The European Commission, in collaboration with the President of the European Council, has put forward a Joint European Roadmap for the gradual lift of measures that were taken during the COVID-19 outbreak.

 

With the lifting of restrictions on travel-related activities, citizens are expected to gradually resume domestic and intra-EU travel. However, lifting measures too quickly may cause a sudden increase in infections, so until a vaccine is available, the need for travel and tourism should be weighed against the risks of a resurgence of the virus.

 

While drafting the 'roadmap,' the protection of the health of citizens, tourism workers, and tourists remains the key priority.

The guidance provides criteria and principles for the safe and progressive restoration of tourism and for the development of health protocols for the hospitality sector.

The EU Guidance for health protocols in hospitality establishments proposes policies to guide Member States in the design and implementation of infection prevention, control measures, and protocols for hospitality services providers, such as hotels and other hospitality establishments, to ensure the health and safety travelers as well as workers in the hospitality sector.

Epigramamatically, the guiding principles are the following:

a) Epidemiological situation, b) The health and safety of guests and workers is a key priority, c) Local arrangements, d) Action Plan in case of infection, e) Training, f) Management of staff, g) Information for guests, h) Physical distancing and hygiene, i) Infection prevention and control measures (IPC measures) such as: Respiratory etiquette, Hand hygiene, Use of face masks, Ventilation, Cleaning and disinfection, j) Potential infections among guests or staff

The European Commission will continue collaborating with the Member States' officials, tourism stakeholders, and international organizations to expedite the implementation of this guidance.

To read the full set of guidences, please visit: ec.europa.eu

During the COVID-19 lockdown, our friend and XpatAthens content contributor Eleni Meraki went into absolute solitude for a couple of days with no internet, no books, and no human connection—not even with herself through the mirror. Absolute solitude. Pure silence.

She chronicled some of her experience in an article written for the Elephant Journal where she describes her three major insights through the Greek words Kairos, Philotimo, and Gnosis.

Eleni's journey will surely resonate with many and we've captured some of it here for you:

 

"Exactly four years ago, I did the same in a silent meditation retreat in Mexico. I craved to connect with myself, touch the mystery of the universe, feel that safe place within, find answers, and gain the required inner strength for my journey ahead. I had just quit my job and was about to emigrate to Greece with no solid plan in place, following a “calling” that didn’t make much sense to my rational mind. Spending my days in self-contemplation, meditation, and listening to teachings, I connected with the timeless teachings of the Greek philosophers, poets, writers, messiahs, the various monotheistic religious teachings, Eastern and Western philosophy, and, most importantly, with the inherent wisdom of myself. It was one of the most life-altering experiences of my life.

 

On May 1st, I embarked on the same journey, this time from my apartment under the Parthenon in downtown, and locked down Athens. I went back to that place of silence, but this time not with the aim to touch the mystery of the universe, but rather to honor my last four years of searching for truth and freedom. My intentions were celebration, honor, and gratitude for my life’s path and being alive. With all that is happening in the world, I also felt the need to connect even deeper, to hear clearer, and listen carefully to what it is we are all here to do, and how to do it.

 

I had my initial thoughts, but I just wanted to “know” for sure. We are living unprecedented times, and people like me, and many more in this world, feel like we’re at the forefront of this big change. Not from an ego-centric point of view, but just because we—therapists, coaches, healers, visionaries, artists, writers—are somehow already walking the talk, and have answered the call to support others on their journey toward happiness, health, joy, and freedom."

So, in this article, I’d like to share three major insights I received during this time in silence, about the post-COVID age.

1. Kairos - the rightness of time and space that creates the best conditions for action. Time is becoming relative.

In Greek, we have two words for time, chronos and kairos. You and I have been brought up with the time reference of chronos, a.k.a. chronological time. Now, though it has served a practical purpose in these timelines, it has also taken a lot away from us.

