The up-market suburb of Kifissia lies just a few kilometers north of the city centre, and it is home to an outstanding number of great shops, local artisans, cafes and restaurants. This trendy neighbourhood gives locals and visitors the opportunity to enjoy unique local and international fashion and delicious food. Here are 5 places to go, as recommended by the NY Times.

“Athenians come in the morning to get their fix of Greek coffee, which is traditionally served black and so strong that a glass of water accompanies each cup to help cleanse the palate.”

Address: 15 Kiriakou Diomidi

Telephone: 210 623 3769

“This airy family-run bakery, dating to the late 19th century, is a wonderland for Greek food souvenirs.”

Address: 5 Kassaveti

Telephone: 210 801 2472

“The country’s artisans, who painstakingly produce handmade goods, are an endangered breed because of an increasing reliance on machine-made products.”

Address: 10 Agion Theodoron

Telephone: 210 801 2044

To read this article in full, please visit: The New York Times

The impressive animated full-length painted film called ‘Loving Vincent’ is finally complete after 6 years. The first of its kind, the film tells the story of Vincent van Gogh’s life and the mysteries surrounding his death. The co-directors are British animator, Hugh Welchman, and his Polish-born wife Dorota Kobiela. After they met and married, the idea they had started to come to life.

“In essence, the idea was simple: an artist would render a full oil-on-canvas image. ‘That could take between half a day and three days,’ says Welchman, ‘and then for twelve times for every second [of the film], you’re moving the paint.’”

Quite a tedious process, Welchman and Kobiela used 125 artists to paint 65,000 individual frames. Of those 125, twenty were Greek oil painters from StudioBauhaus.

“There were a lot of challenges,” says artist Alexandra Bari.

“In the beginning we had to understand and study his painting style [Vincent van Gogh], and learn his technique and combine them into our work,” says artist Nikos Koniaris to Euronews. “It was very very difficult to imitate such a great master.”

To learn more about this incredible film, visit: The Independent and Euronews

Watch the trailer here!

Incoming traffic to Greece by road, air and sea is increasingly paving the way for improved figures in 2017, the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE) said recently.

The number of international arrivals at major airports across Greece grew by 5.9 percent in August and by 8 percent from the start of the year, with regional airports reporting an increase of 5.4 percent and Athens airport by 8.3 percent in the same month.

Inbound road travel was up by 14.5 percent in August and by 10 percent from the start of 2017. Sea travel, particularly from Italy, grew by 14 percent in June and by 12.4 percent from the beginning of the year.

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

As you arrive on the corner of Vyzantiou street in Koukaki, there is a new cocktail bar quite a bit different that a lot of people are talking about. 

As you walk into this cocktail bar, you will notice that the bartenders are dressed as if they are ready to go on a safari. The decoration resembles a tropical climate and all guests are holding colorful cocktails in their hands. On the walls, the television is playing documentaries with small, cute animals that you can't stop staring at. They are called Meerkats, they live in the dessert and all people in the bar are talking about them. 

Once upon a time there was boy named Romain who lived in Paris, France. His passion was to mix drinks, make alchemies and create dream drinks that people could drink. He studied at the Lycée Hôtelier de Marseille Bonneveine and soon found himself conducting some of the world's finest cocktails bars such as the Experimental Cocktail Club, Little Red Door, Conserverie in Paris, Ritz in London, Carlton in Cannes.

Suddenly though, he fell in love with Christina, who is half Greek. So from the city of light, he came to the city of the sun and decided he did not want to return to Paris again. The two of them, together with Andrea Vernikos, opened the Meerkat, a cocktail bar in the most vibrant neighborhood of the city center today: Koukaki.

You can visit the Meerkat from 10am for a nice coffee, grab a bite of innovative toasts or drink (from the morning if you want) Romain's cocktails that every passing day are becoming more and more famous in our city!

