In the midst of renewed (never-ending?) talk of crises and new economic measures, blockades and taxes, refugees and borders, somehow this week we hit the weather jackpot. This is more like it - early February and 17 degrees! I heard it once said that climate is 80% of life. Maybe this is what explains the fact that Athens hasn't totally buckled under the pressure. We are coming frighteningly close - no argument there - but the shining sun manages to play some very welcome tricks on the soul...
 


And when the weather turns warm, the feet feel like wandering - getting out of the house is top of the to-do list. 
 
This week I popped out to a couple great places - neither really 'new', and neither really cheap, but worth adding to your list...
 


Living in Thiseio, everyone knows the old Stavlos bar. This is the historic building at the top of Herakleidon St., the (actual) horse stables of King Othon during the mid-19th century. The building has gone through various incarnations, most recently as 'Root Artspace '. That business has now been re-opened as The Sowl, and has undergone a considerable makeover the process. The beautifully restored space has been given a warm 'southwest' feel in both the decor and the menu. Think 'tex-mex' meets 'bohemian', and throw in a colourful water fountain. Almost deliberately over-the-top... They serve up delicious food, including a Mexican fusion-style menu and modern Greek selections. And there is a surprisingly interesting wine list with some nice international choices. All this means that your night out will cost you more than your local taverna - but it's 17 degrees outside after all ;)
 


Ths Sowl is still functioning as an art and events space, with a event room and an upstairs gallery. I actually went by on Saturday for a morning yoga class run by Lynn Roulo, and stayed afterwards for brunch with the group.
 


On another warm night I was invited for dinner at Cinco in Kolonaki. Cinco has been on my list to try for a long time - the Iberian/Japanese/Peruvian fusion menu is pretty unique in Athens, and I heard the vibe was very cool... I was not disappointed. Definitely interesting menu (sea bass ceviche with pomegranate-tigers milk and red quinoa…!) and a relaxed trendy vibe, in a lofty industrial space. There is a ceviche bar, there are interesting cocktails, there was retro pop playing that night - a trendy spot by any standard, and easy to imagine that you are far away from Athens... Again, this is not your neighbourhood taverna - think The Sowl and then some. A bit over-priced if I’m being honest, but not the usual Athens kitchen...
 


I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that they both accept credit cards, but even my neighbourhood mini-market has touchless payments these days. A topic for another time...!
 


Go ahead - get out and enjoy this Athenian winter... It's 17 degrees outside after all. 
 


Until next time,
 


Jack


Herakleidon 10, Thiseio

+30 210 345 0003

https://www.facebook.com/The-Sowl-456485757870561 
 
 


Cinco

Skoufa 52, Kolonaki

+30 210 364 3603

German interest in Greek destinations is still keen, with more German travelers including Greece in their holiday plans for 2016, local tourism professionals say. To keep up with the trend, German tour operators are enhancing their Greece packages with additional airline seats and accommodation options.

Greece is facing fierce competition by other neighbouring destinations including Spain, Italy and Turkey, which has – following the recent Russia incident and the resultant embargo – focused much of its tourism drive on the German market.

At the same time, an estimated 20 percent of Germany’s holidaymakers said they would think twice before setting off on their next trip, according to a November survey published after the terror attacks in Paris, in German travel magazine fvw.

The report, however, also found higher figures for people who would not be influenced in their travel plans, led by Spain with 50 percent and Greece at 39 percent.

To read more, please visit: Greek Travel Pages

Greece’s first professional blogger network, Travel Bloggers Greece (TBG), recently gathered at the Thermae Sylla Wellness Hotel in Edipsos, Evia Island, to celebrate its one-year anniversary and hold its first meeting of 2016.

“Our group visit to the Thermae Sylla Wellness Hotel provided a forum for our network’s first meeting of the year to discuss industry trends while giving us a great opportunity to promote Thermae Sylla’s health and spa services which are special to Greece”, said Elena Sergeeva, co-founder of TBG.

At the hotel’s Conference Center, TBG members discussed topics related to blogging in Greece, travel industry trends, improving online content, social media sharing and photography. Thermae Sylla’s therapeutic spa services rounded out the entire travel experience for the first blogger network in Greece.

“Over the past year, we have successfully promoted destinations in Greece and abroad”, said Marissa Tejada, co-founder of TBG. “Our members have a growing number of individual followers, so we are always learning effective ways to share our travel experiences through excellent content and via social media channels,” said Marissa Tejada, co-founder of TBG.”

