World Poetry Day

21st of March was first celebrated as the World Poetry Day in 1998. You will probably ask yourself how is that relevant to this blog. Well, it seems that the one who proposed this celebration in the first place was a Greek poet,
Mikhail Mitra.
The date came from another Greek poet, her name is Lidia Stefanou, and the reason for choosing this particular day is the equinox, the perfect balance between light and darkness.

I will let you enjoy a poem that a like very much. It's called Ithaka and it was written by Constantine P. Cavafy

Thessaloniki Weather Forecast

I forecast that the weather is going to be bitchy today.



Thessaloniki today

Tsiknopempti

This year Tsiknopempti was on the 7th of March. And now you're gonna think: " Ok, ok, but what is Tsiknopempti?" 

Tsiknopempti(τσικνοπέμπτη) is the first day or the carnival here in Greece. The name comes from tsikna which is the smell of the grilled meat, generally pork, while pempti means Thursday. Why is this Thursday in which you eat grilled pork so important? Because after the carnival, the Easter fast begins.
Not that I would know a lot of people who actually fast but every reason to have a party is a good enough reason. 
This year's theme was "Not everything that shines is gold" probably referring to the company who intends to extract gold in the area of Halkidiki while the local community is trying to prevent it and/or the current political situation.
Since the theme was related to gold, the symbol of the carnival was king Midas He was the one who presided the 4th edition of the bike parade, his chariot being pulled by a bike. 
Here is a small movie from this Tsiknopempti in Thessaloniki.

It's All Greek to Others Also

I received this photo today and I found it very funny.

As I understood is an ad for a Norwegian language school. It's a expression written with Greek letters. 

Since there already exists a Greeklish. The combination of Greek and English. This ad would be...Greewagian, probably. 

Anyway, the point of the ad is that "Norwegian won't be All Greek to you anymore".

Traffic Jam

I was in the buss the other day going home and suddenly the buss stops. Half a millisecond later the buss driver starts honking...and honking...and honking and waves of swearing and bitching are coming from his direction.

Apparently someone "parked" their car so that no one else could pass through the road. The car was double parked and practically in the middle of the road. After about 20 minutes of intensive honking, during which about 30-40 cars, that I could see, gathered behind us joining in the honking and swearing concert, the owner of the car appeared. 

He was having his coffee in a nearby coffee place, the heard the noise outside and he came out out of curiosity. 
I can understand the buss driver's frustration but what have I don't wrong? Because of the guy who left his car in the middle of the road I would have been late.. and I came to terms with that but now I also had a brilliant headache because of all the honking and I was not ok with that.

Au Naturel

Hi everyone! This post has nothing to do with Greece. It's just something I made today and I hope you like it.
AuNaturel.gr is our new e-shop. Whenever you have the time, come have a look. Enjoy!

Au Naturel

Medicine for Someone Else’s Pain

 Medicine for Someone Else’s Pain

Medicine for someone else’s pain is a fundraising campaign initiated by Medecins sans frontieres. The campaign was initially launched in Spain and, later on, in Greece. 
The concept is simple but incredibly powerful. "In the first world, as we call our selves, if we have a pain, we take a pill. What happens to those who don't have that pills but are still hurting? Could WE take a pill for THEIR pain.


This campaign brought sales of 3 million cases in the first few months in Spain. The money gathered there were used for the treatment of Changas disease in Bolivia and the HIV Zimbabwe.

In Greece the campaign is only a few months "old" and I haven't managed to find statistics about the income and the use. What I do know is that the price for a package of gum with honey and thyme, which represents the pill that you take for the pain of others, costs 1,6 Eur. Out of these money 1 Eur goes to Medecins sans frontieres. 

What's interesting is that the campaign have been launched in the two most affected by crisis countries from Europe: Spain and Greece. Could it be that people are more sensitive to other people's pains when they suffer themselves? That is also the point of the "Call to Action Video" made in Spain addressing the Greek public.

The Call to Action - TV Spot

Here you can find the list of pharmacies that sell "Pill for Other People's Pain" in Greece.
Official site of the campaign for Greece
Official site of the campaign for Spain

Setting Things Streight

Dear all, 

I probably should have done this before but it's better to do it later then never.
The blog that you are reading is mine. It reflects how I see things, in my distorted or not reality, and how I feel about things. This is not a news blog and it's not intended to be. This is a personal blog with the pluses and minuses that come from it.

