MARCH 2017 Tel. (02) 9559 7022 Fax: (02) 9559 7033 E-mail: vema@bigpond.net.au

THE GREEK AUSTRALIAN

VEMADISCIPLINE IN THE HOME

The oldestcirculating

Greeknewspaper

outsideGreece

Parnassos villagesEasily accessible from Athens, this group of

small communities offers opportunities for hik-ing or just sitting back and admiring nature.

Blessing and Official Openingof Estia villas in Brisbane

On Friday, 17th February His Grace BishopSeraphim of Apollonia travelled to Brisbane torepresent his Eminence Ar chbishop Stylianosfor the ble ssing and of ficial opening of StJohn’s Community Care Estia villas.

The Parthenon has been v oted the mos tbeautiful building in the w orld according toBusiness Insider, followed by The National Con-gress of Brazil in Bra-sília, The São Paulo Muse-um of Art (São Paulo, Brazil) and The ForbiddenCity Temple in Beijing, (China).

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MESSAGE FOR THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE 25th MARCH 1821OUR ARCHBISHOP’S VIEW

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Parthenon voted the mostbeautiful building in the world

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‘‘HHooww oonn eeaarrtthh ccaann II ssttiillll bbeehheerree aatt 111100??’’

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HHeelleenn SSttaammeellooss,, ffrroomm MMoorreellyy WWAA,, ttaallkkss aabboouutt hheerr iinnccrreeddiibbllee lloonngg lliiffee

WAR OF

WORDSBetween Turkey and Greece

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Ca vusoglu told CNNTurk that the blame for the escalating war of words be-tween Turkey and Greece lays in the hands of the Gr eekDefense Minister, Panos Kammenos for making “provo-cative” comments.

“That defense minister of tha t racist party is pr ovok-ing,” Cavusoglu claimed on CNN Turk, whi le patting theTurkish military on the back sa ying that thanks to thecalm demeanor of the Turkish arme d forces, further es-caation such as an “accident” in the southeastern Aege-an over the Imia islets has not occurred.

“We don’t want (an accident) and we have many timeswarned,” Cavusoglu said during the interview.

In recent weeks tensions rose to new heights betweenthe two countries as Kammenos responded to Cavu-

soglu’s threat that Turkey could set foot on the Imia isleswhenever desired. He said, “ther e is no w ay Cavusoglucan step onto a Gr eek island. If the y want to they cansee. I’ll see how they will get off the island if they set footthere.”

The threats by Turkey regarding the Imia isles is a partof the irr edentist rhetoric of the Turkish gov ernmentwhich claims tha t dozens of Gr eek islands ar e in f actTurkish property, including Imia.

Back in December 2016 Turkish F oreign Minister Mev-lut Cavusoglu spoke in front of his country’s national as-sembly stating claims specifically to the Greek islands ofImia, a pair of two small uninhabited islets in the AegeanSea, saying, “There is no change in our policy r egardingImia. Imia is Turkish land.” (Cont. p. 2/18)

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA2/18 MARCH 2017

Cont. from page 1/17

Turkey’s claims to Greece’s Imia Isle have previouslyled the two countries to disputes which came extreme-ly close to an outbreak of military forces in both 1987and as recently as 1996.

Mitsotakis briefs EPP counterparts, EUand NATO about Turkey’s provocations

New Democracy leader K yriakos Mitsotakis said onThursday he informed his counterparts at the EuropeanPeople’s Party (EPP) summit in Brussels as well as topEU and NATO officials about the recent spike in airspaceviolations in the Aegean by Turkey.

Mitsotakis met with EU foreign policy chief F edericaMogherini, the President of the European ParliamentAntonio Tajani, the President of the EU’s Military Com-mittee (EUMC) General Mikhail K ostarakos and NATOSecretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

“I expressed to everyone my intense concern for theescalation of the provocations in the Aegean fromAnkara and of course I informed them about Greece’sstandard positions [on the issue],” he said, noting thatfor the first time Greece witnessed a military exercise ofthe Turkish Navy with real fire inside Greek waters.

“Greece does not intend to be dragged into an esca-lation which, as it seems, the Turkish side wants. But itwill not allow any provocation to go unanswered,” hesaid and added Greece wants good neighborly relationswith Turkey based on international law and treaties.

War of words between Turkey and Greece

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (left) told CNN T urk that the blame for the escalating war of words betweenTurkey and Greece lays in the hands of the Greek Defense Minister , Panos Kammenos (right) for making “provocative”

comments.

Church still not satisfied with school religion

A dispute between the Church of Greece and the gov-ernment, which began last September when new teach-ing material for religion classes was distributed toschools, is continuing to cause problems in the relation-ship between the institutions.

The bid to change the content of the lessons so theymoved away from the catechism and gave students abetter understanding of other religions was one of thereasons that a bitter dispute broke out between theGreek Orthodox Church and the coalition, leading toNikos Filis being removed from his post as educationminister.

The new textbooks have yet to be printed, leavingteachers to work from photocopies provide by the Edu-cation Ministry. The government has appointed a teamof experts to draw up the teaching material for nextyear. It is believed that 80 percent of the content willconsist of texts from the Bible.

This satisfies one of the Church’s demands but it stillobjects the idea of religious classes being optional insenior high school.

Lecture on the Antikythera Mechanism at the Greek Centre Melbourne

On Monday, March 20, at 6:30 p.m., Professor Xeno-phon Moussas will present a lecture about the An-tikythera Mechanism at the Greek Centre, as part of theGreek History and Culture Seminars offered by theGreek Community of Melbourne.

The Antikythera Mechanism is the oldest known com-puter, even originally named tablet in Greek (“pinakid-ion” meaning little table, i.e. tablet). It was made duringthe 2nd century BC somewhere in the Greek world andwas found by sponge divers from Syme, in a huge ship-wreck of the 1st century BC on the island of An-tikythera.

The ancient astronomical device displays the positionof the Sun and the Moon in a map of the sky, the phaseof the Moon, the time of solar and lunar eclipses as wellas the places these are visible on E arth. It is speculatedthat the Antikythera Mechanism probably worked like acuckoo clock, with a system of weights and counter-weights and a water clock as regulator.

At the lecture the discussion will revolve around themost basic question of how humans conceived, de-signed and constructed a mechanical Cosmos.

The reveals in the lecture are results based on 12years of research by Professor Xenophon Moussas’team and especially on the latest readings and interpre-tations of the manual of this ancient Greek computer.

Professor Xenophon Moussas (University of Athens) isone of the protagonists of the study of the AntikytheraMechanism. He is a space physicist, with research inter-ests including space and solar physics, planetology,Ulysses mission, WIND/WAVES and STEREO space mis-sion, Solar Orbiter.

He has supervised 25 PhDs. Awards include: NASAgroup achievement, Ulysses Mission, 2009, GeophysicalResearch Letters excellence in refereeing, AmericanGeophysical Union 2001, Hipparchus award, Arcadia,thens, 2010. He has also created exhibitions about theAntikythera Mechanism around the world.

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 3/19MARCH 2017

Swagger and gamesmanshipBy Nikos Konstandaras – Kathimerini, Athens

In the fluid period we live in, with an increasinglyaggressive and unpredictable neighbor, one would ex-pect the government to function carefully, to workout where the country stands in terms of strengthsand alliances in the current balance. We would expectit to exhaust every method of diplomacy to show thatit remains calm but ready, that its political parties arein unison, that its leadership is determined and incontrol. Turkey is in the whirlwind of Recep Tayyip Er-dogan’s referendum (on April 16), which has createdso many dangerous variables that any neighbor wouldbe wise to avoid becoming part of the problem –while preparing for all possibilities.

The pompous statements, the swagger againstTurkey, the clever predictions of what may occur, areno use. All they achieve is to unite (to the degree thatthis is still possible) our deeply divided neighbor.When the aggressive eruptions are from people whodevoted themselves like few others to creating divi-sion in Greece, it is clear that the situation becomesmore dangerous.

The answer to President Erdogan and the GreyWolves is to isolate Turkey by example, not becometangled in the dispute. Because it is Turkey which hasthe opportunity and the motive to embroil Greece indangerous adventures. But when politicians havebuilt their careers on hyperbole, it is unnatural to ex-pect them to handle issues that are complicated anddangerous.

Past victories encourage all kinds of irresponsiblepeople who think that these were granted to theGreeks because they were better, more beautiful,more deserving than their enemies – just as thesepoliticians see themselves. They don’t recall that thesame good, beautiful and deserving nation suffereddefeats when its leaders misread the international

balance of power and overestimated the country’sstrengths, when they were swept away by the flow ofthings rather than making the necessary preparations– or, simply, when luck was against them.

