Travel blogger and author Rebecca Hall, tells us about her recent 'hidden Greece' adventures - some of the beautiful places that not many travellers know to venture to. 

 

Parnassos is a limestone mountain in central Greece and the ancient Oracle and town of Delphi can be found at its base. Not many tourists who travel to Greece will equate the country with skiing, but that’s exactly what you can do on Parnassos because at 2,457m high, it offers good ski facilities in the winter.

Most people stay in the mountain town of Arachova. Think of it as an apres ski town; alive in the winter with ‘beautiful people’ - yet in the spring offering lovely wooden chalets, private accommodations with views to the distant Peloponnese region.

About a 20 minute drive from Arachova and Delphi; up, up, up into the pine woodland and suddenly the cave is there. The area offers sweeping views out as far as the seaside village of Galaxidi (yes, it’s possible to be skiing or in the mountains one minute, then soaking up the sun by the sea within half an hour in this area of Greece).

Caves, traditional villages, mountain countryside, an off-the-map UNESCO monastery, if you’re looking for a completely different side of this every magical, changing country, you can’t go wrong in booking a Hidden Tour of Greece.

Local Villages
My private, tailor-made tour also included visits to small villages where I encountered local people weaving using the traditional methods, wine tasting from the various vineyards in the area - and a visit to the Bread Museum of the town of Amphiklia (who knew bread could be so interesting? I certainly didn’t).

I would discover that ‘luxury’ did not have to mean a five-star resort on a beach - it’s about the richness of the experiences had...how deep one goes into a culture. That, for me, is luxury.

Originally posted on Huff Post Travel. To read more from Rebecca, please visit: Life Beyond Borders

Fresh Hotel is the first Athens hotel to receive a special sticker indicating that it welcomes bicycle lovers and certifying that it has the facilities to accommodate their needs.

Fresh Hotel meets all six of the basic requirements including nine additional standards such as offering bicycle rentals options, working together with agents offering bike tours, providing bike racks, offering organic breakfast choices and rejuvenation and wellness options.

‘We welcome Fresh Hotel to the Bike Friendly Hotels family with great pleasure. It is the first hotel in Athens to receive certification, which is very hopeful for Athens’ tourism,' said Vicky Karantzavelou, PR manager NATTOUR.

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

The 5^th Petit Paris d' Athènes once again is going to host musical performances, art and photo galleries, street art, theater, street performances, colloquiums, “tables rondes” and “rendez vous sociaux”, educational activities, petanque and chess. This year, the festival is co-organized by the Athens ArtNetwork, the City of Athens Organization of Culture, Sports and Youth and the Region of Attica, under the auspices and support of the Ministry of Culture and Sports as well as with the support of the French embassy, the French Institute of Greece and the Hellenic Railways Organisation.

This year’s central axis is «Women in Europe» («La femme en Europe»).

One of the most troubling issues of our time is the role of women in Europe’s present and future society. The turbulent climate nurtured by the economic and social crisis is threatening to derail a previously well-established course in which women have been taking agency in all aspects of public life. Once again, the duty befalls on art to light the way being the mean for freedom of thought and speech through the ages. Any woman born in, or arriving at Europe has the right to create and express herself, perhaps more in here than anywhere else. We invite men and women alike to «defend» that right by producing art centered around our year’s theme.

The festival will take place from the 5^th to the 15^th of October 2017, in the area included inside Omonoia Square, Vathis Square, Karaiskaki Square, Larissa station and Peloponissos station. Most roads in this region have French names due to a long history of foreign traditions merging with Greek ones through visiting travelers and immigrants. Since its conception it was meant to fill one of the most badly treated regions of Athens with culture and art, by which process it quickly became a widely celebrated multi-festival. Over 500 artists from all over the world participate in 40 carefully selected spots (theaters, consevatoires, schools,galleries,bistro,hotels,parks,squares,buildings of historical import).

The first Petit Paris in 2013 was dedicated to Albert Camus and the 100^th anniversary of his birth. In 2014, it was dedicated to the Belle époque and the start of World War I. In 2015 the theme was “The culture of Café and Bistros” («Bistrot et Café Culture») with a special tribute to rive gauche. Last year our theme was «Team Spirit and Arts» («L' esprit d' Équipe et les Arts»). For the year 2017 the theme for Petit Paris d' Athènes  is going to be “Women in Europe”.

