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Cyclades Trail Cup 2019
Giving priority to some of the “near” Cycladic islands, the 2019 Championship will include 5 events in 5 destinations during 2019:
- Kea Challenge, April 2019
- Folegandros Challenge, June 2019
- Andros Challenge, September 2019
- Kythnos Challenge, October 2019
- Tinos Challenge, November 2019
Every event has different types of races and in some cases combined routes. The “challenge” type of races, presents a two day route. All participants must choose either the Mini or Mega challenge and run the first day's route and choose another for the second day .
Click here to Register!
In the new registration form, all* the Cyclades Trail Cup events are listed and participants can choose where and when to run.
Now you can choose special benefits like booking a seat in the shuttle bus leaving Athens for each of the ports and back.
The new T-shirt collection of Cyclades Trail Cup 2019 has 4 new designs. Each island has a mascot and you can order the T-shirts either you run or not!
Abandoned Bear Cubs Prepare For Life In The Wild
Bradley and Cooper, a pair of orphaned cubs that were rescued by ARCTUROS in Nymfaio, Greece, are being trained to learn how to survive alone in the wild. Even though the cubs are still only 4 months and still bottle-fed, they will soon have to hunt for food alone in the Greek forest. The cubs were found in a sheep pen in a village of Kozani; however, it was too late to reunite them with their mother.
"We teach them what they need to know; where to find food, what they should eat, how they will make their nest in the winter," said Melina Avgerinou, a caretaker at ARCTUROS. "According to the season, we try to teach them what their mother would have taught them in nature," she said.
It will take about a year to teach the bears basic survival mechanisms that will enable them to live alone in the forest. To do so, trainers hide food in the forest for the cubs to find and discourage them from having too much contact with humans.
The bears will hibernate in the sanctuary and will be moved into the forest before waking; to make sure that they can survive in the wild they will be tagged and tracked. Bears that do not manage to adapt to their natural habitat are returned to ARCTUROS.
ARCTUROS' communications officer, Panos Stefanou said he cannot say for sure whether the bear cubs were named after famous actor Bradley Cooper, but he said that they looked a bit "rough and cowboyish" when they were found in the sheep pen.
To read this article in full, please visit: ekathimerini
ARCTUROS is a non-profit, non-governmental, environmental organization (NGO) founded in 1992, focusing on the protection of wildlife fauna and natural habitat, in Greece and abroad.
The foundation of ARCTUROS was driven by the constant need to solve the problem of bear and wolf imprisonment; a common occurrence at the time. It was that need, which led to the creation of a complete action framework, under the umbrella of ARCTUROS.
Click here if you're interested in adopting a bear, a wolf, or a sheperd dog.
Navarino Challenge 2019: 2,700 Participations From 40 Countries In The Biggest Sports Tourism Celebration
Nick Galis guest of honor – with the presence of the Minister of Tourism & the Deputy Minister of Culture & Sports!
The award-winning Navarino Challenge, united according to its central message “Sports Unite People”, people of all ages for the 7 th consecutive year from 11-13 October 2019 in Messinia and Costa Navarino.
More than 2,700 participants of all ages enjoyed, the ideal weather conditions, with a rich program of more than 30 activities. The event, hosted by The Westin Resort Costa Navarino was recently recognized as the best sports event in Greece and supported the ideals of the Olympic Movement, contributing towards the development of a peaceful and better world without any discrimination, through sports.
The wellness event promoted the benefits of exercise and raised awareness on the Mediterranean diet, towards the fight against childhood obesity. Furthermore, considering the global issue of inactivity of youth, the event exhorted young people to get involved in games and sports, through the Active Kids program, by adding even more kids’ activities. Navarino Challenge brought together athletes, families and children from 40 countries, including among others, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Lebanon, Netherlands, Moldavia, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Spain, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Ukraine, USA.
