"Health, Nutrition, and Fitness: From Ancient to Modern Times"

The Embassy of Greece presents "Health, Nutrition, and Fitness: From Ancient to Modern Times", a series of presentations that will launch with: "Farming, Feasting, and the Foundations of the Early Greek City: Recent Excavations at the Site of Azoria, Crete", a lecture by Professor Donald Haggis. The event will take place on Monday, March 14, 2011 from 6:30pm-8:30pm at the Embassy of Greece, located at 2217 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C. 20008.

The Azoria Project is a case study of urbanization in the Mediterranean, exploring the Early Iron Age and Archaic town of Azoria (ca. 1200-500 B.C.). The focus of the excavation is on ancient agricultural practices, providing new evidence for the relationship between food procurement, processing and consumption, and the development of social and political systems in the early Greek world. www.azoria.org

Donald Haggis is Professor of Classical Archaeology and N. A. Cassas Term Professor of Greek Studies in the Department of Classics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His work focuses on Minoan, Early Iron Age, and Archaic Crete and he has conducted excavations and surveys on the island for the past 25 years.

To RSVP for the lecture, please e-mail rsvpculture@greekembassy.org.

Immediately following the lecture,

from 8:30 -10:30 p.m.:

Ancient Flavors - Modern Palates.

Dinner Celebrating Historic Food Routes of Crete at

Mourayo Restaurant, 1732 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington DC

Enjoy a fantastic dinner featuring ingredients cherished by residents of Crete through the ages. The special 4-course menu includes options such as grilled fresh sardines over eggplant puree, arugula salad with barley and dried fruits, rabbit ragout with Cretan pasta, pork tenderloin with honey, almond and fig sauce or fresh fish with mint and peppercorn sauce served over black beluga lentils.

Dinner is $65 per person, including 2 glasses of wine, tax and gratuity. Advance payment is required.

To Reserve Dinner, contact

Mourayo at: 202-667-2100

The program is coordinated by Nikki Rose, Professional Chef-Author and Founder of Crete’s Culinary Sanctuaries. CCS is a network of teachers and professionals from interrelated fields organizing educational programs to celebrate and help protect Crete's heritage. Accredited study abroad programs and public seminars are conducted on-site: historic sites, organic farms, rural communities and natural parks. CCS is an award-winning program for best practices in sustainable travel, including National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations and the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity Success Stories. www.cookingincrete.com.