M. L. Kappa

A mountain town shaded by ancient trees

Metsovo is a beautiful town in northern Greece, perched in the Pindos Mountains, 1000m above sea level. Its traditional houses, stone-built and adorned with tile roofs and wooden porches, are built in a natural amphitheater and nestle between tall trees. It was a good destination for escaping the heatwave and piles of rubbish in Athens.

The central square is kept cool by the refreshing shade of ancient plane trees.

Metsovo owes a lot to two benefactors: Michael Tossizza, a wealthy and eccentric man who left his fortune to the town, and Evangelos Averoff, a prominent politician and Prime Minister of modern Greece, whose friendship with the former and passion for the town, resulted in the establishment of the Tossizza foundation.

Village elders take the air on the square

The BARON MICHAEL TOSSIZZA FOUNDATION was founded in 1947 with the aim of maintaining Metsovo’s cultural heritage and sustaining its economic growth.
The foundation implemented many projects, building schools and roads, a hospital and a ski resort; renovating and maintaining traditional buildings, churches and monasteries, planting trees, and creating student housing in Athens for students from Northern Greece. It established a timber factory, and a cheese factory (today Metsovo cheeses such as Metsovone, a type of provolone, are famous in Greece and one of the must-buy products for visitors). There is a Folk Art Museum and the Katogi Averoff Wine Factory, which also houses a hotel.

There was a wedding going on, and it was fun to watch the traditional procession through town. There was much playing of music, and stopping for impromptu dancing.

Young and old alike dressed in traditional finery.

Little girls wearing the beautiful national costume

The Church of Saint George is a beautiful stone building, surrounded by a variety of shady trees.

After the ceremony, a feast was held under the trees in the park, involving the roasting of umpteen lambs on the spit.

Sticking to tradition means spurning the use of electricity to turn the spits!

The meat was supplemented by home-made pies and local cheeses. Wine and beer flowed freely.

The wearing of traditional dress does not preclude the use of modern appliances

A lovely place to visit, and so different from the Greek islands.

Children run free around town. The plane tree in the background is a lot older than the one in the first photo

New Q&A – The journalist

Lina Giannarou writes great articles on all kinds of interesting subjects. I’ve always been a fan, so I was delighted when I contacted her through Instagram and she immediately, and very kindly, agreed to do the Q&A.

Tell us a little about yourself

I was born in Athens, I grew up in Athens and I’ve never moved from here, except to go on holiday. For a while I toyed with the idea to go to England for post-graduate studies, but I managed to find a job just in time and thus an excuse not to leave my comfort zone. That was in 1977, and the job was at the METRO magazine. Having studied sociology I’d never considered a career in journalism, but journalism considered me, in the shape of some good people who – apart from the prospect of having to live in some Northern European campus with TOTAL STRANGERS – saved me from the necessity of having to decide what to do with my life! Because finally that was it. Since 2000 I’ve been working for the daily KATHIMERINI, doing free-lance reportage, mostly human interest stories. Besides that, I try to fit my personal life into the gaps, like everyone else.

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

Seeing some of my friends emigrate, others lose their jobs or being obliged to tolerate unacceptable working conditions because “there’s a queue of candidates out there.” I also found exhausting, as well as terrifying, the social clash which had obviously been brewing but which exploded with the 2015 summer referendum, and which rages to this day. We’re all pretending things are as before, which they glaringly aren’t, and this cannot be very beneficial to good health.

Did anyone in particular inspire you or help you?

My family has proved resistant to difficulties (we do less well when things are good) and I’m generally very lucky with the people who surround me. I will say, however, that the cinema has often been a great savior.

What are your hopes/plans for the future?

I’d like life’s surprises to be good ones; perhaps to work a little less, to succeed in writing the stories that lurk in my head, and not to see my country destroyed.

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

I’d like to see the prevailing mood of suspicion about everything abate. Greater transparency in the public sector, exploitation of resources with more wisdom and inspiration. Cooperation between services for better service to the public. Better schools, less exhausted doctors. Not to have to use the emergency lane.

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

For many years the prospect of emigration was my ultimate nightmare. Lately the thought raises my pulse rate a little less. This is thanks to our government, the feedback from friends who are living in normal countries and the people with whom this step, if it should be taken, would be taken. As to where, I’ve no idea – now you’ve got me stressed again!

