The 1st international golf tournament, Messinia Pro-Am took place at The Dunes Course and The Bay Course from February 21-24 2017. The golf tournament attracted 27 Teams consisting of 27 top professionals and 81 amateur golfers from 14 countries, including the Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Russia, the UK and the United States.

The 1st Messinia Pro-Am was played over 54 holes (three rounds) with each team consisted of one professional and three amateurs. The high level of the golfers, offered a strong and competitive tournament where the daily results balanced until the end of each round.

The Messinia Pro-Am closed with the Gala dinner and Prize Award Ceremony, which was presented by Nadia Boule and Christos Chatziioannou. Mr. Achilles V. Constantakopoulos, Chairman & CEO, of TEMES S.A., developers of Costa Navarino opened the Gala dinner with his speech. He highlighted the long-standing dream of his father and founder of Costa Navarino, Captain Vassilis Constantakopoulos to make Greece a premier golf destination.

The first award of the night was a special ‘Hole in One’ award given to German journalist from Golf Spielen, Petra Himmel. She is one of only 6 golfers to have managed this rare feat in competition at The Bay Course. Petra Himmel also received the awards for the “Longest Drive” and “Closest To The Pin” for women. David Arendt received the “Longest Drive” men’s category. Haris Papadopoulos received the Men’s “Closest To The Pin” award.

The 1st place Team was the professional Stuart Boyle and amateurs Haris Papadopoulos, Georgios Kyvernitis and Daniele Bovio.

2nd place went to the professional Steve Dooley and amateurs Gerhard Komarek, Andreas Hainz and Gerhard Marischka. Professional Panos Karantzias and his team of amateurs Igor Graskin, Christian Werner and Bettina Schroeder won 3rd place.

The evening concluded with the awards for the winning Professionals!

Federico Elli (PGA Italy) was the 1st Messinia Pro-Am champion. “Costa Navarino is always a top place to be…a wonderful hotel, wonderful golf course and all the staff are brilliant. I think this is one of the best spots for a golfing holiday…we will come back for sure next year.” said Mr. Elli. His interview can be watched here.

Ralph Miller (PGA Holland) was 2nd and Lorenzo Gagli (PGA Italy) 3rd. Hugo Santos and Emanuele Canonica were 4th and 5th respectively. Finally, Paul Nilbrink the winner of the 4th Aegean Airlines Pro Am (2009) came 6th. In addition to these top professionals, celebrities also participated in the tournament, such as top American basketball player Joe Arlauckas and German TV presenter, Annica Hansen.

The surprises did not stop there! In a special contest sponsored by Intersys SA, three lucky people won 3 unique TomTom Sports Runner 2 watches.

The 1st Messinia Pro-Am was a success because of the great support of many sponsors such as our official airline partner of the tournament, AEGEAN, member of the global airline STAR ALLIANCE, the official sponsor Loux, the largest soft drink and juice company in Greece, and the official sponsors Vodafone, Athens International Airport (AIA), Poseidonia, MyTransfer and CU BOX.

The company J.VOURAKIS SONS EE, an official supporter of the tournament designed the awards for the Prize Giving Ceremony. Other official supporters of the tournament were METAXA, the well-known companies Kyvernitis Travel, Heineken, Ford Motor Hellas and ΤοmTom Sports.

Messinia Pro-Am was also supported by a number of helpers: Kalamata Papadimitriou, the liquor and beverage brands of Stolichnaya and Fever-Tree, Predaris company with Cu Wrap, Dimiourgies company and the natural mineral water company Hyas.

The 1st Messinia Pro-Am was organized under the auspices of the PGAs of Europe, the PGA of Greece, the Hellenic Golf Federation and the Hellenic Olympic Academy.

Watch the best moments from the 2017 Messinia Pro-Am tournament!



For more information, please visit: Messinia Pro-Am

In his new book, Billy Cotsis explores 36 Hellenic kingdoms, territories, empires and a fiefdom to demonstrate the extent of the Greek world. From Pyrrhus to Cyprus covers the period following the end of the Alexandrian empire to the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453. Added to the mix are a number of independent Greek entities which existed during and post Ottoman times. The book has a twist and a connector in that it is told by a fictional Thucydides, who has managed to survive for an eternity thanks to a spell cast by Apollo. This is his tribute to the brilliance of Thucydides as the first ever historian who truly presented primary facts with minimal bias.

Why From Pyrrhus to Cyprus matters?

The Greek world was never about mainland Greece, it was always much bigger… The Hellenes travelled in search of colonies, new territories and empires. They founded hundreds of colonies and territories in the Mediterranean, Black Sea, Africa and Asia. A number of these survive to this day, with many of its inhabitants speaking a dialect of Greek and maintaining differing aspects of Hellenic culture. It is important that we never forget how far the Hellenes were able to reach and in many cases directly rule vast territories far beyond the Greek heartland. This book therefore brings you an overview of 36 identified Greek “territories,” after the disintegration of the empire built up by Alexander the Great. Starting with Pyrrhus, the king of Epiros, the book also provides an overview of the conquests of Alexander and the Hellenistic Age, Byzantine Empire, Trebizond, Ionian Republic and many more. These many more include the fascinating Indo-Greek Kingdom, which is the furthest point for the Greek conquerors, Empire of Nicaea which was the only Greek empire to retire without being subjugated, the independence of Samos and Icaria, the will of Crete and the creation of a fiefdom in the Crimea.

