February 2016 – Letters from Athens

A ban on high-powered kettles – seriously?

This morning I came upon the following text in one of the papers:

“BRUSSELS is temporarily abandoning plans to ban high-powered kettles and toasters to avoid giving anti-EU campaigners fresh ammunition in Britain’s “Brexit” referendum, it has emerged.
The decision to shelve the plans until after the vote on June 23 comes as Brussels tries to minimise its reputation for meddling in voters’ lives.”

There followed someone’s description of the new, Eco-friendly toasters: “I think I must have bought a Euro-toaster, I have to put the bread in five times and it’s still pale and pasty. Perhaps it’s powered by windmills. And the kettle? Watching a kettle boil has never been so boring.”

People of Brussels, it’s time to get your priorities straight. Europe is crumbling, splitting at the seams. There are huge issues requiring immediate solutions if catastrophe is to be averted. Schengen ? The refugee crisis? The euro? The whole fiscal/legal framework ? There’s plenty to choose from.

And yet, instead of working flat out on those, they are wasting time banning local cheeses for not being pasteurized enough, or forbidding Italian farmers from putting (natural) chlorophyll in those delicious huge green olives (I was told this by the man in the local deli – he also cannot get his customers’ favorite anchovy paste any more, because it had some ‘forbidden’ ingredient – which people have been consuming for umpteen years, meanwhile.)

No wonder the Brits are thinking of getting out. I will not debate the merits of this, I’m not informed enough to have an opinion; but OK, people, get your priorities right. European taxpayers are paying fat salaries to endure nitpicking and PC meddling in their affairs, while serious issues are left unsolved.

Landscapes

Is this the country that is crumbling about our ears?
Looking at this prosperous, well-ordered landscape, it seems hard to believe.

And yet. Tractors are blocking the main roads at great cost to our stricken economy. Farmers are in endless dispute with the government who are finding it hard to negotiate with them, seeing as they were the ones who encouraged them in the first place.

As for the refugee situation, what is there to say? Everyone has seen the news. Our European ‘allies’ are in panic mode – the order of the day is sauve qui peut. Countries are looking to their own interests and repeated conferences and summits fail to come to any sort of agreement. Even measures that were supposedly ratified have not been implemented. Greece is making huge efforts but, unfortunately, it is too little, too late.

My friend Christina took these photographs on a road trip to Pelasgia, in Central Greece.

The view through Harold’s lens

In my last post, Greece – through Harold’s lens, I showcased some of the wonderful photographs he took of Greece. Today I will post the remaining ones he sent me, since I found it impossible to leave any out.

I urge everyone to check out his blog, Through Harold’s lens. Harold travels widely, and has a very personal take on things. I especially love his portraits. Sometimes he even writes poetry to go with them.

These pictures of Greece remind me of an earlier, simpler time – Greece in the 50s and 60s. A more remote, more romantic country. This Greece still exists today, alongside the modern country with street art, cutting-edge technology and European problems. It exists in the countryside, in the villages, in the poorer neighbourhoods of cities. And of course the temples and monuments are timeless.

I discovered, by chance, an interview Harold gave in the blog Global From Home. A must for anyone interested in his methods – I especially liked his explanations of how he approaches strangers in order to take their photograph. (Click on the name to read the interview.)

Greece – through Harold’s lens

Harold is a photojournalist and a great traveller. I always think it interesting to look at places through different sets of eyes, and I loved the photographs of Greece he often posts on his blog, Through Harold’s Lens. He very kindly agreed to be a guest host when I asked him, never imagining the amount of work this entailed! In his own words: ‘What a fun project this has been. Going through and selecting from 1,500 photographs from Greece was a challenge.’

He has been more than generous in sharing his photographs, and since I found it quite hard to choose from this bounty, I will divide them between a couple or more posts.

Harold goes on to say:

As a recent visitor to Greece, I was alive with excitement strolling through this historical cradle of Western Civilization.

IMG_3940.jpg HL

To journey through Greece’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites and experience the numerous gods of the ancient Greek religion as well as the mythical heroes.

To feel the faith of the country.

To embrace the warmth, joys and sorrows of the Greek people.

With my sidekick Mr. SLR Nikon, we have tried to capture some of the riches and beauty of your country. We hope you enjoy.

To thank M.L., Through Harold’s Lens is celebrating “Greek Week” on our blog www.throughharoldslens.com . You are invited along on our journey.

(to be continued…)

The trouble with the school canteen

Running a school canteen is not the world’s most profitable business at the best of times. But now it’s slowly becoming a recipe for disaster.