Each TBG member is based in Greece and blogs about a specific Greece travel related theme.  A membership committee approves candidates based on specific professional criteria.

To read more, please visit: Greek Travel Pages

Athens is a great place for every age and there are so many options on what to do with young children. Here our friends at Family Goes Out explore some of their favourite things to do with children in Athens.

A walk around the historic Plaka and Monastiraki area is not only a favorite excursion for families visiting from abroad. Winter and Summer, any time of the day, Family Goes Out always love to go there. Our favorite stop in Plaka is the Lisikrati Square. The children love playing safely on the grass around the ancient monument (built in 334 – 333 BC!) whilst we adults enjoy a drink or a meal in one of the restaurants around the square

2) The Athens Zoo - Attiko Parko

We have been visiting the Attiko Parko ever since our first child was a baby. We still try to go there at least once every couple of months, although in summer it can get very hot in the park. Our most recent visit was in January 2016 to see the latest addition of the park: the Asian Elephants.

Children under 3 years old do not pay and on the so called ‘Stroller Friday’, every mom or dad who will come with a baby stroller will pay the discounted price of 10 Euro. The zoo also offers various discounted packages for (large) families and special prices for seniors and disabled persons.

The children can get very close to the animals and the zoo is very stroller friendly.

Maybe not a monthly visit but at least a couple of times per year. One of my greatest passions is history and Archeology and my daughter seems to follow me. Sometimes we just discover a specific selection in the permanent exhibition of the museum and on other occasions do a family tour, or one of the special tours for children with a child friendly guide.

The museum organizes a variety of special events on a regular basis. In summer, we love the museum night. Check out the programme on their website. We also enjoy going to the restaurant or the book corner to relax and learn about the history.

For a full list of ideas, please visit: Family Goes Out

New restaurants and cafes pop up every day in Athens, it can be hard to decide where to go. Here, our friends at Greece by a Greek provide us with their top choices of restaurants that offer not only gourmet dishes, but also an experience to remember. 

 

3) Galazia Hytra - Part of the Astir Palace Complex

Where: 40 Apollonos Street, Astir Palace Complex, Vouliagmeni

Website: http://www.westinathens.com/en/galazia-hytra
Why:  Unforgettable sunset views of the Saronic Gulf – creative Greek cuisine – palatable experience.
What:  Creative and unique recipes – fascinating flavors and aromas – fresh local Greek ingredients – Greek wine – pricey but it is worth it.

To read more, please visit: Greece by a Greek

Archaeologists excavating the site of Ancient Aptera in Iraklio, Crete recently announced the discovery of two small yet spectacular statues depicting the gods Artemis and Apollo.

The two statues, which are believed to be a pair, have a height of about half a meter, including their pedestals, and are believed to date to the second half of the 1st century or early 2nd century AD.

That of Artemis, the hunting goddess worshiped in Aptera, is cast in bronze, while her brother Apollo is carved from marble.

The goddess, standing on an ornate base also of bronze, is in an excellent state of preservation, the head of the excavation, Vanna Niniou-Kindeli, said, with all of her limbs intact and posed as though ready to shoot an arrow.

To read more, pelase visit: ekathimerini

Hundreds of hotel owners have recently resorted to trying to sell their units, research by Kathimerini has found, with at least 5 percent of Greek hoteliers having placed ads in popular specialized websites over the last 40 days to sell their assets.

The number of sellers is far greater when taking into account ads published earlier last year, while many other hoteliers are choosing different means to promote their hotels for sale.

This trend highlights the flip side of Greek tourism: While there was an all-time record in arrivals from abroad last year – benefitting specific tourism destinations and hotels – there is also a great number of mainly small and medium-sized hotels that face serious sustainability issues.

To read more, please visit: ekathimerini

For mountain sports enthusiasts, Greece is the ideal setting for your athletic adventures.  Ski centres with pistes of high standads and hospitable facilites, rock climbing in majestic landscapes that will take you all the way to the heavens, dirt roads and mountain forests perfect for mountain biking.  What are the most popular destinations in Greece for mountain sports?

1. Parnassos: The largest and best-equipped ski resort in Greece, near cosmopolitan Arahova and Livadi, at an altitude of 1,600-2,300m. It boasts 19 trails totalling 36km, while the Vakhos and Iniochos pistes are certified by the International Ski Federation (FIS), for the organisation of meets and competitions. In addition, there are seven more snow trails and 8 connecting paths that lead to the black pistes.

