Category Archives: ΤΑΞΙΔΙ

Media: New King Charles III rules the UK and keeps Greece in his heart

The United Kingdom’s new King Charles III, whose father Prince Philip was born in Corfu in Greece and was Prince of Greece and Denmark, has had a long affinity for Greece, visited often, and has said it’s one of his favorite places. His mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II made only one trip to Greece – while still a Princess – but her son, and now King, said Greece had a special place for him as the country of some of his ancestors and he recently was on Corfu. It’s an island he has spent time on before for many years but not the only place in the country to which he goes, having been on Crete in 2018 and his wife Camilla, where they joined in Cretan dancing in traditional dress. They also visited the Knossos Archaeological site – the site of the Greek legend of King Minos – and then went to see stalls showing off Cretan products, displaying a genuine interest more than a royal duty. In March 2021, to mark the 200th anniversary of the Greek War of Independence and freedom from Turkish rule, they came to Athens, and speaking at the Presidential Mansion in Athens he remarked as well on his love for Greece. He said that “Today, as in 1821, Greece can count on her friends in the United Kingdom. The ties between us are strong and vital, and make a profound difference to our shared prosperity and security. “In feeling a profound connection to Greece—her landscapes, her history, and her culture—I am hardly alone: there is something of her essence in us all,” he said. “As the wellspring of Western civilization, Greece’s spirit runs through our societies and our democracies. Without her, our laws, our art, our way of life, would never have flourished as they have.” At the dinner at the Presidential Palace, he exclaimed: “Hail, oh, joy, freedom! Long live Greece!” “It is a special joy for my wife and me that we are returning to Greece, which has a special place in my heart. After all, Greece is my grandfather’s homeland and my father’s birthplace, almost a hundred years ago, on the centenary of the Greek Revolution. Later, in Athens, my dear grandmother, Princess Alice, during the dark years of the Nazi occupation, saved a Jewish family – an act for which she was awarded the title of ‘Righteousness of the Nations’ by Israel,” said Charles It reminded of his visit three years earlier when, echoing a famed quote by 19th-Century English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, he acknowledged the debt Western Civilization owed Greece, remarking that, “We are all Greeks. Our laws, our literature, our religion, our arts have their roots in Greece.” He met the leader of the Greek Orthodox Church and noted that he had also visited Mt. Athos and its monasteries several times, not just once as most visitors do to the far-flung area. “And having done this, I have gained a special appreciation for the traditions of the Orthodox Church,” he said. The ties to Greece include the birth of his grandfather at the Tatoi Palace on Mt. Parnitha, 17 miles from Athens and where many members of the Royal Family are buried. The site in.gr noted that he explained his fascination with Greece during his visit in 2018, saying: “I distinctly remember my first visit to Greece about 50 years ago … for me this first visit as well as all the subsequent ones I was lucky enough to make brought to life the fascinating stories about the beauty of the country and the character of the Greeks that I had heard growing up.” He began his visits in 1964, noted the site Fourals, the first official trip on Nov. 22, 1998, just 14 months after the death of his first wife, Princess Diana, in an automobile accident while the car she was in was being chased by paparazzi in Paris, smashing in a tunnel. When he came to Athens as part of the Britain and Greece Festival, he remarked again at the glory he saw and why it had touched him so. “This is the first opportunity I have been given in many years to see Athens, both ancient and modern. I really appreciate this opportunity, for example, to see the Acropolis and the neoclassical heritage of Athens, as well as what you are doing to help the modern city develop in harmony with the old one.” Read more at thenationalherald.com RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Adblock test (Why?)

Stavros Niarchos Foundation offers grant to SFU and UCLA for 3-year pilot program

