Kids Love Greece blogger Anastasia Valti-Spanopoulou writes about the top 5 kid friendly islands close to the city of Athens!

If you haven’t been to the Argosaronikos Islands and Kea, you’re definitely missing out on a truly unique family holiday, especially as you don’t need to travel far from Athens to find the true beauty of the Greek islands.

The islands of Argosaronikos and Kea (part of Cyclades) are definitely at the top of an ‘islands to visit with kids’ list. Why? First of all, they are conveniently located next to Athens which means less stress on the journey to and from. What’s more, on some of those islands, such as Hydra, cars, motorbikes and even bicycles are forbidden. This means you can feel assured that your children will be perfectly safe playing around while you can sit back and enjoy your holiday. Also, the islands are small and therefore can easily be explored with the family. You’ll come across several isolated bays that have crystal clear water. If you can rent a boat and do a mini family cruise, then do so, as some of the beaches are only accessible by boat.

The tiny island of Agistri has some of the cleanest and most unspoilt beaches in Greece. At the port of Skala you will find Copa Cabana Café, popular for its good quality food and snacks that are suitable for kids. It also has free Wi-Fi, as well as and sunbeds for a relaxed day at the beach.

Aegina is known for its picturesque villages and its delicious pistachios and olives. Make sure you visit the stunning ancient Greek temple of Aphaia with its breathtaking view of the Saronic Gulf, as well as St. Nectarios church, one of the biggest Greek Byzantine churches in the world.

The kids will love Hydra as the only permitted means of transport, other than your own two legs, is by donkey. No wonder UNESCO has declared it as being the best preserved Mediterranean island! Choose Cotommatae 1810 Boutique Hotel for a quiet stay, and the bonus of a freshly baked breakfast. Play hide and seek in the whitewashed alleyways before you wind up at Paradosiako for a lovely family dinner.

To read more, please visit: Kids Love Greece

The Greek state broadcaster from ERT TV has launched their own Arabic news bulletin called ‘News for Refugees’ in response to the increase of Middle Eastern and North African refugees. The bulletin aired on radio and TV in March 2016 and is in collaboration with ANA-MPA, a state news agency.

 

The news bulletin aims to cover the urgent need in useful, official and reliable information in Arabic for the 50,000 refugees and migrants in Greece right now. When the first bulletin aired, approximately 30,000 people tuned in to listen.

In addition, ANA-MPA launched a new website in Arabic providing news and other useful information for migrants and refugees. The site's content includes useful tips, links, guidelines and announcements issued by the Coordinating Body for Refugees.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras commended the decisions by ERT and ANA-MPA to offer news in Arabic in order to help refugees in Greece.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek News Agenda

Princeton University's tradition of deep commitment to the humanities has long been connected to Greece and Hellenic culture, from antiquity to the present. This November 2016, the University added a formal home base for Princeton scholars in Greece with the opening of the Princeton University Athens Center for Research and Hellenic Studies.

‘This is the first time Princeton University has opened a research and scholarship center anywhere outside of the United States,’ said Eisgruber, Class of 1983. Acknowledging the ‘extraordinary generosity and vision’ of Seeger's gifts and the gifts of many alumni attending the reception, Eisgruber said that one of the reasons the University chose to establish the center in Athens is Princeton's ‘extraordinary humanistic tradition that finds its home here in Athens and in Greece.’

The center — located in the Stanley J. Seeger '52 House, a 1930s-era townhouse in downtown Athens renovated by Nasos Antachopoulos and Yannis Younis of Athens-based A6Architects — features conference facilities, a seminar room, offices, study spaces, informal common areas and a terrace with a view of the Parthenon in the distance. Situated down the street from Aristotle's Lyceum in a historic, diverse neighborhood, the center is close to libraries, museums and archaeological sites.

To read this article in full, please visit: Princeton University

According to the National Meteorological Service, Greece is about to experience the biggest heatwave it has had in a decade, as the next few days temperature will be rising up to 43 degrees Celsius!

Orange Alert has been issued on extreme weather phenomena, warning of rising temperatures that can locally reach extreme levels.

 

Thursday, June 29:  40°-41° C
Friday, July 30: 42°

Saturday, July 1: 43° C

Sunday, July 2: 37°-39° C in Western Greece, 40°-42° C in the rest of mainland

Temperatures will start to drop on Monday.

Perfect opportunity to visit any of these 6 Organized Beaches In Athens or Top 10 Beaches On The Athens Coast!

The selection process for the Special Scholarship established in honour of the Antetokounmpo brothers is complete and scholarships were awarded to two successful applicants! 

