LINK #171 Traveling by NGO K.A.NE.

#168

April 15th 2021

TRAVELLING

COVID and travel! Traveling on budget How is solo traveling? How do our volunteers travel ?

Content K.A.NE. VOLUNTEERS & COLLABORATORS 4-7 QUOTE OF THE WEEK DR. PREM JAGYASI 8-9 GET TO KNOW US 10 - 13 QUESTIONS FOR VOLUNTEERS HOW TO SAY? 14 - 15 MOTIVATIONAL MOTTO MAIN ARTICLE I 16 - 18 NIGHTLIFE IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES QUOTE OF THE WEEK CHARLOTTE ERIKSSON 19 MAIN ARTICLE 2 TRAVELING ON BUDGET 21 MAIN ARTICLE 3 22 - 23 MY PANDEMIC TRAVELS ART REVIEW 26 - 27 TRAVELING TO EGYPT MAIN ARTICLE 4 WAYS OF TRAVELING 28 PLACE TO TRAVEL 32 - 33 LEFKADA INTERVIEW WITH AN ESC VOLUNTEER 34 - 35 TOMEK ABOUT SOLO TRAVELING RECIPES 38 - 41 RECIPES FROM GREECE

Editorial

VIKTO R EDITOR

LU KA S DESIGNER

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info@ngokane.org www.ngokane.org www.kentroneon.wordpress.com +30 272 108 188 2 Salaminos 8 24100 Kalamata Greece

VOLUNTEERS INÉS Hi, my name is Inès, I am 20 years old and I live in Nancy, in the north east of France and what I like to do with my life is to discover new things through art, literature, sport and especially music. That’s why I’m here. So enjoy!

T O M EK I am Thomas, but you can call me Tomek which is my nickname. It is Polish name for Thomas. I am 24 years old and I come from the south of France in a small town named Maussane, one hour near Marseille. Two year ago I graduated in Logistic and quality. After that I wasn’t sure about what I would do next. So I decided to work to pay my travels and since that I just keep travelling. My last big adventure was in New Zealand where I lived for a year. I like playing tennis. During 12 years I played for a club. I love travelling because for me it's a way to open your eyes one the world.

JO HAN N Hello, my name is johann I am 19 years old and I come from Luxembourg. This is the first time that I am leaving my family for a long time. I arrived at the beginning of April and I stayed for 9 months. I chose to come to greece to see a new culture and a new country.

K ASSAN D RA Hello! I am Kassandra and I come from Germany. I am eighteen years old and I’ve just finished school, so now I have time to experience something new and to travel. This is why I take part in the ESC in Kalamata for one year and I am pretty excited about it. I work in the Dog Rescue Center, because I love dogs and I want to support them.

TA M AR A Hi ! My name is Tamara Termignon, I come from the south of France, I have a Professional Baccalaureate in Management Administration, and following that I was hired as a maintenance agent. Before going on a permanent contract I wanted to discover other things, that's why I'm here today. I am coming to Greece for 1 month and I am volunteering in the dog shelter. Animals are my passion, as are Korea and music.

LA U R E I’m Laure and I come from Lille, in France. I'm a nurse and student of psychology. I’m interested in health, psychology and environmental fields. I’m in Kalamata for six months.I will work with people who have disabilities in garden farmer.

LU K A S Ahoj! My name is Lukas and I came to greece from Slovakia. I am 24 year old dude and I will stay here, in Kalamata, for 2 months as designer of digital media. I love travelling and exploring our beautiful planet earth. Basically in October I realised I have never been in Greece yet, so here I am, making up for what I have missed. I been on several erasmus+ projects therefore I know greek people are amazing and lovely and I look forward to experience their culture on my own skin!

VIKT O R Čau, I am Viktor, a 20 years old dude from Czech Republic. I’ll stay here until August 2021 so I will be here for a one whole year. Actually I have just moved from my parents house and this is for the first time when I am living on my own. Most of my time I watch some TV shows or read good books. Looking forward to writing many amazing articles for you.

COLLABORATORS F I LAR ET O S Hello, I am Filaretos Vourkos. For the last 15 years I am working in the field of Non-formal education as a volunteer, youth worker and youth trainer. 10 years ago, I decided to create the Youth Centre of Kalamata, in order to initiate youth work in Kalamata and promote active citizenship as factor for change.

