Originally published in Greek on: moneyreview.gr
Translated by: Codico Lab

Archaeologists in Greece discovered in western Peloponnese the remains of a temple-shaped building that could be a lost sanctuary of the ancient god Poseidon, the Culture Ministry said.

The excavations completed at the end of September revealed part of the foundation of a large building, 9.40 meters wide, the walls of which are 0.80 meters wide. A dense layer of tiles was found inside. Based on the indications of the geophysical survey and the excavation data, the building was at least 28 meters in length, it had two inner rooms, as well as a “pronaos” and a back building or inner sanctum.

Archaeologists believe the elongated temple-shaped building probably belonged to the sanctuary of Poseidon and may even be the temple itself.

The site of Kleidi, where the ancient building was found, had been suggested by earlier researchers as a possible location of the famous ancient sanctuary, as it is situated in the foothills of the ancient acropolis of Samiko, with a command of the area north of the Lake Kaiafa, on the west coast of the Peloponnese.

According to information provided by Greek geographer, philosopher, and historian Strabo in his Geography, Book 8, the sanctuary of Poseidon was an important cult center of the Amphictyonic league (an association of neighboring city-states in ancient Greece to defend a common religious center) of the cities of Triphylia and was situated near the sea, under the acropolis of Samiko.

Combined with the Laconian style of tiling, the discovery of part of the marble water basin (perrirhanterion) leads archaeologists to tentatively date the building to the Archaic period.

The discovery, which is the result of this year’s first excavation season of the five-year research program (2022-2026), is aiming to investigate the topography of the area and identify the sanctuary of Poseidon and the port of Samiko. It is a collaboration between the Ephorate of Antiquities of Ilia headed by Dr. Erofili Kollia and the Austrian Archaeological Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, headed by Dr. Birgitta Eder.

Originally published on: ekathimerini.com

Main Image: Greek Culture Ministry

The creation of the first completely 'green' Greek island has entered the final stretch. The small island of Ai Stratis, with just over 200 inhabitants, is expected to become the first island in Greece to be powered exclusively by electric and thermal energy from renewables, ANA reports.

The small hybrid project in progress on Ai Stratis, a remote Greek island of the northern Aegean, will act as a guide for larger projects.

The plan calls for the small Public Power Corporation (PPC) power plant on the island, which runs on expensive diesel, to fully shut down its operation and for the island to make a transition to full energy autonomy.

The Environment and Energy Ministry granted a unified license to the municipality of Ai Stratis to install a hybrid power plant for the production of electricity using wind and solar and for the storage of electricity with the use of accumulators.

Originally published on: tornosnews.gr

Prestigious American universities will start their operations in Greece in 2023, AMNA reported.

The Columbia International Education Center in Athens (of New York's Columbia University) will start its operation in September 2023. Meanwhile, the postgraduate student exchange program between the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens (EKPA) and Yale University will most likely launch within the current academic year, it was reported afresh a few days ago.

Concerning the latter, Greek students who will participate in the joint program will be exempted from paying tuition fees. As part of this new partnership, EKPA postgraduate and doctoral students will be able to take one-semester or one-year courses at Yale's science, medical and environmental schools, which will count toward their degree.

These announcements were highlighted anew following the 'Pharos Summit 2022', which was held recently at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, and which was addressed by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Originally published on: greekcitytimes.com

From the center of Fira and the unique Caldera of Santorini to the top of the world. The exclusive hotel Athina Luxury Suites once again made history by confirming its position as “Leading Boutique Hotel in Greece 2022” at the World Travel Awards.

 

The boutique hotel distinguished for the world-class services it offers, with breathtaking views of the Volcano, received the most important award in its history to date as “Leading Boutique Hotel in Greece 2022” at the 29th annual World Travel Awards, presented in Mallorca, Spain. World Travel Awards™ was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism, and hospitality industries. Today, the World Travel Awards™ brand is recognized globally as the ultimate hallmark of industry excellence.

 

At the same time, Athina Luxury Suites also excelled and has been recognized among the finest establishments in the world, at the 16th annual World Luxury Hotel Awards by winning the “Best Luxury Boutique Hotel in Southern Europe” award, as part of the annual awards ceremony held in Antalya, Turkey. World Luxury Hotel Awards is the pinnacle of achievement in the luxury hotel industry offering international recognition as voted by guests, travelers and industry players alike. Over 300,000 international travelers vote each year, during a four-week period to select the winners.

