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Fun in Athens at Christmas: Monastiraki and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNFCC)

Two wonderful days in Athens… 

(See the photos on my Facebook page)

Between Christmas and the New Year, my husband and I headed over to Athens for two days, and we were determined to visit new places as much as we could. The first novelty we experienced was the accommodation itself – as it turned out to be a totally unmanned property! The front door of the old neoclassical building at Monastiraki was locked and when we phoned the contact number to request admission a nice lady on the phone directed us how to open the keypad on the door to extract a key!

To be honest, we felt a little worried about sleeping in an old building without any staff on site – while trusting that the other guests would be as careful as we were to lock the door each time they went in and out. Luckily, all went well, and the place itself was clean and beautiful, with the typical high ceilings and the old, tall wooden windows and floors that one would expect.

Monastiraki itself felt safe to walk around in, even late into the night, and the streets were packed, especially in Psyrri where we went to admire the Christmas lights outside Little Kook. During that first day, we did quite well in our quest to try new experiences! We went to A for Athens for coffee – a café that’s part of the hotel of the same name. It’s on a terrace and overlooks Monastiraki square with the Acropolis on the opposite hill. As you can see from the first two pictures above, the view was as spectacular as we had imagined it to be!

After visiting a few shops, we wound up at our favourite haunt – the Irish ‘James Joyce Pub’ at the heart of Monastiraki, but committed to make it a new experience, we both ordered new things on the menu. Andy had sausage with onions and I utterly enjoyed a meal I had come to miss from my days living in the UK. It was a huge dish of steak and Guinness pie and it was absolutely delicious.

The evening found us  having  dinner in Athinas street,  near  the  Athens market.  We  walked  a lot  around  Monastiraki,  Plaka  and  Psirri  afterwards, enjoying  the  lights  and  taking  in  the  city  vibe.

Even though by bedtime we thought we’d had an absolutely perfect day, little did we know that the next day would impress and please us even more! For a while now we both wanted to visit the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre (SNFCC) but never seemed to get the chance. It is situated south of Athens by the sea, on the grounds where the old Hippodrome (race horse track) used to be. The free shuttle picked us up from Syntagma square early in the morning. We were at our destination in just 10 minutes.

To say that our mouths were gaping open, on and off, as we discovered the place would be an understatement. It wasn’t just because of the grandeur of the National Opera and the National Library that are housed in the SNFCC. It wasn’t even the beautiful canal with the musical fountains that operate to the sound of music. It was the sheer GENIUS of the whole undertaking and the design of the place. I chose the specific picture above, just to show you the one thing that impressed me more than anything else:

In the picture, I am standing on top of an edifice called Faros (Lighthouse) at the SNFCC. From there, one has a generous view of Athens and the Acropolis. On the other side, one can admire the sea view. It stands at the highest ground of the Foundation. Behind me, you can see the edifice of the National Opera and the canal. Do you see what’s on top of the Opera? Grounds! Gardens! I could not believe, as Andy and I were making our way downhill after seeing that, now realizing that we were basically stepping along the top of the opera building. It was just too mind-blowing to wrap my head around it.

The gardens were beautiful, to say the least. There are pine trees, an olive grove, planted herbs and vegetables of many kinds, and a large clearing in the midst of it all that is perfect for family picnics and open-air cinema viewings throughout the summer. Amidst the greenery, one finds surprises as they walk around. Delightful features and fun things for the kids to do, and some also for the adults. ‘The Maze’ impressed me the most, but as the ground was soggy from an earlier rain we gave it a miss. Perhaps next time!

People can cycle in the park or jog or just sit and enjoy nature or the beautiful canal that uses sea water, being in direct connection with the sea. Events take place in the summer period in many parts of the Foundation outdoors. It’s just a fun place to be, and I’m certainly going back – probably in the spring, when I hear it’s beautiful with the flowers in bloom.

I’d also love to combine my visit next time with one at the Eugenides Foundation with its state-of-the-art planetarium – it’s literally across Syggrou avenue from the SNFCC via an underground passage (under said avenue). The educational shows there about astronomy and nature are said to be spectacular.

If you’re planning a trip to Athens, I highly recommend you visit the SNFCC. In case you intend to use the free shuttle service, please note it does not depart from Syntagma, but only comes and stops briefly at the corner bus stop, just in front of ‘Public’ superstore. Timetables for the shuttle and all sorts of information you will find at the SNFCC website.