JELENA Hi, I’m Jelena Scepanovic, an EVS coordinator in K.A.NE. and a volunteer of the Youth center. I came from Montenegro in 2012 as an EVS volunteer. I really liked the idea of the youth center and the work that K.A.NE. does, so I decided to stay and be part of it.

AN N A Hi, I'm Anna Charalampous. I'm here to help with K.A.NE. social media, website and administration. I'm happy to be part of the team promoting youth work, education and volunteerism, both locally and globally.

NA NC Y Hello World! I’m Nancy and I have been working in K.A.NE. since 2017 as a Project Manager and EVS/ESC coordinator. I’m passionate about meeting new people and exchanging knowledge, experiences and ideas. I love the fact that many young people visit every year my hometown Kalamata and contribute to our society.

SPIROS Hello, my name is Spiros Koutsogiannis and since the beginning of 2020 I am a project manager and responsible for the Research and Development department of KANE. I hold a degree in Civil Engineering and I have been working in the EU funded projects field since 2010, having implemented almost 65 projects.

Quote

of the week

"Once you begin traveling, it might so happen that you discover a place where people are just like you." Dr. Prem Jagyasi

Author: Lukas

TAMARA

What is you r m u s t hav e it e m w h ile trav e lin g ?

:I'm not sure, there are so many things that are important when traveling, like the phone, the ID card or the mask (due to the current health crisis), so I would say: a pair of shoes, we never go anywhere without our shoes.

VIKTOR

INÉS

I think I can not go anywhere without hand sanitizer and mask.

I think my must have when I travel is my phone of course because I can look the map and take pictures. And then I will say my notebook, because it's really important for me to write, even if I can do it directly on my phone, for me my notebook is sacred, I put metro tickets, concerts ...

TOMEK I think my mobile because with it you can organize your trip, call when, you to book activities and photos when you don’t have camera

Favorite place y o u h a v e a l re ady v i si t e d ? LUKAS

Portugal has special place in my heart So its not a surprise that the most beautiful and amazing place I have been to is Azores islands, in the middle of the Atlantic. Breathtaking nature, astonishing landscapes, warm sun all year long and cheap coffee. Its hard not to like that place.

LUKAS

TOMEK

That is a very hard question. I think without my cell phone traveling would be completely different. I am used to travel using my phone for maps, bookings, looking for activities etc. But I like to think my must have item would be lighter. You can start a fire, open a beer and lit a ciggie.

New zealand for landscape and incredible nature and the Mt.Taranaki. KASSI I would say Kalamata because of all the memories I made here as it is my first time being alone abroad for a long time and being free.

KASSI I think I would always like to travel with my cellphone or a camera at least to be able to share and keep my memories.

INÉS Switzerland it’s a place very special for me, the landscapes are magnificent and it is a mood of peace to reflect, I need to return there regularly.

JOHANN When I travel the essential product is my passport (identity card)

LAURE

I saw a lot of beautiful landscapes but I must admit that the place where I was really moved is the Amazon forest.

I think for me the most important it’s my bottle of water ! 10

LAURE I will choose a country if it presents beautiful landscapes and an incredible Nature. I don’t care about skyscrapers, city with a lot of people... TAMARA The feeling,i know my next trip destination will be in South Korea. JOHANN Most of the time I travel to neighboring countries (France, Germany, Belgium) to see the family.

JOHANN My favorite place that I have visited is Vietnam VIKTOR Definitely København. TAMARA For the moment it's kalamata.

Ho w d o y ou ch oos e y ou r tr ip d e s t in a tion ?

KASSI

I want to go to places I feel attracted to because of weather, landscapes, culture, people and other stuff. LUKAS

D re a m p l a c e t o t r a v e l a n d wh y ? VIKTOR

To be completely honest, usually I traveled to the place where I found cheap tickets. But the longer I travel more places I have already visited and more friends all around I made so I think its gonna be visiting friends or exploring new, more exotic places in the future.

On the top of my bucket list I have Oslo or Tromsø. After danish culture. TOMEK I want to travel to Asia and probably do a trip in Vietnam by bike.