It was in June 2017, at a moving event held at the Onassis Cultural Centre Athens that Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo, looking back at a difficult childhood and the obstacles they had faced starting out in life, dared to speak openly about important social issues like racism and the difficulties they had faced in their effort to acquire Greek citizenship. During the event, the Onassis Foundation joined forces with the brothers and announced the establishment of the Special Undergraduate Scholarship "One of a Kind" for the children of immigrants living in Greece – just like Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo. 

As the Onassis Foundation Director of Culture, Ms Afroditi Panagiotakou, explained at the time: "The symbolic establishment of this scholarship serves a dual goal: to provide a kid, who either does not have Greek citizenship or who acquired it within the last five years, with the opportunity to study and make their dreams come true and to send out a message in favour of a more open civil society”.

Ultimately, the selection process produced not only one but two successful candidates: Katerina Ampntel Saient and Jacub Maciejewski, two students from Sepolia! Although the original intention was to award the scholarship to one high-school graduate, the Onassis Foundation, taking into consideration all the selection criteria, decided to award it to the two prevailing candidates: Katerina and Jacub. 

According to the terms and conditions of the scholarship eligible candidates must be graduates of Greek public General and Vocational High Schools in the 4th municipal district of Athens – the same area where Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo started out on their unique journey and endeavours. And even though Katerina and Jacub may not share the same talent for basketball, they know what they love in life, they have dreams, and they have shown through their academic success that they have the 'superpowers' they need to make those dreams come true.

Excited with the results of the scholarship, Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo wanted to congratulate the two winners through the Onassis Foundation announcement. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo stated: "I would like to congratulate Katerina and Jacub; may they achieve everything they dream of. Above all else, may they make the most of the opportunity they have been given, keep up their hard work, and reveal their superpowers to the world. Sport is a wonderful path to follow, but I believe education can open up even more possibilities. Which is why I am happy and proud that two young people will have the chance to do something I could not—go to university—and have the Onassis Foundation at their side while they do it. The scholarship established in our honour will ensure they have the peace of mind they need to succeed. I would like to also thank the Onassis Foundation for giving us the chance to join forces for this good cause". 

For his part, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, who had the chance to meet the two scholars in person, declared: "As I said after the event at the OCC in June, this is an outstanding initiative, because it gives the children of immigrants, children like us, the chance to move forward and make progress towards achieving their goals. I would like to send my congratulations to Katerina and to Jacub along with a message to all the kids who have, for whatever reason, had a difficult start in life: don't give up! Find your superpowers within and believe in your dream."

On the basis of their performance in the Higher Education Entrance Exams, Katerina Ampntel Saient, who is of Egyptian descent, was admitted at the department of Russian Language and Literature & Slavic Studies of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Jacub Maciejewski, who is of Polish descent, was admitted at the Department of Information Technology of the same University. Despite having had a difficult start in life, thanks to their passion, commitment, ethics and, of course, hard work, they managed to stay focused on their goal and get admitted into university. The Onassis Foundation will be at their side throughout their undergraduate careers, helping them through the "One of a Kind" scholarship to make their dreams come true and reach as high as they can go. 

It wasn't just the Antetokounmpo brothers' success that inspired our collaboration, it was also the qualities the two Greek athletes embody: modesty, competitiveness, passion and a willingness to work hard. 

Watch the animated video HERE and take a journey into the world of this "one of a kind" scholarship!

For more information on the "One of a Kind" Scholarship, please visit: Onassis Foundation

Halva is a semolina pudding, sweetened with syrup and studded with nuts. Halva is an easy to make, delicious, lenten dessert that is widely served on Kathara Deftera and during the fasting period before Easter. Make sure you brown the semolina enough to get a lovely cinnamon brown colour and a delicious nutty flavor.

 

Serves: 8-10
Difficulty: Intermediate

Cooks in: 40 minutes
 

• 3/4 cups sunflower oil
• 1 cup coarse semolina
• 1 cup fine semolina
• 3 cups granulated brown sugar
• 4 cups water
• Zest of 3 oranges
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 150 g almond slivers

 

 

1. Preheat the oven to 180° C set to fan.
2. Toast the almond slivers in a shallow baking pan lined with parchment paper for 5-8 minutes.
3. In a non-stick pot saute the vegetable oil with the fine semolina and coarse semolina, over medium-low heat.
4. Stir the mixture continuously for about 4-5 minutes, until the semolina becomes golden brown. Do not rush this process since semolina burns easily. Sauteeing the semolina gives it a rich and nutty flavor.
5. When ready, add the sugar, water, orange zest, cinnamon, and cloves.
6. Stir for another 10 minutes until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble. You will know it is ready when it starts to pull away from the bottom of the pan.
7. Add the almonds and continue to stir.
8. Transfer the mixture into a 22 cm bundt cake pan, hit the cake pan on a hard surface to make sure the mixture settles and your halva is nice and compact.
9. Turn it over after 5 minutes.

