Two Greek hotels are among the best on the planet for 2022, according to TripAdvisor’s annual “Travelers’ Choice Awards for Hotels” list released on Tuesday, May 10.

TripAdvisor’s latest community-powered ranking reveals the most-loved hotels around the world. The awards are based on traveler reviews and ratings posted on Tripadvisor throughout 2021.

Greek hotels on “Top 25 Hotels – World” list

Ikos Resorts’ Aria hotel located on Kos ranks third on TripAdvisor's “Top 25 Hotels – World” list, while the group’s Dassia hotel on Corfu, is in the 11th position.

In addition, Ikos Aria tops the “Top Hotels Europe” list, with Ikos Dassia ranking sixth and Sani Dunes in the 11th position.

This year’s awards include 11 subcategories of accommodations, including three brand new ones: Out of the Ordinary Hotels, Hotels on the Water, and Mountain Resorts & Lodges.

Greek hotels among the best in the world

Top 25 Hotels: Ikos Aria (3rd); Ikos Dassia (11th)
Top Small Stays: Anastasis Apartments & Spa (12th)
Top 25 All-Inclusive Resorts: Ikos Aria (1st); Ikos Dassia (6th); Ikos Olivia (12th)
Top 25 Luxury Hotels: Ikos Aria (1st); Ikos Dassia (11th)
Most Romantic Hotels: Anastasis Apartments & Spa (7th); Lindos Blu Luxury Hotel & Suites (19th)
Top 25 Hotels for Families: Sani Club (2nd); Potidea Palace Hotel (9th)
Top Mountain Lodges & Resorts: Papaevangelou Hotel (14th)
Top Hotels on the Water: Ikos Aria (1st); Ikos Olivia (11th).

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

Main image: @laydeebird2015

There’s nothing worse than coming home from a trip and finding out you could have had a much better time had you known to make different choices. Here we’ve listed a few things worth keeping in mind when planning and going on a vacation in Greece, along with plenty of useful links to content on our site that will help make your holiday everything you hope for.

Choosing The Wrong Destination

Greece may not be among the largest European countries, but it’s undoubtedly one of the most diverse. Some Greek destinations are made for families while others are awe-inspiring and romantic, and yet others are loud, bustling, and great for young party-goers. That’s not to mention the paradisiacal regions less trodden, suitable only for nature lovers, the wine regions and the cities with their interesting gastronomy scenes and shopping. While there’s a reason to love them all, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is booking a trip to the wrong place. 

Choosing The Wrong Time To Go 

As with picking the most suitable destination, choosing the right month for your trip can make your holiday infinitely better. Greece is on a mission to grow its tourism season, and the incentives for visiting in the low season are plenty. If, for example, you do wish to go to Santorini, but also want to avoid crowds, a visit in spring is lovely. Islands famous for their scenic beaches, like Milos and Kythira, meanwhile, are wonderful places to go in the fall, when the sea is warm and most Greek and foreign tourists have gone. 

Not Sharing Food

If your favorite quote to identify with is “Joey doesn’t share food,” you may want to adapt yourself on this vacation because the average Joe might get away with that but the average Greek will tell you that that’s no way to order; plenty of dishes for the table – not just meze, but mains as well – is the best way to experience the local cuisine. This way, you get to try more things at every meal.

Overlooking The Mainland

When you picture Greece, you picture an island. Or do you? The mainland, in fact, boasts some of the most beautiful coastlines, complete with the sandy beaches and picturesque villages the islands are so famous for. What’s more, the mainland, including the Peloponnese, offers endless opportunities to see more, to easily travel by car from one destination to the next, and see things like winding mountain roads, forests that are home to bears and wild horses, rural areas and vibrant cities, waterfalls and beaches, all on the same trip.

Spending No Time In Athens

For a long time, tourists treated the Greek capital strictly as a layover – somewhere to spend one night at a hotel and squeeze in a visit to the Acropolis before heading to the islands. Thankfully, in recent years, the world has opened its eyes to the city as a destination in its own right. While the city isn’t the ultimate place for those looking to spend their whole trip on the beach, it has many other attributes. The sights are some of the most renowned on the globe, the museums are great, as is the dining and shopping, and the nightlife is unbeatable.