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

A simple “Don’t go.”

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

I do the minimum to help, but the minimum would be enough if everyone did it. Through my work, I try to promote good practices, to showcase positive examples, to expose the things that are wrong in our society – all of which is obviously not a huge achievement. I try not to complain too much in public, and thus to avoid adding to the general atmosphere of despondency. To be polite, conscientious and to recycle. I would also like to be more involved with the refugee crisis, besides through reportage.

How do you see Greece in 5, 10 years?

I don’t believe a lot will have changed by then. If bankruptcy has been avoided, some basic reforms will have been made which will perhaps improve the workings of the state and help entrepreneurship.

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

By wailing “WHY ME??” Yes, I’m a big drama queen, I lack sang-froid, I easily let my nerves get the better of me, as my desk mates will attest.

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

Yes, I bought some great vine leaves the other day, they were organic and totally fantastic. Soon I will make my first visit to an outdoor cinema this season and in about a month I will get on a boat and go to an island. Little, everyday, emotional things.

The result of Lina’s shopping spree: yummy stuffed vine leaves

You can read some of Lina’s articles in English here and here.

Broiling and filthy

While we are awaiting a major heatwave in Greece, we are surrounded by piles of rubbish, since garbage collectors have decided to go on strike. In fact, they have been on strike for some time and, following days of protests, rallies, occupation of public car parks and camping outside city halls, yesterday they voted to carry on, unhappy with the terms of their employment. The government, as usual, is dithering, wavering between the country’s needs and the demands from the Troika, while every decision taken is delayed by the usual bureaucratic tape.

As neighborhoods are being asphyxiated by piles of bin bags, some cities – such as Thessaloniki, which boasts a very active mayor – are looking to hire private firms to do the job, something which is not looked upon kindly by the syndicates. The impact on tourism is incalculable.

A street in the town of Tripoli (source: Google)

Meanwhile, citizens already suffering from heatstroke and inhalation of toxic fumes are to be dealt another major blow: taxes for employees, farmers, pensioners and the self-employed are due another whopping rise, since they will now be calculated in a different, ‘new’ way. Speaking of which, the government has taken to inventing creatively named ways of fleecing the population – such as the ‘claw-back’ and the ‘solidarity tax’. I leave it to your imagination to make out their meaning.

This is the result of demands for more and more money from our lenders, which will go to paying back what we owe. But the well is running dry, and the economy, instead of being revived, is being driven underground. I know a lot of people who already use barter – the dentist putting fillings in the plumber’s teeth in return for having the shower fixed, and so on. Back to basics, I suppose…

Meteora Greece

I know I’ve written about the Meteora before (https://athensletters.com/2015/10/31/road-trip-to-meteora/) but I find this place magical, and enjoyed reading a post on the blog Kritsa, at the heart of it all, written by Yvonne, who shares her time between the U.K. and Crete. Take a look, it might inspire you to visit!

Kritsa, at the heart of it all

In early May we set off on a road trip around central Greece…what an adventure.

RICOH IMAGING

We drove aboard the overnight Minoan car ferry from Heraklion, Crete to Pireaus, the main port near Athens. Bright and early next morning found us zooming up the excellent motorway on a four hour trip to odd peaks named Meteora. Our aim was to see the monasteries that ‘balance’ between heaven and earth. For the Greek Orthodox faith, this Holy area is second only to Mount Athos.

After checking in to the Kastraki Hotel for two nights ‘Wow’ was a common term.

I’d pre booked asunset tour and it proved to be an excellent way to see many of the monasteries perched atop the peaks. Hard to believe the top of the rocky towers were once the bottom of a lake. Close up you can see they’re an aggregate of mud and rocks.

RICOH IMAGING Day Two – Meteora Hike

After a breakfast we set…

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Nice art – pity about the venue

There is plenty of art on show in Athens these days. As well as the Documenta project, which is spread all over town, from May 26 to 28 there was also Art Athina, a three-day fair open to the public.
Fifty eight galleries, mostly from Greece but quite a few from abroad (Paris, Istambul, Vienna, Zurich, and even as far away as Dubai, Australia and Mexico) offered modern art for sale in a wide range of prices.

