never been there, sorry!

but I love the music of mikis theodorakis! and globe artichokes!!

...just put the music from the film "Zorba the Greek" on the player... Thanks for reminding me Alexander! *smile*

Rembetiko makes me sad and what does "fernweh" mean in english? The opposite of homesick?

Telesickness? Distance-illness? Riette, help!

Are you sure you don't just like smashing dinner plates? (Really not a rock group like smashing pumpkins, but a lot less messy!)

'Fernweh' is wanderlust, istn't it? And HA-HA, Marcia! I like both!

"Wanderlust" - what a strange word! Never heard it - sounds like a pre-20th-century germanism. I know Reiselust, but Fernweh was more the longing-flavor. Longing to be somewhere else, going places... It's not like "enjoying to be on the road", it's "wishing one could get on the road". Like me and my boat... Actually, the description as opposite of homesickness is very good. And I suffer from it often.

Not me. No wanderlust in my blood.

Call it the anthesis of Cabin Fever or whatever, I think we all have it somewhere deep down. Curiosity about what lies beyond that far mountain...and all that! My eldest sister had it so severely we never heard from her except the odd postcard from some obscure corner of the world.

I would love to be somewhere else, now. Just fleeing from work, somewhere warm and sunny.....Drinking red wine, listening to wonderful music... I want to get outa here!!!!

I AM fleeing from work tomorrow. To a little country hotel in the mountains until Sunday. I read about a 750m long slide near this place (Kanderstegg), and the girls thoroughly agree that we MUST go try it out - you know, to see if it works and all. I CAN HARDLY WAIT!!!!

Nothing like an educational field trip to relax the mind and body. I can hear the screams as you plummet earthward on your slippery way down...enjoy!

It was SO COOL!!! The sweetest hotel with bunkbeds for the kids and 4 course meals, and there was a F�hn, so it was warm and sunny, and we went on the slide until the money was all gone. And, wow, it was so BEAUTIFUL going up the mountain in a chair lift! The surrounding mountain tops were all snowy and everything was quiet and peaceful, except for the kids singing loudly on the way: 'Twinkle twinkle little star how I wonder what you are up above the clouds so high, like a DINO in the sky...' I always love that bit!!!

Like a DINO in the sky?!!! *lol* Kids are so inventive they did not notice the difference. Perhaps in the zodiac of the future they will put one there. I am glad you had such a great time. I am a huge fan of slides - always have been, in fact...!

Greece was beautiful! Of course we only stayed within the Cycladic Islands but... One full day in Athina to take in the grandeur of the Acropolis and the Botanical Gardens (that weren't SO bontanical but FULL of kitties!) and then a plane to Santorini (Thira). We stayed just outside the town of Thira and gave ourselves a ten minute walk to get into town each day. Everything is the whitest of white stucco and the sea is translucent azure... The water was cool and the days were warm. Food and music were wonderful and we really only spent time enjoying each other's company and the wonder of our happy and fortunate existance... together. More more more to tell, different islands, different beaches... but I am trying diligently to catch up at work... pictures will certainly follow but we only arrived home at 1am this morning...

Ah, this answers my question in B&B. Congratulations to you and Mr. B! And welcome back home!

Thank you and thank you! And, based on the travel record for the year thus far... we'll be back in Germany within the next year! This time we'll make it a formal date!

Or maybe better that time, I guess. This time I wasn't there, no? (confused as always)

OOOOoooh! A *D A T E* ! Whew! With me?

But, ew! You'll bring that, that - other guy along, no?

Guess that's what you going off and marrying gets us...

;=}

Stacey, don't you DARE come to Germany without seeing me! Fly via Z�rich or something, okay??

of course we will... I've already informed my husband (!!) that a visit to you is of utmost importance next time we're anywhere near Europe! BTW... we'll probably be in Nice, France next August (business for him of course...)

And we're having an IRL in July out West, woo-hoo!! Congratulations, Mrs. Tinianov!

Stacey, let us know if Ree Ree is all she is cracked up to be, or is beyond our wildest expectations, ok?

Bleugh!

Well I don't think we'll be trying those things with each other Paul! *grin*

Though I pretty good at doing 'cracked up'!!! ha-ha!

Anyone still here? I went to Greece for three weeks with my parents and brother; a real family vacation! We had some interesting moments, as can be expected, but it was a fantastic trip overall! We spent a few days in Athens, touring the Acropolis, and wandering around Plaka and Monastiraki. We then took a 4-day land tour of Classical Greece, including Corinth, Epidavros, Mycenae, Olympia, and Delphi. (I think we were a bit "ruin-ed out" by the end of that tour, but it was amazing to see all the places I'd read about.) Then we took a 7-day cruise around the islands, including Santorini, Crete, Rhodos, Patmos, and Mykonos, as well as Ephesus and Istanbul (Constantinople) in Turkey. We then spent 3 days on the island of Mitilini (Lesvos) looking up some relatives and the places our family came from. We finally ended up in Glyfada, enjoying the night clubs. (But they don't throw dishes anymore...just flowers!)

Great! Sound like something I could use right now! Hey, "Brown" don't sound like one of the old Lesvos-names to me...?

My friends sometimes call me "Brownopoulos"... ;-) Blame it on my grandfather. He changed the name from Papaharalampus to Brown when he got his citizenship papers. (It would have been too easy to shorten it to Papas, like everyone else, I guess!) The story I heard was that he replaced a baker named Brown, and everyone just started calling him "Brown the Baker".

I didn't know that! I am grateful for little things - like the name Brown!

My maternal grandfather was born on Cyprus but considered himself Greek. Grandad's family name was Karageanes. My mother is named Cleopatra, no kidding. I'm Cleopatra's daughter, more precisely I'm the daughter of a Cleopatra. Actually it is a Greek name meaning "fame of her father". Mom, a woman of little fame except to us who know and love her, goes by Cleo, which simply means "fame".

The Ptolemy line persists on Spring. I had no idea... but I AM honored!

That sounds like an awesome vacation, Ginny!

A name like Brown is easy to spell, but it's such a BORING name. My mother tried to get my father to take her name (Pavlis) when they got married, but he wouldn't hear of it. At least it would have been a Greek name! The funny thing is that most of the family spells it "Pavlis", except for one branch which spells it "Pavles" (one brother decided to be different, I guess). Great names, Cheryl! There are many ethnic Greeks in Cyprus. (Not that I want to bring up the Cyprus issue!!) I know another Greek woman named Cleo, but I don't know if it's short for Cleopatra or not. Interesting...I didn't know that Cleo means fame. I wish I had learned more Greek when my grandmother was trying to teach me! As far as I know, all my family was from the islands of Lesvos and Limnos. Three of my grandparents were from Lesvos (2 from Mitilini and 1 from Ayiassos). My maternal grandmother (the one I was named after) was born in the US, but I think her mother was from Limnos and her father was from Lesvos. Yes, my trip to Greece was awesome! We were pretty tired by the end of it, but we were really glad we went. It was amazing to finally see the places my grandparents always talked about, and going as a family made it even more special. For anyone interested in archaeology, the land tour of Classical Greece is a must. The cruise around the islands was wonderful, especially after being on a bus for 4 days; we were thrilled to not have to pack our bags every night.

Here are some Greek links I've found. Enjoy! http://www.gogreece.com, Internet Guide to Greece http://www.ellada.com, Ellada on the Web http://www.greekiosk.com, Greek Kiosk - News and more http://www.forthnet.gr/hellas/hellas.html, Database of Greek Web Resources http://www.vacation.forthnet.gr, Tourist Guide of Greece http://www.gaepis.org, Hellenic Public Radio http://www.greekembassy.org, Greek Embassy http://www.greece.org, Hellenic Electronic Center http://www.hri.org, Hellenic Resources Network http://www.ahepa.org, American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association http://www.glavx.org, Vryonis Center for the Study of Hellenism http://www.hol.gr/greece, Hellas On Line - Greek Pages http://www.princeton.edu./~ellhnes, Hellenic Association of Princeton http://www.goarch.org, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America http://www.ocf.org, Orthodox Christian Foundation http://www.oca.org, Orthodox Church in America http://www.voithia.org, Voithia (GOAL) http://www.edu.physics.uch.gr/songs, Greek Songs Database http://virtual-greece.com/midi/index.htm, Greek midi songs http://members.xoom.com/GreekMusic/index1.html, Greek Music Page

Time to get this topic going again. Ginny-the-Greek from Boston seems to have gone missing but I will get her back here. Wait till I tell her I have someone who REALLY can translate Greek to English. Giannis, this is for you.... another place on Spring to waste your precious time! Meanwhile, with his daughter's upcoming wedding so soon, I checked into Greek libations: Retsina Retsina is a 100% Greek product. It is not produced in any other part of the world except Greece. Made for more than 3,000 years, this traditional Greek wine has been resinated treated with pine-tree resin. The resin gives the wine a distinctively sappy taste. Today, Retsina is produced in almost all parts of Greece, but the best is considered that of Attica. Retsinas are either white or rose and should be served cold. Retsina is ideal as an accompaniment for all types of Greek cuisine. Like most Greek beverages, it is undeniably at its best when combined with Greek foods, especially the savory mezedes served as appetizers. Some people, mostly non-Greeks, say that Retsina, is an acquired taste. Some other, say that Retsina has a flavor as "sappy and turpentine like". We challenge you to try it! Because if you don't, you will never know what you are missing! The best is to try it in its native environment. Maybe then, you may well respond to it like a true Greek! from... http://www.greekproducts.com/greekproducts/retsina/

I noted that above there are great links Ginny posted a while back. Meanwhile, I have been told there are other celebratory things to drink other that retsina. (My Greek connections are VERY good and even more charming...*sigh*) I am off to do some sampling and checking. Will post when I can see straight again! /\���

More goodies about Greece from the estimable John of Volos. To paraphrase him: *In Greece they are many special restaurants that serve OUZO (they are named OUZERI) or TSIPOURO (they are named TSIPOURADIKO). With OUZO or TSIPOURO serve sea delicacies. Also, they are popular restaurants with good Greek comestibles, wine and popular Greek music (live or not). We have two main types of wine. RETSINA that is white wine with resin of pine, and KOKKINELI, that is red wine. They are only a few expensive Babylonian restaurants. I am trying to find out why Babylonian restaurants are so expensive. More about Tsipouro in next post.

