Take advantage of a rainy day and explore the city’s museums; grab an umbrella and take a stroll through the National Gardens, wander the streets of the city, and enjoy a coffee at one of the MANY cafes!

Near the Acropolis

1. Visit the Acropolis Museum, plant yourself on the second level in the café to enjoy a budget friendly lunch and the views.

2. From the Acropolis Museum you are just round the corner from the Atelier Spyros Vassiliou Museum. Vassiliou was one of the most acclaimed artists in Greece, and you may just recognize some of the work on display. To learn more visit: http://www.spyrosvassiliou.org/

3. Also near the Acropolis is the Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum. This private collection is housed in a beautiful building at Karyatidon and Kallisperi Streets, just off the esplanade of Dionysiou Areopagitou St. on the south side of the Acropolis, below the Theatre of Dionysos. The glitter of all those jewels will certainly bring the sunshine inside! To learn more visit: http://www.lalaounis-jewelrymuseum.gr/en/

Near Syntagma Square

4. Another trio of activities includes a walk, with an umbrella, through the National Gardens. It’s peaceful, especially so in the rainy, when there’s few people out, the gardens hold many secret areas where you can escape the rain. There is a cafe at one end, but continue out of the gardens to the Zappeio, where you may wander inside the magnificent Zappeion Hall and admire the architecture inside.

5. Be an Athenian at the Aegli Cafe. Grab a seat on the covered veranda, order a coffee or light lunch and settle in for awhile, reading, people watching and enjoying the car free quietness of the gardens.

6. From the Zappeion gardens cross over Amalias to visit the Jewish Museum of Athens. This museum is an amazing collection of Judaica from all over Greece. The museum also does a fine job of telling the story of the history of the Jews of Greece, which dates back more than 23 centuries in Greece! To learn more visit: http://www.jewishmuseum.gr/en/index.html

7. Continue on to the Frissiras Museum, a private collection of European artists, housed in a most beautiful building at the corner of Monis Asteriou and Kydathineon. To learn more visit: http://www.frissirasmuseum.com/english/index.aspx

Around Thissio

8. Start your walk down to the cafes on Heraklidon street. Here you’ll find lovely old Neo-Classical buildings, renovated, cozy and friendly. Take a seat on the covered roof of Cafe Chocolat and contemplate the Parthenon from this prized Athenian vantage point.

9. The Herakleidon Museum, the Escher exhibits. This small private collection is an experience in visual arts. To learn more visit: http://herakleidon-art.gr/index.cfm?get=home

10. Continue walking down Herakleidon away from the historical center and you’ll find the Melina Mercouri Cultural Center. Located at Iraklidon 66a, Athens, 11851, the center is home to two permanent exhibitions, A Journey Through Athens, on the first floor, where one can view 19th-century Athens and elements of the 20th century via reproductions of buildings, houses, stores and people. The center is open Tues–Sat 9–1 and 5–9, Sun 9–1.

The second exhibition is the Haridimos Shadow Puppet Museum – Theatre which hosts a vast collection of items that belonged to the Haridimos family, renowned shadow puppet masters. Over 1,000 exhibits are on display including figures made with leather, cardboard, gelatine and sets drawn on fabric, cloth-bound manuscripts, folk art paintings and photographs dating from the early 20th century until today. Performances are staged for schools free of charge, while puppet figure-making lessons are held for children and adults on a weekly basis, however if you are lucky enough to find Sotiris Haridimos on site when you arrive, you could be treated to your own private shadow puppet show!

Provided by and originally posted on: True-Athens.com

Two newly built summer duplex houses (maisonettes), in traditional Cycladic style, all with breathtaking panoramic views of the sea with 12,000 sq. meters (3 acres) of garden provide our guests with privacy and tranquility. Only 4 minutes walking distance to a beautiful beach and 2 km drive to the port of Tinos. They can be rented together or separately, very convenient for 2 families or a group of friends.

The houses offer magnificent views of the sunset. They each have 2 bedrooms (one with a double bed and one with 2 single beds), a living room with fireplace, dining area and kitchen, one bathroom and a WC. The kitchen is fully equipped with stove, fridge and, coffee maker, toaster and a TV and DVD can be provided upon request. There are pull-out couches so extra sleeping arrangements can be made when needed. The seaside views are wonderful as are the evening sunsets. Twice a week cleaning and changing towels, bed linen once a week included.

