Travel Passionate shares with us her experience of this unique Greek castle town in the Southern Peloponnese.

The South Peloponnese region of Greece has many beautiful places worth visiting. One of them is Monemvasia.  At 280km from Athens, it's possible to reach Monemvasia by KTEL, the public bus network, or car - of course.

Old Monemvasia Town lies on a big rock jutting out to sea, connected to land by a small bridge.  A whole town of castles, cobbled streets, mansions, squares and churches unfolds before your eyes,  Inside the fortress's wall, you'll see one of the best preserved castles in Greece.

The main road starting at the entrance offers many restaurants, bars, shops and boutique hotels to choose from - all housed within preserved buildings.

In the main square, Monemvasia is dominated by an old cannon and the church of Elkomenos Christos and a 16th Century mosque that's home to the town's archiological collection.

To read more, please visit: Travel Passionate

Dimitris Chaidas, an industrial designer and lab assistant at the Technological Educational Institute of Thessaly in Karditsa, Greece, has designed the first wooden solar-powered charging bench.

Chaidas’ innovative creation, having a small but powerful photovoltaic system on its roof, can charge smartphones, tablets and other gadgets through its two USB ports.

The wooden solar-powered bench, which allows visitors to rest on it while they ecologically charge their “smart” devices using renewable solar energy, has been temporarily placed at Larissa’s Municipal Swimming Pool.

To read more, please visit: Greek Reporter

A fabulous summer dish.

• 450g (3 cups) plain flour
• 250g chilled butter, cut into 2cm pieces
• 40g (1/2 cup) shredded pecorino or parmesan
• 2 x 240g packets small cherry trussed tomatoes
• Olive oil spray
• 1 egg
• 2-3 tablespoons chilled water

• 250g packet frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 400g full cream feta, crumbled
• 300g fresh ricotta
• 3 shallots - trimmed, thinly sliced
• 2 tablesppons chopped fresh dill
• 3 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
• 6 eggs, lightly whisked

If this has temped you, go to Taste.com to see the Method for making this dish.

Locals and visitors in Greece have been advised to protect themselves from the heat as meteorologists expect temperatures to keep rising this week with the heat wave pushing past 40 degrees Celcius mark on Wednesday and Thursday.
 

On Monday 27th July 2015, temperatures in Greece's two largest cities - Athens and Thessaloniki reached a 35 Celcius high, and on Tuesday pushed up to an oppressive 38 degrees Celcius.  

To read more, please visit: ekathimerini

Φύγαμε για ελληνικά! is intended for adult learners of Modern Greek as a foreign/second language who are at an intermediate level.

Τhe “authentic spirit of rock and roll” has come to the Greek capital with the recent opening of Hard Rock Cafe Athens.

Located at 52 Adrianou Street in Monastiraki, just a stone’s throw away from the historic city center with stunning views of the Acropolis, the new Hard Rock Cafe Athens is poised to become a must-see for both visitors and locals alike.

Guests can enjoy fresh, high-quality food from the bar’s Little bites menu, especially created for the Café-Bar area, including HRC Sliders, Nachos, wings and much more. Hard Rock Cafe’s food items, are complimented by an extensive, award-winning drinks menu that includes Hurricanes, Blue Lagoons, Margaritas, signature favorites and Alternative Rock (alcohol-free) beverages, all available in Hard rock souvenir glassware. Hard Rock’s cocktails are handcrafted, just like its cuisine and as authentic as the memorabilia on the walls.

To read more, please visit: Greek Travel Pages

The Region of Central Greece announced that it officially supports the bid of Delphi to claim the title of European Capital of Culture 2021.

“Delphi is undoubtedly a world-class cultural monument”, a statement from the region said. “With its great archaeological, historical and cultural heritage and international recognition, Delphi clearly meets the historical and cultural conditions to deservedly be declared as a European Capital of Culture.”

The Region of Central Greece plans to establish a joint working group with the Municipality of Delphi to prepare the town’s bid in the best possible way.