I suddenly have a great hunger for anything wrapped in grape leaves. I wonder how much cuisine I can find to go with the wines... Tsipouro The 'spirit' of the vineyard Every autumn after grape harvest, various wine festivities begin throughout Greece. A few days later, in Thessaly, Epirus, Macedonia and on the island of Crete the "Celebration of Tsipouro" takes place. Tsipouro is a strong distilled spirit containing approximately 37 per cent alcohol per volume and is produced from the must-residue of the wine-press. The name tsipouro is used throughout the country, except for Crete, where the same spirit with a stronger aroma is known as tsikoudia. In other areas of Greece, the Oriental name "raki" is used, from which the term "rakizio" is derived, used to refer to the drink's distillation process, which usually turns into a huge celebration among family, friends and neighbours. As with many gastronomic delicacies, most alcoholic beverages have their roots in poverty. Tsipouro and tsikoudia are produced in poor viniculture soil. Therefore, every year after the vines are pruned, the vineyard provides wood for the fireplace, grape leaves for cooking (the famous Greek "dolmades"), grapes as a fruit or as a pastry and, of course, wine. Some of the grape must is used to make molasses, which when combined with flour become must-jelly, must-rolls as well as other well-known Greek pastries. When must is made from grapes, the seeds, stems and grape-peels aren't thrown away, rather they are distilled to produce tsipouro and tsikoudia, spirits consumed for centuries in this part of the Mediterranean. This production process, in which nothing is wasted and whatever is reaped is used in the most productive manner, was abandoned for a while. In fact, many of today's food products require long processing methods which often create waste materials. The EU, however, is attempting to preserve traditional food and beverage production methods, which combine human ingenuity and a harmonious relationship with nature, by promoting products such as tsipouro and tsikoudia as well as by protecting the name of such products' origins. Much more and historic goodies... http://www.ana.gr/hermes/1998/jun/food.htm

Dolmades (Stuffed Grape Leaves) Each Middle Eastern country has its own variety of grape leaf filling. This is a Greek recipe. Ingredients 1 onion, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided 2 cups short grain brown rice, cooked 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon sea salt pinch black pepper 1 jar (8 oz.) grape leaves, drained Method 1.In a small saucepan, saut� the onion in half the olive oil, then mix it with the remaining ingredients, except the grape leaves. 2.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 3.Spread out 10 grape leaves, with the darker side facing down. Spoon a teaspoon of filling onto each leaf. 4.Fold the bottom up, the sides toward the middle, then roll toward the top. Place them on an oiled pan, then brush the tops with the remaining oil. 5.Bake, covered, for 35-40 minutes. Makes 20-30. http://www.mightynatural.com/recipes/entrees/dolmades.htm

Cinnamon without sugar is a totally new idea to me. I think I need a real Greek to run these recipes past before I post them. This one sounds like a good vegetarian one. Somehow I thought it had lamb and mint in it. After a wedding and after the world gets back into order, I'll check with John and Ginny to see if any of these sound right.

THE GREEK PEOPLE AND GOVERMENT UNINAMOUSLY SUPPORT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AT THIS MOMENT OF TRAGEDY (Cultural, Scientific & General News Category) September 2001: The Greek government and the Greek people joined into a three minutes of silence on Friday September 14 2001 in memory of the victims of the terrorist attacks in the US. The Greek flag was lowered as a symbolic and important act of deep sorrow. All other European Union countries joined in this act of support to the American people. 1. THE GREEK COUNTERATTACK FOR THE FETA CHEESE (Greek Products News Category) August 2001: The acceptance by the European Union's legislative framework that feta cheese is a genuine Greek product it is expected to be a reality in the next months. As it is known, feta cheese has lost its position among the Name of Origin Products (Appellation d' Origine) during 1998 with a decision of the European Court, following a common recommendation by Germany and Denmark that produced feta like products. The statement of the Greek proposal for the acceptance by the European Union that feta cheese is a genuine Greek product it is expected to be positive from the competent commission of the European Union, due to support given to Greece by other Member States who really produce their genuine products, like France for example. 2. THE 4TH PANHELLENIC EXPOSITION OF BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS-THE EXPANSION OF BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS IN GREEK MARKET (Greek Products News Category) August 2001: From 4 to 7 October 2001 will take place in Athens, Greece the 4th Pan Hellenic Exposition of Biological Products, which will be organized by DIO, one of the Greek organizations of control and certification of biological products. In the exposition will participate bio-cultivators from the whole country, importers and merchants of biological products, healthy food/biological shop owners, environmental organizations, and mediums from the biological agriculture. The exposition aims to promote more intense the biological products expansion in the Greek market. It is worth to point out that according to the data given by all the Greek organizations of control and certification of biological products, the consumption of biological products in Greece has doubled in comparison with that of 1999. This was the factual evidence that Greek consumers summed the biological products not by price criteria but by quality ones. 3. #53 INTERNATIONAL BOOK EXPOSITION IN FRANKFURT-GREECE, THE HONOURED COUNTRY. (Cultural, Scientific & General News Category) August 2001: One of the largest book expositions in world level is the International Book Exposition of Frankfurt, Germany. In this 53rd exposition, 10-15 October 2001, Greece is the honoured country. 55 Greek representatives including novelists, poets, and authors will participate in order to present the different aspects of the Modern Greek literature in Frankfurt's exposition. Despite the fact that some Modern Greek literature figures are widely known outside Greece, it is real that the majority of the rest is relative unknown outside the country, due to the stereotype created by the huge and immortal work of ancient Greek literature. The immortal ancient Greek spirit entered at all in universal mind and for that reason, the Modern Greek literature was really depreciated, a fact really not fair because the Modern Greek literature figures have to offer valuable things to reader. The participation of the Modern Greek literature figures aims to overbalance this situation and! to promote the Modern Greek book in the world market. In exposition's context is worth to point out that the German organizers are intended to present a display dedicated to the Greek resistance against Germans during the World War II, all this within the anniversary of Germany's unification, that is the 8th October! 4. A NEW PANEUROPEAN SYSTEM FOR THE MARKING OF FOOD PRODUCTS (Agricultural, Environmental & Health News Category) September 2001: Safe and sustainable from the economic point of view methods for the production of the vegetative and vital products are promoted by the European Union through its Common Agricultural Policy. At the same time, European Union is aiming at the change of the whole system of food products marking; in order the consumer exactly know what to buy and to have the choice opportunity. Those plans were discussed in a round table about food product safety hold in Athens, Greece during September 2001. The participants of this round table were the Greek media and public authorities from the agriculture and commerce sectors and the two relevant (Agriculture and Commerce) European Union's Commissioners. 5. ATHENS 2004 OLYMPICS-PRODUCTS IN THE U.S. MARKET (Cultural, Scientific & General News Category) September 2001: �n important agreement for licensed merchandise ATHENS 2004, was reached in New York between the ATHENS 2004 Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games and the United States Olympic Committee. This agreement is of great importance to Greek Olympic Committee because ATHENS 2004 licensed merchandise will enter the US market. It is worth to point out that according to moderate estimates, expected revenue will reach the amount of 5 million USD. ATHENS 2004 products will be available to the Americans; and this will be the first step in a series of additional initiatives taken by ATHENS 2004 in the USA, in order to increase awareness of the ATHENS 2004 brand and core values associated with it. Athens 2004 official website: http://www.athens.olympics.org/ *******News and Services from Greekproducts.com community************* Beaver College in Glenside, Pennsylvania US, recently underwent a change of name and is now named "ARCADIA UNIVERSITY". Arcadia is a picturesque, rustic region of Greece in the heart of Peloponesus and in the past was known for its peacefulness and simplicity. During the Renaissance it was considered as a place where poets and philosophers felt nurtured and free to pursue independent thought and artistic inquiry. "Et in Arcadia ego" [translated: I, too, was born in Arcadia] was the motto used by the intellectuals at that time to show their pride to the world for their well-rounded education, high intellect yet simple habits and tastes. These characteristics are in perfect harmony with the ragged, pastoral Arcadian landscape. Today, Arcadia is the birthplace of most members of the Academy of Athens, while in the current Greek cabinet the majority of the ministers are from this mountainous, idyllic region of Greece. To learn more about the name change of Beaver College to Arcadia University, please visit the following site. http://www.beaver.edu/ You may send email of thanks to the president of Arcadia University, the Alumni Association, and the Board of Directors for selecting this symbolic Hellenic name for their university. *********************************************************************** E-mail your comments or propose an article for Newsletter publication at: newsletter@greekproducts.com Visit us at: http://www.greekproducts.com (Note from Marcia... what on earth are they doing at Beaver College? Overdosing on Rennes-le-Chateau and the Knights Templar? ...or are they all Poussin art fans of the tomb formerly at Arques, France?)

LOL!! I guess "Arcadia" is not subject to appellation d'origine?!

Probably not! I will post more things about Greek edibles. Apparently there are multitudinous tavernas with delicious snacks and libations overlooking the sea. I wish with all my heart I could see it!

