The Greek rebellion against the Ottoman Empire, 200 years ago, marked the end of slavery, reclaiming the most valuable asset for Greeks, their freedom. Historical battles of the national liberation efforts took place in the Messinian land and decisive naval battles effectively sealed the end of the Revolution and led to the freedom of Greece, resulting in the national rebirth and the establishment of the modern Greek state.

Run Messinia is an ultramarathon race of a total distance of approximately 421 kilometers, a tribute to the important events and unforgettable battles of the heroes of 1821. On June 5-14, 2021, during the “Run for Freedom” edition, 10 athletes per route will attempt to run 10 marathons in total, in 10 consecutive days, crossing historical places and monuments of Messinia, Laconia and Arcadia, which are related to the Greek revolution.

Run Messinia is committed to never forgetting all those sacrificed during the Revolution of 1821 and promises to spread the stories of heroes who honored and defended the right of all people to live with dignity in a fair and peaceful world.

The 10 Historical Routes of Run for Freedom
The Messinian land constitutes a special and historic place for the Greek Revolution of 1821. For this reason, the event aims to highlight the history of all the areas associated with the Greek Revolution in Messinia both culturally and touristically.

- Run for Freedom will start its 1st route from Areopoli of the East Mani Municipality, pass through Stoupa of the West Mani Municipality and end in Kardamyli.
- The 2nd route, starting from Kardamyli, will pass through Verga of the Kalamata Municipality and end in the city of Kalamata.
- In the 3rd route, the athletes starting from Kalamata will cross Nedousa and finish in Alagonia.
- During the 4 th route of Run Messinia, the runners starting from Alagonia will pass through Dyrachio and Neochori of the Megalopoli Municipality and complete their effort in Poliani of the Kalamata Municipality.
- From Poliani, during the 5th route, participants will cross Skala and end up in Paloukorahi of the Oichalia Municipality.
- The 6th route will highlight historical places of the Oichalia Municipality, as the athletes starting from Paloukorahi will cross Katsarou, Solaki, Meropi, Loutro, Diavolitsi, Ano Psari, Dorio and end up at the statue of Kolokotronis in Ramovouni.
- In the 7th route starting from Ramovouni, the runners will pass through Zerbisia of the Messini Municipality, Kalogeresi, Saint Nikitas Sellas and Tripyla of the Trifylia Municipality, in order to reach Maniaki of the Pylos-Nestor Municipality.
- In the 8th route the participants will start from Maniaki, pass through Agios Andreas of the Messini Municipality and Kato Minagia and finish in Koroni.
- The 9th route will move exclusively within the Pylos-Nestor Municipality from Koroni, to Methoni and then to 2 Pylos.
- The 10th and final route of Run for Freedom starting from Pylos, will provide runners with the opportunity of passing through Neokastro, observing Sphacteria and Paleokastro, while crossing Kremmidia and Schinolakka.

Safety First
The event is planned and will be implemented based on the strict health and safety protocol and the approval of the Health Scientific Committee of the General Secretariat of Sports, with respect to the Covid-19 pandemic conditions. In order to avoid any excess interactions and overcrowding, up to 10 runners will compete in each route, while a Covid-19 test being mandatory for all. In case the epidemiological data improve, an increase in the number of participating runners will be considered. In case of a deteriorating health environment, the event will be transferred to the end of June.

The valuable support of the Municipalities
The partnered Municipalities supporting Run Messinia and contributing to the event’s smooth implementation are the following, in Greek alphabetical order: East Mani Municipality, West Mani Municipality, Kalamata Municipality, Megalopoli Municipality, Messini Municipality, Oichalia Municipality, Pylos-Nestor Municipality, Trifylia Municipality.

Run Messinia will leave a legacy for the future of the place, as it has already started highlighting and promoting through its social media, the historical places, the battles and all the monuments, which are located in the three regions and through which runners will pass.

The event will be held under the auspices of the Greek National Tourism Organization. The difficult task of the event’s planning and implementation has been 3 undertaken by the award-winning ActiveMedia Group through its Sports Production department.

