• Stay calm.
• Relocate all flammable materials around the building to closed and protected areas.
• Close all the passages (chimneys, windows, doors, etc) to prevent sparks from entering the building.
• Shut off all the gas and liquid-fuel supplies.
• Open the gate of the garden to facilitate fire-fighting vehicle access.
• Put a ladder outside the building so that someone is able to climb immediately on the roof. 
• Switch on the interior and exterior lights to increase visibility

White landscapes, cozy corners, hot chocolate, and moments by the fireplace. Yes, this time of the year has come! So, what if there is a place that combines all of the above, it’s cosmopolitan, and at the same time, you can find peaceful escapes that will set your mind and soul free?

Arachova is the one and during winter is transformed into a bustling little city. This beautiful mountainous village that is known for its breathtaking nature and historical background is situated at the foot of Mount Parnassos in Viotia (the highest mountain in Greece after Mount Olympus), Southern Greece.

The tourism facilities of Arachova, which are fully developed, make it an ideal destination for ski lovers or the ones who are seeking other outdoor facilities, such as snowboard, hiking, and mountain bike or just walking through the cobblestone streets. Furthermore, even if you don’t belong to the adventurous visitor category and you just want to relax in cute cafes and cozy guesthouses, again, Arachova is perfect for you.

At the same time, though, we should not forget that this picturesque village carries interesting history and cultural heritage. Byzantine churches and monasteries hold their own place in Arachova, whilst in really close proximity you will find Delphi, the ancient sanctuary that is recognized by Unesco as a World Heritage Site. In ancient times, Delphi was considered to be by the Greeks the center of the world, the ‘navel of the world’, ‘Omphalos’. Questions were asked to the Oracle Pythia (modern-day Google!) in a will for consultation on crucial decisions. Delphi was also the center of worship of the God Apollo. Delphi is undoubtedly a must-visit while in Arahova.

Arachova also offers traditional Greek food, namely presenting ‘trahana’, a traditional Greek and Cypriot dish, usually found in the villages and is made with either semolina, wheat flour, or cracked wheat and ‘hilopites’, Greek egg pasta. Moreover, it stands out for spoon sweets, yogurt with honey, olives, dry wines, the ‘formaela’ cheese, and grilled meat. You can taste all these in restaurants and taverns, but you can also buy many of the above from local shops. 

Last but not least, you may as well pay a visit to Eptalofos or Agoriani, a charming mountain village that lies at the southern slopes of Mount Parnassus. Its central square is a beauty and there are many options for dining, coffee, and dessert all around. Agoriani is only 11 km far from Parnassus ski center and it's a quiet escape from the bustling Arachova.

Main image: @arachova_greece

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

Helmut Newton is one of the world’s famous photographers, working before the ‘age of photoshop’… The exhibit was simple and striking – his provocative style is well-known.

Opened in 2010 after an international architecture competition, the Onassis Cultural Centre is a modern building on Syngrou Avenue, near the Intercontinental Hotel. As Athens’ newest major cultural space, it plays host to a great variety of events and performances from the worlds of theatre, dance, music and the visual arts to the written word.

I must say, the building is impressive: different levels, different layers offering interesting spaces to explore. Ticket prices seem quite reasonable. A quick scan through their website (in English!) reveals a rich program, with something for everyone interested in contemporary culture. It gets a bookmark on my browser. ;)

And on-site parking too.

Until next week,

Jack

Onassis Cultural Centre
107-109 Syngrou Avenue
Information/Tickets: 210 900 5800
www.sgt.gr/en

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…

Amidst the economic crisis which has hit all sectors of the local economy in recent years, the company founded in 1861 by the Bavarian Gustav Clauss and run by Greek entrepreneurs for decades today looks to the future going East, as far away as China, said tour guide Tonia Rapti during a visit Saturday.

With a 6-million-liter annual production and 70% exports in over 40 countries and regions worldwide so far, the vast Chinese market seems the next reasonable step for the winery, the retired PR officer explained.

"We are currently making efforts to export to China. Our future undoubtedly lies there," she stressed.

Rapti talks like she is still working at the stone, castle-like facilities set up in 1861 by Clauss, who is considered as a pioneer in the industrialization of wine production in Greece.

After a business trip he fell in love with the beauty of the natural landscape and a local girl. He created a company and a big family.

After 33 years working at the winery, Rapti feels like a retired member of this extended family. Her younger colleague Yorgos is a fourth generation employee at Achaia Clauss.

One of his predecessors worked for the production of the first wine produced in modern Greece in 1873: Mavrodaphne, she explained while showing us the barrel which still contains it.

A liquor with a red ruby color, named after Daphne, Gustav's late fiance, Mavrodaphne is one of the company's best selling products. It is the wine used in the Holy Communion at the Greek Orthodox Church.

The 1873 wine is not for sale, but a bottle containing a few drops of the 1896 production, the year of the first modern Olympics, reaches up to €1,500 (US$2,055), while a three-year-old wine costs about €5 (US$7.50).

In one of the big oak carved barrels at the Imperial Cellar, Athena, the goddess of wisdom in ancient Greek mythology, is depicted offering wine to Hercules.

At the end of the tour, after taking a look at the two biggest barrels in Greece manufactured in 1882 in Trieste and each containing 13,195 liters of Mavrodaphne, Rapti and her colleagues offer visitors a unique opportunity to taste some of the excellent quality wine.

The winery, located among the vineyards, is one of the topmost tourist sites in the region, attracting some 100,000 visitors per year. Before the crisis, the numbers were double. Still visitors leave the site impressed.

"I feel as if I discovered a treasure today. This winery is part of our history. We need to work to preserve it and promote it," said Yorgos Kontos, an engineer who was visiting a friend in a nearby village, while posing in front of a barrel containing the production of 1940, when Greece entered World War II.

Among dignitaries who have visited the winery are the empress Sissy of Austria, German chancellor Otto von Bismarck and Hungarian composer Franz Liszt in the 19th century.

wantchinatimes.com