The full schedule of the event included activities for the whole family. On Friday, October 11, Greek Hall of Fame basketball athlete Nick Galis, this year’s guest of honor, was the one to tip off the 4on4 basketball tournament by Nutramins that was held with the participation of the basketball legend Joe Arlaouckas and twice silver Olympic medalist Alexandros Nikolaidis. The day continued with many sports activities and ended with the screening of Barney Spender and Roddy Gibson’s award-winning documentary “The Road to Sparta” at the Agora, Costa Navarino.
Messinia at the center of sports tourism
On Saturday, October 12 sport action was held in the Municipality of Pylos-Nestor that supported the event for another year and helped in the smooth implementation of the activities at Navarino Bay with the assistance of local companies. For the first time in the event, participants had the opportunity to try sea kayaking and headed to the island of Sphacteria with the support of Explore Messinia.
Right after, open water swimming enthusiasts had the chance to compete in a chip-timed event at the beautiful Navarino bay from the scenic Pylos harbor, covering the unique 2 1 mile (1.6 km) route of the open water swimming race by Vikos. The swimming event was held with absolute safety with the approval of the Hellenic Swimming Federation, according to FINA’s regulations and the support of Pylos Hellenic Coast Guard and Pylos-Nestor Municipality.
The route was designed by the national federal technical coach, Nikos Gemelos.
Silver Olympic medalist in open water swimming Spyros Gianniotis, world champion Kelly Araouzou, European champion George Arniakos and significant athletes of the Greek National Open Water Swimming Team participated in this year’s race, in the presence of Pylos-Nestor Mayor, Takis Karvelas. Lifeguard Patrol, Pilos Dive Center group of divers and event’s medical partner Athens Medical Group ensured the safety of the swimming race.
“Challenge The Wind” interclub sailing race of triangle course with OPTIMIST and LASER 4.7 boats was co-organized with the Maritime Athletic Pylos Association “Nestor”. The sea actions also marked the beginning of the “Navarinia” event for the 192-year anniversary from the Battle of Navarino, which will culminate this week.
In addition, Pylos came alive with local flavors and scents. A station with traditional lalagia, loukoums, sesame seed bars and nuts with honey, created by Poseidonia and Pylos Poems welcomed visitors. A visit to the refurbished family home of the Olympic champion, Kostis Tsiklitiras, was held with the presence of Olympic medalist Spyros Gianniotis. All water sports were also supported by the following partners: Poseidonia, Pylos Association of Enterprises for Tourism Development, Karalis Beach Hotel, Karalis City Hotel & Spa.
On Saturday night, the official airline Qatar Airways welcomed guests on the special night “A Night to Remember by Qatar Airways”. In the presence of Minister of Tourism, Mr. Harry Theocharis and Deputy Minister of Culture and Sports, Mr. Lefteris Avgenakis, Qatar Airways honored great personalities of the sports industry. In particular, the Greek hall of famer Nick Galis was honored for his contribution in sports by Mrs. Costantza Sbokou-Constantakopoulou on behalf of TEMES, along with the Minister of Tourism, the Deputy Minister of Culture & Sports and Mrs. Theresa Cissell, Country Manager for Greece & Cyprus of Qatar Airways. The Greek-American ultramarathon runner and event’s ambassador Dean Karnazes, was awarded by the Minister of Tourism. Greek gold Paralympic medalist and world champion in boccia Grigoris Polychronidis was awarded by Mr. Byung Moo (Theofilos) Shin, President & Chief Executive Officer of Samsung Electronics Hellas. Silver Olympic medalist Spyros Gianniotis was awarded by the Deputy Minister of Culture and Sports, while journalists Minas Tsamopoulos and George Thanailakis undertook the presentation of the athlete and the award. Twice Olympic medalist in rowing, Vassilis Polymeros, was awarded by Ms. Petri Logara, Operations Manager of Ford Motor Hellas. World karate champion Eleni Chatziliadou was awarded by Country Manager for Greece & Cyprus of Qatar Airways, while bronze medalist in sailing world championship Maria Tsamopoulou was awarded by Mr. Stefanos Theodorides Managing Director of TEMES. The event was presented by Joe Arlauckas, under the rhythms of the Pylos Conservatory duet.