1. THE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ART AND TECHNOLOGY 'MEDIATERRA'. (Cultural, Scientific & General News) September 2001: The 4th International Festival of Art and Technology 'MEDIATERRA', held under the auspices of the Greek Culture Ministry, was presented by the Culture Minister Mr. Venizelos in Athens, Greece during September 2001. The Minister said that as of this year the festival is incorporated in the programmes of the Cultural Olympics and will be one of its main activities until the Olympic year of 2004. The current festival is based on the idea of an 'electronic micro-museum'. The 'micro-museum' will travel to Sofia and Belgrade and conclude in Frankfurt at the 53rd International Book Exposition, where Greece is the honoured country. 2. AN INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR THE MUSEUM OF THE 'STONY FOREST' OF LESVOS. (Agricultural, Environmental & Health News) September 2001: An excellent occasion for wider publicity for the world famous Stony Forest of Lesvos, a real natural wonder, was the victory of the Museum of Physical History of the Stony Forest in a Pan European environmental contest. The Museum of Physical History of the Stony Forest of Lesvos was the prize-winner in the European Contest Euro site 2001. In the Euro site 2001 contest participated institutions and representatives from the protected areas of Europe. The Director of the Museum, Mr. Zouros received by the Minister for the Environment and Regional Development of Scotland, Mrs. Branklin the prize and the prize money of the 2,000-EURO in a special ceremony, which took place in the Royal Castle of Edinburgh in Scotland. The ceremony attended representatives from the European Commission as well as representatives of Europe's protected areas. 3. A GREEK TV CHANNEL FOR THE AGRICULTURE IS BORN. (Agricultural, Environmental & Health News) September 2001: A satellite digital TV channel for the Greek Agriculture is born. The Greek Minister announced the operation of the new TV channel on a special ceremony, which took place in Athens, Greece during September 2001. The name of the TV channel is '4 Epohes' (4 Seasons). It will have an informative character about agricultural issues from Greece and the world. The channel will start broadcasting in the Spring of 2002. 4. THE FIRST HELLENIC TRADE AND CULTURAL FAIR, 2001. greekproducts.com in the US. October 2001: In the 5th and 6th of November 2001 will take place in Chicago, Illinois the first Hellenic Trade and Cultural Fair, 2001, a Business to Business programme between Greece and the US. The fair is co-organized by the World Trade Center in Chicago (WTCC), the Exporters' Association of Northern Greece (SEVE), the Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce and the Hellenic Centre for Investment (ELKE), under the shield of the World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE). The fair has one primary goal, to find business partners in the United States for Greek companies. For that reason are going to be organized Business to Business components which will offer an unprecedented opportunity for Greek companies to form profitable alliances in the US. The Business to Business Matchmaking Meetings will introduce Greek companies to the most serious and interested business partners in the United States. Potential business partners are going to be carefully screened by the World Trade ! Centre of Chicago to ensure that Greek companies meet with U.S. companies that share interests, goals and commercial objectives, whether they be import, export, joint venture, distribution, or research and development. The primary sectors that organizers are focusing on include Food and Beverage, Clothing and Textile, Information Technology and Communications, Building Materials, and Tourism. greekproducts.com, is the only Internet oriented commercial company of Greece that will participate in the fair. �f you represent a company which is interested in arranging a Business meeting with any of the 72 Greek companies paricipating in the event you may get more information and register at: http://www.wtcc.org/hellenes.html 5. AN IMPORTANT CERTIFICATE FOR TSANTALIS WINERY. (Greek Products News) October 2001: An important certificate for the application of a system of integrated control and management for the production of viniferous grapes was given to Tsantalis winery by the Greek Ministry for the Agriculture. According to this certification, Tsantalis winery produces quality wines coming from the best grape varieties which are cultivated taking into account all environmental friendly methods. 6. A SPECTACULAR GREEK-CHINESE PERFORMANCE. (Cultural, Scientific & General News) October 2001: Attracting a large turnout of audience, a spectacular performance titled 'Bravo China and Greece' was successfully staged in the Herodus Atticus Theater, a well-known ancient theater just below Acropolis, in Athens, Greece during October 2001. 'Bravo China and Greece' was billed as a celebration for Greece and China, both of which have had brilliant ancient civilizations and are currently preparing to host the next two Olympic Games in 2004 and 2008 respectively. The spectacular performance linking two different cultures and their artists featured an impressive parade of internationally acclaimed artists such as Nana Mouschouri of Greece and soprano Huang Ying of China. The event was organized by China Central Television and Shanghai Oriental Television and supported by Chinese embassy to Greece. The event attended members of the Greek government and the Chinese ambassador to Greece. 7. THE THERAPEUTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE AEGINA PISTACHIO. (Greek Products News) October 2001: Apart from the Greek olive oil, one more Greek product seems to have therapeutical properties in the decrease of cholesterol in blood. We talk about the 'Aegina' pistachio, one of the best pistachio varieties in the world and a 'must' gourmet product. According to the results of a recent research organized by the University of Virginia in the US, 'Aegina' pistachio decreases the percentage of cholesterol in blood, making this product an ideal food accompaniment for every nutritional need. It is worth to point out that this is the first time that this unique preventive and therapeutical property of this product is detected by scientists, since we all knew it simply as the tastiest pistachio. *******News and Services from Greekproducts.com community************* We are honored to have as our guest Professor Stephen Miller of University of California at Berkeley, and Director of Nemea antiquities in Greece. As customers of greekproducts.com know, Nemea is the home of an excellent wine. Also important are its antiquities which I have had the privilege of bringing to light over the past three decades(see www.nemea.org). My work at Nemea includes making my discoveries available both to scholars and to the interested public, and for that reason publications, the construction of a museum, and the creation of an archaeological park have been logical extensions of the project. But it was totally unexpected when a group of local Nemeans decided to revive the ancient games in the stadium that I had uncovered. Those games, held in 1996 and 2000, are scheduled again for July 31, 2004. They have provided an opportunity for hundreds of people from 45 different countries to enter the ancient lockerroom and to step into history. Dressed in tunic and barefoot, one feels the centuries as one walks through the 36 m. long tunnel surrounded by ancient grafitti, enters the track, and places on! e's toes in 2300-year-old starting blocks. As authentic as possible and open to all, the foot race at Nemea symbolizes our common human race. How could I ever have predicted that my archaeological work would be rewarded by seeing the Armenian ambassador place the traditional victory crown of wild celery on the head of a Turkish girl while a crowd of 5,000 Greeks cheered? The sacred soil of Greece produces more than good grapes. For more information about Nemea visit the link below: http://www.nemea.org ************************************************************************ E-mail your comments or propose an article for Newsletter publication at: newsletter@greekproducts.com Visit us at: http://www.greekproducts.com

Hi from Greece. I am the John from Volos. My full name is John Tsatsaragos and I live in the area of Volos � in Central East Greece. My first name in the Greek language is Giannis (�������) or Ioannis (�������). I will be happy to discuss with you about real Greece or about anything that I know and you are interested. I have not enough free time this period but I will try to be here as it is possible to me. Marcia thanks for the resurgence of this topic. Warm greetings from Greece John

*Sigh* There is so much lovely about Greece. I think it is mre like Paradise than Hawaii is. You even have better rocks! Beaches to die for, and archaeology!!! I think one day I need to see Greece with my own eyes. Thanks for coming here, John. I am sure there are those who are curious or wish to tell tales of adventure in your home country. I also have a Greek flag gif. I borrowed it from your website!! When is your national holiday??? And, what do you call it in English? *HUGS*

I posted a lot about Greek marble on GEO 21. You have every possible color - the 4th largest suppier of fine marble in the world. How beautiful your rocks must be compared with mine. Ours come in any color you want - as long as you want black. I am trying to imagine pink marble. It sounds lovely!

Mythology theme park by 2006 http://www.ekathimerini.com/news/content.asp?aid=104428 A theme park drawing its inspiration from Ancient Greek mythology will be built in the area of Anavyssos, south of Athens, by 2006 and is expected to attract up to 1.2 million visitors per year. Preliminary plans for the 80-billion-drachma (235-million-euro) project have already been drawn. Besides the theme park, they include two hotels, an "environmental education park" that will include a botanical garden and an open-air natural history museum, as well as the development of athletic facilities by Anavyssos's beach. The whole project is situated on a 167-hectare area. The salt pans covering part of the area will be turned into a lagoon. Fuji Bank, the financial advisor of Hellenic Tourist Properties (ETA), a subsidiary of the state Greek National Tourism Organization, will study the preliminary plans and draw up a final investment plan. The call for bids to build the theme park will be published on November 30. The bulk of the investment will be provided by private capital. ETA will be a partner. Most of the park, plus the two hotels, is scheduled to be completed by 2004, the year of the Athens Olympics.

*Sigh* I rather hoped they would not do that to Greece. I note Fuji Bank has underwritten the project. It's interesting to note in a world economy which seems intent on downsizing and centralizing things and laying off people. Perhaps this is a good thing for Greece's economy - especially if they employ local people. In Hawaii, they often bring in their own people to run things.

Kathimerini edition is displayed in Strasbourg Good news travels fast, especially at times like these when fear can lurk in a simple postal envelope. We opened up a roll marked "Sender: Museum of Greek Children's Art, Kodrou 9, Plaka." Instead of white powder, out came sun rays, rainbows, striped lambs, a speechless mermaid, colors, and shapes, all the product of children's imaginations, like a much-needed smile of optimism. These were children's paintings from competitions held throughout Greece for primary school children, that have been selected by a committee of celebrities and will be used in exhibitions on nature, and the child's life or family. This year's theme was "Earth and Fire, Air and Water" and the children created their own happy world from them. Their authentic material was like an injection of optimism in last Sunday's edition of Kathimerini, where it appeared under the heading: "Children's paintings: An antidote to terror." "I tremble," a teacher told a child's mother, "to think of the day when we set 'airplanes' or 'towers' as subjects, and what we will see painted by children who were faced with these images of horror." But the little girl with the striped lamb is keeping watch on her world where the windows are not on television but darns from her grandfather's socks. The mermaid has a boat in the background, not an aircraft carrier, at least for the moment. We heard from Strasbourg, where the Exhibition of Children's Paintings is on display in the Aubette Room in the main square, from the Museum of Greek Children's Art and from the press office of the Council of Europe that the page from Sunday's paper has become a poster dominating the entrance to the exhibition, and has appeared in reports in other newspapers. HELBI

http://www.emulateme.com/content/greece.htm Background: Greece achieved its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1829. During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, it gradually added neighboring islands and territories with Greek-speaking populations. Following the defeat of communist rebels in 1949, Greece joined NATO in 1952. A military dictatorship, which in 1967 had suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee the country, was itself overthrown seven years later. Democratic elections in 1974 abolished the monarchy and created a parliamentary republic; Greece joined the EU in 1981. Geography [Top of Page] Location: Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey Geographic coordinates: 39 00 N, 22 00 E Map references: Europe Area: total: 131,940 sq km land: 130,800 sq km water: 1,140 sq km Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Alabama Land boundaries: total: 1,210 km border countries: Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 228 km Coastline: 13,676 km Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation territorial sea: 6 nm Climate: temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers Terrain: mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands Elevation extremes: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Olympus 2,917 m Natural resources: bauxite, lignite, magnesite, petroleum, marble, hydropower Land use: arable land: 19% permanent crops: 8% permanent pastures: 41% forests and woodland: 20% other: 12% (1993 est.) Irrigated land: 13,140 sq km (1993 est.) Natural hazards: severe earthquakes Environment - current issues: air pollution; water pollution Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Geography - note: strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islands People [Top of Page] Population: 10,601,527 (July 2000 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 15% (male 828,585; female 779,902) 15-64 years: 67% (male 3,580,079; female 3,574,788) 65 years and over: 18% (male 815,247; female 1,022,926) (2000 est.) Population growth rate: 0.21% (2000 est.) Birth rate: 9.82 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) Death rate: 9.64 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.) Net migration rate: 1.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Infant mortality rate: 6.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.44 years male: 75.89 years female: 81.16 years (2000 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.33 children born/woman (2000 est.) Nationality: noun: Greek(s) adjective: Greek Ethnic groups: Greek 98%, other 2% note: the Greek Government states there are no ethnic divisions in Greece Religions: Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7% Languages: Greek 99% (official), English, French Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 95% male: 98% female: 93% (1991 est.)

