XpatAthens

XpatAthens

Wednesday, 28 July 2021 07:00

How The Greek Islands Got Their Names

The Greek islands are famed throughout the world for their incredible beauty and relaxed lifestyle, but have you ever wondered how they got their names?

To find the etymology behind the names of Greek islands, we need to take a few different factors into account - things like spelling and grammar, but also Greek mythology and the geomorphology of each island. Here is how some of the Greek islands were named:

Cephalonia (Kefalonia)

The island got its name from the hero Cephalus, the island’s first ruler, an Athenian leader and son of Dionysus. Cephalus was exiled from Athens for committing murder and settled on the island.

Chios

The Greek island acquired its name from Chioni (snow), daughter of Poseidon. When she was born on the island it was snowing, and thus the island was named Chios. According to legend, the island used to be a desert. After the snowfall, the land became fertile.

Lefkada

Homer named this Greek island from the Greek word “lefkas” (which means white) because the soil used to be white.

Kos

The name derives from “kofos,” an island with many caves. The word “cave” also comes from the Greek word “kofos.”

Tinos

The island’s name comes from the Greek word “tanaos”, which means long and perfectly describes the island’s shape.

Ithaca

The name derives from the Greek word “ithys” meaning straight or long - the elongated island.

Zakynthos

The name comes from Zakynthos, son of King Dardanos of Troy. When the Trojan expedition ended, Zakynthos and his people fled from Troy and lived on the island.

Skiathos

The name derives from the word “skia” (meaning shade). Due to the large number of trees, the island is very shady. However, it is also said that it was given its name because it's located in the shade of Mount Athos.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Reporter

While some people dream of winning the football the basketball world cups, Konstantina Stara claimed the most prestigious award in Japan‘s gardening realm.

Stara won the gold medal in the 2015 Gardening World Cup, a gardening exhibition held in Japan, with her garden design entitled “Parea,” which is the Greek word describing a group of friends.

During an interview with the Athens Macedonian News Agency Stara, who lives in Thailand, noted that gardens have been a very significant aspect of Japanese culture for a long time.

To read more, please visit: Greek Reporter
by
Anastassios Adamopoulos
Starting in May 2017, Tilos island, located in the Dodecanese, will be the first island in Greece and the Mediterranean to run completely on renewable energy.
 
Tilos received permission from the Regulatory Authority for Energy to set up a hybrid energy production and storage station, which is expected to cover 85 percent of the island’s energy needs. The energy production and storage station will also provide the island of Kos with 400kW in power for 5 hours a day.

The project is part of the EU’s Horizon 2020 plan called TILOS, which stands for Technology Innovation for the Local Scale Optimum Integration of Battery Storage) and involves 15 stakeholders from 7 European countries. The project is led by a research team from the Laboratory of Soft Energy Applications and Environmental Protection at Piraeus University of Applied Sciences.

The TILOS program stood out among 80 other competing companies in the Horizon 2020, which is EU’s largest research and innovation program with about 80 billion euros in funding. The funds will be spread out over a period of 7 years, which started in 2014.

Tilos is currently powered by a submarine cable from Kos.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Travel Pages
Tuesday, 28 February 2017 07:00

Sunday Brunch At Somewhere Vouliagmeni

Sunday brunch is catching on quickly in the Athenian Riviera with more and more restaurants offering a delicious brunch menu. Passion For Greece heads out to get a taste of the popular tradition and explores Vouliagmeni with friends. They dine in at Somewhere Vouliagmeni. Here's what they think!

Somewhere hotel brand opened its new property in the Athenian Riviera during the summer of 2016. On a warm summer evening, together with my fellow travel bloggers of Travel Bloggers Greece we were invited to savour the summer menu at the hotel’s bistro Lutetia.
 
Included on the menu were mini burgers, haloumi, beef steak, leek pies, tarts, and plenty more.

The buffet features a selection of freshly baked croissants and pastries. Do try the crusty apple tarts, they are simply delicious.

Somewhere Vouliagmeni

Address: Dios ke Agiou Panteleimonos
Telephone: 210 967 0000
Sunday Brunch Hours: From 08:00 until 16:00.
To read this article in full, please visit: Passion For Greece
Sunday, 18 March 2018 23:35

March 13th - Loving Spring In Athens

Looking for ways to enjoy a great family day out in Athens? Learn all about them in this weeks newsletter, along with a guide to some of the best sushi bars in the city!

