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For five days, Athens is awash with pianos, filling streets and halls. After its tremendous success in Athens for the first time last May, Piano City Athens returns for its second year from May 16 to 20, bringing melodies to the neighborhoods of Athens.

Having inspired thousands in Berlin, New York, Madrid, Milan, and other metropolises, Piano City has become an institution in Athens. Piano City Athens is the first festival to literally happen all over the city. Music spreads through parks, squares, sidewalks, the airport, the port, museums, embassies, hospitals, conservatories, schools, cafes, theaters, galleries, institutions, hotels, enters people's homes with house concerts, or simply meets you in the middle of the street.

This year, as part of Piano City Athens, we will enjoy - besides the free events - Special Events to be held at the Polytechnic Club PLYFA and the Parnassos Literary Society. 

The program

The traditional puppeteer Kostas Makris in a new comedy full of hilarious lines and wonderful melodies, played live on the piano by Stavros Xyoura. Veziropoula seeks a pianist to organize a grandiose concert. Will Karagiozis manage to play the piano and get the job, or will he mess things up?

Award-winning pianist and composer Thodoris Oikonomou and the great dancer and choreographer of Bob Wilson Marianna Kavallieratou will lead us through an original collaboration in an interactive performance of great duration, where the viewers are free to exist and move in space as they want and feel and for as long as they want, thus becoming part of the special action. Music is written at that moment, as is the choreography.

A lavish musical journey without borders, with two pianos, drums, and double bass, under the spring Attic moon. Two distinct piano personalities, Christos Papageorgiou and Anastasios Pappas, Takis Kapoyannis on double bass and Serafeim Bellos on drums, in a crossover program combining classical style with improvisation and other popular music genres such as Jazz, Funk, Fusion.

Piano City Athens will close its musical journey with a milestone of the minimalism movement, in a special musical performance by five acclaimed Greek musicians. Pianists Titos Gouvelis and Thodoris Oikonomou, accordionist Konstantinos Raptis, harpist Maria-Christina Harper, and classical percussionist Andreas Farmakis invite us to a peculiar sonic journey based on the iconic minimalist score of Dutch composer Simeon Ten Holt, Canto Ostinato. Don't miss out on various free concerts. Visit the festival's schedule for more information.

Also, don't miss out on numerous free concerts throughout the city! Please, visit the festival's schedule for more information.
Wednesday, 18 February 2015 13:28

Skiathos Travel Guide

Skiáthos was the first northern Sporade to be developed, back in the mid-1960s. It’s not hard to see why, with more than 50 beaches lapped by an almost Caribbean-coloured sea, plus a lushly green backdrop inland. Its original forest, alas, has burnt frequently but such is the humid climate and ample ground water that replacement growth springs up quickly. A busy yacht marina and drydock are a natural outgrowth of the traditional local caique-building industry.

 

Long nicknamed “the straight Mýkonos”, Skiáthos is overrun come summer with trendy Italians, Spaniards and Greeks; Brits, Germans and Scandanavians show up more in spring or autumn.

What to do
Skiáthos is the quintessential fly-and-flop island – there’s not much to do away from the beaches other than watersports, hiking or propping up a bar.

Skiáthos Town

The older, hillier quarters above the old port, around the churches of Tris Ierárhes and Ágia Triáda, retain some charm with their little plazas and gardened houses, though the flatlands to the north have been blighted by tattier tourist development – and the German burning, in August 1944, of much of the town in reprisal for resistance activities. There are few specific sights, though the Galerie Varsakis antique shop behind Tris Ierárhes serves as a de facto folklore museum of textiles and Greek rural impedimenta.

Evangelistrías

Two-and-a-half miles from town, the schist-roofed, 18-century Evangelistrías (daily 10.30am-2.30pm and 5pm-8pm) is Skiáthos’s premier monastery. An ecclectic museum (€3) features numerous documents and photographs from the Balkan Wars – including the fledgling Greek Air Force in action – in addition to a folklore wing centred on an old bread oven.