TOMEK

LUKAS

The price of the trip or because is a place i have in mine for long long time.

I probably have to say Cuba. I have always been fascinated by the culture they have, the life style and peace you have there. Drinking rum on the sunny beach and not worrying about world sounds good to me.

INÉS For the moment, I do not have the budget to explore all the countries that I will like, I seize the opportunities which are offered to me, and I am no less disappointed, on the contrary!

INÉS The whole world. 11

KASSI Because this is a big part of living life TAMARA To learn new things, know other way of life, new languages ... and also to stay too long in the same place we end up getting bored. LAURE The travels that I did in my past were steps for great things in my life.

KASSI

JOHANN

Kenya because it has an amazing variety of landscapes, wildlife and an exotic culture.

Because I like to discover new cultures, new countries.

TAMARA

Séoul in koreabecause it is an incredible city of korea (the capital) where there are many different neighborhoods, there is something for everyone. LAURE The Reunion Island, mostly because one of my best friends comes from this place and there is an amazing nature.

TOMEK

JOHANN

I want to say car because it is easy to stop whenever you want. But is not the cheapest way.

My favorite place to travel is Spain because it is a beautiful country and there are many things to visit.

Wh i c h wa y o f t r a n sp o r t d o you p re f e r a n d wh y ?

LUKAS The one I used the most are planes because its the cheapest and fastest but trains are more comfortable, and adventurous.

Why t o t r ave l ?

INÉS With the car, we have more ease, flexibility and I am not dependent. But taking a plane is faster.

TOMEK To be more open minded and a culture exchange.

KASSI Airplanes because it‘s fast but trains are better for the environment and I like their atmosphere.

LUKAS To open your mind, meet new people, experience new cultures and live new adventures. To step out of your comfort zone and to actually live! INÉS For me, travel is an eternal beginning of the unknown. Travel is definitely the school of my life.

TAMARA the plane without hesitation, it's fast, easy to use and I love the feeling when the plane takes off. LAURE I like boat ! I had chance to travel with a ship during several years with one of my best friends ! I love sea so for me it was my best way of travel ! JOHANN I prefer to travel by train because it is more ecological

W h at is t h e m os t crazy ex p e r ien c e tha t h as h ap p end to y ou ?

TOMEK Going to New zealand by myself. I learn a lot about leaving alone.

Ho w d o y o u l i k e t o t r a v e l t h e mo st ? (a c c o m p a n i e d by ) TOMEK

By my owns because you can meet more local and don’t have to take decisions with others.

LUKAS Lot of things, but in Algarve I have met some street artists who were homeless and I have spent two days with them in their squat and it was eye opening experience.

LUKAS Solo traveling is very important to get to know yourself and push your boundaries. But of course traveling with friends has a completely different vibe. I think I prefer with friends but it depends on the occasion.

INÉS To go to Amsterdam on a whim.

INÉS We often say that the real trip is the one you do alone, but I love to travel too much my crazy friends.

KASSI Leaving the hotel room screaming at 3 am in Athens.

KASSI

TAMARA

With volunteers or friends.

Hitchhiking and being on a scooter with a stranger without helmets.

TAMARA Solo.

LAURE

To be considered like a terrorist in the airport.

I liked to travel with my friends !

JOHANN

My craziest experience is that we had taken a house in Brittany (France) we arrive and the house is occupied by other people

I prefer to travel with the family. 13

HOW TO SAY? “N o t a l l wh o w a n d e r a re lo s t”

.T o us ceux q ui erre nt ne s o nt p as p erd us .

Nie ws zys cy, któ rz y węd rują s ą zag ubie ni.

Δεν χάνονται όλοι όσοι περιπλανιούνται.

Ne v š ichni, co s e to ulají js o u s trace ni.

Nicht alle, die sich wunde r n , s i n d v e r l o r e n .

Nie všetci, čo sa t úl aj ú , s ú s t r a t e n í .

N et a l l d é i s e c h w onner e s i v e r l u e r .

N on t u t t i q u e l l i c h e vagan o si s o n o p e r s i .