Qatar Airways Puzzle Challenge contest continues
Qatar Airways surprised participants with the Puzzle Challenge competition created through a special application.The contest continues until October 21 st with a gift of two round-trip airline tickets to over 160 places across the globe on Qatar Airways’ global 3 network. “A Night to Remember by Qatar Airways” was assisted by Kayak, Karoulias, Lafazanis, Nestor, while the specially designed awards of the event, were created by PHEE and Nestor Winery.
On Sunday, October 13, professional and amateur runners tested their skills on the routes of 5km by Samsung (running & dynamic walking), 10km by PlantBox and Ford Go Further Greek Half-Marathon (21.1km). The Half-Marathon route is described by runners as one of the most beautiful around the world, whereas the 5km route was the one that really impressed participants. Navarino Challenge was included in World’s Marathons world community with runners from the Sport Club with people with special needs from Kalamata, “Diaforozo”, celebrating their participation at the event one day before the International White Cane Day (October 15th). The routes were designed by the former marathon runner, holder of national best performance on the classical route, running coach and director of All About Running, Nikos Polias. During the event, all participants were timed. All running races are co-organized with Messiniakos Gymnastic Club, EAS SEGAS Peloponnese Region and the approval of the Hellenic Athletics Federation [SEGAS]. Hellenic Rescue Team – Messinia Department and the event’s medical partner, Athens Medical Group, ensured the safety of the races.
Later on, the children’s 1km race (supported by VIKOS) took place, with the dynamic presence of children from the wider region as well as clubs such as Messiniakos, GC Akritas 2016 and Pylos Maritime Sports Club.
Aiming to the protection of the environment and the adoption of a more eco-friendly strategy, the event proceeded with the following actions, among others: a) declared the start and endpoints of the Navarino Dunes runways as strictly smoke-free areas, b) declared the beautiful Voidokilia beach, which the runners crossed, as strictly plastic-free, c) offered participants an eco-friendly bag by Luanvi, event’s official sports supplier.
The first sports event worldwide with a medal made of seagrass The event innovated with another surprise. This year's participants received a medal made only of seagrass from the event’s official supporter, PHEE, a company that innovates by promoting the principles of “green” entrepreneurship and the re-use of natural resources. Moreover, the event offered each participant an olive tree by PlantBox. At the same time, all participants received high quality cosmetics be Messinian Spa.
As the official sports supplier of Navarino Challenge, LUANVI, the leading force in the field of sports apparel offered once again the official t-shirt of the event (made 100% of cotton). A special technical t-shirt for the participants, that as of last year contains elements from Messinia to enhance the feeling of remembering and unforgettable experience in order to highlight the cultural elements of the area. With this criterion in mind, the ancient symbol rodakas, found also during the Byzantine period whilst dominating Messinian life in ancient Greece, appeared on the t-shirt this year. At the same time finishers of the Ford Go Further half marathon, with great attendance and the participation of Dean Karnazes, received a special t-shirt with the design of Voidokilia.
The event innovated for yet another year alongside Samsung, official technology partner. During the running routes, participants had the chance to try the next-gen Galaxy Fit, tracking live their fitness stats, like cardiac pulse and timing in just one touch without missing a moment from their performance. Meanwhile, Samsung assisted in achieving the zero footprint of the event, contributing to a paperless registration with the use of the innovatory Galaxy Tab S6.
During the event, Samsung created a special Samsung Βusiness Lounge providing participants of Navarino Challenge with endless entertainment, while informing them on the ultimate business solution of the company, the Samsung Dex. Participants also got to know the powerhouses of smartphones Galaxy Note10 | Note 10+, enjoyed the unparalleled picture of Samsung QLED 8K TV, the cinematic experience of Samsung 4K Smart QLED TV, the use of the QLED Gaming Monitor and browsed the multiple functions of the interactive Flip monitor.