Kástro

At the northernmost tip of Skiáthos, Kástro was the island’s original, pirate-resistant settlement, fortified during the 16th century; after 1830 the place was abandoned in favour of the current town. Today it’s an eerie, windswept ruin with just the original gatehouse (steps replacing the original drawbridge) and four churches left standing.

Scuba diving

Friendly Dolphin Diving (00 30 6944999181, www.ddiving.gr) at Tzaneriá beach offers morning and afternoon dives around many of the islets just south-east of Skiáthos. Since 2006, many new permitted areas have been opened up.

Author: Marc Dubin Destination expert

Marc Dubin has been writing about Greece for three decades, Cyprus for two. He is the author of several books including the Rough Guides to Greece, the Greek Islands, and Cyprus. He has also written about Greek cuisine, Greek music and Greek real estate.

Source: For more of the article please visit www.telegraph.co.uk

Friday, 20 February 2015 15:30

Kok: Coke Cream Filled Pastry (Cream Puffs)

In Greek: κωκ, pronounced "coke". Kok cream puffs are made by filling two small cake-type cookies with a fabulous pastry cream, dipping in a light syrup and coating with a chocolate glaze. For a change of pace, after dipping in the syrup, they can be rolled in shredded coconut.

 

 

 

Ingredients

For the cookies:
2/3 cup of sugar
6 eggs, separated
1 cup of flour
6 1/4 tablespoons of cornstarch

For the filling:
1 cup + 3 1/2 ounces of whole milk
2/3 cup of heavy cream
6 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon of sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup of cornstarch

For the syrup:
2/3 cup of water
3/4 cup of sugar

For the chocolate glaze:
2/3 cup of heavy cream
8 3/4 ounces of bittersweet or semi-sweet couverture chocolate (or baking chocolate)
1 teaspoon of honey

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 390F (200C).

Cookies

Cream 3/4 of the sugar and the egg yolks. Beat the remaining sugar and egg whites to stiff peak stage. Add half the egg white mixture to the egg yolk mixture, stir lightly and slowly add the the flour and cornstarch. When mixed, add the remaining egg white mixture.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using a pastry bag, squeeze out small cookies the size and shape of vanilla wafers: circles about 1 1/2 inch in diameter and 1/4 inch high. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden. Cool on a rack.

Pastry Cream

Place milk and cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Combine sugar, cornflour, egg and egg yolk, and add 1/3 of the warmed milk and cream mixture before it boils. Stir well, then pour back into the saucepan and continue to stir. As soon as the cream melds and begins to bubble, remove from heat. Empty the cream into a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to cool.

When the cream cools, stir gently with a wire whisk to soften, then place a small amount of cream (1-2 teaspoons) of cream on the flat side a cookie and place the flat side of another on top to create each pastry.

Syrup

Boil the sugar and water together for 2 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then dip one side of the filled kok cookie in the syrup. Set aside, syrup side up, on wax paper.

Chocolate Glaze

Bring the cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Break up the chocolate into small pieces and stir into the cream. Add the honey and allow to boil for 2 minutes. Stir well until very smooth.

Dip the kok into the chocolate glaze on the same side as the syrup.

Refrigerate in a covered pan or dish for 1/2 hour before serving.

Yield: approximately 30-35 pastries

Coconut Kok: As an alternative, omit the chocolate glaze. Dip both sides of the filled kok in syrup, then roll in shredded coconut.

Easier Preparation: Instead of making the cookies, use ladyfinger cookies or Savoyard biscuits.

greekfood.about.com

The new Greek government is considering a different strategy for claiming the Parthenon sculptures from the British Museum and will likely stop cooperating with Amal Alamuddin-Clooney and her law firm. The new Minister of Culture, Education and Religious Affairs Aristides Baltas told foreign reporters that Greece is seeking a new strategy to bring back the sculptures.

He was quoted by The Times as saying, “Our campaign will continue, but the strategy and how we go about that may be tweaked, if required. We’ll be looking over these details in the coming weeks and if we see a need to alter them, we will.”