To read this article in full, please visit: greece-is.com

After over a year of delay, the new trains brought to Greece from Italy will take to the tracks on May 15 on the Athens-Thessaloniki route, rail operator TrainOSE announced.The new trains, the “Arrows”, will reduce the traveling time to 4 hours.

The company said the journey with the ETR 470 will take 3 hours and 36 minutes, which includes a stop at Larissa. Normally, the travel time between the capital and the major northern city takes close to 6 hours.

The new ETR470 trains will have nine wagons, including a restaurant/bar and three first-class wagons. Each train has a seating capacity of 600 people.

ETR470 trains will run twice a day in each direction:

– Leaving Athens at 07:22, it will stop at Larissa at 09:58, and arrive in Thessaloniki at 11:20. The next one, in the afternoon, will leave Athens at 17:22, stop at Larissa at 20:00, and arrive in Thessaloniki at 21:21.

– Leaving Thessaloniki, ETR470 will leave the station at 07:08, stop at Larissa at 08:09, and arrive in Athens at 11:03. The next one, in the afternoon, will leave Thessaloniki at 17:08, stop at Larissa at 18:08 and arrive in Athens at 21:04.

To promote the event, TrainOSE is offering a 20% discount for tickets booked in the next 20 days, with travel time between May 15 and June 3. For schedules and ticket prices please visit the TrainOse website.

Originally published on: keeptalkinggreece.com

Greek mothers get kind of “traditional” when it comes to their children, always repeating several cliché sayings that make children laugh while setting their teeth on edge.

The relationship between a son or a daughter and a Greek mother is something that goes beyond imagination! Is it because of the social circumstances of Greek society? Is it the climate? The special temperament of Greeks? Who knows.

The point is, without the legendary, iconic ‘Greek mother,’ Greeks would simply be completely different people. And, as we can imagine, this special relationship comes with some special ways of communication—certain sayings that only a Greek mother says to her children regardless of how old the son or daughter is or whether or not they’ve heard it all a million times before.

1. “If you do/say this again I’ll have a heart attack!” 

– Because guilt is best used by Greek mothers…

2. “There is no ‘why’! It’s because I said so.”

– She’s right, she’s your mother…

3. “You’re like your father.”

– He’s to blame for everything bad that happens, including a possible alien invasion.

4. “Do you know what time you came home last night?”

– Of course, your Greek mother sure does!

5. “Won’t you become a father/mother one day? I hope your children will do to you the same things you’ve done to me.”

– Family justice must be served…

6. “Stop walking barefoot on the floor or you’ll get a cold.”

– Every Greek mother has graduated from med school and everyone in the house knows that. 

7. “Take a coat or you’ll fall sick.”

– Even if it’s mid-summer outside, a sudden snowstorm could always be around the corner. You never know! 

8. “Eat something! All that is left of you is skin and bones.”

– A Greek mother’s sense of perception, however, is not always overly accurate.

To read this article in full, please visit: greekreporter.com

At the Municipal Market of Kypseli, Street Outdoors present one of the longest lasting music events of recent years. From 12 noon and for 12 whole hours, World, Balearic and Disco sounds, embrace a space that has hosted thousands of people from all over the world. An event open for everybody, residents of the area, people passing by, as well as visitors of the city who will be at the spot.

Thris Tian, ​​the man who defined the form in which electronic music is consumed in recent years, the DJ who introduced us to the Boiler Room, the radio producer who co-founded Worldwide Fm with Gilles Peterson, undertakes to become the guide to the most magical musical journey he has seen the city lately.

The award-winning sports tourism event Navarino Challenge celebrates its 10th year by uniting people of all ages and abilities through sports. Amateur and professional athletes from Greece and abroad will visit Costa Navarino and Pylos, Messinia, on October 21-23, 2022.

