GREECE IS | HALKIDIKI | SUMMER 2016 by GREECE IS

greece is experience culture, gastronomy & more

HA L K I D I K I

SUMMER 2016

ISSN: 2459-041X

F I R S T e d iti o n

10 - 77

80 - 119

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discover

e xp e rie nce

taste

143 - 159 en joy

This is the region where a missing link in human evolution was found, where the philosopher Aristotle was born and where the monastic community of Athos links the earthly with the divine.

Three distinct ÂŤlegsÂť, each with its own particular character but all blessed by nature, offer a multitude of experiences that awaken the senses.

A trove of local products, such as olives and olive oil, honey, wine, fish and mussels, vegetables and fruit, elevates the local gastronomic scene to new heights of deliciousness.

Graceful, bohemian, fun-loving, extroverted, rich in culture and full of surprises, Thessaloniki is an ideal destination for a summer city break.

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Something for Everyone BY GIORGOS TSIROS e d i t o r - I N - C H IE F , G REE C E I S

The Thessalonians have a point when they claim that there’s no place quite like Halkidiki. The three legs of the peninsula that jut out into the northern Aegean Sea, along with its body, the core in the middle, have so many delightful and diverse experiences to offer that – when you live just a couple of hours’ drive away – it seems pointless to vacation anywhere else. The entire point of taking time off is to leave our humdrum selves behind and to become someone else – and Halkidiki is such a multifaceted destination that it allows us to become whomever we want to be, albeit for only a few days. Depending on which direction we take, we can become hermits seeking spiritual renewal, explorers of nature, cosmopolitan bon viveurs living it up at five-star resorts, travelers seeking authentic rural life in traditional villages, carefree campers, laid-back parents allowing our kids to play in the surf until sunset, or even poets and philosophers inspired to intellectual excess by Halkidiki’s romantic settings. Speaking of excess, the gourmand, too, will find plenty to enjoy in Halkidiki, which is renowned for its local cuisine and wine, celebrated in Bacchanalian feasts throughout the year. We must not, of course, forget Mt Athos, an indelible part of Halkidiki’s cultural identity and a significant force in shaping the region’s history. This thousand-year-old monastic community forms a bridge between the secular and the divine and offers the gift of enlightenment to those allowed to visit. Bringing a more urban note to this issue, we also recommend a city break in Thessaloniki, the capital of northern Greece and a vibrant metropolis that is rich in history, contemporary culture and myriad summer pleasures. Happy reading and happy travels!

Pure joy: for Thessalonians yound and old, Halkidiki is synonymous with summer.

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CONTENTS Greece Is - Halkidiki 2016, First Edition 10. It Happened Last Summer:

60. The Stageira Tour: In the

120. Divine Cuisine: The culinary

Driving through Halkidiki.

footsteps of Aristotle.

traditions of the monks, cooking tips

16. Amazing Photos

68. Closer to the Divine: The

22. Agenda: Cultural events throughout the region.

28. Every Resort Tells a Story: Halkidiki’s three landmarks of luxury accommodation.

42. “It’s Not Halkidiki...” A personal account of the region’s enduring allure.

48. From Savannah to Resorts: Six

and authentic recipes.

1,000-year-old Monastic State of

128. Indelible Flavors of Halkidiki:

Athos, an ark of the Christian Orthodox

Diverse influences and a trove of

faith.

local products result in a unique food

80. Best Of Kassandra: A stop at Afytos village; enjoying the raw beauty of the southern, less developed part of

experience.

134. The Good Food Guide: Our pick of restaurants and tavernas.

the peninsula.

138. Dionysian Weekend: Following

94. Best Of Sithonia: Swimming

the wine trails of Halkidiki.

in crystalline waters; touring the

144. Thessaloniki in a Nutshell:

traditional village of Parthenonas;

Landmarks and museums; cultural

50. The Petralona Cave: Home of the

camp life; a visit to Nikiti.

calendar; summer in the city mini-

200,000-year-old man.

106. Best Of Central Halkidiki: Arnea

guide.

54. Aristotle, the Master of Those

and Varvara, two traditional villages

who Know: The life, works and

worth exploring; the enchanting forests

million years of history at a glance.

memorable quotes of Halkidiki’s most prominent native son.

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of Mount Holomontas; day cruise off the Athos monastic community.

106 138

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Published by: Exerevnitis - Explorer SA, Ethnarchou Makariou & 2 Falireos St, Athens, 18547, Greece ISSN: 2459-041X Editor-in-chief: Giorgos Tsiros (editor@greece-is.com) Commercial director: Natasha Bouterakou (sales@greece-is.com) Creative director: Thodoris Lalangas / www.youandi.gr Creative consultant: Costas Coutayar Deputy editor: Natasha Blatsiou Art director: Ria Staveri Pagination: Natasha Kaika Editorial consultants: Dimitris Tsoumplekas, Vassilis Minakakis Translations/Editing: Don Domonkos, George Kolyvas, Alexia Liakounakou, Damian Mac Con Uladh, Stephen Stafford, Danae Seemann, Christine Sturmey, Graham Wood Proof-reading: Don Domonkos, Christine Sturmey Photo editors: Maria Konstantopoulou, Marika Tsouderou Photoshop: Christos Maritsas, Michalis Tzannetakis, Stelios Vazourakis Advertising: Sophia Tsepa (stsepa@kathimerini.gr) Advertising department: Tel. (+30) 210.480.82.27 Head of public relations: Lefki Vardikou Online marketing: Thanasis Sofianos / www.relevance.gr GREECE IS - CHALKIDIKI is distributed free of charge. Contact us: welcome@greece-is.com It is illegal to reproduce any part of this publication without the written permission of the publisher.

ON THE C OVER Pine meets turqoise sea: an iconic image of Halkidiki ÂŠ SHUTTERSTOCK

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It Happened Last Summer a r o a d t r i p a c r o s s H a l k i d i k i R E V E ALS i t s m a n y d i f f e r e n t f a c e s

BY GEORGIA DODOU

Ι. ATHOS We leave Halkidiki’s capital, Polygyros, on the western side of Mount Holomontas – a poem of lush vegetation and stunning landscapes – and head towards Ouranoupoli. As we drive along the pine-flanked mountain route, the twinkling blue sea in the distance appears elusive, like something out of a dream. Our immediate surroundings have a calming effect – something like decompression is taking place; we feel blessed. Over in the distance, we can make out Halkidiki’s other two peninsulas: Sithonia and Kassandra. Athos, the mountain after which the third peninsula is named, rises before 10

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us majestically, its summit wreathed in cloud that seems almost permanent. We pass the villages of Ierissos and Nea Roda, and soon reach our first destination. We park near the Byzantine-era tower of Ouranoupoli (City of Heaven), a place where, as its name suggests and its role as the gateway to Mount Athos demands, the secular meets the divine. At the port, just a few meters away, dozens of visitors are waiting to board one of the boats that sail along the peninsular coast without putting in anywhere. These mini-cruises are the only way for women to see the majesty of Mount Athos, as they are forbidden to step

onto the sacred soil of the all-male monastic community. We hop on board. It is a magical, mystical experience, so much so that even my friend’s comment about being lost in some fairytale doesn’t seem corny at all. The imposing monasteries, perched on hilltops and surrounded by untamed nature, exude a tremendous force, even at a distance. From the boat, I imagine how, within those castle-like walls, right now monks are reciting their prayers, their supplications traveling up through the sky, like notes of music, to reach the ears of God. On our way back to port, I admire the islets of Ammouliani and Drenia,

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and am seized by the urge to dive from the boat into the clear turquoise waters lapping their shores. I resist. After all, you should always leave something undone when visiting a place, so you have a good excuse to go back. Also, I’m pretty sure the captain wouldn’t like it. We get back in the car and head to Eagles Palace, a hotel I particularly like, an elegant place with a great vibe. A glass of iced tea on the veranda is just the thing to brace us for the next leg of our tour. Chatting with the staff, we learn about the hotel’s annual artist-in-residence program. For about a century or so, some of the world’s most famous hotels have been inviting artists, writers and photographers to take advantage of the pampered serenity on offer so that they can find inspiration and be creative. The works produced are then presented in an exhibition or a special print edition. Eagles Palace is very active on this front, which reminds me of another reason why I love Halkidiki: its vision12

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ary businessmen in the hospitality sector, who think beyond simply providing accommodation. They are proponents of culture who, in addition to the arts program, promote the local cuisine by inviting great chefs from Greece and abroad into their kitchens. They are also noted for their environmental sensitivity. This kind of mature, multifaceted approach to tourism is rare and valuable. ΙΙ. SITHONIA With such inspiring thoughts in mind, we drive to the second peninsula. The road is a grey strip that separates the green of the mountains and the blue of the sea, each of them presenting every tint of its color imaginable. This is Sithonia: warm verdant hues on one side, cool azure notes on the other, and you in the middle – we’re in a landscape that’s wild and beautiful in its own special way. We don’t have any music playing in the car; it would be an intrusion. Even

the wheels seem to sense the need for quiet, gliding more smoothly, more silently over the road’s surface. We open our windows all the way down to breathe in the scent of pine. I can’t think of anywhere else in the world where the pine smells quite like this. As we drive along the winding road, we spot Athos again, this time without its ring of cloud, cleared away by a gentle breeze. We see the small bays down below near Vourvouras, the islet of Diaporos and a few other places whose names we don’t know. The desire for a swim becomes irresistible. We opt for Akti Oneirou (Dream Coast), which I would define as an A-class boutique campsite: it has a wonderful beach (Manassu), excellent service, a very good restaurant, a mini-boutique with gorgeous beach stuff and an amazing bar. Our loungers come with comfortable cushions and, lying down, we gaze back at Mount Athos across the way. A sense of relaxation does not slowly overtake

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us; instead, it’s instantaneous. We fall asleep and take a half-hour nap, waking up with enough energy to see us through to the late night ahead. Halkidiki has a way of bringing out the philosopher in you: the colors, the sights, the smells and the sea are like a symphony of simplicity reminding us how often we forget to appreciate the little things. On Halkidiki, I remember to live. I can say that, in that moment, I was happy. I was in the circle of the essence of existence. ΙΙΙ. KASSANDRA On the way back west, we stop for a Greek coffee at Nikiti, a pretty seaside town that is famed for its excellent honey. Kassandra beckons. The thought that comes into my head a few kilometers later, as we reach the western-most of Halkidiki’s three appendages and the entire scenery, the 14

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air of the place, changes again, is how different Halkidiki’s three peninsulas are from each other: otherworldly Mount Athos, bohemian Sithonia and sophisticated Kassandra. We stop, as we inevitably do, to admire the 1,250-meter Potidea Canal, which joins the Thermaic and the Toronean gulfs. History suggests the canal was first opened in 315 BC by the Macedonian regent Cassander in order to facilitate maritime trade, but its present form was created by more recent engineering works completed in 1930, while the bridge that crosses it was built in 1970. As we get onto the newer road, we enter tourist land. Music is now a must: something upbeat, a little electronic lounge, to liven us up. We drive to Sani Resort for a walk around the marina and a spot of window-shopping at the boutiques that carry,

among so many different international brands, creations by Greek designers such as Di Gaia, Yannis Sergakis, Thalia Exarchou and Kalfidis. We have a quick Nikkei cocktail at Sea You, make a dinner reservation at Katsu for sushi and then it’s full-steam ahead to Bousoulas Beach: seven kilometers of blue-turquoise sea and golden sand, a zen bar on a small hill… The living is easy. We stay until the sun disappears below the horizon in a crescendo of fuchsia, orange, gold and purple. It’s time for one last dip; now the sea is the color of lavender. Kassandra evokes a different kind of happiness, one of being in touch with this world, our world. But just as Sithonia and Mount Athos did, it also exudes a special energy and it, too, speaks to your soul. And this is why we always find something pulling us back to Halkidiki, over and over again.

GALLE RY

AMAZING PHOTOS

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CRYSTAL PERFECTION

The perfectly translucent and crystalline waters that embrace all three of Halkidiki’s verdant peninsulas are renowned for their wonderful hues of blues and greens. When the seas are calm, you can see the silhouettes of bathers, perfectly outlined against white-sand seabeds.

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QUILTWORK LANDSCAPES

Sandy gold alternates with light and dark green in the impressive patchwork of Halkidiki’s farmland, as seen here from above. Every small rectangle represents a different field and a different crop.

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‘THERE’S No place like Halkidiki’...

A sprawling peninsula comprised of three legs, each with its own distinct character, ranging from full-on tourist resort to nature wonderland, Halkidiki is endowed with much more than mainland Greece’s most stunning beaches. All-year delights, Mount Holomon and the woodlands of Sithonia (pictured here) are perfect spots to marvel at starry skies through tall planes and pine trees, while badgers, hedgehogs, foxes and fireflies come out to play.

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Swan Lake at the Kassandra Festival

Sani Festival

Joss Stone

Hiromi

Daniel Hope

Dionysis Savvopoulos

AGENDA

A WORLD OF EVENTS From jazz and sports to traditional dances and sardine-eating, there’s something for everyone in Halkidiki. BY MARY SINANIDIS

SANI FESTIVAL

hip-hop. Still just 28, she signed to a major record label at the age of 15 and has so far sold over 14 million albums worldwide.

For the 24th consecutive year, the idyllic Sani Hill, with its imposing medieval watchtower built for protection against pirates, hosts an international music festival focusing on jazz, classical music and Greek ‘entechno,’ or art house, music. Performances begin at 21:30. Tickets are priced at €15 for standing room and €25 for seats. (www.sanifestival.gr)

Greek singer Alkistis Protopsalti presents The Colors of Greece, a series of compositions based on the poetry of Nobel Laureate Odysseas Elytis. The show received rave reviews in New York, London and Paris.

23 July

13 August

Japanese pianist-composer Hiromi takes her audience on a journey through a range of genres encompassing the entire jazz spectrum. She is backed up by innovative contrabass, or six-string, guitar player Anthony Jackson and drummer Simon Phillips.

29 July

British soul sensation Joss Stone infuses her music with elements of reggae and 22

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5 August

British violinist Daniel Hope, winner of the highly esteemed 2015 European Cultural Prize for Music, takes the stage for a performance titled Air – A Baroque Journey.

20 August

Prominent singer-songwriter Dionysis Savvopoulos, who “electrified” the rebetiko genre, is joined on stage by another local music star, singer-songwriter Eleni Vitali.

KASSANDRA FESTIVAL The scenic open-air theater of Siviri, a seaside village in west Kassandra, is the venue for a series of plays and music performances. (www.kassandrafestival.gr)

12 July

The National Theater of Northern Greece presents Plato’s The Apology of Socrates in Ancient Greek, with Greek and English subtitles.

16 July

Greek modern pop singer Giorgos Mazonakis comes to the festival stage straight from the bouzouki scene, notorious for the flower-throwing habits of its high-spending clientele.

17 July

Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake is performed by the Russian Ballet Theater.

AGENDA WaterDrop Festival

FolkwayFestival

Traditional Greek dancing at the end of Dragounteli’s Crossing

23 July

Cretan singer and lute player Yiannis Charoulis plays a mixture of Greek folk and traditional Cretan music infused with rock elements and modern sounds.

6 August

sailing event that began in 2001, sets sail from Porto Carras and ends at the island of Mytilene. The goal is to draw international yachtsmen to Greece while helping local communities benefit from a boost in visitors who come to watch top sailors compete. (www.aeganregatta.gr)

FREE EARTH FESTIVAL

August 25-28

25-29 August

Singer/songwriter Kostis Maraveyas plays the accordion, piano, guitar, the Hammond organ and the Farfisa organ, and sings in Greek, English, Spanish and Italian. He began his career in the alternative music scene, but soon rose to national fame due to the success of his original material. Expect a colorful mix of MediterraneanBalkan pop with jazz and bossa nova influences.

A scenic mountain village that is known for its olives, hiking trails and simple lifestyle.

PORTO CARRAS

8-10 July

This modern luxury resort which sits on a stretch of golden sand overlooking the Toronean Gulf in Sithonia hosts a number of sporting events each summer.

16-17 July The WaterDrop Festival (WDF2016) is both a water sports event and music fiesta. Back for a third year, the it has a better-than-ever dance and sports lineup at Limanakia. Visitors are offered free rides on stand-up paddle boards (SUPs), fly boards and canoes, as well as other activities while soaking up the party atmosphere. Ticket prices range from €12 (just music), € 30-35 (just water sports) and € 50-60 for both days. (www. waterdropfestival.com)

19-28 August

The Aegean Regatta, an international 24

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Events for the International CSI Horseriding Championships take place at 10:00, 17:00 and 18:00 each day.

PARTHENONas

The Parthenon Film Festival (Cinema in the Village) kicked off in 2015 when a group of friends decided to set up an outdoor cinema in the picturesque village square. It proved to be so successful that it’s back with another program of films. This year’s theme is migration (www.parthenonfilmfestival.tumblr.com)

23 October

Dragounteli’s Crossing: Morning hikes and afternoon party at Parthenonas. Six different walking routes starting from various points around the region will lead participants to the village square at approximately 13:00. Another two routes – by bicycle or horse – are also offered. Stops on the way allow participants to enjoy free sandwiches, honey and local products. Free food and drink. (Call +30 6948.076.521 for details)

Now in its third year, the outdoor beach festival that began in Ancient Olympia has found a new home up north at Kypsa Beach in Kassandra. (www.freeearth-festival.com) Aficionados of electronica can enjoy trance, house, deep house, psychedelic, psychill, dub and all the other latest music trends across three stages as a total of 100 electronic dance music artists perform. Spectacular visual shows will accompany the world-class lineup, while a “healing area” will also allow guests to relax and chill out between music sets with the aid of reiki and other new age relaxation techniques.

FOLKWAY FESTIVAL The International Youth & Children Folkway Festival – which is traveling to various venues across Europe – will make a pit-stop at Kalyvas Camp in Halkidiki. (www.folk-way.com)

18-22 August

Young participants can learn about Greek folklore while having fun at camp. Kids and teens take part in traditional dance lessons, cultural meetings, cultural exchange programs, educational folklore sessions and traditional meals. The €110 fee includes accommodation (4 nights), participation in the festival’s activities, as well as five meals per day and transportation to and from the festival.

AGENDA

Traditional Karagiozis shadow puppet festival at Ammouliani

The Made in Greece Festival takes place at Nikiti

STAGEIRA

Ancient Stageira recently burst into the limelight after archaeologists claimed that they found the 2,400-year-old tomb of philosopher Aristotle. Events to mark the discovery and celebrate the Year of Aristotle include evenings of Greek music and with local products offered to passers-by on the paved coastal road at Ierissos from 21-24 July; a full moon night of music at the Ancient Site of Stageira on 18bAugust; a gastronomy symposium at Aristotle Park, Stageira, organized by the Stratoniki-Stageira Women’s Association on 21 August. Traditional dances will take place with dance troupes from 14 prefectures around Greece; they will perform at Nea Roda (15/9), Ierissos (16/9), Gomati (17/9), Ouranoupolis (18/9), and Ancient Stagira (19/9).

PEFKOCHORI

Pefkochori, meaning “pine village,” is named for the verdant landscape in which it is situated on the northeastern coast of the Halkidiki peninsula. The Cultural Association of Pefkochori has organized a Beach Volley Tournament at the local beach between Rigakis Hotel and the Fiki Beach Bar (16-17 July). Folk music ensembles and dance troupes from Poland, Ukraine, Greece, Turkey, Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Italy, Romania and Hungary, will take part in the event. Participation costs €75 for three days and includes food and accommodation.

FOURKA

Located on the west coast of Kassandra, this village combines lush nature with an abundance of restaurants and nightlife. The traditional feast days of Aghia Marina (17 July) and Aghia Paraskevi (26 July) are celebrated with dancing, live music and food. Traditional dancers from around Greece will convene there for a dance festival on 3 August. Stilt walkers, jugglers & clowns will provide entertainment for children at Fourka Beach on 6 August.

NIKITI

This seaside town on the picturesque Sithonia peninsula plays host to the finish line for the 46th Marathon Swim which begins in Kallithea, Kassandra, on 16 July. Participants are invited to cross the Toronean Gulf, covering a distance of 26 kilometers from Kallithea to Nikiti, without the use of fins or other swimming aids (participation costs €150 which also includes two nights’ accommodation). The Made in Greece Festival on the promenade of Nikiti casts the spotlight on Greek products and entertainment (23-31 July), while on 15 September, the feast day of Aghios Nikitas is celebrated with free helpings of traditional local dishes. 26

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NEOS MARMARAS

A sleepy seaside fishing village on the Sithonia peninsula of Halkidiki sees its population explode every summer thanks to local tourism. The area celebrates the feast of Aghios Ioannis with an icon procession and traditional music and dance events on the promenade from 28-29 August. The International Traditional Dancing Festival takes place at the same spot from 19-24 September with the participation of troupes from around the Balkans.

HANIOTI INTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL

Choirs, musicians and dancers can join in this event, open to groups and soloists from 5 to 105 years of age at Hanioti’s main square and the surrounding villages of the Municipality of Kassandra from 23-28 September.

AMMOULIANI

A sublime island which is renowned for its quiet beaches and sleepy villages, Ammouliani is less than two hours from Thessaloniki. A folk dance and music festival takes place in the central square from 15-17 July, whereas a traditional Karagiozis shadow puppet festival takes place on 30 July. The Liani Ammos Festival at the Island Beach Bar at Megali Ammos runs from 2-20 August with an ethnic line-up that includes music from around the Balkans (2-3 August); the traditional rembetika music of Fotini Veletsiotou (8 August); a jazz fiesta (11 August); and a performance by Cretan musician Ross Daly, who has dedicated his life to discovering the world’s music traditions (20 August). Free admission (www.islandcafe.gr)

FOOD FEASTS 10-17 July

An annual sardine festival showcases the region’s proud fishing tradition and offers the chance to try sardines cooked in various tasty ways. The week-long celebration also features dancing, live music and theater at Nea Moudiana’s ancient amphitheater, while a huge sardine and wine feast takes place on the last day of the festival.

29-31 July

Olynthos, an ancient city built on two hills between Kassandra and Sithonia and first inhabited around the 7th century BC, is the venue for a three-day olive festival. Various olive products can be washed down with tsipouro (a strong local drink) and other Greek spirits.

1-7 September

Tuna Fishing Festival at Neos Marmaras.

Green meets blue: a breathtaking aerial view of Sani Resort, in Kassandra.

