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Wednesday, 20 March 2024 16:30

Greece's Top Spirits: 7 Among Europe's Best

Greece, a land steeped in history and tradition, boasts a vibrant array of locally crafted spirits, each bearing the distinct essence of its origins. Drawing from an abundant palette of fruits, nuts, aromatic herbs, and seeds, Greek distillers have honed their skills to create an eclectic range of libations that embody the spirit of the land.

In a celebration of Greece's distilling prowess, Taste Atlas recently unveiled the top 100 spirits in Europe, showcasing seven distinguished Greek elixirs that have earned their place among the best. Here's a glimpse into each:
  1. Tsikoudia (12th place): Known as the Cretan "raki," Tsikoudia is a potent grape pomace brandy, revered for its robust flavor and smooth finish.

  2. Masticha Chios (16th place): Hailing from the island of Chios, Masticha is a unique liqueur infused with the resinous sap of the mastic tree, delivering a distinctively herbal and aromatic profile.

  3. Tsipouro (24th place): Tsipouro, a traditional Greek pomace brandy, is cherished for its clarity and versatility, often enjoyed as an aperitif or mixed into cocktails.

  4. Rakomelo (26th place): A delightful fusion of tsipouro, honey, and aromatic spices, Rakomelo offers a warm and comforting embrace, perfect for chilly evenings or festive gatherings.

  5. Metaxa (54th place): An iconic Greek spirit, Metaxa is a blend of brandy and wine, aged in oak barrels to achieve its signature smoothness and complexity.

  6. Ouzo (78th place): Perhaps Greece's most famous spirit, Ouzo is an anise-flavored liqueur, best enjoyed with a splash of water to unveil its full depth of flavor and louche.

  7. Souma (96th place): Originating from the islands of the Aegean, Souma is a traditional grape spirit, prized for its purity and clarity, offering a refreshing taste of Greek island life.

In a world brimming with spirits, these seven Greek treasures stand as ambassadors of the country's rich cultural heritage and enduring commitment to craftsmanship, inviting enthusiasts to savor the essence of Greece with every sip.
Wednesday, 13 November 2024 15:13

Greek-Irish Society

The Greek-Irish Society is about connecting people, sharing our culture, having a laugh. Its open to everyone - Greek, Irish or any other Nationality! So join us and join in the FUN!

The Greek-Irish Society was founded in 1977 with the aim of developing social and cultural relations between the people of Ireland and Greece. It also serves as a focal point for Irish people living and working in Greece, as well as for people of all nationalities living in Greece who are interested in finding out more about Ireland and its people.

A series of events is held from September to June, including table quizzes, walks, lectures, taverna nights, a family Christmas lunch, a New Year’s pita cutting, an annual tour. The highlight of the society’s year is the annual St Patrick’s Day Ball, held on or around March 17.

The society publishes a monthly newsletter which contains not only information on the society’s activities but also details of events taking place in Athens and Greece of interest to our members.  The society is a non-profit making, non-sectarian, and non-political body. Anyone with an interest in Ireland is welcome to join. Membership runs from January to December and costs €20 for an individual and €25 for a family. The society currently has about 150 members.  For more information please visit our website.


Find the Greek - Irish Society on Social Media: 

Facebook

Instagram

Wednesday, 18 February 2015 12:27

The Wildlife Of Greece

Think of Greece and many of us conjure up images in our minds of blue skies & seas, a sun kissed land of ancient history and modern holiday making. But there is another, perhaps largely undiscovered and appreciated side to the country, its wildlife. Greece is blessed with a marvellous and diverse landscape of forest, mountains, gorges, lakes, rivers and coastal lagoons.

A surprising amount of Greece is mountainous with over one-third of the Country lying over 500m above sea level. For a relatively small country of around 132,000 square kilometres surface area Greece is endowed with an incredible richness of natural treasures. Here are some of the highlights:

Birds
There are 425 bird species recorded in Greece, 243 of those species breed in the country. That is a huge number for such a small place, making Greece very important for European bird life and a great place to visit for bird watching. Several species that breed in Greece are globally threatened, including Dalmatian pelican, Lesser kestrel, Pygmy cormorant, Black vulture and Cinereous bunting. Greece also holds the largest breeding population of Dalmatian pelican outside of the Former Soviet Union and two thirds of the world’s population of Eleanora’s Falcon breed in Greece.

Plants

Greece is home to around 6,000 different plant species and over 700 of those are endemic, meaning they occur nowhere else in the world. That equates to about 15% endemism – the highest in the whole of Europe! This diversity of plant life means that when you go for a walk in the countryside of Greece there is almost always something new to see! The mountainous topography of Greece has provided isolation for plants to evolve separately and sanctuary for all kinds of wildlife, helping to preserve this bounty of biodiversity from the pressures of human intervention.

