July's Recipe:
Scallops with Garlic Crisps and Creamy Arugula
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Ingredients: |
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2 cups arugula leaves |
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- 1 cup fresh mint leaves |
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- 5 tablespoons extra
virgin olive oil |
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- 1/4 cup heavy cream |
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- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
cheese |
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- Salt and freshly milled
pepper |
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- 5 garlic cloves, thinly
sliced |
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- 1 1/2 pounds large sea
scallops |
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- Grated Zest of 1 lemon |
Preparation:
1. Reserve 1 arugula leaf for garnish.
Puree the remaining arugula, the mint, and 3
tablespoons of the oil in a blender until smooth.
Add the cheese and blend. Simmer the cream in
a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to
boil. With the blender running, drizzle the
cream into the arugula puree in a slow stream until
well combine. Season to taste with salt and
pepper. Cover to keep warm while you cook the
scallops.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, warm the remaining 2
tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add
the garlic and fry until just golden. Transfer
the garlic crisps to a paper towel to drain.
Raise the heat to high. Season the scallops
with salt and pepper, and saute, turning once, until
golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
3. Slice the reserved arugula leaf into thin
ribbons. To serve, pour the arugula puree on 4
serving plates and top with the scallops.
Garnish with the garlic crisps, arugula ribbons and
lemon zest.
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Excerpts from:
"The
Philosopher's Kitchen"
by Francine Segan
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Watch Your Manners In Greece |
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At the
Beach |
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Since the beach is a place where many people are
gathered together, rules of good manners must
necessarily be followed, primarily those concerning
respect towards others.
- Public or remote beaches are the location for many
meetings and are often the place where love stories
begin.
- Swimsuits should be chosen according to our body
size. Well-formed ladies should avoid gstrings and
stout men should steer clear of Speedo's. At the
beach, more than in any other place, a simple rule
applies: "I look after myself, because I respect the
people around me."
- After a certain age, ladies should wear one-piece
swimming costumes. The age at which she ought to
graduate into a one-piece depends on the condition
and type of her body.
- It is inelegant for a lady to be playing beach
volleyball topless. Although topless appearances may
be appealing and a delightful view for some, it
should only be done where and when appropriate.
- Mobile phone ring tones and sunbathers gossiping
loudly on the beach are the last things one wishes
to listen to after a tiring and stressful winter.
- We should adopt an appropriate body posture when
lying on our towel. For example, women should not
keep their legs wide open, and men should avoid
scratching certain body parts.
- After enduring them on beaches for so many years,
one starts to wonder wistfully whether the
phenomenon of Greek mothers screaming and running
around after their children will ever become
extinct.
- Parents should teach their children how to behave
appropriately at the beach. We should not scold
other people's children or criticize their parents.
- Sun increases eroticism, but this is no excuse for
voluptuous embraces in a common view. Private
liaisons should be kept private.
- "Kamaki" is a Greek word for a common disease that
seems to affect many men at the beach. It means
"flirting." Some women enjoy it and others hate it.
If a woman does not wish to respond to somebody's
conversation, it is wise to halt it immediately, not
after a tenth tequila shot at the beach bar.
- A gentleman should not be over-persistent or a
burden; however, this does not mean that he is not
allowed to persist at all, especially if he has been
receiving some encouragement from the lady in
question.
- Critical remarks towards other sunbathers such as
"Oh dear, look at her cellulite," unless done very
discreetly, are rude.
- It is a fact that ladies have in the past
pretended to be drowning in order to meet the
good-looking lifeguard.
- Sun over-exposure can seriously harm the skin. We
should treat our skin with good care - apply sun
block frequently, drink plenty of water and take
plenty of cooling dips in the sea.
- The earth is our home - we should take care of the
environment and the beaches as if they were our own
living room. We must avoid littering the beach, and
we should even pick up other people's rubbish.
Excerpt from "Watch Your Manners In Greece" by
Christos K. Zampounis
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Special Feature:
Pasteli
 In
every peripteron in Greece, you will find a
candy bar which is reminiscent of the
natural food movement prevalent in the
1980s. Pasteli, however, is one of the
conerstones of Greek confectionery.
