XpatAthens

XpatAthens

Most of us already know Nikos Vatopoulos as a journalist and as the Chief Editor of Culture at Kathimerini newspaper and not as a book author. Born and bred in Athens, Vatopoulos' path to adulthood was inevitably intertwined with the city's constant development. It is his exploration and experiences of Athens that unravel in his newest book, Walking in Athens.

Published by Metaixmio, Walking in Athens is a collection of articles accompanied by stunning photos through which we will get to know Athens and its fascinating synthesis of urban elements. 

It speaks about an ever-developing society, an evolving civilization, and the history of the city's communities. Walking in Athens discloses hidden urban myths and reveals the fascinating history of an entire century, right before our eyes.

 


To learn more about this award-winning book, please click here.


 

The Municipality of Trikala has recently got the first school canteen where snacks are nutrient-rich and their ingredients sourced from small local producers.
 
The canteen at the 6th Primary School of Trikala aims to pave the way for better nutritional habits–inside and out of the schools–by encouraging the use of local organic food products.
 
The Deputy Mayor of Trikala, Mr. Akis Anastasiou, said that joining the 'BioCanteens: Sustainable School Meals For Green And Healthy Local Food Systems' program is both great for our children's nutrition and local economies.
 
It is worth noting that at the same school food waste will be turned into electricity that will cover part of the energy needs of the school. According to Mr. Anastasiou, the food that would otherwise go to waste will end up in a small energy production plant. There, with a safe and odor-free process, it will be turned into the energy required to illuminate the school's surroundings!
 
Once more, the pioneering town of Trikala, embarks on a remarkable journey towards better nutritional and environmental practices and the municipality officials aim to integrate the program to every school in the town.

Originally posted on TrikalaErevna
Translated By: XpatAthens
Tuesday, 17 September 2019 07:00

The Story Of The Most Iconic Doorman In Athens

Dimitris Taktikos is the tall doorman in the green suit who greets guests at the Grande Bretagne hotel in Syntagma Square. Having stood in front of the iconic hotel for the past 35 years, Taktikos is as integral to the Syntagma landscape as the Parliament, the National Guard, and the fountain square.
 
"I've become an attraction. Japanese tourists come and ask for selfies and there are even stuffed toys in my image," he says. And it is true; there is a souvenir teddy bear dressed in the Grande Bretagne livery sold at the hotel's gift shop!
 
Taktikos has welcomed hundreds of famous guests over the years. "Names?! Alain Delon, Sophia Loren, Catherine Deneuve, Roger Moore, Sean Connery ... oh, and Elizabeth Taylor ... What a star! She wasn't in the best of health when she came, but she was a real star in my book!" In 2007, he greeted US President Bill Clinton, who was staying at the hotel during a visit to Athens. "He could have been an actor. He has that star quality."

A few months ago, Taktikos was ranked by Marriott International among the "best of the best," receiving the J. Willard Marriott Award of Excellence. This annual award honors the company's most exceptional associates who represent the characteristics of the award: achievement, integrity, dedication, effort, and perseverance.

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

Sunday, 08 September 2019 21:46

Art Athina 2019 Aftermath

Art Athina 2019 ended on September 16th at Zappeio Hall and the aftermath can only be described as positive, with a great number of visitors and loads of art!

Throughout these 4 days, the biggest art festival in Greece organized by the Hellenic Art Galleries Association and Art Director Stamatia Dimitrakopoulou, managed to impress the public with its artists and galleries. It wasn't just a festival showcasing Greek modern art, but a celebration.

Even from the first hours after the big opening, Zappeio Hall was filled with people. However, the biggest moment was that of the opening where the President of The Hellenic Republic, Mr. Prokopis Pavlopoulos, was present and supported Art Athina mentioning that the organizers have contributed a lot to art, in Athens and Greece in general, but even more to culture. He was also aware of the conditions under which the institution was created and, above all, was kept alive and thrived even during the crisis. For him, cultural creation is an act of resistance against any kind of corruption that threatens man.

Also present at the opening was Mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakogiannis, while amongst the visitors were many high-profile people, such as the Minister of Education and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Art Athina will be present once again, for artists and visitors, at Zappeio Hall in September 2020.

The galleries that participated in the 24th Art Athina:

a. antonopoulou.art (Athens), Agathi Kartalos (Athens), Alibi (Athens), Alma Contemporary Art Gallery (Athens- Trikala), Anna Pappas Gallery (Μελβούρνη), Argo Gallery (Athens), Αrt Appel Gallery (Athens), Arusha Gallery (Scotland), Astrolavos Art Galleries (Athens), Cheapart (Athens), Citronne Gallery (Athens), Crux Gallerie (Athens), Donopoulos International Fine Arts (Thessaloniki), ekfrasi-yianna Grammatopoulou (Athens), Eleftheria Tseliou Gallery (Athens), Eleni Koroneou Gallery (Athens), Epsilon Art Gallery (Loutraki), Evripidis Art Gallery (Athens), Gallery “7” (Athens), Gallery Art Prisma (Pireaus), Gallery d’ Arte (New Jersey) Genesis Gallery (Athens), i-D Projectart (Athens), Ikastikos Kiklos Sianti (Athens), Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Center (Athens), Kalfayan Galleries (Athens-Thessaloniki), kaplanon5 art gallery (Athens), Mihalarias Art (Athens), N, Papatzikou Gallery (Veria), PeriTechnon Karteris (Athens), Renatino Gallery (Cyprus), Skoufa Gallery (Athens), Skoufa Gallery Mykonos (Mykonos), Τechnohoros  Art Gallery (Athens), The Breeder Gallery (Athens), Zina Athanassiadou Gallery (Thessaloniki). 




