172: Kiki’s Greece Guide - 2024
Join Kiki in Greece as she discovers hot spots in Loutraki, Nafplio, Rhodes, Symi and Cape Sounio.
Today's Lexi:
Αρχαίος - Archaios - Archaios
In Today’s Episode:
Friends in Kefi this week you will be energized in the mind, the body and the soul when you journey with Kiki to the land of golden sun, olive oil, philoxenia and so much more.
This week it’s a recap of some of the most remarkable relics, most delicious food and a generous heaping of philoxenia in Greece.
Our spotlight on Loutraki, Corinth, Nafplio, Rhodes, Symi and Cape Sounio.
Pame! Lt’s go to Greece!
Credits:
Music: Spiro Dussias
Vocals: Zabrina Hay
Graphic Designer: Susan Jackson O’Leary
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LinkedIn: Kiki Vale
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For a natural and uplifting support with your health and wellness, connect with Kiki to discover the beauty of essentials oils: my.doterra.com/kefilife.
This episode made possible in part by:
The Law Offices of Liston & Tsantilis — Ranked #1
LTLawChicago.com
and
Kingdom Farms Wholesale Meats
KingdomFarms.com
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Yesa, welcome to the Kefi Life Podcast. My name is Kiki Vail and I'll be your guide to creating a life of Ola Kala all as well. Together, we'll get back to the basics and we'll explore fresh new ways to flourish and mind, body and soul the Greek way. You can look forward to interviews, stories, essential self-care strategies, recipes and actionable take-away Ola Kala moments. This is going to be so much fun, let's get going, vomit! Our legacy for today is archios, archia, or ancient, and archia, or ancient practice that we still use today is gardening. The people of yesterday knew the best and most simple way to eat was through growing their own food, foods like herbs, produce and fruits. Cheers to the wisdom of the archios! Alle Ola, though, olive oil has been celebrated in the civilized world for millennia, nearly eternal. The oil of this fruit has been more than just food to the cultures of the Mediterranean region. It's been medicinal, ceremonial, sacramental and the foundation of great wealth and power. It is safe to say that olive oil is the ethos, the essence of Greek culinary culture. Today the prices and life-giving ingredients of this liquid gold can be delivered to you when you purchase your premium bottle of cathelife extra virgin olive oil from the region my parents were born, the Peloponnese. The coveted Godor Nikki olive is extensively cultivated here in the southern part of Greece, which offers the unique microclimate needed to grow a fruit netting the utmost nutrient value for extra virgin olive oil. Cathelife extra virgin olive oil a boundless amount of value high in antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties linked to good mood and improved mental health. What's your bottle of wellness today when you visit kephylife.com? Yamas, friends and kephi, this week you're about to be energized in the mind, the body and soul when you journey with me to the land of golden sun, olive oil, phyluksa and so much more. This week on kephylife episode 172, it's a recap of some of the most remarkable relics. Just delicious food and generous heaping of phyluksa and ya with my trip during my trip to Greece 2024. But first, if you're inspired, uplifted and even moved to live the best life of which of course you deserve, be sure to follow me on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn. You can also shop for the best kephylife extra virgin olive oil, kephylife.com, we have lots of bundle sales and deals adjust for you. Both gang Urza wrote, among all the people, the Greeks have dream life's most beautifully. This summer my dream came true when my husband and two of my four children and I traveled back to Greece. Yes, Greek is in my DNA and I've been numerous times to the country of Greece. But this year felt different, more meaningful and supremely authentic. We visited family, reunited with distant relatives, attended a fairytale wedding and discovered the antiquity of one of Greece's most beloved islands, Rhodes. Let's start at the beginning of the trip with our first up over in Lutreiki. Why Lutreiki? Chiefly because my sisters and brother-in-law have summer homes there and it's a place that we frequently meet to reconnect and celebrate family time. Incidentally, it is a great resort to take the family, all the family. So where is it? Lutreiki is a seaside resort on the Gulf of Corinth. It's located centrally in the Peloponnese, about 50 miles