What a Party-Scandal! Navy bows to Money (Upds)

Uproar caused by the wedding party  at the historical  battleship AVEROF !

Last Thursday  the sunset is mellow in Paleo Faliro, a coastline suburb  of Athens.  The summer heat weave days have not started yet, the humidity is bearable. Around 8 o’ clock people walking at the seaside promenade are astonished. Expensive and shiny cars, jeeps and limousines arrive,  hold in front of the legendary battleship Averof and  glamorous esteemed  guests come out.

The esteemed guests upon arrival on the ship are welcome by similar esteemed hosts:  newly weds  Leo Patitsa, Reeder, and Marietta Chrousala, ex TV Girl.

After hosts and guests have shaken hands and blown ‘diplomatic’ kisses in the air, guests start ‘marching’ on the ship deck, decorated with  flower columns in white. For the newly weds…

By 9  o’ clock the legendary deck is full of beautiful people, young and old, rich and less rich, not to say “working girls”.  The clothes are expensive. Some are less expensive but sexy, as lots of models from the local modelling scene are also invited.

The buffet is  a reminiscent of a wedding party with sugared almonds, champagne and exquisite food. Guests enjoy the evening eating, drinking, chatting and starring at the stars and looking the sea.

Among the crowd is , of course,  the relaxed commodore of the ship,  in a playful mood, who addressing the esteem guests wishes to all “Have Fun!”  Hosts and guests do later have fun, when the cool jazz is switched  to oriental tunes and hosts and guests are starting to dance. As only Greeks understand to dance and have fun…

It is  a right perfect wedding party. The time is right, the people are right, the weather is right,  food & drinks are right but the place is wrong!

Then battleship Averof is a floating navy museum, sis honored with the respect owed to a historical  monument.

The Averof  was launched on March  1910 and has served as the flagship of the Royal Hellenic Navy. She has participated in the Balkan wars, and  she took part in the liberation of the northern and eastern Aegean. The Averof have succeeded  in forcing the Ottoman fleet to retreat in disorder.

In 1984, the Greek Navy decided to restore her as a museum, and in the same year she was towed to Faliron Bay, where she is anchored to this day and functioning as a floating museum, seeking to promote the historical consolidation and upkeep of the Greek naval tradition.

The ship is still regarded as in active service, carrying the Rear Admiral’s Rank Flag a square blue flag with white cross. Every Greek Navy ship entering or sailing in Faliron Bay honours the Averof while passing. The crew are ordered to attention (with the “Still to” order) and from the relevant Boatswain’s pipe (or bugle call) every man on decks stands to attention, officers saluting, looking to the side where the Averof is in sight until “Continue” is ordered .

1919 Bosporous

Greek Navy honours the Averof saluting , Greek High Society honours the AVEROF dancing.

Friday morning at 2 o’ clock the wedding party was over.

Hosts , guests and the Commodore  went home to rest.

It would have been a perfect party, if it wasn’t a weekly newspaper that got pictures of the newly weds and their guests – including the Commodore.

The weekly Proto Thema was published yesterday Sunday  revealing the story and the pictures  causing an uproar  among the Navy, the media and the common Greeks, who watched  the whole thing  thinking “Those rich have not respect of anything!”

Meanwhile…

– The Commodore Evaggelos Gavalas has been dismissed from the ranks of the Navy!

– The letter of Leo Patitsa asking for a  permission from the Navy  General Staff to “host an event honouring the 100th Anniversary of Launching the Averof”, has been

leaked to the media.

– The Navy “returns’ – not yet though –  the donation of  € 5.000 to the Party hosts !

– No excuse or explanation has been released so far by the hosts.

– Some people wonder what if the newspaper has not published the story?

– Why weren’t there any objections from the Commodore during the Party?

– Could any Commodore or sailor stand up and protest  the money power of reeders?

… And Some Days Later…..

Minister of National Defense Evaggelos Venizelos described the event as ‘provocative, heavily insulting the honor and reputation of the Navy,  heavly insulting the patriotic sensitivity ” and said  “it is dangerous to be captured by the power of wealth  or by the superficiality of  celebrities.  “

Venizelos also said  that the request for organizing an event on  the battleship was submitted in November 2009 in order to honor the centenary of the accession of “George Averof” in  the Navy, in the frame of  Maritime Fair “Posidonia 2010”.

He also said that on the eve of the event, the company thanked the Navy for granting the Museum for an event donating  EUR 5.000.

Tags: Averof Party, battleship Averof, Evaggelos Gavalas Commodore, Evaggelos Venizelos, Evangelos Venizelos Minister of National Defense, Greece, Greek Navy, Greek news, Leo Patitsa, Marietta Chrousala