Who will Be #2000? Beautiful Rethymno - Meeting Global Greek World's Fan #1000, Chantal Anthonis ...

  Global Greek World Fan Number #1000, 

Chantal Anthonis with Clive Birch in Rethymno,

As we approach another milestone, the 2000th 'like' on our Global Greek World Facebook Page... it is appropriate to share this story with you all...



In August last year as the international  'parea' on our Facebook Page kept growing, we decided it would be nice to reward the person who would be the 1000th 'Like' on our page.



That person turned out to be Chantal Anthonis, a very charming Flemish lady from the city of Gent in Belgium, now retired and living on - where else? - the beautiful Greek island of Crete - very convenient indeed, especially as that was where we would be going for our summer holidays, as we always do... 

A couple of weeks later, on what must have been the hottest day of 2010, in 40C heat, we decided to split the difference and set off for gorgeous Rethymno to meet up with Chantal, who would be driving from Heraklion with her friend Clive Birch, an equally charming Englishman also living on  Crete, and give her her prize...

Chantal Anthonis with Clive Birch in Rethymno,

It was lovely to meet both these Global Greek Lovers, or should we say, Honorary Global Greeks, people who love Greece and its people and have even decided to live here. 

Chantal's  currently busy learning Greek whilst already fluent in Dutch, French, English and German and her interests include history and contemporary literature and cinema.



Chantal maintains a lively Facebook 'Fan Page' where she describes her everyday adventures on the sunny island of Crete, Chantal Anthonis:Lekkerweg in Kreta  

and is a regular editorial contributor to Now Heraklion a website dedicated to the vibrant Heraklion and all it has to offer( for citizens and visitors alike)... Η ιστοσελίδα για όσους αγαπούν το Ηράκλειο, created by Clive or Clivios as his neighbours call him.

Clive created this very special and unique website earlier this year for the capital city of Crete, because he found it difficult to find information online about vibrant Heraklion and all it has to offer...  He also set up a great NowHeraklion Facebook Page.

He has almost finished renovating an old house in a small village near Heraklion, with great views of the Mediterranean...



In addition to his house, Clive also bought a tiny property nearby which used to be the village 'kafenion' many years ago. It needs some work doing to it as he plans to open it as a small 'art school' someday....



Clive had a design company in England which he says "was great but very demanding. Now, I take whatever comes my way... a more relaxed way of life here on a Greek island."





Paradise on earth... What more can a person ask for?



and ...



since we are talking about paradise here are some pictures of our day in  Crete's beautiful Rethymno...

 Brilliant White on Brilliant Blue...

the beauty that is Greece!

We even got our portrait done in the shade of this beautiful church

by talented Caricaturist Dimitri who splits his time between Rethymnon and Nafplion sketching people

Books anyone?

Mugs and other memorabilia from Rethymnon

More memorabilia ...

More memorabilia ...

Natural products ... 

and some interesting Olive oil based cosmetics The Olive Way

Anyone for the beach? 40 C out there...problem is it was really windy

Ancient ruins in the middle of the town...like all Greek cities worthy of their name

Loved this view...

Anyone for a ride?

An artistic baker with enormous talent ...

Konstantinos Spanoudakis

fantastic shapes and other artistic creations ...

traditional bread products and Cretan wedding loaves

Doors...

The famous Fortress of Rethymnon...

oops almost forgot...

last but not least ....

Chantal's prize

 

 Photo Source: Clive Birch

Mementos from Athens Magical Olympic Games... 

Collectors' items Athens 2004 Olympic Volunteer Swatch and pins

Lovely to meet you Chantal and Clive! Keep up the great work promoting Crete and Greece!

We will keep the momentum going with a prize for being 'Like' number 2000, 3000, 4000 etc... 

Just keep on 'liking' folks - thanks ever so much for all your support ! xxx :)

The Marathon of Marathons:490 B.C - 2010 A.D - Commemorating 2500 Years Since the Battle of Marathon

Greece's special 2 euro coin issue 

 Commemorating the 2500th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon

 put into circulation on December 21 by the Bank of Greece

Symbolizing the battle for freedom and the noble ideals derived from the Battle of Marathon, the center of the coin shows a synthesis of a shield and a warrior. Τhe bird on the shield symbolizes the birth of western civilization in its present form.

