A visit at Spyros Vassiliou’s Atelier/House
We are starting a new series of visits to small – mostly unknown – Museums, art galleries, exhibitions and workshops. Let’s meet:
Little Hidden Gems in Athens
A new cooperation that will change your perspective of guided tours
In our continuous efforts to enrich our knowledge of the Ancient Greek history and culture, and provide expats and guests with a profound understanding of Greece, its people, its culture and timeless spirit. we are proud and honoured to announce our cooperation with Diazoma, one of the most prestigious organizations dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of Ancient Greek Theatres.
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My journey to ‘DIAZOMA’ has been a long one with many ports of call: Kalamata, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of the Interior, Administration and Decentralization, Ministry of the Aegean. On the way I have been involved with the reconstruction of a town destroyed by earthquake, the enhancement of its historical centre, cultural networks, Castrorum Circumnavigatio, a programme on ancient theatres, island policies, Citizen Service Centres… Ports of call en route to a destination of which I am not yet aware, which has not yet taken a specific shape.
Caring for monuments has always been a special part of my life. I cannot look upon them as ruins, as something dead. I see in them living organisms transmitting messages of knowledge, wisdom, aesthetics, harmony, dialogue with the environment and nature, as transmitting messages of life. And I have always disagreed with the classic treatment of monuments, that which treats them as museum pieces, which puts them to one side, on the margins of our era, which is blind to their secret life, which ignores their own adaptability and harmonization with every historical period.
That is why, wherever I have passed, I have tried in every way to include them in the daily life of the place and the people. From the Neoclassical buildings of Kalamata and the restoration of the town’s historical centre to the opening of archaeological sites on summer nights with a full moon, all my actions have been in the same direction, aimed at the same ultimate target and inspired by the same philosophy.
Small Theatre of Ancent Epidavros
Τhe ancient theatres are unique examples of exceptional architecture. Culminating achievements of ancient Greek civilization. Works of art built to host works of art. Buildings that concentrate in their structure, their parts and their details the originality, the grace, the sagacity, the expression of democracy and of citizens’ participation. In other words, the best of what the Greek spirit offers. Buildings which have been keeping the usefulness and the uniqueness of their form alive and up to date for centuries.
These characteristics led me to combine my ideas on monuments with ancient theatres. I started this particular endeavour five or six years ago. I failed. ‘Wherever you fail go back and wherever you succeed leave’, says Kazantzakis. I paid him heed. A couple of years ago, I returned. It seems that the right moment had come. The time was now ripe for a more dynamic confrontation of the monuments. The time was ripe for certain things to go ahead, because we take their fortunes into our own hands. And we help them to proceed. We take part in their development. The time was now ripe for creating a Movement of Citizens, of a large group of people, which can see beyond the miserly limits of a short-sighted age, which feels the primary right to demand transcendence of the dreary daily routine, by including monuments in our daily life.
At once I found myself surrounded by an enthusiastic and dynamic group of people, which widened in the blink of an eye. All of them, ‘as one long prepared…’ Scholars, intellectuals, artists, people in local government and pro-active citizens embraced ‘DIAZOMA’. Fellow-citizens who have decided that the research, study, protection, enhancement and, wherever feasible, the use of ancient theatres and other venues for spectators and listeners, such as ancient odeia and stadia, are also their concern. And they are resolved to take these monuments’ fortunes into their own hands, to work together dynamically, as helpers of the State and the services responsible, in the major task of including ancient theatres in modern life.
Stavros Benos
President
Click on: ANCIENT THEATRES – ANCIENT THEATRES’ IDENTITY
TOURS
In this section, Mr. Stavros Benos, chairman of “DIAZOMA“, shares his impressions from touring all over Greece. Joining him in these visits are the heads of the regional services from the Ministry of Culture, local authority representatives, residents and “DIAZOMA” members from each particular area.
These tours have three main objectives:
- to help compose a well-defined “monument inventory”, both in the scientific and sociopolitical sense (availability/response of local communities etc.)
- to bring together in joint action all parties necessary for the restoration/showcasing of important monuments (archaeologists, local authorities, etc.)
- to raise public awareness about the tremendous value of these monuments, not only in the context of historical and cultural heritage, but as a part of contemporary Greek society. This can be achieved via press conferences and open debate sessions with the public.
Click on: CULTURAL ITINERARIES & ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARKS
DIAZOMA – DIAZOMA MEMBERS
Become a member If you believe that the most beautiful and the most symbolic monuments in Greece, the ancient theatres, should be brought back to life. If you believe that for great plans and grand dreams to become reality they must be embraced by us all.
Take part in the efforts of DIAZOMA.
Study our Memorandum of Association, brief yourself on our aims.
