LIFE & CULTURE

XpatAthens
Family Biathlon At The Esplanade - SNFCC
For children aged 2.5–5
Up to 30 pairs per age group 2–3/3–4/4–5
Free admission by online preregistration (the activity is conducted in Greek)
19th Athens Technopolis Jazz Festival
Jazz days ‘n’ nights are coming!
The first day of the festival, on Monday 27th May, is dedicated to contemporary Greek jazz scene. Athens Technopolis Jazz Festival is bringing out the local jazz trends, supporting the Greek jazz bands and presenting some of the most innovative and creative Greek jazz groups. So, we welcome Yako Trio-Festival’s Pick- who will present music based on the work of the musician Yannis Konstantinidis. They will be followed by the experimental sounds of Grey Paris, who are this year’s festival suggestion, whereas some time later Petros Klampanis Trio will bring the air of the American metropolis in Athens.
On Tuesday 28th May, we expect the special group of Wajdi Riahi (Tunisia), the M. Messios Symmetry Band (Cyprus) and Gaspar Karoly Trio feat. Krisztina Pocsai (Hungary), while on Wednesday 29th May the central stage of Technopolis is taken by Clara Peya & Vic Moliner (Spain), Richard Koch Quartett (Germany) and the highly-anticipated New York-based composer, drummer, academic and activist Jaimeo Brown (USA), who will present his project “Transcedence with Chris Sholar and Jaleel Shaw.
On Thursday 30th May we welcome the Filip Jers Quartet (Sweden), Month of Sundays (Austria) and Septeto Internacional (Switzerland). On the next day-and-night- Friday 31st May we are travelling with the jazz sound of the Things I Can’t Control (Netherlands), Alfa Collective (Estonia) and Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet (Poland).
When the weekend arrives, our mood is high and we can’t wait to enjoy the Helge Lien Trio (Norway) and the Dainius Pulauskas Group (Lithuania). They will be joined by the beloved Mammal Hands (UK) who will present their enchanting and rhythmic minimal melodies on the jazziest stage of the city on Saturday 1st June.
The last day of the festival, Sunday 2nd June, belongs to Ondrej Havelka and his Melody Makers (Czech Republic), Ernie Hammes (Luxembourg) and Girls in Airports (Denmark) who mark the ending of this fascinating jazz experience.
A jazzy Meet Market, special exhibitions as well a plethora of other side events accompany the biggest Jazz Festival in the country. This year as well, METAPolis are presenting two original photo exhibitions based on the city surrounding us. Celebrating 10 years since METAPolis’ foundation, the exhibition “Urban” examines and renegotiates the identity of urban photography, while the group exhibition of 145 members of METAPolis expresses their love for travel photography.
Naturally,19th Athens Technopolis Jazz Festival wouldn’t be the same without the jazziest Meet Market of the year! For seven days -and nights- we will host more than 120 stalls and many exciting activities for young and adults!
It’s true: 20 years of Technopolis and 19 years of Athens Technopolis Jazz Festival! Seven days of celebration, music and unexpected surprises in the jazziest week of the year! #JazzBeThere and… don’t forget: Once you go jazz, you never go back!
3 Wonderful Under The Radar Greek Destinations
1. Nafplio
Nafplio is a beautiful coastal town in the Argolic Gulf in northern Peloponnese. You'll be surprised to discover that Nafplio is a distinctive town with great attractions and a unique aesthetic. As the first capital of modern Greece, it boasts beautiful neoclassical buildings, unique Venetian architecture, and fascinating history. This lively provincial town will definitely make you want to visit over and over again.
About 80 kilometers west of Athens, Corinth is known for the Temple of Apollo and the outstanding Corinth Canal. Apart from its great archaeological museum Corinth and significant ancient remains, Corinth is an ideal place from which to set out to discover the area's many beaches, unique mountain villages, and the resort town of Loutraki with its world-famous thermal springs and casino.
Literally meaning suspended in the air, Meteora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most dramatic landscapes in the world. Travel to Meteora and you'll learn all about the astonishing rock formations and discover some of the most breathtaking and distinctive monasteries in all of Greece. Religious or not, Meteora is an awe-inspiring destination that will surely impress you with its raw natural beauty and striking monasteries.
Greece Among The Safest Destinations In The World For 2019
"Destinations with a good safety image will once again take more advantage," Rolf Freitag said while presenting the findings of IPK's World Travel Monitor at the ITB Berlin 2019 exhibition.
