Local businesses come together to raise Zagorochorias profile

By Vassiliki Kerasta*

The Zagori Excellence Network, or ZEN, is a modern initiative that aims to promote Zagorochoria, an area encompassing 45 villages in the Pindus mountain range in Greeces northwestern Epirus region, in Greece as well as abroad. It is a collaborative project involving tourism, catering and outdoor activities businesses that have seen revenues decline as a result of the ongoing debt crisis.

The project started in Ano Pedina, a village in Central Zagori and was the brainchild of Yiannis Skordilis, the owner of Amaryllis guesthouse. In a way, however, the network had already begun to form before its founders realized. Those of us who got together [via ZEN] mostly knew each other through our customers, says Vassilis Katsoupas. A customer would walk into my restaurant in Vitsa and say, You were recommended by Papaevangelou in Papingo. I did not even know Papaevangelou back then. So in a way we founded a network that was already there, Katsoupas added.

We chat over a red Zagori wine on a quiet evening in the restaurant of the Pirrion hotel in Ano Pedina. We also get to meet other members of the network: Our friendly hosts Eleni and Xenofontas Trakis and Nikos Petsios from Zagori Suites in Vitsa. Alexis Stratsianis, 35, moved to the village two years ago to take over the family guesthouse, Primoula. He is one of ZENs biggest supporters. If I want to advertise my guesthouse abroad, then I am going to need a huge budget. But if instead we promote the region as a whole, the number of visitors who come here will gradually grow and my own guesthouse will benefit as well, he explains.

Zagori is indeed endowed with an abundance of natural beauty. No less important, it has preserved its traditional architecture with the regions characteristic slate roofs. Here lies the breathtaking Vikos Gorge, the clear waters of Voidomatis River, the peak of Astraka. The members of ZEN are also connected by their love of nature and respect for each other as tourism professionals.

Achilles Papaefthimiou of Alpine Zone, a company that specializes in outdoor activities, has 17 years of experience. He has worked with tourist offices for a number of years but has chosen to join ZEN because, as he says, it represents a hallmark of excellence. You can better support your business when you belong to a group of outstanding businesses. Sure, attempts were made in the past to set up clusters, but teamwork is not Greeks strongest point. Wed rather each wave our own flag, he says.

Dionysis Stefanou, who runs a taverna called Riza in Elati, adds, You will never experience economic growth if you only care about filling your own hotel or taverna. A delicious-smelling savory pie (for which the region is well known), roasted eggplant and some amazing-looking lamb prepared by Stefanou lie on the table waiting for us to tuck in. The food leaves no question about the quality one of ZENs key ingredients.

We have to keep the balance, says Alexandros Kallatzis, another member of the network. His hotel, Kipi Suites, has enjoyed two strong consecutive seasons. Only 15 percent of the bookings were made by Greeks while the rest were comprised Australians, Germans and Israelis.

If a visitor liked my shop but not Zagori, well thats not good enough, he says. It is important that the whole region becomes more attractive. One key problem that we are facing, for example, is that there is no airport in the area. Meanwhile, locals have to deal with less challenging but crucial problems like the lack of ATMs in Zagorochoria.

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Local businesses come together to raise Zagorochorias profile

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpQ3sCswo80

Jay Zen @ Palms Pool in Las Vegas
Jay Zen @ Palms Pool in Las Vegas taken last October 20, 2014. Our Family Reunion (with Rene) @ Las Vegas We travelled from San Francisco to Las Vegas to meet with my brother Rene and his...

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Mndsgn - Camelblues
from YAWN ZEN http://stonesthrow.com/mndsgn https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/yawn-zen/id897702781 Video by Ross Harris. Color Grade by Jeremy Ian Thomas.

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Zen - trkkk s pozcik - msodik rsz

By: DreamDogGrace

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Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) October 23, 2014

SWF (Shaolin World Federation) and Shaolin Institute will hold, on November 7th at 6:30pm in Mobile, Alabamas Civic Center, a seminar entitled: Zen Nutrition & Healing: An Enlightenment from the Irony of Cung Le 's HGH Test." This test refers to a highly publicized "post-fight blood test on Aug. 23, performed by the Hong Kong Functional Medical Testing Center and ordered by the UFC, revealed Le, 42, had an hGH level of 18.162 mIU/mL, which is above normal ranges according to an ESPN report on Oct. 13, 2014 (http://espn.go.com/mma/story/_/id/11666574).

The seminar is sponsored by the Shaolin Chan Foundation on disconnecting people from the tendency to rely on synthetic medicines in a fast-paced world to explore such question as Why do people fall for medical 'quick fixes?'" This seminar is mainly to rediscover Zen natural medicine, nutrition, and healing with reflection on UFC recent "accusation" reported by ESPN on Sept. 30, 2014 (http://espn.go.com/mma/story/_/id/11621081)

The natural medicine of nutrition seminar at KSF-US Open Challenge explores reasons why more people have adopted a culture of quick fixes when it comes to health with an additional discussion on the accusation made by officials of the UFC regarding Cung Le s elevated HGH level, as reported and discussed on ESPN website mentioned above.

From headaches to weight-loss, it seems as though everything has a pill which claims to better everyones situation effectively and, most importantly, promptly with little side-effects. A second thought is never given about the possible consequences.

Admittedly, I felt the need to hold this seminar, says Shi Deru. I was surprised and heartbroken to hear of the news that UFC accused a long-time student, Cung Le, of taking performance-enhancement drugs after his most recent fight in Macau, China on August 23rd. In many years of training Cung Le, I have never known him to have taken any kind of performance-enhancing drugs.

The Shaolin Institute advocates the practice of natural healing, nutrition, and self-empowering through high consciousness and total mind and body communication. Cung Le has always integrated high forms of natural nutritional methods through smoothies and other dietary methods (among highly healthy conscious people) to his rigorous training regiments, recalls Deru. These smoothies only contained organic fruits and vegetables. Cung Le would travel everywhere with his blender in order to continue this daily nutritional high performance practice.

Currently, Le is in process of appealing the accusation. A medical testing center not accredited with WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency), which is a standard requirement for UFC, carried out the test, according to ESPN report on Oct. 9 2014 (espn.go.com/mma/story).

Le and his manager, Gary Ibarra, are contesting the results which they claim that did not differentiate whether or not the level of HGH was either through synthetic abuse or naturally occurring in Les system. HGH naturally occurs and varies in the human body according to that ESPN report (espn.go.com/mma/story).

Importantly, institutions such as the Shaolin Institute believe that resorting to use of drugs and other synthetic inhibitors for performance enhancement is self-destructive and suppresses the bodys inner abilities to treat and heal.

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SWF Hosts a Seminar on Zen Natural Nutrition & Healing: An Enlightenment from the Irony of Cung Le 's HGH Test"

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Deep Relaxation: Zen Meditation Music (With Alternating Binaural Frequencies) - Video

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2014/10/19 F1RCGP Zen RC Circuit F1 Class A-Main
m-ms rb1.5offset3.6 2400sqpg 75000 4.0 4.5 4.5 R.

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2014/10/19 F1RCGP Zen RC Circuit F1 Class A-Main - Video

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Batalha do Relgio - Naui MOVNI x Zen - Final - 09/10/2014
Mais Informaes: http://www.facebook.com/MelecaVideos http://www.facebook.com/DueloDeMcsBheDf http://www.facebook.com/BatalhaDoMuseu http://www.facebook.com/pages/3-Beats/433009036844762?fref=ts ...

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2014/10/19 F1RCGP Zen RC Circuit GP Class

By: ligierjs39

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2014/10/19 F1RCGP Zen RC Circuit GP Class - Video