Greece This Month – January 2013 ISSUE 148

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PM Samaras: 2013 will be year of Greece's rebirth

Greece

In this issue:

PM Samaras: 2013 will be year of Greece’s rebirth

PM Samaras, Merkel discuss Greek reforms prograss

Shipping can help Greece exit the

A delicious visit to the Greek Museums

EMBASSSY OF GREECE Press & Communications Office 1A Holland Park, London W11 3TP

Tel.: 020 77273071, Fax: 020 77278960 pressoffice@greekembassy.org.uk

This past year was a difficult year and 2013 will not be easy either, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said in his New Year's message, but the prospect of a better future will show up within the year, stressing that 2013 will be the year of Greece's rebirth.

Samaras made extensive reference to correcting injustices, saying his government was committed to restoring justice. "We shall keep our promise, giving priority to low pensions, to cancelled bonuses for the economically weaker and to taxation, especially the VAT, which remains high," he

said. Jump-starting the economy was this coming year's goal, the premier said, vowing that he would do whatever possible to bring more investments to Greece in order to stop relying on loans and stop being restricted by memorandums. The PM briefly reviewed the reforms his

government had pushed through and said these were "changes nobody could imagine a few years ago... Everyone sees the difference now and we shall not stop until we complete what we started." "Few believed us when we said we would avert Greece's exit from the euro," Samaras

"But we succeeded...With the funding we have secured, whatever the state has owed private individuals for years will be paid off within the next few months. Banks are being recapitalised, to be able to give loans to families and businesses. Fluidity will return to the Greek market, and the money that will flow into the Greek economy next year will, for the first time, be more than what is leaving the country because of austerity." Samaras also stressed that his government brought an end to extensive lack of accountability and justice in the public sector, and warned that "whoever is thinking of continuing old bad habits will find the law's arm waiting for them." "In 2012 we changed the image of Greece abroad. In 2013 we shall change Greek reality, with an emphasis on recovery and social cohesion," Samaras said. "Having support is good, having strong alliances is good, but we are the only ones who can save our own country, with our labour and with our spirit," the PM added, making special mention of a need for unity, his wish for the coming year. "I wish for unity, which is the most difficult but most effective condition of success," he concluded.

this month

GREECE this month – January 2013 Issue 148

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PM Samaras, Merkel discuss Greek reforms progress, EU developments

Progress in the reforms in Greece, bilateral issues, the general economic situation "which is very important for Germany, too", as well as developments in the EU "where we will have achieved a substantial degree of coordination by mid-June", were on the agenda of talks between German chancellor Angela Merkel and visiting Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, the chancellor said on Tuesday, ahead of a meeting with Samaras in Berlin. Samaras, in turn, underlined the "great effort" being made in Greece "with sacrifices by the Greek people" in order for the country "to regain its credibility and the confidence of both the European peoples and the markets". "In that direction, we are taking systematic measures and have voted in a series of laws that ensure this course," Samaras said, adding that the priority is to secure liquidity, which he described as the "blood of the economy" which, together with investments, "can bring the much needed growth to a country ravaged by a huge problem, that of unemployment, and particularly unemployment among the young

people". Samaras added that the discussion with Merkel would also encompass issues pertaining to Europe which, he noted, "is proceeding decisively, evolving, with a new union being created in every sector".

Sources said after the meeting, which was closed to the press, that Greek premier Samaras briefed Merkel on progress in applying reforms and stressed the importance of pursuing the revival of the economy and the creation of new jobs, something that will be achieved with liquidity and investments. He also noted the importance of dealing with tax evasion and treating all tax evaders on the basis of law without discrimination between citizens,

