The Messinian land constitutes a special and historic place for the Greek Revolution of 1821. It is a region where some of the most important battles were given, such as the battle of Sphacteria, in Niokastro, the battle of Maniaki, which cost the life of the Greek hero Papaflessas, but also the naval battle of Navarino which essentially sealed the end of the Revolution and marked the liberation of Greece, resulting in the establishment of the modern Greek state.

Run Messinia is an ultramarathon race of a total distance of approximately 421 kilometers, a tribute to the important events and unforgettable battles of the heroes of 1821. At the beginning of March 2021, during the “Run for Freedom” edition, 10 runners will attempt to run 10 long distances, in 10 days, crossing historical places and monuments of Messinia, which are related to the Greek revolution.

10 runners - 10 marathons in total - 10 days!
Every day, a total of 10 runners will participate in each race. The ambassador of the Run Messinia - Run for Freedom will be the remarkable Greek-American ultramarathon runner Dean Karnazes, one of the 100 most influential people in the world, according to TIME magazine. Karnazes will run all 10 races, in 10 consecutive days. At this point, we should note that a lot of American volunteers fought heroically alongside Greeks during the Greek Revolution.
In the context of his participation in this historic ultra marathon, Karnazes stated: “As a proud Greek-American, it is a great honor to be part of this historic undertaking which recognizes and celebrates Greek independence on this momentous 200-year anniversary. The run will not be easy, though neither was the Greek fight for freedom”.

Maria Polyzou, the Greek running champion, born in Patras, who won the First Gold Medal in the Balkan Marathon race, the first Greek woman to compete in a marathon at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996, the woman who holds the Greek record in the Marathon (2:33:40) and completed the Pheidippides Feat Athens-Sparta-Athens 524km run and eventually an endurance running coach, said about this project: “This is an event that honors the great war of 1821. It is very important that the Greek revolution will be recognized by a race like an ultramarathon and that we will honor the cities from which the revolution began in our own way. I wish you good luck in the event. I am by your side”.

We honor history by running!
The region of Messinia led the Greek War of Independence, with chiefs and politicians originating from the specific area, while their descendants still play a leading role in the political and social life of Greece. On the eve of the 1821 Revolution, where revolutionary upheaval prevailed throughout Greece and mainly in the Peloponnese, with the start of the Revolution already being decided, Messinia contributed with a number of warlords and 2 fighters who had been initiated for the purposes of the Philiki Eteria “Friendly Society”, such as Theodoros Kolokotronis, Grigorios Dikaios or Papaflessas, Nikitaras, Anagnostaras, Papatsonis and many more.

The event honors these great heroes of 1821 who led the War battles to the liberation of Greece. The greatest moment in the history of Messinia and especially of Kalamata was the liberation of the city on March 23, 1821, when the Greek chiefs, with the assistance of the fighters from Mani under the leader Petrobey Mavromichalis, entered the city and liberated it.

In collaboration with the world-famous Peloponnesian ultramarathon runner, Karnazes, the event highlights the values ​​of the heroes who covered long distances on foot with great vigor and self-denial in order to fight and move from city to city, comparing these values with the ones that we find today in the long distance running. After all, running is a sport that was born in Greece. A long-distance race demands much more from the athlete than the shorter distance races, not only physically but mainly psychologically and mentally. This race, taking place in the mountains offers the athlete the opportunity to experience situations that no other road race can offer. The challenge is great, as so is the reward. In Run Messinia, each athlete competes not only with other runners but also with the mountain and nature itself, as well as his own personal boundaries. The event came to highlight the importance of overcoming adversities and never quitting, values synonymous with those of the 1821 Revolution and Greek History in general. As the athletes consider it impossible to achieve the 10 long distances within 10 days, similarly, people considered the result of the Revolution historically impossible.

421km run in Messinian land!
The event aims to highlight the history and feature both culturally and touristically all the areas associated with the Greek Revolution in Messinia. The starting point of “Run for Freedom” will be Areopoli. Runners will have the opportunity to pass through historical places of Messinia such as Kardamyli, Verga, Kalamata, Nedousa, Poliani, Skala, Neochori, Katsarou, Solaki, Meropi, Loutro, Diavolitsi, Kallirroi, Ramovouni, Maniaki, Kato Minagia, Koroni, Methoni, Neokastro, the village of Kremmidia, Schinolakka, Paleokastro and of course to finish at the historic Pylos.

