Cafes and restaurants reopened in Greece on Monday for sit-down service for the first time in nearly six months, as the country began easing coronavirus-related restrictions with a view to opening to the vital tourism industry in the summer. 

Cafes, restaurants, and bars, which had been shut to all but takeout and delivery services when lockdown-type measures were imposed in early November, reopened for outdoor seated service only. Tables are set a certain distance apart to maintain social distancing while standing customers and music aren’t allowed.

A maximum of six customers are allowed per table, while staff must carry out compulsory coronavirus home self-tests. A nightly curfew that was in force from 9 p.m. is being pushed back to 11 p.m. as of Monday, with bars, restaurants, and cafes allowed to remain open until 15 minutes before curfew.

In recent weeks, the Greek government has been gradually easing restrictions as part of the efforts being made to lay the groundwork for Greece to welcome back tourists. Tourism is a vital industry for the country, and all tourism-related businesses and services are scheduled to reopen on May 15.

To read this article in full please visit: ekathimerini.com

With Easter upon us, what a better way to celebrate it in Greece than with some great tips about the festive local traditions, recipies and a guide to some of the most beautiful churces in Athens. Learn all about them in this week's newsletter!

Before Greece won its independence in 1829, some 130 churches were recorded in Athens. Ironically, many were destroyed not by the Ottomans, but during the construction of the modern Greek capital. Churches were often used as a source of building material, much as the ancient temples had been used earlier. You’ll often see sections of columns integrated into the altar or walls.

 

Orthodox tradition often absorbs the pagan practices of antiquity too. So don't be surprised if you find far-from-saintly figures like Heracles or Hebe, the gods’ cupbearer and goddess of eternal youth, on the frieze of a 9th-century church. Here's a roundup of the most stunning churches in Athens!

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Note from XpatAthens

If you're celebrating Easter in Greece in 2021 please be sure to read about coronavirus restrictions.

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Agia Dynami

This 16th-century church has a history as big as its size is small. It was linked by an underground tunnel to a small gunpowder plant that supplied the Ottoman troops. When the independence revolt erupted, the munitions maker smuggled some of the gunpowder to the Greeks through the tunnel. Aside from its odd location in the belly of the former Ministry of Education (now the Electra Metropolis hotel), another unusual feature is the church’s tiny, crenellated windows

Agia Fotini
Location: 3 Ardittou, Pangrati

 

Fotini was a Samaritan prostitute who achieved sainthood by offering Christ a cup of water. This simple basilica in her honor preserves some of the original murals of the fourth-century church, which was reconstructed in the 1870s. Archaeological evidence suggests there were sanctuaries to Hekate and Pan on the site. Next to the steps leading to the church is the only preserved section of an arched bridge over the Ilissos River, constructed in 1850 on orders of Greece’s first king

Agia Irini
Location: 36 Aiolou & Athinaidos, Historic Centre

 

Built in 1847, using material from destroyed churches as well as the Acropolis, this massive church was intended to serve as the Metropolitan Cathedral. It was the site for many official events such as Othon’s coming of age, groundbreaking for the new palace, and services marking the first anniversary of the constitution. Marble columns support a balcony and deep recesses are decorated with religious scenes, including St Paul preaching to the Athenians.

To read this article in full and discover more beautiful churches please visit: thisisathens.org

Photo by: Georgios Makkas

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Do you like modern and contemporary art? Then for sure, Athens, featuring numerous galleries and fabulous museums where you can enjoy modern art, is the place to be! 

Greece might be known for its ancient Greek culture, statues, ceramics, and temples, but is also a country where you can see a lot of modern art and contemporary architecture, as well as visit museums covering the living artists or those numerous famous Greek names and talented artists of the 20th century. With that said, let’s introduce you to a very known Greek painter and one of Greece’s leading 20th-century artists, Yιannis Moralis, whose paintings can be found in public and private collections in Greece, as well as abroad.

Who Was Yιannis Moralis?

Ηe was born in the town of Arta in 1916, but lived in Preveza from 1922-1927, due to the fact that his father served as Principal at High School of Preveza. He moved to Athens with his parents in 1927. From the age of 15, he studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts, from where he graduated in 1936. The following year he won a scholarship from the Athens Academy and left for Rome.