This book would not exist without the generous support of the Hellenic Club of Sydney.

 

 

Billy Cotsis was first published in 1995 in the Greek media in Sydney. Since then he has featured in dozens of publications in four continents and is the author of over 100 articles. In 2013 he began developing short film projects and they are listed below. His first book was the acclaimed, “The Many Faces of Hellenic Culture,” and he occasionally delivers a lecture series on Greek communities.

Billy can also be found on MerakiTV and is a member of a Community Board.

All this work is undertaken as a hobby and to promote interest in his true love, Greek history and satire. His second book has been out since February 2017 and he is currently developing a new book.

Having lived in London and Greece, he has travelled extensively over the years and can be found on www.herculean.wordpress.com

An avid Manchester United and Canterbury Bulldogs fan, sport is something he enjoys but is not actually good at.

With about a whopping 61,500 hectares of vineyards, Greece is no stranger to wine, as it has one of the world's oldest wine cultures.

Here are some of the top wine bars in Athens, where travelers and residents alike can sample the greatest wines Greece has to offer!

Set in the historical center of Athens, Heteroclito, a wine bistro with a charming vintage flair provides customers with the opportunity to learn about and appreciate outstanding Greek wines, as well as discover the greatest varieties from a diverse range of local production. A year-round destination offering outdoor seats along the pedestrian way to enjoy alfresco living to the fullest!

Address: Fokionos 2 & Petraka, Monastiraki

Telephone: 210 323 9406

This wine bar is conveniently located near the intersection of Plaka and Monastiraki. Classy and elegant it offers an intimate and relaxed atmosphere. There's a 200-label wine collection on hand, as well as a full dining menu, promising to take you on an exciting culinary adventure!

Address: Mitropoleos 66

Telephone: 213 029 6570

Just 200m from Syntagma square, this is the first wine bar that opened in Athens, in 2008. More than 1000 labels rest in the well-designed cellar area, that can be perfectly combined with the bar's comfort yet gourmet menu. The wine list also includes 50 glass labels that are updated every week!

Address: Voulis 45-47

Telephone: 210 322 9374

A beautifully refurbished 19th-century mansion near the National Gardens hosts this lovely wine bar! There, you will find a selection of 500+ wines, both Greek and international, rare Old Greek Vintages, premium imported Fine Wines, a large variety of Champagnes and Sparkling Wines, as well as Distillates and Dessert Wines.

Address: 3 G. Souris Str. & Philellinon

Telephone: 210 323 2560

 

Fresh Hotel is the first Athens hotel to receive a special sticker indicating that it welcomes bicycle lovers and certifying that it has the facilities to accommodate their needs.

Fresh Hotel meets all six of the basic requirements including nine additional standards such as offering bicycle rentals options, working together with agents offering bike tours, providing bike racks, offering organic breakfast choices and rejuvenation and wellness options.

‘We welcome Fresh Hotel to the Bike Friendly Hotels family with great pleasure. It is the first hotel in Athens to receive certification, which is very hopeful for Athens’ tourism,' said Vicky Karantzavelou, PR manager NATTOUR.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Travel Pages

Sunday brunch is catching on quickly in the Athenian Riviera with more and more restaurants offering a delicious brunch menu. Passion For Greece heads out to get a taste of the popular tradition and explores Vouliagmeni with friends. They dine in at Somewhere Vouliagmeni. Here's what they think!

Somewhere hotel brand opened its new property in the Athenian Riviera during the summer of 2016. On a warm summer evening, together with my fellow travel bloggers of Travel Bloggers Greece we were invited to savour the summer menu at the hotel’s bistro Lutetia.

 

Included on the menu were mini burgers, haloumi, beef steak, leek pies, tarts, and plenty more.

The buffet features a selection of freshly baked croissants and pastries. Do try the crusty apple tarts, they are simply delicious.

Address: Dios ke Agiou Panteleimonos

Telephone: 210 967 0000

Sunday Brunch Hours: From 08:00 until 16:00.

To read this article in full, please visit: Passion For Greece

Award-winning Executive Chef Sotiris Evaggelou and his highly experienced team collected two Golden Chef’s Hat awards for the Hotel Grande Bretagne’s GB Roof Garden restaurant and the King George Hotel’s Tudor Hall restaurant.

The GB Roof Garden Restaurant, under the responsibility of Chef de Cuisine Asterios Koustoudis, received a Golden Chef’s Hat award for Modern International Cuisine.

The Tudor Hall restaurant, under the responsibility of Chef de Cuisine Alexandros Koskinas, scooped up a Golden Chef’s Hat award for its Greek Cuisine menu.

