LIFE & CULTURE
XpatAthens
Thursday, 09 January 2020 07:00
Free Travel Apps To Download Before Your Next Vacation
More than a million different apps are available both on the Android and Apple app stores so sorting the good from the not so good can be a bit frustrating. The same applies to travel apps too. While some of them can really improve your vacation, many others aren't even worth the time they take to download!
Tripsavvy has put together a list of the most useful free travel apps that should definitely find a place on your smartphone or tablet before your next vacation.
1. Google Translate
When traveling to a foreign country, you’ll find Google’s free translation app very useful. Simply type the words you want to translate, pick a target language, and there you go. You can also download a language pack ahead of time so that you don’t even need to be connected to the Internet to translate your phrases and words!
2. WiFi Map
By scanning your surroundings WiFi Map lets you know the location of the nearest wireless connection. The free version shows any networks within a little over a mile of your current or a searched location, while the paid version lets you download entire city Wi-fi maps ahead of time to use while offline.
3. Sit or Squat
Sometimes when you’re traveling, knowing where to find the nearest public toilet is vitally important. The aptly-named Sit or Squat app does exactly that, scanning a database of over 100,000 restrooms that have been rated “sit” (good) or “squat” (bad) by users to show those close to you.
Sometimes when you’re traveling, knowing where to find the nearest public toilet is vitally important. The aptly-named Sit or Squat app does exactly that, scanning a database of over 100,000 restrooms that have been rated “sit” (good) or “squat” (bad) by users to show those close to you.
4. Tripadvisor
There’s no doubt TripAdvisor is the biggest game in town when it comes to user reviews of hotels, restaurants, and attractions. The app provides almost all of the information available on the site, including access to the forums, and syncing of bookmarked pages between the web and app versions.
5. Tripit
Tripit is one of the most popular travel apps out there. With Tripit, you can track complex itineraries without having to manually type in the specifics of every flight, hotel, and transfer. For online bookings, all you need to do is forward the confirmation email, and, in most cases, Tripit will automatically recognize it and update your itinerary. Once you've dowloaded the latest updates of your itinerary, you can access it without an Internet connection.
To read this list in full, please visit: Tripsavvy.com
5. Tripit
Tripit is one of the most popular travel apps out there. With Tripit, you can track complex itineraries without having to manually type in the specifics of every flight, hotel, and transfer. For online bookings, all you need to do is forward the confirmation email, and, in most cases, Tripit will automatically recognize it and update your itinerary. Once you've dowloaded the latest updates of your itinerary, you can access it without an Internet connection.
To read this list in full, please visit: Tripsavvy.com
Published in
International Travel
Tagged under
Monday, 18 February 2019 07:00
Action-Packed Activities For Children and Teenagers
In a world where kids are hooked on their TV’s, ipads, and online games it’s great to be reminded of the benefits of action-packed outdoor games. Outdoor activities allow children to let off steam, stay fit, and socialize with their peers! In fact, it is proven that playing outdoors increases vitamin D levels, reduces stress, helps concentration, improves physical fitness, and boosts the immune system.
Here are 3 of our favourite recreational spots in Athens, we hope you and your kids will love them too!
IOVOP Riding Club
The Pony Club at IOVOP is the first riding school in Greece exclusively for children from 4 to 8 years old. Preschool age is the ideal time to start learning how to ride a horse, and using ponies for children’s riding lessons is completely safe and effective. Horse riding is a fun recreational activity for kids, but it also offers many intrinsic benefits such as improving balance and motor coordination and developing self-confidence and self-assurance.
Address: 137 Leoforos Tatoiou, 136 07, Varibopi
Telephone: 210 8169575
IOVOP Riding Club
The Pony Club at IOVOP is the first riding school in Greece exclusively for children from 4 to 8 years old. Preschool age is the ideal time to start learning how to ride a horse, and using ponies for children’s riding lessons is completely safe and effective. Horse riding is a fun recreational activity for kids, but it also offers many intrinsic benefits such as improving balance and motor coordination and developing self-confidence and self-assurance.
Address: 137 Leoforos Tatoiou, 136 07, Varibopi
Telephone: 210 8169575
The Wall
The Wall is an exciting multipurpose sports complex in Pallini. There you will find an indoor climbing wall for endless action-packed climbs, beach volley courts, mini soccer pitches, bungee trampolines, a rope course game, and much more. The wall isn’t suitable for children less than 4years old but offers a bunch of super exciting activities for older kids and teens!