"The forecast this year for Greece is good because it is seen as a safe and wonderful place, an ideal holiday country with a fantastic climate," he added.
The Meet Market – 19th Athens Technopolis Jazz Festival
Come join us for a week of warm nights, live Jazz concerts, tasty street food, yummy buzzy cocktails, dj sets and over 120 stands from small scale businesses, designers, artists and collectors. Bring your little friends over the weekend for some fun-in-the-sun and interactive games, including an outdoor activity course from ΠΑΙΖώΝΤΑΣ on Saturday, and a dance- theater workshop from Arts in the Mixer on Sunday. Check the press release for details! And of course, make sure you stop by the central cash – info point to roll our dice and win free prizes. There’s something for everyone!
The Meet Market – Jazz Edition: A week-long celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit… A nomadic market place of local goods, fresh ideas and friendly folk. An audio-visual jigsaw of handmade & independently designed clothes, accessories, art, objects, organic body products, home ware, tasty food, vintage & retro collectables, records, interactive games, free prizes, DJ sets, and good vibes.
Monday 27/05 – Friday 31/05 from 19:00 – 00:00
Saturday 01/06 & Sunday 02/06 from 15:00 – 00:00
To read the detailed line-up click HERE!
XpatAthens is proud to be a Media Sponsor Of the Meet Market
VAT Reduction Comes Into Effect
1. Bread, pitta bread, rusks, salted crackers
2. Salt, vinegar, lemon, and refrigerated bouillon
3. Salted & smoked fish and fish roe.
4. Biscuits, cookies, chocolate, spoon sweets, peanut butter, chocolate spreads, ice cream, and others.
5. Sweeteners
6. Cold deserts such as puddings, rice puddings, jellos and others.
7. Cereals (excluding oats)
8. Fresh and frozen dough & fyllo products
9. Coffee and teas
10. Jams and preserves
11. Tomato sauces and puree
12. Condiments
13. Fruits and vegetables
14. Dried fruits and nuts
15. Margarine and vegetable oils
16. Juice
17. Ready-made packaged meals
18. Frozen potatoes
Furthermore, VAT will be reduced to 6% from 13% on electricity and gas bills. Restaurant and cafeteria meals are also subject to VAT reduction from 24% to 13%, excluding drinks.
YES to Sea Tourism Forum 2019
YES Forum is the leading platform for an open dialogue within the Greek Shipping and Sea Tourism Industries among principals, executives, university students, recent graduates and young executives. The main aim of YES Forum is the creation of a comprehensive connection and understanding between young people and our Greek shipping and tourism history. YES FORUM is taking place under the auspices of the Ministries of Shipping, Education, Tourism, GNTO, Hellenic Chamber of Shipping and the majority of Greek Universities.
This year’s goal is to inform young people about the distinctive features of sea tourism and cruising along with the employment prospects and professional trajectories. Once again, all participants will have the opportunity to ask questions before and during the Forum and dialogue directly with the distinguished executives.
The welcoming addresses will be made by: Danae Bezantakou, CEO – NAVIGATOR SHIPPING CONSULTANTS & Concept Founder - YES Forum, Dr. Panagiota Dionysopoulou, Head of the General Directorate of Tourism Policy–Ministry of Tourism, Dorra Giannaki, Special Advisor in the General Secretariat for Youth, Theodore Kontes, President - President Union of Cruise Ship Owners & Associated Members.
This year’s research has been carried out to enable young people to express their opinion on sea tourism and employment prospects. The results will be compared with those of the respective survey answered by companies active in the sea tourism sector in order to compare the supply and demand. Xenia Kourtoglou, Founder & Managing Partner, FOCUS BARI will introduce the data.
Registration at YES to Sea Tourism Forum will be free of charge.
Our Keynote Speaker will be Capt. Paris Dragnis, Founder & President – GOLDENPORT GROUP OF COMPANIES.
Panel Moderator will be Mr. Minas Tsamopoulos, Journalist – Proto Thema Newspaper. Speakers of the panel are Maria Deligianni, Government and Public Affairs Representative Eastern Mediterranean - Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) , -Capt. Vassilis Gkazikas, Marine Operations Director - Celestyal Cruises, Thanos Pallis, Professor of Port Economics & Policy , University of the Aegean, Greece & President of the International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), Alexandros Seremelis, Lecturer – Metropolitan College - Metropolitan College.