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) has awarded more than $1.2 million to the UCLA SNF Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture and the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies at Simon Fraser University. This grant will support a collaborative, three-year pilot program to enhance academic mobility for faculty, staff, and students traveling between the two institutions and to bridge the geographical gap that divides academics and cultural producers in Greece and the West Coast of North America. The grant will also help both institutions expand on highly successful programming initiated in the last two years. The pilot program offers opportunities for a semester- and term-length residencies of authors, artists, and academics at the two institutions. Moreover, this innovative, collaboration-based, and capacity-building grant will bring faculty and students to Greece, where critical research tools, including languages and digital skills, will be imparted in the context of seminars and classes. According to Sharon Gerstel, Director of the UCLA SNF Hellenic Center, “we welcome the opportunity to establish collaborations across two excellent universities, two communities, two cities, and two countries. This program will substantially strengthen partnerships on the West Coast of North America and will establish new relationships with cultural agents and institutions in Greece. We are very grateful to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) for encouraging us to expand our Centers’ activities and influences in innovative and meaningful ways.” Existing programming at both Centers will expand through enhanced collaborations with institutions in Greece. Considering Los Angeles and Vancouver’s roles as hubs for the arts, the program will engage Greek writers and performers in dialogue with academics, artistic foundations, film festivals, and communities in both cities. This new initiative will capitalize on existing yet diffuse and fragmented resources and relationships to mobilize academic, artistic, and cultural production networks that will inspire academic and lay communities. The program expands on existing innovative programming, including open discussions with Greek mayors of small cities, and conversations with contemporary Greek authors. “We are thrilled to see two close SNF partners deepening their collaboration, exploring a model for how the international exchange of ideas and movement of people that are foundational to Hellenic culture can strengthen the field of Hellenic studies,” said SNF Co-Chief Programs Officer Casey Russo. “Sharing Greek culture around the world and sparking interest in Greece’s fascinating past and vibrant present have been a key focus for SNF from the very beginning. SFU and UCLA have excelled at engaging the public and advancing scholarship in this area through innovative and energetic new programs, and we’re so excited to see what comes out of this collaboration.” According to Dimitris Krallis, Director of the SNF Centre at Simon Fraser University, “working on Greek culture and history in North America can sometimes feel like a lonely enterprise, as resources are often scarce and university priorities keep guiding faculty and student focus in other, often more pedestrian, directions. The present collaboration allows us to meet across borders and continents and create community, both within the university and beyond. We see our Centers and the enhanced West Coast axis, we are establishing, as venues and avenues through which Greek cultural and educational output may circulate as it seeks to leave its imprint on audiences outside Greece.” The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) is one of the world’s leading private, international philanthropic organizations, making grants to nonprofit organizations in the areas of arts and culture, education, health and sports, and social welfare. SNF funds organizations and projects worldwide that aim to achieve a broad, lasting, and positive impact for society at large, and exhibit strong leadership and sound management. The Foundation also supports projects that facilitate the formation of public-private partnerships as an effective means for serving public welfare. Since 1996, the Foundation has committed more than $3.4 billion through over 5,100 grants to nonprofit organizations in more than 135 countries around the world. Learn more at SNF.org. The UCLA Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture was established by a lead gift of $5 million from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) in 2018 and matching funds provided by generous members of the Hellenic and Philhellenic community of Southern California. Featuring two named professorships in Hellenic Studies, a lectureship in Modern Greek Language, student funding, and support for the arts, the Center builds on UCLA’s strengths across many academic fields, placing Hellenic culture within a broad historical and contemporary context. Language teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels engages students in the study of ancient, medieval, and modern Greek. In addition, the Center supports a comprehensive set of academic and public initiatives locally through strategic collaborations with organizations in Southern California, Greece, and Cyprus and partnerships with universities and cultural institutions. Learn more at https://hellenic.ucla.edu. The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Centre for Hellenic Studies was established in 2011 at Simon Fraser University through a large grant by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). Situated atop Burnaby Mountain, just east of downtown Vancouver, the Centre is a major site for Hellenic studies in North America and is committed to the advocacy and study of Hellenism. Along with the SNF New Media Lab, it is dedicated to bringing the latest in mobile technology and pedagogy to the teaching and learning of the Greek language and seeks to promote a better understanding of Hellenism in the community by staging events for academic and lay audiences throughout the year. At the same time, the Centre supports undergraduate and graduate studies on Greece’s history, language, and culture through its home in the Department of Global Humanities, though at its core, the Centre focuses and supports research at SFU on Hellenic topics, from Antiquity to present-day Greece, through grants and postdoctoral fellowships. Learn more at https://www.sfu.ca/hellenic-studies.html. Read more at thenationalherald.com RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Adblock test (Why?)

Greek government announces seven measures for cheaper housing

The Social Housing Strategy announced by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) includes 6+1 measures for cheaper housing, ANA reports: These measures are: 1. Interest-free or low-interest mortgages for young people aged 25-39 2. Mass renovation of empty houses 3. Utilization of real estate of the State through the institution of social compensation 4. Subsidy for the energy upgrade of an owner-occupied residence for young people aged 18-39 5. Housing renovation subsidy for long-term lease 6. Creation of new modern student residences 7. Increase in student benefits RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: pixabay.com Adblock test (Why?)