The designer of the coin is George Stamatopoulos, a sculptor from the Minting department at the Bank of Greece who also designed the EMU 10th anniversary coin.

So, when Persia was dust, all cried "To Akropolis !

Run, Pheidippides, one race more! the meed is thy due!

'Athens is saved, thank Pan,' go shout!" He flung down his shield,

Ran like fire once more: and the space 'twixt the Fennel-field

And Athens was stubble again, a field which a fire runs through,

Till in he broke: "Rejoice, we conquer!" Like wine thro' clay,

Joy in his blood bursting his heart, he died--the bliss!

So, to this day, when friend meets friend, the word of salute

Is still "Rejoice!"--his word which brought rejoicing indeed.

So is Pheidippides happy forever,--the noble strong man

Who could race like a god, bear the face of a god, whom a god loved so well,

He saw the land saved he had helped to save, and was suffered to tell

Such tidings, yet never decline, but, gloriously as he began,

So to end gloriously--once to shout, thereafter be mute:

"Athens is saved!"--Pheidippides dies in the shout for his meed.

Robert Browning

Six years after the Olympics came home to Greece,  the heart of Athens today is beating to the rhythm of the Marathon!

Today's Athens Marathon Race followed exactly the same route run by the runner Pheidippides but with an extra special historic dimension...it was the Marathon of Marathons!

According to the historian Herodotus, the Persian fleet landed 100,000 troops on Schinias Beach in the year 490 B.C. Against this huge army the Athenians brought 10,000 soldiers and with the help of 1,000 Plataian soldiers, thanks to an ingenious strategic plan of the Greek army commander, Miltiades, managed to be the victors.

They formed the Greek letter (Π) with weak centre and strong sides, and when the battle started, the central section retreated and the sides closed in and squeezed the panicked Persian soldiers. Thousands of Persians were killed or drowned in the swamp nearby, (where the rowing venue of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games was), while the Athenians had 192 soldiers dead, all buried in the Tymvos of Marathon area.

 The Tymvos of Marathon, the burial ground of the 192 Athenian soldiers who were killed

Photo Source: Ioanna Balla 

2500 years after that historic victory in the Battle of Marathon, 2500 years after Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens to announce it, with the historic phrase NENIKIKAMEN, which he uttered then collaped and died, Greece is once more celebrating one of it's legacies to the world! 

Greece, and Athens in particular has been the focus of the athletic and historic world in the last few days as the whole city welcomed around 22 000 athletes for today's 28th Classic Marathon.

Commemorating that incredible 42 kilometre run by an exhausted Pheidippides who had just run to Sparta and back in two days, dispatched by the Athenians to ask the Spartans for their help in the Battle of Marathon - a distance of around 480 kilometres, people from all over the world have flocked to Greece to take part in today's Marathon of Marathons  few being able to withstand the lure, the historic significance and symbolism of running the same route as Pheidippides...

Athletes and personalities, members of foreign royalty, politicians, friends of the Children's Cancer Foundation Floga and athletes from the Special Olympics took part in the different runs as well as the actual Classic Marathon.

Greek American presenter Maria Menounos is one of our Global Greeks who is in Athens to take part. As always, our Global Greeks, Greeks from all over the world have also heeded the call and seized the opportunity to be in Athens for this milestone, historic event, with organisations like AHEPA arranging for many of it's members to take part. 

We listened to a visibly moved Maria speaking to reporters after she finished the 5 kilometre run with her parents and declared that she would love to come back and do the Classic 42.195 kilometre Marathon one day, in fact she said, everyone should come to Greece for the Classic Marathon!  

Shortly afterwards, she had this to say to her friends on Twitter...

Finished the 5k marathon today w/my parents.I didn't know that the 5k finishes thru the original olympic stadium..omg it was so moving!!



I almost lost it coming thru-such a historic day-truly honored to have participated-i recommend the classic athens marathon to all!

