XpatAthens

XpatAthens

Tuesday, 19 September 2017 19:53

The Mystery Behind Greece's Ancient Temples

“Ancient Greeks were wise. They knew where to build their sacred venues,” says the grandfather of BBC journalist. She’s remembering a time when she was a young girl and would wonder in awe of the brightly shining stars from the Athens’ Philopappou Hill. Here, the girl and her grandfather would discuss the significance of Greece’s temples and the meaning behind them all. Now, she shares what she learned all that time ago with BBC, and us.

“In retrospect, I can’t help but wonder if this beautiful explanation was inflated by my grandfather’s immense pride in Greek culture. But Manolo Fernandez, a Spanish language teacher and amateur astronomy enthusiast, shares my grandfather’s opinion – that the placement of Greece’s temples was not random.”

“The temple of Poseidon in Sounion forms an isosceles triangle with the Hephaisteion in Athens and the temple of Aphaia Athena in Aegina. Apollo in Delphi, Aphaia in Aegina and the Parthenon, the same: they all form perfect isosceles triangles!”

To read this article in full, please visit: BBC
Ferrovie Dello Stato Italiane S.p.A. recently signed an agreement to buy 100 percent of TrainOSE for 45 million euros, ending a four-year tender process and opening a new page in the Greek railways' future.

Ferrovie Dello Stato Italiane S.p.A. is the third largest railway company in Europe and has agreed to enhance and grow TrainOSE using its know-how and expertize to create a significant railway services company.

To read this article in full, please visit: AMNA
The video, ‘Greece - A 365-Day Destination’ video was nominated for the ‘Best Video In Europe Award’ for 2017 and recently won at the second World Tourism Organization Tourism video competition!
 
‘Greece – A 365-Day Destination’ was selected as the top promotional video of a European destination, among 23 candidate European countries that participated in the global competition.

Greece’s video was voted as the best in Europe by a jury consisting of the chairs of the UNWTO’s six regional commissions – Africa, the Americas, East Asia and the Pacific, ‎Europe, the Middle East and South Asia.

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


Thursday, 14 September 2017 22:03

Oil Spill Spreads Across Athens Riviera

The tanker Agia Zoni II sank on Sunday September 10th just off the coast of the island of Salamina. It was carrying 2,500 tonnes of fuel when it sank. Thousands of tonnes of fuel oil and marine gas have spilled into the Saronic Gulf.

Authorities had sealed the shipwreck on Tuesday and there was no further spillage from this date. Despite the efforts of tank trucks working to clean up the pollution, several beaches along the Athens Riviera have been affected.

It is reported that the 45 year old tanker had not been surveyed and was not certified as seaworthy by the Hellenic Register of Shipping (HRS).

This truly unfortunate event is an environmental disaster.

If you have information about volunteer actions taking place, please share the updates on our Facebook page HERE!

For additional information about the spill, our friends at Athens Coast have an informative article HERE!

Sources: AMNA.gr & Reuters
Image Credit: gmnanetwork.com
It was started in July 2016 by two women, Maria Ohilebo and Nadina Christopoulou, for refugee women arriving in Athens. Melissa, meaning ‘honey bee’ in Greek, is one of a few organizations in Athens helping refugee women learn skills like empowerment, coding, Greek language, and leadership. The doors to Melissa are always open, easing the transition for these women and giving them the resources they need to be successful in a new country. The Independent further describes some of the challenges these women face and how Melissa is helping them along the way.

“You see women coming in here with broken wings. They have faced so many challenges. But within the span of one or two weeks here you start to see new personalities emerging,” the organisation co-founder says.

One woman, who fled violence in Laos and arrived in Athens almost exactly one year ago says Melissa has been a lifeline.

To read this article in full, please visit: The Independent
Tuesday, 12 September 2017 04:51

Flights Between Athens And Moscow To Increase

The civil aviation authorities of Greece and Russia have agreed to increase flights between Athens and Moscow by up to 35 weekly, according to Russian news agency RIA Novosti. The initiative for cooperation came from Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency.

Additionally, two local airlines will operate 14 new flights to Athens on a temporary basis until the next round of consultations.

To read this article in full, please visit: Tornos News
Google has announced that it will fund the research at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki on the future of digital journalism.

The research will be carried out by assistant professor of the Department of Journalism and Mass Media, Nikos Panagiotou and it will be funded through the Digital News Initiative Fund.

“People are turning to other kinds of information, turning to either blogs or social media, and especially in Greece this is becoming a dominant trend,” Panagiotou said.

He says that Google will help implement his research by providing funding for laboratory equipment, as well as by funding the development of pan-European sample of 5,000 people.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Reporter
Wednesday, 15 November 2023 07:00

An Autumn Favorite - Traditional Spetzofai Recipe

Spetzofai is one of the best recipes to welcome the fall. Originating from Pelio, spetzofai is made with Greek country sausages, bell peppers, tomatoes, and seasonings. Paired with feta cheese, crusty bread, and red wine this rustic dish makes for a mouthwatering Greek feast!

 

 

Serves: 4-6
Difficulty: Easy
Cooks in: 20 minutes

 
Ingredients

500 g country sausage, sliced
1 green bell pepper
2 red horn peppers
1 orange bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 Florina red pepper
1 pinch chili flakes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
100 g red wine
1 kg tomatoes
1 tablespoon honey
salt
pepper

Cooking Instructions

Place a frying pan over high heat
Cut the sausage into rounds and add them to the pan to turn golden
Cut the peppers into pieces, add them to the pan, and sauté at medium-low heat for 20 minutes until they are tender
Add the chili flakes, tomato paste, and sauté
Deglaze the pan with the wine and let it evaporate
Grate the tomatoes on a box grater and add them to the pan
Add the honey, salt, pepper, and mix
Cover with the lid and simmer at medium heat for 15-20 minutes
Serve with feta cheese, fresh and dried oregano, and bread

 

To read the recipe in full, please visit: Akis Petretzikis
Destinations worldwide welcomed 598 million international tourists in the first six months of 2017, some 36 million more than in the same period of 2016.

Worldwide, international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) increased by 6 percent compared to the same six-month period last year, well above the sustained and consistent trend of 4 percent or higher growth since 2010.

Mediterranean destinations reported particularly strong growth in the first half of 2017, as reflected in the results for Southern and Mediterranean Europe (+12 percent), North Africa (+16 percent) and the Middle East (+9 percent).

Arrivals growth in this period was fuelled by strong outbound demand from major source markets. In particular, Canada, China, France, the Republic of Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States continued to report solid growth in outbound expenditure.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Travel Pages
Thursday, 07 September 2017 06:16

An Expat's Guide To The Best Spots In Athens

Discover Athens from a tourist who turned a local, the editor-in-chief of Why Athens! Walk around the city to find ancient monuments, live music, outdoor cafes, and rooftop cocktails and truly experience all Athens has to offer.

“There is so much to do in Athens, in fact you can get through several days without visiting the Acropolis but if you haven’t, it should be on the very top of your bucket list! Beyond its ancient history and fascinating sites, Athens is a cultural city with a long heritage in theatre.”

“Food and wine has reached new heights with a lot more international flavours emerging than ever before. Greeks love their sushi and Japanese is done exceptionally well at the Galaxy Bar and Restaurant on the twelfth floor of the Hilton Athens, Nobu Matsuhisa at the Arion Resort is one of the best and Sushimou is a humble alternative.”

“Buzzing plateia (large city squares) will lure you in for an extended coffee break, or the small spaces between buildings may see you at the latest day bar, where the new generation hang out. Six D.O.G.S is a favourite of mine.”

To read this article in full, please visit: Why Athens
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