XpatAthens

XpatAthens

Thursday, 05 February 2015 14:59

Cats?

Full disclosure: I never know what to say when a friend calls and asks, “Do you have plans tonight?” My instinct is to be honest, but my self-serving, suspicious side normally replies, “Yes, I’m supposed to go to… But what did you have in mind?”

So I was pleasantly surprised on Saturday when I was offered a free ticket to see Cats at the Badminton Theatre. I accepted with a smile, and a small pang of guilt…

Badminton Theatre itself is pretty nice. It’s the re-purposed badminton stadium from the 2004 Olympics. It’s not a fancy ‘posh’ theatre – it’s rather industrial, ‘modern’, efficient. A nice example of what can be done with ex-Olympic venues. More than ok. And accessible by metro, a short walk from Katehaki station.

Saturday night was almost a full house, with lots of international, expat types – I could hear English all around. The play itself was in English, and the theatre has Greek subtitles showing on electronic boards above the stage.

It was a London production – costumes great, set great, music great with a live orchestra (which I couldn't actually see, but I suppose one should believe them…). We had 15 eur seats, the ‘cheap seats’, but I could see and hear perfectly.

I had never seen Cats, I never really paid much attention – all I really knew was that it has been wildly popular, and has run continuously since the 1980s.

Here’s the thing: Cats is kind of dumb. It’s two+ hours of cats singing. Literally. It’s one song after another, each one about a different type of cat – the sneaky cat, the funny cat, the lazy cat, etc….  No real story that I could follow, no drama, no resolution. Just cats. Singing.

My apologies to all those who love the story – and I’m no expert on musicals – but Cats just didn’t do it for me…

But hey, for a different night out in Athens, check out Badminton Theatre – there is sure to be a show that satisfies!

Badminton Theatre

www.badmintontheater.gr


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…

Tuesday, 17 February 2015 15:44

What To See In Athens

Daily events (including music, bars, museums, galleries, markets etc.)

 

 
 
 
 
 
Acropolis

Summer daily 8am-7pm; winter daily 8.30am-3pm and floodlit by night
The Acropolis is a rocky mound rising above Plaka. It is the birthplace of Athens, and crowned by three ancient temples, the best known being the Parthenon.

Agorá
Daily
In ancient times Athens' political, administrative and cultural heart, today the Ancient Agora in Monastiraki is a green landscape dotted with crumbling ruins.

Balthazar
Daily
Balthazar is an exclusive bar-restaurant set in a romantic walled garden decorated with fairy lights.

 

 
Battleship Averoff Museum
Daily
The Battleship Averoff is the most important and impressive surviving naval vessel in the history of the Hellenic Navy. Commissioned in 1911, it served for 44 years.
 

Benaki Museum
Daily; not Tue
Occupying a neo-classical house in Kolonaki, the Benaki Museum offers a walk through the history of Greek art from 3000 BC up to the 20th century. Exhibits are laid out in chronological order.

 Benaki Museum of Islamic Art
Daily; not Mon
The Islamic Museum in Athens, part of the Benaki Museum, has relocated to a bigger building for a better viewing experience. The neoclassical complex houses works from India, Persia, and Asia.


Byzantine & Christian Museum
Daily; not Mon
In its underground exhibition space in Kolonaki, the Byzantine and Christian Museum traces the Byzantine Empire from the birth of Christianity to the 1453 fall of Constantinople.

Centre of Hellenic Tradition
Daily
For orignal souvenirs and gifts, call at the Centre of Hellenic Tradition, which stock authentic Greek folk art.
 

Dimitris Pierides Museum of Contemporary Art
Daily
The Dimitris Pierides Museum of Contemporary Art houses over a thousand paintings, sculptures, engravings and ceramics and includes works by artists from Greece and Cyprus.

Frissiras Museum
Daily; not Mon or Tue
In Plaka, the Frissaras Museum is Greece's only museum to contemporary European painting. There's a permanent collection, dedicated to the human figure, as well as pieces by Hockney.

Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art
Daily; not Tue or Sun
In Kolonaki, the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art is revered for its collection of elegant marble figurines. Surprisingly contemporary in style, these enigmatic pieces were placed in burial sites.


Kerameikos Archaeological Site
Daily
The Kerameikos was the potters' quarter of classical Athens and also the official cemetery of the city. Today it is a tranquil and fascinating archaeological site, away from the bustle of the city.

Lykavittos
Daily
Athens' highest point, 295 metres high, Mount Lykavittos is served by cable car from Kolonaki. Paths zigzag up through pinewoods to the summit, capped by a whitewashed church and cafe.

Monastiraki Flea Market
Daily
Like an Eastern bazaar, the open-fronted stores of Monastiraki Market stock copperware, backgammon sets, army surplus gear, leather goods and cheap jewellery. On busy Sunday mornings, everyone meets here.

Museum of the City of Athens
Daily; not Tue
The Museum of the City of Athens is housed in a neoclassical building constructed in 1833 which was used as King Otto's temporary palace from 1836-1842.

Museum of Greek Folk Art
Daily; not Mon
The Museum of Greek Folk Art in Plaka displays costumes, embroidery, jewellery, ceramics, arms and folk theatre artefacts from around Greece. Don't miss the Theofilis Room.


Museum of Greek Traditional Instruments
Daily; not Mon or Sun
Hidden away in pretty Plaka, the Museum of Greek Traditional Instruments displays 1,200 musical instruments, ranging from gypsy flutes to shepherds' goatskin bagpipes.
 

 

National Archaeological Museum
Daily
National Archaeological Museum
Home to the world's finest collection of ancient Greek art, the marble-floored National Archaeological Museum, near Omonia, displays larger-than-life sculptures of heroes from Greek mythology.

National Gallery of Art
Daily; not Tue
Tired of ruins? Make sure you visit the biggest picture and portrait gallery in Greece, the National Gallery, or Ethniki Pinakotheki.


National Gardens
Daily
Designed as the grounds of the 19th-century royal palace, now the Parliament, the National Gardens in Syntagma display lush planting, duck ponds, strutting peacocks and a small zoo.

Numismatic Museum
Daily; not Mon
With a history going back to 1829, Athens' Numismatic Museum is one of the few of its kind in the world and the only such museum in the Balkans. The strength of its collection lies in some of the world's oldest coins.

Plaka
Daily
The Plaka sits in the shadow of the Acropolis in the oldest part of Athens and with most of the streets closed to automobile traffic, it is one of the most pleasant neighbourhoods in the city.

Roman Forum
Daily
From 1BC to 4AD, traders met in the Roman Forum - a rectangular courtyard lined with shops. Also on the site in Plaka stands the octangular Tower of the Winds, built in 1BC by Macedonian workers.

Spyros Vassiliou Museum
Daily
The home and studio of Greek artist Spyros Vassiliou (1902/3-1985) is now open to the public as a museum and archive, becoming the principal authority on the artist.

Stavros Melissinos
Daily; not Sun
Stavros Melissinos began crafting handmade leather sandals in 1954. When poet Stavros retired in 2004, the shop moved to Psirri and is now run by his son, Pantelis.


Technopolis
Daily
The once run-down industrial area of Gazi began its transformation into Athens' most happening nightlife district with the opening of Technopolis in 1999. Occupying the former city gasworks.

Vorres Museum
Daily
The Vorres Museum consists of a complex of ten acres of buildings, courtyards and gardens. Its collection of over 6000 items covers 4000 years of Greek history.


War Museum
Daily; not Mon
The War Museum of Athens explores the history of warfare from stone axes to heavy artillery. Other exhibits cover the classical and medieval period, the Greek War of Independence and conflicts.

 

 

Thursday, 19 February 2015 12:29

Greek Startups ‘Dream Team’ Goes To London

IRISena is a promising Greek startup that will take part in DroidCon London 2014, one of the most important European exhibitions on development and new technologies. 