Messinian ultramarathon runner Vassilis Koumanakos, who has completed the “Marathon de Sables” 260km race in the Sahara desert, said about his participation in Run Messinia: “It is a special honor to run in the footsteps of great warriors and visit their dens, which were the strongholds of the Greek national liberation war of ‘21. What we will remember is that FREEDOM is not just a word in our national anthem, but it is a situation for which we must fight every day. And this struggle determines our Fate”.

Participations in the race will be by invitation only, while very few spots will open to the public. The event will be held in accordance with the strict health protocol and the approval of the Health Scientific Committee of the General Secretariat of Sports, with respect to the Covid-19 pandemic conditions. Active Media Group has undertaken the event’s Sports Production. More information on the dates, schedule, routes and details of Run Messinia will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

 

Coinciding with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, an emblematic project was inaugurated on Thursday, December 3 by the Greek Prime Minister.

A new lift that will enable wheelchair users, elderly citizens, and people with mobility problems to visit the monuments of the Acropolis has been installed at the Acropolis Hill. The lift will carry disabled visitors from the level of the ancient promenade, on the northern slope of the Acropolis, to the top of the hill.

“Today, we inaugurate the new lift and also the designed routes to make the Acropolis Hill accessible to everyone,” the Prime Minister said with regards to the much-anticipated project. The project was bankrolled by the Onassis Foundation, which has also paid for two electric cars for people with disabilities and the new illumination of Athens' most important archaeological site.


To read this article in full, please visit: ekathimerini.com

Quarantine No 2 is a reality. Now even younger children do their schooling online. "I was so happy elementary schools were operating as usual," one of my clients with two children in elementary school told me. "I thought they wouldn't close down. I'm not at all sure I will be able to handle having both my children and my husband at home again."

Sounds familiar? If so, you are not alone. You are not the only one facing this awkward situation. Welcome to the group of those who already know how bad it will be and are getting stressed out. But you can choose to change sides if you want. Wouldn't it be great if you were among those who accept the situation and strive to make the best out of it? I believe I can see your next question coming: “How am I going to handle the situation when my partner is a very difficult person and having children at home all day makes things even harder?"

I get you. Yes, you already have negative thoughts that consequently create negative emotions and then you start complaining. Your behavior is affected, everyone’s behavior is affected, and the vicious cycle never ends. Relationships are hard enough as is, but a 24-hour cohabitation without breaks is even harder. We've learned about it the hard way during the previous quarantine. When dealing with difficult people we often become aggressive because we feel we have to defend our position and our beliefs. And so the conflict starts.

Let me share a little secret with you: More often than not, the behavior of these people is only about themselves and not you! Yes, that's right, it's about them! So here's a thought: What if you look at it differently? If you avoid taking it personally, your emotional reaction will be milder, the tension will de-escalate, and you will avoid potential conflict. Can you imagine how much better your cohabitation and relationships would get?

How about carrying a small experiment for the next few days? Choose the relationship that concerns you the most and make an effort not to take things personally whenever you can. Start with simple situations and see the difference in yourself first and then in others.

If there’s a topic you’re interested in and would like to learn more about you may contact me via email. For more information about me and my work check the XpatAthens Directory or visit my website. Because this is your life!

Embark on an audio odyssey of Athens with the podcast series, "We’ll Always Have Athens", and hear our legendary city beamed straight to your ears!

A city without stories is like a theatre without a stage. In Athens, stories are everywhere: whispered in ancient streets and mythical corners; imprinted on historic hilltops where the great philosophers held court; shared boisterously in the doorways and squares of this ever-changing modern metropolis. Welcome to a new 6-part podcast series where This is Athens invites stellar guests—who know and love Athens—to tell us their own tales of the city and what Athens means to them. Produced by the Greek Podcast Project, for This is Athens, tune-in each fortnight to capture the authentic essence of Athens today; a city that is so much more than the Acropolis.

Subscribe to “We’ll Always Have Athens” now on Spotify, Apple Music, Pocket Casts, or wherever you listen to your podcasts, to make sure you don’t miss an episode.

“When I walk around Athens, the myths are still there,” says the great British author, comedian and Hellenophile, Stephen Fry. Follow Fry through the winding lanes and sacred temples of Athens as he awakens his three favourite myths about the Greek capital: from the legend of the great hero Theseus; to the birth of the fabled king of Athens, Erechtheus, and the showdown between Athena and Poseidon over patronage of the ancient citadel. In his trademark masterful style, the beloved raconteur also explains why the Athenian neighbourhood of Thissio claims a special place in his heart.

