Dine out in Athens-Yoleni's

Last night, on my way home from work, 

I decided to stop by a spot I always passed by, but never decided to enter.

In my part of the city which I cross from age 9,

we are not used to this type of "alternative" facade.

It is a new spot, anyway, so I can be party excused, but still, I was wondering whether it is an eco/raw/food-cum-cannabis shop of some kind, with insanely high prices and poor service. 

And yet,

last night I did get inside.

I was greeted at the door -but a little further inside, 

which was a good thing, as I got to spot the place first,

by a trendy but nice young man who showed me in but not to my table. 

I got to pick the one just behind and above the music duo who was playing jazz for the night. 

This gave me the opportunity to survey the people (young, "alternative", older with grown children)

and the atmosphere (informal yet tightly woven). 

There is also an extra spacious upper room which houses some rather more fashionable and older groups, but which was so tightly packed that 

I wouldn't care to cross, unless I was meeting someone special.

I'll go back for the smoothies

I ordered a pita with egg and a caramelised onion chutney.

The pita was kind of heartwarming, I'd say. 

this soulful kind of food that is not exacly a dish to talk about, but it does its job of making feel 

a simple plate, a treat. 

What I need to say, though, is praise for the onion chutney, that turned out to be delicious, given that I am not an onion fan but tried it on purpose.

This special little dish was washed down with a home made lemonade which was not really, really special, and rather too sugary for my taste, 

but was a nice alternative if you don't want to drink alcohol.

On my way out, I stopped by the selection of Ionia crockery that is for sale. 

Ionia is a Greek company that produces premium quality porcelain since 1972. 

Finest quality and lovely design. Highly recommended. 

As it turned out, they also do take away and delivery, 

and

they work with TV-famous chef Dina Nicolaou,a graduate of

«Le Cordon Bleu», «Ritz Escoffier», «Alain Ducasse formation», «Lenotre».

which goes a long way to explain the imaginative dishes they sell in a creative manner.

 The even better part is that the store has also a basement where you can shop for

  GReek-only items of food and wine, all presented in an aboundant yet boutique manner, 

which really does fit the neighborhood, 

linking upper class Kolonaki to the student-in-rebellion Solonos/Exarcheia planet.

All in all, a lovely experience 

with real food

reasonably priced

and

efficient but non-intrusive service. 

YOLENI'S

SOLONOS 9

ATHENS

T:0030 2122223623

open all week 8:00-22:00

Sat:9:00-22:00

Sun:10:00-22:00

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Olympic tablescape

I always am on the lookout for trully innovative, inspirational, driven by good taste 

products for the home. 

As the French say:
"Le bon goût donne meilleur goût"

So I covet these plates inspired by Greek Antiquity.
Not your usual "souvenir" and a pride to use in any setting, modern or classical!

A future classic from
Sophia-Enjoy Thinking 
I found it on line at UK based
 BORN

Enjoy your momment of Olympic Glory,
xoxo

ELENA VOTSI: Meet the Greek artist who designed the RIO 2016 Olympic medals

Designer Elena Votsi

Creative hands at work

Elena Votsi's shop in Hydra

Elana Votsi is a Greek jewellery designer. She is famous for her clean circular, state of the art designs. 

 But to me, her creations are most of all soul-filling, giving our meaning and satisfaction. 

She was first chosen in 2002 by the Olympic Committee to revamp for the first time the medals since the Amsterdam Olympic Games in 1928.Her design, featuring  the Greek goddess of victory, Nike, descending from the sky to place a laurel wreath on the winner’s head in the middle of the Olympic stadium in Athens, constructed for the 1st Modern Olympic Games in Athens, in 1896, with the Parthenon in the background-remained at the front of the medals for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and for all Games to come.

 Votsi, born and working on the island of Hydra, off the coast of Athens and Piraeus, 

has created jewellery for the  

Acropolis Museum , 

the Greek National Gallery, 

the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens and 

the Benaki Museum. 

She also works with international power houses of fashion, 

such as Gucci and Ralph Lauren.

Elena Votsi's work at the hands of Daniela Kamiliotis, Senior Vice President of Design/ Women's Collection/ Ralph Lauren.

All in all, a beautiful lady of substance, 

creating beautiful, meaningful work!

When interior blogs go Greek

Two interiors blogs on my blog list sport some lovely posts and photography on Greece. 

Oia, on the island of Santorini in the Aegean sea features on The fabric of my Life

a guest post with photos via Mr and Mrs Globetrot 

I didn't know Oia looked that good!

On a different note, a collection of Greek aperitives graces a post by the original designer behind the Slim Paley blog. Sweet red wine on the first picture, of the quality that Holy Communion is being made (delicious and intoxicating). Then at the bottom picture, there is ouzo, of course, but also bottles of tsipouro ( a grapa kind of drink) and another ouzo from the island of Lesvos.

One does not see nice Greek stuff making it to A class blogs these days, so I was surprised to spot these two. Thank you, ladies. You made my day!

Greek interior design blogs

Hello dear friends,

Are you recovering from the holidays? Not yet? Then you must be ready for some new visual stimulation, to get us through the winter months.

My newest blogging friend, Maratonjenta from Norway, asked me recently which Greek blogs I would recommend, that deal with interior design.

Redeco

I believe the most inclusive website regarding decoration is Rdeco which has lots of links to other sites as well. There are many re-posts from well known international websites, and they also publish some original content, especially with regard to making things, and local hands-on info.

Spitoskylo

They also have sister sites on fashion and beauty and another one on real-life homes, Greek and international, called Spitoskylo.

Yatzer

You may also want to read my personal design favorite, Yatzer, (yes, it is famous, and it is Greek!).

I hope all this helps you get a little more aquainted with the world of Greek design blogs.  I'll post some more about Greek designers, soon.

Have fun;-)

Athenian elegance by John Stefanidis

The athenian pied-a-terre of a Greek couple. Greek and cosmopolitan, elegant and comfortable, a blend of timelessness and quiet luxury.

:: Further Reading ::

View the house tour at Architectural Digest.

Visit the John Stephanidis website.

Books by John Stefanidis: 

An Island Sanctuary: A House in Greece, 

Living by Design: Ideas for Interiors and Gardens

 

Rooms: Design & Decoration, 

I hope you enjoyed today's house tour. 
See you soon.

 

Vintage Thingie Thursday: "What is our country?"

Hello dear friends,

Since I posted about our vintage school poster last week, I thought I'd share with you, today, a book from circa the same time period.

It is a book for the 5th class of Primary school, 10-11 year olds.

. 

This is a short story from our ancient history, about true friendship and loyalty.

The themes change according to the season. Animals are often the protagonists.

 Above, Winter, and a bird that needs feeding.

Below, May 1st, and lobsters!

There is no thing such as "generation gap". Generations are tightly knit, and children are often portrayed listening to stories from their grand parents.

From the ancient times, to modern times: The war of independence, 1821.

This is probably among my two favorite childhood poems. Although now considered naif, I love the visual impact it has, and the truth of its words. 

The poet wonders what our country means. Is it the mountains, the sun, the sea? 

Everything is our country, he says. And something more. Something we have deep in our hearts and is bright like the rays of the sun, and pushes us on.

I like the sketches on this book as well as the texts, that have something useful to teach a child and help her become a better person. The style, the shade of green, the two tone printing, it all speaks of times past.

I shall show you some more next week.

Thank you for coming , and thanks to Colorado Lady for hosting!

I am off to visit with you!