Author and blogger, Marissa Tejada, from Travel Greece Travel Europe, travels to Nafpaktos and shares her favourite things to do!

The Venetian Castle of Nafpaktos is one very large and incredibly preserved structure that you simply can’t miss. It can be seen from the harbor and from many points in town. The castle is what gives this place – set on a sparkling aqua blue corner of the Corinthian Gulf – its defining charm.

The Botsari Museum is part of the Venetian Tower of Botsaris. It is a historic landmark that is run by the charitable Botsaris Foundation. It is worth a stop to view a collection replica paintings and engravings that give insight into the great Battle of Lepanto of 1571.

Every coastal town, big or small, in Greece has beautiful beaches and Nafpaktos is no exception. The names of the two city beaches are known as Psani and Gribovo and have been accredited with Blue Flag status.

To read this article in full, please visit: Travel Greece Travel Europe

It is finally on its way. In a few days’ time the 1st “Greek Panorama” exhibition will open its curtain at the Grand Central Terminal in the Vanderbilt Hall, in Manhattan, hoping to achieve a successful representation of Greece abroad.

The exhibition will offer free entrance to the public on May 12th and May 13th, from 10:00 AM until 06:00 PM, while everything that is included in the “Greek Panorama B2B sessions”, which is exclusively for professionals, will take place on May 11th, 2017 and the feedback of this event is extremely promising since the participations are already beyond every expectation.

The B2B is peeking the interest of many professionals who are involved in the American traveling market, as it is offering a unique opportunity for them to meet in person with people representing Greek tourist businesses and destinations. This particular event at the Greek Panorama will be organized at the high-end assembly hall “Kellari” and will include shows by famous chefs creating a variety of Greek delicacies.

A Greek expatriate as well as the entire Greek American community is standing by the side of this initiative. Important people will be there, such as the ultramarathon runner Konstantinos (Dean) Karnazes, who will be signing his book “The road to Sparta” and also the former NFL player, Niko Koutouvides.

At the time of the exhibition the first copy of the Greek American magazine Hellas Blu will be published, which includes interviews of the Greek NBA star Giannis Antetokoumpo, Dean Karnazes and the famous chef Maria Loe, who runs her own business in New York.

Greek Panorama” and its corresponding events are the main constituents of the plan of action created by the Hellas North American Events Inc. regarding North America markets, considering that the plan includes actions and initiatives throughout the year.

Shortly before the exhibition opens its doors, the general manager of North Events, Mr. Leonidas Babanis, pointed out: “I am very excited that we are just a few moments before the beginning of the exhibition, which aims to promote Greece everywhere! Having tourism, culture and gastronomy as the key points, a successful recipe is created so that the essence of Greece will originally take over New York and eventually the world. The overwhelming enrollments for the B2B event allow us to dream that the “Greek Panorama” is not only a yearly exhibition but an establishment for the future. I want to thank all those who have stood and are still standing beside us such as the Greek embassy in Washington, the Ministry of Tourism, the Hellenic-American Chamber of Tourism and Greek National Tourism Organization, Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE), the Federation of Hellenic Associations of Travel & Tourist Agencies (FedHATTA), Hellenic Hotel Federation (HHF) and the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels (HCH). More importantly, though, we have to thank the people, our expatriates, who from the beginning have shown that they are beside us. Finally, we will be waiting for you on May 12th and 13th at the Grand Central Terminal to enjoy Greece”.

It should be noted that the available exposure areas in the Greek Panorama exhibition are limited and due to the interest already expressed, the participation requests will be processed in priority order.

Official Hashtag: #greekpanorama

Double gold distinction at the Sports Marketing Awards 2017

The Olympic “family” of “Navarino Challenge” grows and returns for a 5th consecutive year on October 13-15 2017, in Messinia and Costa Navarino.

Every year “Navarino Challenge”, honors the athletes who stand out for their overall contribution to sports. Honoree person at this year's event will be the Olympic gold medalist in Rio and world champion in the rings, Lefteris Petrounias who has made proud all Greeks not only with his successes but also with his ethics. Petrounias, is considered an exemplary athlete for young people, who has already won a gold Olympic medal, two gold medals in the world gymnastics championships, as well as four gold and one bronze in European tournaments and championships in rings.

The multiple award-winning sports tourism event of Messinia continues with new distinctions; following the Gold Ermis Award as best sports tourism event, another important recognition came at the Sports Marketing Awards 2017, which highlight the best practices in the marketing and communication of the Greek sports market.