Author: Lukas

NIGHTLIFE in different countries

FEAR AND DEATH 16

In France, nightlife takes place most of the time outside, in establishments such as bars or nightclubs. There is something quite common in France, it is called the "trap" = « traquenard » in French: it is a situation in which you go "just to have a drink on the terrace" in town, and on and on. you find yourself 5 hours later in a nightclub.

In the Netherlands, especially in the city of Amsterdam, as there are nightclubs and festivals to suit all tastes, from techno and house to dubstep and hip-hop. The most famous part of the city called The Red Light District is overrun with tourists at night. The main nightlife areas are Rembrandtplein and Leidseplein, although there are nightclubs all over the city, especially near the Red Light District and Spui Square.

It is true that the evenings are very different in France, and people get together according to the music they like, and their centers of interest, origins, studies : as in Paris, the example of a well-known district (the marais) or there are only gay bars / restaurants / nightclubs. Of course, there are times when the French have parties at home: like the « before », before going to a nightclub, or as for events like birthdays: people prefer to organize their own house party with their friends.

It is well known that the Spanish are famous for being partiers. Ibiza is for sure the first place that comes to mind when someone says "party." And it is completely justified. There are 3 main party areas in Ibiza, Playa d'en Bossa on the east coast of the island with an incredible beach and a very lively nightlife, San Antonio on the west coast of the island which with sunsets breathtaking and great bars in the city center. In Ibiza Town you will find plenty of shops, restaurants and crowds of tourists.

Budapest is a city rich in history is one of the most popular places in Europe for party animals. At night, the city becomes the center of loud music, alcohol and cool lighting effects. The bars are usually set up in old crumbling houses, but they are still very comfortable and offer amazing drinks at low prices. You must, too, participate in one of the "bath parties", which is held in Budapest's most popular thermal baths, Szechenyi Spa & Baths, famous for its spa evenings in the summer.

Cancun is known as a top party destination in Mexico, which makes it perfect for spring break or boat parties. The city always draws large crowds each year and is full of crazy and exciting times in March and April, for fun-filled beaches and late-night clubs. There is definitely no shortage of yard-long drinks and wild performances when you’re in this part of Mexico. Author: INÉS

"Leave the room, kid. Shut the screen off. Take your dirty shoes, not the pretty ones, and go out to feel the wind. Touch water. Touch earth. Touch wood, touch skin, touch everything because that is all you will live off in the end, and that is all you will need. Charlotte Eriksson

Author: Lukas

TRAVELING ON BUDGET Hello, I am Thomas. In this article I am going to share with you my tips and advice to travel on a budget. Like most of the young people the main question we have is “How much my trip is going to cost?”. Because you can’t travel without money but you can manage to keep your fixed budget. The destination of your trip is important to make your budget. The cost of living is different in every country so I would say the cheapest destination is probably Asia. But don’t worry if your dream place is in Asia because there are more tips to travel chipper and i will tell you. Second important thing on a trip is a place to stay. Choosing a good accommodation can make a big difference. Going to a hotel is probably the most expensive so don’t go or if you really want. As a young traveler I will recommend a hostel. You will find cheap prices, mainly dormitories but you can also have some individual rooms cheaper than hotels because you share the commune space like kitchen, bathroom. Good thing with hostel is to meet peoples so can make travel buddy or just discussion. You can find accommodation on Airbnb or Couchsurfing,and are good to have local experience.

second solution is that renting a bike is a fast way to move around. To move between cities usually the best is by bus or find a lift using websites like “Blablacar” or Facebook page from the country you are in. The last one and probably the most expensive cost is Activities. But this one depends of your goals, your expectation. But what I will say is you need to have a look on websites like “bookin.com or groupon.com” where you can find deals for activities: like museums, monuments, boat trips… My conclusion will be if there is a place you want to go and you think is too expensive. You're wrong! There is always a way to manage to be in your budget.