Whoever is in a position of great responsibilityought to respect those who depend on his actionsand words – whether this be the people or the armedforces or a friendly country. Cyprus, for example,which is recovering from a serious economic crisiscaused by Greece and is at a critical point in settle-ment talks, cannot afford to be caught up in suchrhetoric.

When Athens’s moves are not devoted to showingthe international community and Ankara that Greecewill not be tricked into playing Turkey’s game, it willbe led to a battlefield that it does not control, wherethe slightest trouble will benefit only Turkey.

Turkey has Erdogan and the Grey Wolves. We neednot try to emulate them. Greece must show in everyway, every day, that it is serious, organized, Euro-pean. The prime minister, however, must ask himself:After the economic deluge that followed Varoufakis’sgame theory, can we afford more games and irre-sponsibility?

The case for securityBy Costas Iordanidis – Kathimerini, Athens

For the last seven years Greece’s negotiations withits international lenders have frequently enteredphases of uncertainty that have simply prolonged do-mestic antagonisms, with the opposition slammingwhichever government happened to be at the helm atthe time. In turn, the government called out the “irre-sponsibility” of its political opponents.

It’s the same old story played out again and again,and the same old drama.

And this goes on even though Poul Thomsen out-lined in full detail the tactics he would pursue with re-gard to A thens and Berlin in an e-mail to Delia Vel-culescu, the current IMF mission chief in Greece.

According to Thomsen, threatening Greece witheconomic asphyxiation and the application of coercivepressure on Germany ahead of elections there wouldbe the catalysts for a deal.

The leak of this communication came as a shock tomany, but in the process they forsook the content ofthe mail. Today we see how it is being implemented inpractice.

Given this, eurozone leaders and ministers could beconsidered the whipping boys of IMF bureaucrats.But, for now, the shots in Europe are being called bythe technocrats.

The difference now is that there is another far moreserious factor of instability at play, because it con-cerns not just the economic future of Greece, but itsvery security – on account of the spike in tensions be-tween Athens and Ankara.

These tensions are being fueled on a daily basis as aresult of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’squest to secure votes ahead of the April 16 referen-dum to expand his executive powers.

At the most crucial junctures in any nation’s history,it is patriotism and not just material forces that ensurethat a foreign danger is successfully kept at bay.

“Patriotic” rhetoric for domestic purposes is a paro-dy, exposing the weaknesses and shortcomings of apolitical system. And there is a danger that a randomevent could lead to a serious incident that even politi-cians who engage in irresponsible rhetoric do not wishfor.

Of course we will not be able bring anyone to theirsenses. And no politician – in Greece or Turkey – willtake a determined stance to reverse the trend thathas been created, which burdens relations betweenthe two countries on a daily basis.

The danger of being called a traitor is very real giventhat the term “treason” has been used for far less im-portant matters. What should not pass unnoticed isthat Washington, according to information garneredby Kathimerini, has urged Ankara to reduce tensions.

The fundamentals must not be lost on anyone whilea country’s security is at stake and before a Europeanarmy is created.

TO BHMA4/20 MARCH 2017

A small island with an immense history

The tiny Greek island of K astellorizo is like aguardian in the East. It is a small, beautiful rocky out-crop around two kilometres from the Asia-Minorseashore that is placed in a position of the higheststrategic importance. With the passage of historymany nations have glanced at this rocky outcrop andeyed itenviously.

The Persians, Romans, the legendary K nights of StJohn of Rhodes that built the most formidable castlein the Aegean, the Saracen pirates, the Venetians, thefearful Suleiman who besieged cities with his armies.The list goes on – the Italians, the Germans, theFrench, the English. And today, our neighbours theTurks desire it more than anything else.

But this rocky outcrop keeps its heart Hellenic. Andit carries names and inscriptions that that bear wit-ness to whose it was and to whom it belongs. This lit-tle island is filled with churches and chapels, that bearwitness to the faith of its inhabitants. The metropolisof Sts Constantine and Helen, St George of Louca, StSpyridon, St Paraskevi, St Nicholas, Panagia Palaioka-stritissa (Panagia of the Old F ort) and St George theftohoulaki [St George the Pauper], as the residentscall the smallest of the chapels that is dedicated tothe triumphant Saint, and so many others.

The rocky outcrop can take pride because throughthe passage of history it gave birth to heroes and peo-ple of spirit. It nurtured Teachers of the Nation suchas Emmanuel Kisthinio, the first teacher in the firstGreek school that was established by Ioannis Kapodis-

trias in Tripolitsa. This school had the branches of firtrees as its roof. But it became the standard due tothe zeal and the knowledge of its teacher.

This rocky outcrop gave a loud cry of “present” toevery call in the struggles of Greece. With the out-break of the revolution of 1821, the inhabitantsthrew themselves into the line of fire. The husbandssent their women and children to neighbouring is-lands to be able to fight without encumbrance. Theyconverted the older boats to fire ships, and used theirnewer boats to face the Turksat sea.

The women and children remained away fromKastellorizo for many years and wrote a song of theirlove for their homeland:

“I went to Karpatho, And I have been to KasoBut my poor Kastellorizo, How can I forget you”

In 1912 the Italians occupied the Dodecanese withthe exception of K astellorizo. With the outbreak ofthe Balkan wars, the Greek fleet granted freedom toall the islands of the Aegean that were not under Ital-ian occupation. In 1913, the inhabitants with the helpof a small group of Cretans revolted. The Turkishguards surrendered. The blue-and white of the Greekflag was raised on the island but the Greek Govern-ment announced that it was not in a position to occu-py it officially.

In 1915, during the conduct of the First World War,the island came under the control of the French fleet.The German and Turkish bombardments from theAsia-minor side pounded the island mercilessly. Theinhabitants, with whatever means they had at theirdisposal, helped the French in their defence of the is-land. Even the women and children carried food andammunition for the troops. The admiration of theFrench for the bravery of the islanders was such thatthey conferred a special award.

But this admiration did not last long. In 1921, fol-lowing a Franco-Italian agreement, K astellorizo wasconceded to the Italians, who bullied the Orthodoxinhabitants, with the result that many of them mi-grated to Australia seeking a better life.

With the Second World War the island ascended its

own Golgotha. For a short period of time (13 Septem-ber to 17th October 1943) it was occupied by the Eng-lish and became a wartime supply centre. On the17th October, the island attracted the German bom-bardment. The English commander ordered the evac-uation of the island within three hours.

The inhabitants were transferred by boats to theshores of Asia-Minor opposite and took the road asrefugees. They were transferred to Cyprus and fromthere to the Middle E ast where they remained in Al-lied camps for two years, living in tents under difficultconditions.

In 1945, they were ordered to return to their island.This was an island where a fire had raged for monthsand had incinerated everything. But now they wouldbe free. And this freedom was gained by the bloodtheir children. Around 830 K astellorizians fought inthe Middle-East in the Mountain Brigades, in the Roy-al Air Force, in the Dodecanese Volunteer Regiment,in partisan commando groups or helped with Alliedanti-espionage.

They returned at last to their island and enduredthe cruellest poverty. Their only consolation was theBlue-and-White that fluttered with pride on theirsmall island, waiting with them two years later for theincorporation of this beautiful island with its mother-land, Greece.

Today on that beautiful rocky outcrop that is calledKastellorizo, there are still several hundred guardians,possibly forgotten by most. They stay there as custo-dians of our territorial integrity, with the Turkishfighter jets making the window shutters of their hous-es rattle and shaking their hearts to their very depths.But they remain there, to make up the vanguard ofour Motherland. Heroes on the frontline.

Source: Translated and adapted from Η Δράση Μας, Issue545, January 2017, pp. 24-26. The views expressed are those ofthe author and not necessarily those of the VEMA or St An-drew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College.

letterfrommaroubra@gmail.com

Letterfrom

Maroubra

The Greek Australian VEMA

Talented Greek Tourism Professor honored with International AwardLast month in Rome, Professor Marianna Sigala (pic-

tured) was bestowed the Best IFITTalk of the YearAward during the 24th ENTER2017 eTourism Confer-ence that took place at Palazzo Brancaccio in Rome, Ita-ly.

The International Federation for Information Technol-ogy and Travel & Tourism (IFITT) is a leader in e-Tourismand organized the event. Over 300 delegates from 39countries, both with industry and academic back-grounds attended the conference and participated inlectures on their chosen topics as they related to thisyear’s themes of research, destinations and industry.

Dr Sigala was judged on several factors in order to winthe award such as how many people participated at theIFITTalk event, lecture content and how her ideas willcontribute to the tourism industry.

