XpatAthens

XpatAthens

Friday, 20 February 2015 20:52

Piatsa Kalamaki- souvlaki in a shovel?

Souvlakia on a stick continue to be the one very affordable food offered in Greece. However, recently the food has undergone a metamorphosis: souvlaki shop owners have tried to dress it up (as in the case of Piatsa Kalamaki) or stand it up (as it’s being offered in interesting stands in other restaurants) in an effort to make the food seem more exciting and competitive. Surely the price and the taste alone would accomplish that? I recently went to Piatsa Kalamaki in Vouliagmeni , and found that it won out in every way: good service, great atmosphere, excellent portions, and quality food! Piatsa Kalamaki offers simple and few choices, but you will enjoy it all. If you order a salad, we recommend the Roka and Anthotiro Cheese with a lemon-honey vinaigrette. Your meat will come served in what looks like a silver shovel, to match the silver pots and pans hanging on the wall.

You will enjoy everything on the menu, but XpatAthens recommends these dishes in particular:

From the appetizers, the grilled mastello cheese and fried zucchini sticks. From the foods, try the “manti” or the “lahmajoun”, and the fillets in moschato (a sweet wine) sauce with mushrooms and mashed potatoes. You must also order (and share) the chicken “payidakia”. From the variety of kebabs, we especially enjoy the spicy kebab adana. And of course, don’t forget an extra order of french fries! Finish off your satisfying meal with the “Loukoumades” (the closest description would be to say it resembles a little donut) accompanied by mastic ice-cream, and the “mosaiko.”

To Berdema in Kifissia
Vasilissis Amalias 20, 145 61 Kifissia
210 8013853
info@berdema.gr
Daily 7:30pm to 12:30 a.m.
Sunday 13:30pm to 5:30pm (closed on Sunday evenings)

Saturday, 21 March 2015 11:45

Top 20 Most Googled Destinations In Greece

Google released interesting date with regard to the way travelers worldwide research their trips.

During an event that was organized by Google to announce the expansion of its innovative “Grow Greek Tourism Online” program, the powerful company released interesting data with regard to the way travelers worldwide research their trips.

According to the data presented by Google, most travelers that search Greek destinations online come from UK, Germany and USA.

Moreover, the 20 most googled regions in Greece include the country’s two biggest cities, namely Athens and Thessaloniki, as well as popular islands such as Mykonos, Santorini, Paros and Crete.

See the full list below:

1. Athens

2. Thessaloniki

3. Thessaly

4. Peloponnese

5. Corfu

6. Lefkada

7. Zakynthos

8. Skiathos

9. Lesbos

10. Chios

11. Andros

12. Mykonos

13. Paros

14. Naxos

15. Patmos

16. Kos

17. Santorini

18 Rodos

19. Karpathos

20. Crete

 

To read more please visit: Protothema

Tuesday, 18 August 2015 07:00

Celebrations Under The August Full Moon

More than 140 events are expected to take place at dozens of archaeological sites, monuments and museums across Greece on Saturday, August 29 – the night of the full moon. The special events and activities include music and theater performances, puppet theater productions, guided tours, exhibitions and film screenings as well as stargazing. A number of sites and museums will offer free admission on the day and in many cases visitors will be welcomed up until 1 a.m.

Although there are no events taking place at the Acropolis in Athens (the site will be open during its regular opening hours, until 8 p.m.), the archaeological site of Sounio will welcome visitors with free admission until midnight!

There will also be an event from 8pm at the Acropolis Museum - Tango At The Acropolis

To read this article in full, please visit: eKathimerini
Tuesday, 29 December 2015 07:00

Parnassos Ski Center

The Parnassos Ski Center, Greece’s largest located in Central Greece, is up and running and ready to welcome snow and ski lovers to its slopes.

The popular ski resort officially launched for operation on Christmas Eve, with its Aeolus and Pericles trails ready for action and its Venus, Baccus, Aeolus and Dias lifts in place.

Ski and snowboard lovers will have the chance to enjoy their favorite sport as the first snowfall officially marks the beginning of the season.

To read more, please visit: Greek Travel Pages
Wednesday, 02 March 2016 07:00

Cremation Now Legal In Greece

Cremation of the dead is now legal in Greece, despite strong opposition from the Orthodox Church. The law on cremation was officially published in the Government Gazette.

The Church of Greece prohibits cremation. However, the bill that was passed in parliament mid-February provides that the choice of burial rites is every person’s right.

The law provides that any person can freely declare before a notary the type of funeral ceremony and the place of burial. With the notarized declaration of the person who wishes to be cremated, relatives and friends can grant his or her wish.

The law also says that if the wish of the deceased is not contrary to public policy, health regulations or moral traditions, the persons or services that have undertaken the burial of the deceased have to comply to the deceased’s wish.