Unique piece of art in Navarino Challenge
A special surprise from Samsung awaited participants of Navarino Challenge, with the exceptional artwork of artist Nathan Makris, that depicted top athletes, Nick Galis, Spiros Gianniotis, Alexandros Nikolaidis, Grigoris Polychronidis, Periklis Iakovakis and Dean Karnazes. Visitors had the opportunity to take a picture with them and post their photos on social media.
The three-day schedule included activities such as: taekwondo (with Olympic medalist Alexandros Nikolaidis and the numerous participations of TaeKwonDo teams from Kyparissia), basketball (with Joe Arlauckas), beachathlon (with Olympic and World Champion, Periklis Iakovakis), beach volley lessons by Samsung and King & Queen Beach Volley Tournament by Samsung (with Michalis Triantafyllidis and supported by Triantafyllidis Beach Arena), climbing and bike ride at Voidokilia by HSBC (supported by Navarino Outdoors), pilates (with physical education instructor, Mandy Persaki), golf by Qatar Airways (supported by Navarino Golf Academy and instructor Adam Kritikos), kick boxing (with champion Alexandros Nikolaidis), baby swimming (supported by Swim Academy and Red Swim Academy), group cycling (spinning challenge with trainer Tess Arlauckas from F45 The Pearl and Dimitris Moros from FitnessArt), tennis cross training (supported by Navarino Racquet Academy), boxing (with Christos Gatsis and supported by Vizantinos target sport club), high intensity training and crossfit (with Dimitris Moros and supported by FitnessArt), F45 training (from trainers Tess Arlauckas and Scott Hettermann – F45 The Pearl, Doha), beach yoga by Messinian Spa (with Katiana Priovolou and the support of FitnessArt), karate (from the coaches of Pammessiniakos Karate Sports Club and the presence of the World Karate Champion Eleni Chatziliadou) and boccia demonstration by Samsung (from Gold Paralympic athlete, Grigoris Polychronidis)
Ford Motor Hellas promoted sports and “fair play” as the event’s official sponsor and supported the efforts of the fight against childhood obesity while promoting healthy diet by participating for another year in the support team of Navarino Challenge. For the sixth consecutive year, athletes and organizers moved with the safety and efficient engines of the cars of Ford Motor Hellas, while the brand-new Ford Ranger Raptor was present too in Navarino Challenge 2019!
For another year Vikos SA as an official sponsor spread the message of sporting energy with the natural mineral water “Vikos”, offering the necessary hydration and revitalization to all participants. The natural mineral water “Vikos” offers the necessary balance, well-being and energy that the athletes need during their exercise in order to be able to continue their efforts.
More than 250 people worked in the event’s production in less than 50 hours.
“Navarino Challenge” supports: a) the Institute of Preventive Medicine, Environmental and Occupational Health, Prolepsis with a program on Food Aid and Promotion of Healthy Nutrition, DIATROFI, and through the Captain Vasilis and Carmen Konstantakopoulos Foundation: b) WWF Greece and c) Karkinaki, through the GivenGain online platform:
https://bit.ly/33KTNhD
Qatar Airways was the official airline.
Samsung was the official technology partner for another year.
Official sponsors of the event were Ford Motor Hellas and the Natural Mineral Water “Vikos”.
Luanvi was the official sports supplier of the event for one more year. Nutramins was the official health supporter of the event.
Official supporters were Poseidonia, PlantBox, PHEE and Municipality of Pylos- Nestor. HSBC was the official banking partner.
Messinian Spa was the Official Beauty Partner for the first time. ON was the official shoe partner.
