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Tudor Hall Restaurant, located on the 7th floor of the King George hotel, has received two important gastronomic awards, a ‘Golden Chef’s Hat’ and the award of Greek Cuisine.

Tudor Hall with a grade 15.5/20 was awarded for the second year in a row with a ‘Golden Chef’s Hat’. According to ‘Athinorama’ magazine, which is the organizer of this institution, the dishes curated by Executive Chef of Hotel Grande Bretagne & King George Sotiris Evangelou and the Chef de Cuisine of the Tudor Hall restaurant Alexandros Koskinas,  lend harmony in flavor, symmetry in appearance and an emotionally loden Greekness that is distinct and expressive. With other words, it’s a benchmark for modern creative cuisine.

The restaurant’s philosophy is to offer authentic Greek seasonal dishes with a modern twist, while a key element of differentiation is the use of fresh seasonal vegetables and raw materials.

Its commitment is to provide excellent hospitality and customer service by offering authentic exceptional experiences. This award is an important recognition of all this effort.

For more information about Tudor Hall, please click HERE.

 
Friday, 02 October 2015 07:20

Greek Crisis Turned Into A Board Game

Nikolai Diekerts, 28, and Julian Schärdel, 29, are friends and they share a common passion: board games. However, they are interested in finding new games that escape the mainstream board game market rules and promote their own ideas.

It appears that the economic crisis which struck Europe and particularly the southern countries, such as Greece in 2009, was a source of inspiration for the two German nationals. €uro crisis is a satirical board game about the economic and political developments in Europe over the last years.

According to the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung, the two young men, along with three other friends, started participating in national board game championships four years ago, and they decided to create their own game, €urocrisis.

The game was first presented two years ago at a trade show in Essen, however, it has changed a lot since then, thanks to the advice and help that the creators received from several people. €uro Crisis is a tactical as well as a satirical game for 3-4 players who take on the roles of banks with the goal of enriching themselves at the expense of the struggling states.

To read more, please visit: Greek Reporter
Meet Yannis Behrakis, a Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist from Athens. Bekrakis, 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.

Behrakis studied photography at the School of the Arts and Technology and received his BA from Middlesex University. While in Athens, he started working as a studio photographer and then as a contractor for Reuters. Behrakis was offered a staff position in 1988 and has worked there ever since, documenting many cultural and historic events.

In this exclusive interview with Greek Reporter, Behrakis discusses his experience documenting the refugees and how important it was to him to be able to share their stories.

For more information on Yannis Behrakis, please visit: Greek Reporter





Marketing Greece’s digital platform Blogtrotters, whose concept this year is ‘Travel in Balance’, has dedicated 2017 to the promotion of sustainable tourism development, with the aim of highlighting real-life examples.

This year, the Blogtrotters will tell stories of successful sustainable tourism practices in Greece, in support of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s (UNWTO) designation of 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.

The digital influencers will communicate their stories through blog posts, vlogs and social media posts across the web. The impact of the influencers’ content on their followers will be measured via a unique digital Sustainability Footprint that comprises the storytelling, resultant coverage and sharing of the content among the general public.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Travel Pages
Thursday, 13 April 2017 07:00

Greek Blue Flag Beaches In World’s Top 3

Just in time to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Blue Flag project, Greek beaches have consecutively been listed in the top three spots of the highly coveted program, the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (EEPF) said.

According to EEPF, which has been responsible for the Foundation for Environmental Education’s (FEE) Blue Flag program in Greece since 1992, its aim is to achieve the first place for Greek beaches and coasts. Of the 3,568 beaches awarded today, 430 are in Greece.

The Blue Flag Program labels beaches and marinas as well as sustainable boating tourism operators appropriate for swimming based on cleanness, water quality, organization, safety and services, environmental management and protection and certifies the best every year ahead of summer.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Travel Pages
Tuesday, 23 May 2017 22:20

April 25 - Getting Ready For Summer

Learn about the beaches in Greece that have been listed in the top three spots of the blue flag project, which destinations are ideal for family getaways, and tips to consider before buying Greek property!

Please click HERE to view this issue of our newsletter!

Remember to stay connected with us through our weekly newsletterFacebook, and Twitter!

Thursday, 09 November 2017 09:45

Homemade Greek Plum Jam Recipe

In 2004, Greeker than the Greeks blogger planted a plum tree and thirteen years later, finally is able to enjoy the fruits of the tree! With plenty of Greek sun and water, the tree flourished and started to produce lots of ripe plums. Feeling like she needed to create something with all the plums, Greeker than the Greeks called her friend who encouraged her to make a delicious 100% natural plum jam! Here is the recipe:


Ingredients
  • 1 kilo plums
  • 700 g Sugar
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 200 ml Water
Method
  • Sterilize jars by heating them in a microwave for a couple of minutes, heating them for twenty minutes in the oven at 100 degrees C, or running them through the dishwasher.
  • Remove the stones from the plums, cut into small pieces and place in a large pan, along with the sugar, lemon juice and water.
  • Stir everything together, bring to the boil and lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally.
To read the recipe in full, please visit: Greeker than the Greeks

Elena grew up in Toronto, Canada. She studied Art History & Classics at the University of Toronto and had a career in luxury sales and customer service until she took a leap of faith and moved to Greece to pursue a new life and her entrepreneurial dreams.

