Located in six acres of lush gardens in Paiania, near Athens Airport, the Vorres Museum was founded in 1983 by Ian Vorres in order to promote Greek art and culture through a diverse range of activities, exhibitions and children’s activities.  A graduate of Athens College, Mr Vorres was a famous Greek art collector who studied Economics and Political Science at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada and furthered his studies with a Diploma in Philosophy and Psychology from the University of Toronto.  After a career in Journalism in Canada, Between 1991-1998 Mr. Vorres served as Mayor of Paiania – the area of Athens where the Museum is located. He passed away in February 2015.

Divided into two sections: Contemporary and Folk Art, both museums showcase over 2,500 years of Greek history. I have had the fortunate experience of visiting Vorres twice now – once when I experienced St. Thomas’s B&B in nearby Paiania, the second time in October 2014 when TBEX hosted its European conference in Athens, they held their Speakers Party in the gardens.

Whilst the museums are interesting, I couldn’t stop marvelling at how peaceful the gardens were and could happily sit for hours. My second time I spent more time being shown the Folk and Contemporary Art.  Both are fascinating and the art space is housed in a warehouse style building – but the aesthetics work well and are in keeping with the surroundings.  Exhibitions are changed according to which artist is in residence.

It's possible to rent the space out  and I’ve been told by friends that Vorres makes a fantastic location for a wedding.  With the ability to host up to 700 people, with its gardens and location under Mount Imittos, I would certainly consider holding an event here! Check out their events page for more information.

For more on this, including how to get to Vorres, please visit Life Beyond Borders.

1. Vegetable Pies. Yes, you read right. Pies, a health food? Yes actually as long as they are made the Greek way. Pies - or pites as we call them here in Greece (not to be confused with pita bread) - usually contain a bunch of vegetables along with herbs, olive oil and sometimes cheese, wrapped in phyllo. The most popular one is the spinach pie (spanakopita), but you also find greens pie (hortopita), leek pie, pepper pie and the list goes on and on. You get the goodness of vegetables all wrapped up in the crunchy phyllo. They are great to take along on picnics or for a quick lunch or as a side dish.

2. Greens. In Greece they are called horta. Wild greens are the best if you have the opportunity to find them, but cultivated ones will do just fine. This is a unique part of the Greek diet; eating wild plants and leafy greens, lightly boiled with a bit of olive oil and lemon. They are rich in vitamin A, C and calcium, but mainly in antioxidants that play a role in protecting against cancer and other chronic diseases.

How? Buy some leafy greens and boil them. Serve with lemon juice and olive oil, accompany with bread and a piece of feta cheese.

3. Cretan Barley Rusks-Paximadi. These barley rusks are not only a popular food in Crete and the rest of Greece but they are extremely good for you. The authentic Cretan rusks are made from 100% barley flour baked till they are hard. It is a source of whole grains, which means that keep you satisfied, and keeps your appetite under control. Several studies have shown that consumption of whole grain products (at least 3 servings a day) can reduce the risk of diabetes by 30 percent. Furthermore, research conducted by the USDA (U.S Department of Agriculture) showed that a diet rich in barley may reduce cholesterol levels. Barley contains tocotrienol, natural form of vitamin E, which inhibits the production of cholesterol. Finally, preliminary investigations showed that they might reduce the risk of ulcers.

How? Find them online or specialty markets. Soak the rusk in water, drizzle some olive oil, load with tomato and cheese and enjoy.

To read more and to get more recipes with these ingredients, visit Food and Leisure International Guide

The flat value-added tax rate being considered by the government will have to be set at 18 percent in order to have a neutral impact (neither positive nor negative) on its revenues. A lower rate of 16 percent, which is apparently being considered by the government, appears not to have been accepted by Greece’s creditors as it would create a fiscal gap and would entail additional austerity measures.

There are currently three VAT rates (6.5, 13 and 23 percent), as well as a 30 percent discount on each for the Aegean islands. The Finance Ministry has calculated that the average rate comes to 17.025 percent; however, it is also planning to exempt certain drugs and a number of food items, which means that the single rate will have to be pushed up to 18 percent to have a neutral impact on revenues.

If the measure passes and the flat rate of 18 percent is imposed from the second half of the year, households will face a significant added burden as the bulk of their expenses are food and electricity, both of which currently carry a 13 percent VAT rate.

