After 22 years since it was abandoned in Cyprus, this June ferry services are set to commence again between Limassol and Athens.
Cypriot authorities have said that they will give out the details of the preferred bidder for the once very successful ferry line at a later date with more details as they have them.
“The tender review process among the three finalist bidders has been completed,” said the deputy ministry.
“The preferred bidder is expected to submit final contractual documents within a few days,” it went on to say.
Εποικοδομητική συνάντηση με @AverofCY για ⚓️προοπτικές της Γαλάζιας Οικονομίας και της Ναυτιλίας μας μέσα από την διαμόρφωση του Εθνικού Θαλάσσιου Χωροταξικού Σχεδίου ⚓️εναλλακτική συνδεσιμότητα μέσα από τη λειτουργία της Θαλάσσιας Επιβατικής Σύνδεσης Κύπρου-Ελλάδας! https://t.co/dHtGiY2O7W
The returning service is set to depart from Limassol again and transport passengers and vehicles to the Athens port, Piraeus.
The Deputy Shipping Minister of Cyprus, Vassilios Demetriades announced reviving the ferry service will be extremely beneficial to the relationship between the countries and building more connections in the Mediterranean.
“Reviving the ferry connection will help us to continue building our relationship with the rest of the Mediterranean and we welcome the opportunity to expand the ferry link to a third neighbouring country beyond Greece too,” said Mr Demetriades.
Held at South Yarra’s Botanical Hotel on the evening of Thursday, April 14, the event brought together more than 60 Hellenic Australian youth with a select group of HACCI’s industry-leading mentors, to build new connections and forge pathways into the business and professional community.
HACCI mentors offering their elevator pitch to the mentees.
GYG is a social and cultural innovation incubator aimed at bringing young people’s ideas to life. It aims to increase awareness, accessibility, and creativity in the community space.
“This event was an amazing opportunity for GYG members to rub shoulders with some of our community’s most inspirational mentors and soak up some sage advice,” GYG co-founder, Dean Kotsianis, said.
GYG co-founder, Dean Kotsianis, addressing the function.Mentor Alex Christou.Mentor Georgegina Poulos.
“The mentors were all so generous with their time, and I know our members took a lot of value from the conversations they had. Hopefully some of the connections we made on the night will continue to grow into the future.”
HACCI is our community’s premier business and professional network. It has a four-decade history of building connections between people and businesses in Australia and Greece.
The sold out event was held at the Botanical Hotel.Young Hellenic Australian mentees at the Meet n Greek event.Mentor Jenny Mikakos sharing her experiences.
“One of HACCI’s key goals is to foster the next generation of Hellenic Australian business and professional leaders, which we’ve been doing for many years through our hugely successful internship and mentoring programs,” HACCI Chair, Fotini Kypraios, said.
“Events like this are pivotal to building genuine connections between current and future business and community leaders. HACCI mentors are always happy to share their experiences with the next generation to give back and help pave the way for leaders of the future.”
A mentor sharing some advice with a young mentee.
The event was supported by HACCI’s Chamber Partner Bank of Sydney, Community Partner Hellenic Power, Corporate Partners Greek Media Group, Intralot Australia, Jobsbank, Patras Group, Prisma Legal, Procal Dairies, and The Content Engine.
It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for all year. The eggs are dyed. The bowls are full. Everyone’s positioned their grip perfectly. No one is safe, not even your 5-year-old cousin!
It’s happening.
The battle is on.
Families gather every year to celebrate Easter with their loved ones and when that time of the day comes, everyone prepares to bring out the eggs and start cracking.
We are sharing 5 tips to make sure you have the winning egg this Easter Sunday.
1. Make sure you have the right eggs
They say that strength comes from within, but in the case of eggs strength definitely lies on the outside, the shell.
When picking your eggs to boil, free range eggs or farm eggs are a better pick because they have harder shells due to the better diet of the chickens.
2. Boil them just right
Before you boil your free-range eggs (that’s right- you bought free range), make sure you let them come to room temperature.
Depending on the type of dye you are using, you may have to dye your eggs as you boil them, or you may have to do it after they are boiled.