According to The University of South Australia’s web-site, Dr Sigala is not only a “widely published authorityin the area of Service Operations Management and In-

formation and Communication Technology (ICT) appli-cations in Tourism and Hospitality” she also has made aname for herself with her research winning her multipleawards and recognition over the years.

When speaking about winning this latest award shesaid that she felt honored, adding, “but above all I con-sider myself incredibly privileged for the opportunity toparticipate and put together the biggest panel of indus-try and academic experts representing all tourism sec-tors in order to discuss the emerging issues of the shar-ing economy phenomenon.”

“We explored the ‘sharing economy’ phenomenon,which is rapidly diffusing in all aspects of life and indus-tries, including tourism,” Dr. Sigala explained .

Dr Sigala came to Australia around 2 years ago andwas recently appointed the director of the Centre forTourism and Leisure Management at the School ofManagement at the University of South Australia. Shehas a PhD from the University of Surrey, a Certificate ofAdvanced Academic Studies from the University ofStrathclyde and a MSc in Tourism Management fromthe University of Surrey.

Source: www.greekreporter.com

TO BHMA 5/21MARCH 2017 The Greek Australian VEMA

Our Primate’s View

*

MESSAGE OF HIS EMINENCE ARCHBISHOP STYLIANOS OF AUSTRALIA

FOR THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE 25th MARCH 1821Sydney, 26th March 2017(Opera House Forecourt)

The double Anniversary which we are called to cele-brate once again is a splendid opportunity for contem-plation and spiritual assessment.

Contemplation and spiritual assessment, however, pre-suppose people who are vigilant and responsible. Con-sequently, the tragic question posed by the double re-membrance of the 25 th March is to what extent theGreeks of today – both within and outside of Greece –possess that fundamental degree of responsibility andvigilance for the truly honourable interests of the GreekNation.

We cannot lay claim on virtues which we do not pos-sess, neither can we expect successes there, where wehave not toiled honestly and honourably.

The Annunciation of our Lady, the Panayia, came as aresponse to and a reward from God for the obedienceand the humility shown by the Virgin Mary. Indeed, theAnnunciation has a mystical parallelism with our Na-tional liberation. Here, we clearly see the hand of Godwho ultimately justified a people that suffered unjustlyfor 400 years but that was a faithful and hard-workingpeople.

It is disappointing when one considers that the ancientGreeks, although they believed in idols, however, intheir daily lives demonstrated deeper piety and greaterintegrity. Because what does that famous saying mean:

(σύν Ἀθηνᾷ καί χείρα κίνει ) “By all means call uponAthena, but you move your hands as well” ? It meansthat they recognised their personal responsibility fortheir historical destiny. Moreover, the following saying(ἔστι δίκης ὄφθαλμος, ὅς τά πάνθ’ ὁρᾷ ) “there is aneye of justice which sees all things” signifies their ab-solute certitude that ultimately we cannot escape theimpartial judgement of God, even though we may thinkthat we can deceive ourselves and others.

We, unfortunately, though we are Christians who, withthe Annunciation of the Mother of God, received thedefinitive message of the true God, are far behind theAncient Greeks in our behaviour. Because we neithertrust the Providence of the True God, nor do we fear Hiswrath.

If, once again, we become more honest with God andwith ourselves, then certainly we will be conducting themost sacred Memorial, not only for our own NationalMartyrs, but also for all those known and unknown peo-ple who believed, fought and, at some time, sacrificedthemselves for the sacredness of the human person inwhatever place of the world.

It is self-evident that to all those noble human exis-tences we are obliged today to mystically chant, “E ter-nal be their memory!”

Amen!

By ARCHBISHOPSTYLIANOSOF AUSTRALIA

On Saturday the 4th March 40 people from the Parish of St John the Baptist Cairnstravelled to the Parish and community of Sts Theodores as part of their Annual Pil-grimage.

Father Menelaos and F ather Alexios con-celebrated the Divine Liturgy to celebratethe miracle of the Koliva.

The Parish of St John the Baptist has made the annual pilgrimage for the last 20years. The trip to Townsville takes 5 hours by bus.

The Ladies Philoptochos provided a sumptuous nistisimo lunch and morning tea. Asalways wonderful fellowship and abundant conversation took place.

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA6/22 MARCH 2017

On Sunday 12 February 2017, BishopSeraphim of Apollonias, Assistant Bishopto His Eminence and Vicar General, to-gether with the Very Rev Fr Dimitri Kokki-nos (Parish Priest), the Very Rev FrNicholas Tsouloukis (Fmr Parish Priest)and Deacon Nicholas officiated the bless-ing service and official opening of theLearning Centre and Community Spaceof the Parish and Community of St Ioan-nis Parramatta.

The space was jointly opened by theHon Dr Geoff Lee, Member for Parramat-ta and NSW Parliamentary Secretary for

Multiculturalism and attended by repre-sentatives from the Federal and LocalGovernment, community groups and thebroader Parish Community.

The blessing service and official open-ing of this Learning Centre and Commu-nity Space was memorable and veryemotional as it signified and celebratedthe completion of a ten year chapter inthis Parish Communities history.

This story commenced some ten yearsago when a rather young Parish boardwas rather troubled by the Parish Com-munities future. The over-development

of its neighbouring properties wherechocking the Parish Communities ameni-ty and its future as a vibrant and viableParish Community. The deep concernswhere shared by His Eminence and HisGrace and through their prayers andwith three simple words ‘Να είναι ευλο-γημένο’ the Parish board, together withHis Grace and representatives from theGOA property trust began on a journeyresulting in a series of events that no onecould imagine… the miraculous reloca-tion of this Parish Community, just 800metres down the road, to a site that wasoffered to the Parish Community some60 year ago by the banks of ParramattaRiver.

The relocation of the Parish Communi-ty represents another opportunity forthe Parish Community to cater for thegrowing demands and needs of WesternSydney. This space will be used for theParish Communities services including itseducation, aged and welfare services.

Finally, the day was made all the morememorable when Mrs Panayiota Tsigou-nis (Bishop Iakovos’ mother) unlockedthe icon of St John the Forerunner andBaptist.

The Parish Community now enters itsnext chapter, the rebuilding of the per-manent church of St John the Forerunnerand Baptist.

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The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 7/23MARCH 2017

The Parthenon has been voted themost beautiful building in the world ac-cording to Business Insider, followed byThe National Congress of Brazil in Bra-sília, The São Paulo Museum of Art (SãoPaulo, Brazil) and The F orbidden CityTemple in Beijing, (China).

Like paintings and sculptures, buildingscan be beautiful works of art, thereforearchitects were asked to vote for the onebuilding that in their opinion definesbuilding design, inspired them to be-come architects, or that they simply con-sider to be a stunning piece of architec-tural art.

"The Parthenon is the quintessentialbeautiful architectural form," Tara Imani,founding architect of Tara Imani Designssaid of the most famous surviving build-ing of ancient Greece.

The Parthenon (Greek: Παρθενών),which stands proud on the Acropolis ofAthens, is Greece's most precious gem,representing the cradle of democracyand to this day considered one of themost famous buildings in the world.

Directed by the A thenian statesmanPericles, it was built by the architects Ict-inus and Callicrates under the supervi-sion of the sculptor Phidias. Work beganin 447BC, and the building itself wascompleted by 438BC.

The Parthenon has stood atop the Ac-ropolis of Athens for nearly 2,500 yearsand was built to give thanks to A thena,the city's patron goddess, for the salva-tion of Athens and Greece in the PersianWars.

The same year, a great gold and ivorystatue of A thena, made by Phidias forthe interior, was dedicated.

The Acropolis, and the Parthenon inparticular, is the most characteristicmonument of the ancient Greek civilisa-tion and democracy, while it also sym-bolises the beginning of western civilisa-tion and stands as an icon of Europeanculture.

The history of the Acropolis of Athensis long, with the period when democracy,philosophy and art flourished leading toits creation. Then there were the timeswhen its best standing pieces were re-moved and shipped away from the city,dividing the monument in two. Today,the international community wants toreunite all of the Acropolis sculptures inAthens and restore both its physicalityand meaning.

The Parthenon attracts millions oftourists every year, who troop up thepath at the western end of the Acropolis,through the restored Propylaea and upthe Panathenaic Way to the Parthenon.

When an independent Greece gainedcontrol of A thens in 1832, the area be-came a historical precinct. Today it iscontrolled by the Greek government,which is also responsible for managingthe most valuable piece of art in Greeceand which often faces challenges such asthe latest Gucci campaign proposal toconduct a fashion parade on the Acropo-lis, which caused a lot of controversy be-fore it was somewhat unsurprisingly re-jected.