Deputy Culture Minister Nikos Xydakis told the Greek Press that the marbles issue has gained good publicity after the involvement of Mrs. Clooney, who is a lawyer for London’s Doughty Street Chambers law firm.

According to The Times report, the new leftist government of Greece wants to cancel Greece’s contract with Amal Alamuddin-Clooney and the firm for financial reasons.

To read more, please visit greekreporter.com

By Philip Chrysopoulos

Monday, 11 January 2021 07:00

Top 5 Local Dishes To Try In Athens

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.

1. Keftedes

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.

2. Melitzanosalata

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

3. Moussaka

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.

4. Pastitsio

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.

5. Stifado

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.
Tuesday, 12 April 2016 07:00

Vegan Olive Oil And Orange Cookies

Not all desserts have to be chocolate, right? Try these vegan olive oil and orange cookies, which align perfectly with the healthy mediterranean diet. This recipe is a great way to give in to your sweet tooth without feeling guilty.

Ingredients:
  • 200 g olive oil
  • 120 g orange juice
  • Grated zest from 1 orange
  • 200 g granulated sugar
  • ½ cup cognac
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 600 g flour
  • A generous amount of sesame seeds (optional)
To learn how to make these delicious cookies, please visit: Akis Petretzikis
Wednesday, 15 November 2017 21:58

November 14 - Athens' Latest News & Updates

The museum of Contemporary Art will be fully operational within 2018 and fascinating Van Gogh exhibition takes place in the city. Click to find out everything you need to know about Athens' Latest News & Updates!

Please click HERE to view this issue of our newsletter!

Remember to stay connected with us through our weekly newsletterFacebook, and Twitter!
Thursday, 17 May 2018 19:08

May 8th - Noteworthy News

Animal adoption is something we pay close attention at and treat very carefully here at XpatAthens. That's why we would like to raise some awareness towards our community regarding a recent concern and also make it easier for you to adopt an animal, with a list of some of the most trustworthy  organisations.

Please click HERE to view this issue of our newsletter!
Remember to stay connected with us through our weekly newsletterFacebook, and Twitter!

Early bird discount for the international golf tournament until October 31st

Costa Navarino’s 3rd Messinia Pro-Am to be held on February 20-23, 2019 is fast approaching.

Registrations for the 3rd international golf tournament will close on January 18th 2019; however golfers from all over the world can take advantage of the “early bird” discount on their participation packages until October 31st, making their registration through the official website of the event HERE!

The 30 teams taking part in the award-winning signature golf courses The Dunes Course and The Bay Course at Costa Navarino will compete in a landscape full of centuries-old olive trees with stunning views of the Ionian Sea and the historic Bay of Navarino. This year’s professional golfers will be competing in the two 18-hole courses for a total prize fund of 30,000 euros.

You can get a taste of the anticipated action, in the 2019 video teaser of the event!

Messinia Pro-Am had a prominent presence in its first participation at the 2018 Sports Marketing Awards in Greece, winning 3 awards. In particular, the international golf tournament won the Gold Award in the “Sports Media” section, the Silver Award in the “Sports Events / Branded Events” section, and the Bronze Award in the “Sports Brands” section.

The 3rd Messinia Pro-Am is organized in collaboration with the PGAs of Europe and is held under the auspices of PGA of Greece and the Hellenic Golf Federation.

AEGEAN, a member of Star Alliance, is the official airline partner of the event.
Vodafone και Hertz are the official sponsors of the event.
Erasmus is the official travel partner coordinating and ensuring the smooth registration & accommodation process. 

For special accommodation packages at The Westin Resort Costa Navarino and the full program of Messinia Pro-Am, click HERE!

Hashtag: #messiniaproam

Photo credit: The Dunes Course @ Costa Navarino (professional player Adam Kritikos

Ten months before the event with 50% discount!

Professional and amateur running and open water swimmingathletes from all over the world will feel a rush of adrenaline at the top sports tourism event “Santorini Experience”, which will be held for a 5th consecutive year, on 4-6 October 2019.