Address: Vizantiou 7, Athina 117 41
Tel: 21 3045 3390
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Originally posted on AthensVoice
Translated by XpatAthens

Santorini Experience was completed with absolute success for a 3rd consecutive year, on the enchanting island of the Cyclades. The top sports tourism event in Greece, with a TV broadcast in 87 countries through the FOX Sports TV network, was completed with a record of participations in the running and swimming races with more than 1500 participations.

 

“Santorini Experience” is officially the event of the Hellenic Swimming Federation (having the auspices for the second year in a row) with the most popularity abroad, for amateur and professional athletes in Greece, while in running follows the events organized by the Hellenic Athletics Federation (SEGAS) such as the Athens Marathon.

At the same time, foreign participations surpassed every precedent, as athletes from around 40 countries were "hosted" in Santorini. Indicatively, the attendance was extremely high from Australia, UK, Germany, France, USA, Canada, China, Russia, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore and Hong Kong.

The Hungarian swimmer Attila Manyoki, the recognized athlete in open water swimming with several successes and a member of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (IMSHOF), took part for the first time in the event. The presence of swimmers was dynamic with top professional athletes such as the Greek open water champion Kelly Araouzou and members of the Greek national team, Antonis Fokaidis, Giorgos Arniakos and Dimitris Negris. In addition, for the first time in an open water swimming race, more than 10 Greek champions took part.

In Santorini, we enjoyed the new young Greek leading open water swimmers who follow the steps of Spyros Gianniotis (he swam in Santorini in 2015 and 2016 before his withdrawal) under the instructions of the federal coach Nikos Gemelos.

The technical director of the swimming race not only applied the new 1.1 mile open water swimming route (from Skaros to the old port of Fira) on Sunday morning, due to the difficult weather conditions, but also supervised its conduct so that everything would be done in accordance with the regulations of FINA and the Hellenic Swimming Federation. Swimmers started in groups and not all together, following all safety rules.

Of course, there were 50 specialized escorts in the water who contributed, with the assistance of Lifeguard Patrol, which also had several lifeguard boats, the people from Santorini who helped with their own boats, the Voluntary Lifeguards of Santorini, Atlantis Dive Center and above all Santorini Boatmen Union that transferred and protected the organization of the open water swimming.

The traditional sweet of Santorini, melitinia (offered by Manos Pastry Shop) as well as seasonal fruits were offered to the swimmers after the end of their race.

For the first time in a sports event in Greece, Samsung as the official technology partner was present with its innovative services through the Samsung Galaxy ecosystem. The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+, combined with the Gear 360 camera and Gear VR, enrich the experience of those attending and watching the event with unique content at 360 degrees.

 

The award-winning event did not stop its innovation here. The GoPro 6 action camera was first used in Greece, with its simultaneous arrival at a world premiere. The GoPro HERO6 Black, with its breathtaking analysis and waterproof design, has especially helped in having the best and most impressive shots in the swimming and running activities.

Relevant photos are available HERE!

Hundreds of athletes were present in the running routes. The runners participated in the 5km “Aristides Alafouzos”, 10 km and 15 km running routes, having as a “background” the unique images of the volcano overlooking the Caldera and passing through the settlements of Imerovigli, Firostefani and Oia. The 5km route took this year's name “Aristides Alafouzos” in memory of the great benefactor of the island. Indeed, the nephew of the late Alafouzos, Mr. Giannis Haidemenos, said after the starting signal he gave together with the Mayor of Santorini, Nikos Zorzos, on the 5km route: “I am very pleased because the effort made by Aristides Alafouzos is justified, being a sponsor in the whole island of Santorini all these years. It is a great honor for us and very important that this race takes place in his memory”.

Find the results in running and open water swimming races HERE! 

Excitement was spread to the young children at the 1km running race held on Friday, October 6th, with the support of Vikos, at Panthiraikos Stadium in Fira, with the presence of the Olympic and World Champion at 400m. with hurdles Periklis Iakovakis (who ran also the 5km) and Greek-American ultramarathon Dean Karnazes, who participated in the 5km and 15 km running races, while he signed his last book at Alafouzos Sport store (sponsor of the event) in Fira. TaeKwonDo lessons were conducted to advanced and amateur athletes by the twice silver Olympic medalist Alexandros Nikolaidis, while the warm-up of the athletes in running was undertaken by the pilates instructor Mandy Perskaki.