Moralis would stay in Italy until November 1937 and then moved to Paris where he studied at École Nationale des Beaux-Arts. At the same time, he registered in École des Arts et Metiers, to master mosaic. With the declaration of World War II, however, he returned to Greece hurriedly.

In 1940 he exhibited a series of engravings with the group “Free Artists” in Piraeus. In the same year, he assigned to the army and served his term while participating in the last pre-war Pan-Hellenic Exhibition in Zappeion, where he also received the bronze medal.

In 1954, he began his collaboration with the Theater of Art of Karolos Koun, and later on, he also collaborated with the National Theater. In 1958, together with Yiannis Tsarouchis and sculptor Antonis Soutsos, he represented Greece at the Venice Biennale.

If you want to learn more facts about Yannis Moralis and see pictures from his solo exhibit in the Benaki Museum please visit: masaresi.com

 

Masaresi.com was founded by Maya Cornelissens-Andreadi, who shares her experience about how “to integrate in Greece and feel like a local”. Masaresi = μας αρέσει = we like it! Discover the “real Greece," while delving into all the aspects of Greek life – from modern lifestyle and culture to history, literature, traditions, and many more.

Explore Greece - Read About Greece - Buy Greek - Learn Greek

When you listen to Greek radio, Greek songs, or you live in Greece, of course, you hear Greek all the time. However, if you do not understand what is said, do not worry - you can still enjoy Greece and Greek life, without speaking Greek! 

But the more you live in Greece, and the more Greek you hear on the streets, in the shops, on the radio, etc., it's only natural to desire to understand and communicate with Greeks, in their native language of course.

So why not trying to communicate in Greek with the locals? Even if you start in Greek and finish the conversation in English, it does not matter. As long you show you try, you will make friends forever.

Of course, nobody tells you it is easy! Understanding Greek or having a normal conversation in Greek always contains grammar structures, slang, a lot of vocabulary, etc. But do not be afraid of making mistakes, it is the best way to learn.

How, when, or where to start learning Greek?

A. Learn with a Greek friend or try lessons with a Greek teacher close to your home or online. You don't need to spend years learning Greek. Instead, you can use simple sentences and limited vocabulary which you use on a daily basis in Greece. The friendly reactions and comments from Greeks, impressed by your effort to learn their language, will motivate you to continue learning more.

B. Try the “Greek Speaking Starter Kit” an online multi-media starter kit, made by the Omilo Greek Language School.  

C. Learn Greek by yourself. Learning a language on your own, without a teacher, is fun, but, keep in mind, that it can be full of difficult moments and delay the entire process by many years.

 

Masaresi.com was founded by Maya Cornelissens-Andreadi, who shares her experience about how “to integrate in Greece and feel like a local”. Masaresi = μας αρέσει = we like it! Discover the “real Greece," while delving into all the aspects of Greek life – from modern lifestyle and culture to history, literature, traditions, and many more.

Explore Greece - Read About Greece - Buy Greek - Learn Greek

 

Located in Athens, Alexandria Institute organizes Modern and Ancient Greek language and culture courses. Our seminars are held in Athens, Chios, Paros and in various other places in Greece as well as Greek online courses. We also offer teacher training courses, and we organize lectures and cultural walks. If you live in Athens and you want to communicate with locals in daily life situations, the courses we offer are ideal for you.

If you want to learn more about life in Athens and in Greece in general, understand Greek culture and the locals, the way they think, their lifestyle, traditions, and customs, then join our Greek language courses! Choose what works best for you and your needs:

Focusing specifically on the students’ special needs, preferences and interests, our courses can be arranged in a way that meets those requirements. In addition to teaching the language, we offer cultural activities. The courses are part of a wide range of training and cultural activities aimed at presenting you with a complete educational and cultural experience in Athens.

If you already speak some Greek, find out your level though our placement tests and sign up for the most suitable course for you!

Whether you have limited free time (one or two weeks) or you can make more, Alexandria Institute can come up with the schedule that is suitable to your needs and capabilities.

