Public transport tickets to rise on January 1

December 30, 2008 at 11:00 · Filed under Public Transportation

The Greek transport ministry decided that the price of a single ticket for the metro, elektrikos, bus/trolley and tram will be raised from €0.80 to €1.00 starting January 1, 2009.

Like the 0.80 euro single ticket, it entitles the passenger to a one-way ride of up to 90 minutes from the time of validation, using all modes.

For those keeping track, ticket prices were last increased on May 1, 2008. It was explained that the rising cost of gas/petrol was to blame. Gas prices have plummeted since then, but everyday expenses continue to go up.

The good news is the price of daily, weekly and monthly passes on qualifying unlimited routes remain the same, and the price of an annual card will go down. It’s meant to be an incentive to leave cars at home to reduce traffic and pollution, and reward those who use public transportation on a regular basis.

* There will be a transitional grace period for ticket holders to use old tickets, and more information will be posted as it comes available or changes.

Amount of Increase since January 1, 2008

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Top 500 universities in the world

December 28, 2008 at 19:30 · Filed under Greek education

The Institute of Higher Education of Shanghai publishes its list of top universities based on academic excellence, not only by world rank but national rank within a country. These are the Top 500 universities in the world for 2008.

Note that it is impossible to give a straight ranking from 1 to 500, since the Institute of Higher Education of Shanghai only gives specific rankings for the top 100, and the remaining 400 universities are divided by fifths — 101-200, 201-300, 301-400 and 401-500 — and listed in alphabetical order. Methodology is explained here.

In the table, countries are ordered according to how many universities ranked in the Top 500, regardless of position, and the highest ranking achieved. It is not an analysis.

Greek Universities in the News

“Worrying news for Greek universities” – Kathimerini
“Rote learning at Greek universities nets no knowledge” – Kathimerini
“State-approved illiterates” – Kathimerini
“70,700 student openings at Greek universities” — Kathimerini (May 2008)
“One-third of students fail to achieve 50 percent mark in university bid” – Kathimerini (June 2008)
“Poor education means poor management, poor politicians and mediocrity” – Kathimerini

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Thanksgiving in Greece

December 19, 2008 at 07:00 · Filed under Shopping in Greece

Celebrating Thanksgiving in Greece? Looking for a turkey for Christmas? You should be able to find one with no problem, though price varies widely and availability depends on timing.

For Thanksgiving

Americans and Greek-Americans seeking to keep the tradition alive have five options:

1. Exit Greece: Many Americans leave during this period from Thanksgiving to after Christmas, especially when they have relatives still living in the USA. It’s the only way to have a “proper” Thanksgiving, should purity, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and tons of football be important to you.

2. Get invited to an American school dinner: Students and faculty have the option to invite a limited number of guests should the school/university be putting on a Thanksgiving dinner. Be aware that the price of a meal ticket may be quite high for small portions and the food may not be prepared quite like you’re used to — dry turkey, runny mashed potatoes, no gravy, no pumpkin pie…and worst of all, no leftovers!

3. Try an American hotel: Some American branded hotels (Marriott, Hilton) in major cities such as Athens and Thessaloniki offer a pseudo-Thanksgiving dinner for guests at a price. I cannot vouch for quality, as I have no reason to try or pay for it.

4. Pay to attend an American-affiliated event: American organizations hold gatherings before Thanksgiving, and the price is per person or per table. On Wednesday November 25, 2009 at 20:30, the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Propeller Club of Piraeus have arranged cocktails and Thanksgiving dinner in the Grand Hotel Bretagne Ballroom. Cost is 90 euros per person, and the deadline to reserve is November 19. See “Thanksgiving Dinner.”

5. Cook it yourself from scratch: This is what I and many friends do. Nearly everything can be found in Greece, and there’s no need to import anything unless you don’t know how (or are too lazy) to cook from scratch.

Corn — Easiest thing on the table. Normally I buy fresh frozen kernels because cobs are incredibly expensive (1 euro/cob)  in limited supply whenever I go to the store, and everyone complains about having to floss afterward.

Cranberry sauce — There are some stores that sell canned cranberry sauce without having to go to a specialty store or pay exorbitant prices. I got an S&W brand can from the local (not Mega) AB Vassilopoulos in my small neighborhood for just over a euro. This year (2009) I paid €2.39 and had a choice between plain cranberry sauce and cranberry sauce with whole berries. I’ve never seen fresh cranberries for sale, but see Katerina in ‘Comments’ for a possible supplier in the center of Athens.