The classic pasteli consists simply of
sesame seeds baked with honey, and is
therefore indigenous to the sesame-growing
area around Thessaloniki, but almond,
filbert and peanut pasteli have also become
increasingly popular and are manufactured
nationwide. This is not surprising in
a country that produces such an abundance of
nuts. Almonds grow in rocky regions,
filberts and walnuts in agricultural areas
and peanuts come from Cyprus.
There are still a good many pasteli bakeries
in this, the home region of pasteli.
The aroma emanating from the bakeries can
easily make you believe that pasteli may
well have something to do with the legendary
nectar and ambrosia that found their way
here from nearby Olympus.
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The sesame seeds or peanuts
need to be evenly roasted
for pasteli |
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Boil the honey and sugar
until it forms a compact
mass. The firmer the
mass, the quicker the
pasteli will set. |
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Tip the mixture of sugar and
sesame seeds (or peanuts)
out onto a flat surface |
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Use a rolling pin to spread
the mixture into a thin
layer, a process which
requires a great deal of
skill |
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What's
New!!! |
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Featured New
Additions |
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Costume Jewelry Summer Sale!! |
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Save 10% off any item in our costume jewelry section by using coupon
COS2006 during check out.
Offer valid only to costume jewelry. Limited time offer; expires 7/31/06 |
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Yanni The Collection 3 CD set
Presenting the complete Yanni Collection, a 3 CD set
which includes 33 classic Yanni tracks.
Includes the favorites Desire, Santorini, Keys to
Imagination, Song for Antartica, In the Morning
Light and One Man's Dream.
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More Yanni
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Olympiakos DVD Collection 7+1 (PAL) and Multiregion
DVD Player Bundle Special
Special Offer for all Olympiakos fans! Save over $30 on a Multi-region DVD player and DVD set bundle. Offer available while supplies (you have
supplies) last!
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2007 Calendars are here!
Brighten your year
with the many stunning sights of Greece presented in
these new 2007 calendars. Our includes
16-months calendars, starting September of 2006.
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Music |
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Books |
Poly voutyro sto tomari tou skylou by Giorgos
Skampardonis, in Greek
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I arhi tou taftosimou by Eva Omiroli, in Greek
|
I agapi den ehei telos by Kostas Karakasis, in Greek |
The Woman Who Died Twice by Eleftheriou Manos, in Greek |
Me ta ftera tis elpidas by Omiros Avramidis, in Greek
|
Learn Greek, part A, in Greek, includes CD
|
Learn Greek, part B, in Greek, includes CD |
Learn Greek, part C, in Greek, includes CD |
Learn Greek Three Volumes Set |
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Beijing
2008 Olympic Pins |
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Featured Destination: Paros-Antiparos
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GEOGRAPHY. The third largest island in the Cyclades
(after Naxos and Andros), Paros is 195 sq. km. in area,
has 118 km. of coast and is 95 nautical miles from
Piraeus. There are daily car and passenger ferries from
Piraeus and a link with Rafina (daily during the summer,
three times a week in winter). There is also a
connection with Syros, Naxos, los and Santorini. In the
summertime there are links with the Lesser Cyclades,
Amorgos, Anaphi, Sikinos, Pholegandros, the Dodecanese
and Herakleion in Crete. One route also goes to Samos
and Ikaria. There are local services to Naxos, los,
Santorini, Mykonos and Siphnos, as well as frequent
sailings to and from Antiparos each day. There are daily
flights from Athens and in the summer an air link with
Rhodes and Herakleion (not very frequent). The island's
capital is Paros (Paroikia) with a population of 7,881.
Because the mountainous masses are concentrated in the
centre and southeastern part of the island (highest peak
Profitis Ilias, 771 m. a.s.l.), there are several flat
areas for cultivation and the beaches are easy to reach.
