Greece's debt crisis is making headlines around the world, but that doesn't mean the country's tourism industry is crubmling, experts say.

Major banks in Greece are closed, and citizens face restrictions on ATM withdrawals in light of the country's economic crisis, the latest of which involved a rejection of a bailout deal.  Withdrawals of cash are limited to €60 per Greek citizen per day, though that amount may decrease in coming days.

But travelers should be able to enjoy their vacations in Greece without major problems.

First of all, foreigners are not subject to the same ATM withdrawal restrictions.  "So far, tourists in Greece have been unaffected by recent economic developments," Christos Stergiou, founder of Greek luxury travel company True Greece, told the Huffington Post.  "Foreign credit cards continue to be functional, even with the banks closed."

As a precaution, Stergiou says visitors to Greece should arrive with the full amount of Euros they'll need in cash, as ATMs may run out of money or have long lines. He also suggests that visitors use credit cards whenever possible during their stay.

To read more, please visit: The Huffington Post

In Greek, Mana’s Kouzina-Kouzina means Mother’s Kitchen. Greeks love memories of their childhood and the experience of waiting for home cooked food at the kitchen table, savoring the aroma and the tastes of traditional slow-cooked, oven-baked dishes prepared with love and care by their grandmothers and mothers. Mana’s Kouzina-Kouzina is successfully bringing back these dishes called magierefta to the forefront of Greek cuisine.

At Mana’s Kouzina-Kouzina, guests will be taken back to their roots to celebrate the techniques, tastes and the flavors of traditional Greek cooking. Their meals are prepared fresh each day and the menu changes every few weeks. Each menu is a researched collection of local and ‘forgotten’ recipes hailing from all over Greece.

Address: Aiolou 27
Telephone: 210 325 2335
Email: manaskouzinakouzina@gmail.com

To read this article in full, please visit: Living Postcards

Capital Controls Restrictions in Greece were first implemented in July 2015. Nearly two years later, they are still very much in effect, although somewhat less restrictive.

 

Katerina Sirouni and Attorney Arsinoi Lainioti of LAINIOTIS LAW LLC discuss the current restrictions (as of May 2017), and well as how to open a Greek bank account.

While limited cash withdrawals are still in effect, there have been some changes and these are the main points you should be aware of:

Opening a bank account in Greece has indeed become a challenge. They can be opened under specific circumstances and only with the person wishing to open the account being present, with very few exceptions.

Of particular interest to residents abroad, it is possible to open a Greek bank account if the bank account is funded with at least 10,000 Euros (or equivalent in another currency) from abroad (i.e. outside the Greek banking system). This is particularly relevant for our clients who are considering buying property in Greece.

To read this article in full, please visit: K.Sirouni Architecture and Property Management

Roasted lamb on a spit is the traditional dish of Greek Easter Sunday! However, if you don’t want to go through the process of spending hours outside tending to the rotisserie lamb, you may want to opt for a more conventional cooking method.

 

Here is a quick guide to help you choose the right piece of meat, as well as some basic tips on cooking, seasoning, and marinating lamb.

What Part Of The Lamb Should I Choose?

1. Leg of Lamb

The leg of lamb is the most tender part of the lamb. Keep in mind that the bone-in leg of lamb takes longer to cook but doesn’t need to be tied with butchers’ twine like a semi-boneless leg of lamb. A whole leg of lamb usually weighs about 3 to 4 kilos and should feed about 4-5 people.

2. Rack of Lamb

The lamb rib rack is one of the most elegant and impressive meat cuts. Rack of lamb grills beautifully but can also be roasted in a delicious crust of aromatic herbs. Frenching the rack by removing the meat and fat that connect the individual rib bones, gives a very impressive result but may require a bit of help from your butcher.

3. Lamb Chops

Loin chops look like tiny T-bone steaks and offer a generous ratio of meat-to-bone. Season with a dry rub, or marinate for 4 to 6 hours, then grill, broil or pan fry the chops for a wonderful meal.