On Wednesday, July 12, “Navarino Challenge” remained in the top level by winning not just one, but two gold awards. In particular, the event received a gold award at the “Sports Events / Branded Events” section, in the category “Live Well” for the values promoted through its program of activities. As an event that attracted thousands of participants, reinforced the local community, promoted the athletic ideal and contributed to the strengthening of a healthy lifestyle, distinguishing itself in terms of design, creativity, innovation, efficiency and effectiveness.

The second gold award was received in the “Sports Brands” section of the “Integrated Marketing Campaign” category for the best communication and marketing campaign launched in 2016, in the light of strong creativity, ingenuity, originality and excellence.

“Navarino Challenge”, which takes place in Costa Navarino and throughout Messinia, is innovating every year and now composes not only the event with the most sports activities but also with the most Olympic sports, contributing to the promotion of sports and the promotion of Greek tourism.

Registrations for “Navarino Challenge” continue with an undiminished pace and everyone can take part by completing the special entry form available by clicking here.

Participants may select to run in one of the following routes, the exquisite Half Marathon (21,1km), the 10 km route and the 5km run (for running and dynamic walking), while at the same day children may run the 1km running route. This year, there will be race timing for all runners. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to swim in the beautiful Navarino bay at the picturesque port of Pylos, covering the unique swimming route of one mile (1.6 km.) and take part in the Stand Up Paddling race by BIC® Sport that will be held with the support of the best surf club, Surf Salad!

Travel to “Navarino Challenge” with the multiple award-winning airline company Qatar Airways, by using the promo code ATHNAVCH to book an exclusive offer for roundtrip tickets to Athens from over 150 places, by clicking here!

Offer is valid from 3 to 15 October 2017 included (Outbound) and (Inbound) to be completed on or before 25 October 2017. This offer refers to roundtrip tickets to Athens from more than 150 destinations. Participants should be ready for even more surprises to be announced by the official airline partner of the event.

In addition, Vikos company will support and refresh for one more year the audience and participants of the event with the Natural Mineral Water "Vikos", while ambassadors and organizers will move with the safety of the cars of Ford Motor Hellas.

The privileged accommodation packages at The Westin Resort Costa Navarino are available for those wishing to enjoy the full schedule of “Navarino Challenge”, which includes more than 10 free sports activities. For further information click here!

“Navarino Challenge” will be held under the Auspices of the Greek National Tourism Organization with the support of Costa Navarino and The Westin Resort Costa Navarino, as well as the Municipalities of Pylos-Nestor and Trifilia.

More information will be announced in the next few weeks.

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Hashtags: #navarinochallenge #costanavarino #eatwell #runwell #livewell

Photo: Greek Olympic gold medalist and world champion in the rings, Lefteris Petrounias will be the honoree person of "Navarino Challenge"

 

Official Airline Partner: Qatar Airways

Official Sponsors: “Vikos” Natural Mineral Water, Ford Motor Hellas

Official Supporters: BIC®, BIC® Sport, Wyndham Grand Athens, Poseidonia, Surf Salad

Assisted by: Navarino Outdoors, Swim Academy, Navarino Racquet Academy, Apia

Strategic Partner: National Geographic

Under the auspices of the Greek National Tourism Organization

Turkey’s ban on Turkish ships sailing to the Greek islands has been lifted following a meeting between Greek Shipping Minister Panagiotis Kouroublis and Turkish Transport Minister Ahmet Arslan in Athens. This comes after the recent ban from a statement made September 25, 2017.

According to Mr. Arslan, passenger ferry services will continue to run normally since the two sides recognized each other’s importance in tourism and the economy.

As the Turkish Minister explained, the problem arose because Turkey could not take the risk of losing the white flag on the list.

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

The editors of ARCHAEOLOGY, the publication of the Archaeological Institute of America, revealed the 10 most compelling archaeological finds of the year. Among them is a Greek relic discovered near Ancient Olympia.

 

Scientists have dated the newly discovered excerpt back to the third century A.D. at the latest and believe it is likely the oldest inscribed section of the Odyssey ever to be found in Greece.

The inscription consists of the first 13 verses of the poem’s 14th book, in which Odysseus finally returns home to Ithaca. “I think the brick was inscribed at some point, and later it was used for construction,” says Erofili-Iris Kolia, director of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Ilia.

In the past few weeks, governments around the world have enacted dramatic measures to mitigate the threat of COVID-19, that have significantly transformed every aspect of our everyday lives.

The changes have been sudden, driven by widespread recognition that it’s a public health emergency. It's too soon to know whether these measures will prove to be effective but what is absolutely clear is that the pandemic response is in stark contrast to the lack of effective action on climate change. What would it look like if the world responded to the climate crisis with a similar sense of urgency?

