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Thursday, 26 November 2015 07:00

Top 5 Things To Do In Greece In Winter

The mention of Greece brings up images of white arcing beaches and sparkling aqua waters under sun-drenched skies. But the secret in plain sight is that this nation blessed with more than 6000 islands actually offers some of its best features outside the tourist-crazed summer season.  Greece in winter is a land of glorious walks with open vistas, uncluttered ancient sites and bustling city life. Bust your stereotypes and see the country as the locals do.

Booming Athens and sleepy Peloponnese
Athens’ cafe culture and zippy late-hours, hard-partying nightlife is at its best in winter when locals are in town, not out on the islands. Athenians love a good, long, ouzo-soaked lunch or a multi-hour chat over coffee as much as they do all-night bar crawls and glittery bouzoukia nightclubs. By day, the visitor can take in a much less impeded Acropolis and other ancient sites, as well as uncrowded world-class museums, such as the National Archaeological Museum, the Byzantine & Christian Museum and the Benaki Museum.

Just a stone’s throw from Athens, the Peloponnese offers some of Greece’s most accessible, beautiful country lanes lined by stone walls and olive groves, and ancient sites spanning eons. Make a base in Nafplio, the charming seaside Venetian city topped by a fortress. Its tiny streets are lined with creative craft shops and boutique hotels, while Fougaro cultural centre hosts a winter program of arts and musical events.

Island hopping – yes, they are open!
Let the cascade of tourists abate, and winter-time island life becomes something quite special. Convivial locals make for interesting, friendly visits. Moody skyscapes and changing light conditions make walking a wonderful, dramatic pastime. Larger islands remain the most vibrant, with their substantial local populations.Corfu boasts a fine old town and rich cultural life, from orchestras to art shows and its Palace of St Michael & St George. Crete sprawls from quaint, eye-dazzling harbour towns of Hania and Rethymno to its myriad mountain villages. Lesvos (Mytilini) offers ouzeries and 11 million olive trees (October and November are the olive harvest season; drop in at a local press to see it in action). Each of those large islands has some of the best regional cuisine in the country, with fresh local produce and creative recipes.

To read more, please visit: Lonely Planet


Run by an independent non-profit organization, Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), the Blue Flag Program labels beaches and marinas — and for the first time this year sustainable boating tourism operators — appropriate for swimming based on cleanliness, water quality, organization, safety and services, environmental management, and protection and certifies the best every year ahead of summer.

This year, 3,462 beaches and 660 marinas in 50 countries were inspected. With 430 beaches and nine marinas, Greece clinched third spot during the 1st International “Blue Flags” Awards ceremony held in the Halkidiki peninsula at the Porto Carras Grand Resort. The Halkidiki peninsula was crowned the destination with most flags in Greece as 52 of its beaches were honored.

Greece also recently came in 4th in Europe with the European Environment Agency verifying that 97.2 percent of its beaches are of the highest quality for swimming.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Travel Pages
For an interactive map of all the beaches and to learn more about the Blue Flag, please visit: Blue Flag
Tuesday, 06 February 2018 07:00

Kostarelos Cheesemakers

Kostarelos Chessemakers and their exceptinal products can be found in seven stores in Attika. The one that makes the difference, because it introduces a different kind of delicatessen in Athens, is the one in Kolonaki with a unique concept. It is a Greek deli where you can find their dairy products and taste unique recipes exclusively made by the well-known chef Chrysanthos Karamolegos.

Kostarelos Cheesemakers first entered the world of cheesemaking in 1937, by the keen hands of Kyriakos Kostarelos. Now, it has been passed on to the third generation, the equally capable brothers Kyriakos and Nikos, who continue their family's legacy.

Keeping the values that were passed on to them, no other than the loyalty to the traditional cheesemaking along with the most modern techniques, they produce a large variety of products that have drawn the attention of those who are serious about cheese.

Some of their creations are the famous feta cheese, the goat cheese, graviera, the desired creamy tsalafouti, ladotiri, and of course their yogurts.

The served dishes include a great variety of sandwiches, salads and a unique plateau of cheese and sausages of strictly Greek origins. There are also excellent sweet proposals based mainly on the dairy products of the creamery.

In the store of course one can find the complete range of their dairy products, like Kostarelos award-winning feta cheese, the famous yoghurts and creams – all made with Greek fresh milk.

To read this article in full, please visit: Living Postcards
Tuesday, 23 May 2017 23:04

May 9 - News, Events & Destinations

Crete was chosen as 3rd most important place in the world by TIME Magazine, 12 Romantic Destinations for perfect getaways and a series of short videos that reveal the true beauty of Greece!

 Please click HERE to view this issue of our newsletter!

Remember to stay connected with us through our weekly newsletterFacebook, and Twitter!

'The Favourite', a film directed by Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, led the nominations for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards last week, with 12 nods for the costume drama that has already won its leading actress Olivia Colman critical acclaim and several prizes.
 
The comedy sees Colman play Britain’s 18th-century Queen Anne as a frail and insecure royal, easily influenced by her close friend Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, portrayed by Oscar winner Rachel Weisz. When maid Abigail arrives, the relationship is tested as both women fight for the queen’s affection.
 
'The Favourite' will compete for Best Film, Outstanding British Film, Original Screenplay - and in the Director category for Yorgos Lanthimos - at the BAFTA awards next month.

Article Source: Reuters
Tuesday, 24 December 2019 11:32

The Festive Wish Lanterns Of Volos

If you happen to be in Volos during Christmas time, you might get the opportunity to witness a beautiful long-standing tradition. On the night of December 26th, people gather along the seaside promenade and propel thousands of wish lanterns into the sky!

The lanterns represent Christmas wishes, and people hope that when they reach the sky, they will be fulfilled.


