Shoulder chops are great for braising and require a shorter amount of cooking time than other cuts. They are a wallet-friendly, flavorful choice for quick and easy meals.

4. Lamb Shanks

Lean on fat but high on flavor, lamb shanks are stars of the braising world. Slow-cook the lamb for a delicious velvety texture.

Important Cooking Tips

• Lamb roasts and steaks should be cooked to an internal temperature of 63°C (145°F), while ground lamb needs to reach at least 71°C (160°F).
• Tougher cuts of lamb are perfect for tender stews and braises in the slow cooker, but remember to sear the meat before cooking to build flavor.
• Slice leftover roasted lamb for delicious next-day sandwiches and salads.
• Cook lamb meat over an open fire to create mouth-watering, smoked flavors and aromas.
• If grilling a whole rack of lamb, cover the rib bones in foil to prevent them from burning.
  

Herbal Marinades And Seasoning Mixes

1. Yogurt-Marinated Lamb Skewers

Cut the lamb meat into 1-inch cubes and place in an overnight marinade made with yogurt, crushed garlic, lemon juice, and mint. Remove excess marinade before skewering and serve with a squeeze of lemon, coarse salt, and freshly ground pepper.

2. Aromatic Herb Rubs

a. Herbs such as mint, thyme, basil, and rosemary perfectly complement the lamb. Turn them into a seasoning paste using garlic, lemon juice, and paprika. This paste is ideal for grilled lamb chops but also for oven-roasted lamb.

b. Using a sharp knife make small slits all over the leg of the lamb. Stuff each incision with fresh rosemary and 1/2 clove of garlic. Rub with olive oil or melted butter and a blend of thyme, salt, and pepper. and Rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting for even better results.

Sitting at the heart of the fine dining experience in the Greek island of Naxos, 'Barozzi Restaurant' has established a renowned reputation as a world-class destination for sophisticated cuisine. 

To further its high-end offerings, Barozzi has now launched a degustation menu, providing customers with an enticing opportunity to sample the comprehensive menu, as part of a true dining experience. 

In addition to the delectable degustation menus, the restaurant now also provides wine and cheese pairing options, in which the very best of local cheese and selected premium wine can be sampled, bringing a true taste of the region. Having some of the region's most critically acclaimed chefs looking to make their mark in the fine dining market, Barozzi Restaurant is committed to sourcing the very best of local produce for a rich, varied and seasonal offering. 

Arguably the island's premier venue for sophisticated haute cuisine, Barozzi can provide distinctive food creations for those looking for upmarket catering options, perfect for special occasions such as birthday, weddings, hen and stag experiences. The restaurant is excited to be spoiling diners with an ever-changing carousel of well-executed, creative and delectable dishes for any special event.

The restaurant is also ideal for couples eager to experience something different in their vacations, experiencing a unique romantic dinner and signature cocktails.

Found in the beautiful Aegean island of Naxos, the restaurant is proud to be pairing its haute cuisine offering with a tantalizing range of cocktails, created from the talented fingertips of the restaurants own professional mixologists. Barozzi's founder Dionysis Alimpertis commented:

“Our commitment is to provide our diners with an experience never to be forgotten. For us, detail is everything. From designing our dishes to sourcing the very best ingredients to pairing them with the most finely balanced flavors. Anything less than sensational is unacceptable, and our customer feedback thankfully reflects the incredibly high standards we strive for.”

To make reservation inquiries or for further information, please visit the official website at https://www.barozzinaxos.com.

Barozzi Restaurant and Cocktail Bar was established in 2017, located in the heart of Naxos town, within a 1930s impressive building renovated by Aliberti Projects with gfra architecture. The restaurant has been awarded the Aegean Cuisine certificate and constantly receives distinctions and enthusiastic reviews. Our philosophy is to promote the Aegean and Mediterranean cuisine, excellent local ingredients and create Greek flavours with a modern perspective.

The oldest library in Greece, the historical library of Zakynthos, has recently reopened its doors to the public with a refurbished 200 sqm Reading Room providing access to rare editions.