And if you agree with them,
Join us by becoming a member. Just fill in, sign and fax the membership form (MS Word file format) to: 0030.210.82.54.258
or e-mail it at info@diazoma.gr. It will be forwarded to the Board for approval.
read more: diazoma.gr
“LITTLE HIDDEN GEMS in ATHENS” PART II
Our second “Little Hidden Gems in Athens” visit will amaze you ! When we visited this exhibition to prepare our visit, we were astounded ! We are going to be introduced into the world of “The inventions of the Ancient Greeks” an exhibition at Herakleidon Museum, 16 Herakleidon str. Thission.,
ACCESS by public transport/map
This exhibition aims to demonstrate that the technology of the ancient Greeks, just before the end of the ancient Greek world, was shockingly similar to the beginning of our modern technology. An important cultural initiative, which promotes Greece internationally as the foundation of Western civilization.
“The Olive Tree Will Always Be Here”
via: http://yatzer.com/
In the well-known ancient myth about how the Athenians chose their patron deity, the Greek goddess Athena won the sympathy of the city’s people by offering them the olive tree as a gift. This myth, placing the origin of the olive tree in the hands of the goddess of wisdom sometime in a very distant past, is but one of many stories about how important the olive tree is for the Greeks and the Mediterranean in general, from Palestine to Portugal and Tunis to Trieste. For example, on the island of Crete, the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the production of olive oil dates back to the Minoan kingdoms (i.e. around 4,000 years ago); some of the island’s olive groves are actually thousands of years old, having grown under the care of countless generations of Cretans…
read more: http://yatzer.com/gaea-short-film-olive-oil
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”The Olive Tree Will Always Be Here” film still, © Indigo View & GAEA.
Short Film Credits
Direction: Theo Papadoulakis
Screenplay: Panagiotis Papoutsakis
DoP: Kostas Nikolopoulos
Production Manager: Dimitris Xenakis
Sound Design: Anastasis Efentakis
Casting Director: Archontissa Kokotsaki
Wardrobe: Xanthi Kontou
Art Director: Douglas Foote
Editor: Allan Michael
Cast: Dimitris Mpoumpouralakis, Despina Tsafaraki, Giorgos Kiminoulakis, Konstantina Koskina, Artemis Skouloudi, Manolis Poulis, Vagelis Vasilakis, Katerina Vasilaki, Giorgos Stentoumis, Nasos Stentoumis, Giorgos Vlachakis, Ivan, Giorgos Galanos, Pantelis Iliakakis, Vaso Psarianou.
THANK YOU !!!
photo by DiDo
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Old friends, customers and people that we’ve met on our tours only once are all sending us mails and messages, calling us, asking how we are coping, worried about us, wishing for the best of us and our ‘beautiful country’, expressing their concern.
To all of them we want to send our gratitude and love, our thanks and hopes that all is going to get better in the future, and tell them that Greece is not less beautiful, less safe, or less friendly because of all that awful situation.
We are expecting them all here, to walk and talk, laugh and cry, eat and drink, and be grateful for the true friends we have all over the world.
THANK YOU!
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August Full Moon: Culture Ministry opens 115 archaeological sites and museums
via: .keeptalkinggreece.com
Greece’s Culture and Sports Ministry will open 115 archaeological sites and monuments to public to enjoy the August Full Moon on Monday 7th August 2017. Continuing a tradition dating back many years, the entrance is free of charge.
A series of events is planned from 5th to 0th August 2017, with the highlight to be on the night of full moon on August 7th.
93 archaeological sites, monuments and museums across the country will host concerts, poetry nights, star-gazing, theatrical performances, art exhibitions, dance, tours and shadow-puppet theatre.
A further 22 archaeological sites and museums will remain open to the public without organising special events.
read more: keeptalkinggreece.gr
Μένω στο Παρίσι, αλλά ζω στην Ελλάδα !
Saying goodbye leaves a bitter taste in your mouth !
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We always use the hashtag #thebestjobintheworld (the best job in the world) to express how happy we are with our job!
What we don’t say is how difficult it is to part with people with whom you share so much!
You meet them at the LOOK AND SEE, before they make up their minds to move here, you see them loosen up and relax, as they get into the greek way of life, you spend time and holidays and tours and meals and loooooong discussions…..and so much more with them….
And then, one day you part with them! And they leave holes in your life.
We always hope that they will come back – and a lot of them do!
Some French students of mine told me their motto, which they borrowed from a Greek writer, they couldn’t remember his name:
Μένω στο Παρίσι, αλλά ζω στην Ελλάδα ! ( I stay in Paris, but I live in Greece)
#welovewhatwedo #makingAdifference #expats #expatliving #expatlife#livingabroad
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Greece – Winter Sales 2017
Mid – Season Sales start tomorrow !
Mid – season sales (autumn sales), start tomorrow Tuesday November 1st, and for 10 days (end November 10th)
Bear in mind that on Sunday November 6th all shops can be opened from 11:00 to 20:00