Are you ready to rock and roll with Santa?

Then come celebrate this special holiday season together like real rock stars! Christmas is just around the corner, and that means it's time again for Santa Claus and his elves to welcome young and adults this year for the long-awaited Breakfast with Santa, so they can experience the ultimate Christmas atmosphere along with many other surprises!

For two unique Sundays, on December 11 & 18, the Hard Rock Cafe will be waiting for its little friends and their whole family for a special Christmas experience from 12.00 pm to 4.00 pm, for a unique festive Breakfast With Santa. If the little rock stars are on Santa's list this year they will have the opportunity to choose from a range of activities such as taking souvenir photos with Santa, but also exploring their creative potential with activities such as face painting, and decorating cookies. The entrance fee for each child will be €15 including the children's meal.

Also on the second Sunday (December 18), the writer Efi Argyropoulou will be there from 14.00 pm to 15.00 pm. Our little friends will get into the Christmas spirit for good, as they will have the opportunity to present and tell them her new fairy tale, "I want to sleep forever in each other's arms", which is published by Hibiscus Publications. At the same time, adults will be able to enjoy a variety of tastes from the delicious comfort food dishes offered by the Hard Rock Cafe menu.

Rockwave festival strikes again and welcomes on its festival stage one of the biggest superstars of all time! After his extraordinary show back in 2015 at TerraVibe, Robbie Williams fulfills his fans' wishes to come back.

On Saturday, July 1st 2023 the one and only Robbie returns to remind us that his 25 years of fame are just like him: sparkling, triumphant, one of a kind and just the beginning of what is yet to come!

Each of his shows is a music & live extravaganza. His astonishing performance at Rockwave Festival in 2015 left an eternal mark on the memories of all those who attended his 2015 performance at Terra Vibe. We all danced to Let me Entertain You and sang our hearts out to Angels and Robbie's favorite, Feel. Robbie Williams gave his Greek fans a unique and rare performance of their favorite, Me and My Monkey.

In July 2023, Robbie Williams is back to meet his Greek audience and offer a one-of-a-kind performance like he always does!

More lineup announcements are coming soon!

Experience a musical journey through Vienna, with the Orchestra performing in the authentic costumes of the time when the famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart lived.

The Famous Vienna Mozart Orchestra returns to Athens after their sold-out performance at the Odeon Of Herodes Atticus.

Experience the magic of music with the original Vienna Mozart Orchestra!

Afoi Asimakopouloi 


Credit: @afoi_asimakopouloi

Asimakopoulos is a landmark pastry shop in Athens that has survived for over 100 years thanks to the quality of its ingredients and respect for authentic flavors. Since it first opened in 1915, it has been offering mouth-watering pastries, cookies, and cakes, as well as savory pies for those who don’t have much of a sweet tooth. Melomakarona promise to take us on a culinary journey to the flavors that defined our childhood. This holiday season, don’t miss their Melomakarono Isli—a stuffed melomakarono filled with walnuts and sprinkled with Aegina pistachios. It’s a modern twist on a beloved classic!

 

  

 

  

Konstantinidis 


Credit: @konstandinidis

 

Ta Gioulia


Credit: @ta_gioulia

This historic pastry shop in Nea Ionia, carries a legacy of authentic flavors inspired by its founder's Asia Minor roots. Their honey-soaked delights are stuffed with whole walnuts and are made to perfection with a unique syruping method. Made with honey from Agrinio, the melomakarona strike the perfect balance of juiciness without being overly dense, making them a standout choice for the holiday season. 

The beach of Chiliadou in Evia is in the running for the Best European Location Award 2022 by the European Network of Film Commissions (EUFCN), according to an announcement by the Hellenic Film Center and following a proposal by its Directorate for International Audiovisual Productions.

 

This is the second time a Greek location has reached the finals of the annual European Film Location Award. It should be noted that Corfu won the award in 2019 when it hosted the filming of the British series "The Durrels."

 

During the pandemic, Chiliadou was the location for the award-winning film "Triangle of Sadness,"  starring Charbli Dean, Harris Dickinson, and Woody Harrelson. The Greek production company Heretic was also involved. The natural landscape of Chiliadou became one of the film’s protagonists, playing a huge part in its atmosphere and aesthetic character. The film won a Golden Palm at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. 

 

 

From November 28, 2022, until January 30, 2023, the public can visit the EUFCN European platform and vote for their preferred location. You can vote for Chiliadou here. 

 

The winner of the EUFCN Location Award 2022 for Best European Filming Location of the year will be revealed at the European Film Market 2023 in Berlin.