or an hour and 15 minutes from the capital of Greece, which you know is Athens. Lutreiki is a perfect middle ground home base for easy access to many places in the region. You can easily get to if you rent a car to places like Sparta, Tripunikalamata, Lafleo and many more. Fun fact, Lutreiki is an hour from the most fabulous wineries in Nimea Corinth. My mother is from Nimea. Another fun fact, it's here that the Panhellenic Athletic Games were held every two years from 573 BCE until 271 BCE. I feel like you'll find the most mesmerizing sunsets in Greece in Lutreiki. Every time I go there and it's after 7 o'clock and you're waiting for the sun to set, you see this big red giant ball in the sky. It's so cold and it just is warm and illuminating the brightest, most orange red hues. You've got to see it. And when you do, make sure to take a night swim because this will be an escape to reset your kephi. Health fact, there are healing and natural springs in Therapeutic Spas here in Lutreiki. They offer relief with joint pain and arthritis. People from all over Europe and America come here to get that relief. And I believe personally so much in the power of water in the springs to bring you back to life. I think they should call it the Fountain of Life or the Fountain of Youth Springs. In any event, the natural springs are all over Lutreiki. Let's talk a little bit about food. Locals and myself love this place called Taverna Philippas. It's traditional, home-cooked. You will find every traditional meal here. Debbie, who is the waitress and part owner, is a hoot. She was born in Canada and has been pretty much raised in Greece. And a lot of fun makes the whole experience just so memorable. Taverna Philippas is a great place to go and eat and drink and kind of wind down after day at the beach. Another place, Mana, M-A-N-N-A, is new and it caters and specializes all in meat, just meat. So, if likey, chicken, beef, pork, all kinds of meat, it's a meat house, organic, absolutely delicious. You're going to love it. And that is in Lutreiki. Best spani gopita. Come on, you can't go to Greece without having a spinach pie. Best one is found at Delice and they always sell out by 11 a.m. I'm sure to get mine right when I wake up right after I get my coffee at Coffee Box because they have the strongest, most delicious, wonderful coffee frappe in the area. Now, of course, you've got to have some lukemadas. You ever heard of those? Those are Greek donuts and my sister and I call them donut balls or lukus. And you can find the best, most delicious ones at our mall. Our mall also sells wonderful ice-creaming gelato. If you're in the mood for music and you want it live, hit La Playa, DJ Tunes, music from all the genres, go to moments. Okay, now it's time to settle down. You need a respite from the world. You want to like center yourself. You got to go up in the mountains about an altitude of 700 meters to this monastery area where the main monastery is St. or Ayos Patapeos and I love him. The St. is so special because he celebrates his feast day on my birthday, December 8th. There are many relics, miracle-working holy relics in this area. There are five monasteries, the views are breathtaking, the churches are ancient, and it's quite an experience. It's a visit back in time to the people that really counted on their faith to get by in life. The most special beach in Córdintia is called Lake Vúllaga Meni. And this is also known as Blue Lake, a bay of ejina, or excuse me, a GNC, ejina's near Athens. But Blue Lake or Lake of Vúllaga Meni is very, very shallow and the water is almost crystal clear. Can't go wrong here. Hydration, this is a big topic with the Kefilife podcast because you must hydrate. We are 70% water and it's very important, especially when you're traveling in Greece because we're so close to Africa and the equator so the sun feels 10 times stronger than other places. And it is my honor to tell you that in Lutriki, the most significant bottled water comes from here, from Lutriki, because of the mineral water springs. You can go to a mountain or a faucet or some type of little spring, drink it, and it is so healthy and pure and full of minerals. It will probably just give you clear skin right away. Next stop in Greece was Naplio. This used to be the old capital of Greece. Many say it's the most romantic town in Greece. There are four UNESCO World Heritage sites here, Miquinas being one of them. And this is where my husband's cousins took us to experience ancient Greece. And it was something else. This is mind blowing, one of the oldest