How current is this information, I wonder... Country name: conventional long form: Hellenic Republic conventional short form: Greece local long form: Elliniki Dhimokratia local short form: Ellas or Ellada former: Kingdom of Greece Data code: GR Government type: parliamentary republic; monarchy rejected by referendum 8 December 1974 Capital: Athens Administrative divisions: 51 prefectures (nomoi, singular - nomos)and 1 autonomous region*; Ayion Oros* (Mt. Athos), Aitolia kai Akarnania, Akhaia, Argolis, Arkadhia, Arta, Attiki, Dhodhekanisos, Drama, Evritania, Evros, Evvoia, Florina, Fokis, Fthiotis, Grevena, Ilia, Imathia, Ioannina, Irakleion, Kardhitsa, Kastoria, Kavala, Kefallinia, Kerkyra, Khalkidhiki, Khania, Khios, Kikladhes, Kilkis, Korinthia, Kozani, Lakonia, Larisa, Lasithi, Lesvos, Levkas, Magnisia, Messinia, Pella, Pieria, Preveza, Rethimni, Rodhopi, Samos, Serrai, Thesprotia, Thessaloniki, Trikala, Voiotia, Xanthi, Zakinthos Independence: 1829 (from the Ottoman Empire) National holiday: Independence Day, 25 March (1821) (proclamation of the war of independence) Constitution: 11 June 1975; amended March 1986 Legal system: based on codified Roman law; judiciary divided into civil, criminal, and administrative courts Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory Executive branch: chief of state: President Konstandinos (Kostis) STEPHANOPOULOS (since 10 March 1995) head of government: Prime Minister Konstandinos SIMITIS (since 19 January 1996) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term; election last held 8 February 2000 (next to be held by NA March 2005); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Konstandinos STEPHANOPOULOS reelected president; percent of Parliament vote - 90% Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon (300 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: elections last held 9 April 2000 (next to be held by NA April 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - PASOK 43.8%, ND 42.7%, KKE 5.5%, Coalition of the Left and Progress 3.2%; seats by party - PASOK 158, ND 125, KKE 11, Coalition of the Left and Progress 6 Judicial branch: Supreme Judicial Court, judges appointed for life by the president after consultation with a judicial council; Special Supreme Tribunal, judges appointed for life by the president after consultation with a judicial council Political parties and leaders: Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) [Nikolaos KONSTANDOPOULOS]; Communist Party of Greece or KKE [Aleka PAPARIGA]; Democratic Social Movement or DIKKI [Dhimitrios TSOVOLAS]; Liberal Party [Stephanos MANOS]; New Democracy or ND (conservative) [Konstandinos KARAMANLIS]; Panhellenic Socialist Movement or PASOK [Konstandinos SIMITIS]; Political Spring [Andonis SAMARAS]; Rainbow Coalition [Pavlos VOSKOPOULOS] International organization participation: Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EU, FAO, G- 6, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNOMIG, UPU, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Alexandros PHILON chancery: 2221 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-5800 FAX: [1] (202) 939-5824 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco consulate(s): Atlanta, Houston, and New Orleans Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador R. Nicholas BURNS embassy: 91 Vasilissis Sophias Boulevard, 10160 Athens mailing address: PSC 108, APO AE 09842-0108 telephone: [30] (1) 721-2951 FAX: [30] (1) 645-6282 consulate(s) general: Thessaloniki Flag description: nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white; there is a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white cross; the cross symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy, the established religion of the country Economy [Top of Page] Economy - overview: Greece has a mixed capitalist economy with the public sector accounting for about half of GDP. The government plans to privatize some leading state enterprises. Tourism is a key industry, providing a large portion of GDP and foreign exchange earnings. Greece is a major beneficiary of EU aid, equal to about 4% of GDP. The economy has improved steadily over the last few years, as the government has tightened policy with the goal of qualifying Greece to join the EU's single currency (the euro) in 2001. In particular, Greece has cut its budget deficit below 2% of GDP and tightened monetary policy, with the result that inflation fell below 4% by the end of 1998 - the lowest rate in 26 years - and averaged only 2.6% in 1999. Further restructuring of the economy and the reduction of unemployment remain major challenges. GDP: purchasing power parity - $149.2 billion (1999 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 3% (1999 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $13,900 (1999 est.) GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 8.3% industry: 27.3% services: 64.4% (1998) Population below poverty line: NA% Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.6% (1999 est.) Labor force: 4.32 million (1999 est.) Labor force - by occupation: services 59.2%, agriculture 19.8%, industry 21% (1998) Unemployment rate: 9.9% (1999 est.) Budget: revenues: $45 billion expenditures: $47.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) Industries: tourism; food and tobacco processing, textiles; chemicals, metal products; mining, petroleum Industrial production growth rate: 1% (1999 est.) Electricity - production: 43.677 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 8.26% hydro: 91.24% nuclear: 0% other: 0.5% (1998) Electricity - consumption: 42.18 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - exports: 900 million kWh (1998) Electricity - imports: 2.46 billion kWh (1998) Agriculture - products: wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes; beef, dairy products Exports: $12.4 billion (f.o.b., 1998) Exports - commodities: manufactured goods, food and beverages, fuels (1998) Exports - partners: EU 56% (Germany 25%, Italy 11%, UK 8%, France 6%), US 16% (1997) Imports: $27.7 billion (c.i.f., 1998) Imports - commodities: manufactured goods, foodstuffs, fuels, chemicals (1998) Imports - partners: EU 61% (Italy 16%, Germany 16%, France 8%, UK 7%, Netherlands 5%) US 11% (1997) Debt - external: $41.9 billion (1998) Economic aid - recipient: $5.4 billion from EU (1997 est.) Currency: 1 drachma (Dr) = 100 lepta Exchange rates: drachmae (Dr) per US$1 - 326.59 (January 2000), 305.65 (1999), 295.53 (1998), 273.06 (1997), 240.71 (1996), 231.66 (1995) Fiscal year: calendar year

Telephones - main lines in use: 5.431 million (1997) Telephones - mobile cellular: 328,500 (1997) Telephone system: adequate, modern networks reach all areas; microwave radio relay carries most traffic; extensive open-wire network; submarine cables to off-shore islands domestic: microwave radio relay, open wire, and submarine cable international: tropospheric scatter; 8 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region) Radio broadcast stations: AM 26, FM 88, shortwave 4 (1998) Radios: 5.02 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 64 (plus about 1,000 low-power repeaters); also two stations in the US Armed Forces Network (1999) Televisions: 2.54 million (1997) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 23 (1999) (Thank goodness for that!!)

National Holidays: Independence Day, 25 March (1821) (proclamation of the war of independence) Constitution: 11 June 1975; amended March 1986 March 25th and June 11th National Holidays of Greece. (John, I know you told me... is this correct? I have much to read through in our conversations if I am incorrect...) For a really complete list http://www.greecetravel.com/holidays/

March 25th The Greek National Anniversary and a major religious holiday with military parades in the larger towns and cities.This celebrates Greece's victory in the war of Independence against the Turks who had occupied the country for 400 years. The 25th of March was actually the day Bishop Germanos of Patras raised the flag of national rebellion at the monastery of Agia Lavra in the northern Peleponisos.

I cannot find anything but Greek Independence Day... March 25th... I'll keep looking http://www.eurobeaches.com/greece/grdates.htm

Thank you Marcia for the above information's for Greece. We have two National holidays. You are absolutely correct about March 25th, but not for June 11th. The second our National holiday is on October 28. We celebrate the denial (OCHI that means NO) of the Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas to the fascistic Italy in the 28th of October 1941. This day, was also the first day of Greek-Italy war, in the Second World War. We celebrate this day also with military parades in the big cities (mainly in Thessaloniki) and in every city with parades of school children�s. During this Greek- Italy war, we made the first victory of the allied Powers against the German � Italy axis. John

The Greek Flag consists of alternating blue (five) and white (four) stripes. The first and last stripes are always blue. Anyone who has travelled in the Greek islands would probably understand the "choice" of the blue colour! At the top leftt hand corner, there is a white cross. The cross is the symbol of Christian Orthodoxy, the national religion of Greece. There are nine blue and white stripes because there are nine syllables in the Greek phrase "ελευθεÏ?ία ή θάνατος" (freedom or death). This expression represented the Greek nation's determination to fight for liberation from the Ottoman occupation in March 1821. http://www.onikos.btinternet.co.uk/Consulate/The-Greek-Flag.ht

I'm sorry about the way that Greek font pasted. Please visit the link to see what it really says. I also have much bigger flags to post in the future. Plus the transation into English of the Greek National Anthem by Rudyard Kipling. All 158 stanzas....! I am getting you ready for the 2002 Winter Olympics. The flag of Greece always enters first. Pay attention... there WILL be a test!

