Active Media Group: Undertakes the Sports Presentation of the Mediterranean Beach Games in Patras

Another success is added to the events of Active Media Group. Specifically, the prestigious International Travel & Tourism Awards 2019 presented by the World Travel Market that evaluates and recognizes the best in global travel & tourism industry, included this year Active Media with the top sports event of “Navarino Challenge” in its shortlist for the Best in Wellness category. The final results will be announced on Tuesday, November 5, 2019, at the awards ceremony in London.

This is the first time a Greek sports tourism event is nominated in WTM together with projects from the whole world. Navarino Challenge is co-organized by Costa Navarino, The Westin Resort Costa Navarino and Active Media Group with the support of the Municipalities of Pylos-Nestor and Trifilia.

Register for Navarino Challenge today!

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XpatAthens is proud to be a Media Sponsor Of Navarino Challenge 2019

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Following its successful debut last year, Taste of Athens returns to the city ready to praise once again the Athenian fine dining scene!

As part of the international platform of Taste Festivals- held in more than twenty cities around the world - and having by its side Diners Club International and Fine Drinking by World Class, Taste of Athens promises its visitors a unique gastronomy journey!

From September 19th to 22nd, Taste of Athens creates a festive atmosphere at Zappeion Megaron and brings together fourteen of Athens’ top restaurants, great F&B brands, and Michelin star chefs. In a pop-up version, the restaurants will serve a special tasting menu including some of their signature dishes at special prices (3, 6, 9 and 12 euros).

World-Class Chefs from Greece and abroad will be performing at the Festival, sharing recipes, masterclasses and inspiring speeches that will inspire the audience. Within an interactive environment and a delightful ambiance, visitors will discover the secrets of wine tasting, explore new gastronomic trends as well as sophisticated F&B products crafted by leading suppliers and premium Greek producers.

Join Taste of Athens and its numerous immersive, educational and entertaining experiences!

The participating restaurants:

SPONDI | Angelos Lantos
HYTRA | Tasos Mantis
VAROULKO SEASIDE | Lefteris Lazarou, Giannis Parikos
BALTHAZAR | Christoforos Peskias
FUGA | Dimitris Katrivesis
VEZENE | Ari Vezene
BIRDMAN | Ari Vezene
COOKOOVAYA | Spyros Liakos, Vangelis Liakos, Pericles Koskinas, Manos Zournatzis
PSOMI & ALATI | Yannis Lucacos
ΦΒΚ | Dimos Balopoulos
MR PUG ATHENS | Giorgos Venieris
ERGON | Lefteris Athanasopoulos, Panagiotis Xanthis
SENSE RESTAURANT | Alexandros Charalampopoulos
ARTISANAL | Dimitris Dimitriadis

Taste of Athens Info:

▪ Taste of Athens will be held from 19 to 22 September 2019, at the Zappeion Megaron.
▪ Every day of the festival will feature two separate four-hour sessions: 12:00 - 16:00 and 18:30 - 22:30.
▪ You can find the full program of daily events and details on the participants HERE!.
▪ The ticket prices for each four-hour session are:
   
o Standard: 20€ (early-bird: 18€ until 20.08)
The ticket includes one dish voucher of 3€, access to the Chefs Theatre, Entertainment Stage, Cooking Masterclasses και Exhibitors’ Village.

o VIP: 50€ (early-bird: 40€ until 20.08)
▪ Includes access to a specially designed VIP Lounge in the garden and restaurant of Aegli, the Chefs Theatre, Entertainment Stage, Cooking Masterclasses και Exhibitors’ Village as well as
▪ welcome drink & oyster treat,
▪ dish voucher of 9€ and
▪ free parking with valet service.

▪ For Diners Card International cardholders and groups, special offers are available and for children up to 6 years of age the admission is free.
▪ Tickets are available through https://athens.tastefestivals.com/en/tickets and Viva.
▪ Tickets will also be available at the ticket booth located at the entrance during the festival’s running hours.

XpatAthens is proud to be a Media Sponsor Of Taste Of Athens 2019

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A full moon illuminated the waters at Greece's Koroni castle on August 15.

The moon was celebrated with cultural events around the country, with local media reporting that museums and archaeological sites would stay open late.

On Thursday 15 August 2019, at 9 p.m., the Acropolis Museum invites visitors to its entrance courtyard on a musical journey under the August Full Moon. Exceptional artists Eirini Toumpaki, Andreas Lafis, Maria Anamaterou and Sotiris Karistinos and their orchestra will perform beloved songs by great Greek songwriters and composers.