By Matt Berry

www.greenwings.co

Thursday, 19 February 2015 13:25

Troika Plans To Come To Greece In March

Finance Minister Gikas Hardouvelis said on Tuesday that a “mini” extension of the Greek bailout program appears likely due to the time needed for the creation of a new government following the national elections on January 25. It could take until February 28 before the political situation in Greece stabilizes.

The elections mean that it is unlikely that the Troika of Greece’s international creditors from the European Commission (EC), European Central Bank (ECB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) would visit Greece until March.

Sources of Protothema.gr state that Greece’s creditors are being pressured to complete the Greek review due to Finnish elections on April 19. The Finnish government held a hard line against the first support program calling for Greece to provide collateral as had been the case with Finland when it had been forced to undergo a similar program. After all, Finnish Olli Rehn had been the European Economic and Monetary Affairs commissioner who had handled the debt crisis in Greece.

Greece’s lenders are reluctant to open a new front with Athens and troika so as not to disrupt the Finnish pre-election period when it is in its crescendo.

To read more, please visit en.protothema.gr

Tuesday, 21 April 2015 17:21

5 + 1 Things To Do On Paxos Island

The myth says that Poseidon wanted to create a love nest for him and Amfitriti, so with his trident he hit the southern part of Corfu and created the small islands of Paxos and Antipaxos. The island of Paxos is located in the Ionian sea very close to Corfu. The only way to get there is by boat from Corfu or as a day excursion from Parga (Greek mainland).
 
Here are 5 things you can do on the beautiful island of Paxos.

1) Visit Gaios
The village of Gaios is the capital of Paxos and the central port of the island. As you enter Gaios by boat, you will see two green islands. The island of Panagia and the island of St Nicholas. On the island of St Nicholas you will find a venetian fortress built using designs of Leonardo da Vinci.  If you would like to visit the fortress you must take permission from the municipality.Other interesting things you could do in Gaios are stroll through the narrow roads called (kantounia) , visit the museum of Paxos and the municipal gallery.

2) Visit Loggos
The small fisherman’s village of Loggos, is a traditional Eptanisian village with stone houses and colored windows. It used to be a commercial center in the past. At one side of the port you can see the abandoned factory that used to make soap. Nowadays the picturesque village of Loggos is famous for its great restaurants.

3) Visit Lakka
Lakka is another traditional village on the north side of Paxos island. It has a more cosmopolitan air since you will see a lot of yachts. There is also a yachting club in the area. Other interesting things  are the lighthouse and the church of Ypapanti. They are both within walking distance from the village.


To read more, please visit: Travel Passionate.
by Chrysoula Manika
Friday, 25 September 2015 16:41

Supermoon Lunar Eclipse Visible From Athens

Just before sunrise on September 28, 2015 the rare and spectacular natural phenomenon of a total lunar eclipse will be visible from Athens. According to the Eugenides Foundation, the phenomenon will be completed in the following phases:

1)    Partial phase of the eclipse begins at 4:07 am on Monday 28/9, when the moon enters gradually into the earth’s shadow.
 
2)    Total eclipse phase, which is calculated to begin at 5:11 am, during which the entire moon will enter the earth's shadow.
 
3)    Maximum eclipse will occur at 5:47 am, while the end of the total phase at 6:23 am.
 
You will be able to observe this entire natural phenomenon from Athens! Just make sure that your location is not impeded by hills and / or tall buildings so that you are able to watch the total lunar eclipse before the moon is lost beyond the western horizon.

This double natural phenomenon has been observed 5 times since 1900 - in 1910, 1928, 1946, 1964 and 1982 - and will again be observed in 2033.

Source: AthensVoice
Translated By: XpatAthens

Tuesday, 09 February 2016 07:00

Ideas On What To Do With Children In Athens

Athens is a great place for every age and there are so many options on what to do with young children. Here our friends at Family Goes Out explore some of their favourite things to do with children in Athens.

1) Plaka and Monastiraki
A walk around the historic Plaka and Monastiraki area is not only a favorite excursion for families visiting from abroad. Winter and Summer, any time of the day, Family Goes Out always love to go there. Our favorite stop in Plaka is the Lisikrati Square. The children love playing safely on the grass around the ancient monument (built in 334 – 333 BC!) whilst we adults enjoy a drink or a meal in one of the restaurants around the square

2) The Athens Zoo - Attiko Parko
We have been visiting the Attiko Parko ever since our first child was a baby. We still try to go there at least once every couple of months, although in summer it can get very hot in the park. Our most recent visit was in January 2016 to see the latest addition of the park: the Asian Elephants.