The YES to Sea Tourism Forum will also enable executives from the shipping industry to create networking corners on following topics: 1. Operations, Crew, Chartering & HSQE Departments of a Shipping Company, 2. Startups, Innovation & Technology, Service Providers and 3. Masters in Shipping.
i. Crew, HSQE, Operations, Chartering Departments of a Shipping Company
Artemis Kazantzidi, HSQEEn Officer – LATSCO MARINE MANAGEMENT
Katerina Xenou, Crew Manager – ALASSIA NEWSHIPS MANAGEMENT (more speakers will be announced soon)
ii. Innovation, Startups, Technology & Service Providers
Maria Paliothodorou, Happiness Officer – MARINE TRAFFIC
Eleni Polychronopoulou, Vice President- Environmental Protection Engineering (EPE) SA & President - HEMEXPO
Dimitris Sousoudis, Senior Sales Executive - Greece - Cyprus - Middle East – MARINE TRAFFIC
Dr. Panagiotis Nomikos, Business Development Director, DANAOS MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS S.A.
iii. Masters in Shipping
Vicky Apostolopoulou, Business Development Executive, School of Maritime Studies - METROPOLITAN COLLEGE
Prof. Serafeim Kapros, Head of Dept. of Shipping, Trade and Transport - UNIVERSITY OF THE AEGEAN
Pavlou Elias, MSc Shipping Programme Manager – BCA COLLGE
Marianna Bliablia, Administrative Manager - MSc in International Shipping, Finance and Management at Athens University of Economics and Business
Registration at YES to Sea Tourism Forum will be free of charge.
Submit your questions and register now!
At the end of the event, there will be a lottery for a cruise offered by Celestyal Cruises and 100 bilingual albums " Greek Coastal Ships" offered by Greek Shipping Miracle.
SNF RUN 2019: Running Into The Future
The race includes 6K and 10K runs, as well as a 1K run for Special Olympics athletes. The first two races will start at the Panathenaic Stadium, at 20:50 and 21:10 respectively, with runners crossing the city center and then, via Leoforos Syngrou, arriving at the finish line at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center running track.
The run is not competitive in nature, but official times will be kept so that runners can know how they perform. The race’s awards ceremony will be accompanied by a spectacular fireworks display and followed by a concert by the popular Greek singer Alkistis Protopsalti, wrapping up the first day of the Summer Nostos Festival 2019.
Click HERE to sign up for the 6K or 10K races!
Greece Ranks 2nd Worldwide In Blue Flag Beaches
There are 515 Blue Flag beaches along the coasts of Greece, a remarkable number, especially considering the country's size. Greece has earned the 2nd place on the Blue Flag beach map, globally, second only to Spain. Additionally, Blue Flags were awarded to 15 boat marinas, and 4 boats of sustainable boating tourism. According to the BlueFlag program, the cleanest beaches in Greece are in Halkidiki, northern Greece, where you'll find 89 blue-flagged beaches.
Other Blue Flag Beaches in Greece are Koukounaries in Skiathos, the famous Canal d' Amour in Corfu, and Agathopes Beach in Syros. Luckily there are more than 15 awarded beaches in the Attica region such as Astir Beach Vouliagmenis, Eden Beach, and Schinias/Karavi that enable bathers to enjoy a safe swim without even having to leave the city.
A world-renowned eco-label trusted by millions of people around the worlds, the Blue Flag program is operated under the auspices of the Foundation for Environmental Education and is based in Copenhagen, Denmark. To qualify for this prestigious award, beaches, marinas and tour boat must meet and maintain a series of strict environmental, educational, safety-related and access-related criteria.
To discover the cleanest beaches in Greece, please visit: Blue Flag Greece
Opening To The City - Athens Festival 2019
For the third consecutive year, “Opening to the City”, a mini-festival which aims to take us on an unforgettable journey to uncover the city’s hidden gems and secret corners, takes place in Athens and Piraeus, actively promoting art and providing high-quality cultural opportunities. The festival's appeal and huge success were proven by the positive responses from the audience, which participated in performances, public lectures, and other festivities.
Many performances are available at no charge, however, even if the performance requires purchasing a ticket, you can find admission tickets at the cheapest prices. Opening to the City - Free Admission (specific events require entry tickets which you can request from our cashiers' desks)