“Almost anywhere you go in the capital, there’s a church nearby,” says Sofka Zinovieff in this seventh episode of Athens Unpacked that is literally a matter of life and death.

 

Get ready to visit the city’s finest and most famous graveyard - the final resting ground for a pantheon of modern Greek heroes; walk down the street of Eternal Repose; and address the oily business of baptism, Greek-style. You’ll also encounter the confectionary treat Athenians turn to remember their dead; learn about the must-have accessory newborn babies wear to ward off misfortune and find out why Greeks shout everyone else on their own birthdays.

As the August full moon rises over the Parthenon, the Acropolis Museum welcomes locals and visitors to experience this annual event like never before.

On Saturday 21 August 2021, the Museum exhibition areas will remain open from 8 am to 8 pm with free entry to all visitors, on the occasion of the Museum’s participation in the “Greece 2021” initiative. The Museum's second-floor restaurant will be open until midnight so that visitors can take in spellbinding views of the full moon while enjoying a nice dinner. 

On Sunday 22 August 2021, the Museum exhibition areas will remain open from 8 am to 10 pm. The second-floor restaurant will be open during the same hours while visitors will have the opportunity to participate in the gallery talk “Afternoons in the Acropolis Museum”, where they will be introduced to the fascinating stories hidden in the treasures of the Museum’s galleries.

For more information, please click HERE!

It may be that nowadays the electric car makes quite the impression and is funded by big industrial firms, but in Greece, it was already constructed for the first time 45 years ago!

The electric car is hosted in the industrial museum of Syros. The car was built in 1973 in an old mill building close to the Neorion yard of Ermoupolis, the capital of Syros.

This electric car is the model Enfield 8000, an innovation at the time when the problem of air pollution had made its appearance in the big cities. At the same time, the concern related to oil stocks and dependence on them also grew big. It seemed that an electric car would solve many problems.

History of the electric car of Syros island

The car’s history began in the late 1960s. The company Enfield Automotive, based in the Isle of Wight of Great Britain and owned by the Greek John Goulandris (a member of a large shipowner family), won a competition for a contract with the Council of Electric Energy of England. Shortly before the start of the production of the car, Goulandris encountered technical problems with the Isle of Wight and so decided to move the factory to Syros. It was a risky decision, as the island of Syros had a long tradition in shipbuilding but no relation to the manufacturing of cars, let alone electric. However, it seems that the outcome vindicated Goulandris. The designer of the electric model was George Michael. The construction involved men from the yard, engineers, craftsmen from Syros, Piraeus, and many other places around Greece. It was a truly Greek affair.

To celebrate the history of the first electric car in Greece, a documentary was filmed, titled "A tale of two Isles", directed by Michael Stavropoulos (Director of the magazine for cars). One day Michael Stavropoulos went to Syros to try a modern electric car. On this occasion, he was introduced to the Greek story of the electric car, talked with people involved in the construction, and finally made a movie about the Enfield 8000.

To read this article in full and discover more about the Enfield 8000, please visit: omilo.co

Omilo Greek Language and Culture inspires people from all over the world to learn Greek, while exploring Greece. They offer 1- and 2-week courses for adults that combine beautiful course locations, experienced teachers, and a balanced combination of Greek classes with cultural activities. All these make Omilo a place where people enjoy learning modern Greek and have fun.

Besides the courses, Omilo also creates online publications to help adults expand their language skills through Language Books and eBooks for different language levels.

Revealing Athens as one of the World’s Greatest Places 2021, Time Magazine has confirmed what most already know about the breathtaking city.

The heart of the powerful empire of Ancient Greece, Athens remains after centuries dominated by 5th-century BC landmarks, including the Acropolis, a hilltop citadel containing the remains of ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance like the Parthenon temple.

Athens’ Acropolis Museum, along with the National Archaeological Museum, preserves sculptures, vases, jewelry, and more from Ancient Greece.

Widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy, ancient Athens was a centre for the arts, learning and philosophy, and the home of Plato’s Academy and Aristotle‘s Lyceum.

In modern times, Athens is a large cosmopolitan metropolis and central to economic, financial, industrial, maritime, political, and cultural life in Greece.

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

The cave in Tzoumerka, in the Greek region of Epirus, one of the most impressive and most visited natural wonders of Greece is an ideal destination all year round.

Tzoumerka is a mountain range found in northwestern Greece. These limestone peaks rise east of the Axeloos River and are surrounded by the main column of the Pindus Range.

Many of the areas are part of Natura 2000, a network of protected areas, as many species of flora and fauna, some of them endangered, are native to various areas of Tzoumerka.