Address: 12 Agiou Athanasiou, 153 51, Pallini
Telephone: 210 6030093
The Wall is an exciting multipurpose sports complex in Pallini. There you will find an indoor climbing wall for endless action-packed climbs, beach volley courts, mini soccer pitches, bungee trampolines, a rope course game, and much more. The wall isn’t suitable for children less than 4years old but offers a bunch of super exciting activities for older kids and teens!
Address: 12 Agiou Athanasiou, 153 51, Pallini
Telephone: 210 6030093
Adventure Park
Welcome to the most exciting recreational park in the greater Athens area! Located in a forest in the Malakasa area, Adventure Park is a thrilling park, where children will embrace nature and take part in exciting outdoor activities. Four different zip lines for all ages and experience levels, archery, bungee trampoline as well as the exciting ‘Operation Tarantula’ a fun-filled route through nets, wires and tires!
Address: Eparhiaki Odos Malakasas-Markopoulou, 190 11, Malakasa
Telephone: 2295 098335
Welcome to the most exciting recreational park in the greater Athens area! Located in a forest in the Malakasa area, Adventure Park is a thrilling park, where children will embrace nature and take part in exciting outdoor activities. Four different zip lines for all ages and experience levels, archery, bungee trampoline as well as the exciting ‘Operation Tarantula’ a fun-filled route through nets, wires and tires!
Address: Eparhiaki Odos Malakasas-Markopoulou, 190 11, Malakasa
Telephone: 2295 098335
Published in
Kids Life
Tagged under
Monday, 18 February 2019 07:00
Saving A Sea Turtle In Crete
A sea turtle entangled in fish net on a Cretan beach was rescued by a couple of by passers earlier this month. The rare loggerhead turtle (also known as Caretta-Caretta) was found on Lendas beach near Heraklion trapped by a fish net, and unable to move. Luckily the couple carefully disentangled the turtle and carefully cut way the nets and a few minutes later the animal was set free. The video of the heart-wrenching rescue has become viral.
According to WWF, fishing gear is the greatest threat to sea turtles as hundreds of thousands of turtles are accidentally caught by longline hooks, shrimp trawl nets and gillnets each year. Leatherbacks, green turtles and the endangered loggerhead species are particularly vulnerable.
Loggerheads are the only sea turtles that nest in Greece and the Mediterranean; they can be recognized by their large heads, yellow-brown skin, and reddish-brown shells and are considered to be one of the oldest species in the world. Greece is the most popular nesting site along the Mediterranean, with more than 3,000 nests per year.
Article Source: Greek Reporter
Published in
Local Environment
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Thursday, 14 February 2019 07:00
Athens Tennis Club: The Oldest Tennis Club In Greece
Located on the Vasilisis Olgas Avenue, the ‘Athens Tennis Club’ is situated amidst the city’s most important landmarks and monuments. The club is located next to the temple of Olympian Zeus, opposite the Zappeion Gardens, and just below the Acropolis!
Founded in 1895, the ‘Athens Tennis Club’ is the oldest tennis club in Greece; and has consistently served the tennis loving community of Athens for more than 120 years! The tennis club hosted the Olympic games of tennis during the first modern Olympic games that took place in Athens in 1896.
Today, the club is open to athletic groups, children, adults and seniors! It is a perfect place for outdoor family activities and its courts can be reserved by non-permanent members of the club.
The state-of-the-art tennis courts, the beautiful surroundings, and the club’s elegant restaurant make the ‘Athens Tennis Club’ an ideal destination for mild athletic activities, leisure and relaxation.
Founded in 1895, the ‘Athens Tennis Club’ is the oldest tennis club in Greece; and has consistently served the tennis loving community of Athens for more than 120 years! The tennis club hosted the Olympic games of tennis during the first modern Olympic games that took place in Athens in 1896.
Today, the club is open to athletic groups, children, adults and seniors! It is a perfect place for outdoor family activities and its courts can be reserved by non-permanent members of the club.
The state-of-the-art tennis courts, the beautiful surroundings, and the club’s elegant restaurant make the ‘Athens Tennis Club’ an ideal destination for mild athletic activities, leisure and relaxation.
To read this article in full, please visit: yougoculture.com
Published in
City Discovery
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Thursday, 14 February 2019 15:41
Conference: E-Commerce? Let's Get Serious
JustOnline will be holding a unique conference, ideal for businesses and business people considering to enter the digital world! The conference will take place at Impact Hub Athens, located in a historic building in the center of Athens.