It had never been my intention to insult anyone through this blog so if I have done that or will do that in the future I apologize. However, if anyone doesn't like how I write or what I write about, nobody is forcing that person to read it and I believe we would all be better off each other.

Thank you for your understanding
Have a brilliant week ahead

The Ugly Face of Greece

"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." -Immanuel Kant

A study conducted in the US by Northeastern University and the Massachusetts SPCA found that people who abuse animals are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against humans. The majority of inmates on death row in California's San Quentin State Prison "practiced" their crimes on animals, according to the prison's warden.
The FBI has found that a history of cruelty to animals regularly appears in the backgrounds of serial rapists and murderers, and the standard diagnostic and treatment manual for psychiatric and emotional disorders lists cruelty to animals as a diagnostic criterion for conduct disorders.(source here)

At first I was surprised by the big number of road kill, particularly in the cities, then, I understood they are not by accident. Some drivers, by the body count I could even say "many drivers", not only don't try to avoid hitting the dogs and cats on the car road, the aim for them. 

Last Saturday, we were passing through a small village outside Thessaloniki and I saw a scene that is going to haunt me for a long time. A dog, at the side of the road got scared by a motorcycle and went a bit into the car road. From behind came a blue van and ran it over despite the fact that it would have had the time to avoid the impact by breaking or stirring the car. The driver aimed for the dog. He didn't slow down and didn't stop. He just continued his way as if nothing happened. 

I found a group on Facebook, it's called Greece Exposed.If you have a strong stomach have a look to see a few examples of how some understand to pass their free time. Animals that are hanged, shot, eviscerated or tortured for the "pleasure" of it.  And remember, this is a country in the XXI century that is part of the European Union. We are supposed to be in the so called "civilized" part of the world.

So now, along your "idyllic vacation" image of Greece and the "point of reference for the world's history" image of Greece add the "animal violence and torture" image of Greece.

Visiting Oslo

I really enjoyed my trip to Oslo. Even though visiting Norway in winter might not be the best thing to do if you don't ski. Temperatures there have two digits and they are negative. 
We didn't manage to see all the interesting things in the city but at least we got to see some. When we visited The Folk Museum which is an open air museum, there were -17 C. What can I say? it was a refreshing 2 and a half hours.

No Receipt, No Pay!

No receipt, No pay! Is a new way in which the Greek state is trying to reduce the "black" income of the companies by forcing them to register the real income they are making.

For example when you go to a coffee place, a tavern or even a supermarket, if they don't give you a receipt you are allowed to leave without paying. That is the official version. What they failed to mention is that generally, you receive the receipt after you pay so what you would actually need to do is ask for your money back. With the traditional and well known Greek temper though I don't see that negotiation going very well. 

What the politicians from this country haven't figured out yet or, even worse, they continue ignoring, is that there is no law in the world that Greeks can't find a way around to.

The law starts to have effects from the 12th of January 2013, meaning last Saturday. Businesses were testing their "way around" even from last year. Now, you will probably receive a receipt, so you won't be tempted to ask your money back but the value on the receipt will be, if you're lucky, one third of it. If you are vigilant and ask for explanations they will apologies and bring you your receipt or, even funnier, several receipts that other customers didn't take that add up to the sum of your order. 

The people though usually don't ask for receipts not to mention ask for their own receipts. That is why I believe that this law, for as nice and efficient as is could have been it's going to end up like the "smoking law". 

Like in all other European countries, smoking is forbidden in bars, coffee places and restaurants in Greece. The law exists, the fines are high, they even have a phone number where you can denounce places that allow smoking. What they don't have is someone to apply the law. And there is where the law becomes useless. 

The thing that is the hardest to change here but once changed it cold improve a lot of things is the mentality of people. Everything starts and ends there. For as long as they don't understand that they'll keep chasing around their tails. 

Source article

Ikaria, the Island Where People Forget to Die

Nobody actually knows how many islands Greece has. Counts vary from 1200 to 6000. Out of these only 227 are inhabited and 72 have more then 100 people.

Old Woman from Ikaria

The life expectancy in Greece is generally about 20% higher than the world average. On a top including 194 countries, Greece sits nicely on the 18th place. 

