Kalymnos Sponge Diving To Become International Sport

 http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/04/24/kalymnos-sponge-diving-to-become-international-sport/

Mediterranean Diet and the Ancient Greeks

 http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/04/28/mediterranean-diet-and-the-ancient-greeks/

World’s Most Expensive Hotel Room is in Greece

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/04/29/worlds-most-expensive-hotel-room-is-in-greece/

38,000 euros a night.  Not just a "room"  - a three bedroom villa with two pools and lots more.  But I'd much prefer to stay in one of my favourite "hideaways".

The viila is the Royal Villa at Lagonissi - http://www.grandresort.gr/

Sea's humble relations are not to be frowned upon

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite7_2092_26/04/2012_438467

Read about fish soup.

Two things come to mind.

A small taverna in Sikinos that had fish soup / stew on the menu.  But the only fish left was fish heads.  A tasty dish, but not that pleasant to look at.

In Greece the soup is often served in a bowl, and the fish and vegetables on a plate - so you get both a starter and a main course.  I hadn't realised that the soup would be served in this way, and ordered both fish soup and another main course.  The people in the taverna thought I was very hungry!  Now I always ask, when ordering fish soup, if it is just a small bowl of soup, or a bowl of soup and a plate full of fish and vegetables.

Traveling back to Granddad’s Greek home

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/traveling-back-to-granddads-greek-home/2012/04/12/gIQAWhXpFT_story.html

Immigrants squeak out living as Athens scrap metal mongers

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jmGI_d7yfctxps7s3bdB_ftDIEPA?docId=CNG.5d126b321523809b625ba774a37004ad.301
I saw some of these trolleys in Athens earlier this year.

Simon Calder: Should you beware Greeks bearing beers?

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/simon-calder-should-you-beware-greeks-bearing-beers-7682473.html

Children’s Art Museum in Athens Wants To Motivate Kids To Explore Language

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/04/27/childrens-art-museum-in-athens-wants-to-motivate-kids-to-explore-language/

I remember staying in a hotel room overlooking an internal courtyard at one of the children's museums in Athens; and the sound of children's voices singing "knick-knack paddywhack, Give the dog a bone,
This old man came rolling home" drifting up to my room.

Knossos Archaeological Site To Become Open Museum

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/04/27/knossos-archaeological-site-to-become-open-museum/

It's quite a few years since I went to Crete.  I visited Knossos several times, always getting there before the site opened to avoid the queues that formed later.

One way of encouraging people to visit Greece would be to promote visiting sites when there are fewer tourists.  See Knossos without the usual crowds clsutering around the siights on the site!

Greek Yachting Industry Slowly Sinking

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/04/27/greek-yachting-industry-slowly-sinking/

Greek Tourist Agencies Provide Huge Discounts to Attract Travelers

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/04/27/greek-tourist-agencies-provide-huge-discounts-to-attract-travelers/

The discounts are likely to be on package holidays.  When  you make your own arrangements, you are free to go when and where you want.  

Greek unrest could put off travellers

Aegean Cat

Until today I did not know that Aegean Cat was a cat breed, or an "embryo" cat breed!

A lot of Greek cats, like the one in this photo, have a very intelligent expression.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aegean_cat

The Most Bizarre Parties of the May 6 Greek Elections

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/04/26/the-most-bizzare-parties-of-the-may-6-greek-elections/

Pirates

Friends of Man

The Tyrannicides

Land for free, Debt Clear

Climbing in Kalymnos

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2012/apr/22/rock-climbing-greece-kalymnos

Greece take two: How I fell for perfect Paxos after 35 years of self-imposed exile

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2133565/Paxos-holidays-How-I-fell-Greece-35-years.html

Greece worse off staying in euro, says Ifo

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/9222111/Greece-worse-off-staying-in-euro-says-Ifo.html

Greek Ferry Firms on the Verge of Bankruptcy

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/04/23/greek-ferry-firms-on-the-verge-of-bankruptcy/

Amorgos has many seasons - a film about Amorgos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgQ-9PlC30M&feature=youtu.be

A film by Michael Jagd about Amorgos.

