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Archive for February, 2008

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Wine Tourism in Greece

Posted by evdomada on February 15, 2008

Wine Roads of Northern Greece is a proposal which combines wine tasting and alternative tourism.

It consists of eight vinicultural routes , which take you from Mount Olympus and Epirus to Byzantine Thessaloniki and the landscapes of Halkidiki and from Amynteo in the north-west to Thrace in the far north-east. It offers escape from the urban routine, indulgence in good food, friendly people and stunning landscapes. Signs point the way to vineyards and wineries where visitors are introduced into the world of wine and initiated into the secrets of its enjoyment.

Prominent local varieties, include Xinomavro, Agiorgitiko, Athiri, Moschofilero and many others.

Here are a few related links if you want to read up on the wine industry in Greece:

Greek Wine Makers: Varieties

Kathimerini daily: Wine producers toast a rise in consumption and promotion

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Eurovision 2008

Posted by evdomada on February 8, 2008

If you are looking for a link to read up on the latest developments of the Eurovision 2008, the following is the Eurovision Greece 208 official site.

EUROVISION GREECE 2008 

For those not aware ther are 3 potential stars that will represent Greece at this year’s Eurovision.  Kalomira, Kostas Martakis and Hryspa are all hoping that Greece will vote them to represent us in Belgrade this year.

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Ieronymos Elected Archbishop

Posted by evdomada on February 8, 2008

By Athina Saloustrou

Bishop Ieronymos of Thebes was elected new Archbishop of Athens and all Greece in the second ballot, sources said. At the first one that concluded shortly after 11.30am, Ieronymos had landed first place garnering 33 votes, Efstathios of Sparta garnered 26 votes, while Anthimos of Thessaloniki and Ignatios of Demetrias trailed with seven votes each. The second voting session commenced shortly afterwards, as the required absolute majority, namely 38 votes, was not achieved. As soon as the new head of the Church of Greece is elected, the chairman of the election process will address the so-called “brief message.” He will brief, in other words, the new Prelate on the Holy Synod’s decision.The new Archbishop will then exit the Athens Cathedral and address the priests gathered outside.

Ieronymos

The informal candidates, since there are no official candidacies and ballot papers, are four: the Bishops of Sparta, Thebes, Thessaloniki and Demetrias. Should there be no objections, the process will be completed late on Thursday noon. As soon as the new head of the Church of Greece is elected, the chairman of the election process will address the so-called “brief message.” He will brief, in other words, the new Prelate on the Holy Synod’s decision.

The new Archbishop will then exit the Athens Cathedral and address the priests gathered outside.

Prior to the elections, it was made certain that at least the two thirds of the acting Bishops were present. A mass was officiated by the youngest Bishop, as the protocol dictates, and then the Bishops started voting.

Congratulations and Wishes

The government through its spokesman expressed best wishes to the newly elected Archbishop Ieronymos. The news about his election satisfied and pleased Phanari. “Appreciation to the personality of Bishop Ieronymos of Thebes is big and old and the expectation for cooperation in handling Orthodox Church’s problems is even bigger”, the announcement of Ecumenical Patriarchate stressed. It must be noted that the relations between Thebes Bishop and the Ecumenical Patriarchate have been enhanced by the presence in the Patriarchate of priests who were intellectual offspring of Thebes’ Bishop.

Source: news.ert.gr

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Greeks beat Finland 2-1 in late rally

Posted by evdomada on February 7, 2008

NICOSIA, Feb 6 (Reuters)

European champions Greece scored twice in five minutes as they recovered from a goal down to beat Finland 2-1 in a friendly international in Cyprus on Wednesday.

Finland dominated most of the first half but Jonatan Johansson lost two good scoring chances in the seventh and 24th minutes.

Defender Sotiris Kyrgiakos missed a chance for Greece when he shot over the bar just before halftime and the roles were reversed in the second half with the Greeks in full control of the midfield.

Finland opened the scoring with a shot from captain Jari Litmanen in the 66th minute though the lead was short-lived.

Striker Angelos Haristeas equalised with a header a minute later and Costas Katsouranis volleyed the winner in the 72nd.

