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My parents have a house in a village, not far from Athens, where we often go on the weekends. It’s a typical Greek village up on a hill with a nice sea view and, very common in Greece, lots of stray cats.

Our daughter, who loves to play with the cats that gather in the yard, has been asking to adopt a cat for quite some time now. After some serious thinking, my husband and I decided to get a kitten as a gift for our daughter’s birthday. We all agreed to get a stray and we started our search from the yard of the house in the village.

There is a little black and white kitten among the cats that visit our yard. The minute she “smells” we arrive she’s there. It’s obvious she wants food. And even though she doesn’t feel too at ease with humans she accepts some petting. When my daughter takes her in her arms you can hear her purring.

So we’ve decided to take her home with us. We bought her food, cat litter, toys, and a cat carrier to bring her home. But first, we needed to take her to the vet. And although she’d spent the whole afternoon in our yard, the next morning when we were supposed to get her to the vet she was nowhere to be found. It’s as if she had just disappeared. Literally disappeared. We did search for her but our efforts were to no avail. Of course, my daughter was disappointed and sad as she had already imagined this sweet kitten as her roommate and expressed her emotions by crying.

We talked about it. It’s possible the cat decided she didn’t want to leave the countryside. This was her home after all. This is where she could wander around and be free. We explained to my daughter that this didn’t mean the cat didn’t like or even love her. It only meant she decided to live where she was.

This may sound egoistic to some but in doing so the cat took care of her own needs first. Cause that’s how she’s happy. Cats love their well-being. It’s of utmost importance to them. They know what they want, what they like, and what they don’t. They know who they want to be with and who they want to avoid. They know when and how to say “no.” And we, humans, cannot but respect their wishes.

Isn’t that what we all need to do for ourselves? Take care of our needs first? Because when we take care of ourselves we give and share easier. We take care of others easier.

This Holiday season offer yourself a special gift. Take this beautiful cat lesson and apply it to your everyday life. Don’t wait for others to do this for you. Like cats, take yourself by the hand and think about how you can take care of yourself first. What is it that you like and what not? How do you want your life to be and what kind of people do you want around you? Remember the sweet black and white kitten who comes to be petted by my daughter but then she wants her peace and quiet.

Originally published on: itsmylife.gr

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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!
Thursday, 05 February 2015 14:06

My Week in Athens… Feb 14

Apartment Hunting, Part II: After seeing nearly 20 apartments, and being convinced that I would have to compromise on quality and style, I think I have found ‘the one’. It’s a cool space, renovated, spacious, inviting. With a bathroom & WC that I’d actually let my mother use. And best of all, it is in the heart of the historic centre, near all the culture that one could ever desire. Also best of all, the ‘value for price’ equation is high. Very high.

So I’m thrilled.

The real estate agent who showed the property has so far been exemplary – professional, responsive, knowledgeable, on time. There are many good ones around, and they make a huge difference in the whole experience.

Now comes the really fun part – and a bunch of questions:

How much notice do I actually need to give my current landlord?
How much fun will I have changing the address of my electricity & internet service?
Should I hire a mover or do it myself?
Will a moving truck even fit on the narrow streets anywhere near the apartment?
What time of day (or night) should I move? I mean, if I’m to block a street in a busy neighbourhood, should I do it late at night, or will my new neighours think me strange?

As with most everything else in Athens, there is no clear answer. So if you are wandering home from a Thissio café one of these nights, and notice a dark van parked on a side street, with a couple of shady guys popping in and out of a dark building – please don’t panic and don’t call the cops – it’s just me trying to get my couch up the stairs!

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…

 

 

Monday, 16 February 2015 11:41

Jimmy & The Fish Restaurant In Piraeus

Located on the seaside of Microlimano Piraeus, Jimmy and the fish attract the city's elite dining crowd day after day, night after night. People come here not only to gape at phantasmagorical view but also to savour really delicious and original seafood fare. Decorated to pay tribute to the nautical saloons of the 1960’s yachts, it combines the excellence in taste and in quality in a nice and friendly environment!! The restaurant is opened the whole year and can be provided for all exceptional circumstances that makes your life more beautiful!