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou,  competed in the 10 kilometre run, whilst Slovenia's Foreign Minister, Greece's Foreign Minister, Greece's Environment Minister, diplomats and thousands of others ran the actual Marathon route, the 10 kilometre or the 5 kilometre runs.



Each person who took part got a commemorative medallion and it was wonderful to see everyone wearing it proudly...even on the Metro ride home!

 

The medals for the 3 races

Photo Source: Ioanna Balla 

The mood along the route from Marathon, throughout downtown Athens and especially in front of the impressive Kalimarmaro Stadium which was the finish line, was festive and fun, with families sitting inside the Stadium applauding each athlete who crossed into the stadium from Herodus Atticus Street and down through the finishing arch!

A loud cheer rose up from the crowd lining the streets and the stadium as Kenya's Raymond Bett ran down Herodus Atticus Street and into the Kallimarmaro Stadium crossing the finishing line first, 2 hours 12 minutes and 40 seconds after setting off from Marathon, and setting a new record. He was closely followed by fellow Kenyans Jonathan Kipkorir and Edwin Kimutai in 2nd and 3rd place, while the first Greek runner, Michael Parmakis, came in at 2 hours 20 minutes and 48 seconds, placing 15th overall.

  The Winner -Kenya's Raymond Bett

 Photo Source: Ioanna Balla

Dignitaries and officials mixed with athletes and spectators in a wonderful atmosphere of celebration, sport and music. We  spotted lots of politicians and dignitaries including former PM Konstantinos Mitsotakis (seen in the photo below accompanied by his longtime assistant Gryllakis)

and Minister of Foreign Affairs Droutsas in the crowd, walking by in front of the statue of the Discus Thrower. 

Incidentally, for those that don't know, the statue of the Discus Thrower which stands in front of the entrance to the National Gardens, was erected in 1927 by the City of Athens thanks to a donation by one of our very patriotic Global Greeks, Aris Kehayias...  

It was wonderful to see a lot of the Athens 2004 volunteers during todays Marathon celebrations, lending a hand once again to ensure it's tremendous success!

Ioanna asisting one of the Marathon participants

We thank Mrs Ioanna Balla, one of our precious volunteers for the photographs she so generously allowed us to use. 

Our wonderful volunteers! 

Ioanna, Teti, and Dimitri with friend...

In the last week the Zappeio Megaro, which was also the registration and accreditation centre for the Marathon, hosted an excellent exhibition on the Battle of Marathon and Ancient Drama.

We thought we would share with you some of the photos from that exhibition, because our noble predecessors always considered it essential for sport and culture to go together

ΝΟΥΣ ΥΓΕΙΗΣ ΕΝ ΣΩΜΑΤΙ ΥΓΕΙΗ....

and to finish...here is Google's  tribute to today's historic anniversary...

OPA!!!! From Melina to Miss Piggy - Everybody's Singing Manos Hadjidakis' Never on Sunday

 The Muppets singing Never on Sunday - Bouzouki and all!

Dedicated to all those our friends who love Greek music and who are fans of Manos Hadjidakis' world famous Never on Sunday or Ta Paidia tou Piraia!...

A musical end to a difficult week to wish you all a wonderful weekend! Thanks Stathis M - NZ for the link on  Facebook  which inspired this post!

The video clips that follow are great versions of Never on Sunday, either in Greek or in English! Note that this song has been recorded in French, in Italian, in Czech, in Serbian, in Spanish, in German, in Dutch in Croatian and even in Cantonese and Mandarin..(for the Chinese version please see link posted by Vera in the comments section ...Thanks Vera!)

The original, of course, was Melina Mercouri's Academy Award winning version in Jules Dassin's film of the same name!

Take your pick! Listen to them all and leave a comment below telling us which one you prefer! 

Enjoy!

The Muppets sing Never on Sunday

In the 1960's everybody recorded it....Doris Day, Petula Clark,The Chordettes and Connie Francis...

Nana Mouskouri and the Athenians' version from her BBC Series...

 and of course recently... Sakis Rouvas!

but nothing can beat the original -  sung in Melina Mercouri's inimitable manner...