Next is probably the food where you can save some money. But I have to say I am not a big fan of making concessions. That depends on the country you are in because sometimes time is not a big deal that you can have really cheap street food which you have to try. The tip I will say is to find motivation and cook your own meal. Can be a sandwich for lunch when exploring the place. Cooking is a good approach to meet people when you are in the hostel. Transport is also something you have to deal with because moving around a city or between cities has a lot of options. To move around in the city, you can use public transport but it is usually expensive. So best is walk because you visit at the same time and no rush. You have to enjoy the place you have never been. Or the 21

My pandemic travels In 2020 the traveling culture changed severely, but for us it does not mean that we have to stay in our countries and be grounded by this pandemic. Basically, everyone here decided not to stay at home and go abroad to experience something new. This article I would like to talk about my personal experience of how I traveled from Czech Republic to Hungary and how Budapest looked at the fresh end of the first wave. Second part will be about my travels from Czech Republic to Italy after the first wave of pandemic which hit Italy the worst.

CZECHIA TO HUNGARY My best friend was bothering me with traveling during the whole pandemic, how it would be amazing to travel with absolutely empty cities and see some iconic places without tourists and he was thinking about several illegal options on how to get to different countries. I didn't really want to travel because this was the last year of my studies at high school and I was a little bit scared of my finals so we decided to travel as soon as possible after my exams. With as soon as possible I mean by the day one of opening countries. We were really picky because we didn't want to go to our neighbouring countries. We wanted to go a little bit further so we decided for Hungary, to be more specific, Budapest. Our republic has many contracts with Hungary, we are part of Visegrád Group, so we are even more close with them than with other members of european union. So this country was one of the first open countries for Czechs. Low cost flights were impossible to find so we had to choose different way of transportation and that was by bus, 7ish hours were survivable and the only restriction was to wear masks. No test, no declaration, just a mask. It is unbelievable when you realise that you didn't have to do anything even at the end of the first wave. But the way by bus was bad from the other perspective. After being grounded in our country for 4 months and everyone was telling us to avoid contact with people, we were on a full bus with complete strangers and behind us was one lady who was really sick (probably just a flu), so the whole ride was really hard.The biggest benefit was the accommodation, we had a flat in the centre with a beautiful view over Budapest. To be honest it

was useless to have a flat in a centre because we could not visit anything inside so every sight in Budapest we saw in one day. The rest of our stay we were looking for activities to do as not a tourist but as a local. So we were trying local cuisine and hanging out with locals. The way back was a little bit weird because from the full bus on the way to Budapest the re-

turn bus was absolutely empty, just me and my friend. Of course, the whole way back to Czech Republic for 7 hours we were panicking that there are definitely some restrictions that we could not find and we will have a problem. At the end the bus was for some reason empty but it was not because of that. We arrived safely home.

CZECHIA TO ITALY The Idea of going to Italy came to me before I even knew that we would experience something like a pandemy in our lives, In January 2020. I wanted to visit a friend who is living in Salerno. It was my last year of high school so I wanted to reward myself with a nice and comfortable hotel with a beautiful view over the city after all my final exams. This trip I did not want to take like my normal budget trip, but like a serious relaxing vacation. I had everything ready.

of an airplane they gave us some papers but nobody checked it during my whole stay. It is really interesting how the information about traveling/staying in Italy were absolutely different in Czech Republic, I was contacting Italian embassy and they told me that everything is open no problems for long time and When I arrived I find out that everything is opening right now, so I had also some difficulties even with transMy flight was cancelled in March and that meant porting from Naples, from the airport to Salerno. I could not go there. Not gonna lie I had pro- But during my stay I saw everything I wanted: blems with school so I really didn't care. The ho- museums, Pompeii... even normal nightlife. tel did not give me my money back, instead of that we changed the dates of my stay for July. On my way back to Vienna I received a similar I knew for sure that in July I will not have any declaration. And that is basically how all transother exams and I will have free time even if they port regulations were. postpone them. The first wave was almost over and everyo- To summarize, I would say that the problem was ne thought that covid will never have the same not with regulations but the feeling of insecurity power again. In that time travel regulations were during traveling and you did not really want to asnot really elaborated. You could go or not, no- sociate with strangers. That is how traveling during a pandemic looks like. thing in between, no test. Only at the board Author: VIKTOR

TRAVELING TO EGYPT ART REVIEW

I would like to write about a travel that I hope to do in Egypt. Indeed, for 10 years I want to visit this amazing country. I have had a fascination for Egyptian culture : pharaons mostly Ramses II, construction of the pyramids, music (…).

