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Markets, flavors and history of Thessaloniki…

Thessaloniki was always a multicultural, multiethnic and multilingual city with a lot of customs, religions, and recipes. For centuries, mainly Jews, Christians, Muslims, but also people from the Balkan peninsula and Europeans from nearly every corner of the continent used to live one next to the other sharing traditions and a lot of flavours. Many of these multicultural flavours and products still survive today. What can we discover with a walk in the city center? What is hidden in the old markets? What flavours can we try? What do these flavours tell us about the history of the city? We are walking through the old traditional markets of Thessaloniki, among the narrow alleys of its center, where even today people do their shopping and we discover incredible stories that reflect its multicultural past. We are communicating with locals, listening to their personal stories that are lost in the depths of the centuries and discussing with them about the eating habits of the old inhabitants of Thessaloniki, the special products of their recipes and their importance for each culture. We are tasting a lot of flavours, pieces of the history that is revealed alive in front of our eyes. We are […]

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Welcoming the autumn with an educational tour of the “Eksohes” district…

Which was the “Eksohes District”? Which is the history of the old city’s tram? What does “Depot” mean? Who were the Allattinis? What can a brick tell us about the history of Thessaloniki? What are all these impressive buildings in the east side of the city and what secrets do they hide? As early as the 1880s, the area outside the SE walls of the city was known as “Towers” or“Countryside [Eksohes]” and showed limited construction, mainly of a holiday nature. However, significant changes in the traditional core of Thessaloniki, such as the demolition of the walls and the fire of 1890, favored a more mass movement and permanent settlement in the area. This first expansion of the city outside the walls will be organized based on a specific plan and will be a district in which mainly the upper social and economic strata will be settled. The district gradually expands east and north. Equipped with new infrastructure, important public buildings, recreation areas, parks and luxury homes, it acquires a European character and develops into a cosmopolitan suburb. Today the few impressive buildings that have survived in this area, stand proudly (although some are totally abandoned) and they tell us […]

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The Byzantine past of Thessaloniki…

What do you know about the Byzantine Empire? Did you know that Thessaloniki was part of the Byzantine Empire for 1.100 years and became its second most important city? Can you imagine how many secrets are hidden in these 1.100 years? Who were the Byzantines? How was their life? What did their houses look like? What were their jobs? What did they eat? What were they wearing? Have you ever played educational games inside a museum while learning history and a different part of art? The “Byzantine Empire”, also referred to as the “Eastern Roman Empire”, or “Byzantium”, was the continuation of the Roman Empire in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinople. It survived the fragmentation and fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD and continued to exist for an additional thousand years until it fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453. During most of its existence, the empire was the most powerful economic, cultural, and military force in Europe. Thessaloniki was, for much of the existence of the Byzantine Empire, its second largest city. Evidence of this history can still be seen in the 15 […]

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Merry Christmas with a traditional Greek meal!

Is there a better way to say goodbye 2019? What are the Greek Christmas customs? What do Greeks eat at Christmas and why? What are your Christmas customs? We explore the gastronomic wealth of Greece through an interactive cooking class along with a distinguished chef. We discuss about the Greek Christmas customs, the traditions and the recipes from all over the world! We chat with the locals and get to know their personal Christmas stories. We come into contact with Christmas, recipes, songs and tales from every part of Greece while improving our daily communication skills We learn how to use the necessary vocabulary, practice in every day dialogs as we come into contact with grammar and syntax issues. We cook a stuffed turkey and have a delicious lunch all together! That’s our Greek language and culture school! That’s the way we learn Greek! Find us in Thessaloniki! Be part of our school! Thanks a lot to our lovely colleagues Ammon Express and Le Palace Art Hotel! Merry Christmas and a happy new year! Χρόνια πολλά και καλή χρονιά!

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A visit at the Teloglion Foundation of Art A.U.Th.

What do you know about the Greek Contemporary art? Have you ever played educational games inside a museum while learning history and a different part of art? Today we visited Teloglion Foundation of Art A.U.Th, we admired the work of Alexis Akrithakis, we talked about his life and his special drawing techniques. We discussed about the art in Greece and abroad and we discovered the language that is hidden behind all of that! Alexis Akrithakis was a Greek contemporary artist renowned for his paintings and wooden constructions. His works have been described as “speaking an unmistakable language. They stand on their own and are original, but are yet influenced by the particular Zeitgeist – between Arte Povera and Actioninsm” (Skulima 2003). Born in Athens (Greece), he lived and worked in Athens and Berlin (Germany). Throughout the ’70s he collaborated extensively with the prolific gallerist Alexander Iolas who exhibited his work in shows organized in Geneva (1971), Milan (1973), Turin (1973) and Athens (1971,1977). Alexis Akrithakis has created drawings for publications of key figures of Greek literature, poetry and philosophy such as Nanos Valaoritis, Kostas Tachtsis, Elias Petropoulos and others. In 2018 this aspect of his work was celebrated in an […]

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An industrial walk in Thessaloniki!