There are two natural gulfs, Naoussa in the north and
Paroikia on the west side. The mild climate, sandy
beaches, picturesque villages with their attractive
Cycladic architecture, lovely countryside and
well-appointed tourist facilities entice a large number
of visitors, sometimes "swamping" the island. For those
wanting to spend a cosmopolitan vacation Paros is
perfect, while for those seeking solitude and serenity
there are still many parts of the island of great
natural beauty and "far from the madding crowd" of
tourists.
 HISTORY.
Paros has been inhabited since prehistoric times
when the Early Cycladic civilization attained its apogee
(3200 - 2100 BC). There was a Late Bronze Age
installation on the summit of the hill at Paroikia and,
as finds from here indicate, the island was also in
contact with Mainland Greece. There followed a period of
desolation and the island was resettled at the end of
the Mycenaean age, though only sparsely. Minoans,
Arcadians, Achaeans all settled on Paros and in around
1000 BC it was colonised by Ionians. In historical
times, from the 8th century BC until the Persian Wars,
the island experienced a sustained floruit; it was
engaged in trading transactions with Miletus in Asia
Minor and founded a colony on Thassos. This major acme
was due to the quarrying of marble, used in the
construction of many ancient temples and the creation of
numerous works of art. During the 6th and 5th century BC
there was a school of sculpting on Paros (Skopas,
Agorakritos) and art and letters flourished. Paros was
the home of the 7th century lyric poet Archilochos. The
island sided with the Medes during the Persian Wars but
later became a member of the Athenian League. It
subsequently belonged to the Macedonians and then the
Romans. Little is known of its course in the Byzantine
period except for snippets of information on piratical
raids. In 1207 it was captured by the Venetians and
ceded to the Duchy of Naxos until 1389. It was then
governed by a succession of families (Crispi, Sommaripa)
until it was pillaged by Barbarossa in 1537 and
subjugated by the Turks. Between 1770 and 1774 it was
the headquarters of the Russian fleet under Orloff and
it played an active role in the 1821 Revolution.
 SIGHTS-MONUMENTS.
Paroikia, the island's capital, lies on the west coast
and is also its main port. It occupies the same site as
the ancient city and its oldest quarter, more or less at
the centre of the town, is clustered around the hill of
Kastro on the southwest side of the harbour. It is a
typical Cycladic town with paved streets, archways
("volts"), dazzling white two-storey houses interspersed
with churches and windmills. A road leads from the
harbour to the market place ("agora"), at the heart of
the town, where all manner of wares may be purchased.
The castle or Kastro stands on the highest point of the
town, southwest of the harbour. It was built on the site
of the ancient acropolis and much of the building
material comes from ancient buildings, since column
drums and fragments of marble are nowadays visible in
the restored sector of the castle. Excavations conducted
here have brought to light the ruins of an Archaic
temple of Demeter (adjacent to the present church of St.
Constantine). There are very few extant remains of the
Venetian castle on the east and southeast flank (parts
of the wall and a tower). The Byzantine church of St.
Constantine is outstanding not only on account of its
unique architecture but because of its gilded wood
carved iconostasis. In various parts of the town there
are handsome mansions belonging to eminent island
families, some even with their coat of arms incorporated
over the lintel. There are also many tiny churches with
wood carved iconostases. However, the most important
church of all is that of the Virgin Katapoliani (or
Ekatontapyliani) on the northern outskirts of Paroikia.
One of the oldest Early Christian basilicae in Greece,
it was founded, tradition relates, by either St. Helen
or St. Constantine. In the course of the study and
restoration of this monument it became apparent that
this large church dedicated to the Virgin (feast day
August 15th) was built at the end of the 4th century. To
right and left are small side chapels and to the south a
Baptistry. During the reign of Justinian (6th century)
additions were made to the church and it thus acquired
the form we see today. There is a Byzantine Museum in
one of the buildings in its precinct. The modern
building a short distance from the church is the
Archaeological Museum, in which are housed finds from
the Neolithic to the Roman era. Noteworthy exhibits
include vases, sculptures (Skopas' Nike) and a section
of the Parian Chronicle (dated to Hellenistic times),
found in 1627 built into the enceinte of the castle, on
which events in the island's history from 2000 - 264/63
BC are recorded in chronological order. Ancient
sanctuaries have been discovered at Delion (sanctuary of
Apollo) to the north of the bay, near the cave of
Archilochos, on the Kounados hill (sanctuary of
Aphrodite and Eileithyia) on the northwest side of the
town, while in the southwest are ruins of an Asklepieion.