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Every Resort Tells a Story Created by visionaries of the tourism industry, three resorts were instrumental in propelling Halkidiki to international destination status. BY KOSTIS ZAFEIR AKIS

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PORTO CARRAS

LEADERS’ CHOICE

shipowner from the island of Chios, Yiannis Carras first visited the area of Neos Marmaras in Halkidiki in 1963. Where others saw nothing but mosquito-infested marshes, accessible only by boat or donkey along a dirt path, this visionary businessman saw a site where he could make a dream come true. According to local lore, the story began when Carras was on a cruise to Mt Athos with other eminent personali30

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ties, among them film star Melina Mercouri, on the occasion of the monastic community’s millennium anniversary. A storm on the return journey forced the captain to seek shelter near Neos Marmaras. The landscape apparently enchanted these illustrious visitors. Thus began a new chapter in Sithonia’s history and in Greek tourism in general. Carras bought 1,763 hectares of land, most of it monastery property, on

which to realize his vision. Construction began in 1973 with his own private 2,000m2 Villa Galini, located on the craggy Galani hill overlooking the Toronean Gulf and named after a bandit who was killed there. With its perfect combination of architecture, location and good taste, the villa came to be considered among the most beautiful in the country. The process of transforming the land took about three years. The marsh

Porto Carras Meliton, a 5-star hotel with 224 guestrooms and 152 suites of various sizes, holds a Green Key Eco Label and six Conde Nast Traveler Awards.

1. Yiannis Carras with Francois Mitterand, one of the resort’s many high-profile guests. 2. Βack in the day: A humble fishing boat named St John, with Porto Carras Meliton in the backround. 3. Partial view of the marina, which is the biggest in northern Greece.

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HOSPITALIT Y

was drained and in its place he planted 45,000 olive trees and a 475-hectare vineyard. The first of the complex’s three hotels, Village Inn, was inaugurated in 1976 and became a favorite with luminaries such as Greek statesman Constantine Karamanlis, who would come to see his good friend Carras and to play golf at what was one of the best courses in Europe at the time. The Porto Carras Meliton hotel opened in 1979 and Porto Carras Sithonia in 1980 – all have been visited by leading celebrities from Greece and abroad. The marina has seen some of the world’s most famous yachts tie up at its quay, while important personalities have stayed at its hotels and also at Villa Galini: from eminent historian Sir Steven Runciman to Prince Albert of Monaco and from French statesmen Francois Mitterrand and Valery Giscard d’Estaing to folk star Joan Baez and members of the Rockefeller family. Carras was also a pioneer in the Greek winemaking sector. The Porto Carras Winery was a revolutionary initiative that changed the Greek wine scene in the 1970s, dominated at the time by low-quality product sold in bulk. Carras was the first to introduce 32

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French varieties and to reach out to French experts, most notably to the father of modern enology, Emile Peynaud, with whom he went on to produce some stellar labels. The most famous of these was the Grande Reserve Porphyrogenitos, a special batch bottled in 1975 and presented to the public in 1993. One of this wine’s greatest fans was the artist Salvador Dali. Porto Carras has been the venue of major international conferences, golf tournaments, regattas, horse races and even tuna fishing competitions, though it is probably best known for its wine festivals. Carras died in 1989, but the high standards he set are still being met and his vision retains all of its timeless elegance.

1. Aerial view of the picturesque golf course. 2. Villa Galini, Carras’ private residence, was considered one of the most beautiful in Greece in the 1970s. 3. The horse-riding center includes facilities for equestrian jumping.

HIGHLIGHTS A 9k coastline with 25 separate bays; the biggest organic vineyard in Greece; an 18-hole golf course; a Blue Flag, 315-vessel marina that is the biggest in northern Greece and a sailing club; a horse-riding center; a nine-court tennis club; a PADI-certified diving center; three helipads; two hydroplane landing strips. • Sithonia • Tel. (+30) 23750.770.00 • www.portocarras.com

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SANI RESORT

Breaking New Ground

he area of Sani, on Kassandraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s western coast, is mentioned by Herodotus and Strabo as being an ancient city founded on the hills of the Xerxes Canal by settlers from the island of Andros. The place was uninhabited in the mid-20th century, a wild marsh, thick with vegetation and pests. In 1961, public contractor Anastasios Andreadis and civil engineer Leonidas Zisiadis spied the location when traveling by boat from Moudania and were impressed by its savage beauty. Here, they knew, they could create a world-class resort. They bought the land from a monastery on Mt Athos. The next eight years were spent draining the marsh, exterminating the mosquitos, opening a road and drilling for water. Only then it was possible to lay the foundations of the first hotel, Sani Beach Club, which was inaugurated in 1971. The Sani Beach Hotel followed in 1984 and, after that, the luxurious Porto Sani, Sani Asterias and Sani Marina; The transformation was so radical that it is hard to believe that the location of the Asterias suites is where inmates from the Kassandra Farm Penitentiary once went fishing. With a large pine forest, Sani is not just a luxury resort with all the comforts and facilities of a destination of its cal-

1. Porto Sani Village pools. 2. Sani Beach Hotel infinity pool, seen against the backdrop of Sani Hill, with its medieval Stavronikita Tower, where the annual music festival takes place. 3. Sani Asterias, a luxurious, allsuite hotel, by night.

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Aerial view of Porto Sani Village.

iber, but also an active proponent of environmental protection, the arts and gastro-tourism. The Sani Festival, established 24 years ago, serves as a model for the decentralization of cultural events. Curated by Olga Tabouris-Babalis, it has hosted great artists such as Cesaria Evora, Cassandra Wilson, Lila Downs and Lizz Wright, among many others, and has commissioned and produced original works with Greek and international artists. Another event that has helped put northern Greece on the international map is Sani Gourmet, a festival celebrating culture and food. Every May since 2006, acclaimed and up-andcoming chefs from Greece and other parts of the world come to the Sani Resort to present creative dishes and engage in discussions. The resort also plays host to the Sani Eco Days summer program of environmental education, which helps highlight the resort’s eco-friendly profile. 36

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1. Sailing lessons for young and old are on offer, among many other sports activities.

2. Sani Beach Club Deluxe Rooms have their own private gardens.

HIGHLIGHTS Certified to the highest standards (ISO 14001) for environmental management; Gold Travelife Awards for sustainability; Green Key & Blue Flag awards; four 5-star hotels; seven beaches; four spas; a multitude of activities, from tennis and motor sports to scuba diving and bird-watching; yacht chartering service; Sani Marina, a member of the Camper & Nicholsons 1782 Club, with 215 individual berths for craft up to 26m; 26 shops for fashion, jewelry and more; 19 restaurants; 15 bars • Kassandra • Tel. (+30) 23740.994.00 • www.sani-resort.com

HOSPITALIT Y

EAGLES PALACE

True to Tradition

amed after the glorious bird that symbolizes both the Byzantine Empire and the Greek Orthodox faith, and located on a spot of incredible beauty just 4k from Ouranoupoli, Eagles Palace is the pride and joy of the Tornivoukas family, which has been in the hospitality business for 90 years. The family also owned the first luxury hotel in the northern port city of Thessaloniki, the Mediterranean Palace, which opened in 1925 and was destroyed by a major earthquake in 1978. Inspired by monastic architecture, the Eagles Palace hotel was designed by

architect Giorgos Gotzamanis to embrace both the Mt Athos philosophy and the natural landscape. It opened its doors in 1973 and has counted among its guests eminent personalities such as the Minister-President of Bavaria Franz Josef Strauss as well as Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco. One of the most famous VIP visits was that of Maria Callas. The Greek opera diva had visited the resort in 1976, accompanied by renowned pianist Vasso Devetzi and Costas Pylarinos, then regional governor of Thessaloniki. Her visit, fated to be her last holi-

1. Idyllic setting: Eagles Palace has hosted countless weddings. 2. An aerial view of Eagles Palace.

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3. An historic moment: Konstantinos Tornivoukas laying the foundation of the resort. 4. Colonial style meets timeless elegance in one the resortâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public areas.

A most inviting view of the beach, from the seaside bar deck.

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day in Greece, was kept a secret from the press. The first to break the story was Yiannis Velidis, owner of the historic newspaper Makedonia and a close friend of Eagles Palace proprietor Giorgos Tornivoukas. The hotel is now run by the family’s younger generation and they are doing new and exciting things. In May 2015, for example, the hotel invited Greek writers to the resort to pen inspired new stories, while it has also run residency programs for photographers and visual artists. Forty new Eagles Villas are also being developed, slated for completion in summer 2017.

HIGHLIGHTS Green Key Eco Label Certification 2015; TripAdvisor Hall of Fame Award 2015; eight restaurants and bars; Eagles Palace Yacht Club day cruises; Elemis Spa • Ouranoupoli • Tel. (+30) 23770.31101-4, 23770.31047-8 • www.eaglespalace.gr

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1. A perfect place to chill: the patio of Εagles Palace brings to mind the best of turn-of-thecentury resort architecture. 2. Relaxing moments in the laconium at the spa. 3. Α candle-lit dinner on the beach.

TE S TIMONY

“It’s not Halkidiki…” Whether it’s wrapped in jest or said in earnest, there is little doubt that the love that is expressed for this beautiful part of Greece is both profound and enduring.

BY CHRISTOS ZAMBOUNIS*

TE S TIMONY

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Fearing retribution, the family sailed by caique to the island of Skopelos, only to return later, once the incident had been forgotten. The rest of the information I have regarding the family history is fragmentary. I do know, for example, that my great-great-great-grandfather Michalis fought in the Greek War of Independence that began in 1821, and that his son, Nicholas, was the only family member to survive a cholera epidemic a few years later. I know the family worked hard and eventually prospered. A hoe in their calloused hands turned wretched earth into fertile land. In those days, anyone who cleared a forest claimed it as their own. Any olive trees they grafted became theirs. That’s how my ancestors acquired land. They were royalists and conservatives, and even gave Halkidiki two mayors; my grandfather and my great-grandfather. (That tradition was broken, at least as far as Halkidiki was concerned, when my father, for professional and ideological reasons, moved to the town of Veria, where, by sheer coincidence, he also ended up being elected mayor.) We come now to the joyful year of 1960. My parents have just moved back to Polygyros after lengthy stays at medical school in Germany. My father is a cardiologist and my mother is a pediatrician. The “village,” as locals still refer to it – perhaps because it is the smallest regional capital in Greece in terms of population – holds little future for them. What do I mean by this? My father, because of his left-wing ideological beliefs, refuses to accept any money from his patients. My mother, pregnant with my humble self, needs to travel to Thessaloniki to give birth, as Polygyros has no maternity clinic. Their choice is simple: either stay and suffer, or move and work and live unimpeded elsewhere. There’s something else that makes the choice somewhat easier; the village, like the rest of Greece, is divided in two,

Sithonia rewards true seekers of authenticity by nature in its purest form, pine forests that plunge into the sea, the scent of wild thyme wafting like holy myrrh, the song of cicadas soaring like the Vienna Symphony.

here are several variations on the story I’m about to recount; I just happened to choose this version. A group of friends from Thessaloniki have just returned from a holiday at a glitzy Indian Ocean resort in Mauritius, and are out at dinner with other companions. Of course, the friends want to know all about the group’s experience at the resort. “We had a good time,” they all agree. “The sand on the beaches was golden, the sea was crystal clear, the hotel offered every luxury, the French restaurants were excellent and we had plenty of free time to play cards. It was really great… (small sigh) … but it was not Halkidiki.” Now picture the same group in Heaven: “It’s really nice here,” one of them says. “Sure,” answers another one wistfully, “it’s very nice, but it’s not Halkidiki…” In a separate, slightly more real incident, I am swimming with my daughter at Bousoulas Beach, in Sani in Halkidiki. I ask her what her favorite beach is in Saint-Tropez, a place she visits every summer with her French mother. Without hesitation, she says it is Club 55. I insist that she makes a comparison between the two, disregarding for the moment just how the psychologists would frown on presenting a child with such a dilemma. She skillfully evades the question and, all of a sudden, I feel like one of the protagonists from my joke. I have brought my daughter on a two-day holiday to this popular resort on Halkidiki’s first finger so that she can get in touch with the history of my forefathers. On my father’s side of the family, I hail from Polygyros, the capital of the peninsula of Halkidiki. According to my aunt, Kaity Zambouni, author of the book “Otan o Pappous Epiase to Molyvi” (When Grandfather Picked Up the Pencil), our family lived in this area for centuries, but they were forced to flee after one of my ancestors killed a Turk during the latter years of the Ottoman Empire.

TE S TIMONY

between the victors of the Civil War and those who were defeated. My father belongs to the latter category. Back in 1943, at the age of 15, he had joined the ranks of EPON, one of the resistance organizations fighting German occupations forces and, shortly afterward, became a member of the Greek Communist Party, which ran that organization. Because of his activities, he was arrested by the Gestapo and tortured, spared death only by my grandfather’s important connections. I feel this personal narrative is necessary to explain how our family came to be Halkidiki visitors rather than notable locals and why, at this point in the story, during my childhood years, our family lives in Veria but still spends most weekends in Halkidiki, traveling there in the trusty family car, a sturdy Renault 16. In winter, we stay at the 19th century three-story stone house – they call it a mansion today – on the main square of Polygyros. Summer breaks are spent at the cottage, also made of stone, at the beach in Gerakini. This building, now our summer home, was once a bunkhouse for the workers who gathered our olives. Apart from two or three humble homes belonging to fishermen, the cottage is the only structure on the beach. A bauxite mine mars, ever so slightly, what is still an idyllic view, but we just pretend not to see it. We are not alone for long. The appearance of new neighbors comes gradually but methodically. The first big hotel makes its appearance in the early 1970s down at one end of the approximately kilometer-long stretch of sand. It is called Gerakina Beach. This is where I first try windsurfing and pedal-boating, where I practice foreign languages with every tribe of Israel, where I fall in love with tourists with the kind of enthusiasm that only teenagers can muster, and where I play spin-the-bottle with my peers on the moon-lit beach. This is where I

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pour my libations to the god Dionysus at the hotel discotheque to the pumping sounds of disco music, except, of course, on Greek nights, when we all dance syrtaki, waiters and tourists together, arms flung around each other. Tourism, both domestic and foreign, will define Halkidiki’s character in the years that follow. This blessed land will become the privileged satellite of Thessaloniki, the neighboring metropolis, the sine qua non summer holiday destination, a haven for all those who need a break from the city. Thessaloniki and Halkidiki will become interconnected vessels; when one empties, the other fills up. Suddenly, every self-respecting urbanite longs for a beachside villa, especially on the first finger, the one called Kassandra. It becomes so inundated that on some summer weekends it can take up to an hour to drive just a few kilometers. For the less well-to-do, contractors build complexes of small houses or apartments, while the really poor stay in tiny houses built illegally on whatever patch of land can be found. Such unruly development soon affects most of the coastline and the true seekers of authenticity are sent in search of a new haven, either in the pristine highlands of Halkidiki or on the second, more remote finger, Sithonia. There, they are richly rewarded by nature in its purest form: pine forests that plunge into the sea, the scent of wild thyme wafting like holy myrrh, the song of cicadas soaring like the Vienna Symphony and, of course, the unmatched blue-green bathing waters, capable of making you want to stay in them forever, that surrounds all of Halkidiki. One fine example of how this magic works is provided to me by my daughter who, as we finish our swim at Bousoulas, asks me in almost pleading tones whether we can remain in Halkidiki for another three or four days.

Thessaloniki and Halkidiki will become interconnected vessels; when one empties the other fills up. Every self-respecting urbanite longs for a beachside villa, especially on the first leg.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Christos Zambounis is a journalist who has written for numerous Greek and French magazines and newspapers. He is also a publisher and writer.

TIME LINE

FROM SAVANNAH TO RESORT

Halkidiki has an African-like savannah ecosystem inhabited by a rich variety of animals, including early horses, giraffes, antelopes and gazelles.

160,000+ years ago

Early human-like creatures (hominids) move into the area, as evidenced by a palaeolithic skull discovered in 1960 deep in the Petralona Cave. The controversial Petralona Skull (identified as either Homo erectus, Homo heidelbergensis or Nean derthal) has been dated at between 160,000 and 620,000 years old, based on the cavern’s geology, fossil fauna, and the results of laboratory analyses.

Xerxes of Persia, in order to protect his fleet against weather-related disasters such as that which the fleet of his father Darius had experienced in 492 BC, has his engineers cut a canal (2k long x 30m wide x 3m deep) through the neck of Halkidiki’s easternmost peninsula, allowing his ships to avoid circumnavigating this notoriously treacherous stretch of coastline. The Isthmus of Mount Athos, from The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London Vol. 17 (1847)

478 BC

6th - 4th millennia BC

During the Late Neolithic period (5300-3200 BC), settlers begin to build small, sedentary communities in Halkidiki. They subsist on hunting, gathering, fishing, animal husbandry and farming.

Nearly twenty Halkidian cities join the Delian League, including Mende, Olynthus, Potidaia, Scione and Torone. Fragment of an Athenian decree concerning the collection of tribute from the members of the Delian League, 447 BC, British Museum.

3rd & 2nd millennia BC

Ca. 430 BC

The “three fingers” of Halkidiki (Pallini/Kassandra, Sithonia, Athos) become home to numerous small Early and Middle Bronze Age settlements, often located in defensible positions or walled against attack, with easy access to small natural ports through which maritime trade begins to flourish.

9th – 7th centuries BC

Colonies – including Mende, Neapolis, Aphytis (Eretria), Torone (Chalcis) and Scione (Achaea) – are founded by more southerly Greek city-states and regions seeking to exploit Halkidiki’s rich timber (especially useful for shipbuilding) and mining resources (silver, gold and lead). The wine trade also develops.

655 BC

Stageira, birthplace of Aristotle, is established on the Athos peninsula by settlers from Andros. Akanthos, south of Stageira, and Sane (on the Kassandra Peninsula), also colonies of Andros, are founded. Olympiada, a village named after Alexander the Great’s mother, seen from Ancient Stagira.

Ca. 600 BC

Potidaia is founded by Corinth on the westernmost peninsula; later refounded as Cassandreia by Cassander in 316 BC. The city was destroyed by Huns and Slavs ca. AD 540. The canal presently visible bisecting the Pallini/Kassandra Peninsula at Nea Potidaia is said to have originally been the work of Cassander; its present form was achieved in 1935-1937 by an American engineering company.

483-480 BC

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The Halkidian League, a federation of city states centered at Olynthus, is formed, encouraged by Macedonia’s king Perdikkas II to offset the power of the Athensdominated Delian League. Perdiccas II tetrobol.

423-421 BC

Scione shifts allegiance to Sparta in the Peloponnesian War, only to suffer besiegement and defeat by Athens, followed by mass executions and enslavement. Nea Skioni today.

Ca. 392 BC

The Halkidian League signs a treaty with Macedonia’s King Amyntas; the treaty provides for mutual protection in case of invasion and outlines trade regulations governing Halkidiki’s exports, commercial relations with Macedonia and payment details for export dues. Amyntas III stater

356-354 BC

Philip II of Macedonia seizes Potidaia, then Methone, where he loses an eye in the fierce battle. Philip II, Thessaloniki

At least 6 million years ago…

BY John Leonard

349-348 BC

1045

Motivated by Demosthenesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; three speeches known as the Olynthiacs, Athens sends military expeditions to assist Olynthus in resisting Macedonian aggression. Nevertheless, the city falls to Philip II in 348 BC; he burns it to the ground and enslaves most of its population. Mosaic floor depicting Bellerophon, from a house in the ancient city of Olynthus.

The Athos Peninsula is named the Holy Mountain and is established as a closed, sacred district accessible only to Eastern Orthodox Christian monks and other male adults.

1430

After various foreign invasions (including Serbs and Venetians), the Pallini/ Kassandra peninsula, along with the rest of Halkidiki, is captured by Turkish forces and incorporated into the Ottoman Empire.

338 BC

Battle of Chaironeia takes place in Boeotia; Philip II wins complete authority over Greece, including Halkidiki. The Lion of Chaeronea, probably erected by the Thebans in memory of their war dead.

168 BC

End of 15th c.-1705

Exploitation of silver mines begins in the area of Madem Lakkos, near the village of Stratoniki. Villages in the area of Madem Lakkos come together to form the League of Mandemochoria. The district thrives, thanks to ore mining, agriculture and manufacturing.

Torone is invaded by the Romans, who eventually also seize the rest of Halkidiki and all of Greece. The Lecythus Fort in Torone.

1821

The inhabitants of Halkidiki, led by Emmanouel Papas, unsuccessfully revolt against the Ottoman Turks. Further uprisings in 1853 and 1878 also fail. Statue of Emmanouil Papas, in Serres.

Late 8th early 9th c. AD

St. Peter the Athonite becomes the first hermit to inhabit the Athos peninsula. Î&#x2014;e lived in a small cave that survives today, complete with chapel and kellion, between the Monastery of Megiste (Great) Lavra and the Skete of Kafsokalyvia. He had a strict ascetic existence for 53 years, eating nothing but herbs and sacred bread, his bedding and clothing worn to shreds, and in constant battle with temptation from the demons.

1912

Halkidiki becomes part of the modern state of Greece.

1970s-Present day

Tourist development begins in earnest with the construction of modern luxury resorts, catering not only to the residents of Thessaloniki eager for an easy escape destination but to a wide range of international travelers. Today the tourism industry is flourishing, as Halkidiki remains an exciting and inviting hotospot, attracting visitors from Russia, Serbia and the Balkans in general, but also from western Europe.

961-963

The Great Lavra, the oldest surviving monastery on Mount Athos, is founded by Saint Athanasios; other monasteries soon follow. The Katholikon of the Great Lavra Monastery.

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Â© Ephorate of Palaeoanthropology and Speleology of Southern Greece/HELLENIC REPUBLIC, MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS/Archaeological Receipts Fund

THE PETR ALONA CAVE

Home of the 200,000-Year-Old Man

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One of Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most impressive and important caves is located near the village of Petralona, on Katsika Hill BY A L E X A N D R A T Z AV E L L A

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ature has always been an unpredictable designer. This is more than apparent entering Petralona Cave, formed around a million years ago in the limestone of Katsika Hill. Nicknamed “the red-rock cave” because of the color that the bauxite deposits give to the stone, the cavern stretches across an area of 10,400m2 and consists of a series of stoas, chambers, high ceilings and pools, full of stalactites, stalagmites, curtains and shields, columns and other formations. Its discovery in 1959 opened a window into prehistoric times. Today, it is the most important of Greece’s 12,000 caves, thanks to its wealth of fossils (one of the richest collections in Europe) and to the discovery, around half a century ago, of the oldest human remains ever found in Greece. It was locals from the village of Petralona who first spotted a mysterious hole at the foot of Katsika Hill. They enlarged it to make a small entrance, climbed down by rope and emerged with their arms full of fossilized animal bones and teeth, which they took to Professor Petros Kokkoros of Thessaloniki’s Aristotle University. The scientific community was galvanized by the discovery and Greek scientists started excavating the site, opening passages and collecting finds. The cave’s reputation as a trove of geological and anthropological treasures soon crossed Greek borders. In September 1960, scientists made their greatest discovery: among hundreds of fossils from 22 different animals – prehistoric bears, lions and hyenas – they found a fossilized human skull. The skull’s anatomical characteristics indicate that it belonged to a figure transitioning from homo erectus to homo sapiens. Today, after much research and debate, it is believed to be 200,000 years old. The skull represented an important piece in the puzzle of human evolution. It is now considered the “Parthenon of paleontology” and has been studied by some of the greatest paleoanthropologists in the world. The cave has still not been fully explored; however, an artificial tunnel allows visitors easy access so they can admire the ornate formations and two samples of cave art. One is located at the cave’s original entrance and depicts a bear, while the sceond shows people eating. “It has not, however, been proved yet that people once lived

in the cave. The skull may have ended there accidentally. Future research involving international collaboration and new techniques would give us information regarding what exactly took place,” says Dr Evangelia Tsoukala, a paleontologist, professor at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and one of the researchers who studied the items recovered from the cave. “Halkidiki is constantly yielding fossils,” she explains. “In Kryopigi, we discovered three different species of prehistoric horse, a giraffe, a wild boar, small and large carnivores and small mammals. The most important fossil we found was one of the world’s best-preserved skulls of a Mesopithecus pentelicus,” a type of Old World monkey. In another area, Aghia Paraskevi, scientists found a series of teeth from the upper jaw of a Deinotherium, a trunked beast with tusks that walked the earth 5-10 million years ago. In Kassandra, they discovered many fossilized tree trunks and on the coast of Halkidiki, they came across evidence of giant turtles. There is an Anthropological Museum next to cave, a 1,000m2 building with 400 display cases containing over 2,500 finds not just from Halkidiki but from other sites studied by the Anthropological Association of Greece as well. Among the displays are fossils of large mammals found in Petralona Cave, stone and bone tools and fossils from other parts of northern Greece. The famous human skull is on display at Aristotle University’s Geology-Paleontology Museum, whose collection also features fossilized mammals, including some carnivores from Petralona Cave, as well as a significant number of casts and other finds from around the world. These objects, and in particular the Petralona Skull, give us invaluable insight, not only into our origins, but perhaps also into our future.