Children under 3 years old do not pay and on the so called ‘Stroller Friday’, every mom or dad who will come with a baby stroller will pay the discounted price of 10 Euro. The zoo also offers various discounted packages for (large) families and special prices for seniors and disabled persons.

The children can get very close to the animals and the zoo is very stroller friendly.

3) The Acropolis Museum
Maybe not a monthly visit but at least a couple of times per year. One of my greatest passions is history and Archeology and my daughter seems to follow me. Sometimes we just discover a specific selection in the permanent exhibition of the museum and on other occasions do a family tour, or one of the special tours for children with a child friendly guide.

The museum organizes a variety of special events on a regular basis. In summer, we love the museum night. Check out the programme on their website. We also enjoy going to the restaurant or the book corner to relax and learn about the history.

For a full list of ideas, please visit: Family Goes Out
The Greek national open water swimming team will be in Santorini this October under the auspices of the Hellenic Swimming Federation!

Additional flights to Santorini and unique offers for the participants in the event! The best island in the world, according to many established travel magazines and reviews of millions of travelers, will become a point of reference of all the visitors from Greece and abroad this October!

‘Santorini Experience’ that focuses once more in the activities of running and swimming, is strategically promoting the island of Santorini as destination, by offering significant benefits and privileges to those wishing to travel for the event on October 7-9 2016!

Great names from our Greek national open water swimming team that made us really proud during Rio 2016 Olympic Games, will give a dynamic presence at this year's event! Among them, the recent Silver Olympic Medalist winner and World Champion in open water swimming, Spiros Gianniotis, the World Champion in open water swimming, Kelly Araouzou and top athletes of the open water swimming such as Antonis Fokaidis, Giorgos Arniakos and Dimitris Negris, will all attend ‘Santorini Experience 2016.’ The first sports tourism event that will be held under the auspices of the Hellenic Swimming Federation.

Due to overwhelming demand for ‘Santorini Experience,’ Ryanair as the official airline partner added 5 extra flights on its Athens - Santorini service on the 4th, 6th, 8th, 11th and 13th of October with special fares starting from only 19,99€ which are valid from September 1st.

These seats are available for booking on the Athens-Santorini route only from Thursday 1 of September to Sunday 4 of September (until midnight) for traveling between 4 to 13 of October. Since these amazingly low prices will be snapped up quickly, those interested in joining the event as active participants should log into www.ryanair.com and avoid missing out as this is the third flight added by Ryanair which is also expected to be fully booked soon as the previous two.

Registrations in swimming and running continue with an undiminished pace- through the official page of the event in the following link: http://activemedia.com.gr/product/santorini-experience-2/ or alternatively at Alafouzos Sport store at Fira (in Santorini), the official sponsor of the event supporting it for a second consecutive year.

For your access to the island by ferry, there is always the option of Blue Star Ferries. Participants, supporters, and the spectators of ‘Santorini Experience’ will be able to travel for one more year with the safety and comfort of Blue Star Ferries. The top Greek shipping company will offer 50% discount on ferry tickets to those wishing to visit the event and the island between 6 to 10 of October.

In addition, for the second consecutive year, athletes and organizers will move with the safety and efficient engines of the cars of Ford Motor Hellas, the official supporter of ‘Santorini Experience.’

The athletes who will take part in the event will also have the opportunity to quench their thirst with the Natural Mineral Water “Vikos” that contributes to the good functioning of the body during sports.

Once you reach the beautiful island of Cyclades, or a little bit earlier to make the right planning, rent your car from Avance Rent A Car, the official car rental company of ‘Santorini Experience,’ that will serve you with one of the fastest growing car rental networks with presence in all major airports in Greece and Cyprus. Τhe car rental company Avance Rent A Car, as an official supporter of the event, can deliver your car at the airport, the port or directly to your hotel. So do not hesitate to contact Avance Rent A Car, to receive 15% discount on your car rental, during the days of the event.

To complete the services of your travel package enter the official site of the event www.santorini-experience.com and enjoy your trip!
Unroll the incomparable beauty of Santorini at sea with Santorini Yachting Club an established yacht charter company with experienced captains!

The event will receive the additional support of Aqua Vista Hotels, Saucony, Arena and Passagio Santorini.

‘Santorini Experience’ will be held under the auspices of the Greek National Tourism Organization and the Hellenic Swimming Federation and will receive the international promotion of FOX Sports TV network of FOX Networks Group, participating in this year's event as the Official Broadcaster.