Even though details regarding the episode have not been revealed, the duo's travel to Greece will focus on their clashing personalities.

According to the Hellenic Film Commission (HFC), "The Trip to Greece" will showcase the comedians visiting many of Greece's historical sites and monuments, including the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, the Ancient Agora of Athens, the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus and more.

To read this article in full, please visit: eKathimerini

Three Greek university students won one gold and two silver medals, at the 2019 International Mathematics Competition (IMC), that took place in Bulgaria, last week.

The 2019 competition was organized by University College London and hosted by the American University of Bulgaria.

Did you know that about 150.000 English words derive from ancient Greek? It shouldn't surprise you then, that many idioms and sayings also originate from ancient Greek.

Your Achilles Heel literally means your weak spot. According to Greek Mythology, Achilles was invincible all over his body except for his heel because when his mother dipped him in the River Styx, she held him by one of his heels. During the Trojan War, Paris shot an arrow and struck the only vulnerable spot on Achilles' body: his heel.

Between a rock and a hard place

Between a rock and a hard place, means having to choose between two evils. In Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus had to pass between two sea monsters, Scylla and Charybdis, who dwelled on opposite sides of the strait of Messina. Odysseus chose to pass by Scylla, the lesser of the two evils, thinking he would lose fewer men, than passing through Charybdis, the whirlpool.

Knock On Wood

The habit of touching/knocking on wood, to avoid bad luck, or to bring good luck, goes back to ancient Greece, where it was believed that wood nymphs called dryads lived inside trees. The ancient Greeks would touch a tree, hoping to invoke good luck or protection from the wood nymphs dwelling within.

 

To read this article in full, please visit: Greeker Than The Greeks

 

Public city spaces are our home, so we want them to be clean and tidy. The City of Athens invites locals to actively participate in keeping the city clean while helping municipal workers complete their tasks with ease.

Clean Your Neighborhood

Properly Dispose Of Electrical Appliances

Don't dump your old refrigerator, washer, cooker, or any other electrical appliance on the street. The City of Athens collects old appliances for special recycling. All you need to do is book a time slot through 1595, the municipality's 24 hour phone line.

Tie Up Garbage Bags

Please tie up garbage bags before putting them into the dumpster; this way, the sidewalks, and streets won't get dirty during garbage collection. Note: When placing recyclables into the blue recycling dumpsters bags don't need to be tied up.

Organize your Recyclables

Please organize your recycling at home. Putting your recyclable materials in different bags makes the process at the collection and sorting recycling plants a whole lot easier.

Don't Move The Dustbins

Please don't move the dustbins; this makes the cleaning, and  garbage collection process much easier and more effective.

Athens, July 25, 2019 – “Navarino Challenge” follows, as every year, the ideals of the Olympic Movement, which is to educate youth through sports, without discrimination and in keeping with the Olympic spirit of fair play. Messinia has started spreading the message “Sports unite people” around the world with the participation of Olympic athletes and hall of famers such as Nick Galis, Olympic silver swimming champion, Spyros Gianniotis as well as participants of all ages and sporting abilities. “Navarino Challenge” will be held for the 7 th consecutive year, from 11-13 October 2019, in Messinia and Costa Navarino.

Open Water Swimming In Pylos
On Saturday October 12, amateur and professional athletes can swim alongside silver Olympic medalist and world champion in open water swimming, Spyros Gianniotis, at the picturesque harbor of Pylos, at the site of the critical naval battle that led to Greece’s independence. The open water swimming race by Vikos, approved by the Hellenic Swimming Federation, covers a unique 1-mile (1.6 km) route charted by Nikos Gemelos, the Greek National coach who has given us countless Olympic and world-class honors in open water swimming. Check HERE to enjoy beautiful snapshots from last year’s competition:

Coastal rowing for the first time at “Navarino Challenge”
On Saturday October 12, a coastal rowing relay race and demonstration will be held for the first time at the historic Navarino bay under the auspices of the Hellenic Rowing Federation in the presence of Greek and twice Olympic medalist in lightweight double sculls competition, Vassilis Polymeros (federation’s curator of national teams), who will be honored at this year's event.

