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Velas Tours
an incoming tour operator based in Greece with 34 years experience in both, tours and holidays
velastours.com
an incoming tour operator based in Greece with 34 years experience in both, tours and holidays
velastours.com
As the World Churns by Bob NicolaidesAs the World Churns by Bob Nicolaides Did you know the Secrets of Eleusinian Mysteries still confound the experts? The Mysteries were secretive ceremonies of initiation into the cult of Demeter (De or Ghe as in earth and Metir as in Mother )and Kore (Demeters daughter Persephone,) whose main sanctuary lay in Eleusis, west of Athens. Demeter was the goddess of agricultural abundance, and Persephone, Demeters daughter was the goddess of the Underworld by way of the husband who kidnapped her, and of fertility of the Earth. Demeter and Kore, as well as Dionysos, god of wine and ritual ecstasy - were central figures in the Eleusinian Mysteries, which represented the foremost mystery cult in ancient Greece. The low and frequently overlooked ruins lying beside the path that leads down the northern slope of the Acropolis into the Agora are the crumbling walls and terraces of a building complex that once played a major role in ancient Greek religious life - the City Eleusinion. Archaeological traces of the once-celebrated rites stretch across the Attic landscape from the Athenian Agora and the ancient cemetery of Kerameikos to the intriguing sanctuary of Demeter at Eleusis…… On November 1st, the Governor General of the nation to our north along with her husband Michaelle Jean, Jean-Daniel Lafond concluded their State visit to Greece with a donation of 1500 trees to revitalize the burnt out Olympia. In fact, their Excellencies planted a tree in the heart of that city, a symbolic gift of Canadian friendship and solidarity with the Greek people affected by the 2007 fires. They are to be planted behind the ancient Olympia archeological site. "It was here that the Olympic flame began its long journey to Canada. It is therefore in the spirit of solidarity that we are giving trees in Olympia," the official declared following her meeting with Olympia's mayor Georgios Aidonis. Earlier they met with Hellenic Republic President Karolos Papoulias and first lady May Papoulia, attending together at the Panathenaic Stadium, the lighting ceremony and the passing of the torch to the Canadian delegation for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver. The Governor General of Canada, Michaëlle Jean attended the "Art Matters" forum in Athens along with her Canadian filmmaker husband Jean-Daniel Lafond, focusing on possible film co-productions between Greece and Canada as well as international film festivals. Jean and her husband were welcomed to the forum-created by Lafond-by the president of the Greek Film Centre Giorgos Papalios. The Canadian delegation also visited the ancient Olympia site and adjacent museum on Sunday November 1st with the Governor General symbolically planting an olive tree outside Olympia's town hall, while announcing that Canada will offer 1,500 olive trees as a contribution towards the reforestation of the wildfire-ravaged areas around ancient Olympia. Jean also a private visit to the New Acropolis Museum before departing for Ottawa. An international architectural design competition that called for young architects from all over the world to design an affordable student housing complex in Kerameikos and Metaxourgeio- in the historic centre of Athens took place in June. The contest, named UPTO35 (named after the age limit of eligible architects), received 245 proposals from 41 countries. The aim of the competition is to encourage creativity among the next generation of designers while supporting architectural research and the implementation of contemporary architecture projects in Greece. The competition seeks to elicit designs which explore new ideas on urbanism and rethink existing housing models for communities. Five teams have been shortlisted by the Jury Committee: Japan (two entries), the United States, The Netherlands, and Greece. Voting for the eventual winner will include text messaging from the public. The final winner, whose project will be developed by OLIAROS (contest sponsor), will be determined in January 2010 by the votes of the seven members of the jury plus the one vote deriving from the public and will receive a cash award and commission. To see all the designs, visit www.bustler.net…..Gissis Papageorgiou designed five collection stamps - for a second time in recent years - depicting Greek lighthouses from the islands of Syros (islet of Didymi – Gaidouronissi), Andros (Tourlitis lighthouse), Chania, Paros (Korakas Lighthouse) and Kastellorizo (Strogyli Lighthouse), for the Hellenic Postal services. Papageorgiou, a retired Hellenic Navy captain, is an expert on Greeces lighthouses, which he has presented in a previous Greek Lighthouses stamps collection and in a photo album titled "Greek Stone Lighthouses," by Ammos Editions…….. One hundred and twenty four representative works by 55 prominent artists from Bulgaria, Romania and Greece feature in the exhibition Faces of Modernism: Painting in Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, 1910-1940. The exhibition is part of the project Balkan Modernisms, initiated by the Theocharakis Foundation from Greece and financed by the EU program Culture 2007-2013. The