The library was founded in 1628 while Zakynthos was under Venetian rule, and its governor, Thomas Flaginis, donated 200 volumes to the city. It was formally inaugurated in 1803 and became an independent public service entity under historiographer Panagiotis Chiotis who enriched its collection with archaeological artifacts, a numismatics collection, and a gallery of art.

Today, the library contains almost 70,000 volumes, of which 50,000 are rare editions.

To read this article in full, please visit: tornosnews.gr

On September 24 and 25, the Acropolis Museum will celebrate this year’s European Heritage Days (EHD) with a family program entitled “In the houses of the ancient Greeks… life without television and internet…”

The two-day event will offer children and their guardians the chance to explore the ancient neighborhood below the Museum, the famous Makrigiannis plot, where archaeologists have unearthed layers of the city that date back to Neolithic times.

Visitors will be able to discover the similarities and differences with today’s neighborhoods, engage with replicas of everyday objects from the ancient past, and discuss with the Museum’s archaeologists the materials that were used, and whether they were more environmentally friendly than our own.

Finally, participants will be able to create their own residential environments in the Museum’s gardens, inspired by the materials and traditional practices of the inhabitants of the ancient neighborhood.

Each program at the Acropolis Museum, which is free for children, will last for 60 minutes. Registrations are made on a first-come, first-served basis.

First launched in 1999, European Heritage Days was developed as a joint initiative of the Council of Europe and the European Commission, bringing citizens together from all 50 signatory states of the European Cultural Convention under the motto “Europe: a common heritage.”

Over 70,000 events are organized each year, raising awareness of the value of shared European heritage and the need for its conservation for present and future generations.

This year’s shared theme celebrates sustainable heritage in the context of environmental change, Europe’s diverse cultural heritage, and the United Nation’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Across Europe, events will focus on people and places, the continuity and knowledge from traditional practices, and how built and natural heritage can contribute to a more sustainable future.

Originally published on: greece-is.com

On Syntagma Square in Athens, Greece, six young ballerinas in full Giselle costume execute graceful romantic sequences in the midst of traffic, whilst on Omonoia Square, traditional Black Sea dancers, their hands clasped, dance rhythmically in file next to rushing buses and perplexed passers-by. Is this a protest of a different kind? For director Jevan Chowdhury, these images from his latest film Moving Cities: Athens could be read as such; for him, and many others, dancing in public spaces is an act of sovereignty.

Chowdhury launched his Moving Cities project in 2014 as - he told Yatzer - a ''collection of cities that are interesting or significant today.'' Following Paris, London, Brussels, Yerevan and Prague, the Moving Cities project travelled to Athens, Greece, in January 2015 where, over the course of three days, some 60 dancers were filmed improvising in the city’s streets, squares, back yards and rooftops. In the monochrome style and constantly moving camera flow that is consistent throughout the Moving Cities project, Chowdhury’s film visits several locations across the city, from the busy Piraeus port to the touristy Acropolis, accompanied by a powerful music score by composer Danny Odom.

For Chowdhury, ''the locations were very important .....All the dancing you see in the video was the result of the location. We did a casting in collaboration with the Athens Video Dance Project (AVDP), got in touch with several dancers and asked them to respond to certain locations through dancing. This way the dancers tapped into the atmosphere of the place and also expressed in their own way how they felt at that particular time. I chose mostly tourist areas because they are very transient places, but also quite generic in a way. Because these films are also a reference to how all the cities we live in are the same, and how it’s actually the people that make the difference.'' To read more, please visit: Yatzer

TripAdvisor, one of the largest travel sites, has announced its Travellers’ Choice™ awards for museums around the world in September 2015.

Award winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews for museums around the world, gathered over a 12-month period. The Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece is among the best museums ranked 11th in the world and 8th in Europe attracting hundreds of tourists every year and receiving great reviews.

To read more, please visit: Parthenon UK

For a complete list of the top 25, visit Trip Advisor