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Greek vigil lamps, frankincense and how to clean up your house spiritually

Today, I’d like to share about the Greek custom of the vigil lamp. Vigil lamps are lit in Greek homes on all big religious holidays, but in homes where loved ones have passed away they may be found lit every day, especially in the homes of widows.

Traditionally, in every Greek home, there is one corner (usually the bedroom), where icons are placed on the wall (along with the wreaths from the wedding ceremony of the home owners so the marriage can remain blessed). The vigil lamp is often placed in the same corner too. I have such a corner in my bedroom, but in the recent years, following the deaths of my Corfiot grandparents and then my mother, I created a second shrine in my study. I burn my vigil lamp in there amongst icons and photographs of my deceased family members. It all helps to keep their memory alive and my spirit connected to them.

The light of the flame serves to remind us that God is light, and that we have a divine light (our soul) inside us too. When the lamp is lit in the memory of a deceased, it is believed that it promotes the peace of their soul. Traditionally, a lamp is always kept lit on the grave for that very purpose, but those not able to visit the grave daily, may light a vigil lamp at home for the souls of their departed loved ones.

Vigil lamps come with a cup which you may fill with just olive oil, or water and olive oil if you don’t wish to keep burning the lamp all day. For example, if you intend to leave the house, as it’s not really advisable to leave a vigil lamp burning at home unattended.

Put in some water first, then the olive oil. The latter will naturally float on top. To use a vigil lamp you will also need a float made of cork and a box of waxed wicks. The wicks look long and pink, as you can see in the photograph below. After you put the wick through the hole in the float, squeeze the wick above the float with your fingernails to flatten it and thus stop it from sinking lower through the hole.

The shorter the wick on top of the float, the smaller the flame and the longer it will burn. Nowadays, tall votive candles are available to buy everywhere in Greece to place on graves. These burn unattended for days on end. However, the traditional burning of olive oil is believed to be the best offering.

The burning of frankincense usually goes together with the lighting of the vigil lamp. Personally, I burn frankincense on the big religious holidays and any other time when the energies in my home seem stuffy, negative or just off kilter. Over the years, I’ve grown quite sensitive to energy and instinctively know when to do this. There is no set interval, so if you want to try this too for your home, just use your instinct to decide when is a good time.

In the above photo, you can see the necessary tools for frankincense burning. i.e a suitable bowl (with a handle, as the bowl itself gets pretty hot), frankincense resin, and charcoal discs to put the resin on. To ignite the disc, hold it in the air between two fingers and place the flame of a lighter under it. As soon as it starts to spark, place it in the bowl and blow on it to encourage it to light up further. I light the charcoal disc in front of my open kitchen window and sometimes turn on the kitchen ventilator too, for good measure.

The reason is that when the charcoal ignites it produces thick white smoke as it starts to spark, a noxious thing to breathe in. So give it a few seconds to let out the worst of it. When it subsides, carefully drop a couple pieces of frankincense resin on the disc, depending on their size.

Depending on the size of the frankincense pieces, you may fit on the disc only 1 piece, or 2 or 3.

As you throw the pieces of frankincense on the disc, if you’re a believer, you may want to do this: If you’re putting on one piece, say, ‘God is one!’ (O Theos ine enas!). If you’re putting on two pieces, say, ‘Two are the natures of Jesus: God and Man!’ (Dio ine i fisis tou Christou. Theos  kai anthropos!). If you’re putting on three pieces, say, ‘Father, Son and Holy Spirit’ (Patir, Ios ke Agio Pnevma!)

Before going around the house with the bowl in your hand, ensure you have opened one window in every room, even if it’s just a tad. Why? Because this will allow your logical mind to accept and understand the notion of ‘sending away’ the demonic aka negative (stale) energy. Negative energy in the home needs to be removed or it will cause all sorts of bad things, like misfortune, disease or disarray…

Now, if you’ve never done this before, here is what I do, and you can adjust the process to your own preferences. The information that follows is my own process, which is quite original for Greek standards. It combines things other Greeks do, along with practices of spiritual people in other countries. Use your intuition, as, for your own home, you surely know best!