projects aim is to trace the ways in which modernism was assimilated and understood in the Balkans. The exhibition which is organized by the National Museum of Art of Romania in Bucharest, the National Gallery-Bulgarian Museum of Fine Arts in Sofia and the B & M Theocharakis Foundation for the Fine Arts and Music in Athens was inaugurated on October 1, at the National Art Museum of Romania and will run until November 29. On December 17, it will open at the National Gallery-Bulgarian Museum of Fine Arts and will run through February16, 2010. Finally, it will be presented at the B & M Theocharakis Foundation for the Fine Arts and Music from March 10 to May 9, 2010….. Anthony Bartam of BBC News and Helena Smith of the Guardian, a British newspaper, are giving us an encouraging report whats going on within Greeces territorial waters. Nothing bad mind you, since Turkey isnt involved underneath the waves. Its about a fascinating underwater antiquity project in the Laconia region of Peloponnese. New underwater archaeology techniques - with sonar mapping- are giving up new secrets from a Bronze Age site, off the Peloponnesian coast. Pavlopetri-a site of 30,000 square meters - is believed to have been engulfed by the sea some 5,000 years ago, a millennium earlier than previously thought. Dr Jon Henderson from Nottingham University who leads the research admits that the findings have "surpassed all expectations. Thanks to shifting sands and the settlement's enclosure in a protected bay, the exploration revealed a world of buildings, courtyards, main streets, rock-cut tombs and religious structures," he said. The results of the Pavlopetri Underwater Arc Hey, lets all give a warm welcome haeology Project 2009 are expected to be announced in the future, but not before by 2014…… So Olympic Air is now a parent company via Macedonian Airlines, which is set to resume operations - after approximately 20 years. Wow, it took 20 years and a private company to revive it, which is happening sometime between the end of March or early April. Thats what the parent company, Olympic Air announced yesterday late in October. The subsidiary aims at covering the needs for more destinations in Olympic Air's flight schedule. The first plans for the Thessaloniki - based airline include flights to Moscow, London, Paris, Amsterdam and a German city. In the case of Amsterdam, the carrier is considering a code-sharing agreement with Dutch airline KLM, so as to offer transatlantic destinations as well. Do you think thatll reduce the cash we shell out for the privilege of flying a Greek flag carrier?.. You should hear Floridians complain about losing their prized meteorologist Megan Glaros. Youd think shes the only weatherwoman around, but the question with us isnt weather but whether shes going to have a long relationship with the CBS 2's weather team she joined back in April. She came from Miami where she served as WPLG-TV's morning meteorologist and the folks down south are plenty upset that they lost this good-looker. According to Glaros' WPLG bio, she began her career in television in Parkerburg, West Virginia but, after five months, she decided that the town was too small for her. She then joined Baltimore's NewsCentral and provided forecasts for up to four cities a night. She's been with WPLG since September 2004, has filled in on "Good Morning America" many times and earned her AMS Seal of Approval in November 2006. Hey, let all New Yorkers give a warm welcome to someone whose last name means seagull in Greek and is of at least part Greek heritage..Jennifer Aniston took to the stage in New York City Monday night (11/9) to show off her singing skills in a star-studded theater event. The former Friends actress signed up to appear in The 24-Hour Plays, a series of six short works which are written, rehearsed and performed in just one day. The grueling task gives actors less than 12 hours to polish their performance before the curtain goes up. Aniston appeared in Ramen Noodle alongside Brooke Shields, and showed off her vocal ability with a rendition of Beatles classic Yellow Submarine. A number of other well known stars also appeared in the vignettes, after which, they all attended a party following Glamours Women of the Year event.Now you decide for yourself whether this tidbit from WENN is true. Someone scribbled on Facebook that in an effort to save the environment Jennifer Aniston takes a three-minute shower in which she also brushes her teeth. Is this even possible? What other stupid things celebs do to be "green"? The answer was yes, indeed. Asked about it, Aniston confirmed: "I take a three-minute shower," she told Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas Kostigen, authors of The Green Book. She even brushes her teeth while she's in there. "Every two minutes in the shower uses as much water as a person in Africa uses for everything in their life for a whole day!" Can that be right? Not the last statement but the two minute shower I mean. Anyway, Jen is on the list of some beauties who made it to the list of Hollywood's 20 Hottest Scream Queens Of All Time…..,.Also from Facebook we learn that Mikis Theodorakis celebrated his nameday on November 8th , which is Archangels Day, when all by the names of Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are celebrating…..And speaking of the greatest Greek composer, lets also mention the New York-based piano-vibraphone duo comprised