Text messages sent to family members in Greece have helped save the life of a tourist who was stranded on a mountain in New Zealand over the weekend. Greek tourist Marios Symeonidis became lost when he went for a short walk to take photos of a waterfall on Mt Ruapehu on New Zealand’s north island, at about 6pm (7am GMT) on Saturday. When Mr Symeonidis did not return from his walk, his travelling companion alerted local police who immediately began a search...   more »

Finance Minister Giorgos Papaconstantinou is set to announce next week a new tax bill, under the watchful eye of the European Commission, which will include tougher measures for all taxpayers. The draft law’s main points will be the abolition of individualized taxation, the creation of a single bracket for all incomes, a dramatic cut in tax exemptions and major changes in the way real estate is taxed   more »

It's called “Barbecue Thursday” — a raucous pre-Easter celebration for meat lovers. But this year's Tsiknopempti festivities, a fixture of the Carnival season, brought sobering reminders of Greece's financial crisis. Athens this week set up an open-air grill for its citizens, but the revelry quickly resembled a scene from a food bank as hundreds of elderly Greeks jostled for a plastic plate of free grub and glass of wine poured out the barrel – eager to ta...   more »

The father of two British children who died from carbon monoxide poisoning in a Corfu hotel wept as he described the moments before their death. Neil Shepherd broke down as he told a Greek court how his children began feeling ill "within 10 minutes of getting into bed". Christianne Shepherd, seven, and her six-year-old brother Robert died from respiratory failure after gas leaked into their bungalow room from a faulty boiler in 2006. Mr Shepherd said he wa...   more »

This Carnival season, the City of Athens encourages everyone to join a lively, cheerful celebration that will take place in both the city centre and city neighbourhoods. A celebration for people of all ages and tastes, it harmoniously blends traditions with contemporary ideas and events that appeal to all citizens, children and city visitors. The City of Athens has given special priority to children, offering them as much as possible considering that Carni...   more »

The Battleship Averoff is the most important and impressive surviving naval vessel in the history of the Hellenic Navy. Commissioned in 1911, it remained in active service for more than 44 years and is now moored in Athens' waters for all to explore. The ship survived four different wars in the first half of the 20th century. The greatest role it played was as the flagship of the Hellenic fleet in the era of the Balkan Wars. Indeed, it proved to be the cat...   more »

Svetlin Vassilev was born in 14th of May 1971 in Rouse, Bulgaria. He studied in the Intermediate Academy of Arts "Ts. Lavrenov" in Plovdiv (1985-1990) and then in the National Academy of Fine Arts "N. Pavlovits" in Sophia (1990-1996). He first published in Bulgarian publishing houses such as Zlatno Pate, Arges, D. Ubenova, Columb92 and Icon, where he has illustrated more than 20 books. Since 1997 he lives and works in Greece with his wife Ada and their dau...   more »

The fully regenerated Rizari Park was handed over to Athenian citizens at an official inauguration last week. Following action taken by Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis, Rizari Park, which was owned by the Hellenic Public Real Estate Corporation up until 2007, passed into the "hands" of the city and the undeveloped property was converted into a green lung. The park's regeneration was made possible through the sponsorship of the Pateras Foundation. Together ...   more »

A multimedia installation titled "Red Eyed Sky Walkers" by artist Jenny Marketou is running at the temporary premises of the National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST) in downtown Athens, partly outdoors in the building's Peristyle, and partly in the indoor Project Room.The installation opens the year's exhibitions at the Museum, inaugurating the series "EMST Commissions 2010", a program of new productions commissioned by the Museum that will be presented ...   more »

The word Carnival – Latin in origin, the corresponding Greek word being apókreo or apokria) – we mean the three-week period before Ash Monday when it is the custom to masquerade. Literally “Apokria” means to say goodbye to the period of meat-eating, or abstinence from meat (Apo-kreo = away from meat). In the same way the word “Carnival” is made up from the words carne = meat and vale = take leave of. Carnival is essentially the period leading up to Len...   more »

Much trumpeted legislation aimed at stamping out smoking in Greece, Europe's most tobacco addicted nation, has been declared a failure by health campaigners. A lack of enforcement and widespread public defiance is being blamed for the Greeks' inability to conform to European standards.   more »

The most glamorous festival in Athens town awaits you. The 48 Hour Fashion Project is an original and competitive fashion festival at creation level, which will be held from February 12 to March 5, with the later dates being the most important. The candidates have to form a team and deliver a complete garment in 48 hours. The design, the pattern, the total look and the garment have to be original and unique and be presented for the first time. The leader o...   more »