to restore the public's sense of justice being met. Samaras told a congress organised by Die Welt newspaper, for which he was in Berlin, that it is necessary for Europe to take big and brave decisions, possibly beyond the usual, in the face of new global challenges. He also pointed out the geostrategic issues special to the European south that had to be taken into account in the union's planning for the future. General gov’t surplus at 2.3bln euro in 11-month period Greece's general government budget posted a primary surplus of 2.3 billion euros, on a non-consolidated basis, in the first 11 months of 2012, against a primary deficit of 3.6 billion euros in the corresponding period of 2011, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday. The ministry said that the performance in the 11-month period remained at the same level as the 10-month period of 2012, with a reduction of 119 million euro in the state's outstanding debts in November. It added that the General Government data of the 11-month period of January-November 2012 "confirm the satisfactory execution of the budget", noting that "these positive developments in the execution of the budget indicate that the effort fiscal streamlining, adjustment and discipline are bearing fruit, while the conditions are also being created for a gradual re-start of the economy, aiming for the country to move on from a deficits cycle to a cycle of sustainable growth, on firm foundations".

Born in Athens in 1955 Education: Varvakeion Exemplary High School, 1967-1973 Graduated in Law with honours, University of Athens, 1978 Military Service, Hellenic Navy, 1978-79 Graduate Studies in Private Shipping Law and International Law, University of Hamburg, Germany

o Maria Goga, father of a son and a daughter Career:

1983 Joined the Greek Diplomatic Service 1984-1988 Diplomatic Cabinet of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and from 1985 of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, MFA 1988-1992 Consul, Greek Consulate, Vancouver, Canada 1992-1993 First Secretary, Embassy of Greece, Algeria 1993-1998 Spokesman of the Greek Foreign Ministry, Counsellor of Embassy, Founder and Editor of the MFA foreign policy publication Thesis

1998-2002 Head of the Greek Embassy, Baghdad (as Chargé d’Affaires en pied) 2002-2005 Consul General, Greek Consulate General, Boston, USA 2005-2009 Director of the Private Office of H.E. the President of the Hellenic Republic Mr Karolos Papoulias, Minister Plenipotentiary Second Class 2009-2012 Head (Director General) of the National Intelligence Service (EYP), Minister Plenipotentiary First Class 2006-2009 President, Varvakeion Foundation

Memorandum target for absorption of EU funds in 2nd half of year attained, Hatzidakis

The year 2013 was beginning with some positive news on the NSRF (National Strategic Reference Framework, or ESPA), as Greece attained the target for absorption of these EU funds earmarked for Greece in the second half of 2012, Development, Competitiveness, Infrastructure, Transport and Networks Minister Costis Hatzidakis said.

Briefing the press on the progress in absorption of the NSRF funds, Hatzidakis added, however, that management problems continued to exist, although 6O of the red tape has already been reduced, while by February new announcements will be made regarding the acceleration of the judicial process and for reducing various costs. He stressed that market liquidity continues to be the biggest problem, but expressed optimism that the "bulldozers will take up work as of April and there will be an acceleration in the absorption of funds".

Hatzidakis also added that the recapitalization of the banks is expected to improve the liquidity level in the economy, which had been the major stumbling block to absorption of funds last year.

The minister explained that, in the annual expenditures for 2012, an 'exceptionally ambitious' target of 3.73 billion euros in EU funds had been agreed in the Memorandum, of which Greece, in the second half of the year managed to exceed the target for that period, attaining 102.64 percent of the target, bringing NSRF expenditure to 88.39 percent of the annual target following a shortfall in the first half, in which only 59.52 percent of the target was absorbed.

Greece this month – January 2013 Issue 148

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A cooperation protocol on pilgrimage tourism was signed between the Tourism Ministry and the Church of Greece. Tourism Minister Olga Kefaloyanni stressed that pilgrimage tourism is the most dynamic type of specialized tourism. Moreover, Kefaloyanni outlined her ministry's initiatives to put special weight on specialized and alternative tourism aiming at extending the tourism season and enriching the existing tourism model."Indicative of pilgrimage tourism's dynamic," noted Kefaloyanni, "is the fact that not only Christians are interested in coming to Greece but also people of other religions and dogmas, which will boost employment and the local communities". On its part the Church of Greece's head of the Synodic Bureau of Pilgrimage Tours, Metropolitan Chryssostomos of Dodoni, noted that the signing of the protocol confirms the state's interest for cooperation in religious tourism. In October, the Church of Greece and the Church of Moscow signed a cooperation agreement for the development, projection and promotion of pilgrimage tourism. The cooperation agreement was signed in Moscow by Metropolitan Nektarios of Corfu, at the head of a Church of Greece delegation, while a Church of Greece delegation also visited Rome later in the month to collaborate with the Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi (ORP), the Vatican's official bureau of pilgrimage tours,

