My story
Welcome to my page, Maninio!
A blog that you can discover stories from my involvement with Vegetarian Vegan food and travels, wandering around the world. My name is Penelope, from Nafpaktos, I studied Mechanical Engineer in Athens where I worked for a few years.
Travel – The Beginning
My first trip was abroad (Prague) in 2002. As a result, I fell in love with the city and since then I did not stop traveling.
Initially, my trips were around Greece and in 2005 I decided to move to Scotland (Edinburgh) to feed my “hunger” for traveling and study for a year.
Gastronomy – The Beginning
During 2006 – 2015, I worked as a Mechanical Engineer in Qatar. Alongside my work and my travels mainly to Asia, I began to explore my second passion, in cooking and especially in pastry.
In my last two years in the Middle East, I attended a three-month chocolate seminar (I’m obsessed with pastry!). I started to share my treats with friends and colleagues. I became obsessed! Cooking and discovering new recipes all the time, was my new passion. My name on that current flatshare was Ratatouille! One day, a colleague and dear friend named Sumit (Thanks dear!!), gave me the idea to open a Facebook page and start selling my food. My main love was apple pies. A colleague and friend inspired me to try various versions of apple pies. He was trying all my “experiments”. Thanks, Bassel for the inspiration and the encouragement.
As a result, I started a part-time catering offering Greek delicacies and sugar paste cakes to Greeks and foreigners for 2 years.
Since then, the style of my travels has changed character… Wherever I travel, I am committed to fulfilling my goal of being a new bee to get to know local cuisines, discovering the best restaurants and the most appealing culinary experiences.
Travel – The next step
By the end of the summer of 2015, I decided to leave Qatar and travel around the world. I began from Cambodia, continued to Sri Lanka, India, and then Greece for a while. Then I decided to move to France for a few months to learn the language and explore. There I got the need to deal more extensively with my blog, which I did. I started studying various online seminars and courses. Then along with my blog, I continued my trips to Ireland and Germany.
I recently returned to Greece to follow a course called Design and Optimisation of Zero Energy Consumption Buildings from the Kapodistrian University and to promote the food and traditional products of my country through my blog.
Gastronomy – The next step and the transition
Early in 2017, I discovered the benefits of Vegetarianism and Veganism and I am in the transition from obesity to a healthy lifestyle. At the moment I’m a vegetarian. Now I am Proudly Vegan!
I do not apply any diet just changing my diet and I see what works for me and whatnot. The recipes you will find on my blog are my own “experiments”, traditional recipes from my mum and from what I have learned from the relevant seminars and from my travels around the world.
My Transition to Vegetarianism and Veganism originally started for health reasons and after extensive research and education, I remain in this diet and for moral reasons also. I am still in the transition to stop eating eggs, dairy and honey.
Seminars and diplomas with Certifications:
- Diploma in Plant-Based Diet – Certified (Canada),
- Diploma in Essential Vegan Desserts – Certified (Canada),
- Certificate in Professional Chocolatier – Certified (Canada),
- Diploma in Holistic Massage – Certified (UK),
- Diploma in Thai Massage (Level 1) from Thailand and Greece – Certified (Thailand & Greece),
- Diploma in Reiki – Certified (Qatar),
- Yoga Teachers Training 200hrs (TTC) – Vinyasa Yoga Shala – Rishikesh, India,
- Weekly Cooking Classes in Qatar, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, India, France, Greece, and the UK,
- Photography seminars in Ireland as well as online classes,
- Certificate in Digital Marketing – Certified from Hellenic American Union
You will discover everything related to a healthy and alternative lifestyle, from food, travel, eco-friendly restaurants, ecological homes as well as hotels, various retreats, yoga, and alternative holidays.
The name of my blog is, the name my niece calls me. Oh yeah, I’m a silly aunt!
I would be happy to hear your comments and suggestions!