Stuffing — Got leftover bread? Perfect. Cut it up, dry it out (naturally or in the oven on low heat), moisten it with broth and combine it with fresh parsley, mushrooms, chestnuts, celery, currants or whatever else you normally have. You can also shortcut by using dried rusks, sold cheaply at any grocery store; or you can bake cornbread and treat it the same way as regular bread. No need to import that “nasty box of Stove Top” from the United States. (Right, C? )

Mashed potatoes — If you’re going to have mashed potatoes, do it right with fresh potatoes, maybe even leave a bit of skin on them for texture like I do. There’s no need to buy a box of ‘poures’ from the store. Yuck.

Gravy — I’ll be honest. I have packets of turkey, brown and mushroom gravy that I purchase in the States or have brought/sent to me. Why? Because pan dripping are never enough to accommodate the amount of gravy I need, and I don’t use giblets.

Sweet potatoes — North Americans erroneously call these yams because slaves used the word ‘nyami’ for sweet potato, and it stuck. But these orange-fleshed gems are indeed sweet potatoes. White sweet potatoes are common; orange ones are not, so you may need to find the canned ones. If you make the kind of yam pie with marshmallows on top, the only type I’ve seen available are from Germany or Sweden and they’re not quite the same; I have Jet-puffed from America on standby for S’mores, fudge, etc.

Pumpkin pie — This is a dessert that disappears much faster than I can make it, in fact I make at least two every year. I’ve never seen Libby’s canned pumpkin, but it’s because I stopped looking after the first two years (Commentator ‘Tauros’ confirms it’s available at price-gouging markets). It’s tastier and healthier to cook from scratch with a real pumpkin; I start the night before by hacking it in half, gutting it, then turning it cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet and baking until it collapses a bit. Then all I do is scoop out the pulp — no peeling, no boiling.

Pie crust is from scratch, either graham crackers I make myself or regular flaky crust. And I always warm the filling in a double boiler before pouring it into the partially baked pie shell because it prevents the crust from getting as soggy and speeds baking time.

On Thanksgiving, there is no feta, keftedes, tzatziki or horiatiki on the table. Why? Well, I already live in Greece and can have those things any day. Everyone can respect my traditions and go without them for one meal a year. After all, I never bring rice and beans or tortellini to Greek Easter, and I would never insist they be added.

The Turkey

Most people in Greece believe that turkey is only for Christmas, so some of what Americans typically eat for Thanksgiving gets transferred to December 25. But my point is, sometimes a fresh whole one is difficult to find at the end of November before American Thanksgiving. And if you do find one at the grocery store or butcher as I did, it might be quite expensive. How much, you ask? It’s November 24, 2009, and the biggest and only fresh six-kilo (12.1 lbs.) bird for sale is 57 euros ($86), which is €9.50/kilo ($14.25/2.2 lbs.). Turkey is supposed to be a native bird to Greece, but it doesn’t mean it’s common or inexpensive.

If you don’t mind frozen, you can find imported ones at locations nearly everywhere throughout Greece — Lidl, Marinopoulos, AB Vassilopoulos, Sklavenitis, Carrefour, Atlantik — whether it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas. Should the store be sold out, ask when they expect their next delivery and show up. A good friend of mine in northern Greece has a large freezer and thought in advance to get a whole frozen turkey before the holiday season to take advantage of lower prices. She paid under 2 euros a kilo in 2008. I bought one from France this week at €4.00/kilo.

Should you want a farm-raised bird and are fine with paying the price, the local butcher can take a preorder to ensure you get what you want, when you want it. Or you can pick up a fresh, organic turkey from the American Farm School in Thessaloniki for a limited time each year. They have a self-service store on campus in Thessaloniki and distribute them to select locations around Greece (AB Vassilopoulos, butchers) before Thanksgiving and Christmas. For more information, see “Farm Fresh Products – American Farm School in Thessaloniki.”

And if you don’t find a fresh or frozen whole turkey for any price, a nice boneless turkey roast and some turkey legs make a nice meal and can be ready in a fraction of the time, without much prep.

Gobble, gobble!

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“Thanksgiving” – Greek-American family in northern Greece
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“New Year’s in Greece”

http://bit.ly/GRThanksgiving

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