of the arrival of a large number of Roman Catholic pilgrims to Greece in the coming months following in the steps of St. Paul. The Orthodox Church of Greece is preparing similar collaborations with the Orthodox Churches of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Romania and Albania with the aim of projecting and promoting pilgrimage tourism. Chryssostomos recently told a press conference that the purpose of the

accords is a more systematic collaboration and coordination of actions in the field of pilgrimage tours, which he said were much more than the layman's perception of religious tourism, and is founded on four spiritual axes for the promotion of the religious, historic and cultural wealth combined with the development of an ecological conscience."It is proof of the role the Church is called on to play in the course of time, which is not limited to unilaterally meeting the religious needs but extends to an overall confrontation of the problems and crises faced by the people, which frequently characterize entire eras and periods of history," Chryssostomos

explained at the press conference. He also noted that great interest has been expressed by private and public agencies in Greece and abroad for collaboration with the Synodic Bureau for the compilation of multi-lingual, digital (CD and DVD format) publications of all the cultural monuments, pilgrimage sites and monasteries of the Church of Greece, adding that tangible and visible results on this were expected in the near future.

Last February a unique

cinematic event took place at

London's Southbank

Centre, Royal

Festival Hall. The live

screening of

legendary German

film director & pioneer of Expressionism, Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau's silent masterpiece "FAUST" 1926 marked the worldwide premiere of a brand new soundtrack, especially composed for the film by Greek born composer Aphrodite Raickopoulou. Aphrodite's lush orchestral score was performed live by the London Philharmonia Orchestra under the baton of Emmy Award winning conductor Benjamin Wallfisch,and received a rapturous standing ovation from the participating audience, with glowing reviews from the International

press; (The Arts Desk of BBc and The Sunday Times featured an article about the composer). This unique event was staged by talented producer, Carmen Zgouras, and was listed in the Sunday Times' Annual Critical List as one of 7 favourite concerts in the season. In an adaptation that is widely accepted by critics and audiences alike to be one the of the most poignant cinematic achievements of all time, "Faust" 1926, excels from both its technical and dramatic storyline that represents the eternal battle between Good and Evil with the universal message; "Love is and Forever will triumph over All.." It was presented to London audiences with an introductory speech by celebrated British actor Hugh Grant, under the artistic patronage of Sir Jeremy Isaacs. Under the auspices of the British Red Cross, "FAUST" 1926 was kindly supported by Mr. Bruno Wang, Dr. Michael John Peagram and Citigroup.It was dedicated to Sir Ronald Grierson for his contribution to the

Arts. Amongst the dignitaries who attended were the acclaimed British actor Jeremy Irons with his wife, Sinead Cusack , Mr. Mark Shand and Ms. Bianca Jagger, Sir Ronald Grierson, Mr. Bruno Wang, Dr. Michael J. Peagram, Mrs. Mohammed Al Fayed, Sir Jeremy & Lady Isaacs, Hugh Grant and the Honorary Oscar Award

recipient, Mr. Kevin Brownlow, the

championing American

director renowned for

his unparalleled contribution in preserving the most prestigious historical archives and cultural heritage of modern cinema.

