Lessons from Amsterdam

1. Everything comes at a price

There are so many beautiful flowers out there. Some come with a vibrant colour, others with an elegant smell. They 're not for free; you see,  everything comes at a price. The most precious ones are usually the most expensive. But you can't afford all of them. And you can't choose which one you prefer. 

2. Capture the moment
One moment and the birds fly above you. There's a yellow bike parked. The clouds take funny shapes. Look above and in front of you. Capture the moment of this beautiful picture and move on.

3. Cheese makes you fat
You can't have all the cheese in one go, you need to taste it in small portions at a time. I know it's delicious and smoky and bit of salty and creamy, but you needn't be greedy. If you eat too much, you'll get sick of it and your cholesterol will hit the ceiling.

See right through me

On the flight back from a business trip in Brussels, feeling exhausted and drained, I put on the iPod to listen to the songs offered for free download by U2. I closed my eyes, put the earphones on and blocked every thought away. I was missing you but didn't want to think about it.

You've got a face not spoiled by beauty

I have some scars from where I've been

You've got eyes that can see right through me

You're not afraid of anything they've seen

I was told that I would feel

Nothing the first time

I don't know how these cuts heal

But in you I found a right

If there is a light

You can always see

And there is a world

We can always be

If there is a dark

That we shouldn't doubt

And there is a light

Don't let it go out

And this is a song

A song for someone

This is a song

A song for someone

You let me into a conversation

A conversation only we could make

You're breaking into my imagination

Whatever's in there is yours to take

[Lyrics by U2 "Song for Someone" from the album "Songs of Innocence", 2014]

Γεια χαρά

Ejekted in music

First time I attended a music festival in Greece. Having been spoilt in attending music events in the UK, I had high expectations and many doubts of how worthy it would be. Ejekt festival in Athens proved me wrong. A great time was had; fast track at the ticket booths, smooth entrance to the place, the scene was set by the sea during sunset, good service in terms of foods, freebies and toilets!

The Editors absolutely rocked it with their lead singer (the clone of Jude Law with the voice of Morissey) giving an almost insane performance. Kasabian were amazing and closed their session with a remix of "Praise you" like they should. Paul Kalkbrenner and Darkside led by Nicolas Jaar reminded me of how much I love, and always will, electro music.

Being sexy and eco-friendly

To all those Nespresso users out there, lovers of good coffee and probably fans of George Clooney who stars in the said adverts: please remember to recycle your aluminium coffee capsules. Don't get me wrong;  I am addicted to this coffee machine and its flavors but let's not forget the planet and how we can best be green.

These capsules, made especially to preserve the coffee's taste and flavour and protect it from light and air, are made of aluminium and should be recycled; too bad Nespresso is not using Clooney's sexiness to encourage this a bit more... 

Make a rough calculation, two capsules of coffee per day per person  as a minimum makes:

• 14 capsules a week
• approximately 420 capsules a month or, 
• about 5,000 aluminium capsules in a year; 

this is just the coffee waste of a single person! Imagine what this number looks like if there are two or three members in a household.

It is very easy to clean and recycle: after using the capsules, tear the top and clean the coffee from the capsule under running water, then let dry and put in the recycle bin. It is worth the effort and it will only take 5 minutes of your time.

Food for thought

Two of my favourite meals for this month;  easy to make and healthy, yet delicious and light.

Rice noodles with sweetcorn, carrots and green beans sprinkled with soy sauce and stir fried with garlic.

I have used very little olive oil to stir fry and cooked in a wok; using a wok is a dead-fast way to cook healthy. I have used some soy sauce and water to steam my vegetables in which I added the vermicelli noodles.

Preparation and cooking time: 25 minutes.

This one goes well as a Sunday brunch and is my favourite healthy start to a day usually full of sports and leisure activities.

It is a scrambled-eggs type of omelette with salmon, served with fresh cherry tomatoes with salt and pepper. My leftover grilled salmon was used in a stir fry with eggs in a wok to make this delicious dish.

Preparation and cooking time: 15 minutes.

Enjoy :)

House decoration part I

Furnishing and decorating a new house from scratch is a tricky business, especially when the place is rented out and therefore a) you haven't really designed the space according to your needs, and b) you are not allowed to make drastic changes.

