12/03/14

[Maik]

More migrants left than entered Greece in 2013, International Organisation for Migration reports

http://www.hri.org/news/greek/ana/2014/14-03-11.ana.html#43

The Athens International Airport (Eleftherios Venizelos) on Tuesday announced a series of incentives for airlines over the April to October tourist season, to encourage companies to keep up their flight numbers and reduce their overall airport fees, in some cases by 80 percent.

http://www.amna.gr/english/articleview.php?id=5354

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus stone theater structure, located on the southwest slope of the Acropolis of Athens, is at the top of a list of the world’s most spectacular theaters published by the online newspaper of The Telegraph.

http://news.gtp.gr/2014/03/11/greeces-odeon-herodes-atticus-tops-worlds-spectacular-theater-list/

The Telegraph has a great photo of the Odeon of Herodes Atticus

[Maik]

Missing cat comes home EIGHT years after going missing
A FAMILY who had given up hope of ever being reunited with their missing cat were amazed when he turned up eight years later.

Ginger and white tomcat Jesse reappeared at the same vet's surgery where he ran away in 2006 after being taken for his injections.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/464029/Cat-who-fled-injection-at-vets-comes-home-after-going-missing-for-eight-years

[Maik]

A little bit of local history: I happened across a mention of Nicole Marino Pignatorre in the Spectator archive:


http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/12th-march-1842/20/births-marriages-and-deaths

Stirred my curiosity so I did a little research and found the family crest:


http://www.corgialenios.gr/library/media.asp?aid=2955

Haven't figured yet if the family name was originally Greek and Italianised or if the family originated from Italy and the name was subsequently Hellenised to Piniatorou / Piniatoros. Looks like the Piniatoros family was quite eminent on Kefalonia in the 18th and 19th centuries and a Dr. Nicholas Piniatoro has a lot to be thanked for:

"It is a pity that no entrepreneur, experienced in the winemaking methods of Madeira or France, establishes himself on Cephalonia. There is no doubt that he would succeed".
Charles Napier (1822-1830)

The first organized winemaking concern, The Wine Company of Cephalonia, was established in Argostoli by Dr. Nicholas Piniatoro

http://www.domainefoivos.com/history.htm

 

I *think* an area off the Piccolo Gyro is named Piniatoros (possibly where the old winery was?) and one of the family line is named in the rescue of John Capes:


http://www.navy.gr/content/index.php?view=article&catid=61:john-capes&id=111:-john-capes&option=com_content&Itemid=71&lang=en

A Marina Piniatorou features in this recent youtube vid clip:




Also a 'Technical Office' in Argostoli run by a Vasilis Piniatoros: http://www.piniatoros.gr/


Edit: typo

[Maik]

There's mention of a local historian by the name Pignatorre here but no date / link given. Could be around 1887 if this is the same Pignatorre.

The first link is from quite an interesting thread. I had no idea that vast numbers of Europeans were taken in raids by Barbary pirates, including raids on coastal England, Ireland and, of course, Greece.


Looks like the English branch of the family had close links with Kefalonia and Venice :


http://www.anglo-italianfhs.org.uk/transcriptions/transcripts/1851n-r.pdf


Edit: table above from the 1851 Census results, see here