 

Every Day from: 12.00 p.m - 02.00 a.m
46, Al. Koumoundourou, Microlimano Piraeus • Tel: 210-4124417

 

e-mail: info@jimmyandthefish.gr

www.jimmyandthefish.gr

 

Do you have a recommendation or recipe to share? Send it to us at ideas@xpatathens.com!

Thursday, 19 February 2015 11:10

Lamda Unveils Elliniko Plans

Lamda Development presented plans on Tuesday for the utilization of the old airport plot at Elliniko, southern Athens, with the investors who have undertaken the development of the 6.3-square kilometer site (the Latsis Group’s Lamda, Al Maabar from the United Arab Emirates and China’s Fosun Group) claiming they are ready to start work at Elliniko from today.

However a more realistic target would be 2016, when the 7-billion-euro investment is expected to start.

The project aims to to create a destination of global appeal that will increase the annual tourism flow to the Greek capital to 3 million visitors from 2 million today.

It will include a 2 sq.km metropolitan park, a 3.5 km seafront and supplementary infrastructure such as roads, squares, utility networks, and a tram link with metro stations, among others.

To read more, please visit ekathimerini.com

Friday, 20 February 2015 21:02

Corfiot Sofrito With Potato-Carrot Puree

Sofrito is a well known and unique dish of Corfu. It is made with beef, which is cooked in a wine sauce with garlic and parsley. It is served with rice or mashed potatoes.

Sofrito Preparation

Dredge the fillets with salt and fresh ground pepper. Coat them with flour and fry slightly on both sides. Scrape any excess flour from the bottom of the pan and remove them.
Add olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion.
Add rosemary, marjoram, garlic and white wine.
Cut the stems of both the parsley bunches, tie them and add them in the saucepan.
Add meat fillets and simmer until the sauce thickens and meat is tender. If needed you should add more water.
Remove parsley stems from the saucepan.
Serve meat in a platter and pour the sauce over them.
Serve fillets with mashed potatoes and carrots.

Potato and Carrot Mash Preparation

Boil the cubed potatoes and carrots in water.
Add plenty of salt and pepper and the mashed garlic.
When the vegetables are tender remove from the sauce pan and drain.
Preserve half glass of the water.
Melt butter on the saucepan.
Add on a a blender the vegetables and blend. Gradually add the milk and the water that you preserved. Blend until the texture is soft and creamy.
Add the melted butter and mix again.
Empty the puree on a saucepan.


Sofrito Ingredients

1kg boneless beef fillets (leg part preferred)
1 onion, finely cut
2 garlic cloves, mashed
1 glass of white wine
Rosemary
Marjoram
2 bunches of parsley
Salt
Pepper
Flour for coating the fillets
Olive oil for frying


Mash potato and Carrot Ingredients
5 medium potatoes, cut in cubes
1 mashed garlic
Mix of pepper and salt
6 medium carrots, cut in thin slices
1 glass of milk
2 spoons of fresh butter

www.greek-recipe.com

Wednesday, 20 December 2023 07:00

Greek Traditions To Welcome The New Year

Greeks ring in the new year with as much celebration as everyone else, except that New Year's Day in Greece is a big day for another reason too.
 
January 1st is the name day of Saint Basil or Agios Vasilios, one of the forefathers of the Greek Orthodox Church, making this holiday one with many traditions to enjoy. Here are a few of our favorites:
 

Exchanging Gifts 
Although Christmas has recently brought Santa Claus and the giving of gifts, traditional Greek homes celebrate gift-giving on the name day of Agios Vasilios - presents are left under the tree on the morning of New Year's Day.