It takes time and money, as well as loads of positive energy, good taste and research. It has taken me about 6 months to reach a point where I feel happy about it and find it pleasant to live in. With house decoration, there are so many different options to choose from; the most important is to find what YOU like and what suits YOU; it is a very personal issue and we shouldn't imitate or copy based on what our friends have or would like to see. Because it is you who will be living in this space.

I will be presenting a series of innovative ideas in different spaces of the house. Most of the ideas involve do-it-yourself tasks and low-budget ideas with only a couple of expensive items added in. Today's post is around the living room, which is the first room you will face after a long day's work and settle down to rest or spend time with friends.

The space was medium-sized, with good natural lighting and warm paint on the wall. I wanted this room to be cosy, warm, lively and reflect my personality and life experiences. The furniture are mostly from Ikea, which I assembled myself; this can be time-consuming but I find it energising and constructive. The process took a lot of time as I was adding items gradually and checking how they settle in the space and whether they make me feel comfortable and centered.


I really like vibrant colours and wasn't afraid of using them against the pale colour of the wall. The predominant colours I chose were purple and red. Small or bigger items of decoration are from my past life, my trips, my parent's house and several shops across Athens.

I am a big fan of staying connected with the past and I enjoy mixing styles from different decades, or even centuries. For example, I found this piece of plaster-made sculpture of Alexander the Great in my parent's house, which I decorated with a pair of old Miu-miu sunglasses. I placed it on top of my book shelves and next to it I hang a piece of pop art painting. You will be amazed at how many cool staff you can find in your parents' or even grand-parents' house; don't be afraid to dig deep.

Since vintage is very fashionable lately and because I like a bit of a royalty touch,  I bought this baroque-style sitting which may be one of the most expensive small items I own in the house. Sometimes it is worth spending a bit more. I placed it in front of the window blinds. 

If you loved me

If only you could love me, I would be so happy...

Street graffiti in Kerameikos, Athens.

Jet lag: 6 countries in 2.5 weeks

Jet lag refers to tiredness, disorientation and weakness resulting from travelling through several time zones. It is caused by the disruption of one's body clock (circadian  rhythms) and may impact sleeping and eating patterns, body temperature, blood pressure, and daily habits. Exposure to light and dark, even artificial, may help readjust one's body clock. For me, the pleasure of travelling and sightseeing made my clock keep going...

Stop 1: Barcelona, Spain

Stop 2: Rome, Italy

Stop 3: Paris, France

Stop 4: Toronto, Canada

Stop 5: Fleet, UK

Stop 6: Athens, Greece

Mediterranean carbonara

I came back from work today feeling happy having had a successful meeting, yet I was starving to death. 

I open the fridge and find lots of vegetables so I decided to make a pasta of my own inspiration. I've named it Mediterranean carbonara, which is a bastard version of the classic one, so much different and healthier, using materials that we commonly use in the Greek diet. It is purely vegetarian and doesn't have eggs; I don't like eggs in my food unless it is an omelette. So here goes the recipe which I guarantee made a delicious dinner for two.

You will need the following:

30g parmesan

1 onion

basil

1 medium courgette

150g closed cup mushrooms

1 green pepper

100ml single cream (17% fat)

250g fusilli

5 spoons olive oil

salt and freshly grated salt and pepper.

My favourite pasta is fusilli, as it is easy and fast to cook; it also goes well with the sauce. 

Also, in Greece we often use the sweet green chilli peppers; they are not spicy at all and are thinner, sweeter and softer than the bell peppers. 

I make the sauce first cause it's more fun to start with, then I let it set until the pasta is cooked. Chop the vegetables and stir fry in olive oil, add the cream on top and mix to boil. Add salt and pepper; I also added some basil which goes well. Boil for 5 minutes while stirring gently.

Take the sauce out of the fire and let it set while you make the pasta. Boil the pasta in plenty of water as usual. When it is ready and al dente, drain and add the sauce in the pasta. Mix gently to allow the sauce incorporate with the pasta. Sprinkle with parmesan and enjoy with a glass of Greek white wine.