Info C a v e a n d m u s e u m , P e t r a l o n a v i l l a g e : Nea Kallikratia • Open Mon-Sun 8:00-20:00 • Tel. (+30) 23730.733.65 • €8

The skull represented an important piece in the puzzle of human evolution. It is now considered the “Parthenon of paleontology.”

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THE PETR ALONA CAVE

The Nychteridon (Bat) Chamber: Decoration with stalagmites covered with cave corals. The Geology and Paleontology Laboratory, 1963: the first of fossils from the Petralona Cave. From left: E. Tsorlinis, L. Sotiriadis, G. Marinos (director), Otto Sickenberg and H. Sakellariou-Mane.

Ursus spelaeus, cave bear: Skull, mandible and a strongly vaulted forehead.

The Petralona skull after the cleaning of its facial area by Prof. J. Melentis. Facial view. (Photo G. D. Koufos)

Bone splinters, typical food remains left by hyenas, which few researchers had mistaken for bone artifacts.

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CHALK IDIK I 2016

PROFILE

“The Master of Those Who Know” From one of Greece’s most geographically distinct and recognizable regions, Halkidiki, sprang one of the ancient world’s most distinctive, timeless characters: the philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC). BY John Leonard

he great shadow Aristotle cast through his insatiable intellect, meticulous observations and prolific legacy of textual material continues to hang over Halkidiki, especially its eastern coast, where he was born and raised – at Stageira. The product of a well-connected Stageirite family, Aristotle suffered the loss of both his parents by the age of ten and received much of his early education from his guardian. He moved to Athens to attend Plato’s Academy and went on to become a teacher, a profession that led him to Assos in Aeolia (western Asia Minor), Mytilene (Lesbos), Pella (the Macedonian capital), back to Athens and finally to Chalcis (Euboea). However, Aristotle was more than just a teacher. In formulating his inductive-deductive scientific method of Analysis, Aristotle laid the groundwork for modern science, and was in fact the first example of what we would recognize today as a “university professor.” He essentially shaped how scholars have been thinking and

expressing themselves – logically and persuasively – for more than 2,300 years. In the early 14th century, Dante Alighieri referred to Aristotle in his Divine Comedy as “The Master of Those Who Know.” What’s more, he lived in momentous times and moved in high circles, often rubbing shoulders with other key historical figures of his day. Son of a Doctor Aristotle’s hometown, Stageira, was originally a colony of Andros, located in a region, Halkidiki, that had been settled by people from Chalcis. Aristotle himself was a true native son, representing both of these founding ancestral lines: his father was a local Stageirite while his mother hailed from a landowning Chalcidean family in Euboea. Aristotle’s education likely began with training in medicine from his father, Nicomachus, who served as court physician to Macedonia’s King Amyntas III. The art of medicine was then a profession closely guarded by its

Marble portrait of Aristotle, Roman copy (2nd cent. BC) of a work by Lysippos (330 BC). The alabaster chiton is a later addition. (National Museum of Rome)

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practitioners, handed down from father to son. Unfortunately, Aristotle’s parents died while he was still young and an uncle or family friend, Proxenus of Atarneus, brought him up, providing lessons in Greek, rhetoric, poetry and probably composition. Philosophy, Politics and Str ange Creatures In 367 BC, Aristotle traveled to Athens to begin studies under Plato at the Academy. Aristotle was greatly influenced by his respected teacher, shaping his initial views after those of his mentor. Over time, however, he developed his own views on the many subjects (collectively considered “philosophy”) that he studied and taught. During his two decades in Athens, Aristotle’s intellectual interests spanned the arts and sciences and it was at this time that he began to develop his ordered and logical approach to supporting one’s own philosophical or scientific arguments and disputing those of others.

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PROFILE

Aristotle’s writings, although less elegant than Plato’s, were more systematic. Ultimately, he also diverged from Plato with regard to politics. While his aristocratic, conservative teacher condemned Athens’ extreme form of democracy, Aristotle, more a man of the people, cautiously approved of the Athenians’ progressive idea of rule through majority decision-making. Aristotle eventually departed Athens, accompanied by his friends Theophrastus (the future “father of botany”) and Xenocrates. They sailed northeast to Assos, where Aristotle assumed the leadership of a circle of philosophers assembled there by another old Academy friend, Hermias of Atarneus, now the city’s ruler. Aristotle spent the next four years — first at Assos, then on the island of Lesbos across the water — conducting fundamental scientific research, especially in zoology and biology, which remained unsurpassed for the next two millennia. His extraordinary powers of observation, together with those of the fishermen and other sharp-eyed informants or collaborators he relied on, led to the classification of more than 500 (often minutely described) species. Two intriguing creatures that Aristotle closely documented were the octopus and the Black Goby, a small fish local to Lesbos and surrounding waters. The investigator’s description of the octopus’ lengthy, vine-like, sperm-delivering hectocotyl arm and his accurate suppositions about the male goby’s highly peculiar mating habits and secondary sexual characteristics were long considered incredible and had to wait until the 19th and 20th centuries to be confirmed by modern science. A Royal Tutor In Pella, the boy who would become Alexander the Great was reaching adolescence, and his father must have decided that Aristotle would be useful in shaping his son’s young mind. 56

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Allegorical representation with Thomas Aquinas and Aristotle (St Thomas Aquinas kneeling and offering his works to the Roman Catholic Church, 1883-87, a fresco by Ludwig Seitz); ceiling of the Gallery of the Candelabra. (Vatican Museum, Rome)

Plato, Seneca and Aristotle; an illustration from a volume of philosophical texts, London, 1325-1335, p. 276. (University of Glasgow)

The philosopher was summoned to the Macedonian capital in 343 BC, where he took over Alexander’s education, tutoring him (and, if tradition holds true), other prominent sons at the shady, riverside cave complex at Mieza. A small L-shaped stoa (colonnaded, roofed walkway) once stood against the cliff face at the picturesque rural site (Veria-Naoussa-Edessa region), known today as the School of Aristotle. Aristotle fed Alexander’s omnivorous curiosity for knowledge, giving him instruction in Homeric literature, philosophy, morals, religion, logic, art, geometry, astronomy, rhetoric and medicine. The future king’s appreciation for learning was apparent again after 334 BC, when, on his Asian campaign, he included in his entourage a team of zoologists, botanists and other scientists. Prior to his departure for Persia, Alexander seems to have found another role for Aristotle, sending him back

The Youth of Aristotle, sculpture by Charles Degeorge, 1875. (Musée d’Orsay, Paris)

PROFILE

Plato’s Academy, mosaic from the Villa of T. Simius Stephanus in Pompeii, early 1st cent. BC. (National Archaeological Museum, Naples)

to Athens in 335 BC to establish a rival school of philosophy: the Lyceum. Over the next dozen years, Aristotle lectured repeatedly on a vast range of subjects – augmented and refined since his last tenure in Athens – including astronomy, biology, botany, chemistry, ethics, history, logic, metaphysics, meteorology, philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, physics, poetics, political theory, psychology, rhetoric and zoology. While is old alma mater the Academy maintained a relatively narrow scope, the Lyceum offered a broader view – more like a modern “university” – focusing especially on Aristotle’s favorite pursuit: the detailed examination of nature.

Statue of Aristotle by Cipri Adolf Bermann, 1915. (University of Freiburg)

Death and Legacy After Alexander’s demise in 323 BC, Athens again became uncomfortable for Aristotle. The following year, with the example of Socrates in mind, he is said to have departed the city at

his own choosing, wishing to save Athens from twice sinning against philosophy. He retired to Chalcis, where he soon passed away at age 62 from a stomach ailment – leaving all his papers and his vast scholarly library to Theophrastus, his successor at the Lyceum. Eventually, when Athens was overrun and looted in 86 BC by the Roman general Sulla, Aristotle’s writings were carried back to Rome, where, in 60 BC, they received their first collation, titles and commentary from Andronicus of Rhodes. Aristotle’s surviving works, although perhaps only one-fifth of his total output, still amount to about one million words; the most important texts include Physics, Metaphysics, Nicomachean Ethics, Politics, De Anima (On the Soul) and Poetics. Aristotle also invented the field of logic (“analytics”), pioneered zoology – both observational and theoretical – and systematically defined many other academic disciplines. He divided the sciences into three categories: productive (those offering products, such as engineering, architecture and rhetoric); practical (those guiding behavior, such as ethics and politics); and theoretical (those seeking information and understanding for their own sake, such as pure mathematics and what we know today as philosophy). Aristotle believed science must be approached logically. He demonstrated inductive and deductive reasoning in his now-famous syllogism: “A = B, B = C, A = C” or, as he also put it, “Every Greek is human; every human is mortal; therefore, every Greek is mortal.” He disagreed with Plato that application of reason was most important, instead suggesting a scientific method within which both logic and especially observation are essential. In this way, he fostered the birth of empirical science. Aristotle particularly excelled as a philosopher on ethics and politics. On happiness, he wrote that a good life is the philosophical life, the political life and the voluptuary (pleasure-loving) G R E E C E IS

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The School of Athens by Raphael, 1509-1510. Aristotle and Plato are in the center. (Apostolic Palace, Vatican)

life. On virtue, he argued that there are two kinds: moral and intellectual. Virtues are states of character that find expression in both good purpose and moderate action. Aristotle condemned the lending of money for profit (“most unnatural”); refused to condemn slavery as a whole; used the term “democracy” to signify anarchic mob rule; and suggested (quite meaningfully for our own cybernetic age) that despite being mortal, human beings should seek to make themselves as immortal as possible. He similarly seems to anticipate the invention of robots when he comments that if nonliving machines could be constructed to carry out everyday tasks, slaves would no longer be needed as living tools. In myriad ways, Aristotle was a man far ahead of his time. As an observer of human nature, he was sympathetic to the strengths, weaknesses and popular 58

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tastes that we account as common today. On drama, he noted that imitation is something natural and educational, familiar from childhood; by viewing theatrical tragedies, one can experience a catharsis of one’s own sorrows and anxieties. Although Aristotle was a devoted thinker who must have required solitude, he also greatly appreciated his happy family life—involving a daughter and a son, by different mothers—from which some of his astute observations on behavior may have stemmed. He valued as well the company of his professional colleagues, surrounding himself wherever he went with a circle of collaborating scholars. Later biographers characterize him as kindly and affectionate, yet with a biting wit, considerate to his family and servants but possessing many enemies and perceived by them as arrogant and overbearing. Above all, Aristotle was an accom-

plished speaker, a persuasive, well-spoken lecturer, a passionate teacher and a disseminator of knowledge, who, unlike his counterparts at the club-like Academy, opened the Lyceum to the general public to freely attend philosophical and scientific talks. As the world’s first research scientist, he made mistakes – such as placing the Earth at the center of the Universe – but he readily admitted ignorance when evidence was lacking. What he most trusted and emphasized was observed phenomena. Yet he is perhaps best remembered and most relevant for his essential, over-arching ideas that address such eternal concepts as place, time, causation, and determinism. As one of today’s great philosopher-historians, Sir Anthony J.P. Kenny, recalls, Aristotle once claimed that everyone must do philosophy, because even arguing against the practice of philosophy is itself a form of philosophizing.

PROFILE

Words of Wisdom a selection of Aristotle’s timeless quotes

All men by nature desire to know Me ta ph ysic s

Those whom devotion to abstract discussions has rendered unobservant of the facts are too ready to dogmatize on the basis of a few observations On Gener at ion a nd Cor rup t ion

That which we must learn before we can do, we learn by doing Nicomachean Ethics

A soul is the actuality of a body that has life

He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander

Me ta ph ysic s

Politics

My best friend is the man who, in wishing me well, wishes it for my sake

At his best, man is the noblest of all animals. Separated from law and justice, he is the worst

Nicomachean Ethics

Politics

Man is by nature a political animal Politics

Democracy arose from men’s thinking that if they are equal in any respect, they are equal in every respect Politics

The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet

Change in all things is sweet Nicomachean Ethics

Well begun is half done Politics

The poet should prefer probable impossibilities to improbable possibilities P o l i t i c s A friend to all is a friend to none Popul ar (reinterpreted) version*

A t t r i b u t e d t o A r i s t o t l e b y D i o g e n e s La e r t i u s , 3 r d c e n t. A D

* Original text: Those who have many friends and mix intimately with them all are thought to be no one’s friend (Nicomachean Ethics).

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View of the coastline from the walls of the north hill.

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In the footsteps of Aristotle Among the stones of his birthplace, the famous philosopher becomes less mythical, more real, and all the more astounding for it. BY AMBER CHARMEI

Aristotle’s statue gazes out at the bay from a fascinating park of interactive displays of his experiments in physics and perception, New Stagira.

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alkidiki is known as a prime destination for beach holidays. Curiously, it’s not very well known for the most important thing by far to have happened here – Ancient Stageira, at the peninsula’s eastern edge, is the birthplace of Aristotle. We are on a tour called The Footsteps of Aristotle”with Tassos Papadopoulos (of Thessaloniki Walking Tours), who has a way of making history tangible and fresh. Metaphorically and geographically, we are bypassing the Halkidiki of popular culture, cutting straight across its serene top with lakes of glass and hills dotted with haystacks. As we follow the sign for Mt Athos, the forests deepen, the road climbs and twists and the view opens to the sea. A hilly, verdant peninsula is off to the left. This is Ancient Stageira, a rich archaeological site in a setting that, even for Greece, is extraordinary—all the more so for appearing nearly untouched. At the peninsula’s northern edge is the small village of Olympiada; to the south, the only visible signs of contemporary civilization are the stakes of a mussel farm jutting out of the sea. In the distance is the island of Thasos; nearer still is Kapros— an islet named for the wild boar which, with if you really use your imagination, it resembles. The kapros was the sacred animal of ancient Stageira, appearing on their coins (rarest of rare) and, in a half boar/half lion version, over the city’s gate. If we are to be honest, the heritage we are here to explore in Aristotle’s home city is not just historical and archaeological, but also personal. “How can we live a fulfilling life? How can we live virtuously and well?” Our tour starts with this question; Aristotle was the only one who addressed it directly, concretely. We apply his ideas and his ideals to daily life, or at least we try to. This is how he remains current, relevant, and why from antiquity until the Enlightenment, he was the dominant figure in Western thought. We’re here to get to know him better, to gaze out at the same views he gazed at while he was becoming who he was. 62

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1. The walls of the city’s 5th century expansion to the south hill are of an unusually intricate construction.

Here among the stones of his childhood (and, somewhere nearby, his own bones, brought back here not long after his death), Aristotle becomes less mythical, more real, and all the more astounding for it. We start our tour outside the walls of the acropolis, the fortification for military use that was a refuge in times of siege. It’s a special wall, intricate and beautiful in composition and texture — shelves of slate are supported by large stones of marble at staggered intervals, the space between them filled with smaller stones of a third color. Polychromatic, varyingly textured, and with a dynamic rhythm, it is not a style commonly seen among ruins of ancient Greece. Our story and our journey begin here, with Aristotle’s birth into a well-connected family. His father, Nicomachos, was court physician to King Amyntas III (father of Philip II) of Macedonia (his mother, Phaistis, a woman of property from Chalcis in Evia). This relationship with the Mace-

2. The wilderness among the ruins is rich with finds waiting for excavation.

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3. Stageira’s rugged coastline and pristine waters as viewed from the air.

donian royal family would become pivotal for him, and for Stageira itself. The ruins are extensive, rambling over the city’s two hills. There is plenty for the imagination to go on, and faithful reconstructions have been added as well. A clay line in the walls clearly delineates the ancient from the restored, but subtly enough so that you can appreciate both the authentic and the augmented. Signage is discreet, minimal, and there are no fences or ropes. You come upon things as if you were the first ever to come upon them – it feels more like discovering than sightseeing. Soon we find the entirely intact foundations of a large, many-roomed house (like Aristotle’s perhaps) that would have looked out onto views of the southern bay. We follow the view to the ruins of entire complexes and the clear traces of the rounded walls of a tower. From the edge of the cliff, we can clearly see Kapros, looking wild and untouched. It’s not, though; it is actually packed with antiquities, as well as some Byzantine ruins. Back up the hill, the ruins taper off,

4. Ruins of Stageira’s grand ancient temple

Signage is discreet, minimal, and there are no fences or ropes. You come upon things as if you were the first ever to come upon them – it feels more like discovering than sightseeing.

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the foliage thickens, and soon we are in the woods, walking down a path thickly carpeted with leaves. It feels like we’ve left the ruins for the wilderness, but we are still within the walls and what appears untouched is actually – like Kapros – a great cache of finds waiting to be excavated. The woods themselves are key to Stageira’s story: in the 7th century BC, Stageira was settled by colonists from Andros, an island of seafarers, for purposes of trade and war. Their island was dry, rocky and in need of a colony rich in resources. Andros’ fleets were built from Stageira’s forests, and their naval campaigns funded by Stageira’s gold. The people of Andros settled the site’s northern hill in the 7th century BC, while the southern hill was developed two centuries later, as the population grew. Now we’re on the crest of the north hill, at one of Stageira’s most significant features: the temple. The intact foundation is formidable (one excavated side extends 30m). Stones of a Byz-

The Aristotle park is filled with activities that allow us to experience various phenomena of physics and of perception that were first observed and recorded by the world’s first true scientist.

antine church built on top still remain, but command less of a presence. Deeply charred stone suggests that marble was incinerated to produce lime (calcium oxide), a building material that the Byzantines of AD 1000 may have valued more than the classical statues they most likely destroyed to make it. The few remnants from the original structure that have survived make it easy to fill in the enormous gaps, though; certainly it was once a splendid temple. For much of his life, Aristotle did not live in Stageira. He left for the Academy in Athens when he was 17 (367 BC), and spent the next twenty years there. When Plato died, it wasn’t Aristotle who

succeeded him, but Plato’s nephew Speusippus. Aristotle left Athens and spent the next years inventing taxonomy and biology with his friend Theophrastus of Eresos, in Lesbos. Why did he go there instead of back to Stageira? For one thing, there was no Stageira to return to; the year before Aristotle left the Academy, Philip II of Macedonia (on the throne since 359 BC) destroyed it completely during his successful military campaign in Halkidiki. Stageira’s relevance as the city of Aristotle deepened with this dramatic episode – thanks only to his love for his hometown was Stageira ultimately reborn. When Aristotle finally came

Playful and profound: interactive exhibits of Aristotle’s observations on physics and perception.

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north again, in 343 BC, it was to tutor Philip’s heir, Alexander the Great. Apparently, Aristotle commanded his employer’s great regard: he asked Philip to rebuild Stageira, and Philip did. This strong relationship with the Macedonian court may have secured Aristotle’s important next step. In 336 BC, Alexander succeeded Philip (stabbed to death at his daughter’s wedding) and, before starting a career of dazzling campaigns that spread Hellenism far and wide, sent Aristotle back to Athens to found his own Lyceum. There, famously, he lectured strolling with his students. They came to be called “peripatetics” (from the Greek word for walking): those who lecture or learn while walking. Leaving the temple, we pass through shrubbery to arrive at the city’s gate, a place of particular archaeological interest because here there are ruins from all of Stageira’s incarnations: the original colony of Andros, the city rebuilt by Philip and the Byzantine city erected centuries later. Nearby is our final stop: ancient Stageira’s place of public debate, the Stoa (a roofed portico). We sit on the very benches they did, with the bases of the eight columns that once supported the roof standing before us. We’ve been brought to the center of civic life to hear an official document. When Alexander was killed in 323 BC, Aristotle’s relationship with the Macedonian court became a liability. The voicing of anti-Macedonian sentiment was spreading unchecked. Aristotle had been accused of blasphemy and, in order to avert “another insult to Philosophy” (referring to the execution of Socrates), he departed for Chalcis, to lands left to him by his mother. He fell ill, however, and it was there he wrote his will, from which Tassos reads us excerpts. Sitting on the benches of public debate in the town of

Aristotle’s birth, hearing the thoughts of this immortal man as he confronted his own mortality with practicality and thoughtfulness, was deeply touching. Ancient Greece has never seemed less of an abstraction, never more vivid than in listening to the philosopher’s genuine concerns for people in the world he would soon be leaving. A mind that had devoted itself to exploring every knowable thing of the natural world, to ethics, metaphysics and poetics, turned itself in his last weeks towards the well-being of his personal servants. In this, we can see him as a person who was the embodiment of the ethics he set forth, the same ethics that we hope guide us still. We started the tour in awe of Aristotle, but now, in addition to our admiration and respect, we find also a deep liking for him. Aristotle died in Chalcis, but the people of Stageira reclaimed his bones, and brought these remains back here. There is time for further reflection as we wind down the hill in all its lushness. We have one more stop – new Stageira – where there is a park dedicated to Aristotle. It’s filled with activities that allow us to experience various phenomena of physics and of perception that were observed and recorded by the world’s first true scientist. Here, the sobriety of our reflections is surprisingly easy to cast off. We go about the park like children now… Spinning discs with optical illusions, playing on a huge five-tone granite xylophone, creating mad vortexes in a tube of water, whispering to one another across a great distance in order to appreciate the magic of acoustics. We enjoy our hands-on experience of the world – a happy tribute to this most pragmatic of philosophers. There is a large marble statue in the park, but the pedestal does not read “Aristotle;” it simply states “The Stageirite.”

Info Aristotle Theme Park, Thessaloniki – Ierissos highway, Nea Stageira • Tel. (+30) 2377.021.130. Open daily 8:00-20:00. Admission €1 • Visit www.thessalonikiwalkingtours.com to find out about future tours.