Combine sports with tourism and take advantage of your stay in one of the hospitality sponsors of the event. For more information please address your request to Aqua Vista Hotels, Santorini Hoteliers Association, Meltemi Hotels & Resorts, Athina Luxury Suites, Santorini Secret Suites & Spa, Caldera Collection, West East Suites, 270 Oia's View, White Pearl Villas, Central Fira Hotel, Memories Hotel, Loizos Stylish Residencies, Esperas and Sienna Residencies which are available in the following link: http://santorini-experience.com/event_accommodation_en.html. The page will be daily enriched with new supporters.

‘Santorini Experience’ is a collaboration between the Municipality of Santorini, the Municipal Sports Cultural Environmental Organization of Santorini (D.A.P.P.O.S.) and Active Media Group.

Official Sponsors: Alafouzos Sport, Blue Star Ferries, Santorini Boatmen Union
Official Airline Partner: Ryanair
Official Supporters: Ford Motor Hellas, “Vikos” Natural Mineral Water, Avance Rent A Car, Aqua Vista Hotels, Saucony, Arena, Village Cinemas, Santorini Yachting Club, Passagio Santorini
Official Broadcaster: FOX Sports
Hospitality Sponsors: Santorini Hoteliers Association, Meltemi Hotels & Resorts, Athina Luxury Suites, Santorini Secret Suites & Spa, Caldera Collection, West East Suites, 270 Oia's View, White Pearl Villas, Central Fira Hotel, Memories Hotel, Loizos Stylish Residencies, Esperas, Sienna Residencies
Assisted by: Diana “exoplizein”

Under the Auspices of the Greek National Tourism Organization
Under the Auspices of the Hellenic Swimming Federation

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The move started a few weeks ago and after three long years of preparations, the hundreds of thousands of books and other items in the Greek National Library‘s collections are finally making the journey to their new home at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center.

The move is expected to be completed in April 2018, when the library will gradually start to go into full operation.

The transfer to the new building entails moving 750,000 items in the general collection and 40,000 in the lending section (10,000 of which are educational games), as well as 30,000 magazines published in the last five years.

"Within its new premises, at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, the entrance to the Library leads into a large open lobby that provides an immediate visual orientation to all the organization’s functions. The NLG Public Library Section, bolstered by a significant book collection and other media, will include separate areas for adults, teenagers, and children and will offer a wide range of educational and cultural programs. The natural light available throughout the National Library will help create an open hospitable environment for individual and collaborative learning. Events and seminars will be hosted for both children and adults, and classes will incorporate natural learning opportunities originating from collaborative programs at the Stavros Niarchos Park as well."

For more information about the National Library of Greece, please visit: SNFCC

Source: Protothema
Tuesday, 17 July 2018 09:23

The Power Of The Evil Eye

It's everywhere, the evil eye. Today, we find it on jewelry, house decor, souvenirs, etc., but what is the history of this iconic cultural symbol? BBC explains...

"In essence, the curse of the evil eye is not a complicated concept; it stems from the belief that someone who achieves great success or recognition also attracts the envy of those around them. That envy in turn manifests itself as a curse that will undo their good fortune. The concept is well captured by Heliodorus of Emesa in the ancient Greek romance Aethiopica, in which he writes, 'When any one looks at what is excellent with an envious eye he fills the surrounding atmosphere with a pernicious quality, and transmits his own envenomed exhalations into whatever is nearest to him.'"

"The belief in this curse spans cultures as well as generations; to date one of the most exhaustive compilations of legends regarding the evil eye is Frederick Thomas Elworthy’s The Evil Eye: The Classic Account of an Ancient Superstition. Elworthy explores instances of the symbol in a number of cultures; from the petrifying gaze of Greek gorgons to Irish folktales of men able to bewitch horses with a single stare, virtually every culture has a legend related to the evil eye."

"Belief in the evil eye has transcended mere superstition, with a number of celebrated thinkers attesting to its veracity. One of the most notable examples was the Greek philosopher Plutarch, who in his Symposiacs suggested a scientific explanation: that the human eye had the power of releasing invisible rays of energy that were in some cases potent enough to kill children or small animals. What’s more, Plutarch claims that certain people possessed an even stronger ability to fascinate, citing groups of people to the south of the Black Sea as being uncannily proficient at bestowing the curse. More often than not, those said to be most adept at delivering the curse are blue-eyed, likely due to the fact that this is a genetic rarity in the Mediterranean area."

To read this article in full, please visit: BBC
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