The Flag of Greece The pattern and colors of the Greek Flag haven't changed a lot since the Revolution of the Greek Nation in 1821. Many people wonder why the founders of the Hellenic Democracy have chosen the symbols, patterns and colors that appear on the National Flag of Greece. It is difficult to reveal the true intentions of the people responsible for the selection of the flag. This is a personal attempt to interpret the designs and colors of the flag and its relation to Greece and Hellenism. The designs, symbols and patterns of the Flag The number of the lines is based on the number of the syllables in the Greek phrase: Eleutheria H Thanatos (Liberty or Death). Liberty or Death was the motto during the years of the Hellenic Revolution against the Ottoman Empire in the 19nth century [There are claims that the number of lines reflects the number of letters in the Greek word for Freedom which equals 9]. This word stirred the heart of the oppressed Greeks, it created intense emotions and inspired them to fight and gain their freedom after 400 years of slavery. The line pattern was chosen because of their similarity with the wavy sea that surounds the shores of Greece. The interchange of blue and white colors makes the Hellenic Flag on a windy day to look like the Aegean Pelagos (sea). Only the quaint islands are missing! The Greek Square Cross that rests on the upper left-side of the flag and occupies one fourth of the total area demonstrates the respect and the devotion the Greek people have for the Greek Orthodox Church and signifies the important role of Christianity in the formation of the modern Hellenic Nation. During the dark years of the Ottoman rule, the Greek Orthodox Church helped the enslaved Greeks to retain their cultural characteristics: the Greek language, the Byzantine religion and generally the Greek ethnic identity, by the institution of the Crypha Scholia (secret schools). The Crypha Scholia were a web of schools that operated secretly throughout Greece and were committed in transmitting to the Greeks the wonders of their ancestors and the rest of their cultural heritage. Today, Christianity is still the dominant religion among Greeks. Therefore the existence of the Cross is justified. The colors of the Flag Blue and White! These two colors symbolize the blue of the Greek Sea and the Whiteness of the restless Greek waves! According to the mythic legends, the Goddess of Beauty, Aphrodite (Venus) emerged from these waves. In addition, it reflects the blue of the Greek Sky and the White of the few clouds that travel in it. There are some who speculate that the blue and white symbolize the similar color of the clothing (vrakes) of the Greek sailors during the War of Independence. http://alexandros.com/grflag.html

Speaking of Olympic Games and heroes, a few names here might be familiar. (Is Miltiades really promounced like that? Some of the syllables are missing!) Miltiades Pronounced As: miltidz , d. 489 B.C., Athenian general who commanded at Marathon. He succeeded his uncle as ruler (c.524 B.C.) of an Athenian dependency in the Gallipoli Peninsula. He accompanied (c.513) Darius in the Persian expedition into Scythia. Later he took part in the revolt of Ionian Greece against the Persians (499-493) and afterward fled to Athens. His experience and ability made him a powerful figure and he was elected to the board of generals to oppose the impending Persian invasion (see Persian Wars). When the enemy arrived at Marathon (490), Miltiades went there to protect Athens from the land side. After a few days' delay the Persians began the march toward Athens, and Miltiades attacked. He had an infantry that was greatly outnumbered, but the Greek spears and armor outweighed Persian arms. The Athenian center gave way and the wings enveloped the Persians, vanquishing them. The Persians retreated to their ships and set out at once by sea to attack Athens, the army being absent. Perhaps the chief glory of Miltiades was that he brought his army, which had been fighting all day, in a 20-mi (32-km) race back to Athens; in the morning when the Persian fleet arrived off Athens, Miltiades and his army were ready. After the battle Miltiades was given a fleet. In 489, he made an unsuccessful attack on Paros. His enemies took advantage of the failure and had him fined. He died of a wound soon after. http://www.encyclopedia.com/articlesnew/08501.html

Miltiades (mlt�dz) (KEY) , d. 489 B.C., Athenian general who commanded at Marathon. He succeeded his uncle as ruler (c.524 B.C.) of an Athenian dependency in the Gallipoli Peninsula. He accompanied (c.513) Darius in the Persian expedition into Scythia. Later he took part in the revolt of Ionian Greece against the Persians (499�493) and afterward fled to Athens. His experience and ability made him a powerful figure and he was elected to the board of generals to oppose the impending Persian invasion (see Persian Wars). When the enemy arrived at Marathon (490), Miltiades went there to protect Athens from the land side. After a few days� delay the Persians began the march toward Athens, and Miltiades attacked. He had an infantry that was greatly outnumbered, but the Greek spears and armor outweighed Persian arms. The Athenian center gave way and the wings enveloped the Persians, vanquishing them. The Persians retreated to their ships and set out at once by sea to attack Athens, the army being absent. Perhaps the chief glory of Miltiades was that he brought his army, which had been fighting all day, in a 20-mi (32-km) race back to Athens; in the morning when the Persian fleet arrived off Athens, Miltiades and his army were ready. After the battle Miltiades was given a fleet. In 489, he made an unsuccessful attack on Paros. His enemies took advantage of the failure and had him fined. He died of a wound soon after. http://www.bartleby.com/65/mi/Miltiade.html

(I am having real difficulties pronouncing this name... I guess I need to find some to talk to me in Greek place and proper names.) It is not like Hawaiian where there are very few diphthongs and you pronounce each vowel as a separate syllable.)

SANKT ANDREAS - SAINT ANDREW Saint Andrew the Apostle, the brother of Saint Peter, was martyred under the Emperor Nero and is remembered on November 30, traditionally considered the date of his martyrdom in 60 A.D. He is said to have died on a diagonally transversed cross which the Romans sometimes used for executions and which, therefore, came to be called St. Andrew's cross. After Christ's resurrection and the descent of the Holy Ghost, St. Andrew preached the gospel in Scythia, as Origen testifies. Sophronius, who wrote soon after St. Jerome and translated his catalogue of illustrious men and some other works into Greek, adds Sogdiana and Colchis. Theodoret tells us that he passed into Greece; St. Gregory Nazianzen mentions particularly Epirus and St. Jerom Achaia. St. Paulinus says this divine fisherman, preaching at Argos, put all the philosophers there to silence. St. Philastrius tells us, that he came out of Pontus into Greece, and that in his time people at Sinope were persuaded that they had his true picture, and the pulpit in which he had preached in that city. The Muscovites have long gloried that St. Andrew carried the gospel into their country as far as the mouth of the Borysthenes, and to the mountains where the city of Kiou now stands, and to the frontiers of Poland. If the ancients mean European Scythia, when they speak of the theatre of his labours, this authority is favourable to the pretensions of the Muscovites. The Greeks understand it of Scythia, beyond Sebastopolis in Colchis, and perhaps also of the European; for they say he planted the faith in Thrace, and particularly at Byzantium, afterwards called Constantinople. But of this we meet with no traces in antiquity. Several Calendars commemorate the feast of the chair of St. Andrew at Patrae, in Achaia It is agreed that he laid down his life there for Christ. St. Paulinus says, that having taken many people in the nets of Christ he confirmed the faith which he had preached by his blood at Patrae. St. Sophronius, St. Gaudentius, and St. Austin assure us that he was crucified; St. Peter Chrysologus says, on a tree; Pseudo-Hippolytus adds, on an olive-tree. In the hymn of Pope Damasus it is barely mentioned that he was crucified. When the apostle saw his cross at a distance, he is said to have cried out, "Hail, precious cross, that hast been consecrated by the body of my Lord, and adorned with his limbs as with rich jewels. I come to thee exulting and glad: receive me with joy into thy arms. O good cross, that hast received beauty from our Lord's limbs; I have ardently loved thee; long have I desired and sought thee: now thou art found by me, and art made ready for my longing soul; receive me into thy arms, taking me from among men, and present me to my master; that he who redeemed me on thee, may receive me by thee." The body of St. Andrew was translated from Patrae to Constantinople in 357, together with those of St. Luke and St. Timothy, and deposited in the Church of the Apostles, which Constantine the Great had built a little before. St. Paulinus and St. Jerome mention miracles wrought on that occasion. The churches of Milan, Nola, Brescia, and some other places, were at the same time enriched with small portions of these relics, as we are informed by St. Ambrose, St. Gaudentius, St. Paulinus, &c. http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/ANDREW.HTM

Christmas in Greece * On Christmas Eve carols are usually sung by small boys to the beating of drums and the tinkling of triangles. They go from house to house and are given dried figs, almonds, walnuts and lots of sweets or sometimes small gifts. * There is a tradition kallikantzeri, where the mischievious goblins appear from the earth during the 12 days of Christmas. * At Christmas very few presents are given to each other. Instead, small gifts are given to hospitals and orphanages. * Priests sometimes go from house to house sprinkling holy water around to get rid of the bad spirits who may be hiding in people's houses. * In most Greek homes an evergreen tree is decorated with tinsel and a star placed on top. Gifts are exchanged on January 1sst, St Basil's Day. *On Christmas Eve, groups of people gather around the holiday table. Figs, dried on rooftops are served with the spicy golden Chrisopsomo bread. *As poeple are they greet one another by saying Hronia polla or many happy years. The table filled with food may include such dishes as kourambiethes, a Greek nut cookie. http://www.santas.net/greekchristmas.htm

Kourambiethes (Greek Christmas Sweets) Description/Notes: These delightful little sugar coated biscuits have a delicious brandy, cinnamon and almond flavour. They are the traditional Christmas sweets in Greece where it is customary to prepare them in every home although they are now to be found in most Greek cakeshops and supermarkets during the festivities Ingredients: 16 fl. oz. (450 ml.) olive oil 4 oz. (125g) sugar 1 whole egg and 1 yolk 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon 4 tbsps brandy 4 oz. (125g) almonds, roasted and coarsely ground 1 lb. (450g) flour icing suagar for coating Cooking Instructions: 1.Pour the olive oil into a large bowl and beat in the sugar 2.Add the eggs, almonds, cinnamon, almonds and brandy and beat again 3.Carefully add the flour until the dough is a soft consistency that will not stick to your hands 4.Divide the dough into pieces the size of a walnut and shape kourambiethes into rounds, oblongs and ovals 5.Place on an oiled baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated oven at 350F, Gas Mark 4, 180C for 15-20 minutes 6.Allow to cool a little then sift icing sugar over them, covering them completely