So how do Greeks really feel about thecountry's most iconic monument, andhow much do they really appreciate it

compared to the rest of the world?Most Greeks take the Parthenon as a

given. It is there; it has always beenthere.

Most, when they think of it, feel somepride in it, even though a critical observ-er could comment that it doesn't reallyencapsulate all Greek history.

Despite this, it is certain that theParthenon is very close to the hearts ofmost Greeks.

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Parthenon voted the most beautiful building in the world

TO BHMA8/24 MARCH 2017The Greek Australian VEMA

By Emilios Harbis– Kathimerini, Athens

Ask the average Northern Europeanwhy they come on holiday to Greece andthey’ll likely mention three things: sun,sea and good food. It’s no secret thatGreece, and especially its islands withtheir innovative cuisine, can offer visitorsmemorable gastronomic experiences.

However, in tourism as in cooking,good ingredients alone are not enoughfor success. Knowledge, effective promo-tion, improved practices and improvedproducts are key to winning the marketwhen it comes to thematic tourism. Inthis regard, the Southern Aegean regionrecently being named European Regionof Gastronomy 2019 for its commitmentto food and cultural diversity is particu-larly significant.

The European Region of Gastronomyplatform and award, organized by the In-ternational Institute of Gastronomy, Cul-ture, Arts and Tourism (IGCA T) with thesupport of European institutions, aim tocontribute to better quality of life in Eu-ropean regions by highlighting distinctivefood cultures, educating for betterhealth and sustainability, and stimulatinggastronomic innovation. According tothe award’s website, their philosophycenters around the belief that “regionsplay a key role in the gastronomic valuechain, from agricultural food productionto food processing, providing gastronom-ic experiences and hospitality in hotelsand restaurants, and attracting visitorswith regional gastronomy products.”

“Our peripheral regions are responsi-ble for around a third of the country’stourism-based activity. Tourism gener-ates jobs and incomes and the culinarydimension is as important as any other,”said Southern Aegean Regional GovernorGiorgos Hadjimarkos, who spearheadedthe efforts that resulted in the award,which was presented during a specialceremony at the Hotel Grande Bretagnein Athens last month.

“The Southern Aegean is now includedamong European regions with long tradi-tions in gastronomy. This distinction forour region is our outward-looking andoptimistic answer to a difficult period forour country. The islands of the SouthernAegean, at the forefront of Greek tou-rism, are the best representatives forsupporting the title of European Regionof Gastronomy,” he continued. Hadji-markos made special mention of thepeople on the islands who deal with dai-

ly food production. It is these people, hesaid, who “when others looked to thewest, remained loyal to the traditionalproducts and practices that make ourcountry unique.” The region’s program istitled “Taste the Seasons.”

The contemporary challenge which theEuropean Region of Gastronomy pro-gram addresses is that of thematictourism. This was also reiterated by IG-CAT, which described the SouthernAegean’s program as extremely promis-ing. This promising potential is based on

a number of factors: the establishmentof the southern Aegean as a gastronomicdestination, combined with the manycelebrations and festivals that take placeeven on the smallest islands, the exten-sion of the tourism season, the promo-tion of unique local products, and thesystematic training of local groups basedon the principles of quality and sustain-able culinary development.

During a speech at the ceremony,Tourism Minister Elena K ountoura saidthat as crucial as competitiveness and

entrepreneurship are for this endeavor,the concept of sustainability is perhapsin this case even more important. Afterall, the heart of the Aegean’s gastronom-ic identity is simple, natural foods pro-duced on a small scale, which could com-pletely lose its value if mass-producedwithout the appropriate qualitativemeasures.

That was aptly summed up in Hadji-markos’s speech: “A dish that leaves thekitchen includes, among others, culture,history, human effort and pride.”

“To sin and not repent is blasphemy

against the Lord”, Anonymous

Issue 1

Portion 1.1 on Repentance I wish to speak to your love what is Repentance, and how a person owes to do it if he wishes God to forgive him his sins. Every Christian who fears God owes to repent from the evil he has done, and not do it anymore. Because there is nothing greater than Repentance. For Repentance saved the tax-collector, the sex worker, the thief, King David, the apostle Paul, who was first a persecutor of Christ and repented to become an apostle, Saint Mary of Egypt who was formerly a sex worker and an adulteress. What saved her but Repentance? And all the apostles preached Repentance always. And what is Repentance? Listen. When a person does evil and wishes to be saved, they cannot be saved if they do not abandon the evil and repent of it with all their soul and heart. Portion 1.2 On Confession The people who wish to save their souls and inherit the eternal kingdom, require all to run with tears, to confess to their spiritual fathers. And when they confess they must say their sins without shame, and without blaming others but only themselves. For God knows all, both the good and the bad, and the thoughts we have. Therefore brethren let us run with all our heart, without guile and cunning but with a pure heart. We must run with joy and gladness to the spiritual father, because we run to God when we confess.

Portion 1.3 The Seven Basic Crimes and the Ten Commandments The Seven Basic Crimes are: Gluttony, greed, vanity, pride, lust, envy, and rudeness. We will speak of them in detail in future portions. The Ten Commandments in summary are: 1. I am the Lord your God, revealed as the Holy Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There is no other God besides Me. 2. Do not make an idol and worship it as God. 3. Do not take the name of the Lord in vain. 4. Remember the Lord’s Day and keep it holy. 5. Honor your father and your mother. 6. Do not kill. 7. Do not practice adultery. 8. Do not steal. 9. Do not bear false witness. 10. Do not covet the things of your neighbor. Portion 1.4 The Three Parts of Repentance Repentance has three parts: contrition, confession, and satisfaction. Contrition is sorrow and pain of heart, which is due to sorrowing God and transgressing His divine law. Confession is the willful verbal revealing of all your evil works, evil words, and evil thoughts. Satisfaction is the rule of penance we receive after confession in the form of penance practices.

The award-winning flavors of the Southern Aegean

A fisherman at work on Kalymnos. Intourism as in cooking, good ingredients

alone are not enough for success.Knowledge, strong promotion, improved

practices and products are key to winningthe market when it comes to thematic

tourism.

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 9/25MARCH 2017

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Passenger traffic in Greek airports

grew 7.2 pct in Jan-Feb 2017

Passenger traffic in Greek airports increased 7.2 per-cent in the first two months of 2017 compared to thesame period last year, data from the Civil A viation Au-thority showed earlier this month.

The number of passengers in Jan-F eb. totaled 3.75million, versus 3.49 million in the first two months of2016.

The total number of flights handled in Greek airportsreached 38,298, of which 23,310 were domestic and14,988 were international, showing a marginal drop of0.9 percent (-3.6 pct in domestic and +3.5%in interna-tional flights), compared with 38,665 flights in the simi-lar period last year.

Specifically for February, passenger traffic (domesticand international) rose 5.4 percent with passengers to-taling 1,830,215. The largest traffic was recorded in theairports of Athens, Thessaloniki, Heraklion, Chania andRhodes.

Athens’ International Airport handled 1,122,420 pas-sengers, Thessaloniki “Macedonia” Airport had 357,502passengers, Heraklion 74,902, Chania 65,434 andRhodes 5,910.

450,000 Greeks left the country

in past 8 yearsAlmost 450,000 Greeks left the country in the

2008-2016 period, depriving Greece of brain powerwhile at the same time contributing to the aging ofthe population.

The figures were presented earlier this month, dur-ing the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerceconference discussing the state of the labor marketand emigration of Greeks to search for work abroad.

According to the speakers, Greece is a country ag-ing very rapidly, while the biggest problem it facesimminently is the “brain drain,” the approximately450,000 natives who left Greece during the 2008-2016 period to seek employment in other countries.The brain drain Greeks have yielded to the econo-mies of these countries, particularly the United King -dom and Germany, is 50 billion euros.

“These people are mostly under 45 years old. Theirreturn should be a national target,” said former min-isters Anna Diamantopoulou and Yiannis Vroutsis,discussing” The role of government in attracting and

retaining talent to maintain the country’s competitiveadvantage.”

Anna Diamantopoulou, former education ministerand head of the Network for Reform in Greece andEurope, stressed the importance to cooperate andestablish synergies with other countries, such as Den-mark that has a very well organized farming sector.

Former labor minister Yiannis Vroutsis said on hispart that there would be much less unemployment ifnecessary reforms were made before the outbreak ofthe crisis and that unemployment would exceed 30%if Greece had not promoted specific reforms in theyears 2012-2014.