We hope all your wishes come true!
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About MASARESI

Masaresi.com was founded by Maya Cornelissens-Andreadi, who shares her experience about how “to integrate in Greece and feel like a local”. Masaresi = μας αρέσει = we like it! Discover the “real Greece," while delving into all the aspects of Greek life – from modern lifestyle and culture to history, literature, traditions, and many more.

Explore Greece - Read About Greece - Buy Greek - Learn Greek


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Read Masaresi.com's first article, here
Visit Masaresi.com, here

 

 



 
Gordon Ramsay, Gino D’Acampo and Fred Sirieix Go Greek!

Their RV hits the beautiful Greek islands and historical city of Athens, for a big fat Greek adventure, together again behind the wheel on an epic odyssey like no other.

The guys begin their adventure in Crete, Greece’s largest island, before navigating their way to stunning Santorini, making their way to the party island of Mykonos and finishing their trip in the Greek capital Athens and the monasteries of Meteora. 

One of the series' highlights is when Yiayia Catrina from Santorini, renowned for her legendary Moussaka tastes Gordon’s Salsa Verde and criticizes how much salt Gordon has added.

Gino says: “Today there is one thing that we all learned, even god can make mistakes. If he can make mistakes like that - we all have a chance in life!”



Originally posted on itv.com
The zeibekiko dance and the popular musical instruments bouzouki, tzouras, and baglamas have been included on Greece’s National Intangible Cultural Heritage List, the Greek Culture Ministry recently announced.

“The zeibekiko dance, the bouzouki, and similar musical instruments identify with Greece and its folk tradition. They played a leading role in Greek folk music during the 20th century,” Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said.

According to Mendoni, the bouzouki, tzouras, and baglamas are the most renowned Greek musical instruments abroad.

The zeibekiko dance

The zeibekiko was developed in large urban centers of Greece, mainly port cities including Piraeus, Patra, Syros, Thessaloniki, Volos, Chania, and Kavala among others, and the eastern Aegean islands.

The bouzouki instrument

The bouzouki was brought to Greece in the early 1900s by Greek refugees from Anatolia and quickly became the central instrument to the rebetiko genre and its music branches. It is now an important element of modern laïko pop Greek music.

The tzouras and baglamas instruments

Also added to Greece’s National Intangible Cultural Heritage List are the tzouras and baglamas. The two musical instruments are both connected to Greece’s folk tradition and associated with the zeibekiko dance.

The tzouras is related to the bouzouki. It is made in six-string and eight-string varieties.

The baglamas is a smaller version of the bouzouki pitched an octave higher, with unison pairs on the four highest strings and an octave pair on the lower D. Musically, the baglamas is most often found supporting the bouzouki in the Piraeus city style of rebetiko.

To read this article in full, please visit: news.gtp.gr
In the cradle of civilization, where mythology intertwines with history, the flame of the Olympic Games first flickered to life. Rooted in the ancient traditions of Greece, the Olympic torch relay stands as a modern-day homage to the sacred bond between humanity and the divine.

The origins of the Olympic flame date back to ancient Olympia, where the Games were first held in 776 B.C. to honor Zeus, king of the gods. According to legend, a flame burned perpetually on an ancient shrine, erected by the ancient Greeks to honor Hera and nestled within the cypress-shaded sanctuary of Olympia, symbolizing the eternal spirit of the Games and the enduring pursuit of excellence.

Before the start of each Olympiad, a procession of priestesses, clad in flowing white robes adorned with laurel wreaths, would ignite a torch using the rays of the sun, carrying the sacred flame to the host city of the Games. Legend has it that they used a skaphia, a crucible positioned to capture the sun's rays. As sunlight converged within the vessel, it set ablaze on the dry grass, birthing the eternal symbol of the Olympic spirit.

The tradition of the Olympic flame was rekindled in the modern era during the 1928 Amsterdam Games, where it burned fervently at the entrance to the Olympic Stadium, captivating the public's imagination. Conceived by Dr. Carl Diem of Germany, the modern Torch Relay drew inspiration from ancient Greek depictions and the writings of Plutarch. Dr. Diem's vision materialized in the form of the first relay, stretching from Olympia to Berlin as part of the grand Opening Ceremony of the 1936 Olympic Games. On July 20, 1936, a Greek torchbearer named Konstantin Kondylis embarked on a historic journey, igniting a tradition that would become an integral facet of every subsequent Olympic Games.

Since its revival, the Olympic torch relay has paid homage to its Greek roots, tracing a path from Olympia to the host city of the Games, passing through historic landmarks and ancient ruins along the way. The torchbearers, adorned in ceremonial attire reminiscent of ancient Greek athletes, don traditional tunics and sandals, their heads crowned with wreaths of olive leaves, symbolizing victory and peace.

Memorable moments from past torch relays harken back to the glory of ancient Greece, evoking the spirit of Olympians who once competed in the shadow of Mount Olympus. From the sun-drenched shores of the Aegean Sea to the rugged peaks of the Peloponnese, the torch has journeyed across the land of its birth, echoing the footsteps of ancient athletes who once vied for glory in the stadium of Olympia.

As the flame passes from hand to hand, it carries with it the hopes and aspirations of generations past and present, uniting people in a shared celebration of human achievement. In its flickering light, we find a timeless connection to the spirit of ancient Greece, where the pursuit of excellence was not merely a competition but a divine calling, worthy of the gods themselves.

In reviving the ancient tradition of the Olympic torch relay, we pay homage to the legacy of ancient Greece, where the flame of the Games first illuminated the hearts and minds of humanity. Today, as we gather to witness the passing of the torch, let us remember the enduring spirit of the Olympians who came before us, and the timeless ideals they embodied.

Main Image Credit: @xws.studio
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