 

Participants in Navarino Challenge, have the opportunity to run in one of the top Half Marathons 21.1km in Greece, together with the Greek-American ultramarathon runner Konstantinos Dean Karnazes, and to cross the beautiful beach of Voidokilia while tracing history beneath their feet in King Nestor’s land. They will follow the trail mapped out in the Homeric era by Telemachus, Ulysses’ son, trying to find his missing father. Moreover, they can choose between the 10km route or the fun 5km route, which can even be completed with dynamic walking.  On the same day, the 1km children’s route will be held in two groups, for children 10-14 years old and kids up to 9 years of age.   

Runners can act promptly and take advantage of the early bird offers, which are valid until July 31, featuring discounts higher than 50% on registrations. The children’s race is held with free participation. The event, always having the participants as a top priority, offers a refund on their registration costs until September 1.

Entries for Navarino Challenge are underway and interested parties can participate by completing the available form through the following link.

 

Enjoy here the video with Navarino Challenge 2022’s outdoor activities.

 

Starting from the Poseidonia Restaurant known for its traditional Greek cuisine and local delicacies in the port of Pylos, on Saturday, October 22, a sea kayak tour around the island of Sphacteria will take place, with the support of Explore Messinia. Participants will paddle towards Navarino Bay exploring the coastline of Sphacteria. For entries: welcome(at)exploremessinia.com 

 

Overlooking the sand dunes and crystal-clear waters of the Ionian Sea, The Dunes Beach at Navarino Dunes, Costa Navarino, will host the Navarino Challenge King of the Court Beach Volleyball Tournament. The Olympic sport of beach volleyball returns with the former international Greek volleyball player and record holder of participations with the Greek National Team, Michalis Triantafyllidis, as its ambassador. On Saturday, October 22, the tournament will include separate categories for men and women, whereas on Sunday, October 23, the tournament will be mixed. All beach volleyball activities are carried out with the support of Triantafyllidis Beach Arena. For registrations and more information: info(at)beacharena.gr 

 

Participants in Navarino Challenge will have the opportunity to attend tennis clinics for children 6-9 years old and 10-13 years old as well as to participate in the Round Robbin tennis tournaments for men and women, which will be held with the support of Mouratoglou Tennis Center Costa Navarino under the guidance of elite coaches. Costa Navarino is the first European location for a Mouratoglou Tennis Center, while the brand-new state-of-the-art facilities feature a total of 16 tennis courts at Navarino Dunes with breathtaking views of the Ionian Sea. For registrations and more information: tennis(at)costanavarino.com

 

The schedule of Navarino Challenge offers you the opportunity to come closer to sports and their benefits, alongside top instructors. More specifically, you can take part in activities such as beachathlon for parents & children 6 to 13 years old with the Olympian and European champion Periklis Iakovakis, pilates lessons with the team of physical education instructor, Mandy Persaki, bike ride to Voidokilia with the support of Navarino Outdoors and golf lessons for 2 days, with the support of Navarino Golf Academy.

Enjoy a weekend full of outdoor wellness activities for people of all ages. Book now the event’s accommodation package which is full of sports activities and includes half board. Live the unique sports and cultural experience that is offered to you. For more information on accommodation packages at The Westin Resort Costa Navarino you may send your email to booking(at)navarinochallenge.com or call Vita N Travel at +30 210 3249070.

Check the accommodation packages here.

Samsung Electronics Hellas supports the event for a 6th consecutive year as its Official Technology Partner. Costa Navarino and The Westin Resort Costa Navarino are the Official Hospitality Sponsors.The event is assisted by Vita N Travel and Kayak. 

Navarino Challenge will take place under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, whose mission is the formulation of the tourism policy and the executive planning of the tourist development of Greece.The event is organized by ActiveMedia Group which is also responsible for the event’s Sports Production.