For all those who were there and for those who watched from afar, the last video clip shows us was one of the Athens 2004 Olympic Closing Ceremony's most moving moments... When the familiar sound of the opening chords of the bouzouki flooded the packed Olympic Stadium, the crowd went wild... Anna Vissi, Antonis Remos, Alkistis Protopsalti, Mihalis Hatzigiannis, Eleftheria Arvanitaki and Dionysis Savopoulos in a unique rendition of Greece's signature tune... incidentally, it was a full moon that night, 29 August 2004, and the August full moon in Greece is absolutely awesome....

Have a great weekend everyone! 

OPA!

George Sapounidis is a Real Global Greek! Happy Birthday 'Chairman George' xx

GEORGE SAPOUNIDIS AND OUZO POWER (CANADA)



A rock bouzouki-playing Greek Canadian civil servant with a PhD in statistics who is a star in China – you can't get more incongruous than that.  But then again there is nothing ordinary about George Sapounidis and his band Ouzo Power.



George Sapounidis (vocals, guitar, bouzouki) is a two-time Olympic Torch Bearer (Beijing 2008, Athens 2004) and a Montrealer of Pontic Greek descent who has been called a poster boy for Canadian multiculturalism. He is a polyglot who performs fluently in Greek and in other languages. He plays a handmade electrified 8-string Greek bouzouki in dramatic and captivating fashion. On stage he is entertaining and engaging while explaining elements and context of the music.



George originally founded Ouzo Power in 1988 with his partner at the time Gaston Bernard (Matapat), giving a new spin to Greek music, translating the songs of Bob Dylan and Elvis Presley into Greek for audiences at folk and multicultural music festivals across Canada and appearing on CBC radio and television.



In 2005 he was the subject of the award-winning CTV / BBC international television documentary Chairman George, and has been known as Chairman George ever since!



His CD release George from Athens to Beijing was nominated in the Best World Music category at the 2005 Canadian Folk Music Awards. He holds a Ph.D. in mathematical statistics from the University of Toronto.



George Sapounidis (which in Greek means  ‘soap-maker’) is a direct descendent of Greeks living in Asia Minor for generations near the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea in Turkey, and are commonly referred to as Pontian Greeks. In 1922 as a result of the ‘Mikrasiatiki Catastrophe’ these Greeks were forced to leave their homes and became refugees in Greece and other countries of the diaspora. George’s grand-parents settled in Canada, first in Edmonton and then in Montreal.



Summers spent in Greece when he was a teenager laid the foundation for what would become a lifelong personal and musical odyssey. He remembers Greece as “an incredible world”. “It was a fundamental formative place because of the nomadic artistic lifestyle,” he says. “It was a community of expatriate international artists – poets, musicians, writers and painters. I was steeped in this multicultural tea. It laid the ground work for my musical breadth.”



In 2008 George was the only Canadian selected by the Beijing Olympic Committee to run as Olympic relay torch-bearer in Beijing on August 8 the same day as the Summer Games’ Opening Ceremonies.

He was also an Olympic relay torch-bearer when the torch arrived in Montreal in 2004. And he spent the 2004 Athens Olympics in the Olympic Village as a National Olympic Committee Assistant capitalizing on his Greek and Chinese language skills to assist the Chinese team as well as smuggling his bouzouki into the Village to perform for the international residents including athletes, volunteers and media.



During his teens he studied classical guitar with the Spanish virtuoso Jose Luis Rodrigo, and in Athens with Gerasimos Miliaresis who was a student of Andres Segovia. In the 1970’s he toured Greece with Greek multicultural singer Eugenia Siriotis, and in the 1990’s studied bouzouki with Costas Apostolakis in Toronto.



Ouzo Power (Canada) is an experienced ethno-cultural band performing and interpreting classic Greek Rembetika and popular bouzouki repertoire in a rock format. The show features George Sapounidis on lead vocals in Greek combined with the sound of the infectious Greek bouzouki backed by, since 2005, a stellar cast of seasoned musicians including Fred Guignion (electric guitars, lap steel) , Stuart Watkins (electric bass, backing vocals), and Ross Murray, (drums, percussion).