civilizations, the Mysean civilization, which lasted about 1600 to 1100 BC. And I am still thinking about Liongate, which dates back to the Bronze Age. You'll see a picture below. When you're in Naplio, also you'll want to head to Amos Beach. You'll have a beautiful swim. It's just gorgeous. We had genuine hospitality from Brian's family. They could not have been more generous. I want to see how I want to thank them. It was really exciting to see them after seven years. They are the pan-ultimate example if he looks in your hospitality. Friends, when in Greece, make time for an island. But there are so many, about 600. There are six main groups of islands. And each has his own character, food type, culture and beauty. How do you choose? Well, this year, we narrowed it down to one that is dedicated to history, but also beauty. And it's not quite as populated, not as visited. It's the island of roads. Roads is in Vothikhanasi, which means 12, 12 islands. And up to this point, Brian and I had only been to Ikariyan Popmos in the Vothikhanasi. And that was time to visit the ninth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, also in Vothikhanasi, the historical capital of the grouping, roads. When you go to roads, don't miss Grandmaster in the street of nights, incredible, roads old town, best shops, best restaurants, purple stone roads, little churches, wonderful people. You want to go to the Acropolis of Lindos, the valley of butterflies, there are a thousand of swarming beautiful butterflies all over in the small contained area. Additionally, Anthony Quinn Bay, the reason I am Kefi, is an expression of love combined with nature, great food, sea life, mountain backdrop. And just a little tiny place that is kind of heading off the, it's off the beaten path. It's the location for the movie The Guns of Navarone. And it was during this filming that actor, Anthony Quinn, who also starred in the Zorb of Greek, fell in love with the location and now people all over the world call it Anthony Quinn Beach and they visit it and they just love it. Some of the most fabulous people are on the Island of Roads. I want to send out kisses to Natassa, Michelle, Batro, Eva, all the girls at the spot with Mitsisalia, Jani, Dimitri, you guys are just incredible. Such warmth and love to us, the strangers who became your friends. Thank you. Thank you for hosting us on your beautiful Island of Roads. And when you're in Roads, I do highly recommend taking a ferry to Simi Island. It's tiny. It's beautiful. It is just so colorful. He ate the most delicious meal of the Greece trip at a place called Daverna Merakles. I have never tasted such delicious Domades or stuffed grape leaves. They are so mouth-watering. Final stop, a major monument of the Golden Age of Athens, Cape Suno. This is also referred to the place where history meets the Aegean Sea. The Temple of Poseidon at Cape Suno is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and it's located on the southernmost tip of the Attica Peninsula. When you're in Athens and you go to Placa and the Parthenon and the Manasaraki and all that, be sure to also make time for this expedition back to the 5th century BC here at Cape Suno. You will not regret it. The only regrets we have in life are those things which we must do and experience but fail to do due to the notion that we'll do it one day. Friends that one day is now. If it's a good idea, do it today. Make a bucket list, start checking up those boxes, decide where your heart wants to take you and ignite your soul, nourish your mind and feed your body to the senses of another land and another time. Until next time, I'm wishing you a life of bliss, one that is void of doubt and full of health and caffeine. Olekala kisses, yours truly Kiki. Yama's, it's Kiki Vale. Today I'd like to personally invite you to sign up for my Tuesday newsletter. Why? Because here I will directly communicate with you, sharing additional wellness content and promotions that our team has created for you in mind. I promise not to overload you, only further inspire you. Visit kepilife.com today, sign up for the Tuesday newsletter, bringing you one step closer to Olekala all as well. Kiki Vale is the founder of Kefilife. She is passionate about whole person wellness and living a fulfilled life. Her Kefilife podcast is created to simply and naturally help you harmonize the mind, body and soul, the Greek way. Visit kepilife.com and check out Kiki Vale on LinkedIn and on Twitter. Join us again next time for more positive energy and inspiration on Kefilife. (upbeat music) [BLANK_AUDIO]
