Kopanisti Cheese: Divine and Cycladic

Although its white to bluish-white hue and light, fluffy texture could be said to resemble picture-perfect clouds on your plate, what makes Kopanisti cheese so divine isn’t just its taste. As legend has it, Aristaios, the son of Apollo and the huntress Cyrene, was sent by the gods to bestow the divine art of cheese-making on the people of Greece. Some myths even suggest that Kopanisti cheese gets better and better with time. One taste of its rich, peppery taste and you just might believe it.

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Conquistador: Old Fashion, Transformed

The current global, and especially European, economic situation may threaten the creative world as we know it. Lack of funding, higher taxes, and greater overall instability, means a harder time for creatives to flourish. Yet, creativity tends to thrive off challenging situations, pushed, encouraged and inspired by the absence of monotony. Today we are looking at Greece, the cradle of Western civilization and the apparent culprit of the European crisis, with an outstanding menswear label that for the past few years has obtained worldwide recognition for its daring and innovative designs: Conquistador.

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Organic, Farm-Direct, and Served On A Volcanic Cliff: Papagalos Restaurant on Santorini

Greek cuisine has plenty to offer. Using lots of fresh fish, produce, and olive oil, it is, when done well, very healthy and very flavorful. Once you arrive in Greece, however, the truth often looks a little different. The package tourists’ favourite islands often shill their pale versions of local specialties, hastily thrown together from imported ingredients. Thankfully, Papagalos decided to take a different route, to Santorini’s quiet volcanic cliffs.

Since 1987, they have made their name offering contemporary Greek cuisine while being socially and environmentally responsible. They source their dishes close to home, with a focus on fresh, seasonal and organic ingredients from local farmers and businesses.Traditional dishes are interpreted in a modern way, with occasional references to other countries thrown in. You can find typical ingredients like tomatoes, olives, and seafood paired with tempura, Italian pasta or saffron, creating unique meals without losing their authentic character.

Fresh fish, meat and pasta build the base for the mouthwatering main courses. Two excellent examples from the simple but well-arranged menu are the lamb shank with orzo pasta, spinach, fried haloumi and Florence fennel in rosemary sauce, or the fresh sea bass with puy and beluga lentil salad, balsamic caviar, thyme and smoked bacon vinaigrette. Papagalos’ spin on the classic Greek salad is made with feta cheese marinated in saffron, cucumber pappardelle, fried capers and fresh seasonal herbs.

Owner Anesti Areti has paired his Chefs’ contemporary take on Greek cuisine with an elegant but tastefully traditional dining room to match. Located on the very North tip of the island, 133m above sea level, the restaurant’s patio provides a wonderful view over the archipelago formed by violent eruptions of the island’s volcano thousands of years ago. Watching the sun setting against the sea, the island’s highest point Imerovigli and the white houses and cathedral of Fira are beautifully bathed in golden light. Perfecting this romantic scenery is easy with a glass of the very good local wine from the restaurant’s comprehensive wine list.

After a deconstructed version of baklava with wafer-thin pastry, ice cream and candied honey nuts for dessert Santorini’s warm evening breeze is very inviting for a quiet walk through its little nested blue and white alleys.

When you’re done “deconstructing” that baklava, we’re betting you’ll be too full to feast on anything but delights for the eyes. Exacting in its construction and presentation, White Line Hotels edit Aenaon Villas will satisfy for a final — visual — course.

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Contributing writer: Julia Schröder

Images courtesy www.papagalosrestaurant.com 

An SMS from Greece

I❤GREECE – Lands of the rather sexy astrological gods, philosophical thinking, epic legends + myths, with more islands than a giant packet of M&Ms, each with jaw dropping coastlines and not forgetting those wonderful characters – The Greeks themselves.

It all started as a teenager reading “My Family & Other Animals” which charts the escapades of a rather eccentric English family (nothing new there then) on a Greek island, this combined with regular viewings of “Jason & the Argonauts” on the box every Saturday morning.

OPEN – so now with their doors firmly open for the season – its time to go again –3 islands, the White Line Hotels run down:

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Aegean Suites Hotel, Skiathos

Skiathos – AEGEAN SUITES  – boho, chic + reclusive
-          Quick hop from Athens– like just enough time to down a Bloody Mary
-          Green, lush + wow stunning – more than 60 beaches
-          Mamma Mia – much of it was filmed here
-          The Aegean Suites is for adults only
Read more here

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Mykonos Theoxenia, Mykonos

Mykonos– THEOXENIA HOTEL– 60’s glam fabulously recaptured
-          The famed bolt-hole of the fashionistas,  hedonists & escapists alike
-          Location –the best, next to iconic windmills – a stylish slice of peace bang smack in the thick of things
-          Expect visiting DJ’s mingling with the sophisticated sun worshipper
Read more here

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Aenaon Villas, Santorini

Santorini – AENAON VILLAS – bespoke, secluded + sensual
-          Famed throughout the world for its’ stunning beauty
-          Great for the Honeymooners, but equally those seeking solace
-          Aenaon Villas are perched high for the ultimate viewing of the Caldera – no nosy neighbours watching your every move
Read more here

Greece is for Lovers

While your summer beach vacation is probably still a few months away, there’s no harm in fantasizing about days spent sipping cocktails and dancing the night away. “Greece is for Lovers,” a cheeky design studio fittingly based at the foot of the Acropolis, has the perfect summer seaside accessories. Vasso Damkou, Thanos Karampatsos and Christina Kotsilelou create works that are fresh takes on classical Greek culture. Not to mention, there’s more than a little fun poked at what it means to be Greek today.

Some of our favourites are the pieces inspired by beach culture. Their first collaboration as a design team was the 2005 “Ingrid & Stavros.” Drawing from woman’s bikinis, it’s actually a way to cool your wine in the water. One part holds the wine in the cool depths, while bobber stays above water to let you know just where you put that bottle.

Other beach products include the “Tan Lines” series. Described as “sun-kissed, foldable furniture” these chairs just beg to be planted by the sea. Continuing with the Greek beach theme is the “Flavour of the Month” popsicle-shaped marble paperweight. Cool white marble paired with a chromed brass popsicle stick is a gentle reminder that you won’t be stuck at your desk forever. Their website (www.greeceisforlovers.com) has plenty of other Hellenic tradition inspired pieces. Other favourites include “Granny Tunes” the handcrafted i-Pod holder crocheted by local artisans, and the solid brass dumbbells in the form of Ionic columns, to work on getting that perfect beach body. The products are playful and hip, yet surprisingly modest in priced.

If all this has gotten you thinking about Greek beaches, might we suggest checking out White Line Hotels edit the Aegean Suites Hotel on Skiathos Island? The chilled out vibe of the villas is suites the gracious décor perfectly.

Aegean Suites Hotel, Skiathos

The Aenaon Villas are located at the highest point of Santorini, open to all four points of the horizon. Pure bliss…

Aenaon Villas, Santorini

The Mykonos Theoxenia, built by the iconic Greek architect Aris Kostantinides in the 60’s, the hotel is both natural and elegant – The hidden place for the Hedonists.

Mykonos Theoxenia, Mykonos

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Categories: Mykonos, Santorini, Skiathos, Design

Contributing writer: Alicia Reuter