PYRAMIDS The Egyptian pyramids are ancient pyramid-shaped masonry structures located in Egypt. As of November 2008, sources cite either 118 or 138 as the number of identified Egyptian pyramids. Most were built as tombs for the country's pharaohs and their consorts during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods.

suggesting there may have been others.[6] The otherwise earliest among these is the Pyramid of Djoser built c. 2630–2610 BCE during the Third Dynasty. This pyramid and its surrounding complex are generally considered to be the world's oldest monumental structures constructed of dressed masonry.

The earliest known Egyptian pyramids are found at Saqqara, northwest of Memphis, although at least one step-pyramid-like structure has been found at Saqqara, dating to the First Dynasty: Mastaba 3808, which has been attributed to the reign of Pharaoh Anedjib, with inscriptions, and other archaeological remains of the period,

The most famous Egyptian pyramids are those found at Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo. Several of the Giza pyramids are counted among the largest structures ever built. The Pyramid of Khufu is the largest Egyptian pyramid. It is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still in existence.

EGYPTIAN MUSIC Music has been an integral part of Egyptian culture since antiquity in Egypt. Egyptian music had a significant impact on the development of ancient Greek music, and via the Greeks it was important to early European music well into the Middle Ages. Due to the thousands of years long dominance of Egypt over its neighbors, Egyptian culture, including music and musical instruments, was very influential in the surrounding regions; for instance, the instruments claimed in the Bible to have been played by the ancient Hebrews are all Egyptian instruments as established by Egyptian archaeology. Egyptian modern music is considered as a main core of Middle Eastern and Oriental music as it has a huge influence on the region due to the po-

pularity and huge influence of Egyptian cinema and music industries, owing to the political influence Egypt has on its neighboring countries, as well as Egypt producing the most accomplished musicians and composers in the region, specially in the 20th century, a lot of them are of international stature.[1] The tonal structure music in the East is defined by the maqamat, loosely similar to the Western modes, while the rhythm in the East is governed, standard rhythmic modes formed by combinations of accented and unaccented beats and rests. For all those reasons I chose to speak about Egypt, because in my opinion it’s an amazing country with an incredible story. Author: LAURE

WAYS OF TRAVELING

TRAIN

BUS

You can make long trips faster than the bus. It's more ecological than the bus and the plane but it goes slower.

With the bus you can make short trips. For me the bus is the least comfortable of all.

SHIP

PLANE

The boat helps us to cross the mother we can take it by cars, bus the boat is quite fast.

With the plane one can make very long trips as well as shorter trips quite quickly. The plane costs most of the time very expensive

I find that the train is better for traveling because it is more ecological.I also like traveling with the plane because it is fast and most of the time there is good service on board. I have not traveled much with them. I took the boat 1 time. I found that the seats are less comfortable than for the train or the plane. The least good for me is the car but it is the least expensive of all.

I went to Vietnam with my family with my parents. We took the car from Luxembourg to Frankfurt. From Frankfurt we flew to Hanoi. Arriving in Hanoi we took the taxi to the hotel. 2 days later the rest of my family arrived. During 3 weeks we traveled to Vietnam by bus which was quite comfortable

Author: JOHANN

PLACE TO TRAVEL

LEFKADA

"Greece as an amazing place to travel" If it comes to a country which is worth it to travel, then it‘s impossible to forget to mention Greece. I travelled already to many different places but one stayed especially in my mind: Lefkada. Lefkada is an island in the Ionic see in the west of the Greek mainland. The good thing is that this island is pretty close to the mainland, this is why a 32

street leads to Lefkada and you don‘t need to take a ferry which means that you can save already some money. To go to Lefkada from Kalamata you need around five hours by car, this is why we made a stop in Patras for one night. I can really recommend this to you because it is more relaxing and it‘s nice to visit one of Greece‘s student cities.

Lefkada‘s landscape is embossed by mountains, rock walls and electric turquoise water which looks like somebody put blue colour inside because it looks so unreal due to its beauty. Not to forget the amazing sunsets yo can watch above the wide sea. There are many beaches you should visit like Milos beach, Kalamitsi beach and most important Porto Katsiki beach. The last one is my favourite because you have white rock walls next to clear turquoise water and a beach with white sand in between. We travelled in the end of October, so off season which was amazing because we had the beaches just for ourselves and it was still hot.

