Hello Brazil!

Alright, so I suppose my guessing games are a bit too easy. The last picture was in fact Rio De Janeiro, which I'm sure you all knew. Anyway, I'm very excited to introduce Brazil and begin exploring! To kick things off check out one of the most amazing short films you've ever seen... Ever.

Brezilya from Hakan Gulgonul on Vimeo.

Does that not perfectly embody the feeling of the entire city itself? Amazing! 

New Beginnings

Sadly, as much as I have enjoyed my time exploring Greece, it is time to move on. I celebrated my "travels" with one last hoorah at The Great Greek. Everyone remembered my face and greeted me like an old friend. Pete was there, as joyful as always, and yes, I danced again. And just in case you were interested, I got the pasta with braised lamb. Do I even need to mention how delicious it was?


If you are just as sad as I am about departing Greece, never fear, amazing Greek food is now easy to come by thanks to Pete. He gave me a card for a company he is opening called Petrou Food Company. He specializes in original Greek products such as: Greek salads, Gyros, Olives, Feta Cheese, and the best Olive Oil from Greece.


Petrou Food Company services will soon be available in Beverly Hills and the Los Angeles area, as well as San Diego. For more information contact Pete at thessaliap@gmail.com.


Now, with every ending comes a new beginning. So let us welcome our new country of exploration!

Photo via

Can you guess where we are headed next? 

Voting, Sea Sponges, and Sun

Ten things I bet you didn't know about Greece:


1. Greece is officially called the Hellenic Republic.
2. Voting in Greece is required by law. If you are 18, you MUST vote.
3. Greece is the leading producer of sea sponges.
4. Greece has the lowest divorce rate in Europe.
5. Second only to Switzerland, Greece is the most mountainous country in Europe.
6. No matter where you are in Greece, you are never more than 85 miles from the sea.
7. The population growth of Greece is .02%
8. Traditionally, Greeks celebrate "name days" of saints they were named after, rather than their birthdays.
9. Over a quarter of Greece's population resides in Athens.
10. Nearly 70% of the year is sunny in Greece.


Now don't you feel much more educated?

Glikia Zoe!

Glikia zoe is Greek for "sweet life". And when I visited The Great Greek earlier this month I was certainly living the sweet life.

Located in the Sherman Oaks area, I had heard that The Great Greek was the restaurant to go to in the Greek community and as eager as I was, The Great Greek did not disappoint. The walls were lined with photos of famous Greeks, there was a live band playing traditional Greek music, and people were up and dancing between the tables. Servers and even other costumers greeted us in thick accents. Truly, I had never felt so welcomed at a restaurant. 

To start, we ordered Roditis, a light, rose wine traditionally grown in Peloponnese, Greece. For an appetizer we told our waiter, "whatever's good and Greek!" To our delight he brought out the Cognac-Flamed Cheese 'Saganaki'. It was cheese and it was on fire. Need I say more? With it, we were served pita bread and a complimentary salad with fresh feta cheese.

Yeah, even the salad and water was amazing. 

For our meal, we decided to make it easy and order the Combination Greek Platter. The platter consisted of pastitsio pasta, moussaka, stuffed grape leaves, spinach cheese pie spanakopita, lamb, oven-roasted potato, rice pilaf, and vegetables. Honestly, everything was amazing. The lamb in particular was my favorite, followed by the moussaka and pastitsio pasta, which had a wonderful nutmeg flavor to it.

Me, not even knowing where to begin.

The Combination Greek Platter and a few of the many glasses of wine. 

After stuffing ourselves we spent a good deal of time laughing, drinking, and conversing with Pete the waiter. Pete, originally from Greece, told us stories about his home and family and taught us a few Greek phrases. He even managed to get us to dance! Pete was quintessential, Greek man; he danced spontaneously, laughed loudly, and told us how beautiful we were. It was wonderful!

 Michelle, Pete, and I.

So as you can tell, my Greek-filled night was amazing. Not only were the food and atmosphere fantastic, but the people were as well. We were complete strangers to all of them and yet, Michelle and I left The Great Greek feeling as if we were part of a new family. Pete in particular made quite the impression. I found it very interesting when he said, quite seriously, “ Americans… They are always in a hurry- always so serious. We Greeks know how to have a good time and enjoy ourselves. It’s important and we know that.”

So if you find yourself feeling like a serious, busy American, head over to The Great Greek where you’ll be welcomed with open arms and taught to appreciate a good time. Enjoy the, “glikia zoe!”

I've been dancing rather than posting

I admit, it has been way too long since my last post. And the worst part? I have had a million things to write about! I have eaten Greek food, danced Greek dances, learned Greek sayings, and participated in many other Greek activities since my last post. Unfortunately, my camera, which I documented a majority of my adventures on, is no where to be found. Never fear-- Once I stop looking it'll show up, I assure you. 

Now, I mentioned that I danced Greek dances. Let me clarify; I attempted to dance Greek dances. I'm not the most coordinated nor graceful person so my attempt was a bit futile, but I  had the time of my life. 

I danced a traditional Greek dance in a restaurant full of strangers, with my lovely friend Michelle and the lovely waiter Pete. Pulling us up, he had has form a semi-circle and we put our arms around one another. The steps were pretty basic-- left foot brought behind the right, right foot step, left kick, right kick, and repeat! We went around in a circle as the music got faster and I laughed like a maniac. By the end I felt like I had run a mile! It was the most fun I've had in ages, not to mention a great workout. 