There is snow on Pelion, tonight - a lot of it! A White Christmas for Greece. Pelion : Along The Pagasitic Gulf The road southeast of Volos leads to Agria (8 km. from Volos), a coastal suburb with an extensive beach in a fertile district filled with olive groves and orchards. Here you will find a number of hotels and restaurants. The chapel of the Virgin of Goritsa and the icon screen with carved and painted scenes from everyday life in the chapel of the Holy Cross are sure to leave an impression. From Agria a secondary road rises 12 km to Drakia (17.5 km from Volos, alt. 500 m.), a village characterised by lush vegetation, running streams, well-made alleyways and marvellous popular "tower houses". The Triantaphyllou mansion, decorated with 18th century wall paintings, carved doorways and moulded ceilings is considered among the best of its kind. The main square, thought by historians to be the oldest in Pelion, hosts a folk festival on the 23rd of August, complete with traditional costumes and music. After Agria the main road passes by Kato and Ano Lehonia, where most of Pelion's cultivated flowers are grown and sold. The air is scented with the blossoms of gardenias, hortensias, camellias and tuberoses. Platanidia, the port of Ano Lehonia, 13 km. from Volos is a good place for fresh fish. Continuing south the main road proceeds towards the long beach of Malaki before arriving at Kato Gatzea (17 km.), a village blessed with protected beaches and surrounded by a vast olive grove. Next comes Kala Nera (20 km. from Volos), another seaside village with a beach, leafy plane trees, orchards and abundant water. A side road to the east winds 7 kilometres up the mountainside to Milies (28 km. from Volos, alt. 360 m.), one of the most delightful larger villages of Pelion and an important cultural centre, as witnessed by the wealth of rare books and manuscripts in its library. Some of its traditional homes have been renovated by the G.N.T.O to operate as guest houses. Milies also has a fine collection of folk art (local museum), while its little railway station -- the end of the old Volos line - is particularly attractive. Here we suggest that you try the local speciality "tyropsomo" or cheese - bread and "firikia", a kind of lady apple. Just 3 kilometres further up the road you will find Vizitsa (32 km. from Volos, alt. 450 m.) a mountain village concealed among plane trees whose lovely Pelionstyle towers and magnificent old mansions have led to its declaration as a landmark settlement protected from unseemly development. Some of the latter have been renovated by the G.N.T.O. and are run as guest houses. If you feel like forgetting your cares and troubles for a while, try a little of the potent local brew, "tsipouro". I through more olive groves and orchards . Back on the main road, you pass on the way to Koropi, which occupies the site of the ancient city of the same name, famous in the past as the home of the Oracle of Apollo Koropaios. On the 24th kilometre of the main road, a short deviation (2 km.) will take you to Afissos (26 km. from Volos). The main road, which starts its ascent of Pelion after Afetes, forks near here: after Neohori the northern branch leads to Tsangarada passing through Lambinou, with a stunning view of the Aegean; while the southern branch goes to the big village of Argalasti (40 km. from Volos, alt. 250 m.), situated on a fertile plateau renowned for its olives. Several secondary roads radiate out from Argalasti to the seaside villages of Kalamos and Paos on the Pagasitic gulf and the mountain hamlets of Kallithea, Xinovrisi and Paltsi, on the Aegean coast. Continuing south there is a succession of sandy beaches one after the other as far as Milina, a pretty summer resort. After Milina the road has recently been extended as far as Trikeri (82 km), the lovely, mansion - filled village at the tip of the Magnesia peninsula. Up to now communications with Volos were possible only by boat via the little port of Agia Kiriaki, a charming fishing hamlet whose "tavernakia" specialise in seafood. Trikeri, Agia Kiriaki and Ai Giannis, an undeveloped fishing community on the islet of Palio Trikeri, form a commune, and administrative unit smaller than a municipality. The weddings in local costume and the traditional customs observed there during Easter week and on May Day are not to be missed if you happen to be in Greece in the spring. East of Milina the road goes on to Lafkos and Promiri, a typical example of a village submerged in olive trees, winding up in Platania, a quaint fishing village to the south. more... http://www.vacation.net.gr/p/pelion.html

I wish there was a webcam so I could see how beautiful it is. My mind cannot comprehend the beauty of the sunlit Aegean Sea and white beaches covered in snow. The pictures with the above post are magnificent.

Fresh fish. I wonder what kinds. I'm off to search for the answer. Another link with Hawaii? We are surrounded by fish, so it would seem!

Greece by Lou Seibert Pappas Introduction Greece, a republic 50,962 square miles in area, is located in the southern Balkan Peninsula of southeastern Europe. The population of the country numbers around 10 million and the capital and largest city is Athens. The basic monetary unity is the drachma. Ancient Greece is considered the cradle of Western civilization, starting about 2500 years ago. In those days Greece controlled much of the land bordering the Mediterranean and Black Seas. In Athens and elsewhere in Greece, magnificent ruins stand as monuments to the nation's glorious past. The Greeks came under control of invaders for more than 2,000 years. They lost their independence to the Macedonians in 338 B.C. and did not regain it until A.D. 1829, from the Ottoman Turks. Since then, Greece has had many serious political problems. Yet their arts, philosophy, and science became foundations of Western thought and culture. About a fifth of Greece consists of islands and no part of Greece is more than 85 miles from the sea. Greece and its sun-kissed isles offer a tantalizing cuisine that is fresh and fragrant, served with warmth and vitality. The Greeks' zest for the good life and love of simple, well-seasoned foods is reflected at the table. Theirs is an unpretentious cuisine that makes the most of their surroundings. It is a cuisine entrenched in history and punctuated by the cultures of its neighbors for centuries: Turkey, the Middle East, and the Balkans. This land of blue skies and sparkling seas offers a variety of fresh ingredients close at hand. Olive trees flourish, providing a flavor-packed oil to bathe other foods. Vineyards thread the rolling hills, and the grape crush and ferment produces excellent wines, some resin-flavored. Fragrant lemon trees produce the golden fruit whose tang pervades Greek gastronomy. The seas are blessed with a variety of fish and shellfish and harbor-side tavernas serve them grilled, baked, and fried and often whole, with the head still on. Lamb is the principal meat served and a holiday festivity calls for ceremoniously spit-roasting a whole carcass out of doors. For everyday meals, lamb is braised and stewed in casseroles with assorted vegetables and skewered and broiled. Pork, beef, and game are marinated, grilled, and baked. Chicken is broiled or braised. Good meat and vegetable combinations are endless, often embellished with the golden lemon sauce, avgolemono, or a cinnamon-spiced tomato sauce. Moussaka, layered with eggplant or zucchini and a garlic-scented meat sauce, and bearing a custard topping, is the ubiquitous casserole dish. Pilaffs are laced with spices and nuts. Fila pitas, composed of the wafer-thin pastry, and layered with chicken and mushrooms, spinach and feta, or lamb and leeks, are a delight. An abundance of fresh vegetables inspires imaginative cooked and marinated vegetable dishes and salads, often strewn with mountain-grown herbs: garlic, oregano, mint, basil, and dill. Fresh feta, Romano, and Kasseri, in particular, are used lavishly to accompany homemade whole-grain bread or salad or to grate and top vegetables or pasta. Undoubtedly baklava is the most famous pastry, a multi-layered affair ribboned with nuts and oozing with honey syrup. A visit to a Greek pastry shop reveals the versatility of fila dough in dozens of different fila pastries, many of Turkish derivation.The honeyed fila pastries and buttery nut cookies compose a separate late afternoon meal accompanied by thick Greek coffee. Fresh fruit -- generally figs, orange, apples, and melon -- usually conclude the late evening dinner. Feasts and festivals are integral to Hellenic life. Name days, saints' days, weddings, and holidays are the occasion for merriment, a bounteous table and spirited folk dancing. Common Greek Cooking Terms and Ingredients General Terms Arni lamb Avgolemono An egg and lemon mixtures used as a sauce or a soup base. Baklava the most famous Greek dessert, made of layers of fila pastry, chopped nuts, and a honey-flavored syrup Bourekakia fila puffs made with various fillings Dolmades grapevine leaves stuffed with rice or meat Feta the classic white goat cheese of Greece Fila, filo, or phyllo the paper-thin pastry dough essential for appetizers, entrees, and desserts. Gouvetsi the Greek word for casserole, or baked in the oven Garides shrimp Kafes coffee Kalamaria squid Kalamata probably the most famous Greek olive Kasseri creamy farm cheese with a bitey flavor Kefalotiri a hard, salty cheese, good for grating Kourabiedes butter cookies topped with powdered sugar Mezethes small savory appetizers Moussaka a layered casserole usualy made with eggplant and chopped meat, and topped with a custard sauce Orzo tiny melon seed-shaped pasta Ouzo a colorless alcoholic drink flavored with anise. Pastitsio a layered casserole of macaroni and chopped meat topped with a custard sauce Pilafi rice boiled in broth and flavored with onion and spices Psari fish Retsina white or rose wine flavored with pine resin Rigani oregano, an indispensable herb used in countless dishes Skordalia garlic sauce Souvlakia skewered food Spanakopeta spinach fila pastries Tahini crushed sesame seed paste Tarama fish roe from gtray mullet Taramosalata fish roe spread Tiropita fila stuffed with Greek cheese Tsatziki: cucumber yogurt dip Definitions for the following Greek cooking terms are from Steve Ettlinger's book The Restaurant Lover's Companion. Tyria (Greek Cheeses) Haloumi A semisoft cheese, not very salty; usually made from sheep's milk Kefalograviera a mild Gruy�re-type cheese; made from either sheep's or cow's milk Manouri a soft unsalted cheese; made from sheep's or goat's milk whey; served with fruit Mizithra soft and hard varieties; made from sheep's or goat's milk whey Greek Olives Amfissa black and round with a nutty-sweet taste; from the central mainland of Greece Green large and crunchy with a mild flavor; from various Ionian islands Cracked green made by cracking unripe green olives, placing them in water for several weeks to remove their bitterness, then storing them in brine Black small, wrinkled, dry-cured olives with a very strong flavor; from the island of Thassos Glykismata (Desserts) Karidopeta Single-layer, dark, moist nut cake (made with coarsely chopped walnuts or almonds) topped with a light honey/sugar syrup Pasta Flora a lattice-topped tart filled with apricot pur�e Ravani Golden yellow cake made with farina or semolina and topped with a light sugar/honey or orange-flavored syrup Fenikia or Melomakarouna Oblong, honey-dipped cookies covered with chopped nuts Diples Thin strips of dough tied, folded, or twisted into bows or loops and deep-fried, then dipped in a honey syrup and topped with chopped nuts Rizogalo creamy rice pudding with a sprinkling of cinnamon on top Loukoumades made-to-order deep-fried honey balls topped with honey; served warm Galatoboureko A custard-filled dessert made with phyllo topped with a light honey/sugar syrup Kadaife Shredded dough filled with chopped nuts and cinnamon and topped with a honey/sugar syrup Koulourakia Crisp, golden-colored, subtly sweet cookies shaped by hand; sometimes covered with sesame seeds http://www.sallys-place.com/food/ethnic_cusine/greece.htm ...*sigh* It all sound delicious and I am half a world away...!