We rented a super cheap (8€ per day per person) but good air bnb located in the biggest city Lefkada city. It‘s a small town with big Charme through a wee port and these typical colorful Lefkada houses. I am sure my company I was there with will agree that we ate the best traditional Greek food we have eaten in Greece. So if you might go once to Lefkada (I hope for you), go to the main square and try the restaurants there!

So take a car, go for a roadtrip on Lefkada and enjoy wonderful beaches and delicious food! Author: KASSI

INTERVIEW I love travelling and I travelled already to many different countries with my friends, other volunteers and of course my family. What I have never done in my past but what I want to experience for sure in my future is solo travelling, meaning to travel alone. This is why I interview Tomek, a polish/french volunteer from Kalamata about his experiences related to solo travelling.

When and where was your first solo travelling and in which age did you do it? My first solo travelling was with 21 years in Europe and I went to some capitals like Budapest, Prague, Copenhagen and other cities in a row. The whole trip was around one month and I travelled mostly by bus.

Why did you decide to travel solo? Do Did you have fears to travel alone and you want to do it more often? were they justified in the end? It was an easy decision for me because I really want to do this, so I just bought the first ticket. I decided to travel alone to improve my social skills and to meet local people, which I actually did in the end. Yes, I want to do it more often to come out of my comfort zone because for me it‘s a challenge to talk straight to strangers. neighborhood, not so many foreigners live there.

I had some fears because I was a kind of shy with strangers. Also, I was scared that I will run out of money but I managed to deal with my fear and about my fear with not getting to know new people I just realised that everyone has the same mind set who is travelling. So it‘s easy to get in contact and it‘s like an exercise because you more you meet strangers the more you get confident.

How many times have you already traveled on your own and how long is usually one of your travels?

One big point is that you are invited by local people. Sometimes I met someone while hitchhiking and this person just invited me to his home for dinner.

I was travelling two times for one month alone. The time passed by very fast and every second I was moving, so it didn‘t feel like one month.

Do you prefer to travel alone or with company?

Well, it‘s a difficult question because I like both. You make different experiences if you travel solo or with company. I can‘t really chose because I like both. I didn‘t expect to be in a car crush. I was waiting I can‘t make a decision because I like both. You with a friend in his car when another car sud- make different experiences traveling solo or on denly crashed into our car. company.

Did you have wrong expectations about it?

Author: KASSI

Have you ever experienced something while travelling on your own where you are sure you hadn‘ experience it if you were not travelling alone? One big point is that you are invited by local people. Sometimes I met someone while hitchhiking and this person just invited me to his home for dinner.

What are the advantages about it? You are more open-minded and you are more independent because you don‘t need to find an agreement with other people.

What are disadvantages about it? Disadvantages are that you feel alone sometimes and you would like to share this experience with some friends.

Have you ever experienced something while travelling on your own where you are sure you wouldn't have experienced it if you were not travelling alone? 35

EATING WHILE TRAVELING

Author: TAMARA

KOULOURI

Easy 120 min

The most popular street snack in Greece, aside from souvlaki, is koulouri. Koulouri is found all around the eastern part of the Mediterranean and the Balkan countries, but each country claims to have a different recipe for it. The traditional koulouri in Greece is a thin circular loaf covered with lots of sesame seeds. It is hands down the Greeks favorite breakfast option with a cup of Greek coffee. Get yours from a traditional vendor across the street; it will only cost you 50 cents and it will be a feast for your senses!

4 servings

INGREDIENTS: • 140 g of T65 flour • 60 g of strength flour, or 58.4 g of T65 flour + 1.6 g (1 teaspoon) of gluten • 3 g of salt • 120 g of water, at 20 ° for kneading in a robot, 40 ° for kneading by hand • 6.4 g of dehydrated baker's yeast • 14 g of sugar • a little oil • a good quantity (around 40 g) of sesame seeds, white or whole, raw or already toasted • 8 g of melted butter PREPARATION: 1. If necessary (it depends on the yeasts, check the package), rehydrate the yeast by mixing it in lukewarm water and letting it sit for 5 to 6 minutes until it foams. 2. Mix the water, yeast, salt and the two flours, either in the bowl of a food processor or in a bowl by hand. In a food processor, knead for 7 to 8 minutes to obtain a smooth and elastic dough that comes off the bowl. By hand, knead for about 15 minutes until the gluten develops. 3. Form a ball, return the dough to the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a damp cloth. Let stand for 30 minutes to 1.5 hours until the dough doubles in size. 4. Preheat the oven to 200 ° C 5. Place the dough on an oiled work surface and cut it into 4 portions of approximately 34 g.

