XpatAthens

XpatAthens

Thursday, 19 February 2015 12:10

3 Greek Wines Among The World's Top 100

Three Greek wineries made Wine & Spirits magazine’s top 100 wineries of the year list, a collection of producers from around the world with the most exceptional track records in the magazine’s blind tastings in 2014.

Wine & Spirits magazine has released its ‘2015 Wineries of the Year’ list and it contains heartening news for the Greek wine industry. Three of the country’s wine producers have made the list, rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest names in wine the world over.

“Gaea,” “Estate Argyros” in Santorini and “Gerovassiliou” in Epanomi, Thessaloniki made the list.

“Our blind tasting panels assessed more than 14,500 new wine releases this year—a record number—making the selection of our Top 100 Wineries that much more competitive,” says Wine & Spirits editor and publisher Joshua Greene.

To read more, please visit thetoc.gr/eng

Athens, Greece, has officially been nominated to run for the title of “European Best Destination 2015″. The competition has been launched by the European Best Destinations (EBD), a European organization based in Brussels and developed to promote tourism in Europe.

 

 

 


20 European cities will compete for this trophy between January 20 and February 10: Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Berlin, Bordeaux, Brussels, Istanbul, Innsbruck, Lisbon, Ljubljana, London, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Reykjavik, Riga, Rome, Valetta, Vienna, Zagreb.

The winner will be the city with the most online votes!

One of the 20 destinations will be awarded the title of “European Best Destination 2015″. The next nine destinations with the highest number of votes will be announced through EBD’s communications, website and social networks as being one the best European destinations to visit in 2015.

Best_European_destination_2015_LOGO-EBD-JPEGThe 2015 best European Destination will be authorized to use the title and affix the “European Best Destination” logo on all its communications, adverts, website and photos; it will also have the right to authorize its own public and private partners to use the logo.

The destinations in the Top 10 can also use the logo by indicating that they have been chosen as one of the ten best destinations to visit in Europe. Their news, photos and videos will be shared by the European Best Destination organization’s website and major social networks throughout the year.

 

 

 
Thursday, 05 November 2015 07:00

Political Exile Museum In Athens

On discovering that there was a political exhile museum in Athens, Dave from Dave's Travel Pages immediately wanted to find out more.  

Political exhiles?  What was this all about? As he researched, Dave learned that there is a little known part of modern Greek history that even many Greeks do not know about. Keep reading...

Dave's ongoing project to visit all the museums in Athens has led him to some interesting places.  Some have been essential to visit, like the National Archeological Museum. Others have been educational on a much deeper level, like the Tactual Museum of Athens.  Some are shocking, such as the Political Exile Museum. Let's start with some context:

Modern Greece as we know it has existed for less than 200 years.  During this period, it has endured Balkan War, two World Wars, civil war and a dictatorship.  As one can imagine, whoever was in charge at the time used a variety of methods to keep in power.  One of these was by internal political exile to the Greek islands.

From 1926 to 1967, many of the Greek islands were used to house political prisoners. They would generally be people that had opposing political views to those in power. They might include politicians, military figures, and activists, but also poets and artists. The most significant numbers of people exiled, occurred during and directly after the civil war period of 1946 to 1949.

There is a strange absence of information available to the public about the civil war period. Certainly, there is no specific museum dedicated to this. So, when I discovered that there was not one, but two political exile museums in Athens, I knew I had to visit. The museums are actually next door to each other at 31, Agion Asomaton Street 10553 Keramikos, Athens. They have really short opening hours, which are between 11.00 and 14.30 so it might be worth calling ahead to make sure they are open.

To read more, please visit: Dave's Travel Pages




During the 2016 Greek-Russian initiative, dedicated to the promotion of Greece to the Russian public and of Russia to the Greek public, Athens and Moscow are planning a series of cultural events aiming at 'renewing the traditional bonds of friendship and enhancing awareness and cooperation,' as described in a statement made by the ministry.

As part of the exchange program, the Acropolis museum will exhibit three golden objects from the Hermitage Museum’s collection of Scythian treasures, while the Russian museum will exhibit a marble statue of an Archaic Kore, lent by the Acropolis Museum.

The Acropolis Museum will inaugurate the exchange on March 11, 2016 during a precursor exhibition presenting exhibits from the Hermitage Museum as part of the cultural program titled 'Year of Russia in Greece.'

Originally posted on: GreekReporter
Monday, 17 October 2016 21:52

49 Reasons To Love Greece

We believe that Greece is one of the best countries in the world to live, to visit, and to explore. There are an infinite number of reasons to love Greece, but these 49 reasons are some of the best! Here we've chosen our favourite ones from this great list!
  1. Greeks take their time.