In a bustling city like Athens, it’s easy to find street food of all different kinds. But what are the places that offer the best food? Why Athens tells us where to find a great sandwich, the best souvlaki, delicious pies, and for our sweet tooth, loukoumades.

The pies at Pie Works go beyond the traditional spanakopita or spinach pie, with delectable meals wrapped in a light, crispy pastry. The breakfast pies will truly brighten up your morning. Eat in or take away.

Address: 16 Amerikis

Telephone: 211 1847595

 

For the best souvlaki in central Athens, look no further than Kostas. Upholding a 65-year-old tradition, the delicate flavours are a combination of fresh ingredients and quality meats on oil free pita bread. You’ll need to get in early. The daily line ups usually sees Kosta all sold out by 3pm.

Address: 5 Pentelis

Telephone: 210 3228502

There’s nothing more satisfying than loukoumades which are Greek style doughnuts. The modern day version is found in the middle of the very hip Agias Irinis Square. You can go traditional with honey, cinnamon and sesame seeds sprinkled on top or go all out with chocolate filled centres with a side of ice-cream.

Address: 21 Eolou St. Agias Ironis Sq.

Telephone: 210 3210880

 

Serving hot, delectable pies in Athens since 1910, Ariston is as much an institution as an Athenian bakery. On the edge of Syntagma square you will find morning line ups for the famous “kourou” pies, the crescent-shaped pastries filled with feta cheese. You’ll also find a myriad of other sweet and savoury varieties. Closed on Sundays.

 

 

 

To read this article in full, please visit: Why Athens

 

Image Credit: Pie Works

Giannis Antetokounmpo, the 23year- old NBA superstar who plays for the Milwaukee Bucks, recently shared his inspiring and compelling story on "60 Minutes."

One of the highlights of the segment was his story about his family growing up in poverty in Greece, and wanting to help his parents out, Giannis and his brother would sell items including glasses and watches, on the streets. According to Giannis, "he was the best salesman." 

Giannis was playing basketball in a gym in Greece when a grainy video of him playing went viral. After that, NBA scouts from everywhere began to check him out. Eventually, at 18 years old, he was drafted by the Bucks. Now know as the 'Greek Freak,' Giannis is one of the NBA's brightest stars.

This "60 Minutes" feature is a remarkable look into Antetokounmpo's story. Even for those who don't know him, they will be able to gain an appreciation for the player now known as the "Greek Freak."

To watch the full video, please visit: CBS News

"This kind of certainty comes but just once in a lifetime," Clint Eastwood says to Meryl Streep, in a distinctive scene in the remarkable romantic film. And we are certain of your love for the 8th Athens Open Air Film Festival, which began its trip around town, opening its gates on the evening of Monday the 4th of June, with the screening of Clint Eastwood’s beloved film "The Bridges of Madison County" at the Byzantine and Christian Museum.

In a festive but also especially emotional screening the popular Festival marked the beginning of the cinematic summer in the idyllic courtyard of the Byzantine and Christian Museum. The audience did an early start, and until the film began, the Museum’s forecourt was plenty with more than 600 viewers who sat even on the floor, but many also stayed for the screening standing up!

The Athens Open Air Film Festival’s Artistic Director, Loukas Katsikas, welcomed both audience and collaborators by mentioning that The Athens Open Air Film Festival started eight years ago, with a bold idea. It dreamed of our town as a magical open-air cinema and moved on to realize this dream, by transforming some of the most beautiful and most unexpected locations of Athens – neighborhoods, streets, parks, archaeological sites, hills and beaches – into improvised open-air cinemas, enriching the experience of watching films while simultaneously seeing our city in a different way.

Next, Loukas spoke about the opening film, which was also the opening film of the first "Opening Nights" Festival in 1995. He also extensively referred to this year’s program and the special screening at the Little Theater of Ancient Epidaurus with the promise that the Festival will continue in special places in and outside of Athens, in an effort to renew itself and constantly break ground.

Concluding his speech, he warmly thanked for their steady and longtime support:

The Minister of Culture, Ms. Lydia Koniordou, the City of Athens Cultural, Sport and Youth Organization and its President, Mr. Konstantinos Bitzanis, the U.S. Embassy in Athens and particularly Ms. Eleni Alexaki, the chief of the Exhibits Communication and Education department of the Byzantine and Christian Museum, Mr. Periandros Epitropakis as well as the space keeping staff, the collaborators from the Athenian Brewery.