Art Athina venue: the Olympic Tae Kwon Do stadium (photo from Google)

The fair was held at the Tae Kwon Do Stadium in Faliro, on the coast not far from the center of Athens, a venue built especially for the 2004 Athens Olympics. It is a modern and spacious structure benefiting from a wonderful location next to a marina full of yachts. Nowadays it is used for various purposes, such as concerts, and even provided shelter to refugees at the worst of the crisis.

Inside, the galleries had set up their booths, and it was fun wandering around looking at the art on offer.

Sadly, I was extremely dismayed, if not disgusted, by the state of the building’s interior. I decided not to post any photos, thinking it too depressing. But I was aghast at the unpainted, stained walls, the dirty floor, the missing or broken fixtures… I don’t understand how some funds could not be raised to at least freshen it up a little.

Whimsical pen and ink drawing by Greek artist Leonidas Giannakopoulos

The whole issue of the Olympic venues is shameful. Most have been left to rot – and when I think of what Greek taxpayers forked out for them (they were grossly overpriced) it makes me grind my teeth. What’s more, the labyrinthine governmental system means that any attempt at exploiting them is resisted. Apparently the National Shooting Federation wanted to take on the Olympic Shooting complex and keep it functioning and upkept, but their offer was refused. The racetrack and equestrian centre have become totally decrepit, despite racing being a potentially profitable business. Etc, etc. – and we are talking about state-of-the-art, modern installations that could benefit Greek athletes who usually have to train in less than ideal conditions. It beggars belief.

Another by the same artist, called Sky Adventures

I can only console myself with the thought that, thanks to the Olympics, we have at least got a new, very functional airport, a good subway and a much improved road system. These had been planned for over twenty years (!) but had never materialized and would not have been finished but for the games. Part of the problem being that, wherever you dig, you find antiquities, and work has to stop until the Archaeological Society decrees what is to be done. A couple of museums were filled with what was found on these sites – but that is another story!

Outside, a band was tuning up for one of the performances on offer

If you are interested in more detail about Art Athina, pop over to the Art in Athens blog, there is a very interesting article here.

An altered book by a Greek artist whose name, unfortunately, I did not note. I loved his work, though

Medical tourism

There were storks strolling on the runway as my plane taxied to the terminal in the airport of Kavala, a town in Northern Greece to which I flew in order to catch the ferry to the lovely island of Thasos.

Seagulls accompanied the boat on the 35-minute crossing, and a gaggle of kids on a school outing ran around screeching, while I had my coffee sitting in the sunshine.

I came here to visit my doctor, Athina Mavromati (she was one of my Q&A subjects, read about her here) who, with her husband, decided to quit the rat race and move to this lovely spot. They took their sailing boat and their dog, and have never looked back. Athina’s family come from this island, so it was an obvious choice.

This is the picturesque old port. Under a huge, ancient plane tree, a fisherman was mending his nets.

The island is large and green, with pine, olive and plane trees coming all the way down to the crystal clear sea. The beaches are of fine, white sand.

It was a good time of the year to come, since the season has only just started, so it was not too busy – and also not too hot yet, although the weather was beautiful. However, there were plenty of tourists already, most of them Russian.

This tiny island looked like something in a Japanese painting

There is one street with ‘tourist-trap’ shops selling local produce such as honey, olives and oil, sponges; as well as clothes, straw hats, and hideous articrafts made of sea-shells. The rest of the town is quiet and full of cafés and little restaurants – there’s even a shop selling frozen Greek yogurt!

Greek salad and stuffed vine leaves at a shady spot in town

There are many places to visit along the road going all around the island – lovely monasteries, and ancients ruins scattered everywhere, since Thasos was famous for its white marble and olive oil and thrived both in Ancient Greek and Roman times. There are also lovely little mountain villages and hiking trails in the forest. All this was explained to me by Athina and Yannis, who very kindly took me out to eat in a little taverna by the sea, where we had the most amazing fish, accompanied by various local delicacies. Unfortunately, I did not have much time, so I only managed to swim in the sea. But I will definitely be back!