Shipwrecks in Rhodes and Zakynthos being protected from natural decay

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/04/19/shipwrecks-in-rhodes-and-zakynthos-being-protected-from-natural-decay/

a 13th century and a 16th century ship.

A Crazy Easter Tradition: The Rocket War of Chios

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/04/16/easter-rocket-war-of-chios-video/

Volos Turns to Local Currency as Economy Struggles

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/04/14/volos-turns-to-local-currency-as-economy-struggles/

The Holy Fire Arrives in Athens From Jerusalem

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/04/14/the-holy-fire-arrives-in-athens-directly-from-jerusalem/

Help save the last Greek wooden fishing boats

Read about the destruction of these beautiful old boats, an important part of the Greek fishing heritage, and   sign the petition against the destruction.

http://greektravels.wikidot.com/help-save-the-last-greek-wooden-fishing-boats

Some photos I took of wooden boats earlier this year (2012).



Why We Dye Eggs Red for Easter

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/04/13/why-we-dye-eggs-red-at-easter/

In Greece you can buy packets of red egg dye.  I haven't tried dyeing eggs red in England, so don't know if cochineal will produce the same effect.

I have seen Greek children knocking red eggs together, as though they were conkers.

Eating out over Easter, you may find red eggs on the table.  And you can buy a sweet Easter bread / cake made of plaited dough with red eggs baked into it.

Happy Easter!

Easter Traditions Across Greece

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/04/13/easter-traditions-across-greece/

Happy Easter! 

A mundane thought - of the fat from the roasting lambs splashing on the white clothes!

Travelling on ferries in the run up to Easter I have seen passengers carrying the Easter lamb  - slaughtered, not live.

Athens News - articles about Easter in Greece

The feast of feasts
An exuberant celebration

Hailing pots

I wish I was in Greece for Easter - next year perhaps .............................

“Attenberg”: A New and Controversial Greek Movie

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/04/11/attenberg-a-new-and-controversial-greek-movie/

Cretan Olive Oil Excels At 5th Olive Oil and Oil Festival

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/04/11/cretan-olive-oil-excels-at-5th-olive-oil-and-oil-festival/

Greek PM calls election after delivering on cutbacks

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/greek-pm-calls-election-after-delivering-on-cutbacks-7637457.html

Greek police to offer 'cop for hire'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/greece/9196324/Greek-police-to-offer-cop-for-hire.html

Sad farewell to two Pakistani heroes

http://www.athensnews.gr/portal/1/54849
These two brave men tried to rescue an elderly couple trapped in their car on a railway line.

The World’s Biggest Solar Ship in Zakinthos

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/04/11/the-worlds-biggest-solar-ship-at-zakinthos/

Mmm - not sure that I would like to be on an entirely solar powered boast!

The Archaeological Site of Akrotiri in Santorini to Reopen

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/04/10/the-archaeological-site-of-akrotiri-in-santorini-to-reopen/

This report dated 10 April 2012 says that the site is opening this week. 

Guest Inn

http://www.guestinn.com/en/about.php

"Guest Inn is the first Greek network of selected traditional rural accommodations."

I wish Guest Inn well, but I would only use it if I was to go to somewhere I hadn't been before. 

Costing the Easter table

http://www.athensnews.gr/portal/38/54805

A cost of between 75 and 156 euros for an Easter dinner for 8 to 10 people sounds reasonable by English standards - magiritsa (Easter soup)), two main dishes, two salads, tsoureki (sweet bread), eggs and fruit. 

Antikythera Mechanism goes on display

http://www.athensnews.gr/portal/9/53865

The exhibition runs from April 6 2012 to 28 April 2013.


Read about the Antikythera Mechanism on Wikipedia.