Chronos is linear, made for and from the mind. To make sense of it all. Think about it—our age, our working hours, our careers, all our systems, are built on chronos and, quite frankly, giving us all quite a bit of stress and anxiety, which, by the way, is the number one cause of illness. What we are called to do is not let go of chronos all together, that would be a utopia, but instead learn to integrate kairos into our lives. It’s hard for the mind to grasp this, but this is what’s needed right now. 

Kairos is the new time measurement by which we have to live. In fact, with everything we’re going through, we have no other choice than to live by kairos, the right moment, the opportune moment, the surrendering to time to some extent. Nature does that. We just have to look at what nature does, and we’ll understand. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t make goals and plans and try to achieve them—we have to stay flexible with time, that’s all I’m saying. We have to untie ourselves from operating only in chronological time and allow for kairos to take over when needed. We control what happens to us through self-sovereignty, but there are things we simply have to allow for kairos to bring into our lives.

Kairos is not linear; it’s the timing of the heart and soul. Chronos is mind; kairos is heart. When the time is right, with your right intention and actions, the time will come. And when the time is there, it’s your conscious decisions that will make things happen in your life. And that might be even quicker than you initially would have thought with your chronological mind.

2. Philotimo - taking responsibility for yourself as a human being and acting in accordance with righteousness and honor, regardless of the consequences. Life and work are changing for the better.

Let’s face it—we lived in a world that didn’t make much sense. And it went from not making much sense to being quite mad. And we haven’t seen nothing yet! With old systems collapsing in front of our eyes, the only way to handle what’s coming is by personal (and professional) metamorphosis.

We welcome you to continue reading this article in full on the Elephant Journal.

Artwork imagery by Myrto Makri

---

Eleni Meraki (MA, BSc)

Eleni Meraki is a life & business coach, multiple online entrepreneur, and writer, and has devoted her life to assisting people on their journeys to living a more authentic and happy life. She has coached and interviewed hundreds of people on their journeys of transformation towards a more meaningful life and conscious business making. Walking her talk, Eleni has undergone multiple life-metamorphoses herself, built a coaching & lifestyle platform for conscious women, a storytelling platform, is partner of a conscious business agency and created several roadmap life and metamorphosis coaching programs.

 

COVID-19 has changed our lives. Things are not what they used to be. All of a sudden we have been faced with unexpected obstacles that have taken us away from our goals and have caused unforeseen damage in various areas.

 

A friend who had planned her wedding on a beautiful Greek island this June was forced to reschedule it for next year, hoping that the situation will get much better.

 

Many people agree that we are going through a crisis. I believe we have all gone through at least one or two 'crises' at some point in our lives. For example, someone has failed the university exams or a relationship has ended the moment they least expected it or someone has missed what was considered a big opportunity.

 

Does it scare you when you hear the word "crisis"? Truth is the current situation is particularly intense because it affects all areas of our lives: health, finances, careers, relationships. Relationships are a challenge in themselves, even more now that cohabitation with our loved ones is on a mandatory 24-hour basis. Not only is this one of the most difficult things to do but we have forgotten how to do it and we may have even been alienated from each other. If we add that it's necessary to cook more than before, wash more, clean more, play teachers for our kids, etc etc, the equation gets much heavier. This whole situation has brought a lot of uncertainty, anxiety and loneliness.

 

Whether we like it or not, such is life. Unpredictable, with its ups and downs. What makes the difference is how we are going to deal with this situation. Do we whine while at the same time do nothing about it or do we accept the new conditions and move forward with courage?

 

And once we accept the situation, as it really is and not as we would like it to be, it is very important to realize that we do have choices. All of us. Because every situation or event acquires the value we give it, resulting in as much stress or pain as we allow it. 

 

XpatAthens has been serving and connecting the international community in Greece since 2007. True to our mission and values, we are commited to connecting people with information, resources, and services that contribute to their personal and professional journeys in Greece.

To facilitate our work, we depend on the support of our readers, local businesses, and corporate sponsors. Thank you for considering to support our efforts.