In the autumn of 2019, on a moonlit night high above the Aegean, Athens-born fashion designer Mary Katrantzou pulled off a Herculean endeavour. She brought her bold dream to life with a spectacular fashion show, staged at one of Greece’s most revered ancient wonders - the 2,500 year-old Temple of Poseidon. Head for Cape Sounion on the Athens Riviera with the Queen of Prints as she vividly relives her historic paean to Greek culture and style. Katrantzou also shares how Athens has inspired the eye-popping digital designs that have won her a legion of famous fans, from Cate Blanchett to Michelle Obama.

“I was brought up in Athens, though I like to say that Athens brought me up.” Few people know more about the hidden stories and forgotten corners of Athens than city rover and culture journalist Nikos Vatopoulos. Join him as he guides us through the constantly-evolving streets and neighbourhoods that make up the bright urban fabric of contemporary Athens to evoke a city beyond museums and monuments. An Athens that is complex, contradictory – and always surprising.

“Athens is definitely a character. She can be chaotic, rather pleasingly moody, never ever dull - and always unpredictable.” Victoria Hislop, author of blockbuster The Island, first visited Athens as a teenager, during the summer of 1977, and was captivated by the heat, the people … and feta. Since then the best-selling British writer has become an adopted Athenian and even has her own apartment here. Hear Hislop awaken a dramatic 20th-century Athens through the pages of her new novel, Those Who Are Loved, and share how the city continues to fuel her writing.

“There’s no way to stop photographing these monuments. Even if you’ve been photographing them for 60 years, as I have.” Few photographers have amassed such a weighty visual record of post-war Athens as Robert McCabe. The New Yorker began shooting our city in 1954 and has been returning ever since to capture its people, architecture and ancient sites with his signature nostalgia. Hear McCabe recall a golden age of Athens where there were no traffic lights – and he had free run of our mighty antiquities.

 

“The power of art is to heal - physically, emotionally and politically,” says maverick Greek theatre director Elli Papakonstantinou. For Papakonstantinou, theatre has no boundaries. She has reimagined Aeschylus at the Mauthausen Concentration Camp in Austria; and rebooted the myth of Oedipus in New York as an opera fusing neuroscience with traditional performance. Her calling card is to pluck stories from ancient Greek drama and root them in the now. Join this forward-thinking artist as she introduces us to Athens’ thriving theatre scene and investigates the enduring relevance of the Greek classics in speaking to our contemporary concerns.

 

 

 

Greek dances are very important in Greek culture and there is an amazing variety. The music, the pace, the steps can vary depending on the area in Greece. However, there are some dances that are danced all over Greece and almost every Greek knows to dance. This is, because they usually also learn some dances during their gymnastic lesson in primary school, and Kalamatianos is one of them.

The Kalamatianos is a popular dance, often referred to as ”sirtos”. Its roots are lost back in antiquity: on ancient vases, we can see dancers dancing like in the Kalamatianos, and there are ancient inscriptions referring to the “sirtos” dances.

The name “Kalamatianos” indicates its modern origin from the Peloponnese (Kalamata: city in south Peloponnese). Thanks to the cheerful music and its pleasant rhythm, the dance was introduced throughout Greece with several variations.

This dance is danced by both men and women. The dancers dance in a circle. The first person in the row can improvise and make figures. He/she often holds a white scarf in his/her right hand.

 

The dance has 12 steps. Depending on the area there are small variations, e.g. the way you cross your legs. The steps may seem to be a lot, but the most important thing is to keep up with the rhythm of the music. Even if you do not know the steps, do not hesitate to enter the circle and follow the rhythm of the other dances. Do not worry if it goes wrong, the goal is to have a good time!

The music that accompanies the Kalamatianos is usually cheerful and the pace varies depending on the area. So sometimes the rhythm of the music is very fast and therefore the circle moves quickly, and in other areas, the music has a much slower pace, and you will have more time to adjust your steps and learn it more easily! Click here for an example of foreigners dancing the Kalamatianos in Greece.

The most representative song is the ” Mantili Kalamatiano” (=scarf made in Kalamata), where the singer asks her beloved to bring her a silk scarf as a sign of his love on his way back from Kalamata (Kalamata was known for producing silk scarves of high quality). Listen to the song, here.

During summer, feasts with live music are organized in many villages, accompanied with food, drinks and many hours of dance. If you are lucky, and you are on the right place, the right moment, do not hesitate to join the circle, trying your dancing steps. If you prefer to

just “observe”, that is also a great experience. Click here to see one of my experiences on the island of Skiros, where I joined the circle together with our daughter.