More info: ‘Music Heute’ interview Lifo.gr Publication

" Greek composer premieres new score for silent-era classic at London's

Royal Festival Hall "

Boosting pilgrimage tourism in Greece

Greece this month – January 2013 Issue 148

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Professor Arcoumanis will be based in London, continuing in his role at City and advising the Greek Government on its emerging energy policy on a pro bono basis. Professor Arcoumanis commented: "I am very pleased to have been appointed Ambassador-at-Large of the Hellenic Republic for Energy Policy and New Technologies, an area so important for Greece's recovery from the present financial crisis and very much within my personal and professional sphere of interest. Greece has plenty of untapped natural resources which can be efficiently exploited for the benefit of its citizens, the national and European economy, and a Government particularly sensitive to facilitate investment in energy exploration programmes". Professor Arcoumanis joined City in 2000 as Dean of the School of Engineering & Mathematical Sciences and was appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor in 2008. He was previously Professor of Internal Combustion Engines at Imperial College, London. Professor Arcoumanis is renowned for his extensive research into cavitation - the formation and immediate implosion of cavities in a liquid as a consequence of forces acting upon the liquid. His activities in the area culminated in the establishment of The Lloyd's Register Educational Trust (LRET) International Institute for Cavitation Research at City in 2012, where he serves as its first Director. Professor Arcoumanis holds many international awards for his work on energy and related technologies and in 2001 he was elected Fellow of both the Royal Academy of Engineering and the International Society of Automotive Engineers. He holds several international professorships and has previously advised the European Union on

transportation policy.

Professor Constantine Arcoumanis appointed Ambassador-at-Large

The port of Piraeus expects more than 710 sea cruise vessels this year, George Anomeritis, chairman and chief executive of the Piraeus Port Organization said, welcoming the captain of “Costa Magica” sea cruise vessel, the first to enter the port in 2013, carrying about 3,300 passengers on board. “Greece is a unique destination offering quality, security, natural beauty and a timeless culture,” Anomeritis said, adding that “2013 will be a good year for the sea cruise and the port will welcome more than 2.2 million tourists”.

The "Costa Magica" is part of the Costa shipping company, owned by Carnival Group. Carnival has scheduled 74 visits to Piraeus port

this year, up from 33 in 2012. Piraeus port operates 11 sea cruise vessel docking positi-ons and plans to expand its facile-ties with six new docking

positions. The port will freeze its docking rates in the 2013-2016 period and has already began operating a berth allocation regulation for the year.

Shipping can help Greece exit the crisis, think-tank says

The leading role of Greek shipping globally is an advantage Greece should use to help it exit the crisis, according to a report released by the Foundation for Economic & Industrial Research (IOBE).In its special report, the think-tank said that Greek shipowners control more than 4,065 freighters, the majority of which are oceangoing vessels. Most Greek-owned vessels are registered under foreign flags, it said, and over 52 pct of shipping companies listed in the NYSE and NASDAQ are owned by Greek nationals. Water transport contributed over 4 pct of the Greek economy's gross value added, with the largest share held by oceangoing shipping. The sector is second to that of real estate in terms of value added per employee. IOBE warned that "An abrupt – and without due care – change of the taxation regime in the shipping sector may lead to reduction of the economic activity in the sector and across the economy, significant job losses and even lower net tax revenues," as maritime shipping contributed directly and indirectly more than €790 million of tax revenues in 2008, and it called for political and economic stability, the independence of the sector from the electoral cycle, and the adoption of a strategic development plan with a broad political and social support.

Piraeus port expects more than 710 sea cruise vessels in 2013

Over 710 cruise ships are expected to reach the port of Piraeus this year, announced George Anomeritis, Chairman and CEO of the Piraeus Port Organization, at the welcoming ceremony of Costa Magica cruise ship, the first to anchor at the port of Piraeus in 2013, carrying 3,336 passengers. "Greece is a unique destination, which offers quality, safety and has natural beauty as well as a classical culture," Anomeritis said, noting that Greece will be welcoming more than 2.2 million tourists in 2013. The Italian cruise ship Costa Magica has already scheduled 74 visits to Piraeus port this year, against 33 in 2012. In the course of 2013, Piraeus will offer 11 mooring berths for cruise ships and new reception areas,

and it will also be included in National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) projects, which will allow the establishment of 6 berths for new generation cruise ships (300 m length). In addition, the port has frozen its docking rates for the 2013-2016 period.

