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Thursday, 19 February 2015 13:11
Coalition MPs Push For Compromise Over President
There was growing pressure on the government on Thursday, even from within its own ranks, to come up with some kind of proposal that might bring the political parties together and avoid early elections. A number of coalition MPs expressed their support for common ground to be found after the government’s candidate for president, Stavros Dimas, gathered just 160 votes in Wednesday’s ballot.
The threshold for electing Dimas was 200, as it will be in the second round on Tuesday. It will fall to 180 for the third vote on December 29.
New Democracy’s Dora Bakoyannis called for a “broad framework of consensus” to be formed. “What I am suggesting is that we could agree on a date for early elections next fall, so it is after the tourism season,” said the lawmaker. “This initiative must come from Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and Deputy Prime Minister Evangelos Venizelos.”
PASOK MP Leonidas Grigorakos also called for an agreement. “We have to move toward a climate of consensus,” he said. “We all need to water down our expectations.”
To read more, please visit ekathimerini.com
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Local News
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Friday, 29 January 2016 07:00
Chinese Artist Ai Weiwei Sets Up Studio On Lesvos - Highlights Plights Of Refugees
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has set up a studio on the Greek island of Lesbos to highlight the plight of refugees.
The island has been the main point of entry into the EU for hundreds of thousands of refugees over the past year and the studio would produce several projects with themes related to the refugee crisis from him and his students, Ai told reporters.
“As an artist, I have to relate to humanity’s struggles... I never separate these situations from my art,” he said. The artist is as well-known for his clashes with the Chinese authorities as for his work.
Ai praised the people of Lesbos for having a “very good understanding” of the refugees’ plight,their needs and for being “very helpful and very tolerant”, but emphasised they had limited resources to deal with the issue.
To read more, please visit: ekathimerini
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People
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Thursday, 31 March 2016 07:00
Scrap Car Subsidies Extended Until May 20
The government has decided to extend its vehicle-scrapping initiative until May 20, in which it subsidizes the purchase of new cars so that old vehicles are taken off the road; although the subsidy will be cut by 50 percent from last year.
The measure will be brought to parliament and once signed by Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos, it will apply retroactively from January 1. This will bring great relief to the thousands of prospective buyers who have the necessary scrapping documents, but were unable to proceed with their new purchase.
To read more, please visit: eKathimerini
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Local News
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Tuesday, 30 August 2016 07:00
Traditional Dance Festival In Greece Wins European Award
The traditional dance festival called ‘Diamantis Palaiologos,’ held on Skopelos island this August, won a European award by the EILEEN (Enhancing Intercultural Learning in European Enterprises) project. There were over 600 participants and volunteers this year from Greece, Cyprus, Ukraine, and Nepal.
The Festival of Traditional Dances ‘Diamantis Palaiologos’ is a member of European Folklore Festival Association and is organized by Konstantina Angeletou, President of the Plegma, a nonprofit organization, along with the Thessaly Region.
The Greek National Commission to UNESCO, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs, the Greek National Tourism Organisation and the Municipality of Skopelos embrace this big cultural event, putting the Festival under their auspices.
To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Reporter
To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Reporter
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Greece In The News
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Monday, 19 December 2016 07:00
Athens In 60 Seconds - One City, Never Ending Stories
‘Athens is one of the world’s oldest cities; with so many places to visit, things to experience, stories to be told. And if you had only 60 secs to describe it, this is how Athens would look and sound.’
Athens Mayor Yiorgos Kaminis announced the 'Athens Tourism Partnership,' an initiative for tourism promotion in Athens. The City of Athens, Aegean Airlines, and the Athens International Airport unite for the first time having a common objective - promoting Athens as a modern cultural centre and attractive tourist destination throughout the year.
The first result of this collaboration is a new, vibrant and dynamic campaign entitled 'One City. Never Ending Stories' aimed at showcasing the Athenian experience.
Athens Mayor Yiorgos Kaminis announced the 'Athens Tourism Partnership,' an initiative for tourism promotion in Athens. The City of Athens, Aegean Airlines, and the Athens International Airport unite for the first time having a common objective - promoting Athens as a modern cultural centre and attractive tourist destination throughout the year.
The first result of this collaboration is a new, vibrant and dynamic campaign entitled 'One City. Never Ending Stories' aimed at showcasing the Athenian experience.
To read this article in full, please visit: Greek News Agenda
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Videos
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Tuesday, 16 May 2017 07:00
A Different Perspective - Exploring Northern Greece
Northern Greece is gaining ground for its rich culture and diversity, as well as beautiful landscapes and plenty of outdoor activities. However popular Athens and the Greek islands will be, sometimes it’s worth exploring the road less-traveled. Vogue takes us to 3 areas in Northern Greece where you can go wine tasting in the Rhodope mountains or visit the Great Prespa Lakes, bordering Albania and Republic of Macedonia.
Kavala
‘Northeast of Thessaloniki, in Greek Macedonia, the port town of Kavala serves as an excellent base for visiting the ancient city of Philippi and wine tastings around the semi-continental Rhodope mountains.’
Nymfaio
‘Grevana, to the south, is a quaint village recognizable for its arched stone bridges, mushrooms, and snowboarding. There is a half-pipe at posh Vasilitsa resort and Valia Calda National Park is nestled into a valley nearby as well.’
To read this article in full, please visit: Vogue
Kavala
‘Northeast of Thessaloniki, in Greek Macedonia, the port town of Kavala serves as an excellent base for visiting the ancient city of Philippi and wine tastings around the semi-continental Rhodope mountains.’
Nymfaio
‘Grevana, to the south, is a quaint village recognizable for its arched stone bridges, mushrooms, and snowboarding. There is a half-pipe at posh Vasilitsa resort and Valia Calda National Park is nestled into a valley nearby as well.’