Vroutsis said that the term “flexibility” in the labormarket was terrifying in Greece when elsewhere inEurope it was common practice. He argued that laborlaws give the state great powers, sometimes to thedetriment of companies and businesses, while theTrade Union Act in many cases leads to the abuse ofthe right to strike.

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA10/26 MARCH 2017

Loaf of bread in hand, I held my breath and quicklymade my way down into our basement. I placed a fewscraps of bread and cheese on a table and looked deepinto the darkness.

“Here’s your food,” I whispered and watched as threesoldiers emerged, ready to gobble it up.

We were in the middle of World War II and the Nazishad taken control of Greece.

My husband, Dimitris, and I had decided to help someof the Italian soldiers fleeing the Germans by hidingthem in our basement.

It was absolutely terrifying. If we were caught wewould be killed, but Dimitris had strong morals. Hemade friends easily and as a Greek soldier himself hefelt he owed it to these men to do everything he could.

“This war isn’t fair,” he said. “We need to save asmany people as we can.”

It wasn’t the first time Dimitris and I had snuckaround.

Back when we were just courting, we’d sneak into thebasement of my parents’ house so we could talk a littlemore and get to know each other.

Our village, Kymi, was on a small Greek island, dottedwith more olive trees than people and everyone kneweveryone else. I made money for my family by stitchingand mending clothes while Dimitris was renowned forhis shoemaking business.

With deep brown eyes and a tall, muscly frame, hewas the most sought-after bachelor.

Married life with him was bliss. One year after ourwedding we were blessed with a daughter, Maria, andhad another baby, George, right before the war.

Thankfully, my brave husband survived and every sol-dier we hid was able to return home to their family.

The Germans never caught us and they lost the war! Dimitris and I had two more sons, Antoni and Yiannis,

nicknamed John. We had a good life in our village, butas our children grew older they wanted to experiencemore than Greece had to offer.

Maria got engaged to a Greek-Australian man andmoved to Perth. She loved Australia so much she con-vinced John to go over, too. After a big discussion, Dim-itris and I decided to join them.

Maria and her husband had organised our visas so wewere able to settle in immediately and, within a fewyears, our other sons, Antoni and George, made themove, too.

I fell in love with Perth. The excitement and bustle ofthe city enthralled me, and the people were so friendly.

Trying to get a grip on the English language was verydifficult, but I had enough family in Perth that I couldstill rely on communicating mostly in Greek. Dimitris fit-ted right into the Aussie way of life.

We kept busy, helping our kids with the fish and chipshop they bought. Soon we had plenty of grandchildrento look after. I knitted thick woollen booties for each ofthem. Our family continued to grow and by the timewe reached our 80s we also had great-grandchildren.

But one day Dimitris found blood in his urine. I wasn’tworried as Dimitris never smoked or drank, but whatthe doctor found shocked us.

“You have liver cancer,” he said grimly. “You don’thave long to live.”

I was in shock. We had been married for more than50 years. Luckily, he was able to stay at home and al-though it was hard to watch the love of my life deterio-rate, I cared for him every day. But three months afterhis diagnosis, he was in worse shape than ever.

I knew I was losing him. We took him to the hospitaland my daughter in-law, Soula, sat with me throughoutthe night. We held Dimitris’s hand as he slipped away.

Maria was nice enough to let me move in with her,even though it was hard on her and I was extremelygrateful. Life continued on as it always had and I keptsewing tapestries and knitting clothes for my family.

When I reached my 100th birthday, we gathered for ahuge family lunch at a traditional Greek restaurant.

I was even reunited with my sister, Lili, who I hadn’tseen since I left Greece! I couldn’t believe how lucky Iwas.

Although my mind was still quick my body started toget frailer as more years passed.

One day, when I was 108, I slipped over and broke myleft hip.

“We have to operate, but the chances are not good,”the doctor told me.

He said I had only a 20 per cent chance of surviving. Despite the risks the doctors operated and I was sur-

prised when, hours later, I woke up. “God’s forgotten about me,” I moaned, as 30 mem-

bers of my family crowded around my bed. “How am Istill living?”

“It’s okay to go,” my granddaughter Nicole whisperedtearfully. “We love you and we’re so lucky to have hadyou this long.”

It was a hard battle and the surgery took a lot out ofme. I was put in an aged care home.

My children and grandchildren set up a roster so thateach of them visited me for a meal every day.

When my last birthday came around and I was stillkicking, everyone was shocked, especially me!

We had a big family celebration at the home. E ven areporter and photographer from the local paper visited.

“Congratulations,” Soula cheered as she envelopedme in a hug. “You’ve made it to 110!”

“Don’t be silly,” I hushed. “If I was that old I’d bedead.”

I can’t believe I’ve been lucky enough to make it thisfar.

Now I have 12 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren,and my first great-great-grandchild is on the way.They’re all worried my mind will fade away.

“Do you remember me?” they say every time they vis-it.

Sometimes I play a little joke on them and pretend Ihave no idea who they are. I might have lived throughtwo world wars and two centuries but I’ve learnt it’s im-portant to have a laugh!

Source: Australian Women’s Weekly - Take 5

How on earth can I still be here at 110?Helen Stamelos, 110, from Morely, WA, talks about her incredibly long life

FEBRUARY 2017 11/27TO BHMAThe Greek Australian VEMA

St Andrew’s Grammar School Blessing (WA)The Very Reverend Father Elpidios pro-

vided the Whole School Blessing at St An-drew’s Grammar in Perth on Friday 10thFebruary.

The service included the traditionalcutting of the Vasilopita and each yeargroup teacher from Kindergarten to Year12 nominated a student to receive apiece of the Vasilopita on behalf of theirclass.

Students throughout the school en-joyed the Whole School Blessing andYear 10 student Tessa Venoutsos recitedthe Epistle reading as part of the cere-mony.

The School Blessing was preceded by aSchool Assembly to formally welcome allstudents and staff to the 2017 schoolyear.

The highest scoring Year 12 ATAR stu-dents from 2016 Shivani Radia and Ni-yanta Lekha received The Emanuel Pe-trelis Award for Academic Excellence aspart of the assembly.

The Principal Mr Simon Midson wel-comed new staff and students to theschool. In his address, Mr Midson fo-cussed on the importance of empathyand continuing to build positive relation-ships throughout the close-knit St An-drew’s Grammar community. Mr Midsonsaid: ‘People will forget what you said,people will forget what you did, but peo-ple will never forget how you made themfeel.’

The Welcome Assembly and SchoolBlessing was a great occasion and a verypositive start to the 2017 school year.

LAW OFFICE OF KONSTANTINOS KARRAS17 Noembri 6-8, Alimos-Attikis (Athens), P.S. 17455

Email: konstantinos.karras@aol.com or kkvg.law@gmail.comMobile: +30-693-67-08-018

Attorney at Law in Athens. Graduated from the Law School of University ofAthens, Master Degree in European Law from the University of Louvain - Bel-gium.

Practice Areas:

a) Hereditary Issues (Wills, Inheritance)b) Legal Support regarding Property Issues (Real Estate-Markets,

Real Estate Leasing, Real Estate Registration in the Land Registry)c) Tax Matters (Tax Greeks Abroad, New estate tax law, inheritance

and gift tax)d) Greek citizenship (Greek Conditions for Granting Citizenship,

Registration at Registrar’s Office and the conditions for granting visas)e) Family Law (Divorce, Affairs)f) Recognition of foreign judgments in Greece

Our office is located in Alimos – Athens and we can be contacted by emailon konstantinos.karras@aol.com or kkvg.law@gmail.com

describing briefly your case.

Evzones to join Australians in celebrations for ANZAC Day and the 76th anniversary

of the Battle of Crete

Adelaide and Sydney residents getready — the Evzones are coming yourway! The historical ANZAC Day and the76th anniversary of the Battle of Crete isbeing marked this year with events andceremonies all throughout the month ofApril. This year, nine Evzones, the fa-mous soldiers of the Greek PresidentialGuard, are traveling to Australia to par-ticipate in the events.

“After obtaining special permission ofattendance by the Greek government,the nine Evzones and their two lieu-tenants will visit the two cities in order tocelebrate the role of the soldiers ofGreece and Crete, often known as the‘forgotten Anzacs,” Harry Patsouris, the

trustee of the Foundation for HellenicStudies. Some of the special events theEvzones will take part in are various East-er celebrations as well as attend the WarMemorial on North Terrace (Adelaide).

The events honor the memory of theAustralian and New Zealand Army Corps(ANZAC) who fought in the battle. TheBattle of Crete is not one of the best-known conflicts that occurred duringWWII, however, it is considered to beone of the most decisive battles of thewar, where it was the first and last timethat paratroopers were deployed onsuch a vast scale from the Germans tocapture a target during WWII.