What do you know about the industrial heritage of Thessaloniki? Have you ever visited the west side of the city? What are all these impressive buildings that look abandoned? What stories do they have to tell us? A walk in a less known but equally important area of Thessaloniki: the western side includes the industrial monuments and sites associated with the industrial, commercial and economic activity of the city in the 19th and 20th century. Buildings that were once called “The industrial palaces of the 19th century” give us the opportunity to see what was happening in Thessaloniki in the previous centuries. We look at how the machinery worked, how the workers protested and how the city was modernized. We discover the language that is hidden behind! We come out of the limits of the standard class and we learn Greek while making important walks and discussing every part of our history and culture,. Thank to our specialized and certified guides of Dot2dot and our highly educated teachers for another great experience!    

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Moussakas!

What’s this famous Mussakàs that everyone is talking about? What are the eating habits of the Greeks? Mussakàs is an eggplant and/or potato-based dish, often including ground meat, which is common in the Balkan Peninsula and the Middle East, with many local and regional variations. Many versions have a top layer made of milk-based sauce thickened with egg (custard) or flour (béchamel sauce). In Greece, the dish is layered and typically served hot. The versions in Turkey and the Middle East are quite different. In Turkey, mussaka consists of thinly sliced and fried eggplant served in a tomato-based meat sauce, warm or at room temperature. In the Arab countries, it is often eaten cold, but occasionally hot as well. Mussakàs is maybe one of the most famous Greek dishes and one of the tastiest Mediterranean flavours. We cook together and we discover at the same time the language that is hidden in our recipes! We explore the gastronomic wealth of Greece through an interactive cooking class along with a distinguished chef. We are learning Greek while getting to know flavours, scents and recipes. We are chatting with the locals and exploring the Greek eating habits while tasting delicious dishes. We […]

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Ano Poli…and Rebetiko!

The north of Thessaloniki lies the Upper or Old Town, the only part of the city that survived the big fire of 1917. The Upper Town will make you feel as if time stood still. Υou will immediately be stricken by its unique style, so different from that of the rest of Thessaloniki that will travel you back to the city’s Byzantine or Ottoman past. Because of its location, it is where the city’s main fortress and other defensive structures, such as Eptapirgion or Trigonio Tower, were built during the Byzantine and the Ottoman period. A large part of the Byzantine Walls that surrounded Thessaloniki have been well preserved at this area, including the beauty of the city’s Acropolis. The old buildings, the narrow alleys, the small taverns with the traditional cuisine reflect the history of this area and its cultural identity. Rebetiko (or Rebetika) is the name of the Greek urban folk music that appeared in the late 19th century and the early 20th. It started from the big ports of Greek cities where the working class lived (Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Volos) and then moved to other urban centers. In 1922 the refugees from Asia Minor brought their own musical […]

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We learn Greek by dancing!

Greek dance is a very old tradition, mentioned by writers such as Plato, Aristotle, Plutarch and Lucian. There are different styles and variations from all the islands and the surrounding areas of the mainland. Each area created its own choreography and its own sounds that best match its temperament. There are over 10,000 traditional dances that come from all regions of Greece. There are also some dances that have been adopted throughout the whole Greek world. These include syrto, hasapiko and hasaposerviko. Traditional Greek dance has mainly a social function. It unites society in important holidays and activities during the year, such as Easter, grape harvest or festivals but also in important events in the lives of people and families, such as weddings. We get to know the culture and tradition of Greece! We discover the rhythms, the different types of dance and the Greek way of entertainment! We practice the necessary vocabulary and our everyday communication skills. We learn the Greek language in the most imaginative and creative ways. Teachers and students, we have a wonderful time! Thank you very much our partners of Chorodentro for this unique experience! Contact us! Be part of our school! Gepostet von Peek […]

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Walking through the history of Thessaloniki…

How many stories about this city can be told during a walk? Its busy streets are full of monuments that speak of emperors, gods and mortals, deadly wars and disasters, victories and celebrations. A multi-faceted city that can feel hospitable while introverted, even awkward sometimes, in the face of its importance and greatness, a city that has assimilated in its identity all the characteristics and influences of the different people that passed through it during the last 23 centuries. We explore the monuments, heirlooms of the rich historical past of the city – from the Roman times to the city’s recent past – while we create meaningful connections between them in a tour that aims to tell the story of a multicultural city that has had, and still has, a unique and enchanting presence. We walk together with our favorite collaborators, guides from the Dot2dot team through the history of Thessaloniki and discover with them all the secrets of our city. We start from the Roman period reaching the modern years. We learn the Greek language together, discussing every element of the history and culture of our country, while enjoying a fascinating tour through the most central streets of the […]

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