XpatAthens
Friday, 30 August 2024 02:22
The King's Special Spice: A Bilingual Tale For Young Learners
In a world often fixated on perfection, The King's Special Spice offers a refreshing perspective for both children and adults. This bilingual children’s book, beautifully written in Greek and English by Yulie Archontaki, tells the whimsical tale of a king whose obsession with perfection leads him on a journey of discovery and growth.
A Story of Culinary Perfection
The story revolves around a king who demands that everything be perfect—especially his food, which is always seasoned with his beloved spice, Berbere. But when the spice fails to arrive one day, chaos ensues. The king's servants, rather than succumbing to despair, showcase their creativity and problem-solving skills, demonstrating that there are countless ways to achieve greatness. Through the eyes of various characters, including the cook, the gardener, and the horse keeper, readers learn that perfection isn't found in a single ingredient but in the rich tapestry of experiences and solutions that life offers.
As children are gently lulled to sleep by the rhythm of the narrative, adults awaken to the deeper message that perfection is not a destination but a journey filled with variety and unexpected outcomes. This book not only entertains but also imparts valuable lessons about resilience, teamwork, and embracing life’s imperfections.
The Visionary Behind the Story
Yulie Archontaki is a remarkable author whose diverse background enriches her storytelling. Born and raised in Greece, Yulie's journey has taken her across the globe, from the UK and the USA to her recent return to Greece after a decade in Los Angeles. With an impressive educational background that includes an M.F.A. in Physical Theater and a Postgraduate Diploma in Architecture, Yulie's multifaceted experiences shape her unique approach to literature and teaching.
As the founder of the Hellenic Academy Theatre Department, Yulie has dedicated herself to educating children about the Greek language through the arts. Her innovative teaching style incorporates puppetry and theatrical techniques, engaging young minds and fostering a love for storytelling.
Her passion for storytelling extends beyond the classroom; Yulie has authored and illustrated two books, including The King's Special Spice, which was staged in 2022 under her direction. Her other work, The Diary of a Weird Child, has also made waves as a short animated film traveling to festivals worldwide. As an accomplished actor and member of The Actors’ Gang, she has collaborated with renowned theater productions and received accolades for her performances.
A Call to Embrace Life's Richness
The King's Special Spice is not just a book; it's an invitation to explore the beauty of imperfection and the myriad of solutions that life presents. Yulie Archontaki’s heartfelt narrative and engaging characters serve as a reminder that greatness can be achieved in countless ways.
As readers turn the pages of this delightful bilingual tale, they are encouraged to let go of the constraints of perfection and instead embrace the diversity and richness that come with life's challenges. This enchanting story is a perfect addition to any child’s library, offering lessons that resonate long after the last page is turned.
In a world that often pressures us to strive for flawlessness, The King's Special Spice celebrates the journey of self-discovery and creativity. It is a heartwarming reminder that sometimes, the most meaningful experiences come from the unexpected twists and turns of life.
To explore more about Yulie Archontaki and her inspiring work, visit her website. Embrace the journey and let the flavors of life unfold!
To purchase the book, please CLICK HERE!
Published in
Books
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Thursday, 05 February 2015 14:29
Unhappy Trains
There are things about Athens that I love, many things in fact. I am a real promoter of this city and all that it offers. However, there are a few things about Athens that I do not love. Graffiti, garbage disposal, and other such ‘eyesores’… But there is one thing that I truly cannot stand, that makes me cringe, that has become my personal pet peeve about Athens, and the worst eyesore of them all: those noisy, bothersome, truly annoying ‘choo choo trains‘ that take people around the historic centre.
Call me uncaring, but I find it annoying to have to dodge trains (trains!) at every corner around Thiseio, Plaka, Monastiraki, Acropolis.
And the ding-ding-ding of that bell!
I was at Moma last night (still one of my favourite places to eat and hang out along Adrianou St.), enjoying a glass of wine with 2 friends. The night was perfect – warm, breezy and relaxed. In mid-sentence, I heard the bells. The bells signalling an end to all things breezy and relaxed. The bells that are followed by “…and on your left you can see the ancient Agora…” Followed by a giant wave of people jumping out of the way so that the overloaded choo choo train can interrupt our lives for 30 brief seconds (I counted) as it makes its way around the pedestrian streets. Repeat this every 10minutes.
But it gets better. As it turns out, you can run but you can’t hide. There are multiple choo choo trains that seem to follow me around. I am dodging moving locomotives at every turn. I can’t win.