2. 3-5 Pigadia: 3-5 Pigadia can be found on the eastern side of Mt Vermio, at an altitude of 1,430-2,005m and surrounded by green forest. It’s famous for its piste named Filippos, the best black run (of extreme difficulty) in Greece, while Aristotelis, at 2,000m long, is certified by the International Ski Federation (FIS) for the Pan-European and World Championships. It also has a separate snowboard park, for snowboarding and freeriding.

3. Karpenisi: One of the largest and most impressive ski centres in Greece can be found at the Velouhi plateau in Karpenissi. Spread over 5,500 sq m, at an altitude of 1,850-2,000m, it boasts 18 slopes. Of these, there is one black slope for experienced skiers and snowboarders.

4. Vasilitsa: The ski resort at Vasilitsa is one of the most famous and popular in Greece, and is located in the heart of the Pindos Mountains, in a majestic landscape (2,150m). It has 18 pistes which total 24km in length, as well as a snowboard park.

1. Meteora: Climbing the Meteora pillars is a truly singular experience. These are long ascents without surplus safeties using natural holds which are good for relative beginners. You’ll be thrilled to discover the ruins of abandoned monasteries and hermits’ shelters in protected niches.

2. Sykia, Ghiona: An impressively sheer slope rises above the village of Sykia, posing its challenge. The object of many a climber’s desire is the vertical rock face from 1,000-2,500m, the Slab of Sykia, which is an excellent test of their skills.

1. Mytikas, Mt Olympus: The classic ascent to the top of Mt Olympus starts from the Prionia refuge at 1,100m. This is the highest spot that you can drive to and if you’re hiking on the E4, you’ll also pass through here from Litochoro and the Epineas Gorge, before continuing up the mountain.

2. Vikos Gorge: One of Europe’s deepest and longest gorges, this is a must for nature lovers. The descent from Monodendri and the ascent to Vikos is steep, but the walk above the Aoos River in the heart of the Vikos-Aoos National Park is fairly even and not too demanding. The six-hour trek is mostly shaded. Ravishing flowers cover the slopes until late spring, and you can even take a dip in icy waters if you’re truly brave.

1. Varybobi: On the outskirts of Athens is a mountain bike paradise. Above the former royal estate at an altitude of 320-850m is a perfect pine forest for your thrills and, hopefully, a few, spills. 

2. Asopos canal: A canal brings water from the Mornos River to the Asopos River valley. The canal is open and the road by it lays out an attractive and easy bike route.

To read this article in full, please visit: Discover Greece

The local reputation of this premium product is travelling beyond the country's borders.

Slowly but surely, thanks to the great efforts of passionate people to overcome numerous obstacles, Greek olive oil is at last getting the recognition it deserves. While locals have long claimed that Greece produces the best olive oil in the world, it’s now being recognized as a premium product beyond the country’s borders. For a number of years now, Greek olive oil has been venturing out into the world in artfully designed packaging that almost makes you regret opening it, and presented as a precious elixir, all the time winning new fans.

Gaea is a champion in exporting packaged olive oil, which constitutes 50 percent of its sales. This year the company launched its latest product in the US, an extra-virgin olive oil from the Koroneiki variety that does not come into contact with light or air from the time of pressing to the moment the bottle is opened, which has met with great success. The neck of the bottle is filled with nitrogen “to ensure that the product retains all its excellent characteristics until the moment of consumption,” says Gaea CEO Aris Kefalogiannis.

The Greek capital controls briefly held up the Japanese launch of George Koropoulis’s Maleas olive oil, made with organically grown olives from Laconia, cold pressed with very low acidity and a distinctive taste, also stocked by Harrods. But this was his year and he reaped the rewards: a gold medal in the Olive Japan 2015 competition, gold for taste and silver for packaging in the Los Angeles International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition, and a Gold Medal in the Premio Biol 2015 in Apulia, Italy. In Greece, Maleas also received the olive oil production award for 2015 from Gastronomos magazine.

To read more, please visit: Greece Is

by

Tania Georgiopoulou

An Online Survey helping you get the most out of living in Greece.

The British Consulate in Greece would like to hear from British nationals about your experiences of living in Greece. They are updating their guides, planning their communications with central government and local authorities and developing our social media presence in Greece. By telling them about the issues you have encountered, either getting a registration certificate, planning/obtaining healthcare, learning Greek and more, will help the Consulate to tailor their information services to your needs in the best possible way to be useful for all British nationals in Greece. 

Please take a few minutes to complete the online survey here.

The online survey will run until 29/02/2016.