To read more please visit: Greek Travel Pages

This is normally a week of preparing for a summer getaway – packing bags, closing windows, catching ferries… In 2015, this is not necessarily the case. Many of us are staying put this summer, it seems, to sweat away the days and nights in Athens. The post-modern stay-at-home ‘staycation’ has become the new standard in vacation hotspots! Whether you’re here by choice or by circumstance, it’s not hard to enjoy summer in Athens.  With a few well-planned activities – and a jaunt down to the seaside – summer in Athens can be much more than just bearable…

 

So, where to go?

 

Marina Flisvos – a lovely destination for a family outing, with cafes and ice cream shops, facing the blue sea and the marina...

 

Anafiotika – this still ‘off the beaten path’ section of Plaka retains its island-esque charm, even though it seems to me that more and more tour books are pointing travelers in this direction…

 

Dionysiou Areopagitou – who doesn’t love to take a stroll around the pedestrian pathway that winds around the Acropolis. Grab an ice cream at Makriyanni Street, and head towards the setting sun…

 

Peiraiki – follow the meandering pathway around the Akti Themistocleous coastline of Piraeus – stop along the way at any of the endless tavernas and cafes, take in the blue sea and the sunshine – and burn a few calories all the way to Marina Zeas.

 

Thiseio & Pnyx Hill – back in the city centre, a walk through Thiseio is a walk through another time – old neo-classical houses, tree-lined streets, Agia Marina church, the National Observatory and the Pnyx Hill – this one is for the history buffs!

 

Monastiraki & Areopagus – for the ‘tourist within’, a stroll around Monastiraki will inspire you with equal parts history and kitsch. For the full-on history experience, climb the stairs to the Areopagus - the lesser known, but equally important ‘other’ rock, just opposite the Acropolis. A sunset cocktail at A For Athens or 360 will give you the full rooftop overview of the whole area.

 

Akti Tou Iliou (Costa del Sol) / Alimos beachfront – …and since Greek Summer follows certain rules regardless of where you are, a trip to the beach is required for every staycation. Hop on the tram or jump in a cab (or even on your bicycle!) and make your way to the beach. There are several nice spots along the Alimos coast – I’m sure you’ll find one to your liking.

 

Truth be told, there are worse ways to spend your summer holiday than a staycation in Athens. And, judging by the tour buses and throngs of sightseers everywhere, it seems many others had the same idea…

 

Enjoy the sunshine!

 

Until next week,

 

Jack

Millions of tourists and worshipers flock to well-known churches of Greece such as Panagia Paraportiani in Mykonos, the monasteries at Meteora, and the church of Kapnikarea in Athens. However, this list of 10 lesser-known churches steeped in beauty, spirituality, and history can give you great insight into Greece's culture, religion, and even architecture.

Situated on a windy peninsula, right below Kastro village in Sifnos, this chapel is surrounded by the beautiful blue of the Aegean sea. The sunrise here is breathtaking.

Located in a small lovely bay, near the Sykiada village in Northeast Chios, this is one of the most photographed places in the island.

According to tradition, the miracle-working icon of Panagia Vrefokratousa was found here and the first two monks settled in to protect it. The majestic monastery stands on a huge rocky crag of Mount Parnon and it brought hope to the Greek people during the Ottoman oppression.

Found on the western side of Kerki, the Holy Mountain of Samos, this chapel is built within a cave surrounded by earthen pots which fill from the water from the stalactites.

Declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO, this monastery was founded in 1088 when the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Kommenos gave the island of Patmos to the soldier-priest Ioannis Christodoulos “the Blessed”. Hidden in the walls are fragments of an ancient temple of Artemis that was destroyed in the 11th century. Halfway down the cobbled path that leads to the monastery is the Cave of the Apocalypse, where St.John is believed to have received his revelations.

Lake Doxa is an artificial lake in western Corinthia, near the village of ancient Feneos. This small chapel is on a small peninsula in the heart of the lake.

To read the complete list of beautiful churches to discover in Greece, please visit: Pappaspost.com