Source: www.greekreporter.com

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA12/28 MARCH 2017

ST NICHOLAS PARISH WELCOMES NEW SCRIPTURE TEACHERS

St Nicholas Parish, Marrickville (NSW)was the scene for the 2017 Basic Accred-itation Course for new Scripture Teach-ers. Just over 20 new teachers attendedthe program in February.

These teachers will take the special re-ligious education session in State schoolsin New South Wales. An estimated 6000pupils are involved in these classesthroughout the State.

Many people are not aware that thereis a program of training for Greek Ortho-dox Scripture Teachers.

Teachers are exposed to the role andresponsibilities of a teacher. The trainingis conducted by knowledgeable Scripturecoordinators.

Mrs Kandia Tagalakis is a qualified highschool teacher and she demonstrated asample lesson on “The Holy Liturgy”.

Mrs Mary Stathos coordinates Scrip-ture for the parish and community ofKogarah. This caters for almost 1200pupils. Mrs Stathos is an expert withmany years’ experience. She introducedthe program of lessons for 2017. She em-phasised the lifelong value of the GreekOrthodox curriculum.

Mrs Evangelia Vasili is also an experi-enced teacher and she coordinates Scrip-ture at St Nicholas. She provided guide-lines on classroom management. Sheoutlined the importance of the schoolrules.

Mr Louis Chambers coordinates Scrip-ture with Fr Constantine Varipatis in theGymea-Sutherland region. He introducedthe topic of child protection. This is anarea where the Greek Orthodox Churchis vigilant to ensure that all our teachershave a Working with Children Check. Thesafety of the child is of paramount im-portance.

The training program finished with anaddress from the Very Rev Fr Christodou-los Economou. He spoke about the char-acter of the teacher and used many ex-amples from his own experience as a

priest. This address captivated thosepresent and motivated them to under-stand that the Scripture Teacher is a rep-resentative of the Orthodox Church.

Together, the Rev Fr Nicholas Bozikisand the hardworking philoptochos, ma-de all the delegates to the Basic Accredi-tation Course feel welcome at St Nicho-las Parish with their exceptional philoxe-nia.

At the close of the program, partici-pants were encouraged to complete thetraining online through a specially devel-oped educational package. This helps

them achieve the Basic Accreditation asa Scripture Teacher. The online course isalso available for those unable to attendthe face-to-face introduction.

On behalf of His Eminence ArchbishopStylianos and His Grace Bishop Seraphim,the spokesperson for the Archdiocesethanked the teachers for their dedicationand efforts. The parish and communityof St Nicholas was praised for their coop-eration and support of special religiouseducation in New South Wales.

sregreekorthodox@gmail.com

Australian ambassador calls for more integrationJohn Griffin, Australia’s ambassador to

Greece, has called on the country to aidthe integration of mentally and physical-ly disabled members of society.

During a special event at the embassyin Athens yesterday to mark the hangingof a painting presented to the embassyby students from the Aghios DimitriosSchool of Special Professional E ducationand Training, Griffin said that the inclu-sion of the mentally and physically dis-abled in society was vital.

“The purpose of today’s event is verysimple and very important. When we ar-rived in A thens, my partner Pete and Iwere surprised that we didn’t see peoplewith special needs in the street – andhardly any facilities for them. Social in-clusion is a basic human right in society.Everyone deserves that Australian funda-mental value of a ‘fair go,’” he said, alsoreferencing the American Declaration ofIndependence article citing the right tolife, liberty and the pursuit of happinessfor all members of society.

“I always bear in mind the words at-tributed to the great Mahatma Gandhi:‘A nation’s greatness is measured by howit treats its weakest members,’” he said.

The artwork, based on Gustav Klimt’spainting “The Kiss,” was a Christmaspresent to the ambassador following anembassy visit to the school in Septemberwhile students had been working on it.

“Every individual and organization canmake a small contribution to integratingpeople with disabilities in our society.

The embassy’s small contribution is tohelp raise the visibility of people withspecial needs, and of those dedicatedprofessionals who work for their devel-opment – so as to highlight the impor-tance of social inclusion for all,” he con-cluded.

The Aghios Dimitrios School of SpecialProfessional Education and Training is apublic vocational school in A thens forchildren and adults with special needssuch as mental difficulties, autism andvarious psychological issues. There arecurrently 245 students aged 12 to 22 en-rolled. Several were in attendance at theevent, as were other people from spe-

cialist organizations which work with,train and educate people with specialneeds.

Thanking the school and its students,Griffin said: “This gift will serve as a re-minder to us all of the valuable work be-ing done in the community to ensureeveryone receives a fair go. We shouldall be aware of and support this work.”

Social inclusion for the mentally andphysically disabled in Greece remains achallenge and is further compounded bythe economic crisis, which has seen fun-ding for special schools slashed.

Greece has ratified the United NationsConvention on the Rights of Persons with

Disabilities, and as part of this the coun-try is required to take continuous stepstoward improving the lives of those withdisabilities and give them an equal stand-ing in society, including access to an edu-cation.

Despite this, a report by the Greekbranch of ActionAid in May 2015 re-vealed that 85 percent of Greek childrenwith a disability were not receiving aneducation.

The main obstacles keeping disabledchildren from attending school were cit-ed as shortages in transportation, infra-structure such as ramps, audiovisualaids, qualified staff and regular funding.

Australian Ambassador to Greece John Griffin with students from the Aghios Dimitrios School of Special Professional Education a ndTraining.

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 13/29MARCH 2017

On Friday, the 17th February His GraceBishop Seraphim of Apollonia travelledto Brisbane to represent his EminenceArchbishop Stylianos for the blessing andofficial opening of St John’s CommunityCare Estia villas. Over 100 people attend-ed the opening with representatives ofgovernment, other parishes and associa-tions. His Grace conducted the ayiasmosservice and then together with the Hon-ourable Stirling Hinchcliffe, Leader of theHouse in the Queensland Parliament, un-veiled the plaque.

The Honourable Yvette D’ath A ttorneyGeneral and Minister for Justice cut theribbon and declared the houses open.

The Honourable Stirling Hinchcliffe ad-dressed the gathering and thanked HisGrace for the long standing and ongoingcommitment of the Greek OrthodoxArchdiocese in supporting the needs ofthe wider community over so manyyears.

His Grace thanked the state fundingbody for their financial contribution ofone million dollars toward the construc-tion of the Estia villas and for the trustand confidence in the Greek OrthodoxArchdiocese, St John’s Community Careand the Parish of St Paraskevi in deliver-ing this and many other projects togeth-er in a collaborative partnership. HisGrace expressed the gratitude and ap-preciation of His Eminence ArchbishopStylianos and the Archdiocese to all wholaboured and worked for this wonderfulsupportive accommodation initiative.

Following the official proceedings, thehouses were open for people to see andto discuss with St John’s Community Carethe options available for elderly carerswanting to plan for the adult child with adisability once they are unable to carefor them themselves. The St Paraskeviladies philoptochos provided a wonder-ful banquet and refreshments.

On Friday evening His Grace BishopSeraphim hosted a dinner for the youthand future leaders of the church at port-

side. During the evening, many topicswere discussed that were of interest tothose attending including the structureand canons of the church. Other topicsdiscussed were how other parishes in themajor cities engaged with their youthand the challenges that they face intodays world.

On the Saturday of Souls, His GraceBishop Seraphim attended the liturgy atthe chapel by the sea at Bribie Island. Fa-ther Menelaos Hatzoglou parish priest ofSt John the Baptist in Cairns conductedthe liturgy and His Grace conducted thetrisayio for the departed. F ollowing theservice His Grace attended a luncheonwith the committee of the St Andrew’sBribie Island Youth Retreat.

At the Parish Council Dinner in honourof His Grace held on Saturday eveningBishop Seraphim congratulated the com-mittee on their hard work and progresswithin the parish of St Paraskevi. HisGrace acknowledged the many years ofservice and dedication of Dr Peter Ma-rendy, President of the Parish of St Pa-raskevi and his wife Mary Marendy. Healso acknowledged the progress of the StParaskevi Child Care Centre, St John’sCommunity Care and the new Estia sup-portive houses.

He reaffirmed the commitment andsupport of the Greek Orthodox Archdio-cese and to the future activities that arebeing considered for the Parish. HisGrace emphasised that first and fore-most that central to the Orthodox faith isthe eucharist. He stated that love for oneanother and the ability to do God’s workin supporting others follows the partak-ing of the eucharist.