Activities for parents and children at The Dunes Beach
The Dunes Beach offers peace and tranquility as well as sporting opportunities for participants at the Navarino Challenge. Following the enthusiastic participation of children at the beachathlon activities last year, this year parents get to join in the fun too! Under the expert supervision of 400m. obstacle Olympic and World Champion, Periklis Iakovakis, will guide 6-13 year olds and their parents through a series of track and field competitions.

Beach volleyball returns this year with the former Greek national volleyball player who holds the record of appearances in the Greek National Team, Michalis Triantafyllidis. During the weekend, beach volley lessons by Samsung, as well as the Samsung King & Queen Beach Volley Tournament by Triantafyllidis Beach Arena, will be held with Michalis Triantafyllidis. To wrap up, the advantages of exercise and well-being will benefit children and grown-ups who will be choosing beach yoga by Messinian Spa from FitnessArt of Dimitris Moros, with instructor Katiana Priovolou. 2 Enjoy some unique moments from the activities to be held at The Dunes Beach in the following video HERE! 

Accommodation Packages at The Westin Resort Costa Navarino Navarino Challenge participants who have booked their package at The Westin Resort Costa Navarino, taking part in the main events (running, swimming) will be able to also enjoy the full programme that includes more than 30 sporting activities. The program includes: boccia with the gold Paralympic medalist Grigoris Polychronidis, pilates lessons with Mandy Persaki, high intensity training for people of all ages by Dimitris Moros & FitnessArt, indoor cycling (team teaching) for people of all ages by the trainer Tess Arlauckas and Dimitris Moros, powered by FitnessArt, baby swimming lessons for kids up to 3 years old by Swim Academy & Red Swim Academy, aqua aerobic lessons by Swim Academy & Red Swim Academy, climbing lessons by the Navarino Outdoors team, bike ride in Voidokilia supported by Navarino Outdoors, as well as golf clinics supported by Navarino Golf Academy. Free participation in the Authentic Marathon of Athens for the first 50 The first 50 to book their package at The Westin Resort Costa Navarino stand a chance to win a free participation at the Authentic Athens Marathon 5km race on Sunday November 10, 2019. More information on accommodation packages can be found HERE!

Registrations continue for running and swimming Entries for the award-winning sporting event are underway and interested parties can take part by completing the special form available HERE!

Pre-sale is also available online via www.viva.gr or by phone at 11876 as well as at all Viva pre-sale points.

For more information on accommodation packages in the region visit VitaNTravel
Samsung is the official technology partner for another year.
Official sponsors of the event are Ford Motor Hellas and the Natural Mineral Water “Vikos”.
Luanvi is the official sports supplier of the event for one more year. Official supporters are Poseidonia, Municipality of Pylos-Nestor and PlantBox.
Messinian Spa is the Official Beauty Partner for the first time.
Partners of the event are Pylos Poems, Fysiotek Sports Lab, Karalis Beach Hotel, Athens Easy Transfers. Avance Rent A Car is the official rental partner.
National Geographic is the strategic partner of the event and 24MEDIA its premium media partner.
“Navarino Challenge” has joined the Greek actions of the #BeactiveHellas 2019 programme of the European Commission and is under the auspices of the General Secretariat of Sports. The event is held under the auspices of the Greek National Tourism Organization with the approval of the Hellenic Swimming Federation. Navarino Challenge is co-organized by Costa Navarino , The Westin Resort Costa Navarino and Active Media Group with the support of the Municipalities of Pylos- Nestor and Trifilia.
Athletic Partners: Explore Messinia, F45 The Pearl, FitnessArt, Navarino Golf Academy, Navarino Outdoors, Navarino Racquet Academy, Pilates by Mandy, Red Swim Academy, Swim Academy, Triantafyllidis Beach Arena, Vizantinos target sport club 3 CSR Partners: Captain Vasilis and Carmen Konstantakopoulos Foundation, WWF Greece, Karkinaki, Institute of Preventive Medicine Environmental and Occupational Health Prolepsis
Assisted by: VitaNTravel, Karalis City Hotel & Spa, Lifeguard Patrol, Pylos Association of Enterprises for Tourism Development, Maritime Athletic Pylos Association “Nestor”, Target Security, Pilia Express, METAXA, The Blue Beetle, Fever-Tree, NoS, Southern Comfort Discount Partners: Anazoe Spa, Attica Selections, Kessaris, Panellinios Agora Boutique, Tsamis Eyewear Boutique Hashtags: #navarinochallenge #costanavarino #sportsunitepeople #eatwell #runwell #livewell
Photo credit: Spyros Gianinotis