Welcoming the First Cruise Ship for 2013

City University London's Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International and Development),Professor Constantine (Dinos) Arcoumanis, has been appointed Ambassador-at-Large of the Hellenic Republic with responsibility for Energy Policy and New Technologies.

Members of the Anglo-Hellenic League in Great Britain have contributed £6000 through the League’s Christmas Appeal to help those in Greece suffering hardship because of recent austerity measures. The League is especially happy that it can begin 2013, the year of its Centenary, with this gift to the Greek charity, “Food Bank-Foundation Against Hunger”, for the relief of Greek people in need. The Anglo-Hellenic League is a charity which was established with the objects of promoting cultural links between Britain and Greece and of relieving hardship in case of need.

Anglo-Hellenic League: Gift to Greece

GREECE this month – January 2013 Issue 148

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A delicious visit to the Greek Museums

Beautiful atriums and courtyards, balconies with breathtaking views and lush gardens, properly adjusted to give you a rest before or after your visit to the museums of Athens and Thessaloniki, or offer you a romantic dinner and aesthetic tastes. Follow us on a walk to the most famous ones and let’s discover together their real....taste! Acropolis Museum Restaurant

Fancy a meal with fresh products and traditional Greek tastes in a restaurant that overlooks one of the world's most wondrous sites? Then, take a seat on the 2nd floor of the Acropolis Museum, where the selected daily dishes are inspired by local recipes, covering all regions of Greece. A menu with the most panoramic views of the Acropolis! Tip: On Fridays the

restaurant stays open until midnight. Where: 15, Dionysiou Areopagitou str. Athens More info: www.theacropolismuseum.gr Benaki Museum Main Building: Located on the second floor and extended out to the terrace of the Neoclassical building, the café-restaurant offers a panoramic view of the Greek Parliament, the National Gardens and the area around Syntagma Square. It is well up to the high standards of the Museum’s collection with a range of tasty foods, from light snacks to full meals, all carefully prepared and served. Tip: The Museum stays open until midnight on Thursdays. Where: 1, Koumbari str. & Vassilisis Sofias Ave Pireos Street Building: The modern building of the Benaki Museum which hosts many of the Museum's temporary exhibitions has its own corner for coffee and snacks for the visitors who have just browsed the museum’s collections. It is located on the ground floor with a view on busy Pireos street, the oldest street connecting Athens to Piraeus, and on the quiet atrium of the Museum; a meeting point in one of the busiest neighborhoods of Athens. Where: 138 Pireos & Andronikou St. Museum of Islamic Art: The traditional coffee shop in the Museum of Islamic Art is located in Kerameikos, a section of the old city of Athens, with a

panoramic view from the Acropolis and the Pnyx to the Kerameikos Cemetery and Piraeus. Tip: On Wednesday, the museum is open until 9:00 p.m. Take a break and enjoy the sunset! Where:22 Agion Asomaton & 12 Dipilou Str. More info: www.benaki.gr The Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art Between the two buildings of the Museum, in the atrium, a charming little Café provides a precious oasis in the center of Athens, an ideal “hidden corner” to take a pause during the day. Enjoy refreshments, a cup of coffee, or a light snack with a Mediterranean flavour next to a lovely fountain inspired by Cycladic Art (designed by the artist Zizi Makri). Where: 4, Neofytou Douka str. Athens More info: www.cycladic.gr Goulandris Natural History Museum, CenterIn the leafy center of Kifissia, a northeastern suburb of Athens, the Natural History Museum features a pleasant cafe restaurant at the Gaia Center, perfect for a coffee after seeing the exhibits. With a discreet atmosphere it proposes a variety of tasty selections of the Mediterranean diet for light snacks or meals, prepared with natural ingredients from all over Greece. It’s a pleasant and peaceful environment, extremely friendly for the little ones! Where: 100, Othonos str, Kifissia More info: www.gnhm.gr Numismatic cafe: a little oasis in the center of Athens One of the most friendly places, hidden from the hustle and bustle of the city, where you can take a pause while walking in the center of Athens is the Numismatic Museum garden’s small cafe, a five minute walk from Syntagma (Parliament) Square. Even if you don't get to visit the monetary history of Greece via the museum’s great collection of coins, enjoy a small coffee or lunch break at its fantastic garden or have a few early drinks as the coffee shop stays open until night. Tip: On special occasions, live concerts are held here in the evening. Where: 12, Panepistimiou str., Athens More info: www.nma.gr