The music is a compelling fusion of George’s traditional roots presentation of powered Greek bouzouki and vocals combined with the gritty but tasteful and creative colorings of Guignion’s electric guitar and lap steel sounds backed by the rock solid bass and drums of Watkins and Murray.



The presented repertoire consists of strong melodies, vocal harmonies and different time signatures allowing dance performance for the Kalamatiano, Zembekiko, Tsifteteli, Syrtaki and Hasaposerviko.



Listen to Ouzo Power's great version of Gorgona...it's excellent!







In May 2007 the members of Ouzo Power performed together at one of China's biggest international festivals, the Meet in Beijing International Arts Festival and in October 2006 they appeared at Beijing's award-winning rock music venue Yugong Yishan, at the Nanning International Folk Song Arts Festival in Guangxi Province, and in Shenzhen, Canton Province.







As we said above, George was one of our very talented and valuable Athens 2004 Greeks Abroad Volunteers from our Greek Communities around the world ( we had 4500) and a great asset as NOC Assistant for the Chinese Olympic Team. To him, and to the other fantastic volunteers, we at Global Greek World, say Thanks a million!



Xronia Polla kai Kala, George! Hope you are having a lovely birthday, wherever in the world you are!



To read more about George...

 George at MGAM...



George's Official Website



George at My Space

Happy Mother's Day! Χρόνια Πολλά, Μανούλα!

Today is Mothers' Day... 



My daughter woke me up this morning with the gifts she had made for me at school, a heart shaped card with a lovely message, a flower, a kiss , a beautiful poem she had written herself, and a big grin. 'Χρόνια Πολλά, Μανούλα' she said as she gave me a big hug and a sloppy kiss!  



Happy Mother's Day!

As I was thanking God for the blessing of being a Mother, as I looked at my beautiful child and thought of the happiness her existence has given us - how the world always looks so much brighter with just one of her smiles, one word, one kiss, one hug, I couldn't help thinking about three less fortunate mothers who, instead of celebrating , are today in deep mourning for the children they so tragically lost  - unjustly murdered by the deliberate act of a heartless criminal in Athens on Wednesday during the demonstrations, and my heart went out to them....

My heart goes out to all those mothers whose children have been so unfairly taken away from them through war, through illness, through poverty or a murderous act, and wish them all the strength and courage in the world. 

There can be no greater loss than the loss of one's child and on days like this when Mothers are celebrating being Mothers, the loss is infinitely harder...

Let's enjoy every single precious moment with our children, our families and make every moment count, not just today. These moments are a gift from God and we don't know what tomorrow brings...

This post is for all the precious children of this world who have been entrusted to us to care for, to guide, to teach and to guard over, in good times or bad,  and for all the wonderful women around the world who as Mothers first and foremost, are doing just that... 

This post is dedicated to my daughter and my husband as well as my own beloved Mum who passed into God's hands a few years ago!  Without them I couldn't possibly be a Mummy! Speaking for myself, it's the best thing I ever did!

Happy Mother's Day to all Mummies! 



Χρόνια Πολλά σε όλες τις Μανούλες της Γης!  



Shortly after my precious daughter was born, I received the following by email...  I didn't know whether to blame it on the hormones which were topsy turvy, on the emotions which were running high, or the enormous responsibility of Motherhood, all I know is that I remember sitting in front of the screen reading it and crying my eyes out... I thought I would share it with you...

A N G E L S...

Once upon a time there was a child ready to be born.

 The child asked God, 

"They tell me you are sending me
 to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being
 so small and helpless?"
 
 God replied, 

"Among the many angels, I chose one for
 you. Your angel will be waiting for you and will take
 care of you."
  The child further inquired, 

"But tell me, here in heaven
 I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy."
 
 God said, 

"Your angel will sing for you and will also smile
 for you everyday. And you will feel your angel's love and be
 very happy."
 
 Again the child asked, 

"And how am I going to be able to
 understand when people talk to me if I don't know the
 language?"
 God said, 

"Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and
sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and
 care, your angel will teach you how to speak."
 
 "And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"
  God said, 

"Your angel will place your hands together
 and will teach you how to pray.
 
 "I've heard that on Earth there are bad men. Who will
 protect me?"
  God said, 

"Your angel will defend you even if it means
 risking it's life."
 
