Johannes Gutenberg

My name is Johannes Gutenberg. I was born in Mainz, Germany around the year 1398. I was the son of a Goldsmith. I didn’t live only in Mainz, I moved a few times around Germany.

I invented the printing press. It wasn’t that hard because I took some existing technologies and some of my other inventions, I put them together and come up with the printing press in 1450. What I used was the moveable type (That was totally my idea). Instead of using wooden blocks to press ink in paper, I used moveable metal pieces to create pages faster. I made the printing process way more fast. My printing presses could print thousands of pages in a day. In the old method they could only print between 40 to 50 copies in a whole day. This was a really big improve and it allowed the middle class to have access to books so knowledge and education spread in all Europe.

The first printed thing that cameo out from the press was a German poem. Bibles were uncommon, it could take a year for a priest to transcribe a bible. I printed around 200 bibles in a really short time.

In 1462 I was exiled from Mainz. But, things turned and in 1465 I received a fancy title, a salary, and more things because of the my invention.

My original Bible was sold for 30 florins. It was a lot of money at that time, but this bible was much cheaper than a hand written one.

There are around 21 complete “Gutenberg Bibles” existing today. One of these Bibles is likely worth around 30000000 (million) dollars.

Albrecht Dürer AUTOBIOGRAPHY!

My name is Albrecht Dürer. I was born on May 21, 1471 in Nuremberg, Germany. I was the third child of between fourteen and eighteen children. My father was a goldsmith.

My godfather, Anton Koberger, became a printer and publisher in the same year that I was born. My most famous publication was the Nuremberg Chronicle, which included many woodcut illustrations. I actually learned a lot about woodcuts and printing while I was working on this publication.

When I was13 years old, I was the first artist creating a self-portrait, it was a Little bit difficult but the technique I used made it easier. I used a mirror to see my features while I was painting. I drew it when I was still a child, I am very proud of that. Then I painted 3 more self-portraits.

When I was 15 I was already showing the talent I had... drawing. My talent was recognized, and I became an apprentice of Michael Wolgemut (he is an important artist in Nuremberg).

I also mad many drawings, specially watercolors and oil paintings. Now 60 of my oil paintings remain. My most important works are: “Young Hare”, witch I made in 1502, “The Praying Hands”, that was painted on 1508, and Rhinoceros in 1515; this one is my favorite one.

My life was awesome. I had a really interesting lifestyle; I really loved to paint since I was just a kid. My life was really cool; unfortunately I died on April 6, 1528 in Nuremberg, Germany, where I lived all my life. Now I am recognized as one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance Era, and the greatest printmaker of all time. I’m sad for the people who made things that they hated just to became famous so i am really proud of my label because I became famous by doing things i really loved and enjoyed doing.

Albrecht Dürer Art Gallery

This one is the “Young Hare”. I made this painting on 1502 and it is a Watercolor Gouache on Paper.

This one is the “The Praying Hands”, made on 1508. “The praying hands” is a Drawing. The Praying Hands is one of the many drawings I made as I planned a new painting. These praying hands would later be the hands of an apostle for an altarpiece.

This one is the “Rhinoceros” made on 1515.This work of art is a woodcut. I made this woodcut from a sketch by an unknown artist. I had never actually seen a rhinoceros; it was a very rare opportunity in my times. This woodcut became very popular. It has been said,  "probably no animal picture has exerted such a profound influence on the arts".

how did joan reached the top?

Joan of Arc grew up in a small town in France. Her father, Jacques, was a farmer who also worked as an oficial. Joan worked on the farm and learned how to sew from her mother, Isabelle. Joan was also very religious.

 When Joan was 12 years old she had a vision. She saw Michael the Archangel. He told her that she was going to lead the French in a battle Vs. the English. Joan continued having visions and hearing voices. She said they were beautiful and wonderful visions from God. When Joan turned 16 she decided it was time to listen to her visions and take action.

She decided to ask King Charles of France for an army. She first went to the local town and asked the lrader to take her to see the king. He just laughed at her, but Joan did not give up. She continued asking for help and won the support of some local leaders.

Joan met with the king. First the king was suspicious. He wasn’t sure if she really was a messenger from God or if she was just crazy. Late, the king figured thst he had nothing to lose, so he let Joan accompany a group of soldiers.

While the King was making his final desision, she started practicing for battle. She became a profetional fighter and an expert horse rider. She was ready when the king said she could fight. 

                      

Marco Polo

Marco Polo was a merchant and explorer who traveled the Far East and China for much of his life. His stories were what much of Europe knew about ancient China for many years.

Marco was born in Venice, Italy in 1254. Venice was a trading city and Marco's father was a merchant.

What is the Silk Road?

The Silk Road was a group of trade routes between major cities and trading places that went all the way from Eastern Europe to Northern China. It was called the Silk Road because silk cloth was what they most exported.

Not a lot of people traveled the entire route. Trading was mostly between cities or small sections of the route and products would slowly make their way from one side to the other.

Marco Polo's father and uncle wanted to try something different. They wanted to travel all the way to China and bring the goods directly back to Venice. They thought they could make their fortune this way. It took them nine years, but they finally made it home.

But when did he travel to china?

Marco`s first trip to China was when he was just 17 years old. His father and uncle decided to return from chine. During their first trip to china they met the Mongol Emperor Kublai Khan (Kublai, leader of all China at that time) and told him they would return. The one that returned was Marco Polo.

It took Marco Polo three years to get to China. In his way he visited many great cities and saw many places including the holy city of Jerusalem, the mountains of the Hindu Kush, Persia, and the Gobi Desert. He met a lot of different types of people and had a lot of adventures. Since the begining of marcopolo’s trip, he was trying to catch every detail because he waned to be a very cultural person. In that period of time culture was a privileg.