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Santorini proclaims 2013 'Year of

Gastronomy' The development of Greek gastronomy as a tourism theme is one of her ministry's immediate priorities, Tourism Minister Olga Kefaloyanni said, addressing an event organized by the municipality of Thira at the Acropolis Museum in Athens on the occasion of the declaration of 2013 as the Year of Gastronomy on the island of Santorini. Kefaloyanni said that the promotion of thematic tourism is an immediate priority in the overall strategy for developing Greek tourism, because it will enrich the tourism product and contribute to extending the tourism season, which she said is the big wager for Greek tourism. In that direction, the Thira municipality's initiative to declare 2013 the "Year of Gastronomy" on Santorini was a praiseworthy effort toward the desired purpose. She noted that Santorini, which was already a strong destination on the world tourism scene, was the ideal place from which an organized effort could start. Tourism Minister Olga Kefaloyianni also stressed the importance over trying to diversify tourism features. She said that restaurants on the island are being encouraged to adjust their menus to include more local dishes as part of the campaign. A campaign under the name, 2013 Year of Gastronomy in Santorini, has been launched by the islands’ municipality to co-ordinate the efforts of local hoteliers, restaurateurs and other entrepreneurs who are involved in tourism. This year, the islanders will dedicate themselves to showing off their foods and local products with a series of events. Santorini’s Mayor Nicholas Zorzos’ initiative aims at highlighting the unique tastes of the island and to further strengthen Santorini’s tourism brand. Fava beans, cherry tomatoes, caper berries and of course the famous Santorini’s wines, are being featured. Zorzos, during the presentation of the campaign in the new Acropolis Museum in Athens, said that, “2013 is a milestone year for Santorini, as for the first time the gastronomy concept is being introduced, at a time when tourism is emerging as one of the major issues related to the economy.”

Thessaloniki Museum of Byzantine Culture The Museum of Byzantine Culture as well as its restaurant "B", are both focal points in the heart of Thessaloniki, surrounded by a large green area. Its design aesthetics along with the beautiful yard, definitely set the background for a most enjoying and relaxing visit, either for a coffee, a meal, or a drink. Enjoy a special breakfast, fine beverages, have a lunch break, or maybe finish your evening with a romantic dinner by candlelight, beyond Museum’s opening hours. Unique to each season of the year, the menu is based on Mediterranean flavours combined with elements of fine French and Italian cuisine. Where: 2, G. Septemvriou Ave. Thessaloniki, More info: www.brestaurant.gr Tellogleio Foundation of Art To the north of the campus of Aristotle University you can visit the Tellogleio Foundation, with a varied collection including vases, Persian miniatures, examples of Arab and Chinese art, as well as paintings, engravings, ceramics and sculpture by significant Greek and European artists of the nineteenth and twentieth century. If you feel like a break after visiting the Museum, enjoy your meal at the venue’s restaurant with a view to Agios Dimitrios str. and taste simple, homemade recipes from Thessaloniki and Northern Greece. Tip: The restaurant is open until 2 am. Where: 159A, Agiou Dimitriou str. Science Center and Technology Museum "NOESIS" The Planetarium Barestau at Noesis is a special place created to service the Science Center visitors as well as to be a destination on its own. The exceptional position offers a magnificent panoramic view of the gulf of Thessaloniki. If you are looking for a place for a lunch break, a tasteful gathering or just for a drink, the "Planetarium Barestau" is your place. Tip: on Friday and weekend evenings the restaurant is open until late.Where: 6th Km. Thessaloniki – Thermi Road More info: http://www.tmth.edu.gr Just for a coffee National Archaeological Museum The National Archaeological Museum houses a modern coffee shop, onto the interior atrium of lush greenery, a hidden corner for rest and relaxation. Experience the unique opportunity to