Hashtags: #navarinochallenge #costanavarino #sportsunitespeople #10yearsNavarinoChallenge #eatwell #runwell #livewell

Photo Credit: Elias Lefas

The celebrated London Philharmonia Orchestra, whose past conductors have included legendary maestros such as Toscanini, Klemperer, Karajan and Mutti, resumes as of this year its prolific artistic activity, having as its principal conductor the promising Finnish maestro Santtu-Matias Rouvali, whose consummate musicianship has won the Orchestra’s trust. Under his direction, the Orchestra promises a reading full of dynamism of Tchaikovsky’s passionate Fourth Symphony and Rossini’s Semiramide Overture. Today’s concert also features South Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho, winner of the 2015 International Chopin Piano Competition, who will be performing a true pianistic feat, playing the soloist’s part in Prokofiev’s extremely demanding Second piano concerto.

Wine, the gift of Dionysus! What was the relationship of the ancient Athenians with wine? How did they drink it and what did they accompany it with? But more generally, what did their diet include? Which products were local and which were imported? And what role did they play in the religious life of the city?

These and many other questions are answered by the archaeologists of the Acropolis Museum in an out-of-the-ordinary tour of its collections. A unique experience that is completed in the restaurant on the second floor with views of the Acropolis, with a meal prepared especially for the occasion accompanied by wine tasting with the support of the “Vivlia Chora” Winery.

Date & time: Thursday 12/5, tour on ancient diet (7pm-8pm), tasting at the restaurant (8pm-10pm)

The event is held on the occasion of the "This is Athens City Festival" of the Municipality of Athens.

 

 

From the launch of Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, which on 4 October 1957 emitted a robotic repeating pattern every 0.3 minutes, to the “cinematically” exciting landings and future flights to the moon by private spacecraft, we will follow step by step the global adventure of human activity outside the Earth, summed up in the phrase “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”.

Who were the early pioneers of this new interplanetary experience, who withstood accelerations of 13G? Through interviews, documents, testimonies, research we will explore the passion, hard training and incredible heroism of space conquerors from the dawn of the space age to the present day, through the first announcement of Apollo 11: “Huston, this is Tranquillity Base, the Eagle has landed”.

Estimated Age: From First Primary and above.

Opening Hours: Morning at 09: 00-13: 00 and afternoon at 16: 00-18:00.

Sunday 08/05 : 09: 00-13:00

I remember when I was attending elementary school, it must have been 5th grade, our teacher asked us to write an essay about the upcoming Mother’s Day. At the time I had great difficulty with essays of any kind. I never knew how to start and it would take me ages to figure out the first paragraph. So I came up with what I thought was a brilliant idea: I would simply find an essay that I liked, copy it, and hand it in. And so I did.

As this was part of my homework, my mom obviously wanted to read it. She was so enthusiastic and proud of her daughter’s writings. She was also moved by the strong emotions vividly described in my essay. My teacher however had the complete opposite reaction, as she understood exactly what had happened. She even knew where I had “borrowed” the text from. Oops! It’s not difficult to imagine how I felt…

Today? No, I don’t need to read any books in order to write how I feel about my mom. I love my mom, and that’s not just by default. I love her for her big heart, for her warm hug, for always being there for me, and for her talent to make us laugh. Of course, we’ve had fights and disagreements. Of course, I don’t agree – even now – with the way she’s handled some situations. However, being a mom myself today, I can certainly understand and acknowledge the challenges she’s faced and her efforts.

I know how a mom feels towards her child but I also know how a child feels towards their mom. I read two quotes that pretty much describe both sides: “Life doesn’t come with a manual, it comes with a mother” (unknown) and “The mother’s heart is the child’s schoolroom” (Henry Ward Beecher).

Now I know it’s not an easy ride. Motherhood is not a given. It is beautiful and hard at the same time. It can be elevating and demanding, heartbreaking and heartwarming. As much as it may be scary though it is an undeniable force of life.

Just last week we celebrated my mom’s 88th birthday. In a beautiful garden full of roses, orange trees, and lemon trees. We were all there, the whole family, all in great shape. What a blessing!

Originally published on: itsmylife.gr

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!