Brussels counters that VAT evasion will be reduced with the introduction of a flat rate, noting that most of the tax dodging concerns services taxed at 23 percent. This was the case when the previous government reduced the rate on catering from 23 to 13 percent.


To read more, please visit: eKathimerini.

Summer heat and sunshine brings everyone out of winter hiding, and this includes tourists and friends from far away places. This past week I had the pleasure of playing tour guide to a group of 5 colleagues from various parts of Europe. We had planned a short 2-day team-building break, a well-earned escape from the everyday pressures of work. For most of them, it was their first time in Athens, and expectations were high!

 

I had planned a jam-packed schedule, an introduction to some of the city's highlights and a taste of 'my Athens'... And I do mean 'jam-packed'. By the end of their stay, we all felt like a week had passed, rather than just 48 hours.

 

Here's what we did:

 

After arrival, coffee on the rooftop of the Athens Gate hotel (where they were staying). This is a mid-range hotel, perfect for a city break, in arguably the best location in the city, and with a 3600 rooftop view that is not to be missed.

 

We wandered around the Acropolis area, and climbed the hill up to the Areopagus for some photos. Then, already in need of more caffeine, we popped in to Root Artspace for a quick refuel.

 

Dinner was at Kotili taverna on Adrianou St. This is a better-than-average tourist taverna, which also attracts locals, and has live music 7nights per week. If the right crowd is there, you may find some of them dancing too!

 

The evening ended with a drink at TAF - a city-centre fave hidden away in Monastiraki.

 

The next morning we did a fun tour of the historical centre with Athens Segway Tours. 2 hours of spinning around the pedestrian streets to see all that we can see - they loved it.

 

Then we grabbed a taxi and headed towards Glyfada for lunch at Balux House Project. This is a full-on playground for young and old, literally right on the beach, with a delicious menu (from pizza to sushi), and a great relaxed vibe. This was a definite highlight for my guests!

 

Back to the centre for a quick shopping break... And off to Athens Clue - this is one of the super-popular 'escape rooms' that have taken the city by storm. You take a group of 5-6 friends, get locked in a room, and have 60minutes to figure out the clues and escape the room. Of course, we didn't manage to escape in time - surely we had a very difficult room...

 

Dinner was at Moma - my default dinner spot in the Monastiraki/Adrianou corridor. On the walk back towards their hotel, we stopped off at Yiasemi, on the famous stairway of Mnisikleous St., for a nightcap and a toast to a wonderful couple of days.

 

"Can we move our office here?" and "You live in paradise!" were the overall comments. Sure, on the company's tab, everywhere could be paradise. But my colleagues are well-travelled and worldly people. If they think Athens is brilliant, who am I to argue...?

 

Until next week,

 

Jack

 

 

Balux House Project

             

Athens Segway Tours

 

Athens Clue

British Airways announced its Greece summer 2015 schedule which will link London to six Greek islands, two of which are new destinations for the airline.

In addition to flights to Kos, Rhodes, Mykonos and Santorini, this summer British Airways will fly direct to Heraklio and Corfu. The last time British Airways flew to Heraklio was some 30 years ago.

“This demonstrates the distint support of the airline to Greek tourism and gives even more passengers the possibility to visit these destinations”, British Airways said in an announcement.

“British Airways continues to invest in the Greek market, expand its route network and proceed with actions that will boost tourism, local communities and their economies”, said Freddie Stier, the commercial manager of British Airways in Greece.

For more information about the proposed schedule, please visit Greek Travel Pages.

Authorities and academics from the North Eastern Aegean island of Ikaria, as well as Diaspora Ikariots, are calling on the Greek culture ministry to apply to UNESCO for the inclusion of Ikaria’s traditional dance, the “Ikariotiko”, on its Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

In a letter sent last month to Deputy Culture Minister Nikos Xydakis, Ikariots are citing the example of Andalusia’s flamenco dance, which has already been placed on the list.

Known as “Kariotikos” by the locals, the three-part dance which gradually builds up pace, should, they say, be preserved and recognized as a property of the world and an integral part of Greek culture. Describing it as a cultural asset, the Ikariots are calling for the unique-to-Ikaria dance to be safeguarded.

UNESCO’s Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage aim to ensure the protection of important oral and intangible cultural traditions worldwide, raising awareness of their significance.