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Aristotle’s Tomb Identified Greek Ministry of Culture archaeologist Kostas Sismanidis recently announced (26 May, 2016) the identification of a 4th-century BC tomb in Halkidiki that likely belongs to antiquity’s greatest philosopher, Aristotle. Sismanidis, not given to rushing-to-judgment, discovered the tomb 20 years ago at Stageira and since then has been assembling a constellation of convincing evidence that all points to one conclusion: Aristotle’s final resting place has indeed been located. The tomb, found near Stageira’s central marketplace and city gate, consists of an apsidal, tile-roofed building, set on a marble-paved floor, with an altar outside its door. Its unusual construction and various coins date the edifice to the time of Aristotle’s death in 322 BC. The building’s monumental or “heroon” character is attested by both the singular archaeological evidence and revealing, little-known historical sources. About AD 1000, a Byzantine defensive tower was built on top, obscuring the philosopher’s now-forgotten tomb. - John Leonard

MOUNT ATHOS

Closer to the Divine The 1000-year old Monastic State of the Holy Mountain is a haven for those who seek spiritual councel. BY Yiannis Chrysafis

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Early evening at Simonopetra, a monastery that seems suspended on the edge of a vertical cliff.

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1. A monk and icon painter, palette and paintbrush in hand. 2. Mealtime at one of the kellions. 3. Spiritual enlightenment, as monks read prayers by candlelight. 4. A smiling monk, captured by the legendary photographer Fred Boissonas in the late twenties. 5. Dressed for a day of hard work in the garden.

6. A monk cleaning his fishing boat. In the distance, we see Mylopotamos, the seat of Aghios Efstathios. 7. A donkey bringing firewood to the Gregoriou Monastery. In the background, we see the monastery’s main church. 8. A monk working outdoors. 9. The painstaking art of woodcarving is also an opportunity for prayer. 10. Farm work is one of the main duties for monks on Mount Athos. 11. Putting together a fair is an all-hands-on-deck occasion.

© STRATOS KALAFATIS/FROM THE SERIES “ATHOS THE COLOURS OF FAITH”/AGRA PUBLICATIONS, DIMITRIS VLAIKOS, SHUTTERSTOCK, NIKOLAOS TOMBAZIS/BENAKI MUSEUM PHOTOGRAPHIC ARCHIVES, EPHORATE OF ANTIQUITIES OF CHALKIDIKI AND MOUNT ATHOS/HELLENIC REPUBLIC, MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS/Archaeological Receipts Fund

12. The characteristic figure of an elderly monk.

n account of its profoundly mystical character, its prohibition on entry for women and its enormous religious symbolism and content, especially for Orthodox Christians, the Athos peninsula prompts you to approach Halkidiki in an entirely different way. This is, after all, the Ark of Orthodoxy, a refuge for men seeking a blessed place where they can draw closer to God through prayer and repentance. It is also a haven for those who feel the need to receive spiritual counsel, a fatherly caress, so that they may come closer – albeit briefly – to the divine. The journey there takes you first to Ouranoupoli – the harbor and last settlement before the monastic state. The touristic aspect fades, gradually replaced by the devotional element. As the boat approaches the jetty in the small harbor, an imposing 14th century tower, which once called to Prosforion, an exdependency of the Vatopedi monastery, comes into view. Most of the men on the boat hold only a small piece of luggage as they prepare to disembark. One of the first things you notive getting off the boat is the very large number of places to stay; these are used to accommodate the pilgrims. The easternmost “leg” of the Halkidiki peninsula holds a very special place in the tradition of the Orthodox Church, one that sets it apart from the other two similarly shaped “legs” and the surrounding region, perhaps even from the entire world. According to this tradition, the Blessed Virgin, immediately after the resurrection of Jesus, left the Holy Land with St John the Evangelist and, after a stormy sea voyage, reached the shores of Akti, as the Athos peninsula was then known. Mary was so enchanted by the beauty and the tranquility of the landscape, that she asked her Son to give it to her as a gift. Ever since, the Athos peninsula became known as the “Garden of the Mother of God” and has been dedicated to her grace. Approximately 50k long and a 10k wide, the Athos peninsula resembles the lush green natural setting of the

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rest of Halkidiki, at least in its northern half. The lower part is a more rocky, less verdant landscape dominated by the peak of Mt Athos (2,033m). Pilgrims visiting this extraordinarily beautiful land should not expect to see towns, villages or beaches with tourist facilities, hotels and restaurants. For more than 10 centuries, Mt Athos has been a unique religious state, the peaceful custodian of Orthodoxy, a place of sanctuary for men who have abandoned all things worldly and come here to become monks, in organized communities or hermitages. Scattered across the peninsula there are 20 monasteries – 17 Greek, one Russian, one Serbian and one Bulgarian – along with their dependencies, namely 12 sketes and about 400 cells – plus an administrative center. In total, around 2,000 Orthodox monks live on Mt. Athos, most of them from Greece but many from other countries as well. The 20 monasteries are independent, self-governing and sovereign, though together they form the Holy Community of Mount Athos, under the spiritual jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. A multilingual booklet on sale in Ouranoupoli will help you do some research and connect past and present during the sea crossing to the monastic state. Throughout its history, Mt Athos has always been a center of asceticism and retreat. In the Classical era, there were at least six temples dedicated to the ancient Greek religion of the Twelve Olympians (Dodekatheon), while in Early Christian times it was home to a number of ascetics and hermits, culminating in the 53-year stay of Saint Peter the Athonite in the 8th century. There were two main factors that impelled many monks to seek refuge on Mt Athos: the emergence and violent spread of Islam after the 7th century, and the Iconomachy, the conflict over the status of icons and other images as objects of worship, which lasted around 150 years, during which Mt Athos remained firmly on the side of the iconodules (those who favored icons).

A milestone date in the history of Mt Athos is AD 963, which marks the official establishment of the monastic state. This is the year when Athanasios the Athonite founded the first organized monastery, Megiste (Great) Lavra, and instituted the rules governing not only its running but also the general conduct and day-to-day life of the monks. In the years that followed, more monasteries were founded, including Vatopedi, Iviron and Xenophontos, which still exist, as well as others that were abandoned over the centuries, such as Zygos and Morphonou (established by monks from the Italian maritime republic of Amalfi). As the monasteries and their dependencies sprung up one after the other in this part of the peninsula, they became home to hundreds of monks. From the 11th century onwards, due to increasing attacks by pirates, the scattered monastery buildings were converted into monastic fortresses, protected by high fortified walls and towers. Similar defenses were also constructed at the monasteries’ landing points, which were vital since all transportation of passengers and goods was by sea. On Mt Athos, the imagination is fueled by unfamiliar sights and sounds, but curiosity and questions are soon displaced by the dignified and wisdom-filled silence of the monks, a quiet which further enhances the mystical nature of their presence there. Nevertheless, visitors have the opportunity to ascertain that the life of an Athonite

AVATON According to the written rules of Mt Athos, it is forbidden for women to enter by any means or stay anywhere in the monastic state. This prohibition is called avaton in Greek. Any breach of the rule is a punishable offence, because Mt Athos is dedicated to one woman whom all the monks honor and pray to; the Blessed Virgin.

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1. The Iviron Monastry, with its characteristic fortress form. 2. The Gregoriou Monastry was built in 1310 and is an impressive example of engineering. 3. The imposing Aghios Panteleimonas Monastery, also known as the Russian monastery, which stands out thanks to its green roof. 4. At Great Lavra, the first monastery to be founded on Mount Athos in AD 963, the main church stands proudly in the middle of the inner courtyard. 2

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Father Modestos in the hostel of the Panaghia Portaitissa kellion, an annex of the Koutloumousiou Monastery.

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On Mt Athos, curiosity and questions are soon displaced by the dignified and wisdomfilled silence of the monks.

monk is still guided by the rules laid down by the Venerable Athanasios, the particular rules of each monastery, and a monk’s obligation to observe his three vows of obedience, poverty and chastity. The life of a monk revolves around two main kinds of activities: there is prayer, spiritual preparation and active participation in the religious services, liturgies and rites; and there is the performance of the daily work assigned to each monk, collectively known as diakonimata (tasks or duties). A monk’s daily schedule does not change: rising just after midnight for private prayer; from 4 in the morning taking part in morning liturgies and immediately afterwards, around 8:309:00, having the first meal of the day, observing all rules of abstinence or fasting, with meat forbidden entirely. Then each monk sets about his daily duties or tasks. At around 13:00, he takes a rest and at 16:30 he is at vespers, which is followed by the second and final meal of the day. The compline service is next, and then he has some free time for reading, meeting with his spiritual teacher or quiet contemplation until he calls it a day. The highlight of any pilgrim’s acquaintance with daily life on Mt Athos is their participation in the religious services; Holy Mass and – for those seeking spiritual contact with a monk – confession. It should be stressed that not all visitors are the same. I have had the good fortune to accompany many visitors to Mt Athos. Some were believers, some less so, some were progressive and some were conservative, but they had one thing in common. They all in76

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dicated that the Holy Mountain had affected them in a singular way, whether to a greater or lesser degree, and never negatively. MONASTERIES & ADMINISTRATION The 20 monasteries in order of their place in the Athonite hierarchy are: Great Lavra, Vatopedi, Iviron, Helandariou, Dionysiou, Koutloumousiou, Pantokratoros, Xiropotamos, Zografou, Dochiareiou, Karakalou, Filotheou, Simonas Petras, Aghiou Pavlou, Stavronikita, Xenophontos, Osiou Grigoriou, Esphigmenou, Aghios Panteleimonas and Konstamonitou. Together, they form the Holy Community, whose seat is at Karyes, the only settlement on Mt Athos. Karyes is also the seat of the Greek Civil Authority and the base for all public services and utilities, including police, a health center, telephone exchange, post office, bank, fire department and a handful of small stores. One of the most striking edifices here is the imposing Protaton, the oldest church on Mt Athos, adorned with wonderful 13th century frescoes by Manuel Panselinos, an exponent of the Macedonian School of painting, along with icons on the templon painted by Theophanes of the Cretan School in the 17th century. The church also houses the miraculous “Axion Esti” icon and is where the official services of the Holy Community are held. For centuries, Mt Athos has been administered in a truly democratic way, following the framework also of the official procedures laid down in its charter, ratified in 1924. Each monastery appoints one representative to the governing body, the Holy Community. These representatives, presided over by the Protos (lit. “First”), convenes every Monday and Thursday to discuss issues and make decisions. All the monasteries have been institutionally divided into five groups of four, from which five four-member Holy Councils (Iera Epistasies) are formed. Each Epistasia serves for one year, presided over by a representative from one of the

five senior monasteries (on the basis of the hierarchy already mentioned). The rotating four-member Holy Epistasia assumes its administrative duties on 1 June each year, acting as a kind of executive authority of the Holy Community. The presiding representative of the senior monastery, the Protepistates, also holds the office of Protos for that year. During their term, the Protepistates and the three Epistates each hold one part of the great seal of the Holy Community, which is used to seal all documents. Naturally, the consent of all four council members is required in order to assemble the seal. ENVIRONMENT & CULTURE To the visitor, it is very clear that nature has generously endowed this place. Dense forests – particularly chestnut – olive groves and vineyards, but also sublime beaches, some 1,500 species of plants and an abundant fauna compose a unique natural environment, completely unspoiled. And while the buildings may be the most striking – monasteries, churches, towers and cells – there are also many extraordinary works of art, rich libraries with manuscripts and heirlooms, centers and schools for icon painting and carpentry, as well as classes in liturgical chant and in traditional methods of producing oil and wine. Mt Athos constitutes a very unique society, one in which prayer is the path to salvation for soul and spirit.

ACCESS Mt Athos is accessed only by boat, mainly from Ouranoupouli (for west coast monasteries) but also from Ierissos (for east coast monasteries), and only provided that pilgrims have first contacted the monastery, skete or cell they intend to visit and have been issued the necessary diamoneterion (visitation permit) from the office in Ouranoupoli.

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1. A famous icon of the Virgin, Axion Estin (It Is Truly Meet), in the Church of Protaton (meaning the first) in Karyes, the capital of Mount Athos. The faithful believe the icon to be miraculous.

2. A wall painting from AD 1290 in the Church of Protaton depicting Peter the Athonite, believed to be the first hermit on the Athos peninsula, settling there in the late 8th or early 9th century AD.

3. The Bull of Byzantine Emperor Alexius Comnenus III, dated to AD 1374. His wife Theodora is seen beside him. (Monastery of Dionysiou)

5. Pages from the Pilgrim’s Guide to the Holy Land, dated to AD 1680. (Monastery of Dionysiou)

4. An old seal of the Holy Community of Mount Athos. Each of its pieces represented the four caretakers of the monastic community.

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The bay of Glarokavos is ideal for a swim, for water sports, as well as a good place for fishing boats and sailboats to drop anchor. The pine trees sweep down from the surrounding hillsides to the sandy shores, offering a thick canopy of shade along with a sense of tranquility that is further heightened by the sounds of the cicadas. Sailing races are held here in the summer.

KASSAN HIGHLIGHTS

the dunes

Less than 40 minutes from Thessaloniki, the 6k â&#x20AC;&#x153;Saharaâ&#x20AC;? coastline in Nea Kallikrateia, with its sand dunes and quiet waters, is an ideal spot for a quick respite, some water sports and surprising dolphin sightings.

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Natural Reserve

Best known for its big religious feast in September, Aghios Mamas also has an important wetland where rare bird species nest year-round.

Instant cooler

Siviri (its name is associated with Siberia) is always cool and ideal for an evening stroll, family activities and getting a dose of culture while on vacation at the Kassandra Festival, held at the open-air amphitheater near the village.

Captivating Sunset

In Poseidi, at the tip of the small peninsula jutting out to the west and where the Temple of Poseidon is located, the horizon stretches into the distance, offering a view of the mountains of Pelion, Kissavos, Olympus and Vermio. The sunset from this spot is breathtaking.

Hot earth

Aghia Paraskevi is not just one of the most charming villages on the peninsula; it is famous for its thermal springs, 5k to the south, next to the village of Loutra. at a slight elevation with a magnificent view.

FOCUS

AT A GLANCE Named after Kassander, king of Macedonia during the Hellenistic period, the westernmost peninsula of Halkidiki was already inhabited in the Prehistoric era and was the location of four important ancient cities: Mende, renowned for its wine; Aphytis; Potidaea, which was involved in the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC); and Scione. Mostly seen nowadays as just a quick summer getaway destination for Thessaloniki residents, Kassandra has much more to offer than trendy beach-bars, family seaside resorts and luxury hotels. With the fragrance of rare plants and herbs creating new memories along its different paths and the imposing outline of Mt Olympus on the distant horizon, it is a tourist destination to be discovered little by little. Its magnificent natural environment, a rich history reflected in the scattered – and often ignored – archaeological remains, the stunning beaches with the calm aquamarine waters and the unexplored corners in the south are all there for the taking by visitors willing to venture off the beaten track.

NDRA The sea between

Nea Potidea, built after 1922, is touched by the sea on three sides, thanks to the impressive canal connecting the Thermaic Gulf with Toronean Bay that was first completed in the 4th century BC. One of the longest sandy beaches (15k) lies to the east, and a quiet and charming harbor featuring sections of a Byzantine wall lies to the west.

After the Nightlife

Aside from being a trendy tourist destination with clubs, restaurants and large hotels, Kallithea also has an important place in history, evidenced by the sanctuary of Zeus Ammon (8th cent. BC), which is open to visitors, and the early Christian basilica in Solinas (5th cent. AD) with its impressive mosaics.

Beyond the Pines

One of the more remote locations to the southeast is lushly green Paliouri, with countless natural bays and quiet beaches of white sand, pebbles and pine trees growing right down to the waterline. It’s the perfect spot for those who want to reconnect with nature.

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FOCUS I AF Y TOS

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS Combining a mountainous ambience, access to beautiful beaches, unique architecture and gastronomy, historic Afytos has evolved into an eclectic summer destination. BY DA N A I S O F I A VA R DA L I 1

fytos is a special kind of village, a combination of a traditional mountain hamlet and an island. Built above the Toroneos Gulf in a location that has been inhabited since prehistoric times, it stands out from Kassandra’s typical tourist resorts, thanks to its traditional stone homes, its well-maintained 19th century mansions and its picturesque cobbled alleys. Its location – at a height above the sea and invisible from the main road below – has helped safeguard it from the tourism development that has engulfed so many other towns in the region, and has allowed it to acquire a loyal but more eclectic following. Afytos has gone through many changes, triggered both by history and by serendipity. Its location and its abundance of commodities (olives, grain, honey, wine and timber) brought wealth and prosperity in archaic and classical times. However, with wealth can come danger, and Afytos was destroyed by Philip II of Macedonia in 348 BC, only to rise once more in the Roman and Byzantine eras. Its involvement in the 1821 War of Independence led at one point to its near-total abandonment, but it managed to emerge victorious yet again; from 1860 onwards, it entered a new period of growth. 82

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1. One of the many cobblestone alleys leading to Koutsomylos, the acropolis of Afytos. 2. The picturesque village square, with the Museum of Folk Art seen in the backround. 3. Excellent food, served both in tavernas and upmarket restaurants, attracts visitors all year long. 4. Inside the workshop of sculptor Vasilis Pavlis, a champion of the native rock whose works can be spotted all across Afytos.

Commercial ties with areas like Pilio and the Northern Sporades have left definite traces in its architecture, which is a successful combination of disparate elements: don’t be surprised to see a small whitewashed home with blue shutters standing next to an ochre neoclassical-inspired mansion. Where the town’s architecture truly displays its unique nature is in the building material – local stone composed of sand and shells that is used widely, not only in construction, but also by local sculptors. “Many of us take an amateur interest in art,” says Vassilis Pavlis, former president of the community and today a sculptor and a champion of the native rock. “This is hardly surprising given the landscape, the character of the village and its ancient history. Afytos has a certain mystique, a different spirit.” Visitors like to come to Afytos to stroll around its lovely streets, enjoy a meal or meze at its cafés and tavernas, and search its small shops for gifts and souvenirs of folk art or traditional products, such as jars of honey, soap made with olive oil, or ornate gourds – known as kratounes – once used by the townspeople to transport water.

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STOPS

The brainchild of local artist Nikos Paralis, this museum is located on the town’s main square. Items on display include old agricultural tools, silk embroidered fabrics with motifs inspired by the mosaics of early Christian churches, and a complete reproduction of an old mansion, including all of its original housewares.

Aghios Dimitrios The church was built in 1858 by masons from northern Epirus who used local limestone; it is notable for the marble dove on its bell tower. Recent restoration efforts uncovered the original artwork on the marble iconostasis. Here, you will also see icons from the 14th century.

Katsani Mansion

1. Wining and dining with a sea view, at the rocky elevated location of Vrachos.

2. The interior of an old mansion, including all of its original housewares, as displayed at the Museum of Folk Art in Afytos.

NEARBY Aghios Pavlos Tower Nea Fokaia, a 10-minute car ride away, is home to a well-preserved Byzantine tower from 1407 that protected the parish lands of the Aghios Pavlos Monastery in Mount Athos. The tower is connected by a 20-meter tunnel to an underground chamber, possibly an ancient Macedonian tomb, that is said to be where St Paul hid from his persecutors; it has been transformed into a chapel in his honor.

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The home of a family of wealthy merchants from the eastern Aegean island of Chios, this house was built in 1865 and reflects influences from both the style of the monasteries of Mount Athos and the vernacular architecture of Pilio.

Vrachos Vrachos is, as its name indicates, a rocky location with an amazing view of the sea, attractive seafood restaurants and café-bars decorated in a minimalist island style.

BEACHES Walk down to the end of the village and you will reach the beaches of Varkes, Pounta, Liosi and Dafni. They are all relatively quiet, with calm, clean waters, pale sand and beach bars that blend into the natural environment.

Museum of Folk Art

FOCUS I SOUTH K A S SANDR A

Remote Beauty South Kassandra is a natural gem, if a little unpolished; its rugged beauty requires that you “conquer it first and enjoy it later.” BY DA N A I S O F I A VA R DA L I

here does the northern, more cosmopolitan part of the Kassandra peninsula end? Locals say there is an imaginary line that connects Kryopigi (on the east coast) to Poseidi (on the west). When you cross it, heading south, you enter a different place. At a safe distance of 100k from Thessaloniki – far enough to keep the masses away – this southern section of the peninsula reveals some of the most beautiful spots to be found anywhere along the 522k of Halkidiki coastline. Down here, there are villages which have retained their authentic charm and their connection to the centuries-old history of the region, along with remains of ancient temples, fragrant pine forests and natural bays steeped in myths and folk legend. 86

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Crimson sunsets The most breathtaking sunsets in northern Greece are visible from this spot, where the remains of ancient Mende, known throughout the Mediterranean for its wine, are still visible. Standing at the tip or “nose” of the cape near Poseidi, just past the Temple of Poseidon, you can watch the sun as it follows a rose-colored downward trajectory beginning over Pilio and ending as it disappears behind the sharp, snow-covered peak of Mount Olympus in the far distance.

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ÂŠ YADID LEVY

FOCUS I SOUTH K A S SANDR A

Paliouri: Game of Coves A series of lovely natural bays begins just past the Xenia Coast, also known as Chroussou Bay, and continues as you head south. Next to the abandoned Xenia Hotel, a remnant of the Greek architectural boom of the 60s, is the welcoming Cabana Beach Bar. Even further south is the newly built luxury hotel Miraggio Thermal Spa Resort; the idyllic Port Valitsa, barely visible from the road; and the charming village of Paliouri, which is well-known for its abundant nature, its choice honey and its fantastic beaches. The thick pine forest and the hills scattered through the area are perfect for exploring, while the quiet beaches with trees growing down to the shore make this the ideal choice for those who want to unplug for a while and commune with nature. Quite a few of the beaches are unmarked and hard to see from the road; youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have to make a quick stop at the village to get directions to the best swimming spots.

Aghia Paraskevi: NATURAL SPA Although most versions of the myth say the giant Enceladus was buried under Mt Aetna in Sicily, a local variation claims he was buried alive here on Kassandra, while fighting the Olympian gods. If anything is reminiscent of that battle, it is the thermal springs 5k south of Aghia Paraskevi, in the settlement of Loutra. The baths themselves are in a unique location; the outdoor pool hangs over the sea, and the bewitch-

FOCUS I SOUTH K A S SANDR A

ing view is probably even more therapeutic than the sulfurous waters bubbling up at a steady 39°C. Loutra’s charming harbor, very close to the thermal springs, is great for an evening stroll and a meal, especially fresh seafood. But before that, have in mind that a path that begins near to where the springs are located and runs down the sea will take you to a seaside cave. Warm sea water with healing properties wells out here. Locals claim this is the best diving spot on the peninsula.