Playing Cards
Luck plays a big part in the new year celebration in Greece. A win at cards could signal a whole year of good luck, so playing card games, rolling dice, and other games of chance play a big part in Greek celebrations at this time of year. Games are often played in tavernas, kafenion, and homes across the country. Even the state lottery is played with much enthusiasm at this time of year.

The "Podariko" Tradition
On New Year's Day, a common tradition called 'kalo podariko' or first footing, is that the first person to enter a Greek house on New Year's Day will bring luck in with them. Typically before midnight, the 'first footer' is chosen to step through the doorway and back into the house in an attempt to bring good luck to the home. It is said that luck is only brought by someone with a kind, loving, and honest heart, so children are commonly chosen to usher in the new year in this way.

Vasilopita
New Years Day also brings the traditional 'Vasilopita' cake, a round sweet cake that is ceremonially cut with a slice for each member of the family and additional special slices for the home, Agios Vasilios, and any other religious figures the family wishes to cut for. Slices are handed out to each family member from oldest to youngest - whoever receives the lucky slice, the piece containing a hidden coin, is said to receive good luck for the whole year.

Gouri - New Year's Charms
Good luck charms, or 'gouria' in Greek, are also very popular at this time of year. The Gouri is a traditional Greek New Year’s gift that you give to loved ones in order to bring them luck for the year to come. Designs and materials may vary, just like their prices, but a gouri is a very popular symbol of love and protection for the new year.

Other New Years' Traditions Around Greece
In the Cyclades, villagers believe a north wind on New Year's Day to be a very good omen for the year. Also, if a dove should land in the yard that day, the family will have an extra lucky year, but if a crow flies over the house, then all luck will be lost.

In Crete, the tradition of hanging wild sea onions, or 'squill' is still practiced in some homes. The Cretan wild onion is actually poisonous and may cause a skin rash, but when uprooted, it flowers and grows new leaves. Cretans consider this rare quality a very good omen and hang the wild onions in their homes on New Year's Day in a tradition that goes back to the 6th century BC.



Tuesday, 21 March 2023 07:00

4 Of The Best Wine Bars In Athens

With about a whopping 61,500 hectares of vineyards, Greece is no stranger to wine, as it has one of the world's oldest wine cultures.

Here are some of the top wine bars in Athens, where travelers and residents alike can sample the greatest wines Greece has to offer!




Heteroclito

Heteroclito
@heteroclitoathens


Set in the historical center of Athens, Heteroclito, a wine bistro with a charming vintage flair provides customers with the opportunity to learn about and appreciate outstanding Greek wines, as well as discover the greatest varieties from a diverse range of local production. A year-round destination offering outdoor seats along the pedestrian way to enjoy alfresco living to the fullest!

Address: Fokionos 2 & Petraka, Monastiraki
Telephone: 210 323 9406

Vintage Wine Bar and Bistro

Vintage Wine Bar
@vintagewinebistro_athens


This wine bar is conveniently located near the intersection of Plaka and Monastiraki. Classy and elegant it offers an intimate and relaxed atmosphere. There's a 200-label wine collection on hand, as well as a full dining menu, promising to take you on an exciting culinary adventure!

Address: Mitropoleos 66
Telephone: 213 029 6570

Oinoscent

Oinoscent
@oinoscent


Just 200m from Syntagma square, this is the first wine bar that opened in Athens, in 2008. More than 1000 labels rest in the well-designed cellar area, that can be perfectly combined with the bar's comfort yet gourmet menu. The wine list also includes 50 glass labels that are updated every week!

Address: Voulis 45-47
Telephone: 210 322 9374

By The Glass

By The Glass
@bytheglass.gr

A beautifully refurbished 19th-century mansion near the National Gardens hosts this lovely wine bar! There, you will find a selection of 500+ wines, both Greek and international, rare Old Greek Vintages, premium imported Fine Wines, a large variety of Champagnes and Sparkling Wines, as well as Distillates and Dessert Wines.