Thirty-five extra virgin olive oils from Greece have achieved the distinction “Best in the World” for 2015 at the New York International Olive Oil Competition (NYIOOC), a much stronger showing than in 2014 and a clear sign that the determination of olive oil producers in Greece is paying off.

Twenty-one percent of Greek entries in the world’s largest and most prestigious olive oil quality contest were awarded this time, a lower success rate than rival producer countries Spain and Italy, but a marked improvement over last year’s tally. Nineteen Gold Awards and 16 Silver Awards went to Greek oils. To see a list of the best Greek olive oils for 2015, please click HERE.

Greece submitted more entries (168) in the annual competition than any other country, an indication that producers are striving for quality and to distinguish their brands in the marketplace.

“Winning at the NYIOOC was a big honor for our family,” said Diamantis Pierrakos, who was in New York with his brother Dino to accept the award for the Gold Award-winning brand, Laconiko. “Being recognized at this very prestigious competition has proven to us that our hard work and sacrifices we have made are finally paying off. This distinct recognition is a message that our family, from the small region of Lakonia, Greece, produce one of the world’s best extra virgin olive oils.”

Greek producers have long sold their olive oils in bulk to foreign producers who used the robust kick of the mostly Koroneiki varietals to lift the taste of inferior blends. In recent years, even in the midst of a wrenching economic crisis, Greek olive oil companies have unveiled new, innovative brands while stepping up the quality of their products.

“Greek olive oil quality is trending higher,” said Curtis Cord, NYIOOC president. “What we are seeing now is the rise of Greek olive oil brands to the world stage, a stage on which they rightfully belong.”

To read more, please visit Olive Oil Times

 

60 ml Jojoba oil or almond oil or coconut oil

20 drops of eucalyptus essential oil

20 drops of cedar essential oil

10 drops of green tea essential oil

3 drops of geranium essential oil

2-3 vitamin E capsules

Pour the vegetable oil and the essential oils in a spray bottle, shake it. Add the vitamin E, and your mosquito repellent is ready. You can spray your body with it whenever you wish.

Although indulging in a satisfying meal is a pleasure for most people, Greeks in Athens take their food even more seriously.

Unlike some of the spicier specialties found in other parts of the world, Athenian dishes are mild and flavorsome. For the most part, the seasonings used in Greek cooking are the ones you already y have in your spice rack. Another benefit is that Greek cuisine consistently uses olive oil instead of the unhealthy oils that can harm our circulatory systems and hearts.

We’ve chosen 5 of our favorite dishes that you should make sure to taste whenever you find yourself in Athens.

These crispy deep-fried balls come in many varieties depending on what part of Greece you visit. For example in Santorini, keftedes are made from juicy local tomatoes, and in Sifnos from chickpeas. However, the most typical varieties are meatballs, cheeseballs, and fishballs.

Melitzanosalata is the Greek alternative to Babaganoush, a delicious eggplant dip/spread typically accompanied by crunchy bread or pita bread.

Baked and similar to eggplant parmesan but without as much tomato sauce. The dish contains cinnamon, eggplant, ground beef, onions, oil, potatoes, topped with a thick bechamel sauce.

Pastitsio is much like lasagna but not as saucy. The dish consists of layered bucatini-style pasta, ground beef, tomato sauce, and toppings similar to moussaka but not as thick.

Stifado, one of the most flavorsome stews in Greek cuisine, can be made with beef, octopus, or rabbit– a delicious stifado calls for lots of whole small onions, tomatoes, vinegar, wine, and spices.

Although these are our top 5 picks of dishes to try in Athens, countless other dishes are just as tasty and well worth trying.

Greece is participating! European Clean-up Day is running from May 8-10. It is a Europe-wide annual clean-up day coordinated by the European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR) in order to reduce littering in nature and give visibility to the issue.

Over 4,500 volunteers of all ages throughout Greece have already registered their action (beach, underwater and forest clean-ups) with the Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association (HELMEPA), the coordinator for the European Clean-up Day in Greece. These locations are across 50 coastal and mountain areas, displayed on the campaign’s e-map. Last year, some 5,000 volunteers participated in the event.

HELMEPA invites all to give a helping hand by organizing their own beach, lake, river or even forest, park or neighbourhood clean-up.