Chronic diseases are a rarity in Ikaria. People living in this region have 20% less cancer, half the rate of cardiovascular disease and almost no dementia! People traditionally have farming or fishing jobs and live in a mountainous terrain, which keep them active throughout life. They eat a variation of the Mediterranean diet, rich in olive oil, whole grains, fruit and a little fish. Goat milk and wine are also traditional here and loaded with antioxidants. Time is taken out of their day to nap and connect with friends, reducing stress and promoting relaxation.

A study made on 673 people from Ikaria showed that afternoon nap increases life expectancy with 12%. If take regularly, three times a week, the afternoon nap may increase life expectations with up to 37%.

What are the lessons that researchers learner?

1. Get your antioxidants! Ikarians eat a variation of the Mediterranean diet, which consists of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and a little fish. One key feature of the Ikarian diet are wild greens, many of which have ten times the level of antioxidants in green tea or red wine!
2. Drink tea! Regular herbal tea consumption is common of Ikarian centenarians. Many of the teas here act as mild diuretics, prescribed by doctors to lower blood pressure.
3. Take regular naps. People who nap at least five times a week for half an hour have 35% reduced chance of cardiovascular disease. Stress hormones also decrease when you’re napping.
4. Make walking part of your daily routine. The hilly land lends itself well to burning calories. The Ikarians exercise without thinking about it just by walking to church or work.

Ikaria on the Map

Ikaria is an island of approximately 256 sq km situated in the North Aegean Sea that has between 8 and 10 thousands inhabitants.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Everyone!

I  wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Enjoy the Greek Sweets Calendar 2013 that I made for you. I hope you like it. Don't drool on the keyboard, your computer won't be happy. There are other calendars in the Free Stuff Section also: Cute Cats and Dogs and Greek Modern Painters. 
See you next year!:) 

Zorba the Greek - Sirtaki

It had been a surprise for me to find out that Sirtaki, the world known dance form Zorba the Greek, with Anthony Queen, is Greek inspired but not really Greek.
The choreography of the dance was created in 1964 for the movie and it is based on various Greek traditional dances. The name of the dance comes from the verb "serno"(σερνω) which means "to drag". It comes from the fact that during the dance the feet are almost always close to the ground, seaming they are dragged. The "aki" at the end of the word implies a diminutive.  

According to Guinness World Record Book the biggest Sirtaki dance took place in Volos, Greece on the 31st of august 2012. It united 5.614 people aged between 14 and 89 that danced for 5 minutes.  

Greek-Romanian Cold Treatment

And now, along with this exquisite cold weather with 92% humidity in the air and real feel of minus god knows how much, guess what... totally unsurprisingly, everyone is sick. Even my teacher from school called in sick yesterday. 

That's not me but it could as well be

This Monday my boyfriend came home feeling sick. You know, the usual: head ache, throught ache, chest pain, a bit of fever. I considered myself lucky because for a couple of days I didn't get any symptoms and I even started fantasizing that I won't at all. 

That happened till yesterday when it all started with a slight throught pain. And then I remembered something I read on Facebook a few days ago and I found very funny:

"Insanity does not run in our family, it strolls taking the time to get to know each and every one of us personally".

It was the same with this cold. I couldn't pass over to me so quick..it had to first dedicate all its time and effort to by boyfriend(who brought it home in the first place!!) and only then it could pass its gracious self to me. 

But no worries, tonight we're gonna treat it in the traditional Greek-Romanian manner with boiled țuica and τσιπουρο. Hic!

Tomorrow we'll still have a headache but from a different reason:))

Greece Frozen

There is this very popular song in Greece that says "It's never cold in Greece. Here, the weather had never been cold" (Δεν Κανει Κρυο στη Ελλαδα). Well, that's not exactly true. I just came from outside and I'm still in de-freeze mode.

If you look outside you don't really expect it to be cold. It's nice and sunny but there are 0 Celsius degrees at this time and a real feel of -6 plus a really "refreshing" wind.

I must admin I have been warned so it was not that much of a shock when i went out of the house but, the real shock was when I got to the street market. There was something wrong, something missing but I couldn't put my finger on it from the beginning. The market was quiet! I have never in my life went into a quiet Greek street market.

There are always people shouting their offers, asking you to come check their products, arguing...Now, nothing, just silence!