To read this article in full, please visit: Vogue
Published in
Travel Greece
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Monday, 02 September 2019 05:00
Nikos Vatopoulos: Walking In Athens
Walking in Athens is a unique compilation of photos and accompanying articles, that came about from walking in various neighborhoods of Athens. Mixed architectural styles, crumbling houses juxtaposed against concrete buildings, empty facades next to sound buildings; this is a guide to a secret landscape. A compilation that speaks not just about architecture – it talks about the coming and going of the city's communities, its ever-changing society civilization evolving.
The first edition of the book was published in Greek in April 2018. It was a great commercial success and won the Greek Non-Fiction Book Award at the Public Book Awards 2019. Walking in Athens is also available in e-book format.
Click here to look inside the book.
Nikos Vatopoulos
Nikos Vatopoulos was born in Athens in 1960. He is a journalist and a photographer, specializing in cultural reporting. He is the Chief Editor of Culture for Kathimerini newspaper and has published numerous articles and books on the architecture of Athens and its urban civilization.
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Books
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Tuesday, 03 December 2019 15:00
Join The Open Day At The British Residence In Athens
Save the date for Sunday, December 15th, when the British Residence will open its doors for the 3rd consecutive time to welcome old and new friends in Athens in an open day event that will reveal the fascinating history behind this magnificent building!
The British Residence is one of the most elegant neo-classical houses in Athens and the home to Eleftherios Venizelos towards the end of his life. Since 1936, the building has hosted the activities of the British Embassy, while today it is the home of HM Ambassador Kate Smith CMG.
On the day of the event, the residence will be open from 10 am to 5 pm, and an email pre-registration is required.
Note for Applicants
To attend ‘THE BRITISH RESIDENCE OPEN DAY,’ applicants are kindly requested to send an email to events@british-embassy.gr noting ‘RESIDENCE OPEN DAY’ at the email subject, to receive further information regarding the registration process. Admission is granted only following a pre-registration on a first-come, first-serve basis.
To learn more about this event, click here.
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Local News
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Thursday, 29 April 2021 14:08
It's Easter In Greece
With Easter upon us, what a better way to celebrate it in Greece than with some great tips about the festive local traditions, recipies and a guide to some of the most beautiful churces in Athens. Learn all about them in this week's newsletter!
Please click HERE to view this issue of our newsletter!
Published in
Newsletters
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Wednesday, 20 July 2022 13:33
Santorini Experience Enters A New Era
Santorini is making a dynamic come back to the world of sports tourism this year, the ever-growing alternative form of tourism in Greece, bringing a new era to Santorini Experience.
Thira Municipality is not limited to simply hosting a major sporting event on the island of Santorini, as it intends to highlight the cultural wealth of a globally leading tourism destination, organizing Santorini Experience on September 23-25, 2022, after two years of pandemic.
The history and culture of Santorini’s volcanic complex sparked the global interest in the 1980s and since then the island’s tourist movement began. People who choose to engage with sports tourism, always combine their participation in a sports event with a desire to find out the particular characteristics of the destination they are visiting, at the same time.
This year, Thira Municipality, wishing to highlight the history and cultural wealth of the islands, enriches Santorini Experience for the first time, with a half marathon, a very popular running route worldwide.
“Daedalic Kore of Thira” Half Marathon
The marble Daedalic Kore of Thira, a unique archaeological finding of supernatural size (2.30 meters height and about 750 kilograms weight), dating back to 640 BC. (7th century), was found preserved in excellent condition at the site of Sellada in Ancient Thira, on November 24, 2000, by the late archaeologist Charalampos Sigalas. It highlights the vast history of Santorini and is placed chronologically and aesthetically in the era of the genesis of the monumental Greek sculpture. This remarkable sculpture, which will soon be exhibited to the world for the first time, in the outdoor area of the Archaeological Museum of Thira, which is being currently renovated, gives its name to the first half-marathon run, which is held for the first time on the island. The “Daedalic Kore of Thira” Half Marathon will take place on Saturday, September 24, 2022, running across the enchanting areas of Oia, Imerovigli and Fira.
1.5 miles “L & E Nomikos” Open Water Swimming route from the Volcano to Fira
In the most beautiful caldera in the world, created by the successive eruptions of Santorini’s volcano, from prehistoric times to 1950, participating athletes will have the opportunity to swim in the unique 1.5 miles (2.4 km) “L & E Nomikos” open water swimming route, of Santorini Experience. The swimming event is going to be held on Sunday September 25, 2022, starting from the volcano with its finish line being at the old port of Fira, under the imposing view of the island. Watch some highlights from the amazing swimming route here:
From this year, the swimming route will bare the name “L & E Nomikos” in honor of the founders of the “Loula & Evangelos Nomikos” Foundation, established in 1979 by the shipowner Evangelos Nomikos, who adored the sea and his island. The construction of the cable car, which connects the city of Fira with the old port (Bay of Fira), the end point of the swimming route, is a pioneering project of the Foundation, which was completed 40 years ago and was put into operation with a great contribution to the service of the residents and visitors. At the same time the cable car has benefited the entire island over time, since the Foundation’s income is used for great projects and the overall support of the community. It is a debt of honor in the memory of these great benefactors of the Municipality of Thira, to name this unique swimming route after them, from now on.
Vikos Natural Mineral Water is the event’s Official Water.
Santorini Experience takes place this year for the 6th year and is organized by the Municipality of Thira and the Sports Tourism department of ActiveMedia Group.
More information on new surprises of this year's event, the opening of registrations and special offers for access to Santorini, will be announced in the coming weeks at: www.santorini-experience.com
Sports Production: ActiveMedia Group
#SantoriniExperience
Photo by Babis Giritziotis
Photo by Babis Giritziotis
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Local News
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