Insider Weekly Newsletter – GREECE SHOWS THE WAY!

Insider Weekly Newsletter – GREECE SHOWS THE WAY!
News | 20 Apr 2020

What do we cherish most about Easter in Greece? Its glorious paradoxes! The joyful arrival of Spring with its jasmine-scented air, the incense-infused solemnity of Holy Week rituals, the smell of lamb whirling on the spit. This year, Easter will be poignantly different – no candle-lit processions or fireworks. But the wildflowers will be in bloom, and this period of renewal will be an occasion to cherish the birth of a new sense of civic consciousness in Greece (from masks being sewn to meals being cooked for our hospital heroes, and rules being followed!) And as for endearing Easter customs, Yuval Noah Harari declared our country the outright champions in the US vs Greece tsougrisma duel! Kali Anastasi!

TRAVEL

 

Astra Suites, © Christos Drazos

Greece, the little country that could

Beyond the praise and ringing endorsements for our little nation’s brave response to the pandemic, Yuval Noah Harari believes that it is the decisions being taken by governments today that ‘will obviously shape these countries for years to come, not just for a few weeks.’ It is not just its success at ‘flattening the curve’, it is its nimble ability to respond swiftly to shifting paradigms that will see Greece through as it heads into a challenging tourist season ahead, suggests Sudha Nair-Iliades. READ MORE

The Coronavirus Is Forcing Us To Ask: What Is Truly Essential To Our Life?

Arianna Huffington,Founder and CEO at Thrive Global advocates imagining a post-corona future where we seek transformation and renewal. READ MORE

Memories of Easters Past

Few writers evoke the intense emotion and vivid imagery of Easter in Greece as Sofka Zinovieff in her memoir, Eurydice Street, A Place in Athens. An extract from her book tha so poignantly captures the glorious paradoxes and rich traditions of Greek Easter. READ MORE

CITY LIFE

Greek Chefs show they care

With most restaurants closed, celebrated Greek gastronomy chefs are taking to the kitchen to prepare meals for frontline medical workers. Elena Panayides reports on how these gourmet meals, served with a generous side portion of TLC (tender loving care) are reminders of our connectivity, even in isolation. READ MORE

WHAT’S ON

10 at-home activities for this socially-distanced Greek Easter weekend

On this the most important of Greek religious holidays, Elena Panayides shares her ideas for recreating the sights, sounds and smells of Easter at home. READ MORE

TRAVEL

Greek spring and flower-carpeted hillsides

One of the upsides of being in lockdown is that it compels you to appreciate nature in all its glory in the brief window allotted for daily constitutionals. Nike Morgan is happiest when walking on the hillsides, photographing the wild flowers of Greece. Here, she charts some of her most colourful discoveries – such as the fatal pink colchicum used by the vengeful mythological Medea to poison her children – and lets us in on where and when to find the finest floral specimens. READ MORE

CULTURE

Easter Thoughts

Kassiani Hymn, a little offering by jazz musician Dimitri Vassilakis and New York-based visual artist Lydia Venieri inspired by a solemn hymn for the Greek Orthodox holy week service. READ MORE

INSIDER RECOMMENDS
FOOD & DRINK PEOPLE

Spring in a glass!

Skies stained in orange hues, nature in full bloom, cocktails on the terrace! Whether in lockdown or not, experiment with some basic alchemy to match nature in your drink. Our in-house bartender Elian Clauss concocts a refreshing aperitif that adds much-needed cheer to your quarantine days! READ MORE

Uncontaminated Greek spirit

You can take the girl out of Greece but not the feisty Greek spirit out of her! Greek dynamo Rita Wilson and honorary Greek Tom Hanks share their post-Corona solidarity through their charity MusicCares Covid-19 Relief Fund.  Our fave Hollywood couple have not only conquered the virus but our hearts too… READ MORE

GREEKISM OF THE WEEK

That the word says

(Που λέει ο λόγος) (Pou lei o logos)
Meaning: in other words
This is basically a lazy expression, where the speaker can’t think of the mots justes. There just could be a scriptural origin – we all know (or should know) the Logos of the Bible. But that could be skating on thin linguistic ice, as anyone who has read this far is probably aware.
*An extract from Greekisms for Dummies

Greekisms for dummies

Treat yourself or a loved one to this laugh-out-loud informative guide to the colourful linguistic secrets of the Greeks, written by Insider’s own John Carr (with Paul Anastasi), and accompanied by wonderfully humourous illustrations by Iason Iliades. BUY NOW!

 

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