Not that many people in the market either. The few brave ones that had the courage to get out of their houses were in a great hurry to buy what they need and go home. No long talks in the middle of the road while cars are honking, no old ladies hitting and pushing you because you are in their way, no long negotiations or discussions with the sellers...nothing.. Everyone was frozen, moving and talking as little as possible, thing that in Greece is unimaginable. I had never happened before.

It was a "refreshing" alternative though from the daily hassle. I'm starting to wish there was cold weather more often in Greece.

PS
Here is the song I was telling you about.

The Bouzouki in Pulp Fiction

Yesterday at school we had a lesson about Greek traditional music, or at least one of the traditional kinds of music that are in Greece, called "ρεμπετικο"        [rebetiko]. The main instrument used in accompanieg the songs is called "μπουζουκι" [bouzouki] and it looks like this:  

The music was, for a lot of years, outlawed because it was talking subjects that were sensitive to the political system of that time and/or because the people singing it were themselves outlaws.  Probably the most known "rebetiko" song "Mousourloum" end even you know it. You just don't know it yet:)
The original Mousourloum has no known writer and it goes like this:


Doesn't ring any bells, does it? Well, listen to it again and them compare with this:


The main theme from Pulp Fiction is made after the Mousourloum and the name of the song is Misirlou which is a slightly Americanized version of Mousourloum.

When Hollywood Meets Ancient Greece

 

Here is what happens when you have a lot of imagination but not that much common sense and an architect who does exactly what the client says no matter how kitschy.

Hollywood stars on the ceiling, caryatids, archaic representations on the pillars, renaissance angels, informative tables with names exiled philosophers at the entrance and-most important-smooth integration into the architectural style of the neighborhood.

As for the colors? Dark blue, dark red and gold "join" forces to produce the momentum needed.








 



No, it's not the same building, although the similarities are more than obvious. Again we have Hollywood stars in balconies and caryatids (constant values these days) while on the top of the building Zeus with his spear stands proud on top of the ... Olympic Games symbol. 





 






A mini pantheon with busts of ancient philosophers gracing the entrance, where there is also a marble sign explaining the ignorant visitor or passerby subversive concept of the house. 

According to exclusive information, on the ground floor there is a construction shop. It's obvious that the owner found the best way to advertise his business.






And last but not least ...The Parthenon of Rhodes

Completely loyal to the ancient architectural ideals, a real ode to antiquity, this house is to remember. Ancient representations, columns, ancient style decorations and of course the temple. No, no, the house doesn't have a temple. The house IS a temple.

Source

What Being Anthropo (Ανθρωπο) Use to Mean

One way or another we all heard about anthropology, anthropology or other similarly complicated words that have one thing in common, the root "anthropo". 
It's not hard to guess that the origin of that name is Greek. Today, in contemporary Greek, "anthropos" means "person" in general. 

What is interesting about it though is what is use to mean in Ancient Greece.
The current Greek word "anthropos" (ανθρωπος) is formed out of two other ancient words "ano" (άνω) and  "throsko" (θρώσκω). The literal translation would be "the one who looks up and moves up or forward". Meaning the open minded one, the one who is capable and willing to go higher. 

It's funny and disturbing in the same time to look around us and realize whom are we calling "anthropi" these days.

Waiting for the Barbarians - Constantine Cavafy

The more I read Cavafy, the more I like his poem and his approach on the world. I generally don't read that much poetry but every once in a while there is something that really catches my eye. The first Cavafy poem I read was Ithaka. It is probably the most known poem by Cavafy being translated in all major languages.

The one that I'm writing today though is called "Waiting for the Barbarians". If you didn't know it before I hope you will enjoy the swift criticism with perfume of irony that this poem, written at the beginning of the 20th century brings, being just as current now as it was then.

 

Constantine Cavafy - Waiting For The Barbarians

What are we waiting for, assembled in the forum?

            The barbarians are due here today.


Why isn’t anything happening in the senate?
Why do the senators sit there without legislating?

            Because the barbarians are coming today.
            What laws can the senators make now?
            Once the barbarians are here, they’ll do the legislating.


Why did our emperor get up so early,
and why is he sitting at the city’s main gate
on his throne, in state, wearing the crown?

