The Cretan Federation of Australia and New Zealand (CFANZ) have organised a two-week trip for 20 of their youth to explore the homeland, chiefly the island from which they hail from.
The trip began on July 8 and will last until July 21 in an effort by the Federation to expose their youth to the sights of Greece as well as experience firsthand Cretan hospitality.
Their trip commenced in Athens with many traditional highlights such as being given a guided tour of the Acropolis Museum as well as climbing up the rock to see the Parthenon.
Another major moment of their visit has been going to the Presidential Mansion wherein they were welcomed by President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou.
The youth have also been hosted by the Hellenic National Defence General Staff (HNDGS) and been afforded the chance to visit the Tanagra Air Base, the Salamis Naval Base, the Artillery School, and the Georgios Tzavellas Camp where the Battalion of the Presidential Guard is stationed.
As such, they have seen up close new warplanes, frigates, submarines, and the Evzones (the ceremonial unit that guards the Greek Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Presidential Mansion).
The Federation has worked closely with the HNDGS for many decades in the context of its commemorative events for the Battle of Crete, which began in 1978.
This trip acts as an extension of that bond, with the aim of implementing the HNDGS hospitality program for the Cretan children of Australia which will continue on next year during the school holidays in September.
There are aspirations to turn this program into one that is open to all Greek-Australians in the future.
The Cretan youth’s journey will now take them to the island of their origin, specifically in Chania, Rethymno and Agios Nikolaos, as part of a hospitality program organized by the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Accompanying the group of youngsters are the CFANZ President, Mr Antonis Tsourdalakis, the President of the Cretan Brotherhood of Sydney and New South Wales, Mr Manolis Vitetzakis, and the Dance Teacher of the Cretan Brotherhood of Sydney and New South Wales, Mr Pavlos Spanoudakis.
