Meeting in Europe: A Road Trip to Our Hearts

Where do they hide the air conditioners in Nice? What is it like to live in a floating house on the Danube? Do they drink Assyrtiko in Marseille? Why does a bar in Zurich choose to have a bad view? And finally, who should we support, Sampdoria or Genoa?

Forget everything you knew about Europe. It’s time to see it through the eyes of Greeks who have made it their home!

Epistimi Binazi sets off on a road trip from one end of Europe to the other. She doesn’t stop at the most popular destinations, but moves off the beaten track in search of cities where the heart of the European project beats. Bologna, Marseille, Zurich, Strasbourg, Nice, Genoa, Belgrade...

In each city, she is guided not only by an online map but also by Greeks who live and work there. Some studied in the city and stayed, others chased their dreams, and some moved their businesses there. All of them now have two homelands.

They open their homes to us, show us their favorite spots, and give us a local’s tour of their places. Guests, but also hosts, they share with us what life outside Greece is like. What do they miss about Greece, and what could bring them back? Is Europe our common home, and how do they view the changes that have taken place in recent years from the North to the South?

Join us on this dual journey, on the road and within ourselves. Come with us to discover our common home. We have an appointment in Europe.

First stop: Marseille. Welcome to one of the most significant ports in the Mediterranean, the city of noir films, Cézanne, bouillabaisse, multiculturalism and... rebetiko. Following the sounds of music through the vibrant, multinational alleys of Cours Julien, Epistimi finds herself at the rehearsals of singer Kalliroi Raouzeou, creator of the Fado-Rebetiko Project, a fusion of the Mediterranean's most poignant musical traditions. Ioanna Mousikoudis, a PhD holder in Modern Greek Studies and professor of Modern Greek at the prestigious Lycée Thiers, takes us through the rich history of the Greeks of Marseille. We also meet Thanasis Kampanaos, the owner of the only company in France dedicated exclusively to Greek products. Returning to the port, we board the boat of Richard Caramanolis, a former professional boxer of the 1980s who now sails the seas, dreaming of... stuffed vine leaves!