Along with IRISena, characterized as one of the most innovative products in the field (a smartphone communication tool that delivers relevant information to one’s audience or other defined user groups anytime, anywhere), the infamous Taxibeat, Workable, Dopios and LazyPub form the “dream team” of Greek startups, that have been chosen amongst hundreds to participate in the conference, next to colossal new technology companies. The “magnificent five” of Greek startups will be in London’s Business Design Centre on October 30 and 31.

Even though IRISena is a new-born company, it has already won its place amongst the other four that will also be presented in DroidCon London with their own kiosks, as it has managed to convince both the investors and the public that it will have an impact on the field. Being placed on the lists of www.eu-startups.com and European Startup Initiative with the top five promising Greek startups, its developers have the chance to secure their own position in the world of computer technology.

To read more, please visit greekreporter.com

By Aggelos Skordas
 

Friday, 27 February 2015 15:47

Picnic In Athens

Athens is often described as not having 'green space', but believe it or not there are many beautiful green corners around the city. All of them are lovely for a spring walk and just perfect for a picnic! Parks, forests, as well as the Riviera, provide a quick city escape. Here are some of our favourite spots for nature walks and afternoon picnics in Athens.

 

Park at the Skopeftirio of Kaisariani

Paved ways into the grass, benches and fences, bicycle lanes and a playground for the kids alternate with a beautiful café should you lack or have forgotten something behind. The park is open on a 24-hour basis.

Environmental Park “Antonis Tritsis”

A huge park (1.200.000m²) encompassing ponds, canals, a rich flora and a refuge of hundreds of species of birds and mammals will surely provide for relaxing time, trekking, jogging, biking and even horseback riding. Cafés and snack bars are also available.

Lycabettus Hill

Walk to the top of the beautiful hill of downtown Athens, or take the funicular from Ploutarchou Street in the area of Kolonaki. See the city of Athens from above and enjoy a light bite on one of the wooden tables under the trees.

Philopappou Hill

It is the common name of the Hill of the Muses. Paved walks through the pine trees lead you all the way to the top of the hill where you will admire the monument to Gaius Julius (2nd century BC) and the breathtaking view to the city, as well as the Acropolis, almost at eye-level with the monument. Remember that the main entrance to the hill’s area starts right across the main entrance to the Acropolis.

Attica Park (Galatsi area)

Sports facilities, playgrounds, an outdoors cinema, many trees of all kinds, gazebos with tables in them, and even a cave make up an enjoyable scenery.

Syngrou Estate

Being the favourite oasis of the residents of the northern suburbs of the city, the green-clad and flower-scented estate “hides” treasures to be discovered: the unique in Greece neo-gothic Orthodox Church of St Andrew and the mansion of the Syngrou family, designed by Ernst Moritz Theodor Ziller.

A little further out…

Athens is blessed with beautiful green slopes. Mt Ymittos, Mt Parnitha and Mt Penteli welcome friends and families, photography aficionados, and relaxation seekers alike for picnics and nature activities.

If you prefer the seaside, head south to the gorgeous Athens Riviera. Walk barefoot in the sand, picnic on the beach and listen to the sea breeze.

 

Source: visitgreece.gr

Under normal circumstances, the inauguration of a multistory parking garage would not be newsworthy. But the case of the new facility opened by Athens metro operator Attiko Metro in the downtown area of Kerameikos is somewhat unique. The underground parking garage is located on the original site for the Kerameikos metro station, which was then moved 300 meters away due to archaeological discoveries.
 

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
Thursday, 10 September 2015 07:00

Linguistic Tourism - A New Way Of Travel?

Let’s be honest! What are your first thoughts when planning your holidays?
Where will I stay, where will I eat, how the local life looks like and of course, how will I communicate!!

No worries, that’s all what Glossopolis provides you with!

Glossopolis is an e-learning platform providing Greek language courses for people who want to visit the place, speak the language of the locals instead of using some typical scholar phrases and wish to have a touch with the local element instead of visiting the touristic side of the place.

How we do that? When you sign in the platform you watch a map of a language city ‘’Glossopolis in Greek’’ and you just click on the places you wish to communicate in (hotels, taxis, restaurants, bars, etc). This gives immediate access to all the educational content teaching how to communicate (text, audios, grammar exercises, videos, cultural and linguistic tips) but there is also access to geolocated ads of local business Glossopolis cooperates with.