of Christos Rafalides on vibes and Sergio Salvatore on piano recently released their duo recording album Dark Sand (Travelers Road Music, 2009) and held a concert performance at Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall in New York City on Friday, October 30. “Dark Sand is an intimate acoustic duo recording with New York City vibraphonist Christos Rafalides. While not a familiar name, Rafalides is a highly regarded jazz artist who serves on the faculty at The New School and frequently performs with both the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and the Mingus Big Band.” Born in Kozani, Greece, Christos Rafalides can't remember a time when he wasn't surrounded by music. The influence of his older brother led him to the piano at the age of seven. He began his studies in classical percussion at the age of fourteen, and by the time he was twenty he was working in some of the best Orchestras in Greece. He believed he would continue his career as a classical percussionist, until one evening when he heard pianist George Cables with the group of Billy Cobham.” Here was this guy, playing with his shoes off, conveying so much feeling through his instrument... I knew I wanted to be able to express myself like that." He exclaimed. From that moment, Christos knew he would be a jazz musician….. Well, you may be in Chicago, or perhaps in New York, but if you ever venture southeast if youre in the Windy City and just south if youre in the Big Apple or even in the city of Brotherly Love, remember that Stavros Aktipis, the entrepreneur of entrepreneurs who owns the Kellari Taverna, the Kellari Parea Bistro and a couple of other dining spots in Manhattan-including a French one-also owns now a Kellari in the Nations Capital. Yes, thats Washington DC, if youre not strong in Geography…Things got scary at a Halloween party at Tavern on the Green, which is now under the ownership of the Pol brothers, that is, the Dimitri Pol, the restaurateur of yesteryear offspring, Dean, Gellis and George. Thousands of extra revelers showed up - many of whom bought bogus tickets online. Outraged partygoers, who paid $60 to $130 for advance tickets to Saturday, October 31s event, said they were told the party would include an open bar and a swanky all-you-can-eat buffet. Thousands of angry people were forced to wait outside for hours before the chaotic party was abruptly shut down at 1:30a.m. Revelers said. A college student from Queens, showed up at 8:30 p.m. but didn't make it inside until just before 1:30 a.m. Officials at the Central Park venue blamed the fiasco on promoters Alex and Leo Baskin. "The people who were hosting it sold too many tickets," said a spokeswoman. Leo Baskin blamed the problem on Tavern's failure to open on time - and the unauthorized sale of fake tickets hocked online for a party slated to start at 9 p.m. …Bandleader .Panos Chryssovergis introduces Stelios Dionysiou live at Ethos UN (212-888-4060) which is located at 901 First Avenue in Manhattan , just a few blocks north of the United Nations building, on Wednesday, November 25 at 10:30 PeeEm, and they dont plan on stopping the music until 4 AyEm. Aphrodite Daniels will also be there to entertain with her sweet voice.. http://www.greeknewsagenda.gr/newsletter/photos/relief1.jpg Relief of Demeter, Persephone flanking nude youth. Met Museum of Art NYC http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9NBqfHkX2nY/R9h2nOk4WsI/AAAAAAAABjw/akO3RSXRmIQ/s200/MeganGlaros.jpg Megan Glaros: Onboard CBS team. Actors Brooke Shields and Jennifer Aniston (R) take a bow at the 9th Annual 24 Hour Plays Curtain Call presented by Montblanc at the American Airlines Theatre on November 9, 2009 in New York City. (Jamie McCarthy, Getty Images) Jamie McCarthy, Getty Images Taking a bow: Shields n& Aniston at Annual 24 Hour Plays Curtain Call presented by Montblanc at the American Airlines Theatre on Nove. 9, http://www.greeknewsagenda.gr/newsletter/photos/underwater-antiquity1.jpghttp://www.greeknewsagenda.gr/newsletter/photos/steris2.jpg Underwater Antiquity in Balkan Faces exhibit: In Romania, Polypetri & Greece, thru May 2010. http://www.greeknewsagenda.gr/newsletter/photos/faros1(3).jpg More Lighthouses on stamps 2-col spread & head, 1 col text Tsitsanis Triumphs at CYPRECO Concert It was Nostalgia! It was purely Hellenic Melody! It was haven not only for past generations which were nurtured with Tsitsanis music, but for youngsters of subsequent generations who sang-along, topping the knowledge I should have had being that I do belong to the Tsitsanis generation. Just in case I confuse you, I am referring to CYPRECO of Americas closing event to mark the organizations 30th Anniversary, a concert billed as The Everlasting Song of Vassilis Tsitsanis, celebrated at the Stathakion Cultural Center in Astoria on Friday, November 6th. The modest price of the admission fee prompted an onslaught of a crowd, a turnout almost legendary in theatrical attendances, causing some people-including yours truly who arrived just as the music started-to lose their assigned seat-but it just did not matter. The music was such that redeemed any unusual situations, if there were any. It was all worth it, listening to this fabulous resurgence of music that truly can be called Greek Blues or Rebetika if you prefer as well as popular or folk which Greeks referred to as Laiki, written decades ago by the Trikala-born master of that