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ÂŠ PERIKLES MERAKOS, YADID LEVY, GETTY IMAGES/IDEAL IMAGE

Kryopigi

A DAY OF LEISURE Built on a hill incline sloping down to a beach with turquoise waters encircled by pines, Kryopigi rewards the leisurely explorer. With narrow lanes, stone-built houses and cobblestone squares, the village offers fine examples of authentic Greek architecture. At the restaurants Avli tis Anthoulas and Trizoni, you can taste the local cuisine in dishes using the best local ingredients. Heading north out of the village, you cross that imaginary line yet again, leaving south Kassandra behind. Not to worry, though; now that you have seen what it offers, chances are youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be back soon.

Nea Skioni: miraculous The seaside chapel of Panagia Faneromeni in Nea Skioni dates back to the 16th century. There are various legends associated with its miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary, painted directly onto a large black limestone slab; according to one, the icon traveled by itself from Thessaly to Kassandra, and the locals, seeing the stone floating in the sea, recovered it and placed it here.

Flora Graeca

GODS VS GIANTS Polyhrono, Hanioti & Pefkochori, three of the most popular resorts in Halkidiki, create a short strip of tourist activity in south Kassandra. There are rooms to rent, tavernas and a colorful array of densely planted beach umbrellas. On the beach at Pefkochori, you can see the work of sculptor Paraskevas Mageiras depicting the mythical Gigantomachy, or Battle of the Giants (particularly relevant since one version of this myth designates Kassandra as the place where the gods of Olympus clashed with the Giants). Just 3k west of Polyhrono, the road leads to one of the most pristine areas of the peninsula. Lake Mavrobara, a nesting place for turtles and rare species of birds, is located here, surrounded by pine trees; it provides an ideal terrain for mountain-biking.

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Hawthorn, wormwood, sedges, mint, centaury, oregano and thyme are some of the herbs known since antiquity for their therapeutic properties and still found today in south Kassandra. Stelios Litzerinos, a herbalist who many also call a healer, is passionate about identifying them. In the traditional village of Fourka, Stelios shows us around his lab, eager to share his knowledge and his concoctions. The room is full of rocks, shells and herbs, along with the tinctures he extracts himself.

Kavourotrypes, a string of small beaches on the eastern coast of Sithonia, are thought to be among the prettiest in Greece.

SITHON HIGHLIGHTS

Beaches

Kavourotrypes, Vourvourou, Sarti, Tristinika, Kalogria and Lagomandra are just a few of the wonderful beaches that form the stunning mosaic of Sithoniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coastline.

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Tradition

History buffs and visitors looking for an authentic, traditional experience should visit the villages of Parthenonas and Old Nikiti, both offering excellent examples of Macedonian architecture.

camping

Sandy beaches, clear waters, pristine natural surroundings and lush vegetation that sometimes reaches right down to the sea, are but some of the reasons why Sithonia is a favorite among campers.

Resorts

The historic Porto Carras resort is a landmark of northern Greece; the high-end hotel experience can also be found at Ekies All Senses Resort and the luxurious Danai Beach Resort and Villas.

NIA Neos Marmaras

This is probably Sithonia’s bestknown village, popular among locals and tourists alike for its seaside tavernas serving fresh fish platters accompanied by ouzo.

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AT A GLANCE Sithonia, the middle outcrop of the Halkidiki peninsula, is the link, or middle ground, between cosmopolitan Kassandra and the monastic retreat of Mount Athos. Its mild climate, pine forests and sandy beaches, as well as its smattering of lovely islets just off the coast, make it particularly popular with nature lovers and outdoorsy types. Located between the Gulf of Mount Athos, or Singitic Gulf, and the Toronean Gulf, Sithonia may have been named after Poseidon’s son, King Sithon. The Sithones may have been Phrygians from Anatolia who united with a Thracian tribe. In ancient times, several cities grew powerful and prosperous in the region, including Parthenopolis, Toroni and Sarti. Among its many natural attractions, pride of place is held by Mount Itamos (or Dragoudelis), protected under the Natura 2000 network. In modern times, Sithonia (like Halkidiki and northern Greece in general) has been affected by numerous historical events, most notably the expulsion of the Greeks from Asia Minor in Turkey in the 1920s, which led to an influx of refugees who formed new settlements like the village of Neos Marmaras. Endowed with traditional villages like Parthenonas and Palia Nikiti, beautiful beaches and luxurious resorts, Halkidiki’s second cape, or leg, has a wide variety of attractions that make it an ideal vacation destination.

Nature escapes

Explore Mount Itamos alone or take part in a “connect-with-nature” experience that includes hiking, biking and horseback riding.

Islet excursions

Little jewels of islands dot the coastline of Sithonia, such as Diaporos just off Vourvourou Beach, a great escape from the beach crowd.

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Â© PERIKLES MERAKOS

Karydi, in the area of Vourvourou in eastern Sithonia.

FOCUS I the be ache s

BLUE, BLUER, BLUEST As if famous beaches like Kavourotrypes and Vourvourou weren’t enough, Sithonia is also blessed with idyllic islets that make each and every day at the seashore unforgettable. BY E L E F T H E R I A A L AVA N O U

If there’s one thing that makes Sithonia stand out, it’s the beaches. Here is the beautiful lagoon of Livari.

Kavourotrypes

FOCUS I THE BEACHE S

well-sculpted, bronzed figure lays belly down, somewhat ungracefully, on a flat rock, roasting in the sun. With no thought of striking a more elegant pose, no hint of showing off, she has surrendered to the moment, as though no one can see her and nothing else matters. Such abandon can only be attributed to the effect that this place has on its lucky visitors. We’re on the eastern coast of Sithonia, 39k from Nikiti, at Kavourotrypes (‘crab holes’), a string of small beaches with pine trees, powder grey-colored rocks and azure waters that lend a tropical note to the landscape. It is the perfect spot for summer vacation fantasies. Its magnificence, of course, comes at a price – hordes of tourists in the summer months – so, if your schedule allows, come during the low season. Another popular area in eastern Sithonia is Vourvourou Bay, about 17k from Nikiti. There are three great swimming spots here: the beach of Vourvourou proper, the sandy cove of Karydi and the Livari Lagoon, with its shallow waters and a sand bar known as Livaropetra that just calls out to sun worshippers. If you’re traveling by boat, it’s worth going the extra mile to the islets of Aghios Isidoros and Diaporos, so close to Sithonia that it’s often hard to see where the mainland ends and these islands begin. Though small, they are true Mediterranean paradises, strewn with the bodies of blissfully happy beachgoers. Heading west The southwestern tip of 98

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Sithonia, about 52k from Nikiti, is renowned for Porto Koufo, a quiet seaside village on Toronean Gulf that is the perfect place for a lovely, lazy afternoon. The natural sheltered harbor here has been known since antiquity as ‘the deaf port’ (‘koufo’ means deaf in Greek) because it was said that one could not hear the sea from its shores. Further north from here, there is a small islet called Kelyfos (‘shell’), but also known as Turtle Island, thanks to its shape. Inhabited today only by wild goats and sea birds, the island is said to have traces of a temple dedicated to Zeus at its summit. More impressive even than its beauty, its lush vegetation, the crystal waters and the screeching gulls, were the people who took us to Kelyfos. Paraskevas and his son Giorgos are fishermen who make their living trawling for bream, scorpion fish, lobsters and other sea creatures. They welcomed us onto their 8.5m boat overflowing with tools of the trade and more: knives, galoshes, muddy sneakers, binoculars, sunglasses, pens, nets, and a fathometer. Paraskevas, who treated us to a delightful two-hour cruise off Neos Marmaras, apologized for the messy state of his boat, explaining it was the “cleaning lady’s day off”, before demonstrating to us how he casts and gathers his nets. We watched him with interest, knowing that it was here on these waves that he made his living, but it was impossible not to appreciate it as a place of beauty as well, and a perfect destination for those of us taking a break from work.

Diaporos

DIAPOROS - MYRSINI

Â© PERIKLES MERAKOS, YADID LEVY

VOURVOUROU

Karydi

Kavourotrypes

Diaporos

Between Kelyfos and Neos Marmaras DIAPOROS

Kelyfos

FOCUS I PARTHENONA S

Past & Present The village of Parthenonas is known for its well-maintained Macedonian houses, its original folk art museum and, more recently, for its summer film festival. BY E L E F T H E R I A A L AVA N O U

ituated at an altitude of 350m in the verdant foothills of Mount Itamos, some 6k from Neos Marmaras, Parthenonas is a lovely little village, particularly as its beautifully preserved models of vernacular Macedonian architecture are hard to come by. Yet just 50 years ago, things were very different; residents had abandoned the village en masse to find work at Neos Marmaras, the hub of a burgeoning tourism industry. It was several years after that before any interest was shown in this authentic village, thanks to media coverage and a government initiative to have it listed for preservation. This attention attracted individuals looking for a summer home off the beaten path. Dozens of “outsiders” came to the nearly deserted village, bought up the abandoned homes and restored them to their original glory, ushering in a new period of growth. Today, the pride of Parthenonas – other than the 1837 Church of Aghios Stefanos – is the old elementary school that serves as a museum of local history and folklore. Recently renovated, the museum now has an updated approach to the presentation of its exhibits and does not suffer from that quaint (but slightly sad) old-fashioned feel of so many local museums. Luckily, our guided tour is conducted by Stella Margariti, president of 100

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the Parthenon Cultural Center and an authority on the village’s history and culture. She explains the significance of all the items exhibited, including the looms that ensured every household was well stocked with the rugs, throws, tablecloths and bedding for which this part of Greece is so well known. Kneading boards for bread and clay storage jars for pickles, olives, lard, sausages and sundry other pantry staples are further evidence of the village’s traditional past. The troknies are especially interesting – old-world baby carriers that allowed the women to keep their infants close while still leaving their hands free for chores. Parthenonas is not just banking on its past, however. Now in its second year, the Parthenοn Film Festival (parthenonfilmfestival.tumblr.com), draws summer crowds to the village’s main square with art-house fare and popular retro comedies. Brothers Fotis and Christos Politis, two of the five organizers, explain how the idea for this event came about. “We all grew up in Marmaras, and we’re all close friends. For most of our childhood, Marmaras had an open-air theater. That one shut down at some point, so we decided to start a summer film festival in Parthenonas, not just to revive that summer experience from our boyhood, but also to give something back to our parents’ village.”

Feasting and walking One date to circle on your calendar when organizing your visit is July 27, the feast day of Aghios Panteleimon, which is marked with a large celebration in the village square. Another interesting event later in the year that would add color to your visit is the Dragoudelis Crossing, a one-day festival celebrating nature on Mount Itamos (a protected Natura 2000 site, also known as Dragoudelis). The event will send walkers and riders out on their choice of six hiking routes, one bicycle route and one route for horses, all of which terminate at the village, where participants will be given refreshments in the square.

1. The women used to wear a baby-sling called a troknia, which allowed them to hold their infants while doing chores. 2. The view at sunset from Paul’s traditional taverna is mesmerizing. 3. Parthenonas is arguably the most beautiful of Sithonia’s traditional villages. 4. You can get a good idea of what life used to be like in Parthenonas by visiting the Museum of Local History and Folklore.

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Â© PERIKLES MERAKOS

FOCUS I CAMPING

WHO NEEDS A HOTEL? Camping has been synonymous with the Sithonia peninsula for decades. B Y E leftheria A lavanou

Greek lawyer and his German wife made the first move in the ‘60s by launching Mylos Camping in Nikiti, the main town of the Sithonia peninsula. At the time, the venture’s official business name was “Holiday Center for Foreigners”, suggesting just how new a concept camping was for locals. Over the next two decades, more campgrounds opened in the middle leg of Halkidiki’s three peninsulas. The establishment of Sithonia as a camping destination was helped by the fact that the area’s natural environment remained largely pristine, unlike the Kassandra peninsula to the west, which was slightly closer to Thessaloniki and had already experienced rapid development. Today, 26 of Halkidiki’s 38 camping facilities are located in Sithonia. The majority of them are friendly family-run businesses. Do not expect, however, to see rows of tents pitched side by side. Instead, most are filled with trailers with LCD television sets and terraces topped with pergolas; mobile homes equipped with bedrooms, dining spaces, kitchens, bathrooms and air conditioning systems; or RVs with attachable awnings and gas barbecues. Tents, in fact, seem to be the least popular of all camping options. Our tour of Halkidiki’s campgrounds began at the east side of the Sithonia peninsula, 12k beyond Vourvourou, on the road headed towards Sarti. Akti Oneirou (meaning ‘Dream Coast’), a luxury campground, is located here.

1. Luxury camping and bungalows at Akti Oneirou (Dream Coast), right by the beach.

2. Sunbathing at the Armenistis camping.

Spotlessly clean and very well-appointed, it began operating about ten years ago. No trailer? No problem. Newly renovated bungalows are on offer here as well. Taking a walk by the coast, we happened to meet Pavlos. His daughter, still wet from the sea, showed us back to their campsite, where his wife invited us to take a look inside their family trailer. It contained a double bed for the parents, bunk beds for the children, a toilet and a shower; everything they needed. Pavlos, his family and a group of friends all arrived at the camping facility in late spring, occupying four trailers in total, and set up their little neighborhood. The group plans to decorate its little block with flowerpots and little lanterns and travel to the spot from Thessaloniki, the home base for all members, every weekend throughout the summer. After all, the facility is only 131 km south of the city, a two-hour drive. So, whether it’s been a good, a bad or a horrible week in the city, come Friday night, this group of friends will be relaxing at their seaside spot right through September. Armenistis Five kilometers south of Akti Oneirou, Armenistis is one of the area’s best-known and oldest camping spots, launched in the 80s. The environment here is different. The facilities are simpler, and we found the overall atmosphere to be noisier and busier. By the sea, beach racketball games were in

3. Thalatta in Kalamitsi rents caravans and mobile homes, and also has a beautiful swimming pool.

4. The campsite of Akti Oneirou is ideal for families with small children.

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5. Akti Oneirou has been around for about a decade and offers different types of accommodation to suit all tastes.

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1. Among the many activities on the program at the Armenistis campsite is SUP yogilates, a combination of Stand-Up Paddling, Yoga and Pilates.

2. Relaxing on the beach of Akti Oneirou, on Sithonia’s eastern coast.

full swing and SUP yogilates lessons (a combination of stand-up paddling, yoga and pilates) were taking place out on the water. Antonis Stabolidis, now manager at Armenistis camping facility, began working at campgrounds in 1986. “At the time, my role was trivial. I was just the supermarket boy putting things in bags,” he remarked, before elaborating on the origins of this particular camping facility. “A group of students from Thessaloniki – some from the Aristotle University’s Faculty of Engineering, others from the Mathematics department – who used to come to the spot to swim, had the idea of turning this space into a camping facility. They knew it wouldn’t be easy. The place was a marsh without trees. Even so, they committed themselves to the project and began work based on an environmentally friendly plan at a time when the term ‘environmental study’ was still practically unknown in Greece.” During its early years, the Armenistis camping facility drew most of its campers from central Europe – Austrians and Germans who drove to the area with surfboards on their roof racks. In the early 90s, the war that broke out in the former Yugoslavia blocked European road access to Armenistis. Business was severely affected, prompting the Armenistis team to invest

in culture. Festivals and concerts were organized. Nowadays, the camping facility offers an open-air cinema and hosts many sporting and cultural events, including a Swing ‘n’ Swim international festival, featuring dancers from different parts of the world. Finishing up at Kalamitsi We made our third and final stop at Thalatta, a camping facility in Kalamitsi, located in the southern part of the peninsula, 32k from Armenistis Beach. As the sun set, we wandered among small wooden bungalows and white motorhomes. The rows of little houses gave us the impression that we were somewhere in the south of the US. Their shady terraces and striped canopies prompted images of hot dogs and cold beer. This is a well-organized campground with excellent facilities, and the staff at the entrance were very friendly. As we traveled the peninsula, we realized that Sithonia and organized camping make a good match. If you enjoy this type of vacation, being close to nature and near to the beach in areas surrounded by trees, Halkidiki’s second “leg” may well offer the perfect spot for your best-ever camping experience.

I nfo Akti O n e i r o u C a m p i n g & B u n g a l o w s : 12th kilometer on the Vourvourou – Sarti road, Aghios Nicolaos • Tel. (+30) 237.577.0910, (+30) 237.511.0204 • www.aktioneirou.gr • A r m e n istis C a m p i n g : Sarti • Tel. (+30) 237.509.1487 • www.armenistis.com.gr • T h a l atta K a l a m itsi Vill a g e C a m p : Kalamitsi, Sithonia • Tel. (+30) 237.504.1410 • www.thalattacamp.gr

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FOCUS I NIKITI

The 700-year-old village One of the area’s most popular towns and also the capital of Sithonia is a destination for everyone, with a bustling seafront and a lovely traditional village nestled up in the hills.

BY E L E F T H E R I A A L AVA N O U

must during any visit to Sithonia, Nikiti was founded in the 14th century and is the capital of the Municipality of Sithonia. It has a population of some 3,000 permanent residents, with numbers shooting up in the summer thanks to a wide selection of accommodation and dining options that make it an attractive destination both for Greek and foreign tourists. If you’re looking to mix and mingle, enjoy the hubbub of humanity, head down to the coast. If, however, it is peace and quiet you’re after, take to the hills for a visit to Palia (Old) Nikiti, a lovely traditional village that retains and air of romantic nostalgia by being quaint without being too schmaltzy,

featuring stone Macedonian houses with blossom-filled balconies and courtyards. The local History and Folklore Museum – housed in an old school and inaugurated just last year – offers interesting insights into the area’s past. The displays in this pleasant museum include hand-woven baskets, clay jars used for food storage, a petrol-generated engine from 1944, as well as a photograph from the family archive of Athanasios Xanthopoulos taken some time in 1900 and showing shovel-wielding workmen standing in front of piles of coal. This photograph is a rare testimonial of a bygone era, as during that period the biggest families in Nikiti and

in the broader region were involved in the coal trade. The workers employed for the back-breaking task of producing the coal came mainly from Bulgaria, while the majority of the buyers were Jewish merchants in Marseilles and Constantinople.

1. Old Nikiti. 2. The local History and Folklore Museum

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Î&#x153;ajestic and imposing, the Prosforion Tower is the largest and most well-preserved tower in Halkidiki and a symbol of the town of Ouranoupoli, where it stands.

CENTRAL HIGHLIGHTS

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Public forest

The greenest part of Mount Holomontas is the Taxiarchis Forest, a 5,800-hectare expanse that is supported by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

The CAPITAL

Polygyros is the administrative center and capital of Halkidiki, and provides all the facilities and services you can expect from a city.

Gateway to Mount Athos

Ouranoupoli is known mainly as the port for boats taking pilgrims and other visitors, all male, to Mount Athos, but it is also a lovely seaside village worth visiting for its beaches and tavernas.

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Mini-cruises

With departures from Ouranoupoli, these boat trips running along the Mount Athos coastline are the only way for women to get a glimpse of the sacred part of the Athos peninsula.

Hinterland

If you’re visiting at any other time than summer, or want to explore traditional life in Halkidiki, visit the villages of Arnea, Varvara and Galatista.

AT A GLANCE Halkidiki is so much more than the three promontories that most people usually associate it with. The center of the famous “three-legged” peninsula is dominated by Mount Holomontas, which is a vast expanse of oaks, madrones, pines and fir trees that draws all sorts of nature lovers, from hikers to families enjoying a bicycle ride and just taking in the fresh air. Arnea, once known as Liarigova, is a small village in the Holomontas foothills renowned for its vernacular architecture, as seen in several well-preserved stone-and-wood structures. Varvara and Galatista, northeast and west of Arnea respectively, are also villages typical of the Halkidiki hinterland, where traditional everyday life is still evident. In eastern Halkidiki, Nea Roda was built in the 1920s by Greek refugees who named it after their hometown of Roda in Propontis on the Black Sea. Ierissos also has a fascinating maritime history and is renowned for its carpenters and boat yards. Also in the east, you’ll find the lovely islet of Ammouliani and, of course, Ouranoupoli, the port that serves boats heading to Mount Athos.

The east

The towns of Ierissos and Nea Roda are great stopovers during an excursion to the east of Halkidiki, which also boasts the islet of Ammouliani, off the village of Trypiti.

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Renowned for its vernacular architecture, Arnea is a large village of around 2,300 residents.

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COULEUR LOCALE The resorts, the beach bars and the touristic hustle and bustle seem far, far away when you visit Arnea and Varvara. BY E L E F T H E R I A A L AVA N O U

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1. The Church of Aghios Stefanos in Arnea has been built on top of three older structures, the most ancient of which dates to Early Christian times. 2. The colorful walls of Arneaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s traditional Macedonian homes are a delight. 3. Heading to Halkidiki from Thessaloniki, a brief stop at Galatista is recommended. 4. The Arnea Weaving Museum, housed in a residence from 1870, is a must.

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he villages of Arnea and Varvara are vibrant communities that treasure the past. This is where you should go to get a real feel of what life is like in Halkidiki’s mountains, to see examples of traditional architecture and to find out more about oldtime crafts such as weaving. Arnea (which was called Liarigova until 1928) is one of the 12 historic communities known collectively as the Mantemochoria (“Iron villages”), because at one time, they were obliged to provide workers for the area’s mines. Before the 1821 Greek Revolution against the Ottomans, the Mantemohoria had formed their own federation approved by the Sultan, which allowed them a greater degree of freedom. Today Arnea has a population of around 2,300 and is renowned for its architecture and a beautiful church, dedicated to Saint Stefanos. Its winding roads take you past tiled-roof stone houses with colorful walls and wooden balconies adorned with pots of flowers. Nevertheless, while the village exudes history and character, it is a lively, vibrant community that looks ahead even as it honors its traditions and its past. The Weaving Museum of Arnea is dedicated to the local weaver Harikleia Dimitrakoudi, a true mistress of the art, who died in 2003 at the age of 90. A photograph of her in a simple check-

5. Arnea combines Halkidiki’s traditional past with a vibrant present. 6. The colorful Historical and Folklore Museum of Arnea. 7. The village of Varvara looks like it has sprung up from among the trees. 8. Antonis Vasilakis from Polygyros makes soap scented with pine, eucalyptus, lavender, bay and ylang-ylang.

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Until 1928, Arnea was named Liarigova and under this name it was once part of a federation of 12 villages known as Mantemohoria.

ered dress, standing among sheets of white fabric, lets the viewer see the austere strength that so many women of her generation possessed. Because of the high quality of her work, Dimitrakoudi has become associated with local weaving, a craft for which Arnea was particularly renowned and which served as a means of subsistence for many of its residents. Women spent their days either weaving or stitching intricate needlework, while men peddled their wares all over the region of Macedonia – itself famous for its textiles – and beyond. Exhibits such as rugs cross-stitched with a pattern of three pink roses and six buds, intricate kilim carpets, clothing and blankets made of wool, cotton and silk are all evidence of Arnea’s once-thriving cottage industry, which 112

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A bee’s wax workshop in Petrokerassa, a beautiful village located close to the border between Thessaloniki and Halkidiki.

has all but disappeared, pushed out by industrialization. The museum itself is lovely, housed in the residence of a prominent old family, and many of the exhibits are from Dimitrakoudis’ personal collection. To complete your exploration of the area’s cultural heritage, visit the Historical and Folklore Museum, which reveals details of everyday life in a bygone era. Among the exhibits are tools and hardware donated by residents; items include baking utensils, agricultural and beekeeping tools, tubs, coffee kits, carpenter tools and textiles. The green village Varvara is another village in the area that has not been transformed by mass tourism. Built right in the middle of a forest, it is embraced by its yews and

wild hazelnut tree and boasts abundant fresh water springs and a number of nearby waterfalls that are always a hit with visitors. It has a particularly active Agritourism Association, Dryades, run by local women who promote the sale of regional products such as apricot marmalades, ‘spoon sweets’ (fruit preserves) and sour bulgur trahana to wider markets. Even though Varvara lacks the architectural charms of Arnea, it has a welcoming, lively atmosphere of its own. This is mainly due to the fact that – unlike many rural parts of Greece – a lot of young families still live in the village. Take a stroll and you’ll see their kids hanging out around the square or riding their bicycles through the narrow alleys, bringing life and laughter all around.