Participating athletes traveled to “Santorini Experience”, with the official airline partner of the event, Ryanair that offered the possibility of connecting Athens with Santorini with direct flights from 13 cities abroad. The leading Greek shipping company Blue Star Ferries, as a sponsor of the event, facilitated the ferry transfer by offering a 50% discount on the ferry tickets and vehicles of the participants, assisting the travel of Greek and foreign athletes.

The foreign participants and visitors approached the event mostly in groups this year, showing the results of the promotion which was made through the tourism expo in Sweden, the campaign implemented in Germany targeted at the first autumn school holidays and the targeted communication strategy in China, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and America was effective.

All these wouldn’t have been accomplished without the full cooperation of the Municipality of Santorini, DAPPOS and Active Media Group, as well as the supporters of the event.

For the third consecutive year, ambassadors and organizers moved with the safety and efficient engines of the cars of Ford Motor Hellas, the official supporter of “Santorini Experience”. Throughout the three-day event organizers and athletes drove with the excellent fuel quality of EKO! At the same time, “Vikos” offered to the athletes who took part the opportunity to quench their thirst with the Natural Mineral Water “Vikos”. Official supporters also included Avance, Santorini Hoteliers Association, Aqua Vista Hotels, Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa (that welcomed the guests on Friday and organized the Sunset Cocktail under the music of the great Cretan lyre player, songwriter and composer Psarantonis) and Athina Luxury Suites.

The hospitality sponsors that supported the event from Santorini were: Santorini Hoteliers Association, Meltemi Hotels & Resorts, Aqua Vista Hotels, Athina Luxury Suites, Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa, Aegean Plaza Hotel, Andronis Concept, Vedema A Luxury Collection Resort Santorini, Canaves Oia, West East Suites, Desiterra Luxury Suites & Villas, 270 Oia's View, Central Fira Hotel, Memories Hotel, Loizos Stylish Residencies, Fanouris Condo, Monolithia Hotel, Esperas Santorini, Sienna Residencies, Hotel Rivari Santorini, White Pearl Villas, Caldera Collection.

In Athens, Wyndham Grand Athens assisted the event as an official supporter and hospitality sponsor.

The event was assisted by Sunset Oia Sailing Cruises, Alios Ilios, Assyrtico Wine Restaurant Café, Lifeguard Patrol, Voluntary Lifeguards of Santorini and Atlantis Dive Center.

“Santorini Experience” took place under the auspices of the Greek National Tourism Organization and the Hellenic Swimming Federation with the co-organization of the Municipality of Santorini, DAPPOS and Active Media Group.

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Official Hashtag: #SantoriniExperience

Official Airline Partner: Ryanair

Official Sponsors: Blue Star Ferries, Alafouzos Sport, Athina Luxury Suites

Official Technology Partner: Samsung

Official Supporters: Ford Motor Hellas, Natural Mineral Water “Vikos”, Avance Rent A Car, Aqua Vista Hotels, Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa, ΕΚΟ, GoPro, Wyndham Grand Athens, Santorini Boatmen Union

Hospitality Sponsors: Santorini Hoteliers Association, Meltemi Hotels & Resorts, Aqua Vista Hotels, Athina Luxury Suites, Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa, Aegean Plaza Hotel, Andronis Concept, Vedema A Luxury Collection Resort Santorini, Canaves Oia, West East Suites, Desiterra Luxury Suites & Villas, 270 Oia's View, Central Fira Hotel, Memories Hotel, Loizos Stylish Residencies, Fanouris Condo, Monolithia Hotel, Esperas Santorini, Sienna Residencies, Hotel Rivari Santorini, White Pearl Villas, Caldera Collection

Assisted by: Sunset Oia Sailing Cruises, Alios Ilios, Assyrtico Wine Restaurant Café, Lifeguard Patrol, Voluntary Lifeguards of Santorini, Atlantis Dive Center

Official Travel Agent: VitaNTravel

Under the Auspices of the Greek National Tourism Organization

These restaurants are where the locals go and Greece Is is here to share their secrets!