enjoy your coffee, hot or cold drinks with tasty sweets, next to very rare antiquities, statues and mosaics. Tip: The opening hours of the cafe follow the timetable of the Museum. Where: 1, Tositsa str. Athens More info:www.namuseum.gr

Byzantine and Christian

Museum In the coffee shop of the Byzantine and Christian Museum gaze over the

magnificent garden, perhaps the only one in Athens where you will literally lose sense of time amid the flowered parterres and

shady trees of the yard and the gleaming marble Lodz of Duchess of Placentia Villa. Where: 22, Vassilisis Sofias Ave More info: www.byzantinemuseum.gr Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki Next to the sculptures’ atrium, under the shade of trees and overlooking the boulevard and the imposing building of the museum, you will find the Museum’s coffee shop. Start your day with a rich breakfast at the TERRA ANTIQUA ART CAFE, which daily opens early in the morning or enjoy an evening drink in a sparkling

atmosphere with live music.Where:6,

Manoli Andronikou str.

Thessaloniki More info: www.amth.gr Museum of

Photography Thessaloniki After your visit to the Museum of Photography, relax and enjoy a cup of coffee with a dreamy

view of the city’s harbour at the cafe / info point of the venue. Learn more about the art of photography through special publications and watch short films; the museum will surely become your favorite hangout. Where: Warehouse A', Port of Thessaloniki 3, Navarchou Votsi str. More info: www.thmphoto.gr Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art Located on the ground floor of the building, in the heart of Thessaloniki, the cafe of the museum invites you to relax over a hot or cold drink and enjoy a unique journey in a place where past and present harmoniously meet. Thanks to the careful architectural integration and display of the Roman grave complex (2nd-3rd c. AD) discovered during excavation work for the construction of the Museum, experience the co-existence and dialogue between works of contemporary art and relics of the history of the Greek people. Where: 154, Egnatias str. Thessaloniki More info: www.mmca.org.gr

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The Athens Metro stands out in more ways than one: although among the most modern underground systems in Europe, it is sited in an archaeological treasure trove that is not only the world’s richest but its oldest, too. Layers of Greek history greet commuters as they are whisked through tunnels cut deeper into the subsoil than in any other subway in any other city. One of the country’s biggest infrastructure projects, construction of the metro, which began in the early 1990s, yielded around 50,000 ancient artefacts in what soon became the single most important archaeological excavation ever conducted in Athens.

Since opening in the run-up to the 2004 Olympics, the network has also served as an underground museum, with stations in the capital’s historic centre exhibiting finds exactly where they were unearthed. Well-displayed in a way that few museums manage, the treasures make travel on a system that is also almost always pristine (and continues to be the pride of Greeks) especially enjoyable. At Syntagma station (pictured), at the network’s heart on line 2 (the red line), visitors can view Roman baths, ancient aqueducts, and marble tombstones. A 2,000-year-old beehive and a mosaic from the fifth century AD are also exhibited in what was once an ancient necropolis. Archaeologists have also included a geological cross-section – each layer of earth testimony to a different period reaching back to pre-historic times. Further down the line at Acropolis station (pictured), commuters can see the remains of ancient graves, dwellings and roads. Antiquities that once adorned the monumental fifth-century BC Parthenon, designed by the master sculptor Phidias, are also on display alongside objects used in daily and public life from the 17th century BC to the 12th century AD. It is one of the longest continually inhabited sites in Athens, with workshops and baths also in evidence.The richness of the Athens subway does not end here: take line 3 (the blue line) and for the price of a €1.40 ticket and you will see an abundance of cultural gems at stations along the way.