Source: Reuters Football

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Chios flavors at the Sakız Adası cafe in İzmir

Posted by evdomada on February 6, 2008

Something worthwhile to share; a good news story from the Turkish press – Prof

Saturday, January 19, 2008
THANASIS MANIS – İZMİR – Turkish Daily News

In one of the first investments of its kind in İzmir, an entrepreneur and his partners from the Greek island of Chios have opened a cafe that gives locals the chance to sample Chios products rich in flavor and tradition. They also play a part in proving that Turkish-Greek relations have improved considerably.

At the Sakız Adası (Chios island in Turkish) cafe in İzmir, only a few steps from the port of Alsancak, customers are treated to a unique specialty before they even order it.

It is called Vanilia and it is a famous Greek sweet made from Chios mastic. It is served in a glass of chilled water and fills your mouth with a distinctive sweet flavor. Interestingly, the mastic trees in Chios are the only trees in the world that produce the aromatic resin which is the base for a series of Chios products including gums, liquors, mastic powders, soap and toothpaste.

The cafe also offers 17 different kinds of Chios desserts such as Pistachio jam, walnut jam and even eggplant jam. But besides sampling these wonderful flavors, customers can also pass their time drinking coffee in a place reminiscent of the island.

Photos from many different parts of Chios as well as photos of orange and mastic trees and tools used for the collection of the aromatic resin decorate the walls. If you do not have enough time to visit Chios Island, that is right across from Cesme, Sakız Adası is the best alternative as it leaves customers with a good impression of the sights and tastes from the island.

“Turks have embraced the cafeteria,” said entrepreneur Nikos Tsihlas referring to his personal experience of investing in İzmir.

“70 percent of our clients are Turks, and we are very pleased one year after the cafeteria’s opening,” he said.

He added: “Once, me and one of my partners were looking to find good frappe [a cold coffee drink] in İzmir and we couldn’t. So we thought it would be a good idea to open a cafeteria that serves frappe,” he said, adding that they encountered no problems when they tried to launch their project.

“It was very easy to open a cafeteria here,” Tsihlas said, adding, “there is no comparison to Greece. In a day and a half we created a company and then we started to operate. The authorities are very friendly.”

Address: Atatürk Cad. No 332/A Kordon-Alsancak / İzmir

Tel: 0232 465 1707 www.sakizadasi.com.tr

Source: Turkish Daily News

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Salpigidis goal gives Greece win over Czechs in friendly

Posted by evdomada on February 6, 2008

NICOSIA, Feb 5 (Reuters)

Substitute Dimitrios Salpigidis’ second-half strike gave Greece a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic in a friendly in Cyprus on Tuesday.

The Panathinaikos striker got on the end of a cross from Nicos Lymperopoulos and his low shot bounced off Czech goalkeeper Jaromir Blazek’s legs into the net in the 78th minute.

In a slow-paced match, the first shot on goal came in the 25th minute when Lymperopoulos sent his long shot high.

The best chance for the Czech Republic came in the 30th minute when midfielder Lubos Kalouda crossed from the right to striker Martin Fenin, who only had the goalkeeper to beat but sent his shot wide.

The sides were meeting for the first time since Greece beat the Czech Republic in their Euro 2004 semi-final.

Source: Reuters Football

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Euroleague Basket: Top 16 Draw

Posted by evdomada on February 6, 2008

The draw for the Euroleague Top 16 has taken place.  I have posted here a brief analysis from each of the groups from euroleague.net.

For each of the groups there is a link to read up on the reactions from the clubs about their draw in the Top 16 of the Euroleague phase.

GROUP D

  • Panathinaikos
  • Montepaschi Siena
  • Efes Pilsen
  • Partizan Igokea

Reigning Euroleague champion Panathinaikos will look to repeat, but it must first get through Italian champion Montepaschi Siena, Serbian champion Partizan Igokea and rival Efes Pilsen. Games between Panathinaikos and Partizan are always interesting, since the Greens’ head coach, Zeljko Obradovic, got his start with Partizan. The two played two entertaining games in Group C this season, though the Greek champs won both. Panathinaikos beat out Efes in a thrilling three-game Quarterfinal Playoffs series in 2005. Meanwhile Montepaschi has survived some injuries and rebounded to become a dangerous challenger as well. All the teams here are noted home court sides, which should produce much exciting basketball.