3. Dyeing your eggs
This step is one to make sure you take care with. Prepare your eggs by wiping them with a cloth dipped in vinegar to ensure a bright and vibrant colour.
If you are using a packet dye, make sure to follow all the instructions to make sure you get the best colour possible.
Photo: Souvlaki for the Soul
4. Polish it up
Once you have the colour you want, it’s absolutely imperative that you polish your eggs. So, grab a cloth, take a seat, and polish those eggs right up!
Photo: Souvlaki for the Soul
5. Going out with a bang! (Or a crack)
There are a few tricks to getting your shell just that little bit harder to make sure that you have the winning egg. Some call it unethical or cheating but we’re here to win.
Using clear nail polish or even decoupage glue can give you that extra layer of protection against whoever hits you and be sure to know that the longer you leave it to dry, you have more chance of winning.
Representing Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Secretary General for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy, John Chrysoulakis, has met with the President of the Greek Community of Melbourne, Bill Papastergiadis, in Athens.
During the meeting, issues of concern to the Greeks in Australia were discussed, as well as the potential to hold Greek language programs for the diaspora during this year’s summer season.
Bilateral agreements between Greece and Australia in the areas of healthcare, tourism and investment were also talked about.
It was also agreed during the meeting that the Greek government’s learning platform, staellinika.com, will soon be available for use by individuals and expatriate schools across Australia.
This learning platform is a collaboration between the General Secretariat for Public Diplomacy and Greeks Abroad in partnership with the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies at Simon Fraser University in Canada, and supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.
On the day, Mr Chrysoulakis also invited Australia’s doctors and medical professionals of Greek heritage to attend the 1st Hellenic Diaspora Forum to be held in Thessaloniki on July 15 this year.
Mr Chrysoulakis concluded the meeting by assuring Papastergiadis that the Greek government is and will remain as close as possible to the Greek diaspora in Australia.
Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, has sent a message to Australia’s Greek community ahead of Orthodox Easter on Sunday.
In his message, Mr Morrison stressed how this Easter will be a “day of joy” as people “give thanks with open churches and full pews.”
Full Message:
Greetings to all Orthodox Christians who are celebrating Easter.
The meaning of Easter is found in three words: He is Risen!
It is the day when light triumphed over darkness and when Christians can declare “Where, O death, is your victory? Where O death is your sting?”
Scott Morrison at the Anastasi service last year with his wife Jenny Morrison and Archbishop Makarios of Australia. Photo: The Greek Herald.
Like Christians everywhere, I see love expressed in the cross of Calvary and hope expressed in the empty tomb. This is the faith we share.
This year Easter will be especially joyous, as Christians of all denominations give thanks with open churches and full pews on this holiest of days. Again we can sing the joyous songs of our faith.
This Easter is a day of joy – and one where we give thanks for all our blessings.
May Orthodox Christians across Australia experience the Risen Christ’s presence and peace this Resurrection Sunday!
Tributes are flowing today for Sydney butcher and father-of-two, Nectarios ‘Necta’ Papanicolaou, after he was killed in a motorcycle accident at Marrickville on Saturday.
The 34-year-old died after he lost control of his motorbike on Wardell Rd, Marrickville. He was treated by paramedics at the scene but couldn’t be saved.
Police are investigating the crash. Photo: 7 News.
Necta, who worked as a butcher at his family’s shop Dulwich Hill Gourmet Meats, is now being remembered as a “friend to everybody” who “lit up the room with his smile, his infectious laugh and his love of life.”
“It is hard to believe that someone who was so full of life has left us. We are deeply lost and in despair,” Necta’s family said in a statement on Facebook.
“Necta was loved by our customers and the wider Dulwich Hill community and we know that he will be sorely missed beyond his family and closest friends.”
Necta’s death has left the Greek and wider community devastated, with hundreds of people sending their condolences to the family on social media.
“When coming to the shop I always looked forward to seeing Necta and having a laugh,” one person wrote. “He will definitely be missed and will be the brightest star in the sky.”
Sydney butcher and father-of-two, Nectarios ‘Necta’ Papanicolaou, is being remembered as a friend to everyone. Picture: Craig Wilson.
“Words are failing me, such a good bloke and loving family man,” another added.
