On the 8th floor of the Hotel Grande Bretagne, summer comes alive in the iconic Bar8, the ideal open-air bar for gatherings in the heart of Athens. In lush surroundings with modern aesthetics, the hotel’s expert team of bartenders prepares unbeatable cocktails with imposing Lycabettus Hill in the background. 

At the live food station, Executive Chef Asterios Koustoudis in a spirit of renewal takes you on a tasty journey while preparing splendid Asian style Bar Bites in his open kitchen. Accompany your drink with individually prepared bites including crispy nori with fish tartar, citrus and caramel glaze, grilled onigiri and smoked eel with white eggplant, miso and carob honey, sea bass nigiri with calamansi and green tea cream, Hida Wagyu tataki as well as an exquisite fresh oyster selection. Embracing the new popular drink trend, the bartenders propose original Japanese sake, Asian cocktails and beers as the perfect food pairing.

Every evening join the City Summer Vibes events at Bar8 featuring live DJ sets in collaboration with radio stations Pepper 96.6, En Lefko 87.7 and Hit 88.9 and get your evening plans all wrapped up. Do not miss the upbeat tunes performed by the impressive saxophonist Dionysia Georgiadou every Tuesday to Saturday.

Escape to the ultimate summer place-to-be and enjoy a unique experience overlooking the sunset in Athens.

BAR8 AT THE GB ROOF GARDEN RESTAURANT
Operating hours: Daily 19:00 - 00:00
Telephone: +30 210 33 30 766

HOTEL GRANDE BRETAGNE
Vasileos Georgiou 1 A, Athens, 105 64

This is not another marketing tale, but the real history written by the people of the Aegean Sea.

Sponge diving and trading are perhaps one of Greece’s oldest industries. From the days of Plato to the grandeur of the Byzantine empire until its last days of prosperity, but a few decades ago, sponge trading shaped the very economical and socio-political nature of Greece. Islands such as Kalymnos and Symi enjoyed a wealth that has left a legacy to this day.

Yet greed and misfortune befell this once great industry; overfishing and a succession of diseases brought these natural sea sponges to the very verge of extinction resulting in the collapse of the entire industry. An ecological tragedy, it also proved to be an economic and social disaster; 20,000 jobs were lost along with millions of dollars in export revenue. Following the collapse of the Greek sponge industry, many sponge divers migrated to Tarpon Springs, Florida, where new sponge bearing fields were discovered. Those who remained in Greece turned to fishing as their livelihood and sponge diving became a profession of the past.

Today only a few sponge divers are left on the island of Kalymnos, once an island considered to be the sponge capital of the world. Sponge diving and the ancient cultural heritage that it represented was considered a skill consigned to a fading few and the exhibitions of museums...

Until Cleopatra's was born.

Where it all began...

Anargyros is a student-entrepreneur and diver who has held a lifelong love of the sea and its hidden treasures. From a young age he became fascinated with the legends of Greek sponge divers and their tales of deep sea exploration.

In 2016, resolved to revive this fading industry and the dying sponge population he made his first journey to Kalymnos.

Interviewing the remaining sponge traders of the island he hoped to understand the problems that had plagued the industry and caused its’ demise. It was in Kalymnos that a retired sponge diver, Captain Antonis, presented him with an authentic Mollissima sponge. The Mollissima is widely acknowledged as the finest sponge in the world and is found only in certain sponge bearing fields in the Aegean Sea. Immediate excitement was tempered as the Captain explained that this particular sponge was all but extinct by a combination of a disease that had struck 30 years ago and continuous over fishing. As a consequence, it was no longer available for purchase.

From this moment  on Anargyros decided to focus his efforts on saving the Mollissima species and reintroduce it to the market. Thus ensuring that the future generation will also be able to enjoy the unsurpassed softness and velvety texture of this underwater treasure that transform every-day skin care to a trully luxurious experience. 

Today, almost 2 years after that first trip to Kalymnos and after many trials and tribulations we are proud to be the only company in the world to sustainably produce and offer you the Aegean Mollissima: the finest of all the sponges. These sponges of fine and unbeatable quality have been harvested in a sustainable, cruelty-free way that is highly beneficial to the local marine ecosystem.

With your support we succeed, every day, in our mission to save the Mollissima sponge whilst preserving the ancient cultural heritage of sponge diving and supporting local island communities. We offer the finest sponges in the world, harvested with love, from the depths of the Aegean Sea to you.

Cleopatra's Sponges. P.C. is an awarded company, that started as a romantic idea of a university student. A simple idea that grew to change an entire industry.

A historical hike in the ancient trail connecting the port of ancient Kirra with the Oracle of Delphi.