Mount Holomontas is a paradise for nature lovers and mountain bikers.

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Into the Woods

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The enchanting forests of Mount Holomontas are the perfect escape destination for adventure-loving travelers who want to explore nature.

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mong streams and springs, tall oaks, pines, firs, chestnut trees and fields of wildflowers, in the middle of dense trees that paint the horizon green as far as the eye can see, nature-lovers can explore a truly fascinating part of central Halkidiki, dominated by Mount Holomontas, or Holomon. This is an area of great beauty, ideal for walks along paths that take you through woodlands and hamlets alike. This is also the site of the University Forest of Taxiarchis, a 5,800-hectare state-owned forest managed by the Forestry Commission in cooperation with the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, home to amazing flora and fauna. Prevalent in this forest are broad-leaved trees, such as oaks at lower altitudes and beeches higher up, and different varieties of pine, along with an abundance of Erica shrubs that feed the area’s bee population. Reaching 811m at its highest peak, the forest is home in its remoter parts to wolves, foxes, wild boar and predatory birds – it is a magnet for bird-watchers – and has a museum where visitors can learn all about the local plants and animals. On two wheels In addition to nature walks and bird watching, there are more adventurous pursuits to be enjoyed here. Vasilis Paradas and Fotis Vezyrgiannidis are the friends and partners behind the company Breakfree Mountain Biking Club, which, among other activities, organizes mountain bike tours on Mount Holomontas. As fans of the sport themselves, they explain that this is an exciting alternative to walking the mountain trails. They cater to large numbers of visitors from countries like Britain, Germany, France, The Netherlands and

Logging has always been a key commercial activity on Mount Holomontas.

Belgium, where alternative forms of tourism such as mountain bicycling are more established. “Our philosophy is in tune with new trends in European mountain-bicycling. Bicycle tourism is a growing force worldwide and it is estimated that, in five years’ time, it will have surpassed golf in popularity,” says Vasilis. All their organized tours include three escorts: the guide riding in front of the group, another cyclist at the back to keep the group together, and a driver in a car who trails the group, ready in case of any emergencies, like an injury or a flat tire. Certified by the Mountain Bike Instructors Award Scheme, Breakfree Mountain Biking Club was, according to its founders, the first company in Greece to form a corporate partnership with the International Mountain Bicycling Association.

In autumn, the leaves turn shades of yellow, auburn and rust, while cooler temperatures make it easier to engage in outdoor activities.

I nfo To learn more about the activities organized by Breakfree Mountain Biking Club (including tours of Sithonia, Kassandra and Thessaloniki), visit its Facebook page or call (+30) 2310.348.073 • For information on visits to the University Forest Museum of Taxiarchis, call (+30) 23710.942.95.

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HOLY BOAT RIDE Mini-cruises along the coast of the monastic community allow visitors who cannot enter its sacred grounds a glimpse at its architecture and everyday life. B Y E leftheria A lavanou

he idea of the cruise was already making me a little nervous and I didn’t quite know what to expect. The initial signs were strange. At some café in Ouranoupoli, a clutch of elderly women from Athens were chattering as they paced back and forth, worried they might miss the boat that was due to leave shortly. Watching them, I had the feeling that most of those who want to get a look at Mt Athos from the sea are religious women of a particular age. As our boat began to fill up, I realized that I was wrong. To my surprise, my fellow passengers included young and middle-aged couples, families and groups of friends, both Greek and foreign (which is why the tour is conducted in Greek, English, German, Russian, Romanian and even more languages, depending on where the passengers come from). Accompanied by dozens of white seagulls following us like manic angels, snatching at the bread and cookies we threw to them, we set off a little after 10:30 for the west coast of Mt Athos. (The rules are that we cannot come within 500 meters). The voice over the loudspeaker informed us of restrictions forbidding women from setting foot in the monastic state. Why no women? Tradition says that on her way to Cyprus, the Virgin Mary came across this peninsula, and was so taken by the place that she prayed to Jesus that she should be given it as her own, to the exclusion of all other women. As we left the harbor behind, I looked at the schedule for the trip. We would pass by eight monasteries: Docheiariou, Xenophontos, Aghios Panteleimonas, Xiropotamos, Simonopetra, Osios Grigorios, Dionysios and Aghios Pavlos. In the

middle, between the Xiropotamos and Simonopetra, is Dafni, the main harbor of Mt Athos. We had two of the best seats on the boat – at the rear left, directly opposite the peninsula. As we neared the first monastery, our guide began to tell us about life on the religious mountain, about the arsanaris (person responsible for the monastery harbor) and the archontaris (person responsible for visitor hospitality). For the most part, the passengers sat quietly, although with cameras at the ready. It was a sunny day. At times, the woman sitting in front of us opened her umbrella to shield herself from the sun. As we approached the first monastery, everybody crowded around us to get a better view. It was truly amazing to see the monasteries from such a close distance. They are each so different: Some are larger than others, some more resplendent, while a few really bear the marks of time. I think the most beautiful are the monastery of Aghiou Panteleimonos, also called the Russian monastery – it’s huge, masculine and aggressively handsome, dominating its surroundings – and the monastery of Simonopetra, founded as New Bethlehem by a 13th-century monk called Simon. Built on a rock, it now houses about 60 monks. Without knowing much about Mt Athos, when I gazed at Simonopetra, I got the sense that it encapsulates the whole meaning of the place: remote, isolated, a little the worse for wear, with more humility than one might expect given its incredible beauty. That is the image I kept from my trip. That, and the crazy gulls and the dolphins that greeted us enthusiastically by poking their heads out of the water.

I nfo M o u n t Ath o s C r u is e s : Athos Sea Cruises organizes boat rides along the coast of Mt Athos from April to the end of October • Boats leave from the Ouranoupoli harbor (10:30 and 13:45) • The cruise takes approximately 3 hours and costs about €20 • www.athos-cruises.gr

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Seagulls kept us company on our journey along the western coast of Mt Athos.

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The food cooked by the monks on Mount Athos is a flavor-packed amalgamation of the knowledge, style and experience each cook brings to the community; a wonderful medley shaped by strict dietary rules. BY ANGELOS RENTOULAS*

Left: Baked mushrooms stuffed with shrimp. Right: Father Epiphanios, the “head chef” of Mount Athos is also, among other accomplishments, the mastermind behind the Mylopotamos Winery and the author of “The Cuisine of the Holy Mountain Athos” (2010, Publisher: Sighronoi Orizondes).

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n my first visit to the monastic community of Mount Athos, I am unprepared, unread and uninitiated – probably for the best. My boat sets off on its silent journey, gliding across the calm waters below emerald-green hills. There’s a certain weightlessness about this part of the world, as though it is suspended between sky and sea, like a floating island. Buildings peek out from among tall trees, some deserted, others still in use; monasteries and sketes (clusters of individual dwellings where monks live a less communal life), towers and docks, kellions and huts dating mostly from the Middle and Late Byzantine periods (a few from later than that). This is Mount Athos, an ark of history and a treasury of tradition and civilization, yet nothing like a museum. Life pulsates behind its sturdy walls and, for a few days, I will be privileged to witness it with the monks, participating in another vibrant tradition: monastic cooking. At the harbor of Dafni, I am met by a cheerful buzz of monks, visitors, backpackers and laborers climbing in and out of SUVs sent by the monasteries to bring in pilgrims and supplies. Most visitors stop by Karyes, Mount Athos’ administrative center – it has a bank, a bakery and grocery stores, as well as shops selling handicrafts made by the monks. We pick up some bread and other supplies there and head to Mylopotamos, the Holy Seat of the Monastery of Aghios Efstathios, on the eastern side of the promontory. My travel companion is Father Epiphanios, known to his friends as the head chef of Mount Athos. My soul leaps as we reach the kellion of Mylopotamos, built on a rock jutting out in the sea. The sky is white; a veil of fog covers the mountainside and the vineyard, all the way down to the water’s edge. Pilgrims wait to be blessed. A glass of water and a sip of tsipouro later, I am summoned by Epiphanios

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to follow him into the kitchen. He sets me to the task of slicing cabbage, carrots and onions. Beside me, people are chopping potatoes while olive oil simmers in a massive pan set over a wood fire. I feel the calm of communal life. Once we’ve eaten and cleaned up after a meal of rice, fried potatoes, cabbage salad, feta cheese and bread that sated 11 diners all told, we sit down in the kitchen to enjoy a cup of coffee and talk about the cuisine of this unique monastic community. Epiphanios describes it as a melting pot of culinary knowledge and experiences. “When the monks come here, they bring their culture, their traditions and the flavors of their homelands,” he says. This, he explains, has resulted in the evolution of a multifaceted culinary tradition, shaped by local elements as well, that has produced a kind of cooking with its own distinctive character. Diverse influences Indeed, when you think about it, it is not often that you come across so many people with different backgrounds – such a concentration of disparate traditions – gathered together in a closeknit setting. Of course, like in every local cuisine, there is common ground, too, some convergent flavors and a repertory of ingredients, techniques and dishes that form the basis of the area’s unofficial recipe book. Red pepper, so popular all over northern Greece, is a staple in the dishes of Mount Athos, widely used, along with black pepper, to add sweetness, color and intensity. Cumin, so beloved in Asia Minor and the Middle East, seasons several of the vegetable and pulse stews here; in fact, Father Epiphanios even uses it in his fish soup. He explains that he acquired a taste for it while staying at the Monastery of Saint Catherine of Sinai in Egypt. Father Georgios, a cook at the church school near Karyes, learned the art of canning from his mother back in

Evros, on the border with Turkey and Bulgaria. Among many other things, he cans tomato sauces, eggplants, peppers, bean salads and salted fish. Father Nikitas, who hails from the eastern Aegean island of Kos, knows all about octopus, thanks to his father, a fisherman. Defying the old monkish habit of cooking the octopus in boiling water for several hours, he simmers it in its own juices instead. All these influences don’t just get tossed in the pot. They are analyzed, discussed and tested, and only when they pass muster are they allowed onto the daily menu. When there are 50, 100 or even 1,000 mouths that need to be fed, as can be the case at large celebrations, the monastery chef faces the daunting task of trying to please everybody while making sure that his food is neither bland nor indifferent. This is undoubtedly why his is considered among the monastery’s most challenging duties. Herbs & spices The cardinal rule of monastic diet has also shaped this cuisine’s identity: monks in these communal monasteries are not allowed to eat meat. Fish is the “good” stuff, reserved for holidays and special feasts like Easter. The rest

When there are 50, 100 or even 1,000 mouths that need to be fed, the monastery chef faces the daunting task of trying to please everybody while making sure that his food is neither bland nor indifferent.

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Fish soup with red snapper, three herbs and cumin.

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Father Georgios cooks peas for the students and teachers of the Athoniada School. His tip is to season the vegetables before you start cooking.

of the year, they subsist on vegetables, pulses, pasta, grains and other seafood. “These limitations force you to become inventive,” says Father Epiphanios. “You need to learn how to cook octopus in many different ways so you don’t grow bored of it. And if you consider that, for around 200 days of the year, the monks do not even use olive oil in their food, you need to make the food on the rest of those days that much more delicious.” To that end, the monks use a number of different herbs and spices to give their food more flavor, something that is not that common in Greek cuisine. “You won’t find a recipe on Mount Athos that doesn’t use fennel, parsley, mint, red pepper, cinnamon, allspice or cumin,” says Father Georgios. Slow cooking is another must. “You have fast food, slow food and monk food,” says Father Epiphanios, only half-joking. “Good food needs time. The other day, I was watching a cooking show on television, and the present124

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er sautéed the onions for less than a minute. Onions need to be sautéed over time so they become sweet and golden, so they flavor the food and melt nicely.” Homegrown groceries All of the food I taste during my sojourn is extremely delicious. I’m certain this is largely due to the monks’ experience and skill, but there is another factor at play as well: “All of the monasteries grow their own vegetables; clean, pure vegetables,” says Epiphanios. “If a monastery doesn’t have a garden, it’s crippled,” adds Father Georgios. “Because, in addition to the monks, there are also the pilgrims, so they have to have a selection of everything in order to cope with demand.” I have noticed the vegetable gardens, big and small, that abut every monastery on my tours of the place. And it’s not just the monasteries that have them; every annex, skete and kellion has its own. The largest of these gardens is at Megiste (Great) Lavra; 8

If you consider that, for around 200 days of the year, the monks do not even use olive oil in their food, you need to make the food on the rest of those days that much more delicious.

COOK LIKE THE MONKS Scan for three authentic recipes.

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Father Artemios among his lemon trees. The monk created the garden at Great Lavra Monastery 27 years ago.

hectares planted with vegetables and fruit trees, not to mention its large groves of olives (every monastery produces its own olive oil, made from local olive varieties)and its vineyards. “The hostel here accommodates around 20,000 people a year. You can’t buy the food you need to feed them all,” says Father Avraam, as he shows us around the community’s oldest monastery. With him, we go to meet Artemios, the monastery’s elderly gardener, thanks to whom this impressive garden was created 27 years ago. “When I was a younger man, I wrote to the Council of Elders and requested this hut here so I could do some gardening, and they said yes,” he says, showing me around the farm. “I planted a small garden with a few trees, and expected congratulations when the abbot, Philippos, came to see it. That didn’t work out as I imagined. ‘This is nothing,’ he said to me. I was devastated. ‘This is a mere eccentricity. You must do something for all the fathers. Then it will be blessed,’ he told me.”

Artemios scraped together some money by performing blessings and by selling a small plot of his father’s. He wrote another letter asking permission to plant more trees and vegetables. “I brought in a bulldozer and some hands to help out. With help from some of the older monks and from professional agronomists, we succeeded, with some ups and downs, of course. God be praised. All of these people, the monks and the laborers, we all eat thanks to this garden.” The monks will buy food when necessary, but the majority of the fruits and vegetables consumed at the monastery grow in the fields supervised by Father Artemios. He shows me a field covered in plastic sheeting: “Here we’ve planted seeds: leeks, celery, celery root and chard. We’ve put the plastic to keep them warm so they can shoot, and then we’ll transplant them.” In the summer, he grows peppers for frying and stuffing, as well as eggplants, beans and masses of tomatoes, rows and rows of them; the tomatoes

grow through early December. He shows us his apple, cherry and peach trees. Then we head over to the nurseries and into a huge hothouse made from the trunks of chestnuts and heated with wood-burning stoves. “We built this to grow bananas, but it was a hassle. They needed heat from October and it was very tiring for the workers who had to chop wood every three hours,” says Artemios. “We don’t have the climate for that kind of thing, so now we grow tomatoes here.” Bounty of nature At Panaghia Portaitissa, a kellion of the Koutloumousiou Monastery, Father Nikitas makes an original and fragrant version of taramosalata (fish roe paste) using an old recipe. “The old fathers were very knowledgeable,” he says, and he’s not just referring to recipes, but also to their use of the wild bounty of nature. “We gather all sorts of greens and herbs, such as oregano, dandelion and St John’s wort to make G R E E C E IS

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1. Delectable shrimp stew from the able hands of Father Georgios. 2. Father Philimon shows us one of the very old bottles of cognac that is part of the collection of the Skete of Profitis Ilias. 3. Squid cooked with wild greens.

THE INSIDE STORY Father Epiphanios on cooking and eating in the monastic community.

oil in the summer. In the fall, the place is full of wild mushrooms, which we pickle to have something to offer guests as a snack. We also pickle eggplants, cabbage and sow-thistle roots. There is something all year round. We make sweets out of figs, chestnuts, walnuts and crab apples – the crab apples are a classic. Then there’s all the wild greens: chicory, horse parsley, wild carrot, white mustard, poppies, black bryony.... Food can be made so much better with these.” Gifts of the sea The sea that surrounds the Mount Athos peninsula supplies the monks with plentiful fresh fish and other seafood. “We have lots of white sea bream, bluefish, striped bream, flathead grey mullet, sea bass, hake and such,” says Nikitas, who hails from a family of fishermen. “They bring mussels in over at Vatopedi and shrimp from Ephsigmenou and beyond,” he says, mentioning two monasteries on the northeastern coast. The sea here is also rich in octopus, calamari and squid, while the

monks even make jellyfish cakes with spring onion, dill and breadcrumbs. Both the father and grandfather of Father Akakios were fishermen. We meet him in the morning on the dock of Mylopotamos as he returns with the nets he cast the previous night. He begins to unload what he landed and starts sorting his catch. He talks to us about the depletion of fish stocks and the challenges of coastal fishing. “The sea needs proper maintenance at the right time,” he explains. “Fish need to be given a certain amount of time to grow. What will be left if they’re caught small? Nothing. We can talk and talk, but the sea needs to be protected. Not like now. They allow the trawlers to fish all year round. Hake give birth in April and the trawlers are out until late May. Coastal fishermen are not allowed to catch hake, but trawlers are. We’re heading for disaster.” It’s entirely possible he’s right, but at this moment, in this magical place, with the tastes of tradition and innovation still lingering on my palate, I can’t help but feel hopeful.

The monks will buy food when necessary, but the majority of the fruits and vegetables consumed at the monastery grow in their own fields.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Angelos Rentoulas is the chief editor of Gastronomos magazine, published by Kathimerini newspaper. This is an edited version of a special feature that first appeared in their March 2014 issue.

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Indelible Flavors of Halkidiki From the earth and the sea comes a bounty of wonderful ingredients that have shaped the region’s culinary traditions. BY S TE LL A SPANOU*

he first smells to become imprinted on our memory are those we recall throughout our lives, it is said. Every time I return to Halkidiki, the smell of its foods and its natural scents bring back a flood of childhood recollections. My family has a profound connection to food – and I don’t just mean in its enjoyment. My grandmother was an amazing cook who had worked in a Jewish household in Thessaloniki in the 1930s. At our house, her first task in the morning was to get the food simmering on the wood stove. Her specialty was a beef-and-potato stew in tomato sauce scented with allspice and cloves. It tasted of pure love. She’d first simmer the meat gently in water and spoon off the scum. Then she’d add the onions – never sautéed – and the ingredients for that sauce of her that was lighter than air. She’d chop the potatoes into large chunks and give them a quick fry, just until they started turning golden, so they’d hold together in the hot sauce. She’d always let me help with the stirring and it was at some point there, among her pots and pans, that those

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aromas first settled inside me. Once the meal was cleared away, she’d get together with her friends for hours of knitting and idle chitchat that tended to focus on food (what was in season, new recipes, some culinary secrets), a custom that still holds in most villages. She taught me a lot. I’d set out for Mt Holomontas to gather mushrooms and would bring them back home so she could sort the edible from the inedible ones. (Today, truffles and many other species of wild mushroom are still collected on that beautiful mountain of central and eastern Halkidiki.) We’d gather snails, wild greens and chicory – my favorite still, served hot with lots of lemon. My grandfather was a fisherman who’d bring home whatever he hadn’t sold at the Nea Moudiana fish market, located on Halkidiki’s first finger, Kassandra. He’d cook the bigger fish as the monks do: in a stew with lots of vegetables, onions and lemon juice. He’d fry the smaller ones and add a dash of vinegar right at the end – it was his secret for bringing out their flavor. The rest would be salted – our house went

Dolmas uncovered: vineleaf (about to be) stuffed with rice and herbs, a specialty of Nea Gonia.

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1. The leaves of the sultana grapevine are the key ingredient in the dolmades (stuffed vine leaves) of Neo Gonia. 2. Livestock farming is still very much alive and kicking in the area. 3. Mending nets at the boatyard. 4. Dimitris Portolos, a pioneer of Halkidiki’s early-harvest olive oil.

5. A beekeeper smokes his hives to avoid being stung as he collects the honey.

through so much salt! Our backyard was always full of wooden crates of salted mackerel, sardines and bonito. Today, you can get such fare at certain seaside tavernas. I discovered sea urchins when I started venturing out onto the rocks where I went swimming. It took me years to learn how to prise them open with a knife to extract their coral-colored caviar – best eaten on the spot, your feet still in the water. I also remember amazing feasts of mussels from Olympiada. Fresh from the sea, they would go straight into the oven on low so they’d open up and release their juices. We’d drizzle some white wine or ouzo over them and then dish them out. They were so delicious we wouldn’t even bother with salad or bread; just the mussels that smelled of the sea. I remember how excited I was ferreting around our vegetable garden, replete in the summer with tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants and peppers. Purslane, that miraculous weed, sprouted everywhere. We used it in salads; with a drizzle of vinegar, it is simply delicious. I always enjoyed the harvest and was often scolded by my mother for climbing up fig and walnut trees in my white pants. Halkidiki, in short, gave me the stimulus, cultivated my innate curiosi130

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ty and helped me become the cookbook writer and chef I am today. Researching my book on the cuisine of Halkidiki, I was reminded of its splendor. I explored every corner of the peninsula and met with so many people who shared their food, their tsipouro and their stories. Every part of the region has its own special recipes, many of which have survived for centuries. The locals, be they refugees from Asia Minor or the monks of Mt Athos, all added their own personal touch to the great melting pot of Halkidiki’s traditional cuisine, helped by the abundance of fresh ingredients from the earth and the sea that this region so bountifully proffers. The locals, for example, love meat cooked with fruit and vegetables: in winter they prepare a stew of pork with quince and plums; in spring it’s lamb with wild greens or raisins; in summer, billy goat with eggplant. The Anatolians have a fondness for fish, either baked with tomato or prepared with an egg-lemon sauce, and seafood meze in general. The monks of Mt Athos create dishes of marvelous simplicity with vegetables, pulses and all sorts of fish. Their eggplant dip – made of roasted and pureed eggplant and peppers, with a hint of garlic and a dash of olive oil – is an ode to humble ingredients, rich in flavor and nutritional goodness. To my great joy and surprise, I discovered local delicacies and flavors I had not known. For example, in Nea Fokea, the tourist village on the eastern coast of Kassandra, they still make a pasta known as syrto or “dragged,” because each small chunk of dough is dragged or rolled across the work surface to give it the desired shape. The cook will then poke a small well in the center, which is filled with grated cheese and hot butter when served. My visit to Ammouliani, a small islet settled mainly by folk hailing from Asia Minor, was another revelation. I was escorted by the captain of the ferryboat and as soon as I arrived, local women started coming down to the port – as

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though summoned by a secret signal – laden with dishes and eager to show off their specialties. I tasted some amazing recipes that aren’t prepared anywhere else in Halkidiki: dainty almond biscuits, fish cakes scented with mint, sweet halva made with bulgur wheat, mackerel stuffed with tomato and herbs… I visited all sorts of villages where I tried all sorts of pies cooked in the typical Macedonian way; stuffed with fragrant herbs and a handful of rice to absorb excess liquid during baking. I also tried many variations of the “naked” pie, called this because there’s no filo pastry involved; instead, it’s a sort of soufflé made with flour or semolina. This pie is usually savory, with lots of cheese, eggs and grated zucchini. Last but not least, I must mention a local delicacy that testifies to the region’s deep connection with its grapevines, from which nothing goes to waste: they yield excellent wine, pickled sprouts, grape molasses and, of course, leaves that are used as a wrap for classic dolmades, stuffed with rice and herbs, a particular specialty of Nea Gonia.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Stella Spanou is a member of the Chefs’ Club of Greece, an award-winning cookbook writer and food photographer. Her book Northern Greek Macedonian Dishes, is available from Amazon in English.