            Because the barbarians are coming today
            and the emperor is waiting to receive their leader.
            He has even prepared a scroll to give him,
            replete with titles, with imposing names.


Why have our two consuls and praetors come out today
wearing their embroidered, their scarlet togas?
Why have they put on bracelets with so many amethysts,
and rings sparkling with magnificent emeralds?
Why are they carrying elegant canes
beautifully worked in silver and gold?

            Because the barbarians are coming today
            and things like that dazzle the barbarians.


Why don’t our distinguished orators come forward as usual
to make their speeches, say what they have to say?

            Because the barbarians are coming today
            and they’re bored by rhetoric and public speaking.


Why this sudden restlessness, this confusion?
(How serious people’s faces have become.)
Why are the streets and squares emptying so rapidly,
everyone going home so lost in thought?

            Because night has fallen and the barbarians have not come.
            And some who have just returned from the border say
            there are no barbarians any longer.


And now, what’s going to happen to us without barbarians?
They were, those people, a kind of solution. 

How the Europeans see Each Other

This is the work of Bulgarian artist Yanko Tsvetkov and it shows how Europeans see each other, now that the subject of European unity is a current topic. 
So, let's start with how the Greeks see all the other countries in Europe and we'll work our way up from there.

Europeans according to the Greeks  

Europeans according to the Romanians 

 Europeans according to the Germans

Europeans according to the Bulgarians

Europeans according to the Italians

Europeans according to the French

  Europeans according to the English

  Europeans according to the Spanish

  Europeans according to the Turkish

Europeans according to the Swiss

Europeans according to the Polish

Europeans according to the U.S.

 
 Other interesting maps from the same artist:


Cristal Ball View of Europe

Europeans according to their Hight

source:http://alphadesigner.com/mapping-stereotypes/


PS Visit the Contest Here.

17th of November 1973

A date that is celebrated to this day by protests, 17th of November 1973 is the "beginning of the end" for the dictatorship in Greece. The military dictatorship, "the junta", lead by Georgios Papadopoulos was instated in Greece in 1967 and lasted until 1974.

The demonstration against the regime started in February 1973 but the most important stand took place on the 17th of November when students, but not only, barricaded themselves in the Polytechnic University singing the national anthem and reciting their vow:
“We students of the Higher Education Institutions swear to the name of freedom and we must fight to the end to ensure our:  a) academic freedoms, b) university asylum, c) the withdrawal of all repressive laws and ordinances.”

That evening, police and military forces went inside the university followed by three tanks and using live ammunition. To this day nobody knows the actual number of deaths. According to different sources it varies from 16 t0 83.


 
The demonstration have been diapered but persecution of the participants continued.
Their stand inspired a whole country to stand against and fight the dictatorship. Less then a year later, they were to be successful. 

The university asylum right exists in Greece and it is respected to this day. As the name says, the authorities are not allowed inside the university and the university campus under any pretext.

Ancient Olympia

This is a movie I made for my Greek class this week. I hope you like it.

In the order of apparition: 
Philippeion
Gymnasion
Hera's Temple
Stadium
Nymphaion
Work Shop of Pheidias
Palaistra
The Temple of Zeus
Hermes of Praxiteles
Nike of Paeonios
Barble Bull -  Nymphaion
Heraion
Battle of Lapiths and Centaurs
Reconstruction of the Statue of Zeus
The Chariot Race of Pelops and Oinomaos

Trip to Elatochori

Yesterday we really wanted to go for a hike somewhere close and easy. Olympus is close but not that easy so we decided to go in an area called Elatochori, pretty close to Olympus also.

We read nice articles about it, we saw a lot of beautiful pictures... We didn't find any relevant hiking maps but then again when did that stop us? We were hoping we are going to find an info center or a willing local to give us some details. 

Up to there the road was generally uneventful, a lot of highway with little view. The more we were approaching Elatochiri the more vivid the colors of the forest got and the more spectacular the view. 

The village is almost deserted at this time. Most of the "action" happens in winter because there is a sky slope close by. So, there goes our hope for a touristic information center. We did find though some very willing to help locals that recommended us to go to a beautiful waterfall called Sotiris which was supposed to be close by. They also suggested we should not go walking around since there are no actual hiking maps that include the area.
 