6. Prepare a bowl with the sugar dissolved in 200 ml of water. Prepare another bowl with the sesame seeds. 7. Roll out / stretch each ball of dough to make a sausage of at least sixty centimeters. It doesn't have to be perfectly round or even. Join the two ends firmly. If necessary, re-oil the worktop. 8. Dip each koulouri briefly in the bowl of sweetened water, then in the bowl of sesame to generously coat the top and sides. Finally, place them on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. 9. Cook the koulouri for about 20 minutes. If you have to make several batches, put the others in the fridge while waiting. When out of the oven, lightly brush the koulouri with melted butter using a brush.

EATING WHILE TRAVELING

Author: TAMARA

GREEK SOUVLAKI

Easy 90 min 4 servings

INGREDIENTS: • 4 boneless chicken breasts (approx. 1 kg/35 ounces) • 4 tbsps olive oil • juice of 1 lemon • 1 clove of garlic, minced • 2 tbsp dried oregano • salt and freshly ground pepper

Tzatziki sauce • 1 cucumber • 2 cloves of garlic, minced • 1/4 of a cup extra virgin olive oil • 500g of strained yogurt (18 ounces) • 1–2 tbsps of red wine vinegar • a pinch of salt

Ground beef filling • 1 lb ground beef • 1 tsp onion powder • 1 tsp roasted garlic powder • 1/2 tsp dried thyme • 1/2 tsp dried basil

PREPARATION: To serve • 8 pita breads • olive oil • 1–2 tsps dried oregano • 1 tomato sliced • 1 red onion sliced • fried potatoes (optional) • romaine (cos) lettuce (optional) • salt and freshly ground pepper • 8–9 wooden skewers

1. To prepare this chicken souvlaki recipe, start by preparing the marinade. Cut the chicken breasts into 2-3 cm pieces and place them in a large bowl, along with all the marinade ingredients. Use your hands to mix really well, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 30-60 minutes. 2. In the meantime prepare the tzatziki sauce for the chicken souvlaki. Pour in a blender the olive oil and grated garlic and blend until combined. Remove the skin and the seeds of the cucumber and grate it into a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and leave aside for 10 minutes. Wrap the grated cucumber in a towel and squeeze, in order to get rid of the excess water. In a bowl, add the cucumber,

the blended garlic and oil, the yogurt, 1-2 tbsps of red wine vinegar, a pinch of salt and blend, until the ingredients are combined. Store the tzatziki sauce in the fridge and always serve cold. 3. To assemble the chicken souvlaki (skewers), cut the wooden skewers to fit your griddle pan and soak them in water. (This will prevent them from burning.) Thread the chicken pieces, comfortably, on the skewers. 4. Preheat a grill or griddle pan on a high heat. Cook the chicken souvlaki (skewers) for about 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until nicely coloured on all sides and cooked through. 5. While your chicken souvlaki is cooking, 40

prepare the pita breads. Preheat the oven to 250C. Use a cooking brush to oil the pita breads on both sides and season with salt and oregano. Place a large oven tray (upside down) at the bottom of the oven and place the pita breads on top of the tray. Bake for 2 minutes. (Alternatively you can use a griddle pan or a grill.) 6. To serve the chicken souvlaki (skewers), slice 2 red onions and place on a platter; top with the chicken souvlaki (skewers), drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and a good squeeze

of lemon juice. Serve while still warm with some pita breads and tzatziki sauce. You can also serve the chicken souvlaki (skewers) wrapped, like a sandwich. Spread some tzatziki sauce on the pita breads and top it with the chicken souvlaki (skewers), sliced onions, tomatoes and fried potatoes and wrap. Enjoy!

The volunteers responsible for this publication are hosted in Greece in the framework of the European Solidarity Corps programme of the European Commission. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.