PRODUCTS

Land of Plenty FROM PURE HONEY TO FRESH MUSSELS, THE PENINSUL A HAS IT ALL

Olives & Oil What charms me more than the colors of Halkidiki’s olive groves in the changing seasons is the dedication and care shown by the people who grow and harvest their fruit, carefully making sure they’re not bruised or dented while still turning the whole harvesting process into a party. The most prevalent olive variety for olive oil production is the black Hondrolia, a PDO product that is widely exported. Edible olives are also produced in abundance: black, green, sliced or wrinkled, with their stones in or stuffed with cheese, pepper, garlic or truffle. The rich and oily green olives are a breakfast staple, 132

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served in slices on a piece of bread with tomato, garlic, goat cheese and sea fennel. They are also used in cooking as a condiment, adding flavor to octopus, meat stews and chicken dishes. When paired with Halkidiki’s olive oil, they are small gastronomic wonders. The special texture and flavor of this olive is the result of mild winters, its excellent adaptation to the region and the right timing in the collection – when the fruit is still green and unripe. When they’re destined for oil production, the olives are crushed as soon as they’re harvested, creating Halkidiki’s famed early-harvest olive oil, or agoureleo. This oil has

been granted PDO status by the EU and is distinguished for its rich fruity aroma, as well as its low acidity levels and antioxidant properties. Another PDO product is Galano Metaggitsiou Halkidikis olive oil, produced exclusively in Metaggitsi in Sithonia. It is made with two varieties of olive: 90 percent Strongilolia (Galani or Prasinolia) and 10 percent Hondrolia, a variety that is grown almost nowhere else because of the particular climate and soil in this particular area.

Honey Aristotle believed that honey was man’s most important source of nutrition, and it is produced in abundance in his birthplace. Wherever you look in Halkidiki – in the north, in Kassandra or Sithonia – you will see beehives dotting hills and forests. The bees feed on pine, lime, almond and chestnut trees, as well as on erica and wild strawberry blossoms. The climate is also ideal for them to produce some of the best honey in the world, rich in nutritional properties and in flavor. Local pro-

ducers are well-organized in cooperatives and have done such a great job promoting their products, that Halkidiki honey is served at almost every hotel in the region. It’s also used by bakers and sweet-makers (loukoumades, dough fritters slathered in honey and a sprinkling of cinnamon, is a classic) and can be found in several meat dishes or served with cheese. Pine honey is the main variety produced in the region, but smaller quantities of blossom and chestnut honey are also available.

Dairy Livestock farmers have been breeding sheep and goats since ancient times in Halkidiki. Their milk is used for many dairy products – feta, organic goat cheese, myzithra, graviera and even butter – all with a rich, clean and pure taste. You should try them all, but if you’re visiting in Easter make a special effort to get your hands on a slice of galatopita, a dessert made with milk, lots of eggs and sugar. 5

1. Olives during the harvest period. 2. Halkidiki’s hardworking bees account for 20 percent of Greece’s honey production. 3. A robust pie of wild greens baked in traditional pastry. 4. The shiny fruit of the Halkidiki olive tree. 5. Goat’s cheese in brine.

PRODUCTS

The climate is ideal for local beekeepers to produce some of the best honey in the world, rich in nutritional properties and in flavor.

Festivals & FAIRS

Meat Beef, lamb, goat and pork dishes feature prominantly in the local cuisine. Pork in particular is used to produce amazing sausages, discreetly scented with herbs and orange. In Sykia, on the Sithonia peninsula, you may come across a herd of wild grazing cattle. These belong to the Sykia breed, a protected species that gives rich, red meat with a distinctive flavor. The best souvlaki in the region, meanwhile, is said to come from the village of Aghios Prodromos in the mountains of Central Halkidiki.

Mushrooms & Herbs Mushrooms grow in abundance on the highlands of Halkidiki: Caesar’s mushrooms, kind boletes and wild truffles, among many others, are collected and used in traditional recipes such as mushroom pie with cheese. The area is also a paradise for wild herbs and healing plants: bloodwort, elder, rosemary, eucalyptus, thyme, oregano, thistle, bay, mint, ironwort and lemon balm are just a few of the plants that grow there.

back of their hand and selling their catch at the Ichthyoskala Fish Market in Nea Moudiana. Seafood always hold pride of place at the family table: salted bonito and tuna, fleshy octopus marinated in vinegar, marinated anchovy fillets, eel, trout and mackerel smoked in traditional ovens, are just some of what you’ll find.

Fruit 4

Shellfish & Fish The Strymonian Gulf provides all the nutrients necessary for one of Halkidiki’s most famed products since pre-Ottoman times: Olympiada mussels – rich in protein and omega-3, low in fat and three times richer in iron than calf liver – stand out for their size and immense flavor. At the local mussel farm, they are collected daily, washed carefully, sorted and flash-frozen to preserve their freshness. Mussels aside, it goes without saying that you’ll have great fresh seafood in Halkidiki. The local fishermen take care of that, trawling the seas that they know like the

Halkidiki produces a lot of fruit, but it is most famous for its apricots from Portaria, eaten fresh off the tree or made into marmalade or preserves. Quince is another favorite. It is served as a sweet puree or grated and mixed with almonds; it’s also used for sweetening chicken and pork casseroles. The area also yields rich harvests of tomatoes, peaches, pears and pistachio nuts.

1. Roast lamb with a honey glaze; a winning combination. 2. Macedonia’s tastiest mussels. 3. Fresh vegetables from the gardens of Ormylia. 4. Tuna, a fisherman’s joy. G R E E C E IS

The villages of Halkidiki celebrate their natural bounty, mostly in the summer, with festivals: in Nikiti, for honey; in Nea Moudiana for sardines; in Metaggitsi for olive oil; in Porto Koufo for tuna; in Olympiada for mussels. These festivals are usually a combination of party and church fair, where the locals also express their thanks to the saints that grant them protection. They can be loud, bawdy affairs, where playful ribbing and self-sarcasm are considered de rigueur. These Dionysian feasts, where food and goodwill are shared in equal measure, bring people closer to nature and celebrate local traditions, in what is an intrinsic part of this region’s gastronomic and cultural legacy. At church fairs, the star of the show is usually meat (most often goat). It is cooked overnight on the eve of the feast, with spices and sauces added gradually. The meat is then removed on the morning of the feast and the rye or bulgur cooked in the remaining sauce. The priest blesses the dish after the church service so it can be served. During Lent, seafood, such as octopus or squid, take the place of meat and are served with pulses or rice.

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THE GOOD FOOD GUIDE You can’t go wrong with our selection of fine eateries scattered across Halkidiki’s legs – and the mainland too. BY MARY SINANIDIS

MASSALIA

RE STAUR ANTS

ASIAN RESTAURANT

TOMATA RESTAURANT

PSAROYIANNOS

BAKATSIANOS

KATSU

MANASSU

KATSU

MAINLAND

OLYMPIADA AKROGIALI Greek and Mediterranean food made from high-quality ingredients is served at the restaurant of the family-run Germany Hotel. • Tel. (+30) 23760.512.55 • www.hotel-germany.gr

Arnea BAKATSIANOS This restaurant, located in the forest, has a reputation for using local meats of the highest quality. There is a very good wine list. • Tel. (+30) 23720.227.50

Aghios Prodromos MILTIADIS Renowned for its souvlaki, this restaurant also serves juicy burgers and tasty grilled meat. Sit at one of the sidewalk tables or in the garden, and enjoy great value for money • Tel. (+30) 23710.960.79

Polygyros AGIONERI Exceptional meat dishes are

slow-cooked in clay pots. A children’s playground on the premises will keep the young ones busy as adults enjoy their meal in a lush green setting • Tel. (+30) 23710.245.00 MARIGOULA This cozy little restaurant with a large menu of traditional dishes cooked in unique ways offers diners a wide range of creative salads, interesting appetizers and delicious meat dishes • Tel. (+30) 23710.231.71 • www.marigoula.gr

Gerakini MOURAGIO Homemade Greek cuisine with fresh ingredients is served on an outdoor garden terrace. • Tel. (+30) 23710.540.60 • www.gerakini-mouragio.gr

KASSANDRA

Nea MoudanIa OUZO Michelin-starred chef Lefteris Lazarou’s a la-carte menu treats guests to traditional Greek cuisine combined with original touches and served

with panache. The wine list is bound to please discerning palates. All this can be enjoyed in a breezy open-air setting. • Tel. (+30) 23730.951.00 • www.ikosresorts.com

Nea POTIDEA MARINA This restaurant’s boat-shaped terrace overlooks a picturesque fishing harbor, which is quite fitting, given the fact that the menu consists mainly of fresh seafood. • Tel. (+30) 23720.415.70 • www.marina-restaurant.gr

Nea Fokea MASSALIA The traditional village restaurant in a scenic square serves Greek cuisine with a modern touch. Friendly service and moderate prices help make the dining experience even more enjoyable. • Tel. (+30) 23740.810.08

Sani resort A fine selection of restaurants cater to all tastes at the luxury resort. • Tel. (+30) 23740.995.00 • www.sani-resort.com

ASIAN RESTAURANT This vibrant restaurant brings exotic aromas and flavors of the Orient to Sani’s marina. TOMATA RESTAURANT Mediterranean cuisine is served with some of the best wines that Greece has to offer. KATSU The menu is an exotic meeting point for Japanese and Mediterranean cuisine, created by world-class chef Katsuhiko Hanamure. PSAROYANNOS This is a traditional ouzeri with local specialties you would expect to find in any fine Greek eatery. VOSPORoS GRILL HOUSE The restaurant offers traditional Greek cuisine at its simplest with meat skewers beautifully cooked over the charcoal grill. MACARONI The trattoria serves Italian cuisine, with pasta dishes and pizzas. ALEXIS TAVERNA Diners can look forward to a sumptuous menu of seafood

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SOBORO

TA KYMATA

TSIPOURAKI

KAMARES

PAUL’S TAVERNA

KRITIKOS and meat dishes that you would expect to find at a traditional Greek taverna.

Afytos SOBORO This casual eatery serves grilled meat and traditional Greek dishes. Live music is offered every Saturday. Complimentary bicycle loans are available for diners. • Tel. (+30) 23740.916.56 SOUSOURADA & SGOUROS SKATZOHIROS Chef Nikos Katsanis was inspired by the simplicity of Greek cuisine to create this restaurant. The menu features dishes using local ingredients, and the wine list stretches to more than 100 labels. • Tel. (+30) 23740.915.94

Kryopigi TRIZONI The restaurant is a family-run seafood restaurant that serves fresh fish as well as a wide variety of traditional savory pies. Enjoy your meal in a garden setting. • Tel. (+30) 23740.519.45

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Fourka ANASSA Mediterranean cuisine, including, of course, fresh seafood, can be enjoyed at this idyllic location on the waterfront, with a spectacular view. • Tel. (+30) 23740.430.26 • www.anassa-restaurant.gr

PosEidi VASILAS Seafood lovers can choose their own fresh fish, straight from the restaurant’s fish tank, and enjoy their meal by the seaside. • Tel. (+30) 23740.432.06

SITHONIA

Nikiti THE SQUIRREL Lovers of fine food will not be disappointed at this multiple award-winning gourmet restaurant overlooking the sea at the Danai Beach Resort. A ‘degustation’ menu offers a delicious blend of French and Mediterranean cuisine that can be enjoyed on their open-air terrace. • Tel. (+30) 23750.204.00 • www.danairesort.com

GRADA BLUE A gourmet take on traditional Greek cuisine with an exceptional range of side dishes and dips, all served by the sea. • Tel. (+30) 23750.233.20

Vourvourou EKIES RESORT Award-winning chef Dimitris Pamporis has created a menu of unique Greek-inspired dishes to showcase the rich variety of local cuisine at the resort’s restaurants: Bubo, Kuko and The Treehouse Restaurant. • Tel. (+30) 23750.910.00 • www.ekies.gr MANASSU The gourmet-styled restaurant, located in one of the trendiest beach bars in the area, gets quite crowded, thanks to its exquisite golden beach and the fact that it is part of a popular camping resort. • Tel. (+30) 23757.709.10 • www.aktioneiro.gr/manassu-beach-bar

AKTI ELIAS BOUKADOURA The menu includes 100

different dishes, from salads and appetizers, main courses and desserts. Choices range from stuffed kalamari and eggplant to seafood and pasta. The exquisite sea views make the dining experience special. • Tel. (+30) 6944.547.239

Parthenonas PAUL’S TAVERNA Traditional Greek cuisine is served in a picturesque mountain setting with a panoramic view of the sea. Live Greek music on Friday and Saturday nights. • Tel. (+30) 23750.713.49 • www.tavernaparthenon.com

Neos Marmaras TA KYMATA The third-generation family-run restaurant located by the harbor was created by local fishermen in 1950. Their goal was to ensure that recipes were freshly prepared, using only the finest local ingredients. The restaurant has repeatedly received the Greek “Gourmet” gastronomy prize, among other awards. The town’s residents also know it as Toula, the name of the current owner (who

eat & drink

uses many of her father’s old recipes). • Tel. (+30) 23750.713.71 TSIPOURAKI Chef Dimitris Katsios has created a wide range of gourmet seafood-based dishes that are served in the seaside restaurant at the marina of the Porto Carras Grand Resort. • Tel. (+30) 23750.770.00

Sykia 5 STEPS IN THE SAND (5 VIMATA STIN AMMO) Fresh seafood is accompanied by a delicious selection of traditional starter dips and dishes using local products. Everything is freshly prepared. Diners can sit on a shaded terrace or by the sea. • Tel. (+30) 23750.412.06

ATHOS

Ouranoupoli KAMARES The exclusive gourmet restaurant at Eagles Palace Hotel and Spa has a carefully-created menu by Michelin-starred chefs Yannis Baxevanis and Jerome Serres. Enjoy fresh roe with carob-bread, shrimps and sea fennel, oven-baked goat with mashed eggplant, while gazing at the exquisite view of Ammouliani Island. • Tel. (+30) 23770.311.01-4, • www.eaglespalace.gr KRITIKOS GALLERY & RESTAURANT The restaurant serves Mediterranean cuisine infused with creative flavors; it has won numerous awards and accolades since it first opened in 1977 • Tel. (+30) 23770.712.22

BUBO, EKIES RESORT

WINE

Dionysian Weekend Globe-trotting oenophiles will find everything they could wish for on the wine route of this fertile peninsula. BY M A R I A N E T S I K A*

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The vineyard of Porto Carras is the largest single vineyard in Greece and stretches across the sun-kissed western slope of Mount Meliton.

G R E E C E IS

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1. Strictly organic practices are applied at the Chromitsa vineyard on Mount Athos. 2. Father Ioannis, supervisor of the Iviron Monastery vineyard on Mount Athos. 3. At the Gerovassiliou Wine Museum, the collection of corkscrews alone comes to more than 2,600 pieces.

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ÂŠ ALEXANDROS AVRAMIDIS, VANGELIS ZAVOS, HEINZ TROLL

4. Limnio grapes. 5. Claudia Papagianniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father descends from the mountainous part of Arnea. In 2003, when she started setting up her vineyards and winery, it felt like going back to her roots.

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WINE

ost visitors to Halkidiki head for the golden beaches of Kassandra; others prefer the wild landscapes of Sithonia or the tranquility of the region’s mountain villages; and others still seek spiritual inspiration in the masterpieces of Byzantine art on Mount Athos. Our weekend, however, is focused on the heady aromas and flavors of Halkidiki’s wines and on exploring its wine routes. Starting off Our journey begins in Epanomi, a seaside resort favored by the denizens of nearby Thessaloniki who pop over on weekends to windsurf when the winds are favorable or to watch the birds in the wetlands or to while away an afternoon nibbling on meze at one of its many tavernas. Another must in the region, however, is the Ktima Gerovassiliou winery. The soil here is sandy and rich in marine fossils, as this hilly landscape was formed by sediment from the sea. The climate is Mediterranean, with mild winters and hot summers. The sea of vines planted in this fertile ground consists of two Greek white varieties: Assyrtiko, possibly the most remarkable variety of the Mediterranean, and Malagousia, a grape that was brought back after years of neglect. You’ll also find native reds Limnio, Mavroudi and Mavrotragano, as well as the popular French varieties Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Syrah, Merlot and Grenache Rouge. The cool breeze that comes in from the sea helps the grapes reach full maturity so that they yield both wonderful whites with intense notes of fruit and soft yet robust reds that perform beautifully with aging. These are regarded as “new-generation” wines and have a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI Epanomi). After sampling a few of the winery’s top labels, we head further into Halkidiki.

Central Halkidiki Our journey continues to Aghios Pavlos. Along the way, we see more and more vineyards on both sides of the main road; they stretch across low, rolling hills that are cooled during the hot summer months by their proximity to the sea. The main varieties grown here are the white Roditis and Sauvignon Blanc, used to produce the fruity and vibrant PGI Halkidiki. Another PGI, a soft red, is made with a blend of Xinomavro, Grenache Rouge and Cabernet Sauvignon. A huge sign at the entrance tells us that we’ve reached the Tsantali winery. A large facility, it is the main production unit of the company’s operations in Northern Greece and is surrounded by its own vineyards. On the guided tour, we learn that Halkidiki produced renowned wines in antiquity. Sources dating back to the 5th century BC refer to a dry white and a medium-sweet from Mendi, a small town on the southwest coast of Kassandra. Ancient Acanthus (present-day Ierissos) and Aphytis (Afytos) were also known for their wines, while Stagira was home to the region’s first developed vineyard, planted by Aristotle. Today, Halkidiki’s vineyards are spread in Sithonia, Mount Athos and the central part of the peninsula. On to Sithonia It is early afternoon and we’re back on the road. At the Moudiana junction, we follow the signposts for Sithonia, and proceed along its western coast, taking in the stunning views of rolling

hills, lush with olive trees, pines, beeches, cypresses and planes. Looking at the scenery, bathed in sunlight, we can’t help but recall the poems of Angelos Sikelianos, Odysseas Elytis and Nikos Gatsos paying homage to the Greek summers. Eventyally we reach Porto Carras. This is where Halkidiki’s modern identity as a wine region was first forged in the 1960s, by Yiannis Carras, a businessman enchanted by the natural beauty of the area, who envisioned a luxurious tourism complex surrounded by working vineyards. He went on to plant Greece’s single biggest vineyard, 400 hectares on the sun-kissed western foothills of Mount Meliton. Today, the vineyard grows 15 varieties and applies organic farming methods. The climate is generally dry and hot; however, proximity to the sea and the neighboring pine forest help mitigate the effects of high temperatures, particularly during the warmest part of the day in summer. The soil is also rich in limestone, which has a natural capacity for retaining humidity, so the overall conditions are ideal for the production of excellent wines. Among these stand-outs are the complex and fleshy PDO Playies Melitona reds, made from Limnio, Cabernet Franc and Cebernet Sauvignon. It is worth noting that this is the first Greek wine with Protected Designation of Origin that included non-Greek varieties in its composition. The PDO Playies Melitona whites, made from an interesting combination of three native varieties (Athiri, Assyrtiko and Roditis), are also successful.

In the 1960s Yiannis Karras went on to plant Greece’s single biggest vineyard, 400 hectares on the sun-kissed western foothills of Mount Meliton. G R E E C E IS

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Info

K t i m a G e r o v a s s i l i o u : Epanomi, Thessaloniki • tel (+30) 23920.445.67 • e-mail: ktima@gerovassiliou.gr T s a n ta l i : Aghios Pavlos, Halkidiki • tel (+30) 23990.761.00 • e-mail: info@tsantali.gr P o r t o C a r r a s : Neos Marmaras, Sithonia • tel (+30) 23750.770.00 • e-mail: wines@portocarras.com 1 2

M e t o c h i C h r o m i t s a : Metochi Chromitsa, Mt. Athos • tel (+30) 23990.761.00 • e-mail: info@tsantali.gr M y l o p o ta m o s W i n e r y, M t. At h o s : Monastery of Great Lavra, Mt. Athos • tel (+30) 2310.522.211 • e-mail: info@mywines.gr C l a u d i a P a p ay i a n n i : Arnaia, Halkidiki • tel (+30) 23270.231.20 • e-mail: claudie@otenet.gr

WINERIES Take the tour with us

1. Porto Carras vineyards, on the sun-drenched slopes of Mt Meliton, overlooking Toronean Gulf.

Mount Athos The following mornign, with a full day set aside for the world-famous monastic community, we head to Ouranoupoli. Alas, only the men are allowed to venture up to the “Garden of the Virgin.” Almost all of the monasteries in this unique Eastern Orthodox community have a lengthy tradition in winemaking. In fact, the entire 15th chapter of Typikon, the first known charter setting down the rules of the community’s operation (drafted in 972 by Emperor Ioannis Tsimiskis and high-ranking monks) is dedicated to the business of wine commerce. Wine was the community’s key commodity in the centuries that followed, and today a number of monasteries are reviving that age-old tradition. 142

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2. Evangelos Tsantalis during the harvest in 1976.

The climate here is typically Mediterranean, with mild winters, plenty of sunshine in the spring and summer, and cool sea breezes tempering the effects of the hot summer sun. Most of the monastery vineyards are arranged in terraces, at altitudes ranging from 50m to 400m. The vineyards on the east of the peninsula face the sea, while those on the west look up to Mount Olympus. They are planted in rows so as to allow the use of machinery but, as has always been the tradition, they are not irrigated. From the large range of varieties grown – Roditis, Athiri, Assyrtiko, Sauvignon Blanc, Limnio, Xinomavro, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache Rouge – the monks produce wines labeled as PGI Mount Athos, one of the first Protected Geographical

3. The cellar at Metochi Chromitsa on Mt. Athos, a historic winery which had deen revived by Greek wine pioneer Evangelos Tsantalis.