But, since we came for a hike there was no way we were going back without it just because a nice local advised us not to. We left the car behind near a spring thinking that that would help us find it easier when we come back, we took the backpack, our boots and started walking on the first path we saw, looking for the waterfall, going..well...going straight for a while... and then up.. and then...we found our selves at a dead end. 

How often does that happen on the mountain? Paths that lead to dead ends? Since we decided there is no turning back we manage to eventually find a path... the only trick about  it was that it wasn't a human one... it was a goat path. Well, as good as any when you need it. 

If we are to make abstraction of the fact the we had no idea where we were or where we were going for that matter I must say I really enjoyed the view, the autumn colors and the chilly air. 

Three hours and a half later we were still looking for the waterfall but this time far more tired and starting to worry that we won't be able to find the car by night fall. But just when hope started to fade out we stumbled, literally, on an indicator to the Sotiris waterfall. We ran to have a look since we didn't really have a lot of time to spare. We've been searching for it the whole afternoon and now that we found it we just had time to take a short look. I believe that was the most "chased" "waterfall in history. 

As an old Romanian proverb says, "At the blind stork God makes its nest" we managed to find the car just in time.
Passing through the village again we decided to have a warm chocolate at the only pub we could find open and this is how it looked.

Yummy, ha?

PS Don't forget about the ongoing contest of this month: Give Greece a Hero

Give Greece a Hero!

CONTEST
From the Ancient times to the modern days, from mythology to reality Greek heroes found their honorable place in history.

It’s time for Greece to give the world another hero to fight the beast that has been plundering and terrorizing our world for the last 5 years.Insinuating at first, she caught a hold on our lives so strong that we can barely breathe.

Her name is Krissia and everybody knows her true face for we see her everyday amongst us causing pain and anguish while harvesting people’s bitter tears. 
Krissia is a daemon as old as time itself but don’t be fooled by her elderly appearance for her powers grow along with the age. Defeated in the old times by knights in shining armor or by cunning witches she retreated in her underground lair plotting against humanity, planning her return and waiting for the best time strike again in a moment of weakness.

Before our time, her moment came in 1929 along with Wall Street Crush. Then, she plunged upon the un expecting world sinking her sharp teeth into unsuspecting victims to feed her insatiable blood thirst. She kept the world in her iron fist grasp for four agonizing years.

Now, she crawled again out from her creepy deep lair to do her worst. 
Stop her reign of terror! Give Greece a Hero! 
 
Play!Play!Play!Play!Play!Play!Play!Play!Play!Play!Play!Play!Play!Play!Play!Play!Play!

CONTEST DETAILS
"Give Greece a Hero"
5.11.2012 - 20.12.2012
Create your own hero:
1. Click on the picture to change it
2. Click on the weapon to change it
3. Clink on the power to change it
4. Click on the name to change it
5. Click on the supra-name to change it 
6. Write the hero's objective - use your imagination
When you found the right combination register your hero by writing your name and email address at the bottom of the game in the specified areas. 
7. Click "Submit"
8. If you're proud with your work, print screen the page and share it on Facebook for your friends to see and give them a change to build their own hero.(this is not mandatory) 

What do you win? 
You get an official "It's All Greek To Me" T-shirt that you can see here:
and half a kilo of siropiasta (Σιροπιαστά) - syrup sweets from Terkenlis. Here is the link, you can start drooling from now.  
If the winner is from outside the European Union, unfortunately we won't be able to send the sweets. 
 
How do you win?
The hero with the most imaginative mission wins. 
Important!
Missions that are outside the purpose of the game or are vulgar will be disqualified. 




 I own no rights over the pictures used in the game.I thank the creators/designers for them. 

The "No" Day

This weekend has been very eventful in Thessaloniki. Except from the celebration of 100 years of Independence from the Turks, yesterday, on the 28th of October, the whole of Greece celebrated the "NO" Day(Η Μέρα του Οχι").

As a foreigner you might ask yourself why would a whole nation celebrate a negation but it might make a bit more sense once you know where it comes from.

In the early morning of October 28t 1940, the Greek Prime Minister, Ioannis Metaxas received an ultimatum from of the Italian Ambassador in Greece, Emanuele Grazzi. The ultimatum demanded Greece to allow Axis forces free passage and the occupation of certain unspecified strategic locations or else, face immediate military repercussions.