The Anemotrypa cave is located three kilometers from Pramanta, west of Stroggoula, and at an altitude of 900 meters (2,953 feet).

The uniquely sculpted, colored stalagmites and the three lakes in shades of gray, brass, and white that have been formed over the years, create a unique, dreamy landscape.

Inside the cave, there is a pond that is completely blue because of the quartz crystals at the bottom. 

The cave has three levels. The highest, and oldest, has collapsed in the past and only parts of it are preserved. The middle level is where visitors walk and the third and lower level is the underground riverbed, which is seen at the end of the visitors’ trail, just before it creates a two-meter waterfall.



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

Greece is among the world’s most searched-for destinations for post-Covid-19 travel, ranking third on the list provided by ESTA, a US electronic system for travel authorization.

Esta-america.com has analyzed Google search volume data to reveal the global searches for destinations around the world and the countries that people are most looking forward to visiting when the travel gates finally open fully.

Greece is in third place with 108,780 searches per month. The Maldives, with 130,970 average monthly searches, are first place while India takes the second spot with 130,750 monthly average searches.

Out of the top 10 most-searched-for countries, Asia is the continent that features the most, with four (five including Turkey) countries within it taking the top spots.

Hotspots such as Thailand, the Maldives, and India are clearly grabbing the attention of aspirational wanderers with their golden beaches, scorching weather, and bustling cultures.

There are some well-known holiday destinations that travelers aren’t as excited to visit again post-Covid, such as Morocco with just 14,840 average monthly searches, the United Arab Emirates with 13,700 searches, and popular travel hotspot Laos with just 2,890 searches.

The survey also reveals that travel aspirations have changed over the past year. In August 2020, Italy was the country that travelers wanted to visit the most. It has now dropped down to the 13th spot. Following this, Mexico and Thailand have both been bumped down the list this year, too.

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

Athens Street Food Festival is back! The festival, which became a gastronomic institution and a reference point for Athens, starts heating the ovens again!

On the 10-11-12, 17-18-19, and 24-25-26 of September, the Amaxostasio of OSY venue at Gazi will be filled with smells of the most delicious recipes of “street food” from around the world and with thousands of foodies who want to try them!

With over 400,000 visitors in four years, ASFF is the largest food festival in the country and a top cultural event for the whole of Athens.

For its 2021 edition, ASFF raises the bar, even more, presenting original ideas, “unknown” cuisines of the world, and many exclusives.

ASFF 2021 will be held in compliance with all the necessary conditions required by the conditions due to the pandemic

More information will be announced soon!

Kyniska (or Cyniska), a Spartan princess, was the daughter of King Archidamus II and sister to King Agesilaus. She owned a sizable estate where she bred, raised, and trained horses, and in 396 BC, when she was probably between 40 and 50 years old, she became the first woman to participate in the Olympic Games.

Unlike Athens and the other Greek city-states where girls were hidden from the public and learned only domestic skills, Sparta held races and trials of strength for girls as well as boys.

Kyniska’s childhood would have been full of athletic training: running, jumping, throwing the discus, and javelin, perhaps even wrestling. She had wealth and status but her ambition made her a legend and drove her to compete in the four-horse chariot race, or tethrippon, at the Olympics in 396 and 392 BC. She won both times. 

This feat was especially impressive because women could not even step foot on the sacred grounds of the Olympic Sanctuary during the festival. Married women were forbidden on penalty of death from even attending as spectators, so, in order to compete Kyniska cleverly exploited loopholes.

In sports like wrestling or javelin, the victors competed individually on the field. In the chariot race, the winners were the horse owners, not the drivers – who were almost always slaves. Much like with the modern Kentucky Derby or Melbourne Cup, the victors are the horse and its owner, not the rider. Kyniska didn’t have to drive the chariot to win. In fact, chariot team owners did not even have to be physically present at Olympia during the games. Kyniska could enter her chariot team in the race without ever setting foot on the forbidden sacred grounds.

But Kyniska’s role was not secret. News of an Olympic victory was carried by fleet messengers to the victor’s home city, where preparations to celebrate their return were begun at once. News that a woman had won an Olympic contest would have spread quickly.

Many ancient Greek women won Olympic victories after Kyniska, but none were as famous as she was. She erected at least two life-size bronze statues of herself at Olympia. The inscription on a remaining fragment of her marble statue base reads: “Kings of Sparta were my fathers and brothers. I, Kyniska, victorious at the chariot race with her swift-footed horses, erected this statue. I claim that I am the only woman in all Greece who won this crown.”

