Tell us your Story

Spring is here! Athens has started to smell and look like a teenager… beautiful, fresh, optimistic and in good mood.

March 2017

Pinelopi Kyriazi is the wonderful Vegetarian Chef behind Maninio.com  Food & Travel Blog. She is a busy bee and a travel guru but she spares some time to answer IdeaDeco’s questions.

Here it is:

1. What’s your favorite song?

Parov Stelar – The sun

2. What was the last gift you gave someone?

To my niece – A board game

3. What’s your favorite social media network, and why?

I really love Instagram, not for personal exposure, but for the people’s ideas, great Photography and endless Inspiration.

4. When have you been most satisfied in your life?

During my solo trip in Cambodia, Sri Lanka and an Ashram in India.

5. How lucky are you and why?

Generally, I am very lucky because I believe I am lucky. 🙂

6. What inspires you?

Music, Interesting people, Travelling, Books, Baking, Sunrise and Food Photography.

---

7. Who do you admire, and why?

Firstly my best friend for overcoming so many difficulties in her life and still keeping positive and Secondly, my previous boss for his unique way of knowledge transfer.

---

8. Which idea has made you look twice?

Design of the COB buildings

9. What would you do if you knew you were going to die in 6 months?

Support an orphan for life, Travel the world and forget being shy. 🙂

---

10. What things you do not like to do?

Household and Exercise in the Gyms.

11. How honest are you?

Very Honest.

---

 
12. Which people you believe are the most influential?

The people that dealing with tough difficulties in their lives and the ones are self-made.

---

 
13. Name one thing that you dislike about social media.

Long hours on the internet!

14. What is the funniest thing that has happened to you recently?

My dad’s reaction after watching a secret video made by me during his morning exercise. We could not stop laughing!

---

15. How do you evaluate success?

For me, success is when I am achieving my goals at the end of the day and that my work is countable and recognizable by the people around me. Moreover, a huge part of success is when I am improving people’s lives in one way or another.

---

16. What’s your “superpower”?

Persistence and do not take life seriously.

---

17. For what are you proud of?

The acceptance of my male colleagues as a Mechanical Engineer on construction sites.

18. When was the last time you learned something new?

Today, during my Vegan Patisserie course.

19. What do you do during your free time?

Reading, Travelling, going out with friends, listen to music.

---

20. Can you name 3 books that you absolutely adore?

• We need to talk about Kevin,
• Shantaram
• Roots

21. What motivates you to get out of bed in the morning?

The smell of coffee.

22. If money was not an issue, what would be different in your life?

I would be able to travel more for food, adventure, build ecologic/ sustainable houses and create an ecovillage community.

---

23. What is your favorite colour?

Blue – green.

---

24. What do you find appealing about social media?

People’s ideas and creativity.

---

25. When you enter a room do you feel like you own it?

Sometimes.

---

26. How would you describe yourself in one word?

“Crazy”.

27. What would someone who doesn’t like you say about you?

I wish I could find out also.

---

28. Where do you think you will be after 25 years?

In an exotic beach managing a healthy retreat build by me, with yoga, meditation, and my own healthy food. (Dreams..)

---

29. What is your favorite quote?

Keep going and never give up.

30. What is your job? What do you do for a living?

I am Mechanical Engineer and Food and Travel Blogger. I am a new bee to the Food and Travel blogging though.

---

31. How many hours per day do you use the internet?

Approximately 5-6 hours.

---

32. How many hours per week do you work?

While I was working as a Mechanical Engineer approximately 45 – 50 hours. Currently as a Food and Travel blogger about 15 hours and trying to achieve more.

---

33. What was the most interesting moment in your life, the last 6 months?

Travel around France and discover my love for Vegan cuisine.

34. So, what’s your story in a nutshell?

I am Penelope from Greece (Nafpaktos), studied Mechanical Engineering in Athens, where I worked for a few years. I did my first trip abroad (Prague) in 2002 and I totally fell in love with the place. Since then, I did not stop traveling.

At first, it was around Greece and in 2005 I decided to move to Scotland (Edinburgh) to feed my travel bug and to study for a year. During 2006 – 2015, I worked in Qatar (with a break between – 1.5 years), wherein parallel, start reconnecting with my second passion, Food!

During my last 3 years in the Middle East, I was deeply involved with culinary, studied a Chocolatier program and I start sharing all my goodies with my friends and colleagues. As a result, I started a part-time catering, offering homemade Greek food and sugar paste cakes for almost 2 years.

Since then, my travel’s character has changed…wherever I travel I am committed to fulfilling my role as a new “bee” to local food, discovering food trends, best restaurants and culinary experiences around the globe. My culinary taste changed the last year where I am involving with the Vegan cuisine and Patisserie.

Who is Pinelopi Kyriazi

I am Pinelopi from Greece, Mechanical Engineer, Traveller, Certified in Plant Based cuisine and Certified Chocolatier. So far, I have traveled in 26 countries and worked in Scotland, Qatar and France. Currently, I am studying a course in Essential Vegan Desserts, Photography and Ecological Buildings. Recently I changed my diet to Vegetarian, Vegan and I decided to refresh my blog’s content also.

On my Food and Travel blog Maninio except for my travel adventures, you can also discover Greek Vegetarian, Vegan food and desserts, delicacies from around the world and my opinion about my favorite restaurants, shop and places to be. Moreover, I will be sharing my personal struggles and successes through this diet transition and ways to make it easier. Lastly but not least, I am looking for Greek organic products producers to be featured on my blog.

 
You can find me to my blog Maninio, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Bloglovin. I am waiting for your comments, questions, feedback or any other things you may want to discuss.

---

Get into my shoes

35. What question do you have for me?

Are you really happy? Is something that you would change in your life?

Areti Vassou, IdeaDeco answered: Yes, I am really happy with my life. As a matter of fact, there is something that would like to change in my life. I would love to take more spontaneous short trips to unknow destinations. To smell and discover new places. To meet people that they see the world from a different corner of our earth. And I am planning to make room for this in my life. Now.