Take a virtual tour of the Acropolis

http://acropolis-virtualtour.gr/acropolisTour.html

Latest suicide shows Greece is in desperate straits – but it won't spark a revolution

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/05/greece-rise-suicide-rate?newsfeed=true

Turkey and Greece in a gulet: on the blue Aegean

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/activityandadventure/9188599/Turkey-and-Greece-in-a-gulet-on-the-blue-Aegean.html

I prefer staying on land.  But if I did go on a boat holiday i would prefer to be on a traditional boat like this.

Ferry strike confirmed for April 10-11 - just before Greek Easter

TIP!  If you're caught by the strike, check if any ferries are travelling at "unusual" times after the strike finishes.  Ferries may be in the wrong place, and ferry companies may get them back to where they want them to be - meaning a ferry might run at a time of day you would not expect. For example, Blue Star ferries from Piraeus to Paros and Naxos usually leave Piraeus at 07.25 and 17.30.  Greek Travel Pages shows that the Blue Star Paros is leaving Piraeus at 23.00 on 11 April, going to Paros, Naxos, Donoussa, and Aegiale (Amorgos).  But you'll need to check if there is space on the extra ferries - even without a strike, the run up to Easter is very busy.


http://www.athensnews.gr/portal/1/54721

Not good for Greece.  Easter is the Greek Christmas, and even without a two day strike ferries are packed.  Even in the current financial conditions ferries will be packed.  There are likely to be many Greek people not getting home for Easter.  And any tourists affected may well think twice before going to Greece again.

And news about the strike on 10 April
Ferry workers strike, disrupting holidays

Google Art Project Offers Digital Tour of Greek Museums

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/04/04/google-art-project-offers-digital-tour-of-greek-museums/

Αn Insignificant Story of a Cup of Coffee

A not so insignificant short story.

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/04/04/%ce%b1n-insignificant-story-of-a-cup-of-coffee/

Katapola sunsets

 Some of the photos I took of sunsets in Katapola in February and March.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3584066882621.167947.1301721739&type=1&l=10203f61d8

Parliament Rejects Island Resort Bill

The Bill would have allowed tourist resorts or holiday home complexes on small  islands (between 70 and 200 square kilometers) to cover 1% of the islands area (the current limit is 0.2%).  This doesn't sound a huge increase on paper, but might have destroyed the "character" of an island, the very "character" that tourists were prepared to travel long distances (ferry strikes permitting) to enjoy. 

Ferry strike planned in the run up to Easter

Boat Routes Suspended on Great Tuesday and Wednesday Due to Port Workers’ Strike

Even when there are no strikes it's not a good idea to arrive in Greece just before Easter and expect to jump on a ferry to your chosen island.  It might have been a little easier to travel this year in the run up to Easter, because of the current economic situation.  But a strike on the Tuesday and Wednesday before easter (which the Greeks call Great Tuesday and Great Thursday) is likely to cause major problems.  Ferries on popular routes may already be fully booked.  Strip out two days' ferries - try fitting a quart or more into a pint pot.

With computer ticketing, in theory ferries shouldn't be overfilled.  But there are likely to be a lot of people not getting home for Easter.  Easter is the Greek Christmas, the major holiday of the year.

Get on that ferry - if you can.

Avocado - a vegetarian restaurant in Athens

I've eaten many times at the Eden vegetarian restaurant in Athens, and managed to find the Eden each time it moved to different premises.  The dish I remember is the ravioli, large and flavoursome ravioli.  I've tried to find the Eden online, but it appears to be no more.

On my last visit I had less than a day in Athens, but walking down Nikis I saw the Avocado and made a mental note to dine there on a future visit.  No chance of a meal on that visit, as it was about midnight when I returned from a concert at the Megaron and walked past the Avocado on the way back to my hotel - in winter the Avocado shuts at 9 p.m.  Scanning the Athens News, I saw an article about the Avocado.  Next  time I'm in Athens I hope to eat at the Avocado.

Nourishing mind, body and spirit