Marco lived in China for many years and learned to speak the language. He traveled all around China as a messenger and spy of Kublai Kham. He also traveled to the south, where Myanmar and Vietnam are today. During these visits he learned about different cultures, foods, cities, places and people. He saw many places and things that no one from Europe had ever seen before.

Byzantine Restaurant

 Byzantine Restaurant

For the Byzantines food was always related with social class. The way the people in the palace served the food was really different from the way the common people did it. That’s why our restaurant will have three sections: VIP, the normal section and the tavern: a place to eat Greek food and to have a great time.

On the VIP section the food will be serve with a lot of condiment and the dishes are excessively garnished. In this area our guests will be entertained with fruits, cakes and candies. Here you can ask for meet from large animals. This type of meet was very difficult to obtain, only the palace could obtain it. It was really expensive.

The VIP area is only for special occasions like work meetings, wedding anniversaries, birthdays and to impress your girlfriend with a beautiful diner. To have the opportunity to dine in this luxurious area, you have to book a table in advance. The tables in this area are in high demand and always full.

Our VIP menu:

Appetizers

-       Fruits -       Cheese -       Anthotiro -       Kefalintzin -       Garo salsa (our favorite condiment!)

Main course (boiled food is our specialty)

-       Boiled lamb -       Boiled seafood -       Boiled fish -       Sphoungata (omelets) -       Meet from large animals.

Desserts

-       Homey cakes -       Candies

Beverages

-       Cretense wine of muscatel grapes. -       Romania wine -       Exported from Modona -       Malvasia wine -       Exported from Monemvasía

 One of the most popular wine was the Malvasia wine, exported from Monemvasía

Malvasia wine Exported from Monemvasía

Sweet wine produced from Malvasia grapes. It is a white, sweet, fragrant wine, Types: - With strong flavors - Table wine (White wine) - Tan color wine - Red wine (the rarest) - Wine for dessert - Generous or fortified (with more alcohol)

In our common section we have excellent prices. The dishes are not as developed as those in the VIP section, bur they are very exquisite. Byzantine’s middle class was very conservative. The main diet consisted of bread, vegetables, dried fruits, cereals and salad. The salads were very important to them. The meat most common among these people was dog meat and pork. They could last for a whole year eating pork. We base our menu on this Byzantines’ diet.

Our menu:

Appetizers

Salads -       Vegetables (cabbages, beets, onions, garlic and carrots) -       Vegetable soup -       Vegetable stews We don’t have potatoes, green beans, cocoa, tomatoes, corn, pepper and strawberries, pleas don’t ask for themJ -       Bread -       Legumes -       Chickpeas -       Beans -       Cereals -       Rye -       Barley -       Buckwheat -       Millet -       Oats

Main course

-       Birds -       Hawks -       Dogs -       Pork -       Salt pork -       Pork sausage

We don’t have potatoes, green beans, cocoa, tomatoes, corn, pepper and strawberries because Byzantines didn’t have this food because It appeared after the discovery of America.

Garo salsa

This salsa is favorite condiment between the Byzantines. This salsa has: wine, vinegar, blood, pepper, oil or water

The third section of our restaurant is the tavern. This tavern is like a little restaurant inside our restaurant. The taverns were very popular between Byzantines. The tavern is a place where you can go to have a drink and a delicious Greek meal. These places are full of Greek gastronomy and Greek culture. In the taverns life Greek music (Rebetico*) was played. It was really common that people get up and dace Greek dances such as Zeibekiko dance and Hasapoki dance. Nowadays the taverns are really common all around the world because the Greek people emigrated everywhere. Rebetico is the type of music they played.

Tavern menu

Appetizers
Tzatziki		Yogurt sauce, garlic and cucumber
Greek salad
Loaf bread
Pita bread
Melitzanosalata		Eggplant Puree
Tirokafteri		Feta cheese with chili and olive oil
Spanakopita		Salty cake with spinach and cheese
Dolmades (Dolmadakia)		Rice mixed with herbs and pine nuts wrapped in tender grape leaf.
Fasolada soup		Beans, olive oil, different vegetables (national dish)
Pasta
Spaghetti Napolitano
Pastitsio	Thick layers of pasta and minced meat baked, covered with a thick bechamel.
Main course
Fresh fish baked
Cod in Salazon	Fried served with Skordalia (garlic sauce)
Squid
Octopus
Musaca	Eggplant, minced meat and bechamel
Souvlaki	Meat, vegetables, dressing
Beverages
Beer
Liquor	Ouzo, Tsipouro, Metaxa
Wines

The liquors were very popular in this area, but the most populat liquors in the tavern were:

Ouzo	-       Strong sweet taste -       The smell of Regaliz(plant) -       Base: ripe grapes and anise -       Commonly used in weddings, family reunions -       It is transparent -       Prepared by distillation in stills
Tsipouro	-       It is made with the remains of the other wines -       This liquor is distilled twice -       Flavored with anise
Metaxa	-       It is a mix of brandy and wine -       It is made of various grapes: Savatiano, Sultanate and Corinthian -       It uses sun-dried grapes -       Types: -       3 star -       5 stars -       7 star -       12 stars -       Large reserve

-       Our tables are a semicircular couches (Citadium) covered with an embroidery tablecloth

-       We are going to have forks, since Byzantines were the first ones having them.

-       Our tavern opens at 20:30.

-       We have a show at the tavern at 21:30. It is a demonstration of the popular dance Hasapiko.

-       On Saturdays the tavern opens from 18:00 to 20:00 spe ially for classes of Hasapiko. For costumers to learn how to dance it and participate in our dances.