Group D – Draw reactions

GROUP E

  • Lietuvos Rytas
  • Tau Ceramica
  • Fenerbahce Ulker
  • Aris TT Bank

Lietuvos Rytas will look to reach new heights from Group E, but one of the teams it will need to beat to get there is Tau Ceramica. Head coach Neven Spahija of Tau was on the L. Rytas bench two seasons ago when it reached the Top 16 for the first time. On paper, L. Rytas and Tau, which has made three consecutive Final Four appearances, are the favorites, however with some of the best young big men in Europe, Fenerbahce Ulker is also hungry to win. Meanwhile Aris TT Bank, which arrives from Group B of the regular season together with L. Rytas, is making its second consecutive Top 16 appearance. Aris made some late regular season roster moves and could turn into a big contender in the playoff race.

Group E – Draw reactions

GROUP F

  • Real Madrid
  • Maccabi Elite
  • Zalgiris
  • Olympiacos

With three domestic champions, Group F will be one of the toughest of the Top 16. The Top seed is Spanish champion Real Madrid, which as the winningest club in European basketball history and being from the host city of the Final Four, will be ready for all comers. One of those is Israel champ Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv, which finished the regular season with five straight wins. Madrid and Maccabi will renew a classic rivalry, which saw them meet in the 1980 Euroleague title game. Another set of rivals is Maccabi and Lithuanian champ Zalgiris Kaunas, which saw its spot in the 2004 Final Four taken away at the last possible second on Derrick Sharp’s miracle three-pointer in the Top 16 finale that season. Meanwhile Olympiacos Piraeus, which like Zalgiris is from Group A, will look to make a big splash under new head coach Panagiotis Giannakis.

Group F – Draw reactions

GROUP G

  • CSKA Moscow
  • Unicaja
  • AXA FC Barcelona
  • Lottomatica Roma

Group G features a rematch of last season’s Euroleague Basketball Final Four semifinals between CSKA Moscow and Unicaja. CSKA, the 2006 Euroleague champion, is one of the teams to beat in the competition and is looking for a record-breaking sixth consecutive Final Four appearance. The matchup between Unicaja and AXA FCBarcelona is also with plenty of history, as the former beat the latter in an exciting three-game Quarterfinal Playoffs series last season. Lottomatica Roma, which arrived from Group C of the regular season together with Barcelona, is also an exciting game for that club with a handful of former Barca stars on the Roma roster.

Group G – Draw reactions

Source: Euroleague.net

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Legend Giannakis to coach Olympiakos

Posted by evdomada on February 6, 2008

Sunday, February 03, 2008

Panagiotis Giannakis

Olympiacos Piraeus announced on Sunday that Greek icon Panagiotis Giannakis has taken over the bench after Pini Gershon was dismissed the day before. The 49-year-old Giannakis also serves as the Greek national team coach. His arrival was made official after Giannakis ran the team’s Sunday evening practice. His first game in charge will be a Greek Cup showdown on Wednesday against Aris TT Bank.

On Tuesday, Giannakis addressed the press for the first time as Olympiacos head coach. “I feel very honored because Olympiacos trusts me to take over the team and to lead it to the best possible results,” Giannakis said. “Now we have to work hard and try to reach all our goals, which are still open. The team has talent and potential and I am here to give my best for a better future. Olympiacos deserves to return on the top and I am dedicated to this target. My only advice to the players is to stay focused, to work without panic and pressure and to have every day a better practice than the previous.”

Giannakis had a legendary career as a player, during which he won his country’s first Euroleague crown, a European national title, a Cup Winners’ Cup and more than dozen Greek League and Greek Cup titles. He played for Ionikos Nikaia, Aris, Panionios, Panathinaikos and the Greek national team during his 25-year career. As a coach, he guided Greece to the crown at the 2005 EuroBasket and to the silver medal at 2006 World Championships in Japan. He last coached at the club level for Maroussi Athens between 2002 and 2006.