On Sunday, His Grace lead the divine li-turgy at the church of St Paraskevi. Theservice was well attended. F ollowing theservice His Grace tonsured Stavros K os-matos as a reader in the church. F ollow-ing the service the ladies provided asumptuous luncheon in celebration ofmeat fare Sunday and the start of lent.

Over 200 people attended. His Graceagain acknowledged and thanked every-one for the work that they do and for thewarm welcome and love that was shownto him.

He also acknowledged and thanked

Michael Elfis, Vice President of St Para-skevi and his wife Aspasia for their manyyears of service. His Grace presentedthem with a commemorative plaque andwished them well in their retirement inPerth.

Blessing and Official Opening of Estia villas in Brisbane

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA14/30 MARCH 2017

Arts, Food & WineEditor: Imogen Coward

The Impermanence of Beauty and the Artist’s Paint-Box

By Leon Coward

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a gallery inpossession of fine, valuable, and historically-importantpaintings, must be in want of their conservation. Andwhile it would seem fair that the difficulties and re-sponsibilities of conservation should rest upon thosewho are entrusted with these works and wish to pre-serve them, there is a question—how responsible arethe artists?

To consider this question, one must look at a primaryconcern in conservation: colour. Pigments are artistical-ly valued for their colour, but we know all too well fromour faded book-spines and the low lighting levels inpublic galleries, how susceptible colour is to vanishing.But is this the whole story? Before proceeding further,we need to think of colour no longer in terms of hue,saturation and brightness—but instead think in termsof chemistry.

The late 1700s to mid-1800s heralded many advance-ments in pigment manufacture and newly availablepaints. With the exception of fancy marketing, thenames of most paints refer not to their exact hue (as weimagine a swatch-book does for wall-paints) but insteadto their chemical composition. For example, ‘CobaltGreen’ is a mixture of cobalt oxide and zinc oxide—indi-vidual manufacturing procedures and quality of ingredi-ents will mean variations between different brands, buteach will be ‘Cobalt Green’.

But why should it be so important to know ‘what’your paint is made out of? The answer lies in chemistry.Certain pigments are ‘fugitive’, meaning they will light-en, darken, or change hue depending on environmentalconditions, especially under UV exposure. In other cas-es, pigments react with one another, and this is espe-cially the case for pigments in an aqueous binding medi-um (watercolour) where the reactions occur morefreely.

For example, pigments containing sulphur (such as Ul-tramarine, Vermilion and Cadmium colours), are knownto blacken when mixed with copper-based paints(Malachite, Emerald Green, Azurite, and so on) or leadpaints. There are very few paints which are considered‘safe’ all-rounders.

Some discolourations have taken years—such as inthe da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa”, which was not so green and

golden but in fact had a blue background, and the sit-ter’s red (not brown) sleeves were set against a green(not black) dress, and her dark hair was lighter withgolden highlights. It is also the reason why she seems tohave no eyebrows.

Other discolourations occurred in the artist’s lifetime,and with their knowledge. Paul Cézanne’s watercolours,for example, have suffered both discolouration fromthe pigments, as well as from the paper: what was oncebright green has darkened and dulled.

Van Gogh’s paintings of blue irises were in fact bril-liant purple, and while some may consider this loss ofcolour a metaphor for the life of flowers, he was knownto paint in thick strokes hoping the additional paintwould give longevity. Van Gogh was himself sadlyaware that one of his paintings of pink roses, contrast-ed against a green background, had all faded to white.

Since museums will not restore paintings to how theyoriginally appeared, a growing trend has been to digi-tally reproduce a painting and restore the colours in thedigital version. Through various techniques includingmicroscopy and spectroscopy, many original colourscan be identified. In the case of JMW Turner, however,we may have a ‘lost cause’.

When Turner bequeathed to the National Gallery alarger number of paintings, he did so with an apparentsense of posterity, that his work would endure beyondhis lifetime—the final amount of the bequest amountsto some 300 oil paintings, 300 sketchbooks, and 30,000sketches.

But in Turner’s lifetime, he had a flagrant disregardfor the permanency of his colours. When William Win-sor, co-founder of the artist’s brand Winsor & Newton,chastised the famous artist, Turner replied “Your busi-ness, Winsor, is to make colour, mine is to use them.”Turner used Carmines and Madders which he knew tobe highly fugitive.

One of Turner’s picturesque seascapes, where heused Indigo, Vermilion and Black, has faded from a coolblue scene to now only red and blacks. In other cases,the red has faded, turning a sunset sky into a dull greywash. So notorious was Turner, that the art critic JohnRuskin claimed not one of his works was “seen in per-fection a month after it is painted.”

While there is sometimes beauty in the ephemeral,there are very few who would agree that beauty should

be ephemeral. The responsibility of conservation canonly lie with those who conserve, but the artist’s deci-sions will largely determine whether their work enduresor is ephemeral, or forces their owner to continually re-pair defects, or commit it to the darkened storeroom.

van Gogh's "Roses" as it originally appeared (left), and how it looks today (right).

FEBRUARY 2017 Tel. (02) 9559 7022 Fax: (02) 9559 7033 E-mail: vema@bigpond.net.au

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The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 15/31MARCH 2017

The bumpy road traveled by the Acropolis MuseumBy Yiannis Papadopoulos

Every so often, Acropolis MuseumPresident Dimitrios Pandermalis will seea familiar face in the crowd. “Some ofthe people who reacted negatively to themuseum’s construction are now comingas visitors,” he says. Seven years since itslaunch, and averaging 4,000 visitors aday, the museum today is a firm andmuch-lauded fixture in Greece’s culturallife, yet there was a time when this majorstate initiative divided public opinion likeno other.

Other than the usual obstacle of Greekbureaucracy, the process of getting themuseum built included a lengthy judicialbattle that is fairly typical of the kind ofthing that goes on behind the scenesduring any major project in this country.

“I started becoming familiar with thecourt system when I became president ofthe Organization for the Construction ofthe New Acropolis Museum (OANMA) in2000,” Pandermalis said.

Almost every sector of the judicial sys-tem was involved in the issue in one wayor another, culminating in criminalcharges being brought against OANMAand other parties involved in the muse-um’s construction by an Athens first in-stance prosecutor in 2004. “I found my-self in the office of an investigating mag-istrate for the first time in my life, wait-ing for a decision on whether we wouldbe remanded in custody,” says the respe-cted academic. The case never reached acourt room, but it took three years be-fore the charges were dropped by theCouncil of Appeals Court Judges.

The beginning of the museum’s misad-ventures lie more than two deaces earli-er, however. It was June 1977 whenKathimerini first wrote: “The architectur-al competition for the new museum at-tracted 26 studies that are being as-sessed by the committee of judges. Theproject will be completed within threeyears.”

The need for a new museum to housethe wealth of exhibits from the Acropoliswas first expressed in 1976 by thenprime minister Constantine Karamanlis,but the first call for proposals went with-out response, as did a later one in 1979.Even then there were reactions to theproposed site of the new museum in thepopulous neighborhood of Makriyianniin the Greek press, a public debate thatcontinued to a lesser or greater degree

for two decades, peaking after 2000.Another competition was held in 1989,

and this time it was international, result-ing in the arrival of 438 teams of re-searchers. The Makriyianni location con-tinued to stir reactions and the architec-tural plan failed to stipulate measures forprotecting antiquities found on the site.Although a winning design was chosen,the Council of State ruled in favor of theAssociation of Architects in 1993 andcanceled the competition over procedur-al issues. “Our dream has been an-nulled,” then culture minister MelinaMercouri told the media, expressing herdisappointment.

OANMA was set up in 1995 as a privatecompany to smooth the bureaucraticpath.

After the fourth successive competi-tion since 1976, an international commit-tee selected a proposal in 2001 byBernard Tschumi and Michael Photiades,but the project met with obstacles atevery step of the way.

Between 1993 and 2004, the Council ofState examined more than 10 demandsfor the project to be scrapped at variousphases. The discovery of artifacts on theconstruction site just made the endeavorthat much more complicated.

Everyone involved in the new muse-um’s construction was prepared to face amajor battle by residents and the ownersof buildings slated for demolition in theMakriyianni area. However, the reac-tions were not always limited to legalmeans. Former officials of the CultureMinistry and OANMA remember a manfrom a house that was being appropriat-ed harassing construction workersthrough a megaphone every single dayfor several years.

Pandermanlis also recalls several inci-dents with residents demanding a halt tothe work, saying that they had a court or-der to that effect but it had not been is-sued yet. “I’m not going to stop until thebailiff turns up,” he’d responded.

“I remember being accused of destroy-ing an ancient temple when we demol-ished the basement lavatories of the oldgendarme station,” Pandermalis re-counts.