Address: 3 G. Souris Str. & Philellinon
Telephone: 210 323 2560
 
More than a million different apps are available both on the Android and Apple app stores so sorting the good from the not so good can be a bit frustrating. The same applies to travel apps too. While some of them can really improve your vacation, many others aren't even worth the time they take to download!
 
Tripsavvy has put together a list of the most useful free travel apps that should definitely find a place on your smartphone or tablet before your next vacation.
 
1. Google Translate
When traveling to a foreign country, you’ll find Google’s free translation app very useful. Simply type the words you want to translate, pick a target language, and there you go. You can also download a language pack ahead of time so that you don’t even need to be connected to the Internet to translate your phrases and words!
 
2. WiFi Map
By scanning your surroundings WiFi Map lets you know the location of the nearest wireless connection. The free version shows any networks within a little over a mile of your current or a searched location, while the paid version lets you download entire city Wi-fi maps ahead of time to use while offline.
 
3. Sit or Squat
Sometimes when you’re traveling, knowing where to find the nearest public toilet is vitally important. The aptly-named Sit or Squat app does exactly that, scanning a database of over 100,000 restrooms that have been rated “sit” (good) or “squat” (bad) by users to show those close to you.

4. Tripadvisor
There’s no doubt TripAdvisor is the biggest game in town when it comes to user reviews of hotels, restaurants, and attractions. The app provides almost all of the information available on the site, including access to the forums, and syncing of bookmarked pages between the web and app versions.

5. Tripit
Tripit is one of the most popular travel apps out there. With Tripit, you can track complex itineraries without having to manually type in the specifics of every flight, hotel, and transfer. For online bookings, all you need to do is forward the confirmation email, and, in most cases, Tripit will automatically recognize it and update your itinerary. Once you've dowloaded the latest updates of your itinerary, you can access it without an Internet connection.

To read this list in full, please visit: Tripsavvy.com
Monday, 21 October 2019 13:38

More Than 10,000 Visitors In Navarinia Fest

The 192nd anniversary from the Battle of Navarino in the presence of President of the Hellenic Republic

Pylos has been at the forefront of the world for yet another year, honoring and reviving one of the most historic events in modern Greek history. Pylos- Nestor Municipality celebrated the 192nd anniversary of the historic Navarino Naval Battle, in a three-day commemoration event from October 18-20, 2019.

This year’s festivities were attended by more than 10,000 visitors and the President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Prokopis Pavlopoulos.

Former Prime Minister, Mr. Antonis Samaras, Messinia MP and representative of the Hellenic Parliament, Mr. Giannis Lampropoulos, Messinia MPs, Mr. Periklis Mantas and Mr. Miltos Chryssomalis, Peloponnese Regional Governor, Mr. Panagiotis Nikas and Pylos-Nestor Mayor Mr. Panagiotis Karvelas all attended the event.

The historic Navarino Naval Battle, revived for another year, on Saturday, October 19, 2019, in the old port of Pylos, through the reenactment organized by Pylos-Nestor Municipality. The sky shone, and the historic naval battle resurrected 192 years later, with the participation of 5 rare traditional sailing boats, of the Traditional Boat Association (one dating back to 1900) and the assistance of special audiovisual media and fireworks. It is worth mentioning the leading role of the Association for the Preservation and Conservation of Traditional Shipbuilding and Nautical Art and Heritage “Proteas” and its Vice President, Mr. Nikolaos Vlavianos, who designed and manufactured a ship model of that era with tackle for the reenactment of the Turkish flagship. A spectacular live storytelling scene awaited the visitors, with a canvas of fireworks at the event closing. Navarinia is a celebration that commemorates the history of all nations involved, as well as people who have passed to immortality by putting their stamp on the founding of the modern Greek State.

Citizens’ safety and facilitation was achieved thanks to the full support of Messinia Police Department, Pylos Police Department, Pylos Port Authority, Pylos Fire Department, National Emergency Aid Centre, Pylos Health Center, Red Cross (Kalamata Department), the staff of Pylos-Nestor Municipality, as well as all residents of the region who volunteered and respected the safety regulations.