The conference will consist of 3 main topics related to increasing your online sales:
Creating Your E-Shop
- Which platform should you use?
- Which components of an eshop will help you increase sales?
- Why do some e-shops succeed while others do not?
- The criteria when choosing a company to create the eshop and what should you expect before, during and after the construction.
- How does an e-shop's design affect sales?
- Web design, is it a luxury or a need?
- UX & UI design: Discover how they affect e-sales.
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Social Media, Google Adwords, SEO, Email Marketing, Mobile Marketing, Stories, Remarketing are some of the terms used in digital advertising. How familiar are you with them?
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How do each of these tools help you? What are their capabilities?
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What are the pros and cons of each tool?
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Under what circumstances should you choose one or the other?
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How much money do you have to invest to get results?
Please note that the Conference is in Greek
Published in
Business
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Thursday, 14 February 2019 09:40
Aristotle University And 7 Historic Universities To Found European University
Greece, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and Poland will cooperate to lead developments in higher education in the European Union. More specifically, a consortium of eight major universities will cooperate to propose the establishment of a European University, responding to one of the European Union flagship initiatives for building a European Education Area.
Headed by the University of Strasbourg, the eight universities, submitted their proposal, stating that they aim to create a model European University for the 21st century "that will ensure Europe's competitive leadership on a global scale in education and an unrestricted common framework for conducting and promoting research, innovation, teaching and learning to the highest international standards."
The consortium consists of the University of Strasbourg, the University of Upper Alsace in Mulhouse, the University of Freiburg, the University of Karlsruhe, the University of Amsterdam, the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, Poznan's Adam Adamczyk University, and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. All participating universities have a long history in higher education and their departments and faculties cover every academic field of study.
The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is a highly acclaimed educational institute and the largest university in Greece and the Balkan peninsula.
Article Source: AMNA
Article Source: AMNA
Published in
Local News
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Tuesday, 12 February 2019 07:00
'The Favourite' Takes Home Seven BAFTA Awards
Yorgos Lanthimos's tragicomic royal drama “The Favourite” won 7 awards at Sunday's British Academy Film Awards. “The Favourite” received the outstanding British film and screenplay awards as well as prizes for production design, costumes, hair and makeup. Olivia Colman and Rachel Weisz were also awarded for best and supporting actress respectively.
"Thank you for celebrating our female-dominated movie about women in power," said Deborah Davis, who won the original screenplay award alongside co-writer Tony McNamara.
Alfonso Cuaron's "Roma," won awards for best picture, director, cinematography and foreign-language film. Rami Malek won the best actor trophy for his gripping performance as Freddie Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody”.
The BAFTAs, will be scoured for clues on who might triumph at the Academy Awards on February 24 as this year’s frontrunners, Yorgos Lanthimos’s "The Favourite" an Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma” have each received 10 Oscar nominations.
Published in
Greece In The News
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Monday, 11 February 2019 07:00
Top 10 Reasons To Love Living In Greece in 2019
Every year on the anniversary of moving to Greece, an American expat and a good friend of XpatAthens puts together a list of reasons why she loves living in Greece. Seven years ago, she left her job and life in San Francisco and decided to make the move to Athens, Greece. She has never looked back! Here are her top 10 reasons of what she loves about living in Greece:
- The buskers along Dionysiou Aeropagetou. The pedestrian zone near where I live is filled with street performers so it becomes like a progressive concert most days as I walk my dog Andromeda. I never know who will be there or what to expect-we have bubble blowers, musicians, an African bongo group, silk performers and dance troupes, just to name a few. There is even a woman who will put your hair in a stylish braid or updo for 5 euros. It’s on my list to try in 2019…
- Beach Volleyball. Last spring I decided to learn beach volleyball. I wanted to be trained by professionals so I asked my friend Sakis Psarras where to go, and he directed me to the Attica Beachvolley Club. I love my lessons–we practice outside in the fresh air, barefoot in the sand. My teammates and coaches are so encouraging (bravo Lynn!) that in the beginning I got confused and thought I had real talent. But then one day, when I hit the ball right and the entire team clapped, I realized, no. It’s the opposite. I’m really bad, and they are trying to keep my spirits up…It’s ok, I wasn’t planning to go pro. But one day, I would like to play in a beginners tournament.