Please click HERE to view this issue of our newsletter!
Remember to stay connected with us through our weekly newsletterFacebook, and Twitter!
The Greek island of Corfu is a finalist in a competition for the best European shooting location for film and television, organized by the European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN).
 
All four seasons of the successful television series 'The Durrells' were filmed on the island of Corfu. According to the Hellenic Film Commission and the Greek Film Center, Corfu is one of the finalists and a strong contender for the award.
 
The European Film Commissions Network numbers 90 members from 30 countries and its objective is to promote European audio-visual production sites. From the 6th to the 30th of November cinema lovers can visit the Cineuropa platform and vote for Corfu!

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Reporter
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
Tuesday, 09 April 2019 22:25

April 9 - Only Positive Vibes

The Athenian Riviera is one of the city's many treasures! It is filled with beautiful beaches and places to explore, but it's about to become one of the main reason why Athens will be placed a worldwide top destination for leisure and tourism! Major developments are underway, which will offer visitors unforgetable experiences!

Please click HERE to view this issue of our newsletter!
Remember to stay connected with us through our weekly newsletterFacebookTwitter and Instagram!
Watch theatre,
where theatre was born!

No visit in Athens can be considered complete unless you witness its contemporary creativity! The National Theatre of Greece, a country’s leading cultural organization, invites you to check in for the ultimate artistic experience in Athens! For the Season 2019/20, the National Theatre has prepared more than 20 productions that satisfy all audiences: classical and contemporary plays, performances for young audiences, family seasonal shows, musicals, etc. Attend one or more of the following English-surtitled performances:

Where: At the Ziller Building’s Main Stage
When: Wednesday to Sunday

TONIGHT WE IMPROVISE

Based on the play of the phenomenal Luigi Pirandello, who knows best how to blur the borders between reality and fantasy. With Manos Hadjidakis’ legendary music score. Is there any reason to miss it?
Ends: 27/10/2019

A CHRISTMAS’ CAROL by Charles Dickens Jack

Thorne’s new adaptation of the popular novel turned into a must-see family musical! Original music by Thodoris Economou
From: 15/11/2019
Ends: 12/1/2020

MACBETH by William Shakespeare

No words necessary when it comes to a masterpiece! Directed by the NTG’s Artistic Director, Dimitris Lignadis, who holds the titular part as well. In co-production with the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus.
From: 7/2/2020
Ends: 8/3/2020

The LADY FROM MAXIMS’ by Georges Feydeau
The ingenious farceur bedevils his heroes… Yet once again! You are going to leave the theatre in tears – either from laughter or from anguish (we guarantee)!
From: 21/3/2020
Ends: 31/5/2020




Venue: Rex Theatre Stage:
Stage: “Marika Kotopouli”

THE MAN WHO LAUGHS, based on Victor Hugo’s magnificent novel.

The original Joker and his struggle for survival. Dark but charming, this adaptation combines music and theatre in the most interesting way!
Ends 10/11/2029

The NEW HOUSE by Carlo Goldoni

An insightful depiction of a life in debt. Rings a bell to anyone? Grandeur, lies, fake loves, greediness, opportunism, and so much more can be found in this timeless comedy.
From: 22/11/2019
Ends: 9/2/2020

Paper Moon by Michalis Reppas and Thanasis Papathanasiou

We wanted to add a new Greek comedy in our repertory and we opted for the best! We commissioned the duo Michalis Reppas and Thanasis Papathanasiou with it so that we don’t need to elaborate!
From 20/02/2020
Ends 31/5/2020



XpatAthens is proud to be a Media Sponsor of The National Theatre of Greece


 

Amidst the travel chaos that has been caused throughout the world by the Covid-19 outbreak, Air Canada is the first airline to announce it will resume flights to Athens from Toronto and Montreal.
 
The easing of travel restrictions on Canadian citizens led to Air Canada’s decision to resume its service— something US airlines s still can’t do.
 
Incoming flights from Toronto are scheduled for every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday and from Montreal every Thursday and Sunday. Since the lockdown in mid-March, these will be the first non-stop flights from North America to Greece.

To read this article in full, please visit: pappaspost.com
Page 80 of 436