In another incident, Pandermalis wassuddenly summoned to the administra-tive appeals court one morning to re-spond to accusations that there was pho-tographic evidence of an excavator dig-ging at the site of archaeological finds. “Itwas a large rock that couldn’t be re-moved by hand, so it was shifted withthe excavator,” he says.

There were times when both sidescalled in the police, as was the case inlate March 2002. Members of a citizens’movement opposed to the constructioncalled the police saying that the jackham-mers and bulldozers were destroying an-tiquities. At the same time, the archaeo-logical service had asked for help to stopprotesters harassing the constructioncrew.

Pandermalis explains that the projectwas designed to protect and showcasethe antiquities found on the Makriyianniplot. He never thought he of all peoplewould be accused of destroying antiqui-ties.

“If I were to destroy antiquities, I

would be like a judge who violates hiscode of ethics or a doctor who breaksthe Hippocratic oath. It would rock myvery existence. I would never be able tocover something like that up,” he says.

Visitors to the Acropolis Museum to-day can see part of the excavation of theMakriyianni plot through the glass floorat the entrance and plans are in thepipeline for a basement area to beturned into an exhibition of the plot’sfascinating contents.

One-vote rescue

OANMA’s legal adviser at the time,Dimitris Kourkoumelis, explains thatwhile many different means were em-ployed to stop the construction, the finaldecision rested with the Council of State,the country’s highest administrativecourt. In 2004, with a majority of just onevote, the court rejected all claims thatantiquities were being threatened andgave the project the green light.

“I was very anxious about the ruling,”remembers Pandermalis. “I felt the en-tire responsibility resting on my shoul-ders, the symbolic and the actual respon-sibility. Imagine abandoning a buildingjust after you’ve poured the concreteand leaving behind a modern ruin.”

The last bump in the road was criminalcharges filed against the organization’sboard, members of the Central Archaeo-logical Council and the jury of the archi-tectural competition, following a suitfiled in March 2003 by New DemocracyMP and later deputy culture ministerPetros Tatoulis for antiquities destruc-tion. Tatoulis later dropped his suit, butclaimed that his intervention would forcehis successors to be more cautious.

“All of those things belong in the past.It’s over,” says Pandermalis. Now hisbiggest concern is keeping people com-ing to the museum so that it evolves intoa “public house of treasures,” where thepublic will feel at home among the ruins– and he appears to be succeeding.

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Visitors at the Acropolis Museum in thens, overlooking the ancient citadel. Other than the usual obstacle of Greek bureaucracy , the process of getting the museum built included a lengthy judicial battle that is fairly typical of the kind of thing that goe s on behind

the scenes during any major project in Greece .

TO BHMA16/32 MARCH 2017

TravelThe Greek Australian VEMA

BY HARIS ARGYROPOULOS

The villages on the northeastern sideof Mount Parnassos, some 170 kilo-meters northwest of Athens, are a veryinteresting proposition for a weekendouting. The foothills of the mountain,which look out over a huge plain, hostsome fine guesthouses, good eatingplaces, historical sites and plenty of op-portunities for mountain walks.

Amfikleia is a lively and friendly vil-lage – a listed traditional settlementand home to at least 500 stone-builthouses with neoclassical elements andarched gates. It also has a wonderfulchurch dedicated to the Virgin Mary,with old frescoes, several ambientguesthouses and good tavernas. Astroll to its upper reaches will be re-warded with excellent views of the vil-lage and the plain below. If you comeby train, check out the old diesel en-gines at the station. An invigoratingwalk, lasting about an hour-and-a-half,is to the Monastery of Aghia Ier-ousalim, inside a cave, believed to havebeen built around 1200 by the Cru-saders. On the way, you’ll find a wa-ter spring and a huge walnut tree –look out for squirrels. Accommodationin Amfikleia tends to be expensive, es-

pecially in winter, due to its proxim-ity to Mt Parnassos’s popular ski cen-ter (17 km).

Driving across the plain in a south-easterly direction, you’ll come to Ka-to Tithorea after 8.5 km and, after tak-ing a right turn, ascend to the villageof Tithorea, on the slopes of Parnas-sos. Signs of habitation in the area datefrom as early as 2000 BC as well as re-mains of a Hellenistic-era wall. An up-hill climb taking a little over 90 min-utes will bring you to a historic cave(called “Mavri Troupa” – “Black Hole”– by the locals) above a gorge, whichwas used as a hideout by Odysseas An-droutsos, a hero of the War of Inde-pendence against the Ottomans.Tithorea has a pretty square builtaround a plane tree and is reputed forits olive oil and wine.

An attractive route across the plainin a northeasterly direction, 10 kmfrom Amfikleia, brings you to verdantPolydrosos, frequented for its popu-lar tavernas and cafes. There are sev-eral beautiful locations around the vil-lage, in the area of Aghia Eleousa, and

a medieval tower near an old hy-dropower station. Polydrosos alsodeveloped the craft of knife making,of which there is one practitioner left.Ano Polydrosos is an appealing villagewith restored stone-built houses amida fir forest, brooks and fountains. Atthe springs near the Church of AghiaEleousa there are ancient and Byzan-tine ruins in a tranquil and lush area.Above the source of the Kifissos Riv-er – no relation to the one in Attica –

are the ruins of an early Christianchurch. The area, which is traversedby National Walking Route 22, also fea-tures the Polydrosos cave, with won-derfully strange formations.

On the road to Eptalofos, you willalso see signs to the “Fortification ofAncient Lilaea” – an acropolis with im-posing walls and towers built of hugestones. The ancient city of Lilaea, be-tween Kato Agoriani and Polydrosos,flourished between the 10th and 7th

centuries BC. Several of its towers re-tain their windows and bastions.

Near Tithorea is Ancient Chaeronea,the birthplace of 1st-century AD his-torian Plutarch. The site is best knownfor the statue of a lion guarding thetomb where the fallen in the 388 BCbattle against Philip of Macedon wereburied. There is an archaeologicalmuseum, an ancient theater carved in-to the rock and an acropolis with awall.

Where to stayIn Amfikleia: Kyriaki (tel 29011,www.xenonaskiriaki.gr), tastefulguesthouse with excellent breakfast,pool and fantastic views; Dadi (tel29040, www.xenonasdadi.gr),restored 1890 house with wonderfulgarden, very clean. In Polydrosos:Karahalios (tel 51116), restored oldhouse with courtyard; Erohos Suites(tel 29610, www.eroxos.gr), deluxe,wonderful views; Scholarchio (tel51777), an old school with a loft area;In Tithorea: Amfikaia Farm (tel 48860,www.amfikaia.gr), agritourismcomplex.

Transport & useful infoTouring the area requires your owntransport, unless you are an avidwalker. The shortest route toAmfikleia is via the Athens-Lamiahighway – follow signs for Kastro,Orchomenos and Livadia (watch yourspeed on the Kastro-Livadia stretch orthe police will book you). Without acar, you will have to rely on taxis.Trains will take you to Amfikleia andTithorea (tel 1110, 210.527.7777) inabout one hour and 45 minutes. Areaphone code: 22340; Amfikleia police:22435; health center: 22944/5; townhall: 22435.

Spring of spiritAbove the source of the Kifissos River – no relation to the one in Attica – are the ruins of an early Christian church

Parnassos villagesRun for the hills

Where to eatIn Polydrosos: En Parnasso, small,ambient family restaurant with goodwine and desserts; Magos (tel 51422),well known in the area for its amazinggrilled meat; Kotsoulas (tel 51275), onthe square, serves game. In Amfikleia:Andreas, excellent homemade dishes;Giatros, on the square, fine Greek grill;Merentitis (tel 22246), traditionalGreek cuisine and grilled dishes;Mantha’s Pies (tel 23020). In Tithorea:Limeri tou Seskoulou (tel 71249) andSteki tou Giala (tel 71237), which bothserve excellent mutton and have bigfireplaces which serve as grills.

What to see & buy Amfikleia’s Bread Museum, withdozens of different shapes of breadand traditional equipment used in itspreparation; an annual, three-daybread fete is held in November; Davlia,5.5 kilometers from Kato Tithorea, averdant village near ancient Davlida –mentioned by Homer – withpanoramic views; 5 km from Davlia, ina wonderfully lush spot at 900meters, is the Convent of AghiaIerousalim, founded in 1088; buywidely available good fir honey, fetaand yogurt; the Argyriou Winery inPolydrosos has very good Merlot.

Easily accessible from Athens, this group of small communities offers opportunities for hiking or just sitting back and admiring nature

TRAVELATHENSPLUS • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2010

Parnassos villages