- The Athens Riviera. This year I discovered the Athens Riviera and the beaches south of Athens in Glyfada, Voula and Vouliagmeni. I didn’t realize seaside near Athens could be so good. Lots of them are blue flag beaches and on par with many islands…The water is clean, the beach clubs are fun, and best of all, we have SUP Yoga at Astir Beach with one of the best sunsets in town.
- Things get cheaper. The longer I live in Greece, the cheaper things seem to become. All around Athens, I now get discounts–discounts because I’m a yoga teacher, discounts because I live in the neighborhood, discounts because I’ve been coming a long time, discounts for reasons I can’t even identify, but I hear it often -μια άλλη τιμή για σένα! (another price for you!). This was not the case in San Francisco. It must be a Greek thing…
- Athens is becoming a health food mecca! When I moved to Athens in 2012, if I asked for “quinoa” and “nutritional yeast” I got blank stares. Now I get quinoa in the regular supermarket, and I choose between two brands of nutritional yeast in my favorite bio store. I can eat at Vegan Beat, Vegan Nation, Avocado and Nice and Easy—all an easy walk from my apartment. This was also the year I discovered Yi, the super healthy vegetarian raw food restaurant in Glyfada. If I could create a restaurant, it would be Yi. Everything is sugar-free and gluten-free, and the restaurant allows dogs. For me, it is a small paradise.
- My new doctor. My new doctor, Nikoleta Koini, is one of the few US-trained functional medicine doctors in Greece. Functional medicine is science based, 100% individualized, holistic preventative medicine. It matches my medical philosophy almost perfectly so I was thrilled to find a highly trained functional medicine doctor in Athens. Now I have supplements that are precisely matched to my situation. It might take some research, but you can get great medical care in Greece.
- Filotimo is part of the culture. The word “filotimo” exists only in Greek, and it means doing the right thing without expecting anything in return. I’ve seen it acted out time and time again.
There was the time my taxi driver Dimos came to pick me and my friends up in his personal car on a taxi strike day. He took us to the port but refused to accept money (ever) for the journey, because he wanted to respect the rules of the strike but also wanted us to have our holiday.
There was the time when I got sick in a mountain village on a weekend trip. All pharmacies were closed, but the souvenir store owner gave me his full package of Panadol. He was worried about me and wasn’t sure when I’d be able to get to an open pharmacy. He didn’t accept my offer to pay him, and in fact, he seemed confused when I tried to give him money.
There was the time I was out with my friends late at night on a Greek island holiday. The taxis had all stopped, and we were eight kilometers from our hotel stranded without a clear way to get home. One of my friends approached a group of men sitting at a café and within minutes, one of them was driving us to our hotel. This time I knew better than to offer money, and my friends confirmed, yes, he would have been horrified if we tried to pay him.
I could go on and on, but you’ll see for yourself. Even people here for short visits usually experience filotimo in one way or another. - Greece ignites your creativity. I think it was Lord Byron who said “If I am a poet, the air in Greece has made me one.” I would say the same—if I am a writer, living in Greece has made me one. I’ve written two books since coming to Greece and before living here, I was an accountant who never planned to write anything. It is hard to describe, but there is something in the air or energy that sparks your creativity. And it feels so nice.
- The olive culture. It seems everyone in Greece is within three degrees of separation from an olive grove—their parents have one, their uncle has one, their best friend has one. The thread of olives runs all throughout the country as part of the social fabric. I’ve even been scolded for buying olive oil—it is usually gifted around. I should also mention the variety. I used to think that Greek olives meant Kalamata olives. Not so. There are dozens of varieties, in all shapes, sizes and colors. I have included a picture for you here. Olive oil is even used in baptisms—which leads me to my final favorite thing.
- I am a Greek Nona! I have saved the best for last. This year I became the Nona (godmother) to my friend Maria’s daughter. The godmother’s role is to be a spiritual advisor, and apparently she bestows some of her traits to her godchild. I’m not sure about how that works, but if I get to choose any traits, I’ll give Alexia the gifts of resilience and joy. If she has those two, I think she’ll have a good chance for a happy life. And as part of this process, I’m getting baptized Greek Orthodox myself this Easter. The transformation is almost complete. Θα είμαι Ελληνίδα.
Lynn is an American Kundalini yoga and Enneagram instructor teaching a unique combination of the two systems, combining the physical benefits of Kundalini yoga with the psychological growth tools of the Enneagram.