Source: Euroleague.net

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PM briefs President on Ankara visit

Posted by evdomada on February 3, 2008

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis leaving the Presidential mansion on Friday 1 February 2008 ANA-MPA/ALEXANDROS BELTESPrime Minister Costas Karamanlis on Friday dismissed rumors, mostly aired in the opposition press, of early elections, speaking to reporters after a meeting with President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias.

The government has a “fresh and strong” popular mandate, Karamanlis said, adding that “we have much work ahead of us, and are moving forward with consistency in the materialisation of the reforms”.

The purpose of his meeting with Papoulias was to brief the president on his recent visit to Turkey, Karamanlis explained, adding that Greece steadfastly supports Turkey’s European course, although the neighbouring country is obliged to maneuver within the framework of (EU) principles and reforms it itself has accpted. He also stressed that the issues of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Halki School of Theology are included this framework.

On his meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Karamanlis said that “we reaffirmed our volition for, and are working in the direction of, full normalisation of Greek-Turkish relations”.

“For Greece, the sole criterion is respect of International Law and the international treaties,” Karamanlis stressed.

With respect to the Cyprus issue, Karamanlis said “we are prepared for discussion on finding a just and viable solution”, adding that “the government knows that the effort for normalising Greek-Turkish relations is a long and difficult one”.

Karamanlis was also due to meet afterwards with Economy and Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis.

Source: ANA-MPA

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Violent Incidents in Central Athens

Posted by evdomada on February 3, 2008

02 Feb 2008
Sources: ΝΕΤ-ΑNA-ΝΕΤ 105,8

Athens Riots

Athens city center turned into a battlefield today. Incidents started at 11:00 in Stadiou Street between police, protestors and supporters of extreme right and leftist parties that had organized rallies. Far-right supportrs members of “Chrisi Avgi” organization had originally planned a rally at Kolokotroni Square at 19:00 on Saturday to mark the “anniversary of Imia”. Extreme right wing supporters had gathered at Kolokotroni Square while other leftist groups had gathered at Klathmonos Sqare. At around 14:00 police clashed with left-wing, anti-establishment youths that had set up road blocks and cut off traffic on Panepistimiou Street.

Police forces used tear gas and arrested suspects. At around midday, the situation had calmed down. The far-right supporters departed from the area after talking with the public prosecutor. Anti-establishment groups also left and came down to Athens Propylaia and Ipokratous St.

How the Incidents Began

The incidents began a little after 11:00. A group of far rightist youths, most of which were in uniforms and with helmets on had staged a sit-in at Kolokotronis Square early in the morning, on the occasion of the rally, commemorating the Imia anniversary scheduled by nationalists and members of the far right organization “Chrysi Avgi” for 19:00 Saturday. Meanwhile, dozens of bodies and organisations, including ADEDY (Supreme Administration of Greek Civil Servants Trade Unions) and OLME (Greek Federation of State School Teachers of Secondary Education) had programmed an anti-fascist event in the same spot for 14:00. However, the far rightists arrived early and occupied the square to prevent leftists and anarchists from occupying the area.

The anarchists, from their side gathered at the Propylaia, where tensions ran high. Two groups from both sides clashed on the Stadiou-Omirou junction, while the police used tear gas to disperse them. After the groups dispersed, it was discovered that an anarchist had been hit on the head from a stone, while as per information he had sustained knife injuries. Two people were injured as they were hit by stones and a third was stabbed with a knife. All three are now treated in “Evangelismos” hospital.

Situation Has Calmed Down

Now, the situation has calmed down. Traffic in the city center is conducted normally. In Exarchia area sporadic small incidents are reported. According to police, leftist supporters who had entered University Campus have left. It must be reported that during the clashes 5 bank buildings and a store were damaged. PASOK spokesman Mr. Ragousis among other statemnts added: “The police was absent and Athens was an unfortified city today.” SYN in its announcement calls on the police “to stop acting as an anti-state group of the 60s.” LAOS condemns the violence no matter where it is derived from.

Source: news.ert.gr

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