Do you need a new gentlemens or ladies suit for work or the Christmas party season? Why not take advantage of the incredibly good value tailor made suit offers from Mr Vj Rashmi. The idea is to visit Mr Rashmi at a hotel in Athens where he will measures you up for a suit and/or shirt and then for an incredibly low price he will create the suit and deliver it to you via courier within four to six weeks of the fitting. He will be at the InterContinental Hote...   more »

A new "Info-point" visitor information office has been opened on the ground floor of Public Store (1 Karageorgi Servias Str.) in Syntagma as part of City of Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis' strategy to promote Athens as an urban destination. The success met by the first Info-point at the "El. Venizelos" Athens International Airport led the Athens Tourism and Economic Development Company to forge an agreement with Public Store's management with the aim of c...   more »

Following two sell out English language Digital Photography Course held in and around Kifissia, XpatAthens are now taking bookings for a course in Glyfada starting on February the 06th. The course is very hands on and involves spending part of three sessions in the classroom but mainly out and about taking photos with the expert guidance of our professional photographer. The emphasis is on learning the basics of what your SLR camera can do in a fun and rel...   more »

Rarely has the tinderbox nature of the Middle East been so accurately lensed, on such an intimate scale, as in Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani's powerful "Ajami." Working with an impressive non-pro cast, the debuting multi-hyphenate helmers, Shani (Israeli) and Copti (Palestinian), start with a revenge killing and then show the repercussions furiously fanning out, to tragic results. Time shifts may overcomplicate the narrative for some, but the pay-off packs...   more »

‘Up in the Air’ seeks comedy from two of America’s – indeed the Western world’s – most current fears: flying and redundancy. A tough ask, you might think, but director Jason Reitman offers an enjoyable balance of laughs and sorrows, pratfalls and body blows, even if this charming road movie (or should that be air movie?), adapted by Reitman and screenwriter Sheldon Turner from a 2001 novel by Walter Kirn, finally doesn’t end up anywhere nearly as interesti...   more »

British writer-director-producer Peter Strickland has decamped to the Transylvanian countryside to fashion a moody and satisfyingly archaic debut drama about a scrawny, middle-aged mother whose sudden lust for vengeance is purely primal. The enigmatic Katalin Varga (Hilda Peter) is ostracised from her village and rejected by her loving husband when a horrid discrepancy from her past comes to light. Shedding no tears, she collects her son Orbàn (Norbert Tan...   more »

In Austin Chick's August, Josh Harnett is having a bad day. As pre-9/11 dot-com hotshot Tom Sterling, he's seen his parents and tech wonk brother treating him with contempt, the girl he's pining for giving him the brush-off, and his startup Internet company blowing up in his face. Drinking morosely at a bar (or as morosely as Hartnett can get) he lashes out at a fellow techie bandit who has just returned to the bar with a condemnatory, "Guys like you ain't...   more »

Inspired by the true story of John Crowley, a man who defied conventional wisdom and great odds, and risked his family's future to pursue a cure for his children's life threatening disease. From his working class roots, John Crowley (Brendan Fraser) has finally begun to taste success in corporate America. Supported by his beautiful wife Aileen (Keri Russell) and their three children, John is on the fast track. But just as his career is taking off, Crowley ...   more »

Internationally known tango masters, milongas, shows, a live orchestra and exhibitions will be part of the 5th Athens Tango Festival, which this year takes place 12 to 15 February. This year's festival will feature the first ever Tango Marathon in Athens. Taking part in the festival are: Milena Plebs - Milena Plebs has been described as the most important tango dancer of our time. Plebs is a choreographer, dancer and director of studies in classical and mo...   more »

The Monte Carlo Ballet will present Romeo and Juliet at the Megaron, Athens Concert Hall on 5, 6 and 7 February. The famous dance company from the Principality of Monaco will be performing Shakespeare's tragedy set to music by Sergei Prokofiev and choreographed by French Jean-Christophe Maillot. In 2009, the company celebrated its 100-anniversary with a celebratory tour of Europe. The Athens performances are part of that tour.   more »

Louis Farrakhan is an evil sociopathic anti-Semite who was responsible for the murder of Malcolm X, but he was right-on about one thing-- the Jews who ran Hollywood were racists. The celluloid presence of shiftless, stupid, lazy, greedy, sassy Blacks, featured exclusively as maids and butlers, tainted major studio releases from the ‘30’s to the 50’s, rendering heartwarming family fare, cutting-edge comedy classics and edgy film noir expeditions into psychi...   more »