---

Make A Donation Starting From €10

A quick and easy way to support us is to make a donation. Create a profile here and once logged-in select: Make A Donation from the right side menu and choose the amount you'd like to donate. The entire process takes just a couple of minutes!

---

Corporate Sponsorships

 

We invite companies and organizations to sponsor us and support our work in growing Greece's international community. We choose to collaborate with select local or global companies that we believe add value to the members of our community. Learn more here about how we can work together.

---

Other Ways To Support Us

Below are other ways of making a contribution to XpatAthens.

• Tell your friends, family and local community members about us!
• Tell your local business owners about how to share their great products & services.
• Sign up to our newsletter.
• Follow and share us via our social pages: Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn
• Send us your ideas and feedback.
• Become a volunteer with us or for an organization in the community.

If you have any questions or would like to speak with someone from our team, please contact us.

---

 

 

 

Our mission is to create and support, connect and develop local communities - their people, businesses, educational systems, social structures and organizations.

 

• Consciously, sustainably, and creatively building physical and digital community.
• Global connection through local living.
• Respect and acceptance of all local cultures, their land and their people.
• Moving about the globe respectfully, with care, awareness, and with low impact on local communities and our Earth.
• Balance, harmony, excellence, responsibility of self, and compassion for others.

• Global citizens with unique cultures.
• The ease of communication and understanding, and the growth of knowledge between all people and their cultures.
• Bridging people, knowledge and information.
• The continued improvement of our lives and the lives of others in the communities that we live in, as well as the communities that we visit.
• Sustainable communities to create sustainable economies to create sustainable existence.

Learn about ways to support us or get in touch with us directly.

We welcome you to join us and become part of the community in Greece!
Stay connected with us through our newsletter, on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

When the word “Greece” comes to mind, one image can describe it and it involves marble statues. For centuries, Greece has been globally famous for its mythology, architecture, and marvelous statues. However, throughout the course of time, many of these artifacts have either been destroyed, lost or taken from their homelands and given new homes in different museums, scattered all over the world. Here is a small list of artifacts that can be found abroad.

 

Venus, originally named Aphrodite by the Greeks was the goddess of beauty and love. This statue was sculpted by Praxiteles around 130-100BC and represents the perfection of Greek female beauty. It was found later in 1820 during the Ottoman Empire, amongst the ancient ruins on the island of Milos. Her arms for unknown reasons were lost and this is the form of the statue we know today.

 

 

Date of creation 420-400BC by potter Meidias and assembled by Sir William Hamilton who sold it to the British museum in 1772. The vase is divided in two zones. The upper zone illustrates the story of the abduction of the daughters of Leukippos by the Dioskouri and the Goddess Aphrodite conspiring in the abduction. The lower zone portrays Hercules’ final labor, Cerberus the guardian of the gates to the Underworld.

 

 

This 29-inch statue, who’s sculptor’s identity is unknown, was influenced by the 40-foot tall statue by the sculptor Phidias made by ivory and gold in around 430BC. The statue was displayed in the temple of Zeus in Olympia and was deemed one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

 

 

This is another statue by Praxiteles, made in the 4^th century BC. This statue is made in bronze and portrays the god Apollo, god of the sun, poetry, and music. According to mythology, Apollo slayed Python, a dragon-like serpent, sent by Hera to harass his mother Leto, while she was pregnant with him and his sister the Goddess Artemis. Python had them on the hunt for a long time, until many years passed and when Apollo was old enough, he went after him and slayed him with the bow and arrow given to him by the God Hephaestus.

 

This statue is one of the 6 pillars of a temple named Erectheion (or Erechteum), located on the north side of the Acropolis in Athens, that was built around 421-406BC. In the early 1800s, Lord Elgin had one of the statues removed from the temple and sold to the British museum. Today, the remaining 5 statues can be found in the Acropolis Museum in Athens.

---

 

Greece is undoubtedly one of the most appealing travel destinations, but amidst the Covid-19 crisis, the idea of a summer vacation in Greece sounds like an unlikely scenario! Or maybe not, according to Greek officials.