The screening was attended – among others – by the former Minister, Ms. Louka Katseli, the director Yiorgos Zois, the radio producer Mary Retsina, the Thessaloniki International Film Festival’s Director, Orestis Andreadakis, the actor Nicholas Aggelis and the Hellenic Film Commission’s Director, Ms. Venia Vergou.

After the screening, the viewers enjoyed cold Fischer beer in the wonderful garden of the Museum’s restaurant, Ilissia.

Fischer, the most beloved beer won't be missing from the biggest summer film celebration in Athens, which returns for its 8th year. Fischer is the official sponsor of the 8th Athens Open Air Film Festival.

The 8th Athens Open Air Film Festival is carried out in collaboration with the City of Athens Cultural, Sport and Youth Organization including screenings, throughout the whole summer, in the city's special corners, archaeological sites, parks, squares and some of the most beautiful museums and spots in Athens, with free entrance to the public.

For more information about the 8th Athens Open Air Film Festival, please visit: AOAFF

The flame for the Tokyo Summer Olympics will pass by some of the most historic landmarks in Greece over eight days before being handed over to Japan.

 

According to the Greek Olympic Committee, the Olympic flame will pass by World Heritage sites and significant landmarks, such as the Acropolis of Athens and Thessaloniki.

 

The official lighting of the flame ceremony will take place on March 12 at the site of Ancient Olympia in the Peloponnese. About 600 torchbearers will participate in the Olympic torch relay before it is handed over to Tokyo organizing committee officials on March 19 at a ceremony at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, the location of the first modern Olympics in 1896.

 

The Japanese leg of the relay will start on March 26 from the northeastern Tohoku region and go past all 47 Japanese prefectures before making its entrance at the opening ceremony at Tokyo’s National Stadium on July 24.


To read this article in full, please visit: GreekCityTimes.com

Photo: Olympic.org

My parents have a house in a village, not far from Athens, where we often go on the weekends. It’s a typical Greek village up on a hill with a nice sea view and, very common in Greece, lots of stray cats.

Our daughter, who loves to play with the cats that gather in the yard, has been asking to adopt a cat for quite some time now. After some serious thinking, my husband and I decided to get a kitten as a gift for our daughter’s birthday. We all agreed to get a stray and we started our search from the yard of the house in the village.

There is a little black and white kitten among the cats that visit our yard. The minute she “smells” we arrive she’s there. It’s obvious she wants food. And even though she doesn’t feel too at ease with humans she accepts some petting. When my daughter takes her in her arms you can hear her purring.

So we’ve decided to take her home with us. We bought her food, cat litter, toys, and a cat carrier to bring her home. But first, we needed to take her to the vet. And although she’d spent the whole afternoon in our yard, the next morning when we were supposed to get her to the vet she was nowhere to be found. It’s as if she had just disappeared. Literally disappeared. We did search for her but our efforts were to no avail. Of course, my daughter was disappointed and sad as she had already imagined this sweet kitten as her roommate and expressed her emotions by crying.

We talked about it. It’s possible the cat decided she didn’t want to leave the countryside. This was her home after all. This is where she could wander around and be free. We explained to my daughter that this didn’t mean the cat didn’t like or even love her. It only meant she decided to live where she was.

This may sound egoistic to some but in doing so the cat took care of her own needs first. Cause that’s how she’s happy. Cats love their well-being. It’s of utmost importance to them. They know what they want, what they like, and what they don’t. They know who they want to be with and who they want to avoid. They know when and how to say “no.” And we, humans, cannot but respect their wishes.

Isn’t that what we all need to do for ourselves? Take care of our needs first? Because when we take care of ourselves we give and share easier. We take care of others easier.

This Holiday season offer yourself a special gift. Take this beautiful cat lesson and apply it to your everyday life. Don’t wait for others to do this for you. Like cats, take yourself by the hand and think about how you can take care of yourself first. What is it that you like and what not? How do you want your life to be and what kind of people do you want around you? Remember the sweet black and white kitten who comes to be petted by my daughter but then she wants her peace and quiet.

Originally published on: itsmylife.gr

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