More information on the schedule, routes, and details of Run Messinia will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

---

XpatAthens is proud to be a Media Sponsor of Run Messinia 2021

---

The way a city protects the life and well-being of stray animals is an integral part of its culture and the Municipality of Athens has set the bar high. 

The effort to improve the living conditions of Athens' strays continues with multilevel actions aiming to create a safer environment for our four-legged friends in need of a home. 

The city's first modern shelter will soon operate in Votanikos. It will be a functional space for the temporary accommodation of stray animals with a capacity of 90 spaces, ample outdoor space, and full equipment. The shelter will be guarded on a 24-hour basis, while 5 staff memebers are responsible for the dogs' good hygiene and socialization daily; the latter will be achieved in collaboration with volunteer trainers and animal lovers. 

Also, a space resembling an actual living room, fully equipped with furniture, is currently under construction, in order to familiarize dogs with the home environment and prepare them for when their eternal home is found. 

The shelter will be named "The Shelter of Socrates" in memory of one of Athens' most emblematic stray dogs that lost its life in a tragic accident. In fact, artist "Life in Color" and the Urban Act team have created an impressive graffiti inside the shelter depicting Socrates as a tribute to all stray animals that live on the streets against their will. 

"The shelter of Socrates is a shelter for our souls. It's a prerequisite for every modern and humane city. It's yet another effort to change the lives of stray animals in Athens. We can achieve this through actions of care and love, as well as structures like this." said Kostas Bakogiannis, the Mayor of Athens, on the occasion of the World Stray Animals Day. 

However, the shelter is only a piece of the puzzle. As part of the initiative against animal cruelty, a new digital platform called Animals City of Athens (currently only availale in Greek) has also been launched by the Municipality of Athens, where members of the public can state how they wish to offer voluntary assistance for stray animals. Moreover, employees of the Animal Welfare Department City of Athens, as well as dozens of volunteers, are scattered around the city taking care of stray animals. To date, 420 dogs and 70 cats have been adopted, 1160 animals have been sterilized, and 614 dogs and 1400 kittens have received medical care. 

Finally, the municipal authority has undertaken a project of installing small houses for stray cats in Athens' neighborhoods. Until now, 16 houses and 60 feeders have been installed, making it easier for stray cats to be protected from the cold and find food and water.

XpatAthens extends a warm thank you to This Is Athens and the City Of Athens for sharing news and inspiring stories about how Athens aspires to be a clean, friendly, and welcoming city to live in.

The award-winning sports marketing department of ActiveMedia Group and the Sports Management Society of the leading private educational institution in the country, Deree – The American College of Greece return with another collaboration for a good cause.

The best wellness program in Europe and 2nd best in the world, as distinguished in the latest International Travel & Tourism Awards of the World Travel Market in London, Navarino Challenge, the Sports Management Society of Deree – The American College of Greece and the unique agency in Europe, dealing with trading cards and memorabilia, Trace ‘n Chase, join their forces for a charity initiative that aims to reinforce nonprofit organizations.

Items from world-class athletes, hall of famers and ambassadors of Navarino Challenge will be available in a series of online auctions to be held in December 2021, through the digital auctions platform Charityidols.com

Following the successful implementation of the auctions in 2019 and the transfer of 2020’s scheduled auctions for this year, all proceeds will be offered once again to non-profit organizations.

Motorsport enthusiasts… start your engines! As for the rest of us, while we wait for our lives to resume something approaching their former speed and spin, here’s some exhilarating news to stir up the dust. 

One of the rally world’s most legendary events – the Acropolis Rally of Gods – is set to return to the Greek capital this September, after an eight year absence.  

Since its debut in 1951, the Acropolis Rally has built a cult following and is considered one of the World Rally Championship’s most fearsome and glorious rounds. Twisty and rocky mountain roads conspire with the ancient Athenian dust and intense heat to provide rally drivers with a Herculean challenge - and many recognised drivers have found themselves humiliated in the attempt. 