The crisis has affected pocket money – for a lot of kids, the freshly-baked tyropita is now above their means.
Canteen owners are in despair. They say sales have fallen by 70% during the last six years. Meanwhile, they feel obliged to let kids have food on credit, something which had not been the case before. Many run up tabs their parents are unable to pay from one year to the next.
Only about half the students in any school purchase things from the canteen, and they choose the least expensive items, since they only have one euro on average to spend. This is enough for one tyropita (cheese pie) or a koulouri (round bread stick) and a small bottle of water.

Often the canteens, together with the teachers and the parents’ committee, are called upon to subsidize snacks for needy students. A lot of canteens give out leftover food at the end of each day.
But canteen owners are not rich. Many have already closed up shop, and some schools are having problems replacing them. The increase in taxation to 23% is not helping.
In some areas, a lot of kids don’t bring anything to eat from home, even when they have to stay at school until 4.15 pm. In many cases the Church has stepped in, offering a large number of school snacks. Also the Prolepsis Institute is implementing a program of Food Aid and Promotion of Healthy Nutrition for the 3rd year running, with a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. In 2016 it serves food to 148 schools (11.617 children) in different areas. However, the number of students who have applied to join the program are more than 260.000.
Since 2012 more than 11,5 million meals have been distributed to 480 schools and 80.000 students.

The daily menu includes a breadstick or a sandwich, a piece of fruit, milk and yoghurt with honey. There is an effort to make the meals as healthy as possible, with wholewheat bread, vegetables in the sandwiches, as well as traditional cheese or spinach pies. There is also a program for educating the children in healthy nutrition as Prolepsis feel this is important for the prevention of obesity.
Finally, Prolepsis has set up a campaign to get companies to sponsor individual schools, so that not a single child has to go without a snack.

The first signs of spring

We haven’t had much of a winter this year – it’s been mostly mild. A little snow on the mountains. Central and Northern Greece had a few bad days, with lots of snow, and roads shut.
I hope we get more rain before the hot summer months set in, but the first signs of spring are here, and they are hard to resist.

The almond trees are in bloom.

Anemones come in all shades of pink and mauve, from almost white to fuschia, from palest lavender to purple. They can even be bright red, like poppies. They’re lovely in bowls around the house.

Daisies and other wild flowers are popping up.

The first kumquat. It’s in a pot outside the kitchen door.

And buds on the camellia!

February Q&A – the doctors

‘Our mission is the therapeutic treatment of pain and the restoration of the functionality and normal life for our patients.’

The ATHENA MAVROMATI PAIN CLINIC can be found on a leafy street in the Athenian suburb of Chalandri. The owners, Athena Mavromati and Ioannis Tornazakis, combine Athena’s medical expertise as an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist with Ioannis’s engineering and administrative skills to deliver top quality medical interventional services and treatments. Apart from being business partners, they are married and live in Athens, Greece, with their dog Ektoras.

Tell us a little about yourself.

Athena: I was born on the island of Thassos where I spent my preschool years. We then moved to the city of Kavala but always came back for the summer vacations. I received my Μedical Degree from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and specialised in Anesthesiology in Athens. I worked in Intensive Care Units for both adults and children in main hospitals of Athens. I then further specialized in the treatment of pain in Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham and Bradford Royal Infirmary at the UK. Upon my return to Greece, I worked at the Hygeia Hospital’s Pain Management Unit as a consultant, and at the University of Athens as an associate scientist. In 2001, I founded my own clinic and I’ve worked exclusively there ever since. I practice regenerative medicine and minimally invasive techniques such as prolotherapy, prp and stem cells. I have been continuing my scientific education in the US on the emerging field of regenerative medicine.

Ioannis: I was born and raised in Athens, Greece. I received my BSc in Aviation
Science and Wings from the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) Academy and got my MSc in
Electronic Warfare Systems Engineering from NPS in Monterey, California. As a fast
jet pilot I have logged more than 1,000 flight hours in jets including the Mirage 2000.
In the following years I served as an Electronic Warfare Systems Engineer at HAF
headquarters and was the Head of Delegation for Greece in key NATO groups
tasked with aircraft self-protection. In 2012, I decided to quit my career in the Air Force and join Athena in her practice. Since then, I have been designing and supporting our technical infrastructure, and constantly improving our medical imaging capabilities. I am also tasked with the administration of the practice and our day to day business needs.

What were the major difficulties you’ve faced in the last five years?

