It began as a wooden box with cigarettes and gossip. Now it’s a mini-market with regulations, and still knows your business. There was a time when the periptero (kiosk) wasn’t shiny. It…

Living in Greece isn’t the same as visiting on holiday. Every few weeks someone writes a post explaining what living in Greece is really like. It usually starts the same way. The…

There are English words for it. Expat. Immigrant. Relocation. Diaspora. They all describe movement. Ξενιτιά (xenitiá) does not. It describes what happens after. It’s not the act of leaving. It’s the condition…

A few days ago, someone in an expat group asked about the best pizza in Kalamata. The responses were interesting. Passionate. Occasionally helpful. But one reply was pure gold. “Take the road…

After writing about λεβέντης (levéntis), I made the mistake of doing what Greeks often do with words they love. I kept listening for it. And once you start noticing λεβέντης (levéntis), you…

Greek has many words that resist translation. Some fight politely. Some negotiate. Some wave white flags after a few explanatory paragraphs. And then there is λεβέντης (levéntis). A word that refuses to…