Allegedly, the answer of the Greek Prime mister was a laconic "Oxi"("no") in reality his answer was "Alors, c'est la guerre" ("Then it's war"). A couple of hours later, the Italian troops stationed at the Albanian border entered Greece and launched a full scale attack. 

No one expected Greece to resist not to mention fight back and yet by mid December 1940 Greek army pushed the Axis forces back to the border and even recovered some Albanian territories.
This was the first Allied victory in the Second World War and the first ray of hope.

The "No" Day

This weekend has been very eventful in Thessaloniki. Except from the celebration of 100 years of Independence from the Turks, yesterday, on the 28th of October, the whole of Greece celebrated the "NO" Day(Η Μέρα του Οχι").

As a foreigner you might ask yourself why would a whole nation celebrate a negation but it might make a bit more sense once you know where it comes from.

In the early morning of October 28t 1940, the Greek Prime Minister, Ioannis Metaxas received an ultimatum from of the Italian Ambassador in Greece, Emanuele Grazzi. The ultimatum demanded Greece to allow Axis forces free passage and the occupation of certain unspecified strategic locations or else, face immediate military repercussions.

Allegedly, the answer of the Greek Prime mister was a laconic "Oxi"("no") in reality his answer was "Alors, c'est la guerre" ("Then it's war"). A couple of hours later, the Italian troops stationed at the Albanian border entered Greece and launched a full scale attack. 

No one expected Greece to resist not to mention fight back and yet by mid December 1940 Greek army pushed the Axis forces back to the border and even recovered some Albanian territories.
This was the first Allied victory in the Second World War and the first ray of hope.

Thessaloniki - One Hundred Years of Independence

The city of Thessaloniki celebrates tomorrow 100 hundred years of independence from the Turks. October 27th 1912 is the date in which the Greek troops entered Thessaloniki.

Thessaloniki 100 Years of Independence

But that didn't just happen over night. Taking advantage of a wick and unorganized Ottoman Empire due the revolution that started in its interior in 1908, the Balkan states decided to take back from their occupied territories and, why not, more.This was the spark that started the First Balkan War.

Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria and Greece made an alliance, called the Balkan League, to fight together against the Turks and retrieve their territories. The League underestimated the Greek army's strength considering it weak after being defeated by the Turks so easily in the Greek-Turkish war from 1897 but they were in dire need of their fleet. Leaving the sea unguarded for the Ottoman Empire to transport troops from Asia to Greece could have cost them the war.

In October 1912 allies start moving towards the boarder releasing territories from under Turkish occupation. The Greek prime minister at that time, Eleftherios Venizelos understood the the aim of their Bulgarian allies, which was to gain access to the sea buy occupying Aegean Macedonia so he insisted that the Greek troops make haste towards the city of Thessaloniki.

On the 27th of October 1912 the Greek troops enter victoriously in the city of Thessaloniki. A few day later the Bulgarian troops reach the city also but they were not granted access in it. 

Even before the Treaty of London from May 1913, that marked the end of the First Balkan War, the Bulgarians expressed their dissatisfaction regarding the way the territories were shared and they were prepared to intervene military against their ex allies. That set the stage for the next war in the Balkans, that were known at the time as the "gunpowder barrel of Europe".

I found this National Geographic documentary on YouTube if anyone is interested in more historical details. It's called "National Geographic - The Doubling of Greece 1912-1913" and it has 6 parts ( Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six)

Tzon Kennenti (John Kennedy) Street in Thessaloniki

John Kennedy, with his Greek version Tzon Kennenti, has a street named after him in Thessaloniki. Until now, nothing out of ordinary. If you look on the map though, there is something special about it in the typical Greek manner. 

Tzon Kennenti Street

As you can see, Tzon Kennenti (John Kennedy) street goes up to a point then it disappears and then it appears again. 
I discovered this the hard way. I was looking for an address on Kennenti street on a dark rainy evening and I found myself, half way through, facing... a house. 

John Kennedy Street

Yes, I'm not joking. The reason Kennedy street is interrupted is because there is a house in the middle of the road. I don't know if the house was there first and the municipality decided to appeal to the adventurous nature of people and made the street like that or if the street was there first and one fine day a person decided to just build a house in the middle of the street. It's hard to tell since they are both very plausible options in Greece. Either way, I found this very funny but only after I managed to get home and get dry.