Athina: Well, they fall into two very different categories. On the one hand, there is our decision to move on from traditional pain management techniques to advanced regenerative medicine interventions under ultrasound guidance. This is a significant leap on an international scale that requires extensive medical training, and acquisition of new medical technologies and equipment; it also presents logistical challenges. On the other hand, as a medical practice here in Greece, we face a hostile environment to do business in, because of the destabilised and unpredictable tax, banking and healthcare policies.
It is a huge challenge to bring new and innovative technologies into a troubled market.
Ioannis: I’ve also had to face the difficulty of a major career change from defence to healthcare. After after 20 years in the Air Force and having adopted the lifestyle and habits of a well structured, disciplined and isolated work environment, I had to switch gears and adapt to a more open and flexible setting. This did not happen without trouble both for me and all others around me!
However, things eventually settled down thanks to Athena’s patience and determination.
At least healthcare and military operations have one thing in common: a mission-oriented approach.

Did anyone in particular inspire you or help you?

Ioannis: Our constant inspiration comes from our patients. We appreciate their trust and willingness to pay out of their pockets for our medical services. Greeks really value education and health and are still willing to invest in them despite their current economic status.
Athena: Other sources of inspiration include traveling abroad for education and
business. Following up on the latest medical advances fascinates me and is a powerful and constant source of inspiration.

What are your hopes/plans for the future?

Athina: Our plan is to keep going while being be able to incorporate
the latest advances in regenerative medicine into our everyday practice. In
order to achieve that, we are constantly investing in technology, training and
resources, and adapting our procedures as needed.
Ioannis: In addition to our mainstream business we have started to develop medical mobile applications, which will complement our daily practice and reflect our knowledge in the field. We have been researching and working on this for a while and hope to see it eventually coming to life in early spring this year.

What are your hopes for Greece? What changes do you hope to see happen?

We hope that our country will eventually achieve economic stability and growth, and maintain its geopolitical status and advantage in our region. More important, we hope that we Greeks will be able to restore our country’s name and place in Europe and the global community. Though we have been greatly underestimated and blamed for the last years, we believe that in the end our spirit will prevail and we will reclaim our lost pride.

Have you considered leaving? If so, where would you like to go, and why?

Yes, despite our growth we have considered leaving. In a scenario like that we would like to go to an English-speaking country outside Europe. This is because Europe is in the grips of a decline and has lost its competitive advantage in almost all areas in comparison to America and the East. Plus, it is always interesting to work and live in new places.

If you have already decided to leave, what would make you stay?

We are very well established in our business so it would be a pity to leave the country. Moreover, we have reached a balance between work and quality of life. At the end of the day, we love our country and would not be among the first to flee from it.

Are you actively doing anything to help with the situation? Is there something you would like to do?

We are actively helping with the situation by doing our part as a medical practice. We are bringing new technologies into the country and sustaining them. Despite being surrounded by a collapsing healthcare system, we offer advanced health services that make a difference. We save our patients having to face a situation where there is no place to go when their health is at stake. We strongly believe that if all of us do our part, we will, as a whole, harvest the benefits. It might seem a little hard at the beginning, but frankly, there is no other way.

How do you see Greece in 5, 10 years?

We cannot say how we see Greece for the next quarter let alone the next 5 to 10
year period. Our country’s economic and geopolitical instability, (not to mention warfare and associated problems in the wider region) does not allow for such predictions.
Instead, we find it more productive to focus on contingency planning and what to do if things get worse or take a new course. As for our expectations, we believe the pessimistic messages coming from the political and academic milieu are countered by the optimistim and hopes of active citizens.

How do you cope with obstacles and frustrations in your everyday life ?

We cope with obstacles by solving the problems one at a time and having a
plan for resources and supplies. We brainstorm a lot and have long conversations in order to analyse each issue that arises.
Frustrations are hard to manage because they are sudden and overwhelming in
nature. What we have found works for us is having a flexible plan, doing things in
small increments that eventually add up, and always having alternate paths and
options.

What are the positive sides of living in Greece? Have you had any good
experiences lately?

In our free time we like to hike with our dog in the nearby mountains and go sailing at every opportunity. Greece’s nature is one of a kind, from its limitless coastlines and countless islands to its mountains. We have the best scenery on this planet, with the sun a permanent resident, signs of the ancient Greeks everywhere, ruins of temples and historical sites all around. Add to that the openness of the people and the whole set up has no equal.
Ask sailors around the world from New Zealand to the Baltic which is the hardest
sea to master, and they will all come up with one answer: the Aegean! So, both of us being sailors worth our salt, our best experiences have to do with sailing around
in our yacht. Recently we sailed for a couple of hours from our harbour to the maintenance centre. There was a light breeze, no waves, and brilliant light
with scattered clouds. All that in the middle of winter!