 "But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore."
 
 God said, 

"Your angel will always talk to you about me and
 will teach you the way to come back to me, even though I
 will always be next to you."
  At that moment there was much peace in heaven, but voices
 from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, 

 
 "God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name."
 
 "Her name is not important.

You will simply call her Mum."

To Dimitri Papaioannou - We Thank You for One of Greece's Most Glorious Moments - Athens 2004!

Highlights of Athens 2004 wonderful Opening Ceremony, conceived and directed by Dimitris Papaioannou.



We thank you, Dimitri, for inviting us to come with you on such a beautiful journey,



We thank you for the unforgettable moments of pride you granted to all of us in the Global Greek World,



But most of all, we thank you for showing the world at large the sheer unparalleled and classical beauty that is Greece, the country whose history and culture laid the foundations for the modern world...



 

Ευχαριστούμε!

Global Greek Events: GGAE Hospitality Programmes for Young Greeks from Abroad!

January 2003

100 Young Ethnic Greeks from Southern Hemisphere Countries on their Visit to Athens 2004

The General Secretariat for Hellenes Abroad has announced it's next hospitality programme.



From January 17 to February 6, 2010, 100 young Greeks Abroad , ie young people with some Greek parentage or ancestry, are being invited to take part in a Greek Language and Culture programme organised by the General Secretariat. Those eligible will be aged 18-25, and from countries of the Southern Hemisphere, i.e. Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Mexico, Uruguay, Panama, Peru, Chile, South Africa and Zimbabwe.



The program has been running for several years and is particularly successful as it brings together young ethnic Greeks from many countries and allows them to taste and experience elements of our Hellenic culture, traditions and daily life in the 3 week period that they are here.



Based in Athens, the programme is multi-purpose and aims at



1. Improving the level of Greek language skills for young ethnic Greeks, whatever their field of studies or area of employment.



2. Reinforcing the Greek cultural identity of the participants.



3. Familiarising them with modern Greece



4. Bringing together young Diaspora Greeks from different countries but who have common cultural roots thus promoting and strengthening friendship bonds between them.



Those selected are very fortunate as they get to see so much. As guests of the Government, in fact, they have a kind of privileged exposure to so many facets of Greek daily life, of Greek Culture and History and even get to meeting many of the Nation's political and cultural leaders! They have so many events, excursions and happenings concentrated into that three week period that the experience is a life-changing one for many of the participants! The benefits from it stay with them forever!



Experience from previous programmes has taught us that the bonds of friendship that are forged during these hospitality programmes remain strong throughout the lives of the people who participate.

The Greeks Abroad Poster for the Athens Games

The hospitality programmes offered the year before the Athens' Olympics brought all the participants to the Athens 2004 HQ where they heard all about the Olympic Games and what they could expect. A lot of these young people went on to volunteer and come back to Athens to be part of the Homecoming of the Games and the celebration that followed, putting their considerable language skills and valuable services at the disposal of the organisers, as part of a large group of about 5000 volunteers referred to as Greeks Abroad, and putting their own mark on the success of Athens' Magical Olympic Games!





During the Games, the General Secretariat, referred to as GGAE, also offered hospitality for a small group of Greeks Abroad volunteers at a summer camp, or kataskinosi, in Vari in Southern Attica. This post is dedicated to them - the wonderful group of young Greeks from Australia, France, Jordan, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Cyprus, The UK, Egypt, Germany, Mexico, South Africa, the USA, Canada and Japan, who came to be known as the Vari Group!

The Vari Group - Athens 2004

Members of the group keep in touch via Facebook and still meet whenever they get the chance! In fact, an official reunion is being planned for the Summer of 2010 - 6 years after the Games and they are hoping that the people who hosted them as well as their contacts at Athens 2004 will be there too!



These hospitality programmes offered by the GGAE are unique and wonderful programmes and we urge all those who can to take the offer up and send in an application.



Applications are available at Greek Embassies and Consulates in the countries that are eligible for participation! Apply now!



To read more details and how to apply, Click here



For a list of Greek Embassies, Consulates and Diplomatic Posts around the world: Click here