A truly Athenian experience, Ama Lachei is set in a neoclassical building that was formerly a school and offers straightforward, tasty food with a friendly service. Try the couscous with chicken and follow it with an exceptional dessert. Grab a spot under the grape trellis in the garden.

Address: 69 Kallidromiou, Exarchia

Telephone: 210 384 5978

A quiet little sidewalk spot on both sides of an inclined pedestrian walkway that seems miles from bustling Kolonaki, this is where locals hang out for coffee and beer. Ideal for a visit before or after a movie at the nearby outdoor cinema.

Address: Dexamenis Square, Kolonaki

Telephone: 210 722 4609

To read this article in full, please visit: Greece Is

The Athens International Airport (AIA) “Eleftherios Venizelos” has received the “Fast Travel Gold Status” award by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for acquiring the necessary infrastructure to support IATA’s six Fast Travel projects.

By implementing the projects, the airport has achieved significant innovation and improvement in passenger experience in several areas: Self-check-in, bags ready-to-go, document check, flight re-booking, self-boarding, and bag recovery.

According to IATA, the Fast Travel program is addressing the future of travel with more choice and more control for ​passengers and lower costs, representing annual savings of up to 2.1 billion US dollars for the industry.

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

From an ancient Greek myth is the story of how the Aegean Sea received its name. Greeker than the Greeks recounts the tale of a King named Aegeus, who failed to produce a son with his two wives, Meta and Chalciope. They called upon the goddess Themis, one of the oracles of Ancient Delphi, to see what they were doing wrong.

"Do not loosen the bulging mouth of the wineskin until you have reached the height of Athens, lest you die of grief."

Pondering upon this conundrum, while on his way home to Athens, Aegeus dropped in on his old pal King Pittheus of Troezen (a small town in the northeastern Peloponnese).

To read this article in full, please visit: Greeker than the Greeks

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

The heart of sports tourism strikes at Cyclades Group.

The top sports tourism event “Santorini Experience” is only a few days away. Between October 6th and 8th 2017, running and swimming races will be held for a 3rd consecutive year at the enchanting island of Cyclades.

“Santorini Experience” continues this year full of surprises!

The established meet & greet event will take place on Friday October 6th at noon (12:00pm) at the store of the sponsor Alafouzos Sport in Fira. The event will be attended by the Greek-American ultramarathon Dean Karnazes, who visits the island and the event for the first time and will run in the 15km race. Everyone attending the meet & greet will have the opportunity to get autographs from the athlete-phenomenon who will sign his latest book “The Road to Sparta” by Key Books.

Top professional athletes, as well as lots of amateur swimmers and runners, will give a dynamic “presence” at the event, as registrations have already broken any previous record!

One of the athletes who have participated in all the events so far in the waters of Santorini is the Greek open water champion, Kelly Araouzou. Along with her, several members of the National Team will also be present, such as Antonis Fokaidis, Giorgos Arniakos and Dimitris Negris and for the first time in an open water race, more than 10 Greek swimming champions will participate.

Another great athlete who will have his initial participation in the event, is the Hungarian swimmer Attila Manyoki. The 44-year-old distinguished athlete in open water swimming, with a great number of successes, belongs to the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (IMSHOF). Manyoki has completed hundreds of marathon swimming races and has twice covered the 90km distance. In 2008, he swam 79.6km along Lake Balaton between Balatonkenese and Keszthely in 25 hours and 32 minutes.

For the best service and transfer of the participants in Santorini Experience at the starting points of the running routes on Saturday 07/10 in Oia and the swimming route on Sunday 08/10 at the old port of Fira, the event will arrange the following bus services: On Saturday October 7, 2017, there will be two services by bus (from 06:30am and 08:30am) from Fira (Bus station) to Oia (desalination plant) that will serve the participants wishing to be at the starting point of the running routes. Accordingly, the return of the participants will take place on another route at 12:30am, from Oia to Fira.