There were some murmurs last year about this iconic gravel road rally revving up in Athens once again, but Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has now officially waved the flag to confirm that the competition has been added to the 2021 calendar of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), and a multi-year agreement reached. This year, Rally of Gods will form round 10 of the season from September 9 – 12, 2021, replacing the Copec Rally Chile, which was sidelined due to the pandemic.

The Acropolis Rally Greece will start from its traditional location beneath the Parthenon, restoring one of the sport’s most sought-after picture postcard images for rally fans across the world.

The Greek Prime Minister celebrated the WRC’s revival in Greece in a recorded message of support:

This content was originally published on This is Athens
Photo Credit: WRC Promoter

---

Whether you’ve just arrived in town – or have been here for years – Athens always has new secrets to share! This is Athens is the official guide to this captivating city of ancient energies and booming urban culture. Compiled by a team of specialist local writers, This is Athens brings you an authentic and intimate portrait of a living Athens beyond the guidebooks – along with daily curated listings of all the best events and great weekend inspiration all-year round. From must-know neighbourhoods and emerging art hubs, to gourmet hotspots, cool shopping and the buzziest bars, This is Athens will help you to get the most out of living in Athens!

Thank you This is Athens for your contribution as an XpatAthens Partner.

An iconic landmark of Athens, the Panathenaic Stadium, also known as Kallimarmaro, is one of the most important stadiums in the world, brimming with historic value. 

It is the last venue in Greece from where the Olympic flame handover ceremony to the host nation takes place. It is a timeless, global symbol of athleticism and Olympism, part and parcel of Athens' history and culture. 

Just a few months before the official launch of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Athens' vision for a world full of light, peace, and democracy shines bright across the globe. 

The Hellenic Olympic Committee launched the new lighting system of the Panathenaic Stadium in order to showcase its uniquely rich history which is inextricably linked to the city of Athens and the modern Olympic Games. A project that gives a breath of fresh air to Athens' urban landscape and adds a sense of splendor to this emblematic landmark.

The new system was inaugurated in a small symbolic ceremony attended by President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Athens' Mayor Kostas Bakogiannis, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, and some other members of the Greek Government.

During the ceremony, Mr. Costas Bakogiannis awarded Mr. Thomas Bach the Medal of the City of Athens, an award made in recognition of Thomas Bach's continued contribution to the promotion of sports and the fundamental values, principles, and ideals of the Olympic spirit.

---

XpatAthens extends a warm thank you to This Is Athens and the City Of Athens for sharing news and inspiring stories about how Athens aspires to be a clean, friendly, and welcoming city to live in.

A short walk through the National Garden, in the heart of Athens, is enough to convince anyone that a whole colony of exotic green parrots has found refuge in the capital.

The presence of the impressive, and slightly “noisy” parrots is very intense all around Athens’ parks, as they fly from tree to tree and make passers-by wonder how it is possible that exotic parrots – that we are used to seeing in documentaries for jungles and rainforests – live in the centre of Athens.

According to a research by the Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS), more than 1,500 parrots live in Athens at the moment, and have conquered almost all the parks of the city and their surrounding areas. In fact, Athenians reported that they have witnessed the parrots in many places in Athens from Tritsi Park to Pedion of Areos, the park of Evelpidon and the Archaeological Museum in Patision Street, as well as the town of Glyfada and the residential neighbourhood of Goudi.

The HOS reported that the green parrots in Athens are a species that normally lives in the foothills of the Himalayan mountain range in Asia or in tropical forests south of the Sahara desert in Africa.

According to experts, just one pair of these parrots is enough to multiply into an entire colony of parrots on foreign soil, and increase their population very rapidly.

To read this article in full, please visit: greekcitytimes.com
Photo credit: agonaskritis.gr

11 major investments in cruise, marina, and airport infrastructure are expected to take Greek tourism to the next level after Covid-19, according to a report released this week by Axia Ventures.

Titled “Greece: Post-Covid Perspective”, the report’s analysts forecast better and faster-than-expected tourism recovery after the pandemic subsides.