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

The heart of mountain running beats at the “place beyond the mountain”. Preparations of athletes and organizers are gradually being completed while pulse rates are increasing and the adrenaline is rushing ahead of Zagori Mountain Running, the biggest mountain running race. The 10th anniversary race is approaching and Zagori, with its outstanding natural beauty, is expected to gather again, with utmost safety, professional and amateur runners from Greece and abroad on July 23-25, 2021.

Great athletes honor the event’s 11 years!
The TeRA 80km, which is considered as the milestone-race in the history of mountain ultras, is expected with even more excitement this year due to the participation of Greek athletes such as Fotis Zisimopoulos, Vangelis Noulas, Angelos Ziakas, Thodoris Zisis and Giannis Kourkourikis, while Dimitris Seletis, the 2019 winner with a time of 8:18’:06’’ will attempt to claim the first place again. Moreover, participations from Spain such as the one of Jesed Hernandez, who returns with the desire to claim the first place, and of Miguel Angel Heras, the greatest foreign athlete who has ever visited our country so far, are expected with great interest. Finally, Apostolos Tzoumakas is the outsider of the race.

The schedule
Participants will be able to receive their participation kits from Thursday, July 22 at the Fifth Element store (Dagli 2 & Papazoglou, in Ioannina), between 18:00 and 21:00 or alternatively on Friday, July 23 (12:00 to 22:00) and on Saturday, July 24 (10:00 to 20:00) at Tsepelovo High School. On Friday, July 23, at 19:00 in the afternoon, the race briefing of the athletes will take place at the Tsepelovo High School and at 20:00 there will be a Pasta Party for the athletes of 80km &44km races, with the support of Melissa pasta industry and Dodoni dairy product company.

Races’ action starts on Saturday, July 24, at 04:30 in the morning, at Tsepelovo, with the TeRA 80km mountain running race. The race’s development extends to 80 kilometers and its positive altitude difference exceeds the 5,100 meters. The race has a time limit of 20 hours from the start and has 4 intermediate elimination points. At 06:00 in the morning, Marathon 44+ takes over. A filling 44km circular route, with 2,600m of positive altitude, which challenges athletes to raise their personal goals and experience mountain running from a different angle.

With the coolness and hydration offered by the Natural Mineral Water ZAGORI, children’s favorite running race of 1km distance, ZAGORAKI, will be held on Saturday afternoon at 2 18:00. The children are expected to have fun, run in nature and learn the values of sports. At the end of the race, there will be a draw and prizes will be given from the Natural Mineral Water ZAGORI in the context of environmental responsibility and familiarization with the concept of recycling. The lottery will be attended by all participants and visitors who will recycle any packaging of glass, plastic, and aluminum in the mobile recycling unit with photovoltaic panels that will be located on site.

On Sunday July 25, athletes will get to know the two brand new routes, the Half Marathon 21km and the Entry Race 10km. At 07:45 in the morning the renewed Half Marathon 21km race will start, while the competitive Entry Race 10km will start at 09:10. All routes have Tsepelovo as their starting and finishing point. Due to the current condition of the pandemic, the athletes on all routes will start gradually, in order to avoid overcrowding at the starting point.

How to join us
The event will be conducted based on the strict health protocol that has received the approval of the Health Scientific Committee of the General Secretariat of Sports which is being carried out by the organizing committee. All participants must bring an EU Digital Covid-19 Certificate in order to enter the event’s venue. Alternatively, they must have conducted a rapid test or a PCR test against Covid-19 within 48 hours before the start of their race and provide confirmation of their negative result. With the exception of those who will provide a vaccination certificate or a certificate that proves that they have recovered from Covid-19 within the last 2 to 9 months. Finally, if there are consecutive race days for a participant, it is recommended to do 1 test before the first race.

What Participants Should Know
Based on the current measures and the current period, all participants must bring an EU Digital Covid-19 Certificate in order to enter the event’s venue. Alternatively, they must have conducted a rapid test or a PCR test against Covid-19 within 48 hours before the start of their race and provide confirmation of their negative result. With the exception of those who will provide a vaccination certificate or a certificate that proves that they have recovered from Covid-19 within the last 2 to 9 months. Finally, if there are consecutive race days for a participant, it is recommended to do 1 test before the first race.

The 1km ZAGORAKI Children's Race
Τhe children’s favorite race returns with the coolness and hydration offered by the Natural Mineral Water ZAGORI. ZAGORAKI, the children’s 1 km distance running race, will take place this year at the village of Tsepelovo, in the afternoon of Saturday, July 24, 2021. Its goal is the contact of children with running in nature, through an entertaining activity that highlights the values ​​of sports. For the 1km children’s race, children 3 to 12 years old can participate. Each child will be awarded with a commemorative medal and a collectible technical t-shirt.

Children’s participation is FREE.