Athens Medical Group was the event’s medical partner. Partners of the event were Pylos Poems, Fysiotek Sports Lab, Karalis Beach Hotel, Athens Easy Transfers. Avance Rent A Car was the official rental partner. National Geographic was the strategic partner of the event and 24MEDIA its premium media partner.
All event’s equipment transfers were made with Pilia Express.
Athletic Partners: Explore Messinia, F45 The Pearl, FitnessArt, Navarino Golf Academy, Navarino Outdoors, Navarino Racquet Academy, Pilates by Mandy, Red Swim Academy, Swim Academy, Triantafyllidis Beach Arena, Vizantinos target sport club CSR Partners: Captain Vasilis and Carmen Konstantakopoulos Foundation, WWF Greece, Karkinaki, Institute of Preventive Medicine Environmental and Occupational Health Prolepsis Volunteering Partner: Phaos Assisted by: VitaNTravel, Karalis City Hotel & Spa, Lifeguard Patrol, Pylos Association of Enterprises for Tourism Development, Maritime Athletic Pylos Association “Nestor”, Target Security, Pilia Express, Kayak, Nestor, Blackmile, Epathlon, METAXA, The Blue Beetle, Fever-Tree, NoS, Southern Comfort Discount Partners: Anazoe Spa, Armyra, Attica Selections, Bio & Pharma, Branco, Kafenio & Deli, Kessaris, Kooc Taverna Secrets, Lol the brand, Nargile, Panellinios Agora Games, Souvlakerie, The Diner, Tsamis Eyewear Boutique “Navarino Challenge” joined the Greek actions of the #BeactiveHellas 2019 programme of the European Commission and was held under the auspices of the General Secretariat of Sports.
The event was held under the auspices of the Greek National Tourism Organization with the approval of the Hellenic Swimming Federation. Navarino Challenge was co-organized by Costa Navarino , The Westin Resort Costa Navarino and Active Media Group with the support of the Municipalities of Pylos- Nestor and Trifilia. Hashtags: #navarinochallenge #costanavarino #sportsunitepeople #eatwell #runwell #livewell
Greeks Who Left Their Mark On The World In The Last 200 Years
Numerous Greeks have excelled in science and arts, won Nobel Prizes and Academy Awards, resolved problems, and saved thousands of lives with their scientific discoveries.
Here is a concise timeline of famous Greek people and events since 1811.
1811: In 1811, Pavlos Prosalentis who is considered the first professional sculptor in modern Greece, established a private art school; the first modern art school in Greece.
1823: Dionysios Solomos wirtes the Greek national anthem. Officially titled 'Ymnos is tin Eleftherian' in Greek and the 'Hymn to Liberty' in English, the Greek anthem, is a reminder not only of how far Greece has come since the defeat of the Ottoman Empire but also of the journey that led to freedom.
1832: Elizabeth Moutzan-Martinegou dies. Moutzan-Martinegou has been called the first female writer in modern Greece. She wrote poetry, more than 15 plays, and translated works of classical literature; her most famous work is her autobiography.
1863: Famous Egyptiot Greek poet Konstantinos P. Kavafis is born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1863. His most famous works are 'Waiting For the Barbarians' and 'Ithaca' and while almost all of his work was in Greek, he remained unrecognized in Greece, until after the publication of the first anthology of his work in 1935.
1887: Kallirhoe Parren launches the feminist movement in Greece with the founding of a newspaper, 'Ephemeris ton Kyrion' (Ladies' Journal), in 1887. The newspaper was run entirely by women and was an 8-page weekly publication until 1908 when it changed to a bi-monthly that ran until early 1916.
1938: After completing her secondary education, Melina Merkouri enrolled at National Theatre's Drama School. Merkouri became known to international audiences with the film 'Never on Sunday' for which, she earned the Best Actress Award at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival.
1953: On January 18, 1953, Eleni Skouras is elected as the first female member of the Greek Parliament. Eleni Skouras was born in Volos but moved to Thessaloniki in 1915 where she earned a law degree in 1950.