 

And that is because Greece appears to be a rare coronavirus success story. The safety measures and a strict lockdown was enforced very early, keeping the death rate extremely low compared to European countries.

 

This week, some small businesses–such as hairdressers and bookstores–were allowed to re-open for the first time after the long closure. This gradual lifting of the lockdown measures may be a model for welcoming back some travelers this summer, thinks Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

 

"The tourism experience this summer may be slightly different from what you've had in previous years," Mitsotakis told CNN's, Nic Robertson. "Maybe no bars may be open, or no tight crowds, but you can still get a fantastic experience in Greece – provided that the global epidemic is on a downward path."

However, opening up to tourism unavoidably means opening up to travelers possibly carrying the virus. Currently, every international traveler is screened for Covid-19 upon arriving in Athens; however, the Prime Minister is hoping for something more comprehensive such as global, or at least European standards that set the same travel protocols for all countries. "I would assume that people will be tested before they get on a plane, not after they arrive here. They can only get on the plane with a negative test, or with a positive antibody test," he said.

All going well, Greece will probably be able to start welcoming tourists by July 1.


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

 

It is a cutting edge initiative to gather, on a single platform, educational content aimed to improve the digital skills of citizens. The platform combines content from 29 different thematic units and includes 156 courses, more than 1500 teaching hours, from 23 vendors.

 

 

Joining is free and does not require a complicated registration. All you need to do is select a category, a thematic unit, and a course that suits your interests and level of knowledge, which you can complete online at your own pace.

 

 

The content has been selected by a team of experts from the Ministry of Digital Governance in collaboration with Greek academics and experts in digital education. Greek and International experts warrant a) the quality of the content and structure of the educational platform and, b) the simplicity of use.

 

 

The Digital Citizens' Academy is a dynamic platform, and the number of topics and courses will continue to grow, covering even broader educational needs. More and more vendors will contribute educational content, enabling citizens to make more extended use of the Digital Citizens' Academy.

 

Soon, the Digital Citizens' Academy will be offering self-diagnostic tools so that every citizen can assess the level of their digital skills. Depending on the results of the self-diagnostic tools and the personal goals of each trainee citizen, the platform will offer personalized 'educational paths,' combining courses from various providers.

Adapting to the current situation, Athens’ International Music Conference and Festival is reshaping initial activities by combining the physical with the digital world, in order to create the best possible experience for the glocal audiences.

 

Online activities will be fused with physical events (panel-discussions, webinars, artist showcases, Q&A sessions), as well as live music events, always conforming to the official public health guidelines. 

 

As the Music Industry is confronting the consequences of the global pandemic, #AthensMusicWeek supports the Music sector by investing, this year, all resources and assets to creating a high-quality weekly event, which music professionals, artists and music lovers from all over the world can access completely free of charge.

 

AMW’s main goal is to promote music as a tool for local development and drive innovation between stakeholders of the CCIs, entertainment, and the music industry, in order to foster curiosity, boost creativity, entrepreneurship, and social cohesion!

AMW is planned as a multifaceted music experience event. With 4 complimentary pillars –  Music & the City, Music Convention, Athens Music Walk, Music Innovation Hub – the overall event is designed to motivate the broader public, to widen the music boundaries of music lovers and to enhance the creative process and the sustainable development of creative artists, musicians, and professionals of the music sector.

As a whole, the AMWs program aims to enhance music practice and promote the music scene of Athens through happenings and activities encompassing discussions with artists, presentations of music projects, special events, music showcases, festivals, and many concerts.

For more information please click here. 

XpatAthens is proud to be a Media Sponsor of Athens Music Week 

---

Despite the recent lockdown, the travel restrictions, and the blow to the Greek economy, it's only a matter of time until our country comes back stronger and even more colorful. Soon we will be able to enjoy Greece's great beauty in real life, united with our loved ones.

Until things settle back to normal, let us virtually travel to Greece with this stunning 2-minute video that showcases some of its most beautiful locations!