 

In the context of this year’s awards, Mr. Panagiotis Iglesis and Ms. Artemis Argyrou, owners and general managers of Athina Luxury Suites, stated: “We are very proud. These awards indicate the fruition of our efforts throughout the year, to be able to offer high quality services to our customers, in this beautiful and unique destination of Santorini. Our total of 25 luxurious accommodations are designed for discerning guests looking for a perfect combination of serenity and adventure. This is the highest honor we have received so far and fills us with joy and strength to continue reaching even higher”. 

 

The successive awards of Athina Luxury Suites prove the commitment of the hotel and its management to further development, its continued consistency, hard work and level of service. Just a few meters away from vibrant town center, Athina Luxury Suites immerses guests in tranquility. Breathtaking views, world-class services and exquisite accommodations all combine to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Each suite at Athina Luxury Suites offers its own unique set of luxury amenities. Moreover, an unforgettable dining experience awaits guests at the Esperisma bar-restaurant, where guests can find Mediterranean and Greek cuisine inspired by the freshest local ingredients, at a place where luxury meets gastronomy.

The Ministry of Tourism and the Athens municipal authority have joined forces with Google in a new online initiative that shines the spotlight on lesser-known attractions in the Greek capital.

“Athens: The City is the Museum” is available at athens.withgoogle.com and presents users with a map indicating a series of walks and stops showcasing the city’s street art, music, food, and architecture, as well as enticing them to explore neighborhoods off the beaten path. The campaign also seeks to underscore Athens’ attractiveness as an all-year destination.

Speaking at the initiative’s launch, Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias explained that it stems from an effort that began in April 2000 to promote the notion of sustainable tourism. Describing it as a “travel experience,” Kikilias said the app “opens up Athens to visitors who want to experience the city’s pulse.”

“Athens is not just its impressive antiquities and wonderful museums. The entire city is a unique, vibrant, open, interactive, huge museum that gives visitors hundreds of ‘stages,’ ‘exhibits’ and experiences, all year round,” said Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis.

“Visitors to the city, but also its residents, will be able to discover a different part of Athens every day, thanks to technology,” added Peggy Antonakou, Google’s general manager for Southeast Europe.

Steve Vranakis, the executive director of Google Creative Lab for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, described “Athens. The city is the museum” as a means of seeing the Greek capital from a different perspective, through the “image of a modern and constantly evolving city.”

Originally published on: ekathimerini.com

“Maestro”, the highly successful Greek series of director and actor Christoforos Papakaliatis, that is currently airing on MEGA channel, is coming to Netflix.

The popular streaming platform recently bought the worldwide rights, as announced on Tuesday. The drama series, which Papakaliaatis wrote, directed, and starred in, will air in Greece and Cyprus on December 19, 2022, on Netflix. It will then premiere for the first time to audiences worldwide in early 2023.

Papakaliatis stated: ”I hold Maestro very close to my heart and I feel deeply honored and happy that this story will travel around the world through Netflix. I’m looking forward to this journey.”

Maestro: a story of passion and conflict

In the nine episodes of “Maestro”, Christoforos Papakaliatis narrates a story of passion and conflict. A cast of talented actors embodies multidimensional heroes, through whom the creator attempts to open discussions on societal matters.

In the story, Orestes travels to a small Greek island during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to set up, from scratch, a music festival. Confronted with the small society of the island, he will find himself involved in a passionate love story that will act as the catalyst for the manifestation of all the social problems that plague an entire group of people. The characters are connected to one another and therefore each complicit in what comes next.

Speaking about the series in September, Papakaliatis said: ”I am very proud of this project because I think that artistically it is a unique moment, not only for me but for everyone who was involved. ”

Maestro is produced by MEGA TV and stars Christoforos Papakaliatis, Maria Kavoyianni, Marisha Triantafyllidou, Fanis Mouratidis, Antinoos Albanis, Giannis Tsortekis, Kora Karvouni, and Haris Alexiou.

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

Piraeus just keeps getting more and more interesting. This year saw the opening of three new metro stations in Athens’ bustling port town, while last year, a section of the coastal tram line that follows a circular route around Piraeus was inaugurated. Now, a web-based cultural project called “Piraeus ArchWalks” aims to inform and engage the broader public in the architectural capital of the bustling port. Soon, the walks will also be shared in the form of a downloadable mobile app that connects with GPS.