Program of events began on Friday, October 18, 2019, with the organization of the traditional and modern boat race, in the Navarino Bay under the auspices of Maritime 2 Athletic Pylos Association “NESTOR” and the Traditional Boat Association, continued with national traditional dances by Ladies Association in Pylos and Pylos Cultural Association while ended with the inauguration of the periodical ship model exhibition of George Bouzounis, and the artwork by Denis Gaille. A roundtable discussion on the topic “Aris of Tsamadou” followed. The event was curated by Vassilis Vrettakos and Dionysis Karalis (Navarinia Committee), in collaboration with Nikolaos Vlavianos (Proteas Association), George Vozikis (member of the Institute of Shipbuilding Art), Aris Arvanitakis (Phoenix Register of Shipping Chief Executive Officer) and Maria Galoufa (archaeologist). Official guests were European Maritime Heritage President, David Morgan and board members Tomas Hoppe, Nice Edvine List Peterson and Jian Matias Vesterman.

On Saturday, October 19, 2019, an honorary event was held in favor of the French who lost their lives from Thermes during the period 1828-1832 while the events culminated in the evening with the Reenactment of the Battle at the Old Port of Pylos. On Sunday, October 20, 2019, His Eminence Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Messinia praised at the Holy Church of Virgin Mary Dormition in Pylos. During the three-day celebrations, those visited Pylos were able to visit “Psara” frigate and the Russian patrol vessel “Vasily Bykov”.

Protocol Organization: Region of Peloponnese
Events Organization - Naval Battle Reenactment: Pylos-Nestor Municipality

Grand Sponsor: Costa Navarino Sponsors: Maragkakis A.P. Erga Prasinou S.A., Aigaias ΑΜΚΕ, KATASKEVI Α.Τ.Ε., Panagiotopoulos Aristeides Ε.D.Ε., Super Market Afoi Panagiotopouloi, Α.Β. Vassilopoulos, Katritsis, Consortium Vioefarmoges Eleftheriou & SIA ΕΕ, Chondroleos Center, Europa Security, Local Companies from Pylos, Gialova, Methoni, Finikounda Communities, Tzikakis Efstathios-Rizas Aristomenis O.E.

Hashtags: #navarinia #navarinonavalbattle

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Thursday, 23 December 2021 07:00

Christopsomo: Where Bread Meets Fine Art

Christopsomo, or “Christ’s bread,” has been an indispensable part of the Christmas Day table in every Greek household throughout the centuries.

If you are ever fortunate enough to spend a Christmas in Greece, you will be certain to become enchanted by the enticing aromas of baked bread, pastries, cookies, and other foods during the holiday season.

Greek Christopsomo

Some Greek holiday goodies are steeped in ancient regional traditions, while others you will find throughout the entire country, but perhaps with a local twist.

The bread is traditionally baked on Christmas Eve and served on Christmas Day at the table when the whole family gathers to eat together. It is believed that this sweet bread brings blessings to the family during this holy season.

The dough for Christopsomo is divided into two pieces. The first portion, the largest, forms the main base. The somewhat smaller portion is made into a large cross with curled and split ends and several other symbolic shapes.

In the past, symbols represented aspects of the family’s life and professions as well. For example, if the family were fishmongers, images of fish would be shaped and added to the loaf.

In more agriculturally-based times, the surface of the bread would often be covered with flowers, leaves, or fruits, indicating the family’s hopes for a good harvest and healthy herds of animals.

A walnut is placed in the middle of the cross, symbolizing life as well as fertility. The walnut shell can also be interpreted as representing the cave in which the Christ Child was born.

Baking the most elaborate possible Christopsomo is an unspoken challenge for bread makers in Greece. In many parts of the country, “Christ’s bread” has truly become a piece of timeless art, with incredibly beautiful, intricate decorations.



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