 10
km. northeast of Paroikia is the gulf of Naoussa, the
largest on the island. On the way to Naoussa, about 1
km. outside Paroikia, in the locality known as Treis
Ekklesies, there are vestiges of an Early Christian
basilica and three Byzantine churches, further on is the
Longovardas monastery (6 km. from Paroikia), founded in
1638, which has a significant library and icon-painting
atelier. Naoussa, with its pristine white houses,
Postbyzantine churches (St. Athanasios, St. John the
Theologian, the Savior etc.), its monastery (St. George)
and the little harbour with the Venetian castle is one
of the most beautiful parts of Paros. From here one can
visit the villages on the east and south side of the
island (there is another road from Paroikia to these
villages) Marmara, Marpissa, with its ruined Venetian
castle on top of Kefalos hill and the monastery of St.
Anthony, Piso Livadi and Drios, Kostos and Lefkes, with
its 17th century church of the Holy Trinity. A short way
beyond Lefkes is the convent of Thapsana with its
miraculous icon of the Virgin Myrtidiotissa. In the
locality of Marathi (4 km. from Paroikia) there is an
ancient marble quarry. 6 km. from Paroikia is the region
of Psychopiana with its verdant vegetation, running
water and myriads of butterflies. Not far off is the
nunnery of Christ of the Wood (tou Dasous), repository
of the shroud of St. Arsenios. This is a convenient
place for visiting villages on the south side of the
island (Alyki, Angairia, where the airport is located),
or to proceed to Pounta from where boats leave for
Antiparos. Paros has a large number of beaches, ideal
for swimming, fishing and sea sports. At Paroikia:
Livadia, Krios, Aghios Phokas; at Naoussa (west side):
Mikro and Megalo Piperi, Limnes and Kolymbithres, with
its spectacular rock formations, reminiscent of
sculptures; on the east side: Aghioi Anargyroi, Xifara,
Langeri, Alyki, Santa Maria, Ambelas. All are easily
accessible on foot or by bus and car, as well as by
small craft which make regular trips, leaving from
Paroikia for Krios and Livadia, and from Naoussa for
Kolymbithres, Langeri, Santa Maria. There are stretches
of sand at Logaras, Piso Livadi, Drios and Alyki. Those
with a boat may investigate other beaches, as well as
the offshore islets. Refueling stations at Paroikia and
Naoussa. Paros has numerous hotels, pensions, furnished
apartments and rooms available for a pleasant stay. |
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Travel
Guides and Information for your trip in the area |
Going to Live and Work in Greece
2005 edition |
Let's Go Greece 2005 edition - 20% off |
Greece Road Map Set - 10 maps |
Greece - A Guide to the
Archaeological Sites - Travel Guide |
Cruise Greece DVD |
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Saints'
Namedays in July |
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Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
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1
Kosma & Damianou |
2 |
3
Yakinthou |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7
Kuriakis |
8
Theofilou / Prokopiou |
9
Pagratiou |
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10 |
11
Eufimias / Olgas
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12
Veronikis |
13 |
14
Nikodimou
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15 |
16
Athinogenous |
17
Marinas |
18
Aimilianou |
19 |
20
Profiti Elia |
21 |
22
Marias Magdalinis |
23 |
24 /31
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26
Parakseuis
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27
Panteleimonos |
28 |
29
Kallinikou
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30
Iosif Arimatheias |
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Icons
depicting the celebrated Saint, make great gifts for
namedays.
Shop among our great collection of icons at our
store. Also available, namedays, birthday, holiday, and
special occasion greeting cards.
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