Most of her adult life has been as a Certified Public Accountant (US CPA) working in the Silicon Valley/San Francisco technology start up and venture capital industries. In 2012, she decided to move to Athens, Greece for purely intuitive reasons. She's not Greek by heritage, she did not have a job here, she didn’t speak any Greek (at the time), and there wasn't a Greek man in the picture either! She simply had a really clear feeling that she should go to Greece. And so she did.
“I remember getting on the plane to leave San Francisco. My dog and two cats were in cargo below and I had packed a suitcase full of clothes. Almost everything else I had sold or given away. There wasn’t anyone to meet me in Athens because I didn’t know anyone. But it was one of the calmest moments of my life. I was totally sure I was making the right choice. And I haven’t regretted it at all. I love Greece.”
To learn more about Lynn and all the great things she does in Athens please visit her webiste: Lynn Roulo
Published in
My Week In Athens
Tagged under
Wednesday, 13 February 2019 00:57
Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2019
The deadline to apply to join the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2019 has been extended!
GES 2019 invites the world’s most exciting entrepreneurs who offer transformative solutions in one of our five focus areas - Agriculture/Food, Connectivity, Energy, Health, or Water - to this year’s ninth annual summit hosted by the United States and the Netherlands in The Hague, the Netherlands, June 4-5, 2019.
If you are an entrepreneur with a scalable enterprise in one of this year’s focus sectors this could be a game-changing opportunity for you! Entrepreneurs who apply and are invited will join investors, business leaders, policy makers, and ecosystem partners at this premier global event.
Apply to join by March 1st HERE!
GES 2019: The Future Now
At GES 2019, we expect 2,000 participants, including 1,200 entrepreneurs, 400 investors, and 400 policy makers from over 120 countries. Business, government, and non-government leaders will bring billions of dollars of investment funding to distribute to GES entrepreneurs.
GES 2019 will be a two-day interactive event, with an inspiring program aimed at facilitating new partnerships. Matchmaking and networking at GES 2019 will give entrepreneurs an opportunity to showcase their solutions, share their insights and, perhaps, to meet that next partner or investor to help scale-up and make a deal that matters! For selected entrepreneurs, hotel accommodations are provided in The Hague.
Published in
Business
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Friday, 08 February 2019 00:42
Katakouzenos Museum - Pericles' Funeral Oration
It is true that we are called a democracy, for the administration is in the hands of the many and not of the few.”
On the 28th of February Katakouzenos Museum is hosting a unique event that will give the English speaking audience an opportunity to explore one of the greatest political speeches of history.
The successful staging of Pericles’ Funeral Oration, translated into Modern Greek by Eleftherios Venizelos and directed by Dimos Avdeliodis at Katakouzenos Museum, under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, captured the attention of the audience, making its own mark in the cultural life of Athens since January 2018 and is continuing to do so successfully in the current season.
Pericles’ Funeral Oration, a true rhetorical masterpiece that deeply influenced Western culture as an hymn for democracy, will now be presented in English both as a staged performance and as the main subject of a lecture. Leonee Ormond, Professor Emerita of Victorian Studies, King's College, London, will speak about 'Victorian Responses to Pericles' "Funeral Oration" and Ioanna Spanou will perform the Funeral Oration translated by Benjamin Jowett. We are honoured that Lily Venizelos will join us and will speak about the enduring power of El. Venizelos’ work.
On the 28th of February Katakouzenos Museum is hosting a unique event that will give the English speaking audience an opportunity to explore one of the greatest political speeches of history.
The successful staging of Pericles’ Funeral Oration, translated into Modern Greek by Eleftherios Venizelos and directed by Dimos Avdeliodis at Katakouzenos Museum, under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, captured the attention of the audience, making its own mark in the cultural life of Athens since January 2018 and is continuing to do so successfully in the current season.
Pericles’ Funeral Oration, a true rhetorical masterpiece that deeply influenced Western culture as an hymn for democracy, will now be presented in English both as a staged performance and as the main subject of a lecture. Leonee Ormond, Professor Emerita of Victorian Studies, King's College, London, will speak about 'Victorian Responses to Pericles' "Funeral Oration" and Ioanna Spanou will perform the Funeral Oration translated by Benjamin Jowett. We are honoured that Lily Venizelos will join us and will speak about the enduring power of El. Venizelos’ work.
Published in
Art
Tagged under
