a round 3 g piece of dough for the tail.
Step 7: Transfer the cookies onto baking pans lined with parchment paper, brush with egg wash, and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Step 8: Let them cool and serve.
Recipe Source: Akis Petretzikis
Tinos Seaside Houses
The houses offer magnificent views of the sunset. They each have 2 bedrooms (one with a double bed and one with 2 single beds), a living room with fireplace, dining area and kitchen, one bathroom and a WC. The kitchen is fully equipped with stove, fridge and, coffee maker, toaster and a TV and DVD can be provided upon request. There are pull-out couches so extra sleeping arrangements can be made when needed. The seaside views are wonderful as are the evening sunsets. Twice a week cleaning and changing towels, bed linen once a week included.
Tinos is truly ”Greek ” island ideal for your holiday because you can combine swimming, walking, sightseeing and many other activities. Tinos is a particularly interesting island because, except for the main port and its town there are 40 villages that are worth visiting. There are museums and cultural events and there are wonderful paths for hiking. Of course there are many beaches but it is also a beautiful island to visit at times other than the summer. If you enjoy eating there are many restaurants with delicious traditional Greek food. Tinos is very easy to get to from the ports of Rafina and Pireas and is also close to many other Greek islands so the location enables you to do some island hopping. Some of the near by islands are Myconos, Andros, Paros, Milos, Naxos and a little further away Santorini.
Breakfast In Athens
I’ve said it before – Athens has never been a huge brunch city. It’s a fairly recent phenomenon, but one that has grown fast. You can actually get some pretty good brunch fare at a growing number of cool spots around town.
I came across a list of Athens brunch places, which I will share here. This is surely not the ‘whole’ list – but it does have a few interesting suggestions.
· The Handlebar – originally a stop-in for cyclists to refuel while getting their bikes fixed, this is now a super-popular Psirri hangout, perfect for a cool, no-nonsense breakfast.
· To Tsai – bistro-style tea house in Kolonaki also serving breakfast, with interesting tea tastings, Chinese tea rituals, etc.
· Mama Roux – great food, good selection, lots of vegetarian options in Monastiraki.
· Hip Café – my personal favourite, healthy and easy, indoor/outdoor seating, very central.
· Prytaneion – well-known spot in Kolonaki – for brunching with businessmen, journalist and politicians.
· Jimmys Coffee Shop – a classic, around for more than 30yrs, and opens from very early.
· Acropolis Museum Restaurant – traditional Greek treats with an incomparable backdrop.
· New Taste – inside the New Hotel, this is becoming the ‘must try’ breakfast spot.
· St. George Lycabettus Hotel – Greek and American style selections – nice view!
· Hilton Athens – this one also has some Chinese selections on the list.
And I know there are plenty more options around! So, I think I will take my friends up on the brunch invites – especially this Sunday with the shops remaining open. Maybe this means I should also dust off my bike…
Until next week,
Jack
http://www.10best.com/
Athens International Airport Dubbed 'Airport Of The Year'
Athens International Airport (AIA) was named “Airport of the Year” in the 10-30 million passengers category at the Air Transport News (ATN) 2015 awards ceremony that took place in Geneva. The ATN Awards are the only international prizes that award all the main categories of the air transport industry.
“2014 has been a year of spectacular traffic development for our airport, which demonstrated an increase of 21.2 percent, within a very critical economic and political situation in Greece”, said AIA’s CEO, Yiannis Paraschis.
According to Mr. Paraschis, during the recent years marked by the Greek macroeconomic crisis, AIA managed to address significant market challenges, protect its business model and continue to deliver substantial value to all stakeholders and the Greek economy.
“Targeted efforts towards incentivizing traffic development and enhancing Athens’ attractiveness as a tourist destination have been key to that end”, he said.
“We believe that what makes an organisation capable of weathering a storm and come out even more efficient and effective, is clearly the ability of its human capital to continuously change and adapt. The Air Transport News award is yet another recognition for the people of AIA and the airport community at large.”
To read more please visit: GreekTravelPages
Greek Shares Present Opportunities
Veteran investor Mark Mobius of Templeton's emerging markets Investment Trust told Greek financial daily Naftemporiki on Tuesday that Greece's stock market was cheap and that the country would remain in the single currency club.
"Greece will stay in the euro zone, there is no issue," Mobius, who is in Athens for company visits, told the paper. "The stock market is cheap and we are buyers."