  2. They let beautiful moments linger.

  3. From May to September you’ll almost never see a cloud.

  4. For Greeks, time with family and friends always comes first.

  5. Eighty percent of the country is picturesque mountains…

  6. Greek food is so much more than souvlaki and gyros.

  7. Feta. The real, salty, creamy, crumbly stuff.

  8. Figs grow wild. Lots of them. Everywhere.

  9. Coffee breaks are serious affairs.

  10. Athens is one of the most underrated cities in the world.
To read this article in full, please visit: Buzzfeed
Monday, 12 December 2016 07:00

Cozy Night Out In Athens

Oh the weather outside is frightful… So the song goes, and so the season brings! Winter doesn’t seem to scare off most Athenians from their nighttime fun. Let’s face it, even the coldest day in Athens is like a warm spring breeze in more northerly climates. But with decidedly chilly winter temperatures outside and Christmas around the corner, the best weekend plan is to phone a friend and plan a night out in a warm and cozy place…

We started our evening at Sowl in Thiseio. I’ve been here a few times, and even written about it in this space. Sowl is a restaurant-bar-art space in the old Stavlos space that used to house the stables of King Otto in the 19th century. It’s a cool, interesting space, with a newly refined menu that focuses on great Latin American-style food, everything from gourmet tacos to ceviche – with lots in between. A great Greek and international wine list, friendly service, DJ-led creative music soundtrack - definitely a cut above. The place on Saturday was almost fully reserved, but we managed to slip into a couple spots at the bar. When you’ve had your fill of tavernas, and have a couple extra euros to spend on something ‘different’, Sowl is worth a visit. Check out their site and Facebook page for events and gallery exhibits!

By the time our wine glasses had run dry, we had received an invite to meet another group of friends at Riza Riza in Koukaki. It was a last-minute birthday get together, and this is a newish place in the area. Now, let’s be clear: to walk from Thiseio to Koukaki should take between 10 and 15 minutes. On this particular Saturday night, we decided to drive over in my friend’s car. The drive over took about 5 minutes. The hunt for parking in Koukaki’s winding streets took – no exaggeration – 35 minutes! What started as an attempt to save some time ended up as an exercise in patience. I know I know – how long have I lived here?? But seriously, I think I had forgotten…

Frustrated and fully convinced of my decision to not own a car in Athens, we finally arrived at Riza Riza and joined our friends. Riza Riza is a casual, happening bar, with indoor/outdoor seating, extended seating in the back, a modern Greek styling and a hip attitude. It was really buzzing that night, and felt like a warm neighbourhood ‘local’. This is an all-day bar/café, with a small food menu, a great Greek-inspired cocktail list. Best feature for a cold winter’s night: hot winter cocktails like rakomelo and oinomelo. Exactly what the doctor ordered.

Lesson #1: Don’t let the cold stop you from enjoying a night out!
Lesson #2: Leave the car at home.

Until next week,

Jack

p.s. for those of you yet to explore the Koukaki district – here’s a great place to start: http://koukaki.gr/

Sowl
Iraklidon 10, Thiseio
Website
Facebook

Riza Riza
Drakou 19, Koukaki
Facebook
Adhesive labels in passports and all other kinds of paperwork relating to foreign nationals living in Greece are to be scrapped and replaced by a new, electronic residence permit that will also double up as an identity card.

There are currently 557,476 third-country nationals living in Greece legally and they will soon be able to apply for a meeting with authorities to go through the necessary process for obtaining their permits.

Within 30 days of receiving the application, Greek authorities will have to set a date for the meeting, during which their biometric data (user’s photo and fingerprints) will be recorded so it can be entered on the card’s electronic chip. The chip can also store electronic proof of identity and a qualified electronic signature.

To read this article in full, please visit: Ekathimerini
German carrier Germania has announced it will launch a new twice weekly service from Dresden to Athens in 2018. The service will be seasonal and will run from May to October 2018.

The great demand for the Greek market is requiring the company to launch a third aircraft in 2018 to cover the increased travel needs for the Greek islands and Athens from Germany.

One-way flights will be available from 69 euros (airport taxes included) and will be soon be available on booking systems.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Travel Pages
Monday, 09 October 2017 09:34

Nafplion Voted Best City In Greece

According to Culture Trip, the city of Nafplion was recently named the ‘Best City in Greece’ because of its history, culture, green landscapes, and crystal clear beaches!

“Set in one of Greece's most diverse and vibrant regions, the Peloponnese, the historical seaside town of Nafplion, near the north end of the Argolic Gulf, is the perfect destination for those who wish to experience traditional Greek life, immerse themselves in Greek history, and relax among splendid virgin landscapes and centuries-old traditional villages.”

“Divided into the medieval and the new town, Greece's first capital city has known tourism since early last century.”

To read this article in full, please visit: Neos Kosmos
Newly open and located in an elegant historic European building in the Chinese metropolis of Shanghai, is the first and only Greek cultural center. Offering a taste of greek cultural heritage, greek gastronomy, hospitality and greek history, Hellas House aspires to become a new landmark in Shanghai's social, cultural, and business life.

The Tourism Minister Ms. Elena Kountoura, who attended the inauguration, said that "Hellas House is the ideal venue for the presentation of the unique treasures of Greece, while at the same time it really entices Chinese travelers to visit our beautiful country while strengthening the relations between Greece and China."

The opening ceremony was attended by many officials from both Greece and China, ambassadors from various countries, leading executives of international companies, businessmen and personalities of culture.

Article Source: ERT International

Photo Source: Hellas Group
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