The ACS Athens Virtual School officially inaugurates its programs for the academic year 2019-2010, under the auspices of The Institute of ACS Athens.

Today’s high school and middle school students need to be prepared for a world that exponentially depends on technology, an ever-changing environment with multi-faceted demands.

Well-designed courses provide great opportunities for students to learn through authentic and diverse teaching and learning modalities that constitute and further extend the i²Flex methodology. Developed 12 years ago at ACS Athens, this blended teaching methodology specifies that student learning occurs in the following dimensions:

· i: independent, yet teacher-guided learning;
· i: inquiry-based learning;
· Flex: flexible learning in a continuum from face-to-face to virtual classroom settings

The Virtual School offers online courses that come to meet the individual needs of students worldwide for high school credit. The exceptionally skilled faculty of ACS Athens, trained to teach both i²Flex and online courses, bring the academic excellence of ACS Athens courses to the online mode by promoting learner-centered instructional designs and experiences, while at the same time maintaining student-teacher contact through synchronous and asynchronous virtual class projects and meetings. Continuous support and monitoring of the student provides a holistic approach to student learning and performance.

The first group of 11 online courses begins this October and runs for 15 weeks in order to secure up to one high school credit. The second group begins in February 10, 2020 and, again, runs for 15 weeks for up to one high school credit.

Accelerated summer courses are offered, beginning in the second week of June 2020 and will end the last week of July (8 weeks) for a one-semester, 0.5 high school credit.

In the following semesters, the ACS Athens Virtual School will be offering Undergraduate College credit courses and Graduate credit courses in collaboration with top US Universities. Moreover, EFL/ESL modules, IB modules, and AP preparatory courses will be available in the following academic year 2020-21.

Detailed information about the courses available here
Register Online here

 
Monday, 23 September 2019 20:00

WWF Initiative Aims To Reduce Food Waste

In collaboration with Unilever Food Solutions, the Greek branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has launched an initiative that aims to reduce food waste at 3 Greek hotels.

The initiative that started in late May involves a detailed daily record of food waste, at Grecotel Cape Sounio, Aquila Rithymna Beach Resort, and the Athens Marriott. Food waste is recorded in terms of food thrown-out during the meal preparation process, leftovers on the buffets and restaurants as well as on guests' plates.

"It was quite shocking when I realized how much waste we had. Almost all the guests only eat half of what they put on their plates, and the rest ends up in the trash," says Sakis Tzanetos, the chef at Grecotel Cape Sounio.

"If the customer understands that this is being done for the sake of sustainability and in respect for all of the things the planet gives us, they may start to appreciate food differently," explains WWF's Vicky Barboka, who's responsible for the program.

The action includes leaving a note for guests on the tables, at the buffets, and elsewhere asking them not to select more than they can eat.

Two years ago, the same program was implemented at 10 American hotels, helping them curb food waste by between 17 and 38 percent.

Today, food production is considered the number one threat to the environment; it uses up 34% of the planet's land and 69 % of its clean water, and is accountable for 24-30 % of greenhouse emissions.

 

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


To learn more about the actions of WWF Greece, please click here


 

Tuesday, 01 October 2019 08:00

Winter Quiet Hours Are Back

The law that restricts noise and disturbances in residential areas reverts to its winter schedule today.
 
According to the measure, residents are allowed to file a complaint if disturbances occur between 10 p.m. and 7.30 a.m. and from 3.30 to 5.30 p.m. during the afternoon rest time.
 
During Common Quiet Hours, it is not allowed to carry out construction works or other noisy activities, play musical instruments or loud music or use security alarms without due cause. Residents are also required not to engage in noisy discussions and arguments that could potentially disturb neighbors.
 
Summertime Common Quiet Hours run from April 1 to September 30 between 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. and 3 to 5.30 p.m.
The Acropolis of Athens, one of the most visited archaeological sites in the world, will soon be offering the much-needed improved disabled access.
 
The central archaeological council (KAS) of Greece has recently approved the installation of a new elevator to provide easier access to disabled visitors. Furthermore, the council has also approved the upgrade of existing lighting for the site and its landmarks.
 
In terms of lighting, the KAS decision refers back to a 2003 study carried out by renowned French lighting designer Pierre Bideau. The planning will be carried out by Bideau’s collaborator Costas Kapos of the Doxiadis Bureau.


To ready this article in full, please visit: Greek Travel Pages
 

Don't forget that clocks in Greece will be turned back one hour on October 31.

On Sunday, October 31st at 04:00:00 clocks in Greece will be turned backward 1 hour to 03:00:00 local standard time as Daylight Saving Time ends, the Infrastructure and Transport Ministry announced.

Following an EU survey where 80% of Europeans said they were opposed to the clock changes, the time changes were supposed to end this year, however, this initiative has not been made official yet, as it has not been finalized by the European Council.

Greeks will turn their clocks back to 'summer time' on the last Sunday of March 2022.
The Greek National Theater's 2019-2020 season includes more than 20 productions, 4 of which will be staged with English surtitles every Wednesday through Sunday.
 
Surtitles will be applied to the current production of "Tonight We Improvise" and to the upcoming performances of Jack Thorne's adaptation of Charles Dickens' "Christmas Carol," from November 15 to January 12, 2020.

For the 2020 season, English surtitles will be available on the production of "Macbeth," from February 7 to March 8, and on Georges Feydeau's "Lady from Maxims," from March 21 to May 31. All 4 productions will be staged at the Ziller Building on Agiou Constantinou Street

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


Click here to learn more about the National Theater's performances with English surtitles
 
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