Uncertainty over the Greek government's negotiations with its official creditors to unlock remaining bailout funds has hurt the stock market, with the Athens bourse's blue-chip index down 14 percent year to date.
Mobius said privatisations are key to attracting foreign investors in Greece and improving the market climate.
To read more please visit: Reuters
Most Beautiful Towns In Greece
A land of incredible natural beauty, fascinating history, and colorful folklore, Greece arguably has something for everyone. From quaint coastal towns to alpine mountain villages and multicultural Macedonian cities, this is a selection of the must-visit, off-the-beaten-path destinations where you will discover a different side of this remarkable country.
1. Nafplio
Few cities reflect Greece’s rich and diverse history as well as Nafplio, one of the country’s most elegant and romantic destinations. Located in the heart of the historic Argolis region on the Peloponnese peninsula, Nafplio has deep cultural roots in Ancient Greece and the Venetian period of the 15th and 17th centuries. It flourished as modern Greece’s first capital in the early 1800s. The city boasts gorgeous neoclassical mansions, beautiful Venetian architecture and scenic alleys. Its landscape is composed by two Venetian castles, Palamidi and Acronafplia, built on two successive hills. Not to be missed, the small fortress of Bourtzi in the Argolic gulf, a short ferry ride from the city, offers unique views over Nafplio and an ideal setting for romantic getaways.
2. Parga
The quaint town of Parga is the most popular summer destination in Epirus, in western Greece. Built amphitheatrically on the slopes of Pezovolos hill and surrounded by lavish greenery and beautiful blue sea, the town has a laid-back island feel to it. Amongst Parga’s highlights, the visitor can enjoy its charming and colorful waterfront houses and stone-paved squares, and visit the ruins of an old Venetian castle atop the hill. Nearby Valtos and Lichnos beaches, connected to the port of Parga by boat, are amongst Greece’s finest.
3. Kalampaka
With a population of roughly 12,000 people, the small town of Kalampaka is located in Central Greece. It is built on the foot of the most spectacular Meteora pinnacles, a complex of abrupt rock formations that host one of Greece’s biggest and most important group of monasteries and UNESCO World Heritage site. Kalampaka has a rich history dating back to ancient Greece and especially the Byzantine era, with plenty of beautiful Orthodox churches and chapels. You can stroll down the narrow cobblestone streets of the town’s picturesque old quarter, Sopotos, much of which is built under the shadow of the rocks, and enjoy beautiful Macedonian traditional architecture.
4. Kastoria
Northern Greece’s hidden gem, the photogenic city of Kastoria is built on a narrow strip of land amidst the still waters of beautiful Lake Orestiada, giving the impression of a floating island. The city flourished during the 19th century as a fur trade and manufacturing center, and many of its traders’ luxurious mansions and traditional houses can be admired in the old quarters of Doltso and Apozari, along with 72 beautiful churches that are a testament to Kastoria’s rich Byzantine past. The lovely promenade around the lake is perhaps one of Greece’s most scenic walks, offering spectacular views of Kastoria and its surrounding mountains.
5. Karpenisi
Widely popular among winter sport enthusiasts and nature lovers, Karpenisi is a small town situated in a remote and sparsely populated area of Central Greece that is called the country's ‘Little Switzerland.’ The town’s reputation owes much to the unspoiled natural beauty of its surrounding mountains, alpine forests, and whitewater rivers, which make it an ideal destination for true escapism. For its size, Karpenisi offers a decent choice of traditional lodgings, bakeries, and restaurants, and boasts a wide variety of local delicacies, such as its famous leek sausages and internationally awarded prosciutto, crafted from a porcine breed native to the area.
6. Metsovo
Situated at an altitude of 1,200 meters in the very heart of the majestic mountain range of Pindos in Epirus, Metsovo is undoubtedly one of Greece’s more picturesque towns. The city was home to some of the country’s most skilled stonemasons who used the region’s rich natural resources to build gorgeous mansions, monasteries, fountains, and cobbled streets and squares, most of which remain untouched by time. Nearby mountain peaks and slopes and pristine forests offer an arresting sight to visitors, who can enjoy scenic hikes in the surrounding area. Despite the rapid increase in tourism in recent years, Metsovo still preserves its traditional character, perfectly combining the past with the present by offering a multitude of cultural and sport activities all year round.
To read this article in full, please visit: TheCultureTrip.com