To Cafenio (The Cafe) 26 Loukianou Athens Located in the fashionable Kolonaki section, this ouzerie offers regional specialties from throughout Greece. A luncheon menu features 16 meze. They include: fava fava bean pur�e kolokithokeftedes zucchini fritters lachanodolmades cabbage leaves stuffed with beef and rice and served with avgolemono sauce melitzanosalata eggplant pur�e tyropita cheese pie spanakopita spinach pie patatosalata potato salad melizana papoutsaka eggplant stuffed with ground beef with tomato sauce and cheese gardumba lamb intestines rolled into a sausage saganaka fried Kasseri cheese kolokithia yemista zucchini stuffed with ground beef and rice and served with avgolemono sauce splena spleen marides fried white bait souzoukakai beef meatballs baked in the oven keftaidakia fried beef meatball house salad artichoke zucchini, green beans, mushrooms, and onion dressed with dill vinaigrette.

Sadziki (sahd-zee-key): Yogurt, cucumber and garlic, and salt. Great on fresh Greek bread. Melitzana Salata (mel-its-zan-na sal-ah-ta): Eggplant salad. Like Babaganoush in the middle east. Eaten on bread. Tarama Salata (tah-rah-mah sal-ah-tah): roe of carp. Greek caviar. Don't be afraid to try it. It doesn't taste like you expect. Eaten on bread. Saganaki (saga-nah-ki): fried cheese. Sometimes comes with tomato sauce. I like it plain with lemon. Capari Salata (cap-ah-ri sa-lah-tah): Caper salad. Sifnos specialty. Goes on bread. Tiro Salata (tee-row sa-lah-tah): Cheese salad. Strong sometimes spicy. Spread on bread Olives (ill-yes): a hundred different varieties. Don't say you don't like olives until you have tried them all. You may find one you can't live without. Casseri(keh-seh-ree) Soft cheese like mozzerela. Keftedes (kef-teh-des): Deep-fried Meatballs. Other areas have their own variety of keftedes. Sifnos has Revithiakeftedes (reh-veeth-ya-kef-teh-des), made from chickpeas. Santorini has Domatokeftedes (tho-mah-toh-kef-teh-des) made from Tomatoes. There are also Tirokeftedes (tee-row-kef-teh-des) made with cheese and psarokeftedes (psah-row-kef-teh-des) made with fish. They are all delicious. Spanakopita (span-ah-koh-pee-tah) Spinach pie Tiropita (tee-row-pee-ta): Cheese pie Kreatopita (kray-ah-toh-pee-tah): Meat pie Choriatiki Salata (hoe-ree-ah-tee-key sa-lah-tah): Village salad or what we in America call a Greek Salad, except here you usually don't get lettuce. It generally consists of Tomatoes(tho-mah-tes),Cucumbers(an-goo-ree), Onions(crem-ee-thya), Feta, Oil(la-thee), vinigear (ksee-dee) and olives(ill-yes). Sometimes they leave off the feta so you have to ask for it and they charge you extra. When I order I ask for a hoe-ree-ah-tee-key meh feh-tah, a village salad with feta, just to avoid this. If you want it without any of the above items just tell the waitor: hoe-ris (without) and the name of the item. Lakanika (la-cah-nee-kah): Cabbage salad. Horta (hoar-ta): Boiled greens. Very healthy and good with lemon, oil and vinigear. Vleeta (vlee-tah): Cooked and served like horta but different greens. Restaurants will have one or the other. Yigendes (yee-gen-des): Big beans like lima beans served either with oil and lemon or with tomatoe sauce. Fava(fah-vah): Dip or stew made from yellow split peas that can be eaten with a spoon or with bread. Kolokithikia Vrasta(koh-loh-kee-thak-ya vras-tah): Boiled zuchinni seasoned with oil, lemon and sometimes vinegar. Patates Tiganites (pa-tah-tes tee-gah-nee-tes): fried potatoes. Greek french fries blows MacDonalds away. It must be the oil. Patates to Fourno (pa-tah-tes toh for-no): Oven roasted potatoes. My favorite dish. Briam(bree-am): roast vegetables. Usually contains potatoes, onions, zucchini, eggplant, garlic and tomatoes. Rivithia (reh-vee-thya): Chickpea stew. Araka (ah-rah-kah): Peas. Cooked with onions and tomatoes. Stifado(stee-fah-doh): Stew made with lots of small onions, tomatoes and either rabbit (kou-nell-ee), lamb(ar-nee), or octopus(ock-toh-poh-thee). Dolmades (doh-mah-des): Grape-leaves stuffed with rice, onions and sometimes ground beef. Macaronia (mak-ah-ron-ya): Spagetti as we call it. Served with ground beef (meh kee-mah) or tomatoe sauce (sal-tsa). If you want to say without meat say ho-ris kray-ahs. Mousaka (moo-sah-kah): Baked and similar eggplant parmegeon but not as tomato saucy. Contains eggplant, potatoes, onions, ground beef, oil, cinnamin, and a flour, milk and butter topping. Pastitsio(pah-sti-tsyo): Like Lasagna but not as saucy. Layered noodles, meat, tomato sauce and topping similar to mousaka but denser. Anginares (ang-ee-nar-es): Artichokes in lemon and egg sauce with potatoes. Lamb (arn-nee)Dishes Fricasse (arn-nee free-cah-seh): Stew made with spinach, lemon, eggs and oil. Psito(psee-toh) Leg of lamb roasted with potatoes. Sti Carbona(stee-car-bon-ah): charcoal grilled. Pidakia (pie-dye-kya): Ribs grilled. Chicken (Koh-toh-poo-loh) Psito or To Fourno (toh four-no): Oven Roasted with potatoes or roast. Me Saltsa (meh sal-tsah): In red sauce. Tis skaras(tis ska-ras): On the grill Souvlas (sou-vlas): Shishkabob Stithos (stee-thos): Breast Podi (po-thee): Leg Grilled Meats Brizoles (bree-zoh-les):Steak Khirini (khe-ree-nee) Pork Souvlakia (sue-vlak-yah): Shish-cabob Loukanika (lou-con-ee-kah): sausage Kokoretsi(ko-ko-ret-see): Entrails of lamb wrapped up and roasted on a spit. Kontosouvli (konto-sou-vli): Big hunks of pork cooked on a spit. Fish Astako (as-tak-ko): Lobster. Mediteranean stylen no claws Garides (ga-ree-des): Shrimp, usually large and grilled Xifia (ksee-fee-ya): Swordfish. Grilled steaks or souvlaki. Barbounia(bar-boon-ya): Red Mullet. Expensive and delicious grilled or fried. Marides(mar-ree-des): Small deep fried fish that can be eaten whole, heads bones and all. Gopes (go-pes): Small tasty in-expensive fish served fried or grilled. Soupia(soup-ya): Cuttle fish. Served grilled or with a red wine-sauce. Midia (Me-dia): Mussels, Steamed or in a wine sauce. Bakaliaro(bak-ah-lar-oh): Fried codfish served with garlic sauce (skor-da-ya). Galeos (ga-lay-os), shark is also served this way. Octopodi (ock-toh-poh-thee) Octopus. Delicious like filet-minion. Can be served grilled (tis ska-ras) or boiled (vrah-stah). Excellent with ouzo by the sea. Kalamarikia (kah-la-ma-rike-ya): Squid. Frozen is usually fried in small pieces. Fresh is usually fried whole. Both delicious with lemon. Sardeles (sar-dell-es): Sardines. Can be served fried, or from the can with oil. In Lesvos a special treat is pastes (pas-tess) which means that the sardines were caught that morning, salted on the boat and served raw that night. With ouzo it can't be beat. Rega(reh-ga): smoked herring in olive oil. Usually an appetizer. Psarosoupa (psar-oh-soup-ah): Fish soup. Potatoes, lemon and egg base, can be ordered with or without fish. Misc. Bread is psoh-me. Eggs are av-ga. Omelet is Om-eh-let-ah. Try it with feta or the famous potato omelets(pa-ta-to om-eh-let-ah). Watermellon is kar-poo-zee Honeydew Melon is peh-pon-ee Apple is me-lo Rice pudding is ree-zo-gah-low Yogurt is ya-oar-ti With fruit is me fruit-ta With honey is me mel-lee Wine is Krah-see. Red is Koh-kee-no. White is as-pro. Kee-ma is homemade from the barrel. Patsa (Pat-sa): Tripe soup. Good for hangovers. Glass is po-tee-ree. Caraffe is ka-ra-fa-kee. Bottle is boo-kal-ee. Water is neh-ro. Menu is cat-ah-lo-go. Check is lo-ga-ree-as-mo. Thank-you is ef-ka-ree-sto. more... http://www.athensguide.com/food.html

Now, to master the pronounciation (which will have all the wrong inflections...)

A very good guide for all those making their first visit to Greece, or planning to go - even if just in their dreams: http://www.athensguide.com/index.html

Astonishing work Marcia! Dreams are usually impressive. But your descriptions exceed them. You know already more things for Greece than that I know. But, as it usually happens, in the internet they present only the beautiful side. What perhaps it is unknown to you is the Mediterranean attitude of persons. The way of life tends to become as yours and the Greek ways become less day by day. Athens does not differ a lot from any European or American megalopolis. Fortunately far from Athens the ways are still Greek. John

This comment on lifestyles is very much as it is in Hawaii. They only show the beautiful parts in pictures, Honolulu is like any large city on earth, and the further away you get from people who have moved here from otehr places, the more like old Hawaii it is. I assumed the Mediterranean attitude was of passion and joy for life. Hawaii is very casual and relaxed. It is easy to be lazy here, and those who do not adapt to this slow life gets unhappy and usually moves away after a few years of trying to make Hawaii like the rest of the world. I had hoped Greece had the passion and joy of living you have for your work and your life and perhaps a few other things... *Smile*

Thank you for the kind words for what I wrote. I have loved Greece since my early childhood when I lived in books of mythology and archaeology. Now, I have a renewed interest. *Sigh*

Health & Happiness to all of you! Peace on Earth without natural disasters! ( John from Greece )

Merry Christmas, John! Kala Christouyenna!