Yoleni’s – a voyage of dicovery of Greek foods

Organic extra-virgin olive oil, wild herbs, cheeses from around Greece, Cretan honey, truffle salt. Artisanal breadsticks and ‘spoon’ sweets. Selected wines and pasta. All those things that are sometimes hard to find, even if you live in Greece, are now only a few clicks away.

In one of those coincidences that seem to occur occasionally, right after writing my post on Greek cuisine I chanced upon an article in the Sunday papers. It described an e-commerce site, Yoleni’s, which sells a wide range of top-grade products from all over Greece. Checking them out, I found myself on a virtual foodie journey: you navigate the site via the different regions of Greece, sourcing products lovingly described. They even have a large number of delicious recipes to temp you into experimenting. The site is in three languages – Greek, English and German – and they deliver to anywhere in the world.

I got in touch with Yannis Georgiadis, one of the co-founders of the enterprise.

banner1 Tell me, Yannis, how did Yoleni’s come into being?

Yoleni’s was started four and half years ago by five friends. The logic behind it was to combine traditional products with e-commerce. At the time this did not exist in Greece. Our ambition was to provide our customers with the best Greek products available on the market; to give shopping for food a new twist. Before going online, we spent a very long time working on our content. We imagined our customers travelling through Greece, finding specialities from different regions, accessing traditional recipes.

Can you give me some numbers?

We opened online in 2014, and in the last two years we have built up our range to include 2.000 products, sourced from 180 producers based throughout Greece. In 2015 we notched up 11.000 clients and sent out 6.000 corporate gifts around the world. We deliver to 47 countries, and that is excluding the US, which has its own site, yolenis.us, as well as its own warehouse and distribution network.

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So you are getting quite well known.

What has helped is winning some awards, the most important of which was the Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award in 2015. This provides winning companies with interest-free funding, mentoring and a range of business support services. With their help, our aim is to open our first retail store in Athens in 2016, followed by stores in the USA. Then we hope to expand further through a franchise system.
Also in America we are the exclusive providers of all the products for The Cooking Odyssey, a TV show aiming to bring its audience the traditions, culture and recipes of the Mediterranean.

How do you source the products you sell?

In the beginning we travelled all over Greece, meeting the producers and striving to persuade them we were capable of selling their produce online. This was a totally new concept for them and they were dubious at the start. Then they saw how much we invested in each product, talking about it, photographing it, connecting it to specific recipes. Now it is they who call us, asking if we can sell their products.

_D8E6463 copy How do you choose which products to take on?

First let me say that we buy the products outright. Then we have three main criteria: The products must be Greek. They have to be free of conservatives. They must have the necessary certification for export.

Have you been affected by the crisis?

PayPal going down because of the Capital Controls did not help. Of course there has been a positive side to the issue, since Greeks were forced to use plastic money, which they mostly avoided before. What worries us now is the possibility of the closing of the borders, if we are thrown out of Schengen. It is difficult to imagine how that would affect exports.

What are the main obstacles you faced?

In Greece, people are not used to shopping online, especially not for food. We think opening our flagship store in Athens will help, since customers will be able to taste foods before buying. At the moment we see that they look at things online again and again before deciding. Of course, once they’ve tried something they come back for more, so we must be doing something right!
People abroad don’t know about many of the products we sell, so they have to be educated – and that takes time.

Tell me a little about running the company

We started with 5 people and we are now 18. In that time there have been a lot of changes because of the crisis, but not only. We invested a lot, both in time and money, on the content of our company, and we are now starting to reap the benefits of that. The idea to connect traditional organic products with an e-grocery did not exist before in Greece.
We run the company in a very relaxed, informal, family-style manner, focusing on teamwork.

The team at work

What are your bestsellers?

Definitely honey, followed by refrigerated goods like cheeses and cold cuts, then corporate gifts; and extra-virgin olive oil, which we mostly sell abroad. Greeks usually have their own source of olive oil, from relatives in the countryside!

After I said goodbye to Yannis, I went on the site and ordered some cheeses from Andros, truffle salt and some lovely buffalo sausages. There is a huge selection and each product is accompanied by short texts about its history, about the history of its place of origin, and about the producer. Each product is also linked to a couple of recipes to give ideas to cooks! My mouth was watering as I browsed.

If you have a couple of minutes to spare, click here. You will come upon a short video explaining Yoleni’s concept.