To read more, please visit: Family Goes Out
Monday, 09 November 2015 12:09

Remembering The Souls Lost In The Aegean

Religion typically divides us as people, but in Lesbos last week at the memorial service for the souls lost in the Aegean, Muslims and Christians prayed together. Each prayed based on their beliefs and together they stood in the face of reality's pain.

As described by the photographer, Konstantinos Vougioukas:

'A mother stands as a statue. One can feel how historical such moments are when you see Christians and Muslims praying all together for the victims that drowned in the Aegean Sea... Because human life does not recognize religion.'
 
 


Originally posted in Greek on LIFO. Photo by Konstantinos Vougioukas.

In our research about the photographer Konstantinos Vougioukas, we came across these powerful videos and wanted to also share them with you. Simply incredible.

1) https://www.facebook.com/lifedocGreece/videos/946716745403452/?pnref=story

2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRIGEyOPYBc


To learn about how you can help in the refugee crisis, click HERE.


 

There is no better time than Spring to make a traditional Greek Bulgur salad as a tasty and light meal. Kiki Vagianos, from The Greek Vegan, shares a favorite vegan dish that uses the traditional Greek bulgur and is similar to tabouli. This bulgur salad is loaded with nutrients, filled with fresh vegetables and herbs and dressed simply with lemon juice and olive oil.

Kiki says bulgur salad is one of her favorite quick lunches. With a pita pocket stuffed with hummus and a few big spoonfuls of bulgur salad – you’ll never feel that 3pm slump with this for lunch, she promises you!

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup dried bulgur (soaked in 1/2 cup  water for 1 hour)
  • 3 cups chopped parsley (just under a bunch)
  • 2 cups chopped cilantro (approx 1/2 bunch)
  • 1 cup chopped mint (1/3 of a bunch)
  • 2 cups chopped cucumber
  • 1 cup chopped tomato
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion
  • 1 tsp salt/pepper
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
For more on this recipe and full instructions, please visit: The Greek Vegan
Friday, 21 October 2016 23:27

Museum Of Cycladic Art In Athens

The Museum of Cycladic Art, is a great little gem museum in the hearth of Athens, housing one of the most important collections of Cycladic Art in the world, as well as an impressive collection of Ancient Greek and Cypriot Art. Founded in 1986, it showcases more than 3.000 artefacts, from the 4th millennium BC to the 6th century AD.
 
Today, in the galleries of the MCA the visitor can approach three major subjects: Cycladic Art (3200-2000BC), Cypriot Art (3900 BC – AD 500) and Ancient Greek Art (2000 BC – AD 395).

The Collection of the Museum of Cycladic Art, one of the largest worldwide, is a major attraction, as simple marble figurines depicting naked human figures fascinate the visitor with their simplicity and abstraction, elements that inspired artists of the 20th century, such as Brancusi, Modigliani, Giacometti, Hepworth και Moore.

Apart from archaeology, the temporary exhibitions of the MCA frequently focus on modern and contemporary art, aiming to introduce the public to important 20th century artists (Dali, Picasso, etc.) and explore the links between ancient cultures and modern artistic creation.

Interactive educational programs for schools, children and families, guided tours, temporary exhibitions –archaeological, modern and contemporary–, conferences and various events complete the museum’s cultural profile. The Cycladic Café and the recently renovated Museum Shop are open during visiting hours.

1st Floor - Cycladic Art

Cycladic culture flourished on the islands of the central Aegean during the Early Bronze Age (3rd millennium BC). The MCA collection is one of the most comprehensive collections of Cycladic antiquities worldwide, comprising an astonishing variety of marble figurines and vessels, bronze tools and weapons, as well as pottery from all phases of the Early Cycladic period.