1954: In 1954 Greek physician George Papanikolaou published the 'Atlas of Exfoliative Cytology' the foundation of modern cytopathology. Papanikolaou is famous for inventing the Pap smear or Pap test, which is used worldwide for the detection and prevention of cervical cancer.
1977: On November 8, 1977, Greek archaeologist Manolis Andronikos discovered a tomb at Vergina which he identified as that of Philip II of Macedon.
1979: Odysseas Elytis was a Greek poet, essayist, and translator, and a major representative of romantic modernism in Greece and the world. In 1979, Elytis was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
1988: In 1998 Theo Angelopoulos' film 'Eternity and a Day' won the Palme d'Or at the 51st Cannes Film Festival. Angelopoulos was one of the most influential and important filmmakers in the world.
2016: In 2016, Greek photojournalist Yiannis Behrakis along with his team from Thomson Reuters, won the esteemed prize in 2016 for Breaking News Photography for the coverage of the European refugee crisis.
To discover the full reel of notable people and events, please visit: greece2021.gr
A 3D Flythrough Tour Of Classical Athens
The project’s latest video, launched in November, showcases Classical Athens at the height of its power in the late 5th century BC, in the years before its defeat by Sparta and their allies in the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC).
The 12-minute video, rendered in spectacular detail, takes the viewer on a fly-through of the city’s neighborhoods, circling its famous monuments, temples, civic buildings, and marketplaces. Each monument is accompanied by a short description.
The 5th century BC was a time of unparalleled change in the history of Athens. Partly destroyed by the invading Persian army in the years 480-479 BC, the extensive rebuilding program that ensued, accelerated by the great statesman and general Pericles in the second half of the century, made it the center of the Greek world.
During this period, dubbed the “Golden Age of Pericles,” the arts, sciences, and philosophy flourished in Athens, laying the cultural and political foundations of Western civilization.
Ancient Athens 3D was developed to present photorealistic digital reconstructions of the city and all of its monuments from 1600 BC to AD 1830. The project began with the first experimental 3D models of the Acropolis and the Ancient Agora, based on published archaeological and architectural data from scientific journals.
As the digital technology evolved, further reconstructions were added, and the site’s popularity grew. Great attention has been given to historical and archaeological accuracy in each of the videos, successfully communicating the development of urban planning through the ages.
In his work, Dimitris Tsalkanis has collaborated on projects with the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports, as well as museums and local municipalities. His 3D reconstructions offer a superb educational platform, bringing ancient Athens to life for a wide range of audiences, from school children to academic researchers.
Originally published on: greece-is.com
First Smoke-Free Beach In Attica Is Underway
The smoke-free beach is part of an environmental program “Small acts, Big Crimes” that authorities implement in the area of eastern Attica, some 50 km away from Athens. Preparations for the smoke-free beach Marikes will start as soon the Port Authority passes over beach jurisdiction to Rafina Municipality, mayor Evangelos Bournous said.
Marikes will be the second smoke-free beach in Greece after the one on the island of Serifos, where smoking is allowed in a specific zone only.
The smoke-free beach is just one of the environment-friendly projects of the program.
Good six months ago, a pilot program regarding cigarette butts started in the port and the beaches of Rafina. The program started in October 2021 by the Aegean Rebreath organization in cooperation with Rafina local authorities and was funded by a private company.
Special bins have been placed in the areas where cigarette butts can be disposed. Furthermore, an artificial intelligence algorithm uses images from the Copernicus satellite and tracks problem areas.
Studies have shown that cigarette butts make 30%-40% of the trash landing at Greek beaches and that with the right information campaign and infrastructure, such rubbish can be reduced by up to 60 percent.
To read this article in full, please visit: keeptalkinggreece.com
Participation Record With More Than 2,800 Runners From 35 Countries At Zagori Mountain Running 2024
Nearly all participants remained in the area for a minimum of three days, further promoting the Epirus Region and Municipality of Zagori tourism and boosting the local economy and businesses.