“The main purpose is to highlight and promote the architecture of Piraeus as a new tourism product, as a cultural route,” write the project’s creators (namely the Municipality of Piraeus with Aegean Solutions SA and the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation), on the ArchWalks website. ArchWalks presents a comprehensive view of the city’s neoclassical heritage of the 19th century as part of the Virtual Tours of Piraeus program. The digitally interactive initiative includes four architectural walks starting at key locations that offer access to Piraeus, such as the ISAP metro station (green line).

“Piraeus has a rich offering of Architectural buildings and history and is the ideal place for developing a project like this,” says Alexandros Tzortzakakis, CEO of Aegean Solutions SA, located in Heraklion Crete. The company has established itself as a leading provider of “holistic solutions” in digital culture, social development and tourism, and was recently awarded the Gold Medal for Digital Tourism at the “Tourism Awards 2022” for the design and development of incrediblecrete.gr. “Similar projects have been developed in the past,” says Tzortzakakis, “but ArchWalks is different and innovative because it consists of 3D representations of selected buildings.”

The four walks cover four different zones, with photographs and informative texts for every architectural stop along the walk: the northeastern districts (with 32 architectural stops), northwest and west districts (37 architectural stops), south and southwest districts (37 architectural stops), and east districts (10 architectural stops).

Even without the app, by simply following the information on the website, architecture aficionados can traipse entire routes, or even just sections of them, regarding the buildings and landmarks listed. Apart from observing the architectural features of the included buildings, visitors can learn about Piraeus’ and Athens’ history, social culture, and industrial development.

The website also includes a Timeline of Piraeus that classifies the major historical phases and turning points represented by the town’s landmarks. It is described as “an interactive timeline about the port city that began to be built in the early 19th century on deserted ancient ruins, matured, reached its peak, declined towards the end of the 20th century, and seeks its rebirth in the early 21st century.” The Timeline begins with a map depicting “Long walls, 462-458 BC”, followed by “Ancient ship sheds of Zea, 4th century BC,” and concludes with “The port 1970 – 1985 AD”. (See the Timeline here.)

The “Piraeus ArchWalks” app is expected to be available within the next few weeks. For upcoming information on the app, check the Municipality of Piraeus website

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

Do you remember those times when a good laugh was all you needed to change your mood and become more joyful? We all know that laughter is like medicine. In fact, research has shown that a good laugh has the power to relieve stress, improve your immune system and shift your perspective.

Think about it. You cannot feel stressed when you laugh, can you? On the contrary, you may feel relieved even if it’s for the short term. I’m sure you’ve noticed how easy and how often children laugh out loud.

Among others, laughter is a powerful communication tool. It brings people together and strengthens relationships. Here are some practical ideas to increase laughter in your life:

• Watch a comedy, a funny TV series, or a funny video on YouTube. There’s plenty to choose from.
• Share a good joke with friends, family, and colleagues. A good sense of humor is essential so all parties involved have fun.
• Play with your pet. Dogs may show a more playful and joyful attitude but cats can be lots of fun too.
• Watch your favorite stand-up comedian. Whether in a live show or not they will definitely make you laugh.
• Tell funny stories with your kids. It can be something that happened to you or to someone near you during the day or a story from your childhood. Make sure you have a screen-free environment.
• Laugh at your mistakes. This may be tough sometimes but learning not to take yourself too seriously takes out some weight off your shoulders.
• Look at funny photos. They can be photos of your children or from your childhood. Even better, share them with your funny friends.
• Spend time with people who bring you joy. Get your distance from grumpy people and choose to be around those who understand the value of good, authentic laughter.

Don’t wait for something big or fancy. Make up a reason, any reason, and just laugh.

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!

Is the Athens comedy scene “all Greek” to you? Are you on the lookout for English language events which do not require you to read surtitles? Do you want to try your hand at stand up in English? We are here for YOU!
 

• Sunday Novembr 13th

  10 comedians, 5’ each, all in English.
  
  MC: To be announced!

  It'll be a mix of everything. A potluck of comedy. ​Colourful, comedic, chaos.

  Experienced and new comedians trying out their best new jokes. Some of them will be good, some of them will be great, and some will never see the light of day again. It's up to you!
  
  
  

  Time: 21:30pm (Doors open 20:45)
  Tickets: €12 early-bird til November 6th / €14 general admission / €17 at the door
  Duration: 1h15
  Reservations: 6987994689 // athensenglishcomedyclub@gmail.com

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Come and laugh! Nay! Come and chortle. Or better yet, guffaw!