New Q&A – The food blogger

Eleni Vonissakou’s blog, The Foodie Corner, is full of delicious recipes and mouth-watering photographs (she’s a girl of many talents!). In both English and Greek. Plus our dogs are friends and we organize play-dates. So, how could I resist introducing her to all of you. Do go on her blog and be tempted! http://www.thefoodiecorner.gr/en/

Tell us a little about yourself

Hmm, where to start. Well, my mum is English and my dad is Greek, I grew up in Athens, studied in northern England and now live just outside Athens near the sea. I studied social work but caught the tourism bug early on, so that’s the industry I worked in for the first part of my professional life. I have now made a complete change and managed to turn my love of food and cooking into a job. I am a full time food blogger, creating recipes, cooking, taking photos and publishing everything on my blog. And then eating it all. I live with my partner and our golden retriever Westley, who takes up most of my limited free time! I love reading about dog training and other canine science articles, and always have a crime novel at my bedside (the only way to switch my brain off).

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

The most challenging experience was going from a very structured, office working environment in a huge organisation, and living in the city, to starting my own business, working from home and living in a small seaside town. That all happened at once, and it was a bit of a shock to the system!

Did anyone in particular inspire you or help you?

I had a lot of support from my partner, and still do. In Greece when you start a business there is no financial help from banks etc (it is super difficult to get funding or loans, especially nowadays and especially for something as weird as food blogging) so I had both practical help and of course moral support from him. In fact it was his idea for me to start blogging professionally. Until then it was just a hobby and I had never dreamed it could be more than that. My mum has also been there every step of the way, and she’s the first phone call when a recipe is not working out!

What are your hopes/plans for the future?

I hope to continue with successful collaborations with large brands from the food industry, but I also hope to build the other aspects of my business, like for example the food photography side of things which I really love. I recently organised a food photography workshop on Crete, and this is something I would definitely enjoy doing again since it combines my current work with my background in tourism and event planning.

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

Oh goodness, there is so much I would like to see change here. First of all, the all-round unfairness. Too many people get away with things they shouldn’t. And too many others put up with things they shouldn’t have to. I would love to see procedures work like they are supposed to, in all sectors. And most of all, I would like to see an attitude change in the people of this country. To put it plainly (and sorry for the bleakness) I am hoping for less selfishness in the generations to come. It’s not looking good though.

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

I consider it every single day. When I am out walking in the street with my dog and I have to battle the rubbish out of his jaws (golden retrievers will eat anything and everything), when I am driving and have to keep calm with all the inconsiderate and dangerous drivers around me, when my accountant tells me just how much tax I have to pay now, on invoices for which I myself will receive payment in 4 months if I am lucky. The easiest choice would be to move to the UK, since I have family there and have lived there in the past. I would also consider Germany or Holland, even though I don’t really know what life is like in those countries. To be honest, I just want somewhere with nice clean parks where Westley can roam happily and safely! But it’s not an easy decision to up and leave.

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

I think if I got to the point where I’ve said “I’m going”, nothing would make me stay. Unless for some reason I couldn’t take Westley. That would be different.

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

The things that bother me are very deeply rooted in the mentality of this country, and that makes one feel very helpless. I can’t even imagine what I could do to help change things. As for the general state of the country, the fact that I haven’t moved my business out of it, and I don’t cheat on my taxes (which is sooo tempting) must count for something. In terms of supporting those more unfortunate than myself, I am a founding member of a team of food bloggers who have raised considerable amounts of money for charity through events. We cook yummy food and people pay a nominal fee to come and enjoy it with us. We haven’t been active for a while since our everyday lives have got in the way, but I really want to do another event soon. I might get onto that actually, thanks for the reminder!

How do you see Greece in 5, 10 years?

Truthfully? Exactly the same as it is now. With less young scientists and professionals, since they will have all moved away.

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

Mostly I rant in group internet chats with my friends! I live too far to just pop over to any of them for a coffee, which is what I would like to be able to do. If my partner is home early enough from work we go to our local café by the sea and talk about stuff. Otherwise, I try to take Westley to his favourite park (one of the very few decent ones in Athens), where he can run free and I can feel happy with his happiness. Oh and ice cream.

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

This is a difficult question and depends on the day you ask it. As you will have surmised from all the above, things are looking bleak these days. I will try and find a bright side. A recent amazing experience was my food photography workshop. We held it at Milia, (www.milia.gr) a retreat hidden away in the mountains of Chania on Crete. Stone buildings lovingly restored by the two owners, solar electricity with limited availability (no charging phones in the rooms!), good local food with home grown veggies and herbs, fantastic people. And our group was a mix of talented people from Europe, the US and Canada. I was proud to show off the amazing landscapes and beautiful beaches, the gorgeous meals, and the hospitality of the local team. We also put together some fabulous goodie bags, with good quality products made here by young entrepreneurs with great taste. It felt good to see how much we have to offer. Then I had to come back to reality.

