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A Season Of Traditions
8th “OLYMPIC DAY RUN” GREECE & 1st THESSALONIKI CITY MARATHON
Register now at olympicdayrun.gr / EARLY BIRD REGISTRATIONS UNTIL 15/9!!
Follow ODR on FB, & INSTAGRAM to be the first to get updates from Greece’s top running event!!!! Hashtags: #olympicdayrungreece #thessalonikicitymarathon
Grevena, The Mushroom Capital Of Greece
Do you know why Grevena is called "The land of the mushrooms"? Because in the area grow more that 1.300 mushroom species! Whether you are a mushroom lover or a gourmet specialist, in Grevena you will savor the most imaginative dishes, hot mushroom soups and tasty mushroom pies cooked with wild, cultivated, powdered or dried mushrooms, and sprinkled with mushroom liquor or mushroom sauces!
Get to know the city better by taking romantic strolls along the river Grevenitis. Wander around Grevena's main squares: Eleftherias where you can admire the clock tower, the landmark of the city, and Aimilianou, where you will feel the pulse of the city’s nightlife!
Visit the Central Public Library to find historical documents on Grevena; the Boussios Mill, an exceptionally restored 19th century flour mill; the Municipal Museum which houses elephant and wild ox fossils, as well as folklore exhibits, and the Metropolitan church which hosts the ecclesiastic museum.
Welcome the opportunity to visit the nearby village Milia. The Natural History Museum there boasts a rare palaeontology collection which actually shows the largest mastodon tusks in the world, officially entered in the Guinness book of records!
Return to Grevena in August to attend the "Pan-Hellenic Mushroom Feast" organized by the “Mushroom Friends of Western Macedonia” on the banks of Venetikos river. A perfect occasion to visit the city would also be during the traditional carnival celebrations, the so-called “Anakatosaria”, that take place every February. Your trip to Grevena concludes with a half-day excursion to Mastorohoria, a beautiful complex of 25 outstanding stone villages nestled inside the dense oak-tree forest.
Source: Visitgreece.gr
Interview With Former Evzones
Any tourist visiting Athens will not fail to experience the soldiers that stand guard outside Parliament, with dead straight faces, not flinching, not moving a muscle, and occasionally doing a funny walk.
I was interested to dig deeper—so when Anthe Mitrakos of Portes Magazine put me in touch with two brothers, one who served in the Evzone Company and the other who served in the Command Company of the Presidential Guard, I was chuffed to be afforded an interview with them!
Background - What’s an Evzone?
They’re the soldiers that stand outside the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (where most of the tourists head to have their photos taken—oh, and me too!), the Presidential Palace and the gate of the military camp, where the Evzones stay during their time.
It’s important to say, here, that Evzones are not paid for their service. It is part of the nine month military service that all Greek males must undertake. Not everyone is selected to be an Evzone—and for this reason, it is an honour. More on that later.
They are two parts of the Presidential Guard section of military service guards:
1) Command Company
– Not the ‘men in kilts’ (Foustanella) i.e: not the evzones themselves
– Consists of one platoon whereby they undertake administration duties such as:
• chefs
• office work
• laundry
• looking after the uniforms
• drivers
• guards of the military camp
• soldiers who manage the restaurant: serve food, etc
To read more, please visit: Life Beyond Borders
Ancient Olympia Excavations Reveal 30m Colonnade
Another thirty metres of the eastern stoa, or colonnade, of the gymnasium at Ancient Olympia has been revealed in excavations, the Central Archaeological Council said, after a meeting that approved a study to drain rainwater from the site.
Travel Massive: A Unique Event Dedicated To Greece
The Initiative That Promotes Smoke-Free Venues
If you want to discover a restaurant or bar in your area where smoking is not allowed indoors, all you need to do is check out their ever-growing list of smoke free venues.
Statues At Zappeion Gardens Come To Light
Until recently, the statues became shrouded in darkness at night, making their beauty disappear in the dark. However, about a year ago, Christina Vagena, the chairwoman of the Olympia and Bequests Committee that manages the historic site, decided to reach out to Eleftheria Deko – who recently designed the new lighting system of the Acropolis – to create the new lighting system for 17 of the Zappeion statues. This is worth noting that the internationally acclaimed lighting designer offered her services pro bono.
“It was an enormous honor for such a charismatic professional to offer her assistance free of charge and to breathe new life into the sculptures. When the pandemic blows over, all Athenians will have the pleasure of rediscovering them and enjoying them.”, stated Christina Vagena.
To read this article in full, please visit: greece-is.com
Photo: "Eros", by Georgios Vroutos. © Pavlos Zafiropoulos
How To Ask Something In Greek - Two Useful Verbs
For any Greek language learner, memorizing verbs and learning to conjugate them correctly, is one of the first things you need, in order to make a correct Greek sentence.
Two Greek verbs that many Beginners and even Intermediate students find quite confusing are ρωτάω (rotao) and ζητάω (zitao). The main obvious cause of this confusion is that both verbs mean “to ask” in English. However, in Greek, there is a difference in “asking”!
Both verbs mean to ask, but:
ρωτάω = to ask (a question)
ζητάω = to ask for something
Take a look at the video below, where teacher Marina explains how to use these verbs. The video will also help you with the correct pronunciation.
If you'd like to learn more grammar and do a small exercise to test your knowledge, please visit: omilo.com
Omilo Greek Language and Culture inspires people from all over the world to learn Greek, while exploring Greece. They offer 1- and 2-week courses for adults that combine beautiful course locations, experienced teachers, and a balanced combination of Greek classes with cultural activities. All these make Omilo a place where people enjoy learning modern Greek and have fun.
Besides the courses, Omilo also creates online publications to help adults expand their language skills through Language Books and eBooks for different language levels.