“For Greece, we believe that recovery will come sooner rather than later, given that demand for destinations with ‘sea & sun’ will be high on the list of those who will travel after the pandemic,” said the report.

It goes on to add that strong demand in 2022 may reach 2019 levels, provided the tourist season is extended to include spring and autumn. Axia analysts expect the robust demand for Greek destinations to continue in the coming years as well as increased spending, which will be a direct result of upgraded tourism services and products.

Greece is set to benefit from people’s desire to go on vacation, particularly in view of key infrastructure projects that will help upgrade Greece’s brand name, the report notes.

More specifically, listed in the report are the following projects, investments and privatizations:

– Hellinikon on the Athenian Riviera, which includes an integrated casino resort;
– a new cruise terminal at Piraeus port expected to be operational by 2023;
– a new marina at Alimos;
– the new Heraklion airport in Kastelli, Crete;
– the expansion of the Naxos and Chios regional airports;
– the new marina in Monolithos, Santorini;
– the privatization of a number of ports countrywide;
– the privatization of Athens International Airport;
– the upgrade and increased connectivity of the country’s train/rail network;
– modernized road networks including Crete’s North Road Axis;
– and finally, the framework for the operation of some 150 waterways.

To read this article in full, please visit: news.gtp.gr
Photo credit: thehellinikon.com

A magnificent tapestry depicting the School of Athens painting by the Italian master Raphael has been loaned to Greece by France to adorn Greek Parliament. The priceless 18th-century tapestry was sent to Athens in honor of the bicentennial of the Greek Revolution and War of Independence.

Parliamentary President Konstantinos Tasoulas and the French Ambassador in Athens, Patrick Maisonnave, attended the hanging of the tapestry on a wall in Parliament.

The masterpiece has adorned the French National Assembly since 1879 and arrived in our country as a gift from the French Republic to Greece on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution.

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

Welcome to the age of virtual tours! Would any of us actively choose a virtual tour over a real life one? How could it possibly measure up; stripped of the sounds, tastes, smells and general hubbub of life? But with so many postponed holidays, many tour operators are stepping into the void with immersive and live guided city interactions that provide wonderful “appetisers” for the real thing.

 

Not only can they be a great way to stay close to the places we love, from afar; they’re also a fun and engaging way for separated friends, families and colleagues to bond. So, This is Athens and some of their friends went on a virtual tour of 10 city highlights that challenge the common perception of Athens, through a mix of informal narration, video clips and photography.

Here are some of the colourful revelations that inspired them to dig deeper into their exploration of Athens (even for those of us who live here)!

That Old Black Magic
In the historic neighbourhood of Keramikos lies one of the least visited archaeological treasures of Athens, we’re told. The Ancient Necropolis of Keramikos, built atop the Eridanos River (which once flowed through the area until the Romans covered it up). This below-radar site spans 11-acres and is filled with monumental graves, tombstones and dramatic marble statues from the 4th to 5th century BC (including a rather menacing bull!). Most visitors miss this extraordinary spot. Even fewer encounter its fascinating dark history, apparently.

“In 2016, a very big well was discovered here with many nice objects such as cups and coins and tablets made of lead,” says Thomas. “And these tablets were found to have some ‘bad words’ on them to invoke harm on other people. So these ‘curse tablets’ are said to be like an ancient form of black magic.”

Kalliopi takes over the tale: “Ancient Athenians believed that water was sacred and a way to connect to the underworld. It was very common to place these tablets with curses written on them in the water of the wells, to communicate their wishes to Hades.”

“So if you come and visit the on-site museum here, you can see these curse tablets for yourself. They are in a small corner though, so you have to really look out for them.”

More Poetic Tales Of The Dead
From ancient souls to departed modern Greek heroes, we venture to another remarkable off-grid burial ground. This one is the First Cemetery of Athens and you’ll find it near the Panathenaic Stadium in Pangrati. It’s the final resting place, we learn, for a poetic pantheon of the great and good of Greece. Built in 1837, shortly after the founding of the modern Greek state, there’s everyone from eminent politicians, artists and actors, to prominent Philhellenes and beloved figures of the Greek Revolution interred at this prestigious listed space.