Tinos is truly ”Greek ” island ideal for your holiday because you can combine swimming, walking, sightseeing and many other activities. Tinos is a particularly interesting island because, except for the main port and its town there are 40 villages that are worth visiting. There are museums and cultural events and there are wonderful paths for hiking. Of course there are many beaches but it is also a beautiful island to visit at times other than the summer. If you enjoy eating there are many restaurants with delicious traditional Greek food. Tinos is very easy to get to from the ports of Rafina and Pireas and is also close to many other Greek islands so the location enables you to do some island hopping. Some of the near by islands are Myconos, Andros, Paros, Milos, Naxos and a little further away Santorini.

The Thessaloniki-based group Argo will represent Greece at the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm, Sweden from 10 to 14 May.

The song ‘Utopian Land’ includes Greek and English lyrics, incorporates the traditional Pontian lyra with contemporary rhythms and refers to the refugee crisis combining hip hop and folk music. ERT president Dionysis Tsaknis said that they wanted Greece to be represented by a song that will send a message to Europe about what the Greek people are facing now.

Source: Protothema

For the sixth year in a row, Aegean Airlines has taken home the ‘Best Regional Airline in Europe’ award from the 2016 Skytrax World Airline Awards. The Skytrax World Airline Awards are highly regarded as the passengers choice, as they collect passenger satisfaction surveys from over 280 airlines and 104 different nationalities.

This year’s awards took into account the customer surveys that were conducted over a period of August 2015 until May 2016, which measured the quality standards across 41 performance indicators of quality product and service.

The CEO of Skytrax, Edward Plaisted, said that “Aegean remains a favorite amongst passengers in Southern Europe and continues to perform well in the awards surveys on both regional and a global basis.”

“All of us at AEGEAN are delighted to receive this important award for the 6th year in a row. This award motivates us to do more for our customers’ needs. We remain focused on the enhancement of our services and we are proud that our effort has been recognized by the passengers”, Dimitris Gerogiannis, CEO of AEGEAN, said.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Travel Pages

Extreme weather conditions have forced Greek emergency services on high alert as a severe cold front sweeps through the country bringing snow and ice and making travel very dangerous. State services have been advising citizens to stay home and only travel when necessary due to the dangers posed by icy roads.

The Greek islands are the hardest hit from the extreme weather with a state of emergency declared on Skopelos due to heavy snowfall on the island with others expected to follow.

Authorities in other areas of Greece are struggling to keep major roadways open but snow chains are necessary in several areas and some roads have been closed due to icy conditions, especially on higher ground.

Many other areas, including Thessaloniki, were left without water for a second consecutive day as water pipes froze and burst and meters seized due to the low temperatures.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek City Times

Living Postcards from Greece is a series of short videos that give life to traditional postcards, depicting the country’s mountains, urban landscapes, ancient monuments and sea. Led by photographer Emmanouil Papadopoulos, the project reveals and shares the beauty of Greece, signaling the transition of traditional tourism campaigns to a digital age.

Below are Living Postcards from Karydi Beach in Halkidiki and the White Tower in Thessaloniki!






To view more Living Postcards, please visit: The Greek Foundation

Photo Credit: The Greek Foundation

If your New Year's resolution is to start eating better, then look no further than these places Greece Is recommends for healthy eating. Whether you're a vegetarian, vegan, or you simply want to add more nutrition to your meals, these restaurants in Athens will have you covered.

Jars filled with spices, herbs, superfruits, oats and seeds line the walls in this health store, which doubles as a juice bar.

Address: Ermou & 17 Aiolou

Hours: Mon-Sat 8:00-23:00, Sun 9:30-23:00

Holy Greens, located in an office building in the northeastern suburb of Marousi, follows a Swedish concept of healthy but filling salads to give you energy throughout the day; perfect for a quick bite in between meetings.

Address: 3A Fragoklisias, Marousi

Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00-19.00, Sat 10:00-16:00

Juices you could live on as well as raw soups and smoothies made with homemade almond milk.

Address: 6 Athanasiou Diakou & Porinou

Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00-20:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-18:00

To read this article in full, please visit: Greece Is

Sunday, the last day before Lent, according to the Christian Orthodox calendar, saw the conclusion of Carnival celebrations in Greece. Helped by the sunny weather, many thousands took part in the parades and other Carnival celebrations all around Greece.

 

The best-known Carnival in Greece takes place in Patras, the country’s 3rd largest city. This year the Patras Carvival attracted some 40,000 visitors and included a Chinese troupe, “Flying Dragons and Dancing Lions - Team of Cuigezhuang Township”.

 

The Patras Carnival is most likely the most flamboyant and crowded, while places such as Naoussa in northern Greece and the island of Corfu base their celebrations on old traditions and retain a more authentic character.


To read this article in full, please visit: ekathimerini

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.

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

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