I even have a little wav file telling me how to pronounce it. Kala Christouyenna!

CHRISTMAS IN GREECE *December 25th by Gary Van Haas Christmas was never considered much of a holiday in Greece compared with Easter, but things have slowly changed and now it's finally become a much cherished. For instance, now you'll find Christmas in Greece celebrated with lavish decorations and lights strung across most of the streets in major cities and towns. Athens in particular has responded to the revival of Christmas where its flamboyant mayor, Dimitris Avramopoulos, has added new colour to the festivities by erecting the largest Christmas tree in Europe. This tree can be seen towering above busy Syntagma (Constitution square), where Athens now also hosts exciting 'live' stage acts and shows featuring many of Greece's popular entertainers. But the beginnings of Christmas in Greece go back to the time of St. Nicholas, who was known as the patron saint of sailors. According to Greek tradition, his clothes were soaked with brine, his beard drenched with saltwater, and his face is covered with perspiration because he had been fighting the storms and waves to reach sinking ships and rescue drowning men from the sea. Even today there is still an old custom where many ships never leave port without a St. Nicholas icon carried in the boat. In Greece, there are many Christmas customs that are similar, yet slightly different from the West. Such as the custom on Christmas Eve where village children travel from house to house offering good wishes and singing 'kalanda', the equivalent of Christmas carols. The children often accompany the songs using small metal triangles and little clay drums. Afterwards, the children are usually given sweets or coins in appreciation. In Greek Christmas, the feast itself becomes the main attraction by both adults and children alike. Lamb and pork are roasted in ovens and open spits, and on almost every table are loaves of 'christopsomo' ('Christ bread'). This bread is usually made in large sweet loaves of various shapes and the crusts are engraved and decorated in some way that reflects the family's profession. In Greek homes, Christmas trees are not commonly used, but recently have become more popular. In almost every house though- the main symbol of the season is a shallow wooden bowl with a piece of wire is suspended across the rim; from that hangs a sprig of basil wrapped around a wooden cross. A small amount of water is kept in the bowl to keep the basil alive and fresh. Once a day, a family member, usually the mother, dips the cross and basil into some holy water and uses it to sprinkle water in each room of the house. This ritual is believed to keep the 'Killantzaroi' (bad spirits) away. There are a number of beliefs connected with these spirits, which are supposed to be a species of goblins who appear only during the 12-day period from Christmas to the Epiphany (January 6). These creatures are believed to come from the center of the earth and to slip into people's house through the chimney. More mischievous than actually evil, the Killantzaroi do things like extinguish fires, ride astride people's backs, braid horses' tails, and sour the milk. To further repel the undesirable sprites, the hearth is kept burning day and night throughout the twelve days. Gifts are finally exchanged on St. Basil's Day (January 1). On this day the "renewal of waters" also takes place, a ritual in which all water jugs in the house are emptied and refilled with new "St. Basil's Water." The ceremony is often accompanied by offerings to the 'naiads', spirits of springs and fountains. All in all, Christmas is an enjoyable part of Greece today and one that should be experienced by all. from http://www.gogreece.com/learn/christmas.htm

���� ������ I wish everything good you have deeply in your heart to become real. From the sunny Greece John

Thank you, John! Happy New Year from Sunny Hawaii to snowy Greece. I found the most wonderful website of Greek "costumes" - the word seems wrong but it works for now. I was searching for the Presidential Guard outfits and discovered so much more. Uniform of the Greek Presidential Guard, the Evzones After the liberation of Greece in the first quarter of the 19th century, all male costumes in the Peloponnese took the form of the foustanela. Extremely popular, this costume is now one of the world's most well-known traditional garment. It consists of the following items: - white cotton shirt - foustanela (white cotton pleated skirt) - boudouri (white underpants) - long knitted white leggings, secured by gonatoures (garters) tied below the knee - embroidered coat - fesi (cap) - tsarouchia (shoes) with pompons http://dept.kent.edu/museum/costume/bonc/2geographicsearch/Greece/greece.html

I rather feel badly when men have better legs than I have! Cuter shoes, too. I am delighted with the above website. I will look for real men in foustanela.

foustanelae it would seem to be the proper plural. I will investigate that, also. I need a Greek grammar book...

The history of Greek fashion: http://dept.kent.edu/museum/exhibit/greek/Greek2.html

The reason for John's broken leg, perhaps. *Hugs* for sharing with me what had happened to you! SPATA AIRPORT SNOWED IN FOR 4TH DAY Athens, 7 January 2002 (13:17 UTC+2) The unprecedented since 1963, as some Athens residents recall, harsh weather conditions that have struck all over the country, caught the state off guard and have caused problems in cities all over Greece, even in Athens. The northern suburbs, where the homes of some of the most distinguished individuals of Greece are located were completely cut off from the rest of Athens. Schools will remain closed for the next three days, according to announcements made by the government yesterday. The Spata airport, �Eleftherios Venizelos�, is in its 4th day of being snowed in. As announced by Olympic Airways, 8 domestic flights that were scheduled to leave from Athens between 5:00-9:30am were cancelled, but flights will start leaving later in the day. Many motorists spent the weekend �buried� in 4 feet of snow on the Larisa-Athens highway. The lowest temperature recorded yesterday was �14 C in Tripolis. Florina experienced temperatures of �10 C, while Larisa and Karpenissi recorded temperatures of �8 C. In Kastoria, the frozen lake surface had to broken, as in many other country lakes, for the Theofania ritual to take place, at �5 C. The temperature in the broader Attica region was �1 in the early morning hours. According to the National Weather forecasting Service, a gradual improvement of the weather is expected today, while snowfall has decreased in Attica, Viotia and Evia. http://www.mpa.gr/article.html?doc_id=242754

ARCTIC WEATHER IN GREECE Thessaloniki, 5 January 2002 (15:26 UTC+2) The National Weather Bureau predicts arctic weather in Greece with freezing temperatures for the next few days. The temperature in Thessaloniki will be between -9 and -3 degrees Centigrade. In the wider region of Athens there will be snowfall and strong winds and temperature will be between -2 to 2 degrees Centigrade. Bad weather also hit the Aegean islands creating many problems in the sea transportation, while there are problems in the electricity supply and the road network. The "Eleftherios Venizelos" Athens Airport that was closed due to bad weather opened at noon today, while motorists moving from and to the airport face serious problems due to the snow. http://www.mpa.gr/article.html?doc_id=242554

PROBLEMS DUE TO THE WEATHER IN MANY PARTS OF GREECE Athens, 7 January 2002 (16:39 UTC+2) Serious problems in electricity supply, water supply as well as in the market supply with fresh fruit and vegetables are still faced by the prefectures of Attica, Evia, Viotia and the Aegean island of Crete which were mainly hit by the recent bad weather. The transfer of patients to hospitals in the wider region of Athens was conducted with great difficulty, while schools will remain closed in the prefectures of Attica, Viotia and Evia until Wednesday. The schools in other regions also hit by bad weather will open tomorrow. Extensive damages were recorded in agriculture as a result of the snowfall and freezing temperatures. The Ministers of Agriculture and Economy will hold a meeting this week. They are expected to request EU economic support for the farmers who suffered damages as a result of the unprecedented bad weather.

I can't even begin to guess how to ornament this article. I did not know they DID this. *Sigh* I am learning... Women rule for a day in N.E. Greece in annual reversal of roles 08/01/2002 22:32:15 Women take "power" for a day in several villages in northeastern Greece as the ancient custom of "female rule" was once again adhered to on Tuesday, marking the importance of fertility, as the central person of the celebration is the midwife of the community. The custom mandates the reversal of roles between men and women, as the former stay at home taking care of the children and doing housework, while the women take to the streets and indulge in all the pleasant activities of men, barring of course work. Women visit coffee shops and play cards and backgammon, they parade the streets and set up impromptu parties, "blessed" by the midwife, who is their "ringleader" in this reversal of roles. Of course, as in any "established order", there are violators of women's rule day and, as in the case of other "established orders", they are "punished" by being drenched with cold water, in the middle of the winter no less. The ancient custom, lost in the lore and mists of past times, was brought to Greece by ethnic Greek refugees from eastern Romylia, currently eastern Bulgaria, who arrived in Greece during a population exchange in the early 20th century.

I thought macho was the order of the day 7/365 in the Mediterranean. I have a source for further information. I will ask her.

NATIONAL ANTHEM OF GREECE IMNOS EIS TIN ELEFTHERIAN Segnoriso apo tin Kopsi tou spathiou tin tromeri; Segnoriso apo tin opsi pou me via metra tin yi. Ap ta Kokkala vyalmeni ton ellinon ta iera Ke san prot' anthriomeni haire o hair'eleftheria. Ke san prot' anthriomeni haire o hair'eleftheria, Ke san prot' anthriomeni haire o hair'eleftheria. TRANSLATION Hymn To Freedom I shall always recognise you By the dreadful sword you hold, As the earth, with searching vision, You survey, with spirit bold. 'Twas the Greeks of old whose dying Brought to birth our spirit free. Now, with ancient valour rising, Let us hail you, oh Liberty! music... http://www.thenationalanthems.com/inninazionali/greece.mid

We knew thee of old, Oh, divinely restored, By the lights of thine eyes And the light of thy Sword From the graves of our slain Shall thy valour prevail As we greet thee again- Hail, Liberty! Hail! Long time didst thou dwell Mid the peoples that mourn, Awaiting some voice That should bid thee return. Ah, slow broke that day And no man dared call, For the shadow of tyranny Lay over all: And we saw thee sad-eyed, The tears on thy cheeks While thy raiment was dyed In the blood of the Greeks. Yet, behold now thy sons With impetuous breath Go forth to the fight Seeking Freedom or Death. From the graves of our slain Shall thy valour prevail As we greet thee again- Hail, Liberty! Hail! Lyrics: --Dionysios Solomos, 1824 (he is on the "old" 20 GDR coin) Music: Nikolaos Mantzaros, 1828 Adopted: 1864