So I’m on a bicycle kick these days – my first springtime venture a few weeks ago left me braver, and I’m convinced that drivers actually see me as they fly by…

Early on Sunday morning, I dragged myself out of bed and jumped on my bike… The sun and the birds were my only company as I left from Kifissia, and made my way down Kifisias street, past Golden Hall, in through Psihiko, down into Panormou, over the hills of Kolonaki, Syntagma, around Plaka and finally reached my destination in Thissio.

The whole ride took me less than 90minutes – no traffic, no danger, no worries! I loved it. The city took on a different character – it was like watching a movie, seeing sites and scenes that you would never ‘catch’ on foot. The lady washing down the street in front of her door, the couple out walking their dog, the group of people entering the church, the group of men sitting down at the kafeneio for their morning coffee… There was something about riding by these scenes of everyday life, at just the right speed, that made me smile…

Then, after my own morning coffee, I picked up my bike and got on the train at Thissio station, for the ride back home. (Sorry, my cycling ambitions are still ‘one way’…!) Lucky for me, bicycles are allowed on the Athens metro system - you can take your bike on the last car of every train, no issue.

A gentleman in a white suit got on at Monastiraki station, with his bicycle in tow, and said “Good morning” and “Where are you off to?”… Turns out he rides his bike everywhere – always has – and ignores his kids’ requests to buy a car. “At my age, I just need my bike!” His age: 85.

Get out there….

Until next week,

Jack

In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…

On the menu, you’ll find cheeses and deli platters, bruschetta, salads and pasta, with a burger, a sirloin beef and a braised pork pancetta on the menu.

Address
Akti Themistokleous & Pargas 1, Piraeus

Tel: 2155159792

athinorama.gr

By Angela Stamatiadou - Translated by Eleni Georgiou

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The high mountains with lots of snow and forests, such as Siamanta, Elatia, Perdikovrysi and Kapareli, make the region of Theodoriana the richest in water from all over the country. There are the famous waterfalls "SOUDA" of the River White Gura. Passing through a beautiful paved path between trees, visitors can see the amazing spectacle of the two waterfalls that drop water from 28 meters in height and volume 800 cubic meters per hour.

Points of interest is the Church of St. George, which features 17 magnificent domes and a very high steeple with three bells. It was built in 1880 by workmen of Pramanta, while inside it is decorated with carved wooden iconostasis of 1918 from Metsovo artisans.

Furthermore, the Monastery of the Virgin Birth, which was built in 1973 and, since the Turkish occupation, it functioned as a school. During the occupation it turned into a den of patriots, but also a rough surgery and hospitalization. The monastery is decorated with the old wooden temple of St. George, a sample of wood carving art, with carved walnut wood.


To read more, please visit xenion.gr

Manos Sifakis left Greece to study at one of the most prestigious technical universities in the world— the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology in the UK— also known as the MIT of Europe. He left his farming community in Larissa, in central Greece, thinking very well that he’d return to his family, his friends and his way of life after studies to start his own computer business.

Conditions in Greece forced him to change his plans and head to the United States, where he took up residence in Philadelphia and started customedialabs in 2000.

Fast forward fifteen years— the company is a leader in the digital marketing space with major Fortune 500 clients like ING, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson and Exxon Mobil having been serviced out of the company’s offices in suburban Philadelphia and— Sifakis’ hometown of Larissa, 200 miles north of Athens.

In Philadelphia, customedialabs has 12 employees in operations, client services and client management, while his Greece office has 40 employees ranging from the creative team, various software engineers, user experience architects and quality assurance.

For Sifakis, there’s no better way to “support” Greece than by supporting and empowering its human capital.

“We could easily staff our office here in the United States with developers, designers and all the positions we need to do the work for our clients,” Sifakis told The Pappas Post.

“But why not staff these positions with able-bodied, talented people in Greece? This is my way of helping— not with charity, but by employing 40 Greeks and supporting 40 Greek families struggling through this crisis and offering these people employment, professional development and dignity— which they deserve. These people can dream again, and for me, that’s a big thing.”

And work isn’t all Sifakis is offering them. He focuses a lot of offering professional development for the people who work for him in Greece. Many have gotten their start with customedialabs and have moved on to big Silicon Valley and European tech companies. Sifakis gave them the opportunity to interface for the first time with a global audience, essentially building their portfolio and resumes.

To read more please visit: ThePappasPost

1. Photograph the evzones during the main changing of the guard ceremony at 11:00 Sunday or every hour on the hour 24×7.
   
   
2. Take a close look at the tomb of the unkown soldier.
   
   
3. Take a free tour of Parliament house.
   
   
4. Make a wish and throw a coin in the fountain.
   
   
5. Attend a free lecture or workshop at Public Bookstore.
   
   
6. Visit the museum of ancient artifacts found during the excavation works at Syntagma metro station.
   
   
7. Find George Zongolopoulos’ atrium of flying umbrellas at Syntagma Metro.
   
   
8. Attend one of the numerous fairs and bazaars at the conference center of the Syntagma metro station.
   
   
9. Take a selfie at the designated selfie spot at the historic Grand Bretagne Hotel rooftop.
   
   
10. People watch at one of the sidewalk cafes.