The New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble was formed in 1994, and after five albums and appearances all over Europe, Canada, the United States and South America, they are now an internationally recognised group. They have earned the devotion of audiences with their boundless energy, their authenticity and their talent for adapting familiar jazz pieces with a dance ska rhythm, as well as their powerful combination of dance, reggae, classic rock and jazz. Hear them at ...   more »

French music diva Patricia Kaas will be making her first appearance in Athens, Greece 6 February at the Badminton Theatre with her own "Kabaret". The cabaret with a "k," meaning cabaret à la Patricia Kass, is a unique show bringing to the stage all the magic of the inter-war period with a unique, personal but contemporary look through the eyes of this soulful singer.   more »

If something characterizes Sotiris Evagelou cuisine, chef at the Premiere at the Intercontinental, that would be stability and consistency towards the style that the restaurant represents. The extremely competent chef has an interesting presence at the gastronomic scene of Athens with Lycabetus hill, the Acropolis and the lightened city designing the perfect background to a cuisine with French references and intense Mediterranean components. What stand out...   more »

With one Michelin star received for a second year Jerome proves that he can balance rustic and fine at the same time, signing excellent French cuisine dishes with a special style. Specialties such as foua gras in orange-flavoured cabbage along with creme brulee foua gras, potato mousseline with truffle, egg yolk and mushroom juice will impress you. Along with the Mediterranean masterpieces try the delicious desserts.   more »

The cooperation between Nobu Matsuhisa, Ioannidis brothers and Belvedere Hotel in Mykonos seems to be very successful. Matsuhisa Mykonos, renovated and more elegant than ever can be included in the top Nobu of the planet. Its cuisine is characterized by elegance, impressive harmony and high-level technique. The ultimate signature dish is always the black cod fish with sweet miso sauce and the incredible mustard sauce salmon that was added to the menu last ...   more »

It is not the first time that the specific restaurant has won a toque d' or but finally this year the owner, Apostolos Trastelis, has managed to be awarded a second Michelin star. This systematic, constant and tiring effort to reach the top is indeed remarkable with Evripides Apostolides to coordinate everything. Apart from its cuisine, Spondi takes care of other aspects as well and the fact that this year it won the wine list award proves this while the c...   more »

This year Hytra makes the most impressive jump for an Athenian restaurant. The reason is the apprenticeship of Stefanos Kolymadis by the great Basque chef Martin Berasategui (3 Michelin stars). It is felt in the atmosphere that this cuisine is now different with the advanced technique, creativity and finesse. This is more than obvious in the gastronomic seven-course menu. Top dishes are the red mullet with cauliflower puree, black "shells" and cucumber sau...   more »

Nick Faldo announced that the inaugural Faldo Series Greece Championship will take place on 26–28 July at the newly completed Costa Navarino Resort in Messinia, South West Greece. The Greece Championship is set to provide a stern test and an important development opportunity for many of the region’s young golfers, boys and girls aged 12 to 21, as they look to secure one of five available spots for the 2010 Faldo Series Grand Final, hosted by the six-time M...   more »

The Tempi valley in Central Greece, nestled between the Mt Olympos and Mt Kissavos, was known to travelers in antiquity who wanted to reach Athens from the north via a shortcut through the Tempi pass in order to avoid the mountain ranges. Because of its strategic position Tempi has been the site of several battles. In 480 BC when the King of Persia, Xerxes with 10,000 warriors launched the third campaign to conquer Greece he puzzled on how to pass through ...   more »

For many years, Greece has had a reputation as one of the most exotic, remote and diverse nations in Europe. A combination of mountainous mainland and intimate islands with pure white beaches, Greece may have struck travelers as an out-of-reach destination. But times are changing. With tour operators cutting prices on packages all over the world, travelers have been able to find exceptional value to destinations considered inaccessible before the recession...   more »

Pelion is the mountain that the myth calls the summer residence of the Olympic gods and the magical land of the centaurs. It rises deeply green and impressive over the city of Volos, between the Pagasetic Gulf and the Aegean Sea. It is known by its Eden nature, with which it fascinates and captivates its many visitors.   more »

Aegean is strengthening its presence in the Balkans and surrounding areas by adding destinations from Athens. Initially, Aegean has added Tel Aviv and Belgrade to its network, making it the only Greek carrier flying to these destinations. Starting 1 January, Aegean will begin its daily service to and from Tel Aviv. The flight will depart Athens at 11:00 and return from Tel Aviv at 13:50. Flights will use Airbus A320, 168-seater aircraft which have been des...   more »