 

The five nominated locations for the 2022 Award are: 

• Brissago Islands for the film "Dawn Chorus" – Ticino Film Commission (Switzerland) 
• Chiliadou Beach for the film "Triangle of Sadness" – Hellenic Film Commission (Greece) 
• Portsoy for the series "Peaky Blinders (Season 6)" - Screen Scotland (Scotland)
• Schlosshotel Kronberg for the film "Spencer" – Film Commission Hessen (Germany) 
• Stari Grad district for the film "How I Learned To Fly" – (Croatia)

Originally published in Greek on: kathimerini.gr

Translated by: Codico Lab

The Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens celebrated the beginning of the holiday season with its traditional Christmas Tree lighting event in its lobby in a festive atmosphere. The ceremony included Christmas carols performed by the children’s choir of the educational institution “Themistoklis”. Volunteers of the non-profit organization PNOE were also present at the event informing guests about their important initiatives. 

 

Everyone enjoyed themselves with the overwhelming Christmas spirit, exchanged happy wishes, and had the chance to watch the Hotel’s new Christmas video. Every year, the glittering 7.5 meters tall Christmas tree has been the highlight, decorated with impressive garlands, special ornaments, and more than 10,000 lights creating a glowing festive background in the lobby.  

 

Being part of a socially responsible company, Hotels Grande Bretagne and King George continue their special fundraising campaign. From December 1st and for six months, €1.50 will be added on top of each bill issued at the GB Roof Garden and Tudor Hall restaurants with the customers’ consent and will be donated to support PNOE non-profit organization in its pioneering work, aimed at providing medical equipment to Intensive Care Units for children and neonates. 

The Greek island of Karpathos in the south Aegean Sea is included in National Geographic’s annual list of the world’s 25 most impressive, “breathtaking destinations for 2023.” 

 

Karpathos is the only area in Greece included in National Geographic’s subcategory of preserving local communities. 

 

National Geographic refers to the island of the Dodecanese as an amazing and beautiful place, where businesses owned by women lead the way in sustainable tourism. 

 

“The Greek island of Karpathos, a growing center of ecotourism, features striking landscapes surrounded by the Aegean Sea.The isle is part of the Dodecanese archipelago, one of Nat Geo’s Best of the World destinations for 2023,” it is noted. 

 

In the same subcategory on the extensive National Geographic list are Milwaukee, Alberta in Canada, Laos, and Ghana, while 20 more destinations in Europe, Africa, America, and Asia follow in the categories of nature, adventure, family, and culture.

Originally published on: keeptalkinggreece.com

During the holiday period, shops throughout the country will remain open on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., the Hellenic Retail Business Association (SELPE) said in a statement.

On Saturdays, they will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sundays, December 11 and 18, they will open from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m., in order to help the public make their holiday purchases.

It should be noted that the member companies of SELPE have taken all the necessary measures to comply with the health rules, the association stressed.

Originally published on: ekathimerini.com

Located in the center of the modern city of Athens, right in the middle of the high-traffic shopping area of Ermou street, Panagia Kapnikarea is one of the oldest churches in Athens. And, although the church is one of the most widely-known churches in the whole country, frequented by millions of people, both foreigners and locals, its history is not that known.

Let's uncover some of its secrets!

How did it get its name? 

In 1689, Athens was firebombed by the Ottomans. Legend has it that although the fire reached the church, the icon of the Virgin Mary survived, but the wooden frame and Mary's face were charred. Kapnikarea comes from the words "kapnos" (smoke in Greek) and "kara" (face, head).

But most people believe the truth behind the church's strange name lies elsewhere. In 802 AD, a tax was imposed on the smoke coming out of the chimneys in Byzantine Athens. Each resident, according to the number of chimneys his house had, paid the corresponding tobacco tax. The tax collector who collected these taxes was called "Kapnikarios," and such a person built the church.

Kapnikarea is a complex tetragonal inscribed cruciform with a dome. Inside, one can find the works of Fotis Kontoglou, created in the mid-20th century. Kapnikarea consists of several parts, with the main part dating back to the 11th century, while the exonarthex and the propylon date back to the 12th century. The one-room chapel of Agia Barbara was built even later.

Why is it located in the middle of the street? 

The temple was to be demolished to make way for Ermou Street, according to the new urban planning plans for Athens in 1834. However, King Otto's father, Ludwig King of Bavaria, saved it, and so the street was created around Kapnikarea. Later there were again proposals to demolish it, however, it survived once again thanks to the decision of Theophilos I Vlachopapadopoulos, the Metropolitan bishop of Athens.

This temple could have been destroyed over the years, leaving only its ruins. However, it is still standing and open to visitors. People pass by without realizing that they are next to a monument that has witnessed some of the country's most important historical events.

Originally published in Greek on: youweekly.gr