Since 1992, the Golden Chef’s Hat Awards are given to the best restaurants in Greece and organized by Athinorama magazine/city guide and Alpha Guide.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Travel Pages

The lights of Greek tourism, culture and gastronomy will flash in the heart of Manhattan, New York, USA in May 2017 for the highly anticipated first exhibition 'Greek Panorama!'

The first 'Greek Panorama' exhibition focused on Tourism, Culture and Gastronomy exclusively for Greece is organized by Hellas North American Events Inc. in collaboration with the company North Events and will be held in the iconic Grand Central Terminal Station, which is one of the most important historic buildings of Manhattan, in the city center, on 11-13 May 2017.

It is the first time that such a dynamic and integrated organized promotion and advertisement action for Greece takes place in this area, at a spot where over 750,000 daily residents, workers and foreign visitors of New York pass through!

With three American companies flying directly to Athens and the daily flight of Emirates, all year round, the exhibition steps forward to bring Greece closer to the American traveling audience and America, an audience that has doubled its arrivals in our country within the recent years.

The exhibition will take place at the Vanderbilt Hall of Grand Central Terminal (42nd Street and Vanderbilt Avenue junction) and will include presentations for each tourist destination in Greece and the exposure of sectors such as luxury tourism, Greek gastronomy, real estate, shopping, yachting & cruises etc.

On Friday, May 12, 2017 and Saturday, May 13, 2017, the exhibition will be open to the public for free.

The opening of the exhibition is scheduled for Thursday, May 11, 2017, which will be dedicated exclusively to professionals from the US and the Greek market with b2b meetings at a central hotel in New York, with the aim of cultivating professional relationships and networking of both sides. Key members of the US tourism market will be in contact with representatives of Greek tourism.

Similarly, in the evening of the same day professionals and exhibitors will have the opportunity to attend the official dinner of the 'Greek Panorama' with guest representatives from Greek and American tourism market, as well as numerous journalists and participants.

'Greek Panorama' exhibition is organized with the support of the main tourism operators in Greece and abroad.

The Greek community stands once again, on the side of this important initiative, as well as the entire Greek American community. Great personalities will be present in the exhibition while many surprises should also be expected for the participants.

One of them is the interview of the –maybe- top Greek basketball player, in the new Greek American magazine Hellas Blu, which will be released just before the opening of the exhibition. The first festive edition will have some additional surprises such as the famous ultramarathon Konstantinos (Dean) Karnazes.

The magazine will be published three times a year and will be distributed at key points and specially selected recipients while its content will be exclusively dedicated to Greece. It will include among others, extensive special editions focused on selected destinations in Greece, interviews with key persons of the Greek American community and distinguished Greeks and Americans from the political, business, sports and artistic world, columns devoted to gastronomy, culture and specific forms of tourism, as well as news, proposals and useful information about Greece, its tourism, services, products, events, etc.

'Greek Panorama' exhibition and its parallel events are one of the main axes of the strategy of Hellas North American Events Inc. for the Northern American market as the plan designed includes actions and respective initiatives throughout the year.

It should be emphasized that North Events organizes with great success the 'Grecka Panorama' tourism exhibition in Poland and the unique tourism exhibition 'Grekland Panorama' in Sweden.

Please visit Greek Panorama for more information.

Susan from Greeker than the Greeks celebrates 40 years of living in Greece by sharing 40 things she as learned from the Greeks! Forty years ago, Susan left England on February 5th in 1977 to marry her love and start a new life. Here are 40 things Susan has learned from living in Greece.

Ellinopoula.com is a web-based platform catering to the needs of children and parents of the Greek diaspora, especially focused on building and maintaining Greek language ability through entertainment and other methods.

Interview with Anna, who runs Ellinopoula. By Michael Klioumis.

Michael: User experience both for kids and parents is characteristically enhanced, is this a part of a bigger strategy?

Anna: Yes, our strategy is simple: we want to help every child learn Greek. Learning any foreign language is hard and it requires a lot of commitment both from the parent and from the child. We want to make this effort easier. We believe that Learning Greek is very important both as a developmental tool (children do much better in life when they learn a second language and Greek in particular) but also for patriotic and emotional reasons. Our culture is very rich and part of that culture is the language.

Michael: In what ways would you say the new platform of ellinopoula.com is ahead of competition?

Anna: Actually I do not think there is really a serious competition to my knowledge. There is no other site in Greek that has the depth and breadth of our site one that includes so many different types of interactive activities and videos, games quizzes etc.. We know that some people get onto our site and copy some of our content but they cannot catch up or compete with us because each day our groups of educators, illustrators and designers come up with all kinds of new stuff.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek TV

Three Greek beaches are among the top 20 in the world, according to TripAdvisor’s 2017 Travellers’ Choice Awards. Elafonisi in Chania, Crete comes in 9th in the top ten list globally, while it is 2nd best in Europe. Five Greek beaches are included in the best 20 European beaches for 2017. Balos lake, Kleftiko beach, St. Pavlos beach in Lindos, and Simos beach also made the list!

To read this article in full, please visit: Protothema

 

To view the Top 25 Beaches of Europe, please visit: TripAdvisor