2nd Floor - Ancient Greek Art: A History in Images

The birth of Greek art in the protohistoric Aegean, the development of Classical culture and its gradual dissemination all over the Mediterranean basin constitutes one of the most influential phenomena in the history of western civilization. The MCA holds a large collection of Ancient Greek Art with representative artifacts from all periods between the Middle Bronze Age (2nd millennium BC) to the very end of the Roman period (4th c. AD). The MCA collections of Ancient of Greek Art have been integrated into a single permanent exhibition, titled "Ancient Greek Art – A history in images", which includes approximately 350 objects.

3nd Floor: Cyprus- Aspects of Ancient Art and Culture

The Cypriot collection in the MCA (Th.N. Zintilis collection) is one of the most comprehensive collections of Cypriot antiquities in the world. It contains more than 800 objects that help visitors learn about the history of the island and its relations with other regions of the eastern Mediterranean from the 4th millennium BC to the Early Christian period (6th c. AD).

4th Floor: Daily Life in Antiquity

This permanent exhibition tries to transform our knowledge about daily life in antiquity (as provided by ancient texts and archaeological objects) into vivid images. Visitors are invited into a virtual tour in time and space: the tours starts from the world of the supernatual (gods) and the myth (heroes), goes through the realm of Eros, follows the activities of everyday women and men in their private and public life, explores their religious behaviour, and concludes with their attitudes against death and their beliefs about afterlife and the Underworld.

One hundred forty two objects - mostly dating to the Classical Hellenistic periods (5th-1st c. BC) - are grouped in nine separate units.
Wednesday, 26 April 2017 07:00

The 1st Patmos Revelation Opens Its Doors

Swimming and running are included in the 3-days sport event at the “sacred” island!

For the first time the island of the Dodecanese will carry out high-level sporting activities. "Patmos Revelation" opens its doors and the Municipality of Patmos in cooperation with Active Media Group aims to highlight the element of sport tourism.

Sport tourism has the potential to offer the island, in addition to being a religious destination, the opportunity to become an alternative choice that will attract visitors to Patmos, who will get acquainted with a different and unprecedented experience, while preserving the mystical atmosphere of the island.

"Patmos Revelation" will take place between June 30 and July 2, 2017, where the island will host running races and open water swimming races, for professional and amateur athletes, for both young and old, with the presence of Greek Olympic and world champions. The event’ s goal is the growth of tourism on an undeniably beautiful island, offering alternative forms of tourism that enable the visitor to combine fun with sports and the knowledge of the history of the place. The event will offer a full package of entertainment to the participants leaving behind wonderful memories!

Patmos, moreover, has a great and enormous religious history, as it is the island in which Ioannis the Theologian lived exile and wrote the "Apocalypse", which is one of the greatest chapters of Christianity. "Jerusalem of the Aegean", as it is known worldwide, is a heavy heritage of religion, as it has been declared "Sacred Island" by the Greek state. At the same time, it is an UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is part of the COESIMA network as one of the seven most important places of pilgrimage in Europe.

The mayor of Patmos, Grigoris Stoikos, among other things, stressed, “We are delighted to organize "Patmos Revelation" for the first time on our hospitable island. Patmos is famous as a destination that combines religious devoutness and natural beauty. Visitors of the island can enjoy the cave of the Apocalypse, the Castle-Monastery of St. John the Theologian, which is imposing on the top, the town of Chora, which is an UNESCO World Heritage Site, wonderful landscapes, dreamy seas and natural tranquility. The reason we chose to bring sport tourism to Patmos is because we want to showcase the beauties of our island by attracting people of all ages to visit us, while offering knowledge, fun and hospitality. In this way, visitors-athletes will be able to get to know the island through running races as well as open water swimming. "Patmos Revelation" aims to attract new friends and future fans to our island.We are waiting for you to participate and meet an island, which is ready to embrace you, an Apocalypse island...”.

In terms of travel and accommodation for those who participate in “Patmos Revelation”, there will be attractive packages with many privileges. For an island where the main obstacle is access, the organization has secured special routes to facilitate the participants. At the same time, more information will be announced in the next few weeks regarding the opening of registrations and the program of the activities.

Official Sponsors: Blue Star Ferries, Natural Mineral Water "Vikos"

For more information, please visit: Patmos Revelation

Photo Credit: Elias Koutoumanos
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