If you also love Greek music and dance, then feel free to download my free eBook, on the masaresi.com webpage!


This content was originally posted on masaresi.com

Masaresi.com was founded by Maya Cornelissens-Andreadi, who shares her experience about how “to integrate in Greece and feel like a local”. Masaresi = μας αρέσει = we like it! Discover the “real Greece," while delving into all the aspects of Greek life – from modern lifestyle and culture to history, literature, traditions, and many more.

Explore Greece - Read About Greece - Buy Greek - Learn Greek

 

XpatAthens works with writers, bloggers, cultural platforms, and local media houses in order to give our readers unique, useful, and up-to-date content.

We are always looking to meet and connect with new content contributors. If you believe that your content would be a positive addition to XpatAthens, click here to learn more about working with us!

Masaresi.com was founded by Maya Cornelissens-Andreadi, who shares her experience about how “to integrate in Greece and feel like a local”. Masaresi = μας αρέσει = we like it! Discover the “real Greece," while delving into all the aspects of Greek life – from modern lifestyle and culture to history, literature, traditions, and many more.

Explore Greece - Read About Greece - Buy Greek - Learn Greek

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Read Masaresi.com's first article, here
Visit Masaresi.com, here

 

 

The Greek government and Volkswagen have signed a memorandum to transform the island of Astypalaia into a zero-carbon, climate-protecting community.

 

This monumental task aims to transform the lives of Astypalaia's 1,300 permanent residents while raising their awareness of climate change and environmental issues.

 

The first step is to replace all of the island's 1,500 vehicles with electric ones and to create all the necessary infrastructure. Furthermore, a smarter traffic system will be implemented and alternative means of transportation such as scooters and light commercial vehicles will also be introduced hence, reducing the size of the transport fleet on the island by a third.

 

This large scale model developed by Volkswagen will allow for other places around Europe to embrace the approach. By embracing the project, Greece will be able to reach its own climate goals and provide other countries with a blueprint of how to achieve them as well.

To read this article in full, please visit: themayor.eu

Your personal values ​​are like the beacon in a harbor. They show you the way. They determine which path you will take, and they indicate your life's direction.

 

Some values help you become better at what you do, ​​ light up your life, and the lives of those around you, while others take you back and prevent both you and your loved ones from evolving. There are good and bad values. Values that are direct and that you can control yourself are right. Creativity, sensitivity, respect belong in the category of actual values. Wrong are the values that are indirect and depend on others. These ​​are not controlled by you and are not real. Examples include wanting to be liked by everyone, always being right, or owning the latest iPhone. You can immediately feel the good values ​​inside you, while social norms determine the bad ones.

 

To find your values, ​​you need to ask yourself some honest and challenging questions that might make you feel uncomfortable. I will use the example of a client of mine, Elpida. It bothers her that she and her partner don't go for a walk with her, especially when he knows how much she enjoys walks. Why does it bother her? Because she feels that he is not interested in her. Why is this true for her? Because that would mean devoting more time to her. And why does that make her unhappy? Because she believes that you are supposed to follow each other for the relationship to be complete when you are a couple. Otherwise, you walk away, and so Elpida wonders if she has chosen the right person to be with.

 

At this point, please think about how Elpida sees the situation. With whom or what does she compare it? What if she were to change her perspective? Why does she consider one scenario successful and another not? What is the value that affects and negatively colors her relationship?

 

Is there something that bothers you and makes you feel awkward? Perhaps a failure? Take the time to find what is a priority for you. This value determines your decisions and your life in general.

If there’s a topic you’re interested in and would like to learn more about you may contact me via email. For more information about me and my work check the XpatAthens Directory or visit my website. Because this is your life!

An Athens Municipality crew unearthed a Hermes head, part of a Herma column as it was carrying out roadworks on Aiolou street in downtown Athens last Friday.

 

The Culture Ministry announced that the artifact is in good condition a probably dates back to the end of the 4th or early 3rd century BC. In ancient Greece, Herma columns were placed on crossroads and used as signposts.

Athens mayor Kostas Bakoyannis wrote on social media: "It was found only one a half-meter below during roadworks in Aiolou street at Aghia Irini square. It is already at the Antiquities Ephorate. Unique Athens! Pride and admiration."

To read this article in full, please visit: amna.gr

 

 

Thank you This is Athens for your contribution as an XpatAthens Partner.