 

 

5 Things To Know About Elena

Mother of 2
Visionary
Soulful Businesses
Honesty and Gratitude
Serenity Prayer

I grew up in a small family business - metal manufacturing factory - where I had to do just about everything from make morning coffee to answer sales calls to fill boxes and load trucks! Always having some involvement in the family business, in parallel I began working retail and this is where I learned the art of sales and customer service.

To be honest, I didn't really want to go to university, but my (wise) mother made me go and so I chose to study something that I loved. Something that I couldn't stop reading about, something I could spend hours on end learning more and more and more, something I was inspired by.

I knew that I had to be true to me and listen to exactly what I wanted; listen to my intuition and trust myself. I never really made a switch in careers as I loved what I was doing. I did however dream of creating my own company and moving to Greece. It took me about two years to make the country move possible and another few years to get adjusted to my new way of life in Greece and to finally make my entrepreneurial dream a reality.

There were many moments where I envisioned living in Greece and really thought about it as if it was already real, but there was a very distinct moment that I'll always remember when I made the decision. I was on a hill in Siena, Italy and I thought “This is what I want to see and live everyday of my life. I want to be surrounded by natural beauty and surrounded by everything that makes me feel alive every day.”

With a seed that was planted in my brain, that grew into a vision, that got translated into words on paper, that became a plan, that became a reality, that became work in progress, that became a business. It has taken a lot (really a lot) of strength, perseverance and determination and ultimately trusting myself to believe it is possible and that I can do it. It took me a good few years to make my vision a reality. Coming from an entrepreneurial family I have inherited that state of mind and my entrepreneurial endeavors have changed along the way as I evolved.

I currently run 2 businesses (and a busy household!) in the country I dreamed of living in, Greece.

XpatAthens is a platform of information that connects and informs the international community in Greece.
Codico Lab is a consulting business that specializes in digital content creation, holistic content strategy, social media management and brand-related graphic design.

I am working on growing and developing these businesses, which are both part of a bigger dream of mine.

 

Read Elena's full inspiring story on Guts & Tales.

Your personal values ​​are like the beacon in a harbor. They show you the way. They determine which path you will take, and they indicate your life's direction.
 
Some values help you become better at what you do, ​​ light up your life, and the lives of those around you, while others take you back and prevent both you and your loved ones from evolving. There are good and bad values. Values that are direct and that you can control yourself are right. Creativity, sensitivity, respect belong in the category of actual values. Wrong are the values that are indirect and depend on others. These ​​are not controlled by you and are not real. Examples include wanting to be liked by everyone, always being right, or owning the latest iPhone. You can immediately feel the good values ​​inside you, while social norms determine the bad ones.
 
To find your values, ​​you need to ask yourself some honest and challenging questions that might make you feel uncomfortable. I will use the example of a client of mine, Elpida. It bothers her that she and her partner don't go for a walk with her, especially when he knows how much she enjoys walks. Why does it bother her? Because she feels that he is not interested in her. Why is this true for her? Because that would mean devoting more time to her. And why does that make her unhappy? Because she believes that you are supposed to follow each other for the relationship to be complete when you are a couple. Otherwise, you walk away, and so Elpida wonders if she has chosen the right person to be with.
 
At this point, please think about how Elpida sees the situation. With whom or what does she compare it? What if she were to change her perspective? Why does she consider one scenario successful and another not? What is the value that affects and negatively colors her relationship?
 
Is there something that bothers you and makes you feel awkward? Perhaps a failure? Take the time to find what is a priority for you. This value determines your decisions and your life in general.


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If there’s a topic you’re interested in and would like to learn more about you may contact me via email. For more information about me and my work check the XpatAthens Directory or visit my website. Because this is your life!

 
Wednesday, 15 March 2023 19:29

Maria Christodoulou | The Greek Herbalist

Maria Christodoulou is a clinical herbalist exploring the wisdom and whimsy of ancient Greek herbal medicine. Based in Athens, she offers the Myths & Medicine Plant Walk in the National Garden and educational herbal tours throughout Greece. She also provides herbal consultations and teaches virtual courses based on the bounty of medicine and folklore of her ancestors. As a volunteer, Maria leads the Herbalists Without Borders, Athens, Greece Chapter.

Maria is the author of “The Greek Herbalist's Guide to the Mountains” (2023) and "The Greek Herbalist's Guide to the National Garden, Athens" (2022). She has been published on numerous herbal platforms and has presented at various conferences, including the International Herb Symposium, Panhellenic Conference on Traditional Folk Medicine, and Archaeological Institute of America | Society for Classical Studies Conference. In 2022, Maria was the recipient of the Ancient Worlds, Modern Communities Award from the Society of Classical Studies at New York University. 

Maria earned a Bachelor's degree in Classics from Bucknell University, a Master's degree in Library and Information Science from Drexel University, and a clinical herbalist certificate from ArborVitae School of Traditional Herbalism in New York, where she is from. 

For more adventures through antiquity, visit her website at www.thegreekherbalist.com.
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