Unfortunately, I did not get the opportunity to ask Pete about the dance. I've done some research and believe it is a dance from Macedonia, which are said to vary. According to my reliable source (Wikipedia), "most are solid and are performed using heavy steps, whilst others are fast and agile. Most dances begin slow and increase in speed." Check out a list and brief explanation of Greek dances here. 

While I may have acted like a laughing, uncoordinated fool, a few people were impressed with my efforts. I met the wonderful Angelo who teaches modern and folk Greek dancing and he gave me his card and even offered complimentary lessons!

Anyway, I've blabbed enough tonight. I'll be posting again soon, so meanwhile take a look at some traditional Cretan dancing. It starts slow, but what a rush at the end!

The Gyro Experience

I have a confession; I have never had a gyro. Like, ever. I immediately made a point to resolve this sad situation by heading over to the mall to try the infamous food-court haunt, Mediterranean Delight. I know, it sounds so authentic.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that I know nothing about Mediterranean cuisine. When presented with the choice between the Gyro Plate and Gyro Sandwich, I became quite distressed. It took me a good 20 minutes to order, but I finally decided on the Gyro Plate. 


The meal was a bit of a struggle for me as I had to assemble the gyro myself. I was presented with some mystery meat, pita bread, rice, lettuce, onions, and a sauce called Tzatziki. Here is the result...

I realized only after devouring my gyro that the lettuce was actually a salad and not meant to be put in the gyro. Either way it was delicious! I've since learned that a traditional Greek gyro consists of meat that is vertically cut beef or lamb, tomato, onion, and the Tzatziki sauce.


So while my gyro was less traditional and more americanized, and the meat possibly frozen at one point, I'd still say it was pretty dang good. But don't think this is the furthest I am delving into Greek cuisine. Oh no! This weekend I will be heading to one of the most renowned Greek restaurants in all of Los Angeles... Stay tuned!

Greece 360°

The people of Greece are incredibly patriotic. Their patriotism is well known throughout the world and it's no wonder why; they are able to call one of the most beautiful places in the world home. These amazing 360° panoramic photos highlight the natural beauty of the country. One look at them and you'll be just as proud as the Greeks. 


Kastelorizo via


Melidoni Cave via


Santorini via


Smuggler's Cove via


Plastiras Lake via


Meteora via

Keep in mind, Greece's beauty is not only in it's beaches. While the country's vast coastline and 1400 islands provide a lot of ocean influence, Greece is actually one of the most mountainous areas in all of Europe. In fact, eighty percent of Greece is characterized by mountains and hills. To see more panoramic views of Greece's natural diversity check out 360 Cities. 

Introducing Greece- Where Does One Begin?

I have to be honest, I was very intimidated by this post. I was hoping to give a bit of an introduction to Greece before jumping into the thick of things, but generally introducing over 3000 years of history and culture is a daunting task to say the least. 


Perhaps I shouldn't have been so ambitious the first time around. Anyway, rather than poorly barreling through the amazing and expansive history of the Greeks, I'll let you educate yourself at this wonderfully comprehensive site. Ancient Greece is such an interesting subject, so I highly recommend you take a look at this simple and informative site when you have the chance.

In the next couple weeks we will be focusing on contemporary Greece, perhaps touching on a little bit of their history here and there. This week we will be exploring the people of Greece, the beautiful places in which they live, and the area that has me very excited- their food.

Also, here is a set of videos, first aired by the Discovery Channel, investigating the breathtaking marvels and beauty of Ancient Greece. It is a set of 5 videos, running 46 minutes, that accurately depicts the incredible history of the country. Watch and enjoy! 

Yeah, I'm Eager

Yup, the first country has already been chosen. What can I say? I'm eager! Anyway, I know it's a really tricky one but shall we make guesses as to where we are headed?

Photo via

I think I'll leave this question lingering until my next post. Until then...

Antio. 

Yeah, that's another hint for you. Go ahead. Take it. 

I've Got the World on a String

I've got the world on a string

I'm sitting on a rainbow

Got that string around my finger

Oh what a world, oh what a life, I'm in love

There is a reason this song been popularly sung for the last 80 years-- it's amazing.  And while I admittedly don't have the world on a string, that is luckily not my interpretation of the lyrics. Rather, I see it as the world strung together as one, and I in love with it. 

I love the thought of the world on a string. I imagine an infinite piece of string, strung by beads of assorted colors and sizes. Essentially, they are the many different cultures and peoples that embody our world. I quite like the idea of them strung together, connected and entwined. And so, that is my world on a string, which roughly translates into the basis of this blog. 

I want my blog to serve as this string, connecting the corners of the world, exploring and understanding them. One day, I hope to travel and experience these places firsthand, but for now am stuck at home and in college. Instead of simply killing time until I get the opportunity to travel, I've decided to educate myself in a fun and unexpected way. Every few weeks or so I will choose a new country to explore. I will research it's history, listen to it's music, eat it's food, learn some of the language, and have a discussion with someone from, or who has traveled to, the chosen country. And you, my readers (who are currently nonexistent) will join me on these "explorations." Together we will string each bead, one by one. 

So where should we explore first?!