“We’ve seen that governments can act, and people can change their behavior, in a very short amount of time,” says May Boeve, executive director of the climate advocacy group 350.org. “And that’s exactly what the climate movement has been asking governments and people to do for years in the face of a different kind of threat—the climate crisis—and we don’t see commensurate action. On the one hand, it shows that it’s possible to do this, and it’s possible for this kind of mobilization of resources to take place in a short amount of time. In that sense, that’s encouraging. But we were never in doubt of that aspect.” 

The similarities between the two cases are indisputable, so, why do the responses to COVID-19 and climate change differ so dramatically? They both require making difficult decisions to avert future disasters and the scientific community is offering clear warnings about what to do. Also, public health is jeopardized in both cases. In fact, climate change has the potential to end up killing more people than COVID-19 in the long run. Climate change is responsible for the increased frequency of natural disasters, such as extreme heat-waves that have killed many people, not to mention that the same pollutants that contribute to climate change also cause air pollution that kills millions each year. Due to climate change, food and water shortages are worsened and mosquito-borne diseases are more likely to spread as mosquitoes move into new regions. And as with coronavirus, climate change affects the most vulnerable first. 

If the world was responding to climate change like it’s responding to the coronavirus things would be entirely different. Governments would come up with the funds to build the infrastructure needed to fully roll out renewable energy. In cities, development rules would change to require low-carbon construction, while farms would shift to regenerative agriculture. Just as the airline industry is struggling because of the coronavirus, some industries like the coal and gas industry would see real impacts so we would have to think of ways to support the workers from those industries. 

Just like with the coronavirus, a lot of things would have to happen quickly and simultaneously. Right now, governments are acting on the advice of health professionals, people are showing trust in the public health community, accepting the fact that a number of measures need to be put in place and policymakers are acting. The level of response gives us hope that a strong climate change policy can eventually be achieved. After all, the policies exist; they've been drafted and waiting to be enacted. In fact, the policy changes required to mitigate climate change appear far less disruptive both economically and socially than the measures to tackle COVID-19. 

To read this article in full please visit fastcompany.com

"Athens just feels like a breath of fresh air," says Ben Jacobs as he looks over the sleeping city from the roof of his new apartment in Kypseli. Ben's work and social life in London became severly affected by coronavirus restrictions, so he started looking for cities where he could still work but enjoy a much more fulfilling existence. Athens came out on top.

Athens has been rising as a destination for digital nomads for several years now, with people of all types of professions, from artists to web developers and online marketers, deciding that the Greek capital offers a winning combination of climate, quality of life, and low cost of living. When Covid-19 struck Europe, Greece was acknowledged as one of the countries to have handled the outbreak best; the early and strict lockdown kept cases low—and as of now, Greece still has much fewer fatalities than other EU countries of comparable size.

We spoke to 'corona nomads' from a range of countries and professions about their decision to move to Athens, the experiences they've had while here, and why they recommend relocating to the Greek capital.

"I was working on a huge youth dance project, I was in multiple drag shows, I was developing a contemporary dance project and planning to take my company LADS on tour around Australia and New Zealand," Isabella recalls. "Then, corona appeared, and all of that was canceled, along with any future work."

Isabella, 29, is a performance artist and feature choreographer, accustomed to working multiple gigs, seven days a week and being regularly on the move. "Now I have just a few hours of yoga teaching per week," she explains. "The change was drastic and devastating at first. I couldn't teach, I couldn't perform and I had no-one to collaborate with. All things I adore doing. It was really hard to have it all ripped out from underneath me."

In March, she left London and returned to Nottingham to spend the lockdown with her family. Isabella is half Greek, half English but grew up in the UK, taking holidays to Greece. When her late grandmother's flat in Koukaki became available in July, she jumped at the opportunity. "Dancers can't sit still, we have to keep training," says Isabella. "After being cooped up in the UK, here I have space to train at home with the free classes that dance schools and teachers have been putting online."

Normally, Isabella would be performing at the big summer festivals and booking gigs for next year. She now faces an empty calendar stretching long into the distance. Yet, with her savings and a small income from teaching online yoga and dance classes, she's learned to enjoy a simpler life in Athens, shopping at the laiki, exploring the cool cafes of Koukaki.

 

"If there's no work, there's no reason for me to be back in London," she says. "If everything is going to be laptop-based for the foreseeable future, I might as well be here, where the Mediterranean lifestyle is more chilled, the food is delicious, the sun shines for eight out of twelve months of the year and the sea is really close. I'm quite happy to leave the rat race behind."