In addition, those wishing to move on Sunday, October 8, 2017, from Oia to the old port of Fira, will be served by the bus that will start from Passagio Santorini Oia at 08:30 in the morning. Please note that the transfer of swimmers to the volcano starts at 09:30, from the old port.

Click HERE to find the detailed schedule of the event.

Online registrations for swimming and running have closed and registrations will only be made at the store of Alafouzos Sport, the event’s official sponsor, from Thursday October 5th.

From Thursday, October 5 to Saturday, October 7, 2017, all participants will be able to receive their numbers from Alafouzos Sport store (hours: 09:00-21:00). Alternatively the running participants may also receive their numbers one hour before the start of their route on Saturday October 7, 2017, from the desalination plant in Oia while the swimming participants may also receive their numbers one hour before their start on Sunday October 8, 2017, from the old port in Fira.

All of the above would not have been realized if major sponsors had not stood on the side of the event since the first day of “Santorini Experience”.

Ryanair is for one more year the official airline partner of the event. Blue Star Ferries, Alafouzos Sport and Athina Luxury Suites are the official sponsors while Samsung is the official technology partner. For the third consecutive year, ambassadors and organizers will move with the safety and efficient engines of the cars of Ford Motor Hellas, the official supporter of “Santorini Experience”. "Vikos" for the third consecutive year will offer to the athletes who will take part the opportunity to quench their thirst with the Natural Mineral Water “Vikos” that contributes to the good functioning of the body during sports. Official supporters include Avance, Aqua Vista Hotels, Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa, ΕΚΟ, GoPro, Wyndham Grand Athens and Santorini Boatmen Union.

The hospitality sponsors supporting the event are: Santorini Hoteliers Association, Meltemi Hotels & Resorts, Aqua Vista Hotels, Athina Luxury Suites, Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa, Aegean Plaza Hotel, Andronis Concept, Vedema A Luxury Collection Resort Santorini, Canaves Oia, West East Suites, Desiterra Luxury Suites & Villas, 270 Oia's View, Central Fira Hotel, Memories Hotel, Loizos Stylish Residencies, Fanouris Condo, Monolithia Hotel, Esperas Santorini, Sienna Residencies, Hotel Rivari Santorini, White Pearl Villas, Caldera Collection.

“Santorini Experience” will take place under the auspices of the Greek National Tourism Organization and the Hellenic Swimming Federation with the co-organization of the Municipality of Santorini, DAPPOS and Active Media Group

Official Hashtag: #SantoriniExperience

Official Airline Partner: Ryanair

Official Sponsors: Blue Star Ferries, Alafouzos Sport, Athina Luxury Suites

Official Technology Partner: Samsung

Official Supporters: Ford Motor Hellas, “Vikos” Natural Mineral Water, Avance Rent A Car, Aqua Vista Hotels, Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa, ΕΚΟ, GoPro, Wyndham Grand Athens, Santorini Boatmen Union

Hospitality Sponsors: Santorini Hoteliers Association, Meltemi Hotels & Resorts, Aqua Vista Hotels, Athina Luxury Suites, Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa, Aegean Plaza Hotel, Andronis Concept, Vedema A Luxury Collection Resort Santorini, Canaves Oia, West East Suites, Desiterra Luxury Suites & Villas, 270 Oia's View, Central Fira Hotel, Memories Hotel, Loizos Stylish Residencies, Fanouris Condo, Monolithia Hotel, Esperas Santorini, Sienna Residencies, Hotel Rivari Santorini, White Pearl Villas, Caldera Collection

Assisted by: Sunset Oia Sailing Cruises, Alios Ilios, Assyrtico Wine Restaurant Café, Lifeguard Patrol, Voluntary Lifeguards of Santorini, Aegean Divers

Official Travel Agent: VitaNTravel

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