Go from room to room with the bowl in your hand making sure that you go to every literal corner, and every nook and cranny. These are the places where stale energy accumulates. In every corner, make a cross in the air with the bowl and say, ‘Jesus Christ wins and makes all evil scatter’ (in Greek: Iisous Christos nika, ke ola ta kaka skorpa). Or, you can simply say, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ, leave now!’ or something similar using the power of His name.

Do not miss the bathroom. Especially the space over the toilet bowl. Honestly. I am not kidding. Do not miss particulatly dusty spaces either. Negative energy loves to accumulate in the spaces that are less than squeaky clean.

As you go around the house, stop at every window and external door, also at every TV or computer screen, every mirror, and the fireplace, if you have one. These are portals from where negative influence may enter the home. So move the bowl in front of them from a distance while vaguely tracing the outline (i.e. that of the window, the TV screen, the computer screen, your bathroom mirror etc). You don’t need to be exact with the lines you draw in the air. It’s the intention that counts.

After you move the bowl around the outline, draw with the bowl an X over the rectangle. This seals the portal and keeps negative influences out.

Stop when you reach your shrine of icons too, if you have one, and do crosses in the air in front of them, offering a brief prayer to God, Jesus, Mary or your beloved saints to help you clear your home and bless it.

When you’re done going around your home, place the bowl in the window sill until the smoke dies away and the disc grows cold, safe enough to throw away. Alternatively, put water from the tap into the bowl to drench the disc and extinguish it.

If you don’t have frankincense discs and the other paraphernalia needed to sanctify your home the Greek way, I am sure you will be able to find similar things in your country. A good choice is the use of frankincense sticks. If you live in Greece, go to your nearest supermarket or search for eshops that sell ‘ekklisiastika products’ (i.e. ‘churchware’) to find higher quality stuff. This eshop, for example, belongs to a monastery, and these tend to offer better quality and thus more aromatic resin, for example.

Is frankincense enough?

Certainly not. Not for me, anyway. I don’t take any chances when ousting stale energy, so I do three ‘sweeps’ of my house back to back! Each time I hold a different thing and always, meticulously, I go in every single corner. If I don’t have much time, I sometimes omit the third ‘sweep’ but I always do the first two.

The first one is what I’ve already described, using the frankincense. The second time I use sound. Loud sound makes stale energy run for the hills, so to speak. Bells or gongs work wonderfully for this purpose. More often than not, I use this sheep bell from the island of Limnos that my father gave me. Its sound is very loud so it’s perfect, but sometimes I use my Tibetan bowl instead. This is not as loud but makes a wonderful eerie sound that I find very satisfying and rather mystical. When I use sound, I don’t have to say any words. The loud sound does all the work 🙂

The third time I go around the house, I pick a couple flowers from my garden first. Holding them in my hand with a small icon or a cross, I go around my home to every nook and cranny, and offer blessings, speaking non-stop. “Peace! Love! Prosperity! Radiant health! Balance! Hope! Courage! Joy! Unity! Harmony!” You get the idea 🙂 The power of words is immense!

So there you have it. This is the best way I know to cleanse my home energetically. I swear the air feels lighter after that for days. One last note: It’s best to do this alone in the house. Definitely no one small, sick, weak or vulnerable should be indoors when you do this. No pets, small children and elderly people. When the energy starts to ‘run away’, you don’t want it ‘bumping into’ anyone of the sort, affecting their energy in a bad way.

For the same reason, you must be strong yourself (physically and mentally) when you do this. If unsure, say a little prayer and ask your angels or your favourite saint for protection before you start.

Hey. I know this is not for everybody. If you found this a little ‘out there’ or ‘woo woo’, I totally get it. It’s Greek culture, after all, and we can often act like a crazy bunch. I mean, take that Zorba guy… He certainly was a little loopy, LOL!

Interested in Greek Orthodox traditions? Read here all about the Greeks’ beliefs and traditions for the dead. Hope it won’t chill your blood much, LOL 😛 

 

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A clean romantic suspense short read with an unreliable narrator that’ll keep you guessing! Vera is losing her mind over famous actor Yannnis Ksenos, except, she isn’t just a fan… Now, she plucks up the courage to ring his doorbell… Visit Amazon

 

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My springtime processes involve flowers, books, and marvellous sea views

Hello, All! Today, I am sharing about the processes I follow every spring! Interested? Curious,even? Read on, I hope it will give you some ideas to follow 😉

Springtime, for me, is a time for renewal. It’s the time to shake away the chill of the winter, and not just from my bones – from my heart and soul too, as I find winter depressing and dreary. Not my favourite time of year at all, so the spring has always been for me a time when I take conscious action to renew myself and to ‘come alive’.