Athens metro among the six best in the world

Greek basketball legend Nikos Galis is among the 2013 nominees for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The list also includes nine-time All-Star Gary Payton and Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf among others. Show your support for Nick Galis by voting here.Born Nikolaos Georgalis, the child of a poor immigrant family from the Greek islands of Rhodes and Nisyros, Nick (as he was called in U.S.A.) took up boxing in his early years, his father George Georgalis having also been a boxer in his youth. He was persuaded to give up boxing by his mother Stella Georgalis, who was terrified each time that her son would return with a new facial injury. As a result, he started playing basketball. After high school, Galis enrolled at Seton Hall University as a college basketball player. In his senior season, Galis saw his scoring average reach 27.5 points per game, which was third in the nation behind Idaho State’s Lawrence Butler (30.1 ppg) and Indiana State’s Larry Bird. Galis’ coach at Seton Hall, Billy Raftery, would later state that Galis was the best player he ever coached. Finishing his collegiate career in 1979, Galis was eventually selected by the Boston Celtics in the 4th round of the 1979 NBA Draft, 68th overall.Due to a severe injury that he suffered during the Celtics pre-season training camp, the franchise was no longer interested in

offering him a contract because Gerald Henderson had taken his place and his injury would keep him out for the foreseeable future. It was then that Galis decided to pursue a

professional career in Greece’s Basket League. Galis would later be offered NBA contracts by the Celtics and the New Jersey Nets while he was playing in Greece, but he turned the offers down because at the time FIBA did not have professional status, something it did not gain until the year 1989, and therefore Galis would not have been allowed to play for the Greek national team if he was an NBA player. Since playing for Greece’s national

team meant so much to Galis, he stayed in Greece. Celtics legend Red Auerbach later said that the single biggest mistake he ever made in his career was not keeping Galis. Galis played the point guard position during his college years, but turned into a shooting guard as a professional. He spent most of his career in Aris, before having a late stint with Panathinaikos. He is the Euroleague’s all-time leader in both career points scored and points per game (counting both FIBA and ULEB games), leading the competition in scoring eight times. In the premier european club competition, he reached the Euroleague Final Four on four occasions, three consecutive ones with Aris (1988–90), and another one with Panathinaikos (1994). Galis is also the Greek Championship’s all-time leading scorer in both career points scored and points per game (counting all the formats in league history). In addition to that, he holds the FIBA World Championship scoring

records for the highest career points per game average, as well as the most points ever scored at a World Championship tournament, which he set at the 1986 FIBA World Championship. Galis led the Greek national team to a EuroBasket gold medal in 1987, as well as to a EuroBasket silver medal in 1989, earning the tournament MVP honor in 1987, and being elected to the All-EuroBasket Team both times. Galis was named

one of FIBA’s 50 Greatest Players in

1991, is an inaugural

member of the FIBA Hall of Fame and was named one of the 50

Greatest Euroleague

Contributors, on February 3, 2008. Galis is widely regarded as one of Europe’s all-time greatest players in professional club basketball history,

as well as one of the all-time greatest players in FIBA international basketball history.[4] He is highly revered in Greece, where he is considered by many to be the greatest individual athlete that the country has ever had. His years at Aris lifted Greek basketball from relative obscurity, into common public entertainment, with Galis being the figure that eventually inspired thousands of Greeks to take up the sport of basketball.The finalists for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will be announced over the All-Star Weekend in February, and then the class will be announced during the NCAA Final Four in April.

Nikos Galis - NBA Hall of Famer?

Author and playwright Pavlos Matesis dies

Widely read Greek author and playwright Pavlos Matesis died on Sunday, aged 80. Matesis was born in Divri, Eleia prefecture, but lived in several towns before ending up in Athens as a bank employee. He gave up this career to devote himself to writing and also worked at the theatre, as teacher at the Stavrakos school and assistant director at the National Theatre. He wrote for the stage and for television, and his novels and translations, from ancient Greek to European authors, also enjoyed popularity.

Greece this month – January 2013 Issue 148

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