Once you arrive to Delphi, a professional guide will welcome you with a tour in the Archaeological site and the museum. Afterwards we will be transferred to Arachova village for an early dinner in a Greek tavern. Arachova is a mountain village, on the slope of Parnassos mountain, featuring stone houses, narrow alleys and fresh water springs. Despite its huge tourist growth due to the ski resort, its heritage has been well preserved. The region is famous for its agriculture, cattle breeding and boasts high quality products like olives and olive oil, tsipouro, formaella & feta cheese, yogurt, opsimotiri cheese, halvah, frumenty and noodles. Arachova is also famous for its handmade, pure woolen textiles, which are made using traditional looms and natural colors.

Having enjoyed your meal and a stroll in the village you will then return to Athens.

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Visit TrekkingHellas.gr to learn more about the tour!

The British magazine "Conde Nast Traveller" has highlighted the Greek islands of Lipsi and Patmos as must-do destinations that should be at the top of every international traveler's list, underlining their spiritual aspects that promote well-being.

Patmos, with its unspoiled landscapes and its cultural heart, is a real pleasure for the body and soul, the article said, pointing to the additional glamour provided by Unesco world heritage monuments such as the Cave of the Apocalypse and St John's Monastery, or the pretty central village of Chora, while providing everything that the modern tourist requires.

A few miles away, the island Lipsi offers a 'castaway' experience and seclusion, with Conde Nast describing it as the "ultimate switch-off destination" for enjoying the simple pleasures, such as swimming in its blue-green waters, hiking, and dining in traditional restaurants.

Originally published on: tornosnews.gr

Main image: @pascalidou

Located on one of the most iconic areas of the Athenian Riviera. Bolivar invites locals and visitors to an exotic environment on Friday 8 and Saturday 9 July, presenting two of the biggest Dance Events of this summer.







With a lineup reminiscent of something from TOMORROWLAND, the decks on July 8 will be taken over by the famous techno masquerade Boris Brejcha and the talented Ann Clue in order to give an explosive performance. Purchase your tickets here.



On July 9, Bolivar proudly hosts 4 unique DJs/producers, the favorite superstar Guy Gerber, the award winner with the best electronic live performance Recondite, the Woo York live that we met from their Afterlife productions, and the fast-rising and most sought-after Layla Benitez. Purchase your tickets here.

 

A unique event with a piano player floating in the air over the Tempi Valley to promote the natural heritage in the area of Central Greece.

Sunday afternoon, hikers and other visitors were stunned, when a woman appeared in the air with her piano that was floating in the air with the help of big balloons, creating an unreal scenery.

This unique event and promotion video was an idea of director Paschalis Mantis and the pianist of the Acropolis museum Elena Xydia who followed a call by the mayor of Tempi Municipality, Giorgos Manolis, in order to create a special video promoting the natural heritage of the area.

A volunteer team worked for some time planning the venture, which is unique as no one has attempted it before in a natural landscape, at such a great height.

With impeccable technical planning by Vassilis Badavis, all safety measures were foreseen, in this venture which was completely safe both in the preparation phase and in the final implementation phase.

It should be noted that the help offered by the Larissa Fire Brigade, the Police, and the Larissa Chamber of Commerce was very important and essential, the organizers said.

Originally published on: keeptalkinggreece.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of my clients recently have been having difficulty in their communication with their partners. There is a lot of conflict about issues most of us have to deal with – kids’ summer activities, vacation place and time, family time, and self-time. You get the picture. There’s a lot of anger followed by voice raising, name-calling, and, as expected, a lot of antagonism.

This is a pattern of behavior that needs a minimum of two people to get it going. It can look something like this:

Person A: Once again you planned something without asking me. You always do that.

Person B: But I asked you and you didn’t respond. I had to do it on my own.

Person A (getting angry and raising their voice): You treat me as if I don’t exist; as if I just have to follow. You don’t respect me.

Person B (starting to get upset): Now that’s not fair. You know that’s not the case and it has nothing to do with respect.

Does it sound familiar? I bet it does to a lot of us, myself included. We all get into this trap at times. And instead of clarifying and expressing our emotions, we attack the other person by responding to their impolite remarks. The argument escalates, there’s no solution and we find ourselves angrier than before. So what can we do to avoid these kinds of situations?

We need to break the pattern. Why? Because anger can escalate and lead to physical or emotional violence which may put our safety at stake. Because if we respond to anger with anger we may be seen as the aggressor. And because when we respond calmly we set an example for others.

Here are some suggestions to calm the situation.

• Do your best to respond calmly by using a low tone of voice and non-threatening body language.
• Learn how to manage your emotions so as not to take it personally.
• Practice deep breathing.
• Take a step back and try to see what the real issue may be. It’s highly possible the other person’s anger has nothing to do with you.
• Listen actively and with empathy and acknowledge the other person’s feelings.
• Apologize when necessary.
• Set your limits. You have every right to leave the “conversation” if you don’t feel safe or if you’re too upset to respond.

Remember, it takes two to tango. It’s your choice to dance or not.