I really hope that everyone who takes those trains really appreciates the ride, really loves the commentary, and really see everything the want to see. And then I also hope that each of them experiences the ‘choo choo train dive’ as they leap out of the way of the next tour.
End of rant. Now back to summer. :)
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…
Published in
My Week In Athens
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Monday, 16 February 2015 12:19
The Grande Bretagne's 2 Roof Garden Bars
Sitting at the GB Roof Bar you can enjoy a breathtaking views of the Acropolis along with any of the 90 cocktails available, while watching them being prepared by professional bartenders. Before a romantic dinner or for a night out, enjoy an aperitivo and experience the enchanting atmosphere from the roof of the Hotel Grande Bretagne.
Open air Bar
The open-air bar overlooks the lush Lycabettus Hill and Athens from above while the relaxed atmosphere turns it into the ultimate place-to-be!
Explore & enjoy original cocktails that travel you to tropical destinations, including the famous "Zombie" cocktail that uniquely combines three different kinds of rum, satisfying even the most discerning guests. As for Martini lovers, the variety of 16 different original recipes will definitely not leave you indifferent.
The new GB Roof Bar offers drinks from our select group of bartenders, trained to create authentic experiences.
For more details, please visit www.gbroofgarden.gr/en/bars
Do you have a recommendation or recipe to share? Send it to us at ideas@xpatathens.com!
Published in
Pubs, Bars & Cafes
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Thursday, 19 February 2015 11:50
Greece Hit By New Wave Of Snow And Bad Weather
Snow chains are required in many parts of northern Greece, while traffic has also been disrupted in certain areas of northern Attica. This kind of weather is unusual, particularly for the wider capital area. A quarter of an hour was enough on the early hours of Tuesday for the inhabitants of Athens' northern suburbs to see the roads, cars and the ground covered by 5cm of snow.
Even lower temperatures are forecast for today in Attica, while adverse weather is expected to abate as of the evening. Local snowfall is expected mainly in Attica, Viotia, Evoia island, the Sporades islands as well as Crete and the Cyclades islands, with northern areas of the country being hit by frost.
Snow fall is expected again tonight in the northern suburbs of the capital, with a chance that it will be more severe than Tuesday's, but the weather is expected to subside late this afternoon.
To read more, please visit thetoc.gr/eng
By Theo Ioannou
Published in
Local News
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Wednesday, 24 April 2024 07:00
Magiritsa: Traditional Greek Easter Soup
Easter's main meal, which happens on Easter Sunday, is traditionally associated with roasting lamb on a spit, and Magiritsa soup is created using the leftover parts of the animal so that nothing goes to waste. This soup is traditionally served following the midnight church service on Holy Saturday in order to break the fast.
Yield: 8 servings
Difficulty: Easy
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooks in: 2 hours in 20 minutes
Cooks in: 2 hours in 20 minutes
Ingredients
• 2 pounds of lamb or kid offal (liver, heart, lungs, and other organs)
• Intestines from 2 lambs or kids
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 5-6 green onions, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 2-3 rounded tablespoons of fresh dill, finely chopped
• 2 heads of romaine lettuce, well washed and finely chopped
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons of short-grain rice, well rinsed
For the Avgolemono (Egg & Lemon) Sauce:
• 2 pounds of lamb or kid offal (liver, heart, lungs, and other organs)
• Intestines from 2 lambs or kids
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 5-6 green onions, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 2-3 rounded tablespoons of fresh dill, finely chopped
• 2 heads of romaine lettuce, well washed and finely chopped
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons of short-grain rice, well rinsed
For the Avgolemono (Egg & Lemon) Sauce:
• juice of 2 lemons
• 3 eggs at room temperature, separated
• 1 tablespoon of water
To read more and learn how to prepare this soup, please visit: The Spruce Eats
Published in
Greek Food & Diet
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Thursday, 07 January 2016 13:44
Greek Skies - Time Lapse Video
A time lapse video projecting the beauty of the Greek sky won the Best of the Fest award at the Hollywood International Independent Documentary Awards (HIIDA) in December.
The video maker, Panagiotis Filippou, dedicated the video to his father who died of cancer. Filippou said that it took 365 days, 55,000 photos, 825 hours shooting photos, 8400 km, 650 hours of editing and countless hours of praying in order to make this amazingly beautiful video.