The upside

On Saturday, just two days after the ‘monsoon’, the day dawned bright and beautiful. Fishing boats bobbed about in the port of Rafina, near Athens,

overlooked by a picturesque chapel, white against a pure blue sky.

Motor boats and yatchs waited for their owners to take them out.

A short boat ride away is the large and beautiful island of Euboea. Euboea (or Evia, as we call it), is the second largest island in area and population in Greece, after Crete, and separated from the mainland by the narrow Euripus straight. It has stunning mountains as well as lovely beaches.

Here we indulged in a freezing but invigorating swim in the turquoise waters.

Then lunch in a nearby taverna called Platanos,

Where the tables were set under the plane trees.

The owner had caught this fish (a type of grouper) himself that very morning. He’s a keen fisherman and regaled us with the story of his other catch, which weighed 14 kilos! Ours was preceded by his deliciously crispy cheese pies, salad with tomatoes and feta cheese, was accompanied by hand-cut fries, and followed by yoghurt drizzled with honey.

The port of Rafina is around 30′ from the centre of Athens. For the boatless, there is a regular ferry-boat and this taverna, remote as it looks on the photos, is a few minutes away from landing.

An easily accessible day out and one of many such options for escape from Athens. It beats being downtown where two out of every three shops are shut. I suppose that’s one of the reasons why we can bear to stick it out. (Sigh…)

Pieces in the Mosaic

I’m a great fan of nature and animals, and today is International Endangered Species Day. Well, I didn’t know that, but it seems a lot more worthy than International Cupcake Day, or some of the other Days we are bombarded with. So, having come upon this very interesting article I decided to share. As an added bonus, it is illustrated with some beautiful mosaics, something else I’m partial to. Enjoy!

When will there be good news?

I’ve been offline for a while, having been rather busy, but also because there’s been nothing I particularly wanted to write about. I had planned to go and visit another part of the Documenta Art Fair, but a general strike put a stop to that. To top it all, the weather has been foul; a hot wind dumping packets of dust upon us straight from Africa and, since yesterday, rain. We’re usually glad of a bit of rain at this time of the year, since everything is drying up fast, but today it’s like a monsoon, pouring down from a grey sky. The dog is refusing to go out, and I’m dreading a pile of poop will materialize next to the kitchen door…
Aaargghh.

Catching up on the news is doing nothing to improve my mood. The endless political bickering is intolerable. I wish they’d buckle down and do some work, instead of spending their time blaming each other for the ills that are besetting us.

As the endless negotiations between the Greek Authorities and our European controllers are winding towards a resolution, things continue to look grim. The constant quest for more money is centred on two things – raising taxes again (they are already sky-high) and cutting pensions further. Of course, there doesn’t seem to be any intention of cost-cutting in the public sector.

Consider the following figures:

Against a population of 3.5 million people in full employment, there are 1.4 million unemployed and more than 2.5 million pensioners. Nearly half of those are getting a pension below the poverty level. An average net salary is around 815 euro while around half a million people work part time for less than half that amount. Many are getting paid with a delay of three to five months.

Meanwhile, over 400.000 people have emigrated in search of better opportunities, mostly those with high qualifications.

Even if my figures are a little off (it’s hard to know which articles are credible), they paint a bleak picture of the future. The professional classes have been decimated and there is a real danger that a large part of the population will slip into permanent poverty. The collapse of the productive and technological framework also seems impending.

It beggars belief how the powers-that-be can think that a country can be resurrected by selling off the national assets and impoverishing the population. They’re in a mad hunt for cash in total disregard of any other consideration. The cash will disappear into the usual black holes and then what? And who will benefit from all this? – because, surely, as always, someone will.

It was this bleak mood which tempted me into ‘borrowing’ today’s title from Kate Atkinson’s marvellous crime novel. For those of you who haven’t read it, I highly recommend it (it’s the third of a trilogy).

As I’m writing this, my chair has been jolted by an earthquake. A single tremor. Could it be an omen? But of what?

To vent my frustrations I will now go and slosh some paint around.