type of tune, legendary songwriter/singer Vasilis Tsitsanis. If you ask me, Tsitsanis couldve composed any kind of song and make it successful, but if I have to praise him on one single virtue, it must be the distance his music achieves from any mid-eastern, minor key amane-type resonance. He keeps it clearly purely Hellenic, if obliquely western. So the evening was definitely devoted to nostalgia, as jingles such as Klene Ta Kavourakia, Ti simera-ti avrio-ti tora, Arapines and Egho Plirono paraded in the form of sounds to the pleasure of a roaring audience, repeating syllable after syllable the chanting by the band. When musical director Kostas Psarros announced they were going to play the national anthem, which turned out to be Tsitsanis peak of success, Synfiasmeni Kyriaki, the audience could not help itself but sing along. Tsitsanis profile indicates that some of his best songs were written during the German occupation in WWII while in Thessaloniki, but since all recording companies were shut down, he just sand the songs and the nation sang them with him. Too bad the rest of the world could not share in this feast. But the war was over and the music was spread across the world once again. That is, until his death in 1984. Since we must recognize that the success of any concert is mainly attributed to the skillful rendition by those who play it, an acknowledgment is due to the performing musicians. To start with, lets acknowledge the renditions of the seasoned lead vocalist Vicky Palma to whom the band belongs, who is no stranger to Aktinas musical events and director Kostas Psarros for producing the quality ensemble sound, as well as playing his bouzouki and singing as well. At this point, we cant ignore the unblemished harmony the strings of a non-Hellene such as Megan Gould produced as to be highly praised repeatedly by a strictly Greek audience. It is a fact thought that Ms Gould holds several degrees in Ethnomusicology so it isnt at all surprising how good she is. If it werent her violin, it was her baglama, another improbable instrument for a non-Hellene. Glafkos Kontemeniotis was on the keyboard and Petros Klampanis played the guitar and sang. Kudos to Elena Maroulleti and her team for giving us such quality entertainment and were looking forward to her next event in 2010, when on February 19, as she announced in a brief statement made during the event, will present us with the screening of docufilm by Vasia Markides called Hidden in the Sand. 2-col head & spread, single col. Greek Film Fest is off on Right Foot Hellenic American Chamber of Commerce President Leroy Lambert spoke to a standing room only audience during the Opening Night Gala Screening and Reception at the SVA Visual Arts Theater Thursday evening, November 5, echoing the words of Greek Press Office director Polyxeni Mastroperrou, whose advice when the Third Annual NYC Greek Film Festival was in its organizing stages, Make it Big.” And big it is, judging from the publics reaction and the reception it was accorded, not only on the jam-packed opening night but on subsequent days at the Village Theater. On opening night, an atmosphere of jubilation prevailed. Ambassador Aghi Balta, the charming Consul General of Greece in New York also addressed the audience, thanking all those who volunteered to make the event a success. After the screening of the animated short called Mariza about a stubborn donkey, the feature film Guiness, directed by Alexis Kardaras was shown to the audience, after an amusing screenplay by Kardaras and Nikos Panayiotopoulos. Guiness is a word play for what the Greeks call bad luck (Ginia,)a name confer upon Eftichis-the opposite of ginia-played by Giorgos Pyrpassopoulos very convincingly, with all the trappings of the notorious Greek attitude towards the weaker sex. The situation caper involves Eftichis, a gambler down on his luck, who circumstantially comes in to important information on some big stash hidden somewhere in the countryside and the twists and turns that follow while chasing it. Maria (Marcella Yannatou) is the hapless wife of the inn keeper who lusts for some love, but has to wait pretty long and suffer much before she gets it. Staelios Mianas plays Costas, Marias mean husband and Inn Keeper, Antonis Kafetzopoulos is the suspicious sheriff, Dimitris Alexandris portrays Nicos, a fierce thug also in pursuit of the same gold and Konstantnos Kornaios who reminds of Don Knotts, is the funny, sort of village idiot postman. The screening was followed by a reception with music by Pericles Kanaris and his group, with refreshments and hors d'oeuvres being served in the remarkably constricted lobby of the theater. G-A Clubs Tribute to Hon. Prez The Greek American Club on Astoria Boulevard, Queens, NY, a sports-oriented organization made up mostly of former soccer team players, gave on Monday, October 19th a luncheon to welcome to their associations honorary president, George Lazaridis, when he returned last month from a six-month hiatus in his native Greece. Aside from the cornucopia of food available to those present, the wine flowed non-stop to celebrate the return of the popular fellow sportsman. The event took place at the club headquarters and was attended by members of his organization, such as General Manager George Melis and members such as George Mandilaras, Peter Iliou, Dino Pardalis and John Melis
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