Indications to be instituted in Greece, granted in 1981. As the men return from the Monastery, we come to the end of our Dionysian weekend in Halkidiki and are more than ready for a seafood feast at one of Ouranoupoli’s seaside tavernas – where the women are also allowed to indulge.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Maria Netsika is a chemist and oenologist, as well as founder of Wine Plus, a wine communication company organizing the annual “Map of Flavors” fair, running the THESSALONIKI’96 Wine Club and the Wine Plus magazine and website.

THE S SALONIKI

In a Nutshell

The ageless “Bride of the Thermaic Gulf” offers visitors just the right mix of culture, sightseeing, excellent food, nightlife and shopping. Featured in this summer’s issue of Monocle Μagazine – a further confirmation of its international appeal – Thessaloniki’s claim to fame is strongest at the end of the day, when the entire city throngs to its coastal esplanade to take in the crimson-colored sunset as seagulls glide over the sea.

The 15th c. White Tower, the symbol of the city, has been used as a fort, a garisson and a prison. Today, it houses a museum devoted to Thessaloniki and its people (Summer hours: Mon-Sun 08:00-20:00) © GETTY IMAGES/IDEAL IMAGE, EPHORATE OF THESSALINIKI/HELLENIC REPUBLIC, MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS/Archaeological Receipts Fund

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the archaeological museum A S T AT E - O F -t h e - A R T D I S P L AY O F M A C E D O N I A N T R E A S U R E S

For history lovers, Thessaloniki’s Archaeological Museum (AMTH) is one of the hottest tickets in town. Conveniently located in the city center close to the White Tower and the Museum of Byzantine Culture, AMTH has undergone great changes over the past decade, now presenting museologically state-of-theart displays that cover the full range of Thessaloniki’s and its region’s rich history and archaeological remains. AMTH has been an evolving space for culture and learning since it first opened in 1962, the same year that the 4th century BC Derveni krater – a magnificent bronze funerary urn wrapped in reliefs of Dionysus, Ariadne and the wine god’s retinue of ecstatic satyrs and maenads –

was unearthed northeast of Thessaloniki and soon made one of the new museum’s primary attractions. The completion of major renovations to the museum in 2006 marked the dawn of a new era for AMTH, where, today, visitors of all ages are welcomed with engaging and thematically arranged permanent displays, temporary exhibitions, educational programs, workshops, academic talks, seminars and recreational activities. Permanent displays include Prehistoric Macedonia; Towards the Birth of Cities; Macedonia from the 7th century BC until Late Antiquity; Thessaloniki, Metropolis of Macedonia; The Gold of Macedon; Macedonia, from Fragments to Pixels; Field House Garden Grave; and Memory

6 Manoli Andronikou • Open Mon-Sun 08:00-20:00 • Admission €8 • Tel. (+30) 2313.310.201 • www.amth.gr

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in Stone. These last two displays have been installed outside the museum; visitors can also view ancient funeral monuments, sarcophagi and altars. These open-air exhibits, indicative of AMTH’s fresh, progressive approach, also feature a mock Roman-era house, with genuine mosaic floors transferred from local archaeological sites. In addition, there is a collection of stone artifacts intended to highlight the fragmentary nature of archaeological evidence, the frequent reuse of stone materials in antiquity and the role of such objects in transmitting important information and past collective memory to later generations – both in ancient and modern times. - JOHN LEONARD

Gold myrtle wreath, from the tomb of Philip II at Vergina (Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki).

1. Detail of the Derveni Krater (330-320 BC), showing a maenad that decorates the neck, close to the handle.

2. Detail of a golden diadem with a handsomely crafted Eros (ca. 320 BC).

3. Clay perfume holder shaped like a rooster (540 BC).

4. Detail of a statue of Harpocrates (late 2nd century BC).

5. Statue of Roman Emperor Augustus (second quarter of the 1st century AD).

6. The building was designed by Patroklos Karantinos, who was an important representative of modernism in Greece.

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in a nutshell

Museum of Byzantine Culture e x periencin g t h e sacred and t h e secular

From the bright stillness of its enclosed courtyard to the intimate darkness of the textured interiors, this contemporary structure (designed by award-winning architect and artist Kyriakos Krokos) evokes a sense of sanctuary, ideally suited for an exploration of 15 centuries of Christianity. The permanent museum exhibition, presented in eleven halls, was completed between the years 1997 and 2004. It showcases original exhibits -icons, mosaics, artifacts, jewelry- accompanied by informative material and augmented by new media installations, in order to show the many different aspects of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine culture. The Museum also includes conservation laboratories and archaeological material storerooms, an area for educational programs, a separate wing for temporary exhibitions, a multi-purpose hall, 146

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two auditoria, a museum shop and an excellent cafe-restaurant, B, which has taken museum dining to new levels of sophistication. The total of its activities, educational, cultural and publishing, mark it as an exemplary center of preservation, research and promotion of our cultural heritage. It is worth noting that the museum was awarded the Council of Europe Museum Prize for 2005, (following the concurrent recommendation of the Council’s Committee for Culture, Science and Education) – a distinction given for the first time to a public museum in Greece. Currently on show is the engravings collection Greek Paper Icons, a Greece-Russia Communication Way and the photographic collection of Byron Metos titled On the Margins of War: Thessaloniki under the German Occupation (1941-1944).

2 Stratou Avenue • Tel. (+30) 2313.306.400 • www.mbp.gr • Open Mon-Sun 08:00-20:00 • Admission €8

in a nutshell

SPLENDID REVIVAL SEE MORE

Thessaloniki’s architectural legacy spans centuries, empires, civilizations, religions and styles. Its landmarks are still an intrinsic part of city life. Among them is the Rotunda, commissioned by the Roman Emperor Galerius and completed at the beginning of the 4th century, later transforned into a Christian church. This monumental space, inspiring in scale yet inviting, was reopened last December following its partial restoration. On twelve occasions each year it functions as a church, with services open to the public, while it may occasionally also host cultural events. • Dimitri Gounari & Aghiou Georgiou, Tel. (+30) 2310.204.868, Open daily 08:00-19:00

Thessaloniki’s top 10 historic edifices

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Art hopping STATE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART Housed in the renovated building of the old Lazariston Monastery in the borough of Stavroupouli in western Thessaloniki, the State Museum of Contemporary Art was founded in 1997, on the occasion of Thessaloniki’s year as European Capital of Culture, with a mission to preserve and display works of contemporary art by Greek and foreign artists. Currently showing is the exhibition Typography as an Act of Art, a journey through the most important artistic movements of the 20th century, from the Russian Avant-Garde to the works of contemporary artists from Greece and abroad.

21 Kolokotroni, Stavroupoli (bus No 27 to Stavroupoli, Pavlou Mela stop) • Tel. (+30) 2310.589.143 • Open Tue-Sat 10:00-18:00 (7-15 August closed) • Admission €3 • www.greekstatemuseum.com

One of the harbor’s early 20th warehouses, designed by the noted Thessaloniki engineer Eli Modiano has been converted into a well-appointed exhibition space that maintains a strong sense of place. The museum hosts temporary exhibitions by local and international photographers who explore the medium’s various applications, centering on themes of memory, encounter and discovery – often depicted in large formats. Currently showing is Another life: Human flows / Unknown Odysseys. The museum’s cafe, whose floor-to-ceiling window overlooks the port’s industrial side, is one of the city’s secret gems.

3 Navarchou Votsi, Warehouse A • Tel. (+30) 2310.566.716 • Open Tue-Thu, Sat & Sun 11:0019:00, Fri 11:00-22:00 • Admission €2 • www.thmphoto.gr

Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art This relatively young museum is the result of remarkable initiative, generosity and cooperation – a beautiful thing created in response to the damage to Thessaloniki’s monuments in an earthquake in 1978. The original idea of gallery owner Maro Lagia and collector Alexandros Zolas motivated art lovers to realize the goal of establishing a significant center for contemporary art in the city. The museum now has a permanent collection of well over 1,500 works, including pieces by Niki de Saint Phalle, Joseph Beuys, Yannis Gaitis and Dennis Oppenheim. Perhaps more interesting still, particularly for the foreign visitor, is the opportunity to see the work of 20th century and contemporary Greek artists and their contributions to international movements in the art world. A variety of interior styles in all the spaces, including the corridors and stairwells on three levels, have been used to advantage so that each piece seems to be placed in its ideal environment.

154 Egnatia • Tel. (+30) 2310.240.002 • Open Τhu 10:00-22:00, Fri 10:00-19:00, Sat 10:00-18:00, Sun 11:00-15:00 • Admission €4 • www.mmca.org.gr 148

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The Museum of Photography

The Pantopoleio Thessaloniki’s General Store

A DV E R TO R I A L

Three generations of experience and tradition are on hand to guide you in your purchases. Whether you are looking for health food or something sinfully unhealthy, you are sure to find something to your taste in this Aladdin’s cave of delicious flavours.

The Pantopoleio - Thessaloniki’s General Store 12 Komninon St., 54624 Thessaloniki • Tel.: 0030.2310.244684 • Fax: 0030.2310.244687 pantopoliothessa@yahoo.gr • www.to-pantopolio.gr

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AGENDA

ART AND the city From great shows to film events, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plenty happening in Thessaloniki to keep you culturally busy. BY XENIA GEORGIADOU

The Nutcracker

Deconstructing Jeans

July 15 - October 15

August 31 & September 1

September 30 - October 23

Contemporary Russians

Philharmonics in new roles

The art of Yoko Ono

The exhibition, Nine Russian Stories: Contemporary Artists from the SMCA Collections, introduces the Greek public to important Russian artists who draw inspiration from their own personal and collective memories, as they comment on and raise questions about modern social and political reality and philosophy. State Museum of Contemporary Art, 21 Kolokotroni, Moni Lazariston, www. greekstatemuseum.com

The Moni Lazariston Festival hosts some of the most active wind ensembles for two musical nights in its Brass Band Fest. Music groups of different sizes from around Greece will entertain audiences as they present melodies from various eras and musical styles. Moni Lazariston, 21 Kolokotroni Street, Stavroupoli, www.monilazariston.gr

Half a century since it was first established, the Dimitria Festival continues to offer fascinating fare with avant-garde performances, interesting art exhibitions, music nights and multimedia productions. One name that definitely stands out among the line-up of names and groups at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event is that of Yoko Ono. A retrospective in her honor includes sculptures, art and music works, allowing the public to discover her multi-dimensional talent and restless spirit. www. thessaloniki.gr

August 24-28

Cinema on the ROOF The Taratsa International Film Festival utilizes the most charming rooftops in the city, transforming them into scenic cinemas. Now in its third year, the festival integrates avant-garde films with classic movies, while also including a competition section for shorts by young cinematographers from around the world. www.taratsaiff.com 150

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TO September 2

Old neighborhoods Maps, designs, postcards and photographs of roads and buildings all show the cosmopolitan suburbs of Thessaloniki with their superb mansions. The exhibition, titled The Campagnes Districts in Thessaloniki, 1885-1912, illustrates the expansion of the city and its development into one prosperous and charming European metropolis, in a display of 265 artifacts. Kapantzi Villa, 108 Vasilissis Olga Avenue, www.miet.gr

57th Thessaloniki Film Festival

Delacroix and the Greeks

The art of Yoko Ono

Cinema on the terrace

Contemporary Russians

to September 10

Deconstruction of jeans The exhibition, Deconstructing Jeans, presents different artistic approaches to using denim, the most popular fabric of the last 100 years. The designs have been created by students from the Clothing Design and Technology Department of the Technical Education Institute of Central Macedonia, whose young creators studied the style of famous fashion designers before submitting their own proposals. Teloglion Foundation of Art, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 159A Aghiou Dimitriou, www.teloglion.gr

Oct 28, 2016 - Jan 31, 2017

Delacroix and the Greeks Eugene Delacroix never visited Greece, but he was moved and inspired by the Greek efforts to free themselves from Ottoman rule. The exhibition Delacroix Stages the Greek War of Independence, 1821 offers a unique walk through em-

blematic works of the French artist – The Massacre at Chios and Greece on the Ruins of Missolonghi - through the eyes of Greek artists such as Spyros Vassiliou and Evangelos Ioannidis. Teloglion Foundation of Art, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 159A Aghiou Dimitriou, www.teloglion.gr

November 4-13

Cinema celebratION For 10 days every year, the northern port city pays homage to the great world of cinema, inviting the public to watch films from around the world, including Greek and foreign indie productions. Important guest appearances, tributes to some of the foremost movie creators and cinema styles, open discussions and parallel events make up the program of the 57th Thessaloniki International Film Festival. www.filmfestival.gr

December 3

Christmas magic The Russian State Ballet Theater of Moscow presents The Nutcracker, taking us on a journey to a fantasy land while reawakening our childhood memories. With internationally acclaimed dancer Vassilyevich Gordeyev at its helm as artistic director, the world renowned company continues the tradition of the great Russian school, always presenting demanding interpretations. Thessaloniki Concert Hall (Megaro Mousikis), corner of Eikostis Pemptis Martiou & Paralia, www.tch.gr

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SHOPPING guide Thessaloniki is the most style-conscious city in Greece, after all...

IN A NUTSHE LL

Summer in the city Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very easy to cope with the summer heat in urban Thessaloniki. Curved around the Thermaikos Gulf, the city takes great advantage of the sea with its boardwalk and marinas. There are ouzeries at the end of piers; cafes and bars at the edge of sandy beaches; rooftop terraces for a drink or dinner; cinemas under the stars; and, in case you feel like taking a break in the suburbs during your urban holiday, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a boat that ferries you to the out-of-town beaches. BY AMBER CHARMEI

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FROM above The city’s skyline is dotted with rooftop oases that bring you a bit closer to the sky. Of the five that we’ve scouted out, three are hidden away in the urban fabric and two conspicuously placed atop prominent buildings. The lively Ladadika district, right above the harbor, is crammed with ouzeries and bars. Try Wonder Wall for variety. It has two floors plus a rooftop, each with its own atmosphere. At the heart of a former industrial area, the Valaoritou district is teeming at night. Escape the heat, but not the vibrant mood, at Fragile and Urania, two rooftop terraces. Their not-very-well-marked entrances and long flights of stairs give the impression that these are secret clubs, but they are actually the liveliest hangouts in the area. Enjoy the view of the stars above and, of course, the company of the other patrons. W on d e r w a l l : 16A Egyptou • tel (+30) 2311.242.492 • 11:00–02:00 F r a gi l e : 29 Valaoritou • tel (+30) 2310.547.443 • 11:00–05:00 U r a ni a : 4 Paikou • tel (+30) 2315.527.999 • 20:00–Late

BETWEEN SKY & SEA

touch the horizon One of the two landmark buildings on Aristotelous Square, the Electra Palace Hotel enjoys a vista of the plaza and the buildings that grace the promenade. Its serene and elegant Orizontes Rooftop Garden is open from dawn for breakfast and coffee until late at night for cocktails, with lunch and dinner in between and snacks and desserts throughout the day. E l e c t r a

Atop the minimalist M2 building of Thessaloniki’s Concert Hall complex is the modern and elegant Aldebaran, which is so close to the water it’s like being on a ship. Its breezy broad terrace and the cooler, glass-enclosed interior offer an uninterrupted vista. Come for chic, well-presented Mediterranean and Asian dishes, or coffee and drinks. A l d e b a r a n : Coastal end of 25th Martiou • tel (+30) 2310.850.000 • 16:00–02:00 (Wed–Fri),

10:00–02:00 (Sat), 10:00–00:00 (Sun)

P a l a c e H o t e l : 9 Aristotelous • tel (+30) 2310.294.000 • 11:00–01:30

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Seagulls and Sailboats Some of the best real estate in Thessaloniki is owned by the city’s sailing and rowing clubs. Situated in great locations and, their restaurants are very popular with locals. The classic and casual Ouzeri Triaktis of the Nautical Athletic Club occupies its own small pier in a quiet western corner of the port. Come in the afternoon to gaze at the sundappled sea, or at night for glittering views of downtown and the Kalamaria beachfront. They have a selection of grilled and fried fish as well as shellfish and other meze, and the tables are right at the water’s edge. At the very end of the pretty stretch of Themistoklis Sofouli is the Nautical Club of Thessaloniki and its taverna, Sorokos. Stroll along the jetty to admire the views, visit the small church at the end of the pier, then dine on seafood and meze among the sailboats at this busy marina. T r i a k t is : 58 Themistoklis Sofouli • tel (+30) 2310 423 800 • 12:00–02:00 (Mon–Sat), 11:00–00:00 (Sun) S o r o k os : 112 Themistoklis Sofouli • tel (+30) 2310.413.262 • 11:00–01:00.

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Outdoor cinemas The therina or “summertime” cinemas, usually in gardens filled with bougainvillea and jasmine, are one of the pleasures of summer in the city. Films are shown in their original language with Greek subtitles. Here are some of the popular open-air cinemas near the city center. Cin e m a wi t h a V i e w : Rooftop of the M2 building • Thessaloniki Concert Hall complex, coastal end of 25th Martiou • tel (+30) 2310.378.400 • A l e x : 106 Olympou and Aghias Sofias • tel (+30) 2310.269.403 • E l l inis : Leoforos Stratou (opposite Byzantine Museum) • tel (+30) 2310.292.304 • N ata l i : 3 Megalou Alexandrou (near the White Tower) • tel (+30) 2310.829.457 • Apo l l on : 4 Sarantoporou (near City Hall) • tel (+30) 2310.828.642

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TUCKED AWAY Ouzeri Aristotelous is a cool serene haven where you least expect it, tucked away in an Art Nouveau arcade off busy Aristotelous Square. Enjoy their classic menu of small seafood and meat dishes in this pretty indoor-outdoor garden with a fountain. The meze bar and café Tiho Tiho is very popular for its

variety of creative small dishes. Situated opposite a stretch of the old walls of Ano Poli, or the old upper quarter, it’s open and breezy with lots of outdoor seating. Ouzeri Aristotelous: 8 Aristotelous Square • tel (+30) 2310.230.762 • 12:00–00:00 (Mon–Sat), 12:00–19:00 (Sun) Toixo Toixo: 1 Polydorou Stergiou • tel (+30) 2310.245.351 • 10:00–03:00

Seaside glamour

ITALIAN-STYLE The Macedonia Palace’s gorgeous Italian-inspired Navona, right on the promenade, is open all day for espresso, snacks and Italian dishes from its open kitchen. In the evening, enjoy dinner or specialty cocktails, guest DJs and a fantastic view. N a von a : 2 Megalou Alexandrou • tel (+30) 2310.897.197 • Café: 9:30–02:00 • Restaurant: 18:00–00:00 (Mon– Fri) • 14:00–01:00 (Sat and Sun)

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Krini, the harbor area of Kalamaria, seems like a self-contained, laid-back, up-scale resort. Remvi offers coffee in the morning, chic food and drinks all day, plenty of glamour and style, late-night DJs and fabulous views of the Gulf of Thermaikos. R e m vi : 2 Kanari • Kalamaria • tel (+30) 2310.433.100 • 09:00–until everyone goes home

The Inside Scoop Th r e e p l a c e s + t h r e e t y p e s of m i l k = u ni q u e i c e c r e a m

Buffalo milk at Chatzis

Sheep’s milk at Dorkada

Family-owned Chatzis makes ice cream using milk from their own herd of buffalo. Better still, it’s made Turkish-style by being thickened with salepi, the powdered root of a wild orchid. The ice cream is dense, elastic and almost chewy. With salepi much prized for restoring virility, this ice cream cone stands out from the rest.

At the edge of Ano Poli, the old upper quarter, right next to the entrance to the Aladja Imaret, is the small and modest store front of family-owned Dorkada, famous for sheep milk yoghurt since 1957. Try the fabulous sheep milk ice cream, which has a rich taste but surprisingly light texture. Also recommended is the exotic mastiha flavor, which looks like vanilla but tastes of pine.

Ch at z is : 50 Venizelous • tel (+30) 2310.279.058

Do r k a d a : 91 Kassandrou • tel (+30) 2310.234.6759

Cow’s milk at Gelato e Amore Everyone’s favorite authentic Italian gelateria has an official name, Gelato e Amore, but it’s best known as Franco, after the vivacious, meticulous owner. He makes small batches from the freshest of ingredients (and boils the chestnuts himself when they’re in season). There are no trendy flavors here, just a classic, typically Italian, lineup. The most glamorous of all is the delicate cassata. G e l at o e A m o r e : 44 Alexandrou Svolou • tel (+30) 2310.242.014

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Two luxurious hotels make their swimming pools available to day visitors. Macedonia Palace is the only hotel right on the promenade. Its restaurant Thymare offers a special midday experience, combining classic Greek-Mediterranean seafood dishes with a complimentary swim. For a daily fee, stylish Domotel Les Lazaristes – directly opposite the elegant outdoor venue Moni Lazariston (the former Lazarist monastery) and the State Museum of Contemporary Art – offers a chaise-longue and a towel so you can better enjoy the pool. It also boasts a poolside café-bar. Th y m a r e 2 Megalou Alexandrou • tel (+30) 2310.897.197 • Restaurant: 13:00–17:00 and 19:00–00:00 (Wed–Sat), 12:00–20: (Sun) • Pool: 10:00–20:00 (daily). D O M O TEL L e s L a z a r is t e s 16 Kolokotroni • tel (+30) 2310.647.400 • Pool: 11:00–19:00 • Restaurant: 11:00–00:00

Urban Swimming Drinks ON the beach Not all of Thessaloniki’s waterfront is boardwalk and piers. Along the city’s beaches – some sandy, others pebbly – there are popular cafés and bars. Our favorites? O m i l os: 12 Megalou Alexandrou • tel (+30) 2310.869.950 • 09:00– late A z z u r o: 86 Themistoklis Sofouli • tel (+30) 2310.419.294 • Daily 10:00–late 158

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Blé, a place to break bread Happiness is the smell of freshly baked bread warm from the oven at Blé, a Thessalonian bakery whose French name means “wheat”. Stress dissipates into the aroma of freshly ground coffee served with tantalizing sweets round the clock at the neoclassical building at 19 Aghia Sofias Street or at their second location at 138 Egnatia Street. Tel. (+30) 2310.231.200

IN A NUTSHE LL

WATERWAYS Thessaloniki’s beach suburbs are located along the eastern coast of the Thermaikos Gulf. A boat leaves from the end of the pier near the Museum of Photography, stops at Perea and ends at nearby Nei Epivates, a 40-minute ride away. Go out for a late afternoon swim and then have dinner on the beach, which is what locals do for an easy getaway without really leaving town. Th e ss a l oni k i W at e r w ay s : From Thessaloniki: 10:00, 11:00, 12:30, 14:00, 15:30, 17:00, 18:00, 19:30, 20:30, 21:30 • From Nei Epivates: 09:30, 11:00, 12:30, 13:30, 15:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:30, 20:30, 21:30

Private Sailing Trips If the ferry gave you a taste for the sea and you want more, you might like to hire Captain Nikos’ gorgeous sailboat for a private tour of the port, or wherever the winds take you. The fully equipped boat accommodates parties of up to eight people.

N i k os Ko u v a k a s , Personalized Sailing Cruises • tel (+30) 699.711.6056

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