Competition in the Place Beyond the Mountain
On Saturday, July 20, the TeRA race (60km) started, with a length of 60 kilometers and a positive elevation gain of nearly 4,000 meters. On the same day, the Half Marathon (21km) also started, featuring a unique route that crosses four traditional villages and bridges, including Hatsiou, Kokkori, and Tritoxo. 2 On Saturday afternoon, Tsepelovo was filled with smiles as over 400 children participated in the beloved race for the young friends, ZAGORAKI, supported by ZAGORI Natural Mineral Water. The first race day concluded with the Fun race (5km), which took place around the village of Tsepelovo, on a moderately challenging route with +240 meters of positive elevation, ideal for all those who wished to start mountain running.
Neversecond, Melissa, NOMAD Premium Greek Honey, Costa Coffee, Dole, PINDOS, Gold Nutrition, Green Cola, Igloo, RACE FACTORY, Agrino, Neubria, APU, Polo, Buff, Desocks, Yfantis, Dodoni, Sportbook Publications, Bliz, and Ostracon were the event’s Official Supporters.
Zagori Mountain Running was organized by My Adventure in collaboration with the Region of Epirus and the Municipality of Zagori.
Northern Pindos National Park and the Vikos-Aoos Geopark were the event’s Institutional Supporters.
The smooth implementation of the event was significantly aided by the support of the Volunteer Samaritan Corps of the Ioannina Branch of the Hellenic Red Cross, the Cultural Association of Tsepelovo “Anastasios Tsouflis”, and all the volunteers who assisted during the races on the routes, at the feed stations, and the finish line.
#zagorirace2024 #zagorimountainrunning #zmr2024 #tymfissevensummits #theplacebeyondthemountain
My Week in Athens… Apr 18
"Dear Jack,
I enjoyed your April 11 story of the first houseguests. My grandparents also left Smyrna / Izmir in 1921, before the Catastrophe (Katastrophi) and burning of the city.
As my grandmother was then 26 years old, her diary of life in Smyrna is quite interesting; most importantly, she writes that the Greek-descended population had nothing against the Turkish-descended population. They lived together and worked together. During the 3-year Greek rule (1919-1922) many Greeks helped their Turkish friends.
The same happened after 1922, when many Turks helped their Greek friends. This is not just hearsay; there are specific stories with names.
The great animosity was started by other nations, in order to divide and rule. Mass, unbelievable atrocities did happen. So it is true that on both sides feelings still run high. For myself, my motto is “forgive, not forget” - we all live on a very small planet!
As a member of the Association of people descended from Smyrna I would ask to be put in touch with your friends; we may be able to assist them to find their roots. This Association is a non-profit and our assistance comes at no cost. There are many old books and photographs which families may find very interesting.
The Association of Smyrneans was founded in 1936 by a number of Smyrneans, to preserve all the memories and traditions of the Greek populations of Asia Minor before 1922. The website is www.enosismyrneon.gr. Part of the site is in English.
Smyrna was a truly cosmopolitan city, much, much more so than Athens. My great-great mother was British, another branch Venetian, another Syrian!
Regards and best wishes,
SA"
P.S. This is a great example of people in the community reaching out to lend a hand and support each other, each in their own way. How great it is to discover one’s history!
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…
Il Buco Restaurant
It's small size (15 sq meters) also gave the deli its namesake which translates to "the hole."
NileGuide Expert tip:
The restaurant is small and highly en vogue so book ahead.
Address: 2 Sachtouri, Psirri, 10553
Tel: 210 321 9388
Hours: Daily 20:00 until late. Sundays open from 13:00 until late. Closed Mondays.
Average cost: 30 euros a person with wine.
Do you have a recommendation or recipe to share? Send it to us at ideas@xpatathens.com!