The Playwright Searching For A Muse—Ben Jacobs

Like Isabella, Ben, 32, works in an industry decimated by coronavirus: tourism. As a self-employed London tour guide, he ushered groups around the capital daily, passionately sharing stories and interacting with visitors from all over the world.

"London is great for making money, meeting people and going to events," he says. "But now, with so few tourists, I can't make anywhere near what I used to; while London is still as expensive as it has always been." Reluctant to face a long and dreary British winter and the significant restrictions on indoor spaces, Ben's thoughts turned to Athens, particularly its lively outdoor art scene.

"Lockdown has forced everything outdoors and that's far less restricting in an outdoors culture like Athens," he says. Aside from being a tour guide, Ben is also a writer and playwright, with several works currently in progress. Rather than burning through his savings paying rent in London—or switching careers—he decided to relocate to Athens to make his money stretch much further. He arrived in mid-September, just as new lockdowns arrived elsewhere across Europe.

"I've definitely got enough work to keep me busy here," he says. "Athens is now a throbbing and passionate metropolis; a lively stage on the edge of Europe. There's tonnes of inspiration here to create and perform new work."

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To read more, please visit This is Athens

Whether you've just arrived in town – or have been here for years – Athens always has new secrets to share! This is Athens is the official guide to this captivating city of ancient energies and booming urban culture. Compiled by a team of specialist local writers, This is Athens brings you an authentic and intimate portrait of a living Athens beyond the guidebooks – along with daily curated listings of all the best events and great weekend inspiration all-year round. From must-know neighbourhoods and emerging art hubs, to gourmet hotspots, cool shopping and the buzziest bars, This is Athens will help you to get the most out of living in Athens!

Thank you This is Athens for your contribution as an XpatAthens Partner.

Do you want to change something that bothers you or that you no longer like but you are having a hard time? Don’t be surprised. Habits do not change easily. Having said that, however, it is up to you to succeed. The way to do it is by training your mind.

The word “training” includes two beautiful words: Fun and Power. That’s right! Having a good time while doing something is an essential component of the learning process. It is not only the goal, the result but also the process that is important. It won’t make a real difference to reach your own “Ithaca,” to achieve what you said you want if during the way you constantly look for ways to escape. When you enjoy what you do you get multiple benefits: your interest is high, you have fun, you always find the time, you do everything in your power to keep going and at the same time you learn. This whole process makes you stronger.

Do you remember the time you were madly in love, at the beginning of the relationship, when you found all kinds of different ways to fight adversity so that you may be together with your boyfriend or girlfriend? It’s exactly like this. Regardless of the obstacles, it is this enthusiasm and this power that guide you when you want to change something that you do not like or that stresses you.

So first think about the things you enjoy doing, those that make you happy. Then write them down and prioritize them. Choose one that gives you joy and that you feel it is doable based on your current situation. It does not have to be complicated. For example, a phone call to your best friend or reading five pages from your book may be enough. Then find out what time during the day is best for you to do it. Well done! Now you have your plan ready. Start applying it at the same time every day. Remember, every day at the same time. This creates new connections in your brain and new habits that replace the old ones. It is with small, daily, empowering habits that you train your mind. Repetition has power.

Originally Published on: itsmylife.gr
Written by Nadia Georgiou

If there’s a topic you’re interested in and would like to learn more about you may contact me via email. For more information about me and my work check the XpatAthens Directory or visit my website. Because this is your life!

 

The Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT) launched a new advertising campaign, touting Greece’s attractions as a city break destination. Coining the word “Greekend,” the campaign encourages people to “end your week like a Greek.”

In its new spot, EOT promotes Athens and Thessaloniki as ideal destinations for travelers looking for a weekend break, stressing the prevailing good weather conditions and easy flight connections. It showcases the offerings tourists can enjoy in Greece’s big cities including the coffee culture, local cuisine, art galleries, shopping destinations, and entertainment venues.

“The Tourism Ministry and EOT are launching the City Break campaign, inviting visitors to discover the well-known and hidden corner of Greek cities,” said Tourism Minister Vasilis Kikilias.

“Hotels in our cities, particularly Athens and Thessaloniki, have suffered due to the pandemic. This campaign is the first in a series of initiatives we will carry out, inviting visitors to safely enjoy an authentic Greek weekend in our largest cities,” he added.

“The pandemic has negatively impacted urban tourism. In many cases, disproportionately to our other tourist destinations,” said EOT General Secretary Dimitris Fragkakis, adding that “the Greekend campaign seeks to promote a complete tourist product, one that is equal to other established European weekend destinations.”

The new campaign is scheduled to initially run for two months in 10 countries including France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, and Israel.

Originally published on: ekathimerini.com