Necta was a big name in the butchery scene, selected in 2016 in the Australian team for the World Butchers’ Challenge.
He is survived by his wife Krissy, daughter Paris and son George. His parents and siblings have said they are surrounded by loved ones during this difficult period of grieving.
Greece has seized a Russian oil tanker off the island of Evia as part of European Union sanctions imposed on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, the Greek coast guard said on Tuesday.
According to Ekathimerini, the Russian-flagged Pegas, with 19 Russian crew members on board, was seized near Karystos on the southern coast of Evia.
A coastguard official said the ship’s oil cargo had not been confiscated.
❗ Посольство проверяет появившуюся в греческих СМИ информацию о задержании нефтяного танкера «Пегас» в районе острова Эвбея с 19 моряками на борту. Находимся по данному вопросу в контакте с греческими властями. pic.twitter.com/drG3GgkAUm
The Greek Foreign Ministry has expressed its “disgust and sadness” on Tuesday following reports of the “vandalism” of the Imperial Gate of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.
“We call on the competent authorities to do their due diligence in order for those responsible to be brought to justice and the damage to the Monument to be immediately repaired,” the Ministry’s statement read.
We are appalled and saddened by the images of the act of vandalism against the Imperial Gate of the Hagia Sophia, a World Heritage Site: @GreeceMFA Statement➡️https://t.co/Yoy4jYwRce
This comes after the Turkish Union of Art History (STD) shared a picture on Twitter on Tuesday showing the oak wood of the 15-century-old gate badly damaged.
The Imperial Gate, the central door of Hagia Sophia, is about 7 meters high and the Byzantines claimed it was constructed of wood from Noah’s Ark.
According to the tweet, the head of security on duty at the UNESCO World Heritage Site said: “Don’t worry, this can be fixed.”
Gelen bir şikayet fotoğrafı üzerine bu akşam (18.04.2022) saat 20.45 civarı Ayasofya Camisinin, tarihi “İmparatorluk Kapısının” bu halde olduğunu tespit ettim ve fotoğrafladım. Nöbetçi güvenlik müdürünün bilgim yok demesi üzerine ismini Talip Bey olduğunu söyleyen ve Ayasofya’nın pic.twitter.com/BH7qKNjVpg
— Sanat Tarihi Derneği (STD) (@SanatTarihiSTD) April 18, 2022
The damage was discovered after the first tarawih prayer in 88 years, a special evening prayer during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, was held in Hagia Sophia.
In response, the deputy general secretary of the municipality of Istanbul, Mahir Polat, condemned those responsible for the damage, sigmalive.com reports.
“The person or persons who caused this disaster should be identified through a camera. The matter should be taken to the prosecutor, as they intentionally caused damage to the number one historic building, the Hagia Sophia,” Mr Polat said.
There were plenty of Easter-related activities on offer at Greek schools across Sydney this year including cute hat parades, koulourakia making and book fairs.
To find out more, The Greek Herald reached out to All Saints Grammar, St Spyridon College, St Euphemia College and the schools of the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW (GOCNSW), and this is what they had to say.
All Saints Grammar:
On Friday, April 1, students from All Saints Grammar in Belmore gathered to participate in the Pre-sanctified Liturgy. This service is only performed on weekdays during the period of Great Lent and was a great opportunity for the school community to come together and prepare for the great feast of Pascha.
Students at All Saints decorating the Holy Icon for the ‘Salutations of the Theotokos.’Pre-sanctified Liturgy.
At the same time, students have also been undertaking many activities in their Orthodoxy classes to celebrate Easter. This includes the creation of their own miniature Epitaphs, making koliva for psihosavato, crafting St Lazarus collages, creating palm crosses, making Easter cards, various red egg activities and even making their own tsourekia.
Making Koliva.Decorating the Holy Icon for the ‘Salutations of the Theotokos.’
Students have also participated in the liturgical life of the local parish by assisting in the Holy Altar, chanting and even decorating the Holy Icon for the ‘Salutations of the Theotokos.’
During the final week of the school term, All Saints Grammar also hosted the Orthodox Book Fair in the school’s library, as well as their annual Easter hat parade for students from Pre-Kinder to Year 3. This parade signals the end of a wonderful term full of learning and adventures for students.