Find this and other great recipes on: akispetretzikis.com

 

A magnificent tapestry depicting the School of Athens painting by the Italian master Raphael has been loaned to Greece by France to adorn Greek Parliament. The priceless 18th-century tapestry was sent to Athens in honor of the bicentennial of the Greek Revolution and War of Independence.

Parliamentary President Konstantinos Tasoulas and the French Ambassador in Athens, Patrick Maisonnave, attended the hanging of the tapestry on a wall in Parliament.

The masterpiece has adorned the French National Assembly since 1879 and arrived in our country as a gift from the French Republic to Greece on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution.

To read this article in full, please visit: greekreporter.com
Photo credit: AMNA

Daily life in ancient Greece varied by the city-state. In Athens and Sparta, people lived according to such contrasting traditions that it almost seems as though they were from different countries entirely.

Despite the fact that they shared the same heritage and language, ancient Athens and Sparta were wildly different with clashing lifestyles, cultures, and values.

Often, the two city-states were not on the friendliest of terms.

The Spartans were warriors, disciplined and strong, and always ready to die for their homeland—hence the word “Spartan,” which is also used today, meaning someone who lives an austere life and is indifferent to pleasures and luxuries.

Athenians, on the other hand, were educated, and those who were not soldiers were philosophers, politicians, writers of tragedies and comedies, musicians, and sculptors.

Growing up in Sparta: a life of self-denial

Life in Sparta was one of simplicity and self-denial. Children were children of the state more than of their parents. They were raised to be soldiers, loyal to the state, strong and self-disciplined.

When a Spartan baby was born, soldiers came to the house and examined it carefully to determine its strength. They bathed the baby in wine rather than water to see its reaction.

If a baby was weak, the Spartans would throw it off a cliff (the Kaiadas) or take it away to become a slave (helot).

Life in ancient Athens was different than in the rest of Greece

Men were the only people considered citizens, so they were frequently seen around the town conducting their business along with slaves.

Men went to the market, met with friends to discuss politics, and went to temples to worship. Interestingly, it was men who did all the shopping and errands outside of the house. Athenian men had a special room in the house just for themselves. This room was for lounging around and entertaining male guests; no women except for slaves and entertainers were allowed inside this room. Contrary to Spartan men, the educated, well-to-do Athenians were very much interested in the arts, philosophy, and aesthetics.

To read this article in full, please visit: greekreporter.com

Archaeologists in Greece discovered in western Peloponnese the remains of a temple-shaped building that could be a lost sanctuary of the ancient god Poseidon, the Culture Ministry said.

The excavations completed at the end of September revealed part of the foundation of a large building, 9.40 meters wide, the walls of which are 0.80 meters wide. A dense layer of tiles was found inside. Based on the indications of the geophysical survey and the excavation data, the building was at least 28 meters in length, it had two inner rooms, as well as a “pronaos” and a back building or inner sanctum.

Archaeologists believe the elongated temple-shaped building probably belonged to the sanctuary of Poseidon and may even be the temple itself.

The site of Kleidi, where the ancient building was found, had been suggested by earlier researchers as a possible location of the famous ancient sanctuary, as it is situated in the foothills of the ancient acropolis of Samiko, with a command of the area north of the Lake Kaiafa, on the west coast of the Peloponnese.

According to information provided by Greek geographer, philosopher, and historian Strabo in his Geography, Book 8, the sanctuary of Poseidon was an important cult center of the Amphictyonic league (an association of neighboring city-states in ancient Greece to defend a common religious center) of the cities of Triphylia and was situated near the sea, under the acropolis of Samiko.

Combined with the Laconian style of tiling, the discovery of part of the marble water basin (perrirhanterion) leads archaeologists to tentatively date the building to the Archaic period.

The discovery, which is the result of this year’s first excavation season of the five-year research program (2022-2026), is aiming to investigate the topography of the area and identify the sanctuary of Poseidon and the port of Samiko. It is a collaboration between the Ephorate of Antiquities of Ilia headed by Dr. Erofili Kollia and the Austrian Archaeological Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, headed by Dr. Birgitta Eder.

Originally published on: ekathimerini.com

Main Image: Greek Culture Ministry

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