At the first signs of spring, I get to work, opening windows wide and letting the sun soak every nook and every cranny of my home, while I go through it with a fine comb, so to speak, to renew it from the inside out.

Starting from the inside, other than the much-needed spring cleaning, I always make sure to go through my wardrobe, giving away what is not needed. Next, I go through the books in my heaving bookcases. Thank goodness for the local library and the eager friends, who take the unwanted ones from my hands!

I believe in the Universal Law of Recycling, which says that if you create a vacuum in any physical space, the Universe will rush to fill it with something new. More often than not, people come with offerings shorty after I’ve given things away. Always makes me chuckle!

Other than cleaning the house and giving away what I don’t need, I also tidy up all living spaces from the clutter that tends to accumulate in the winter months. I find this helps to calm and clarify my overloaded mind, which tends to get worse when I see disarray and overstuffed corners, especially when it comes to paperwork in my study.

Tidying up and getting rid of unnecessary old papers do wonders for my sense of well-being and mental clarity.

All the above are indispensable procedures I follow religiously every spring.

But that’s not the fun part. The fun starts when I venture out to my balcony and garden… where my two fur babies daily offer me laughter and affection in abundance.


Meet Loulou (left) and her daughter, Sissi. They are both gentle souls, and the only cats I’ve ever had who’ve never clawed at me. I feel so lucky to have them, as they bring me untold joy, though I may occasionally feel otherwise – that is, whenever they bring up to the balcony birds of all kinds and sizes, mice, roaches, or lizards. I tend to like them a little less, just for a little while, as I clear up the carnage LOL.

Loulou and Sissi take great interest in my activities on the balcony and around the garden – when I replant pots or pick weeds or vegetables, for example. They tend to follow me around when I water too, making me laugh with their excited manner and meows.

Every spring, especially, there is lots of that, because I tend to plant colourful flowers to place on the balcony. By miracle, Sissi, who is quite naughty, has never destroyed a single one of them, even though she tends to attack everything else!


Working from home, especially in the spring, has wonderful benefits. One of them is that I will occasionally take a small foldable table outside to sit with my laptop and work in the fresh air, sweet birdsong in my ears. Having beautiful blooms around certainly brightens my day even further.


I live in a small seaside town near Athens, which means I get to enjoy wonderful sea views during my walks along the seafront. There are beaches and a large marina with a string of cafes and eateries, and it’s all pretty idyllic.

This is one of my favorite spots for sitting to look out to sea (and the island of Salamina that’s opposite at a very short distance). Sitting on this bench, I love to empty my mind, and other times to plot my stories, or even to pray or meditate when I feel stuck mentally or emotionally. Sitting on this bench has often proved a lifesaver, my mind clearing and my heart lifting within a few minutes as if I’d been touched by a magic hand. In the spring, of course, this idle pastime serves to plan my summer vacations, too, or simply to dream endlessly about them!

Living near the sea is a huge blessing that adds fun and beauty to my days all year round. Enjoying swims daily is easy throughout the summer since the beach is only a five-minute drive away from home. My husband and I love to sit under a pine tree and enjoy a packed lunch (or a bought souvlaki!) sometimes after our swims with the cricket song in our ears. During the spring, picnics on the beach are just as precious and help to bring the summer a little closer. Personally, I start daydreaming about the summer at the first sign of spring, and it tends to offer new inspiration for new stories to write too. Blessings all around!

 

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Springtime processes from a Greek author #spring #springtime #Greece Share on X

 

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NEW! Clean Christmas romance. Single mother Cathy Roussos gave up on love long ago, and veterinarian Alex Rallis doesn’t believe in it, but one magical Christmas on a Santorini farm might just change everything…
Check it out on Amazon     Read a FREE sample!

 

A clean romantic suspense short read with an unreliable narrator that’ll keep you guessing! Vera is losing her mind over famous actor Yannnis Ksenos, except, she isn’t just a fan… Now, she plucks up the courage to ring his doorbell… Visit Amazon

 

For my delicious Greek recipes, go here. 
 
Planning to visit Greece? Check out my  FREE guide to south Corfu!