To read more, please visit: Greek Reporter

Tuesday, 20 June 2017 07:00

'A Kilo Of String' By Rob Johnson

‘After living in Greece for thirteen years, writer and reluctant olive farmer Rob Johnson has got used to most of the things that he and his partner Penny found so bizarre at the beginning. Most, but not all.

A Kilo of String is the story-so-far of this not-particularly-plucky couple’s often bewildering experiences among the descendants of Sophocles, Plato and Nana Mouskouri with occasional digressions into total irrelevances.

This is a book which is almost guaranteed not to change your life, but what it will do is answer many of the fundamental questions about life in Greece.’

Please click HERE for more information and to purchase the book!
Athens International Airport has recently been awarded 'Best Airport in Europe' in the 15-25 million passengers a year category, which was announced at the 2017 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) awards by the Airports Council International World.

Mumbai received first place for airports in the Asia-Pacific, Toronto Pearson received first place for North America, and Rome Fiumicino received first place for Europe, all serving over 40 million passengers a year. The winning airports were congratulated on their dedication to excellent customer service. 

Athens International Airport saw a 6.5 percent increase in passenger traffic in February 2018, mainly from international arrivals. According to ACI World, in 2017 over half of the world’s 7.7 billion travelers passed through an ASQ airport. This year, sixteen airports were first time winners – with Athens Airport among them –  delivering top-quality customer service.

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

Photo Credit: Greek Travel Pages
Monday, 11 June 2018 18:53

May 29 - Inspiring Women Around Greece

What an exciting week dedicated to women! If you're having trouble with getting to know the beautiful city of Athens, you might want to take a glance at some tips from a foreign travel blogger living in the City, an exclusive Q&A with an aspiring portuguese theather performer who also made Athens her home and why not meet the two Greek women climbing some of the world's highest peaks?

Please click HERE to view this issue of our newsletter!
Remember to stay connected with us through our weekly newsletterFacebook, and Twitter!

Delos is ancient Greece's most sacred island and one of the most visited archaeological sites in the country. The legacy of Delos is inversely proportional to its size; in fact, the tiny island is barely 5km long by 1.5km wide. Apart from being the birthplace of the ancient gods Apollo and Artemis, it was also one of the greatest ancient Greek sanctuaries.

Today, remarkably preserved ancient remains such as votive offerings, sculptures, and temples stand next to relics from the period when Delos was an important commercial center, attracting thousands of visitors each year!

It is on this unspoilt island that Greek authorities have undertaken an exciting and ambitious experiment. Sir Anthony Gormley, the famous British sculptor, has placed 'inhabitants' back on Delos. He has created 29 iron 'bodyforms', that are to be the first artworks to be erected on Delos since it was populated–more than 5,000 years ago!

"If this works, our hope is it will help change how people approach ancient monuments," says Dr Demetrios Athanasoulis, who heads the department of antiquities in the Cyclades. "There is no past without the present, and we live in times where there are any number of windows through which to view the past."

Before visitors even disembark from the ferry from Mykonos, they are greeted by one of Gormley's 'bodyforms'. On a rock at the water's edge stands a mysterious, lonesome figure, gazing toward the horizon. The invitation to exhibit his work in a place where no artist has set foot for thousands of years was both "an amazing privilege and extraordinary responsibility", "It's been a huge challenge but what a place to think about the human project," he says.

For Dr Athanasoulis, only time will tell whether the experiment has worked. "It's only natural that some won't like what they see in Sight," he quips. "It will end in October, and only then will we really know how successful this has been."

 

To read this article in full, please visit: The Guardian

Image Credit: The Guardian

According to the Greek authorities, there will be traffic restrictions in Athens this Sunday, the 23rd of February. The restrictions will be set in place to ensure the safety of those participating in the 6th Lycabettus Run.
 
Starting at 9:00 A.M., certain roads in the center of Athens will be closed to drivers until the Run ends. To make sure that your Sunday plans don’t get delayed by the Run, we’ve compiled a list of the avenues being affected below.


Restrictions will apply to the entire length of the following avenues: Paligenesias, Daskalogianni, Sarantapihou, Ksanthipou, and Evelpidos Ragakou. These limits will not affect the two major intersections between the aforementioned avenues.

Koniari Avenue will be closed between its junctions with M. Merkouri Avenue and Nikotsara Avenue. This closure includes any intersections between these two points.  

The entire length of Kleomenous Avenue and its adjoining intersections will also be closed off.

Finally, traffic will be restricted on M. Merkouri Avenue, between its junctions with An. Polemou Avenue and Lahitos Avenue, as well as any other intersections between these two points.

If you don’t have any Sunday plans, though, consider making your way down to the center to support the runners!

Originally posted on Athens Voice, translated by Xpat Athens
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