Easter hat parade.
St Spyridon College:
Each year, the students of St Spyridon College are immersed in the Greek Orthodox Easter customs and traditions.
The Orthodox Studies lessons, chanting of the Lamentations and Christos Anesti, the dyeing of the red eggs, the making of koulourakia and palm crosses and the other activities, allow the students to walk with Jesus during Holy Week to His Crucifixion and glorious Resurrection.
Baking for Greek Easter.St Spyridon College school assembly. Photo: Bourdo Photography.
With all the senses engaged, this lived experience helps the students to participate in the Church services with greater understanding.
The students are the future of our Church and they willingly and enthusiastically want to be involved. When you see the children at the foot of The Cross on Holy Thursday evening, accompanying The Holy Epitaphio on Good Friday and standing with their candles at the Resurrection Service while chanting Christ is Risen, you cannot but be moved.
Photo: Bourdo Photography.Dyeing red Easter eggs.
St Euphemia College:
Students from St Euphemia College in Bankstown also got into the Easter spirit with an Easter hat parade.
Prep to Year 2 students took part in an assembly where they sang a variety of Christian Easter songs, other modern Easter songs and Greek songs.
The students then paraded in front of all their family and friends and showcased their bright and colourful Easter hats, which were made with love at home.
GOCNSW:
The Education Department of the GOCNSW organised an Easter holiday program this year. The program was held on April 13 and April 20.
Over 30 young children attended the Easter holiday program.
The children who attended learned about the Greek Orthodox traditions of Palm Sunday, Holy Week, the significance of the lambatha and the red eggs. They were all very creative and made their own lambathes with colourful ribbons, wooden Easter bunnies, cars, dinosaurs and even tiaras.
With the help of their teachers and Chef Ari, the children also learned how to make koulourakia. The children even got to paint their own Easter eggs and did many Easter crafts, including making their own Easter baskets.
The program ended with lots of singing and dancing.
Members of the Kytherian Association of Australia (KAA) visited the Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes exhibition at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra on Palm Sunday, April 17.
They had the opportunity to view 170 exquisite artefacts from the British Museum – none of which are in contention between Greece and the United Kingdom.
Ladies Auxiliary stalwart, Aphrodite Samios, with her namesake Goddess of Love.
KAA members were joined by local Kytherians and other compatriots from Canberra and treated to an exclusive lunch in the museum’s impressive atrium, with a sumptuous fish dish to mark Palm Sunday.
This was followed by a private guided tour which provided insights beyond just the artefacts, but also the backstory to how this unique exhibition was brought to Australia.
During the day, KAA President, Emmanuel Alfieris, also gave an interview in Greek on Greeks Today, a 1683AM show hosted by George Tserdanis. The interview covered the exhibition, the KAA centenary, our history and our future.
This has been one of Australia’s most successful exhibitions with over 200,000 visitors having the opportunity to experience a glimpse of Ancient Greek culture, art and life outlook.
Minas and Mersini Kalokairinos and Gloria Tzannes.John Loukadellis shares some insights into the exhibition at the exclusive lunch.The exhibition is interesting for all ages. Polytimi Tzannes enjoying the day out.
The exhibition is in its final weeks and closes on May 1 before heading to New Zealand. The KAA encourages all members and other Greek Australian associations to visit the exhibition before it leaves Australian shores.
The special KAA event was organised with the help of John Loukadellis, President of the Greek Orthodox Community and Church of Canberra (GOCCC), and Phillip Samios, President of the Kytherian Brotherhood of Canberra.
The Presidents – Emmanuel Alfieris, Phillip Samios, John Loukadellis.A beautiful venue for Palm Sunday lunch.The day started with the Palm Sunday service at St Nicholas Greek Orthodox chuch in Canberra.
The day also included a Palm Sunday church service, followed by the museum event and ended with a dinner at Canberra’s Hellenic Club. Throughout the day, Sydney Kytherians were able to connect with old local friends and form new relationships.
The KAA thanks both Mr Loukadellis and Mr Samios for their wonderful hospitality on the day.