Our purpose is to help you learn Greek and be able to communicate from the very beginning!

Do you live in Athens and you are facing everyday challenges?

At Alexandria Institute, we can provide you not only Greek courses, but also, we help you overcome challenges in communication of the everyday life of the city.

Our goal is to make our way through learning Greek in a modern, creative, and fun way! We are using contemporary tools, equipment, and educational material to help you learn the language though an exclusive and entertaining educational experience.

Location of the School: 5 minutes walking distance from the metro station NEA IONIA.

We're happy to announce a new Media Sponsorship collaboration with the "Authentic Marathon Swim". We thank them for their trust and amicable support!

The Authentic Marathon Swim returns, after its historical revival, for the 2nd consecutive year, on July 2-4, 2021, at Artemision. Amateur and professional swimmers from Greece and abroad will have the opportunity to enjoy the great sports event, at Pefki, Evia of the Municipality of Istiaia – Edipsos, with absolute safety.

We love sharing events and letting our community know what's on in Athens and around Greece! Whether it’s art, music, sports, food & drink, or community events, our aim is to encourage people to embrace and experience all that Athens has to offer! We keep our readers up-to-date with what’s on, and what’s coming up in our great city.

Part of the work that we do at XpatAthens is to collaborate with many different venues, digital platforms and event planners/hosts as Media Sponsors - you're welcome to learn more and see our sponsorships here.

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If you'd like to learn more about sharing your event on XpatAthens,
please contact us here to tell us more about your upcoming event.

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We're happy to announce a new Media Sponsorship collaboration with Run Messinia 2021 We thank them for their trust and amicable support!

Run Messinia is an ultramarathon race of a total distance of approximately 421 kilometers, a tribute to the important events and unforgettable battles of the heroes of 1821. On June 5-14, 2021, during the “Run for Freedom” edition, 10 athletes per route will attempt to run 10 marathons in total, in 10 consecutive days, crossing historical places and monuments of Messinia, Laconia, and Arcadia, which are related to the Greek revolution.

We love sharing events and letting our community know what's on in Athens and around Greece! Whether it’s art, music, sports, food & drink, or community events, our aim is to encourage people to embrace and experience all that Athens has to offer! We keep our readers up-to-date with what’s on, and what’s coming up in our great city.

Part of the work that we do at XpatAthens is to collaborate with many different venues, digital platforms and event planners/hosts as Media Sponsors - you're welcome to learn more and see our sponsorships here.

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If you'd like to learn more about sharing your event on XpatAthens,
please contact us here to tell us more about your upcoming event.

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Contemporary Greek music has a deep history that expands over 100+ years. This “A Capella compilation”, an idea of the Greek artist Nikolas Raptakis and his friends, includes bits and bobs of many different hit songs, one after the other and brilliantly shows how Greek music has changed over the decades. 

The journey through the history of Greek music starts with rebetiko and the traditional. Rebetiko originated from the music of large, mainly coastal cities of Asia Minor, where big Greek communities lived and prospered during the Ottoman era. It is closely related to nightlife entertainment – ouzeries and tavernas.

Another song by Markos Vamvakaris leads us into the 40s. In the 1950s, rebetiko started changing and giving its place to a new-ish genre, laïkó. Chiotis created the idea of entertainment venues the way people understood them in Greece in the decades to follow. He is also considered one of the best bouzouki players of all times.

Towards the end of the 50s, a new music genre appears in Greece, which is called entechno – orchestral music with elements from Greek folk rhythm and melody. The lyrics of the songs are often poems written by Greek poets, to which significant composers like Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hatzidakis are adding music.

1960-1970-1980

Greek cinema bloomed in the 60s and so did Greek music since many movies had music and dance sequences like modern musicals. It is thus no coincidence that this part of the videos starts with Ipomoni and Tosa Kalokairia, which are both from Greek movies of that time.

The music of that era, especially from the 1970s onwards, carries a lot of optimism, enthusiasm, and some hippie vibes.

To read more and learn some Greek music history please visit: masaresi.com

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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!