Mani
Mani's autonomy and heroic resistance to the Ottoman Empire are undeniably of immense importance. At that time, Mani not only provided a safe haven for every fugitive, but above all stood for the true vision of a free Greece in the hearts of all subjugated Greeks. The thousands of armed, well-trained Maniots were a crucial and decisive factor in every integral plan aimed at throwing off the Turkish yoke.
However, the idea that Maniot freedom was something that first emerged during the Turkish occupation, because of the inaccessible terrain and the struggle of a fundamentally warrior population and forced the Turks to accept a form of self-rule of Greeks by Greeks, does not alter its underlying truth.
The joys of Easter...
Easter, a time of renewal
The joy of the Resurrection together with the feelings aroused by the coming of spring combine to create Greek Easter , a feast day that has been linked with the trials of the nation and the dream of liberation.
For the Orthodox East, the Easter period begins with Lent, when pre-Christian customs blend with the Christian liturgies of Lent and Holy Week. Folk customs reviving the eternal drama of the resurrection of nature and of life, include the Zafeiris in Epirus, Leidinos on Aegina, the "gardens' of Adonis in Serres, visits to cemeteries, the ritual dances of Easter and the feast day of St. George, the symbolic use of eggs, for example. These are just some of the ways Greeks have interpreted the ageless effort by man to make a positive contribution to the process of renewal in nature and to guarantee health and a good harvest.
Religious duties and acts of a renewing, fruitful and symbolic nature are particularly evident in Holy Week. On Holy Wednesday, in addition to the church service, housewives renew the starter dough for a year's baking of bread. In many places, this dough is made on the Saturday before Easter with flowers from the Epitaph. On the morning of Maundy Thursday, boiled eggs are dyed red in the morning; the first one ready is the one kept on the iconostasis, after the old egg has been tossed into the river. Once they used to keep this ritual egg for seven years until the yolk was like amber, as an amulet for pregnant women. They would then go to church for communion and then make their Easter biscuits (
koulouria) and bread for Easter day. In many places housewives handed out boiled wheat and buns.
Wine gladdens the heart !
Have you ever wondered whether alcohol, which we know can have negative effects, could in some cases do us good? The answer is yes! The most popular alcoholic beverage, wine, is something that can benefit us if we drink it in moderation.
Louis Pasteur believed that wine was the healthiest of drinks and even earlier, Plato had observed: "God has not given humanity anything more excellent or more valuable than wine ".
Those two observations can only be true, since alcohol appears to have been with man from prehistoric times, throughout his history on earth.
Herbs and spices
Imagine what food would taste like if we did not use spices. How would vanilla ice cream taste without vanilla, semolina halva without cinnamon or anything else that is tastier with herbs and spices? Spices not only highlight or intensify flavours but can be employed to create new ones according to the combination they are used in.
The use of spices goes back a long way. Earlier, people believed that they should only be used for medicinal purposes. A papyrus has been found in Egypt, dating from 1550 BC, recording about 800 known herbs and spices.
These days spices are an integral part of cooking; every recipe and every national cuisine has its own and it is impressive just how much the taste of food can be changed by adding or subtracting even a tiny amount of a particular spice.
The end of fishes
By Manolis Manolarakis
Dietician
The frequent consumption of fish by people of all ages is absolutely vital and particularly beneficial to the health. But today the situation among the fish populations of the world has become serious. Fish from the open seas will soon be a past memory. Pollution of the seas has considerably reduced these populations and made many species extinct. The major cause is uncontrolled fishing and the technological developments in fishing methods that have brought about the disappearance of important species. If the seas continue to be exploited at the current rate then by the end of the century, most edible fish will have disappeared.
Already, populations of species such as North Sea cod, which is an important part of the diet in northern Europe, has been reduced by 75 percent.
In a recent report, WWF International warns that if uncontrolled fishing continues, very soon the reserves will be exhausted. In the Barents Sea in particular, where 50 percent of the world's supply of cod live, both legal and illegal fishing have considerably reduced the populations. The report also points out that if the governments of Norway and Russia do not take steps to reduce the size of fishing quotas, very soon there will be a repetition of the nightmare in North America, where over-fishing led to a 90 percent reduction in cod reserves, which virtually means the disappearance of this species in those waters.
Good gardening in April
Make the most of any opportunity when the weather is fine , especially at weekends, to get out into the garden or onto the veranda to care for your plants and enjoy the sun.
Don't forget that April is the month of Easter, so along with your preparations inside the house for the festive occasion, don't forget your plants.
Indoor plants
Plants that winter indoors but whose usual place is outside should be prepared for the transition by moving them outdoors for just a few hours a day, gradually increasing the time so they can acclimatise to the change of environment.
Begin putting out your pots of seedlings for a few hours a day to get them used to the change as well. Then, once they have produced their fourth leaf, you can plant them out, either into larger pots or garden beds.
If you have any seeds left over, store them in airtight containers or in aluminium foil sealed with adhesive tape to keep them fresh for next year. Any leftover vegetable seeds are better kept in airtight containers in your refrigerator
Mountain biking
What is it ?
A m ountain bike is a bicycle designed and constructed to withstand use on unsealed surfaces , rugged terrain and steep gradients that call for a sturdy frame, special tires with a deep tracks, very powerful brakes and suspension and a gear box with as many as 18-27 gears to get the bike over uneven surfaces and steep hills.
Mountain biking is a sport that began in the US about 20 years ago and lately its popularity has grown immensely. It is particularly popular in Greece, where weather conditions are ideal. Since 1996 mountain biking has been an Olympic sport.
. Is special training required?
Having a bicycle is the first requirement of course, but it does require special skills as the surface conditions are demanding and there is a risk of injury.
Riders are trained in the use of the gears and in how to deal with sudden changes in the surface such as slopes, stony ground, water, fallen tree trunks. There are clubs and schools where basic skills are taught. Then - practice makes perfect !
. Where and when ?
Mountain biking is possible nearly everywhere in nature. Throughout Greece there are special biking trails. In Athens these are on Mt . Parnitha, at Varibombi, on Mt. Pendeli and at Dionysos. For more information, contact local clubs. Mountain biking is possible all year round, but particularly in autumn and spring. Summer temperatures are often too high apart from in the early hours of the morning or early evening.
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