We flip through a series of beautiful photographs. Magnificent marble tombs graced with exquisite sculptures; whimsical white chapels; all framed by towering pines and cypresses. It feels like half-park and half open-air museum. Or a free outdoor sculpture gallery, if you like.

Thomas stops at the star of the show: “Here is the Sleeping Maiden, created by one of Greece’s most important Greek sculptors, Yannoulis Chalepas, from Tinos; an island renowned for its famous marble and sculptors. It is the diamond of the First Cemetery.”

And again, at a particularly grand tomb with a soaring sculpture that resembles a mini-Parthenon: “This is the mausoleum of Heinrich Schliemann who excavated ancient Troy. He had a great love for Greece and asked to be buried here.”

You’ll need to carve out a chunk of time to see all the marvellous sights at this unexpected architectural trove, advises Thomas. “It’s very big, so you might need maybe five hours to wander the whole site. But believe me, it’s very, very interesting, with many amazing monuments.” Adds Kalliopi: “You will also find a lot of cats. Cats are everywhere in Athens.”

How Street Art Is Rebranding Athens (One Mural At A Time)
“We have made it our mission to track down and photograph all the best street art in Athens,” says Kalliopi, as we arrive at what is clearly their favourite part of the tour. “Do you recognise anything about this mural? Something about the eyes, perhaps?” she asks. On our screens is an arresting black and white street art canvas, from the urban neighbourhood of Gazi. “They’re the eyes of Mona Lisa?” guesses Ellen. Correctly, it turns out. Thomas elaborates: “In Mona Lisa’s left eye, you can see a protestor. In her right, there is a policeman holding a riot shield. So it’s a comment that if the real Mona Lisa was watching over the streets of the modern city of Athens, this is what she would see.”

The acrylic paint mural was created in 2018, by Athens’ most internationally famous street artist INO, and forms part of his extended homage to Leonardo da Vinci. The collective work stretches for nearly one hundred metres across the old Bus Depot building in Pireos Street. Like Banksy, INO’s identity is a closely-guarded secret.

More evocative murals from other artists light up our screens one by one. I won’t spoil the fun for everyone else—but my personal favourite is the sky-scraping reading lady (aka “So Many Books, So Little Time” by SimpleG). It appeared on the side of a building in Metaxourgeio in 2019 as part of the Little Paris Festival and apparently it’s been voted as one of the world’s top 50 street art murals.

“What do the residents of Athens think of all this street art?” asks Ellen. “Are they divided?” “It is controversial,” admits Thomas. “The younger people generally like it. For them it’s uplifting. Many older people consider it all graffiti, even the murals.”

Regardless, over the past ten years, Athens has become one of the hottest European capitals of street art; its movement now active and diverse.

“The motivation was the financial crisis,” elaborates Kalliopi, “The city felt like an open notepad where people could express their feelings and anger outside. But nowadays, it’s become more creative and artistic. We have artworks whose only purpose is to beautify the area.” We all find this street art segment the most engaging part of the tour. As Helen says: “It’s so interesting to see how street art has changed in Athens. It’s gone from angry slogans to some truly stunning pieces of work. It definitely makes me want to wander around and see more.”

To read more and book your own virtual tour visit This is Athens!

---

Whether you’ve just arrived in town – or have been here for years – Athens always has new secrets to share! This is Athens is the official guide to this captivating city of ancient energies and booming urban culture. Compiled by a team of specialist local writers, This is Athens brings you an authentic and intimate portrait of a living Athens beyond the guidebooks – along with daily curated listings of all the best events and great weekend inspiration all-year round. From must-know neighbourhoods and emerging art hubs, to gourmet hotspots, cool shopping and the buzziest bars, This is Athens will help you to get the most out of living in Athens!

Thank you This is Athens for your contribution as an XpatAthens Partner.


Photo Credit: Awesome Athens Experiences