“Santorini Experience” opens its registration 10 months before its implementation, in order to serve the high demand from abroad, in the best possible way. Specifically, participants will be able to take advantage of the early bird prices, with a 50% discount on their registrations, if they complete them by 31/3/2019.

Those who decide to travel to Santorini to compete, should hurry up in order to take advantage of this offer, as in the second registration period, from 1/4/2019 the discount will be 25% per activity. The third and final registration period will be activated from 1/7/2019until the day of the event, setting the final registration cost per activity.

Register now HERE!

Santorini Experience collaborates in registrations for a second consecutive year with Travelotopos Ltd, the most innovative software solution company in tourism. Since its foundation in 2014, the company has designed and launched in the market four booking systems covering all sectors of tourism with great success and acceptance from the industry. In 2016 it had been awarded as the Best New Solution for Tourism in the Tourism Awards.

“Santorini Experience” participants will get the special designed technical T-shirt of the event signed by its Official Sports Supplier Luanvi, while at the same time they will receive even more gifts and surprises by the official sponsors. Specifically, participation packages in running include bag, t-shirt, medal, entry number and timing chip, while in swimming, bag, t-shirt, swimming cap, medal, tattooed entry number and timing chip.

The event’s entire collection will be available soon at Alafouzos Sport store in Fira, Santorini and online through the official site of Luanvi. Luanvi, the leading company in the
sportswear industry in Spain, with more than 35 years of history and a great number of partnerships with professional teams from all team sports, is also the official sponsor of the Spanish Paralympic team and Spanish Tennis Federation. Luanvi excels in the area of running, providing technical shirts and high quality sportswear to almost 40 big sporting events per year (indicative of this is the company’s exclusive partnership with Valencia Marathon).

The Spanish sportswear manufacturer will cooperate for the second time with Santorini Experience.

Watch the video teaser of Santorini Experience 2019 HERE!

On Saturday October 5 th 2019, runners will have the opportunity to enjoy the three established routes on the Caldera, overlooking the enchanting images of the volcano and the background scenery of Imerovigli, Firostefani and Oia. Specifically, the 5km “Aristides Alafouzos” route is ideal for running and dynamic walking, the 10km is addressed to the most experienced in distances and the 15km route to those who love strength, endurance and adrenaline. All routes start from the desalination plant in Oia, including parts of trail track, and finish in Oia.

On Sunday October 6 th 2019, participants will have the opportunity to swim from the volcano to the old port of Fira, having the imposing view of the island in front of them, in
the 1.5 miles (2.4 km) race. Organization will provide amateur athletes with a high-quality safety lifeguard buoy, giving them extra motive to choose “Santorini Experience”. Swimming route will take place with the upmost safety in the enchanting sea of Santorini (average water temperature of 20-22 degrees Celsius). Once again, experienced lifeguards will contribute in safety measures, providing staff as well as lifeboats. Different categories will be formed depending on the final participation entries, while a separate category for those wearing wetsuits will be added.

For yet another year, Luanvi is the event’s official sports supplier, while Athina Luxury Suites is the official sponsor.

Official Supporters include: Santorini Hoteliers Association, Meltemi Hotels & Resorts, Boatmen Union Santorini and Avance Rent A Car.

The following hospitality sponsors will support the event: Santorini Hoteliers Association, Meltemi Hotels & Resorts, Athina Luxury Suites and Sienna Resort. “Santorini Experience” is a co-organization of Municipality of Santorini, Municipal Sports Cultural Environmental Organization of Santorini (DAPPOS) and Active Media Group.

More info at: www.santorini-experience.com
Official Sports Supplier: Luanvi
Official Sponsor: Athina Luxury Suites
Official Supporters: Santorini Hoteliers Association, Meltemi Hotels & Resorts, Boatmen
Union Santorini, Avance Rent A Car
Hospitality Sponsors: Santorini Hoteliers Association, Meltemi Hotels & Resorts, Athina
Luxury Suites, Sienna Resort

Official Hashtag: #SantoriniExperience

Photo credit: Elias Lefas 
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