We hope you love it as much as we do! For more information about the artisit, please visit his website here: http://panosphotographia.com/
Source: Tornos News
Published in
Videos
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Thursday, 21 July 2016 07:00
Athens Airport Goes Green & Is Hailed For Its Initiatives
To celebrate World Environment Day, which is observed every year on the 5th of June, the Athens International Airport (AIA) had a recycling competition for all airport employees. Their aim was to raise awareness and encourage recycling throughout the airport.
AIA has repeatedly been awarded for its efforts to promote environmentally friendly practices including winning the Ecopolis Environmental Awareness Award for its work in monitoring ecosystems in the area of airport and protection of biodiversity and wildlife. AIA has also been recognized for its practices in waste management, recycling, and CO2 emissions reduction as well as for its overall contribution to environmental protection and sustainable development.
AIA’s initiatives include holding a one-day workshop on Biodiversity and Climate Change in Eastern Attica, bringing together representatives from ministries, local government, universities and NGOs. AIA has provided educational materials and themed excursions to schools, started an educational program at local elementary schools to raise awareness about water management, and provided scholarship funding for two postgraduate students at the University of the Aegean.
To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Travel Pages
To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Travel Pages
Published in
Local News
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Thursday, 05 January 2017 07:00
Athens Gaining Ground As Winter Destination
Tourist flows to the Greek capital are on the rise with professionals saying this is the best December 2016 performance in a long time demonstrated by increased demand for rooms and high passenger traffic at Athens International Airport (AIA).
Managing Director of Hotel Grande Bretagne and Hotel King George, Tim Ananiadis, told Euro2day that bookings at the two award-winning hotels have risen this month by 15 percent compared to last year, bringing 2016 to a healthy close for both five-star units.
Alexandros Vassilikos, president of the Athens – Attica & Argosaronic Hotel Association backs Ananiadis’ claims of boosted December performance, adding that many Cypriot travelers also chose to visit the Greek capital this year. The number of holidaymakers from Cyprus had dropped by as much as 60 percent in the previous years, according to hotel industry professionals.
To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Travel Pages
Published in
Local News
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Thursday, 04 January 2018 09:00
Winter Sales In Greece Start January 8 Through February 28
Greece is beginning the 2018 new year with winter sales starting on January 8 and going through February 28. On January 14, the first Sunday of the sales period, shops will stay open from 11:00-18:00.
Store owners, particularly in Athens, have announced a mere 2.5% hike in their profits in the holiday season and are now anxious to capitalize on it with the almost two-month long winter sales.
If there is a discount on more than 60% of a store’s goods on sale, it is mandatory to show the percentage discount given, which must be displayed in the shop window and all other commercial communication, such as online stores and public advertisements.
For a few ideas on where to shop, read: Athens' Newest Cool Neighborhoods - Koukaki & Makriyianni and Top 5 Places To Go In Kifissia
For a few ideas on where to shop, read: Athens' Newest Cool Neighborhoods - Koukaki & Makriyianni and Top 5 Places To Go In Kifissia
To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Reporter
Published in
Local News
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Tuesday, 26 February 2019 07:00
Madame Phu Man Chu: The Funkiest Vietnamese Restaurant In Town
Madame Phu Man Chu is an exciting new entry to the Athenian gastronomy and nightlife scene. The brain child of a peculiar trio, a Vietnamese chef, a French architect and a Greek musician/entrepreneur, Madame Phu Man Chu is the funkiest tiny Vietnamese restaurant in town.
The space is small but nicely decorated in an oriental mix and match style; there’s silk lanterns, an Asian paper dragon on the ceiling, and a porcelain bust of Ho Chi Minh by the entrance.
At Madame Phu Man Chu expect to become part of the action, there are no tables and the bar stools face the kitchen giving customers full sight of the food preparation! The menu is small and the dishes are meant to be shared, sort of like an Asian ‘tapas’ restaurant. The introductory tasting menu costs €25 – we were 3 people and were more than happy to share 2 tasting menus between us. We tasted crispy spring rolls, succulent beef skewers, delicious fried tofu, Vietnamese style mussels, and fish; everything was well prepared and very yummy!
The service at Madame Phu Man Chu is warm, friendly and welcoming, making it the sort of place you’d like to pop in after work for quick drink and a little bite. Essentially, it’s a great addition to the re-vitalizing of the Athenian night scene.
Address: Skouleniou 4 & Praxitelous, Athens
Telephone: 210 3231366
Know a great restaurant? Share your review with us!
Address: Skouleniou 4 & Praxitelous, Athens
Telephone: 210 3231366
Know a great restaurant? Share your review with us!
Published in
Restaurants In Athens
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