Iconic US Jazz Orchestra performs in support of Athens pre-term newborns

The world-famous orchestra Jazz at Lincoln Center, part of Lincoln Center in New York City, will perform for the first time in Greece on Tuesday in an Athens concert to support a good cause, according to greekreporter.com. The concert, titled “Songs We Love,” will be held at the ancient Odeon of Herodes Atticus—the main venue of the prestigious Athens and Epidaurus Festival, located on the slope under the Acropolis. The jazz orchestra, consisting of three renowned performers and six musicians, is invited by Lifeline Hellas, the charity established by Athens-born Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia. Grammy nominee Catherine Russell, joined by Brianna Thomas and Shenel Johns, will perform famous jazz and blues songs covering the best moments in the history of jazz music from the 1920s to the 1960s. Proceeds from the concert will be used for the acquisition of state-of-the-art incubators to be offered to the 2nd University Hospital of Athens. “We come to this world to give, rather than to take; that’s what I learned from my Greek parents and grandparents,” Princess Katherine of Serbia told a press conference attended by the Greek Reporter. “Once you learn this from a young age, it becomes part of you.” Her grandson, Alexander, who was in the audience, had also been treated in an incubator when he was born, the Princess added on an emotional note. “I hope that all children learn to give, too, because they will be the ones to continue what we do,” HRH concluded. Helping preterm babies survive and developProfessor Vana Papaevangelou, Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Athens School of Medicine, told journalists that the incubators to be acquired with the proceeds from the concert will help the “very small newborns” treated at the neonatal intensive care unit of the 2nd University Hospital, housed at Attikon Hospital in the outskirts of Athens. It is a small unit but serves about 350 preterm newborns per year, she explained. “The incubator is the continuation of the womb for children who are born way before their time, who are vulnerable, cannot stand the noise, cannot stand the cold environment outside the womb,” the Professor noted. “These incubators that we will be able to supply are technologically very good and they help the homeostasis of these newborns so they can develop properly.” She stressed that it is not only a matter of these babies surviving but also the need for good neurodevelopment, which is greatly aided by the incubators. Powerful jazz alliance in AthensJazz at Lincoln Center, the orchestra to perform in Athens on Tuesday for Lifeline Hellas, forms part of the largest organization for jazz music in the world. Its mission is to entertain, enrich, and expand a global community for jazz music. Their September 13, 2022 concert at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens is co-organized by Lifeline Hellas in collaboration with IMG Artists and Visionary Culture. Born to Robert and Anna Batis and educated in Athens and Lauzanne, Princess Katherine met HRH Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia in Washington DC, where she worked in business in 1984, and they were married in London a year later. Her charitable activities have been numerous, especially since the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, bringing much-needed relief to children, the elderly, and all those in need regardless of religion or ethnic origin, according to her official biography. Today, Princess Katherine is the patron of several humanitarian organizations internationally, including Lifeline Hellas. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Nikthestoned Adblock test (Why?)

Media report: Despite COVID, energy crisis, Greece on track for big growth

What’s expected to be another record tourism year despite the waning COVID-19 pandemic is fueling enough economic growth in Greece even to withstand pouring state aid into helping households deal with soaring energy costs, bank chiefs said. Estimates have been that growth will exceed 5 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 197.2 billion euros ($200.3 billion,) after an impressive 7.7 showing for the second quarter of 2022. Even record inflation that’s cutting into the purchasing power of Greeks and scaling back supermarket sales isn’t having a significant deterrent effect on the economy coming back, said Kathimerini. The chief Eurobank Fokion Karavias and Piraeus Bank Christos Megalou however said there shouldn’t be any relaxation of trying to accelerate recovery and that fiscal restraint is needed. But Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he would give 5.5 billion euros ($5.41 billion) in handouts ahead of the 2023 elections, but backed away from a pledge to consider reducing the 24 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) on food. It’s a balancing act to reach out to voters but keep the state coffers in line and try to get Greece back to market status with ratings agencies to help lure more Foreign Direct Investment (FDI.) Karvias said the second quarter growth “in a deteriorating international environment was a surprise, exceeding all expectations and confirming the dynamic recovery after the pandemic,” the paper reported. The reasons, said Megalou, were “strong domestic demand and the course of tourism,” factors which, he notes, “are expected to continue bolstering growth in the third quarter.” He added that “The dynamic of these two factors was reflected in the very strong growth of the second quarter … as well as in the upward revision of the GDP in the first quarter from 7 percent to 8 percent.” He said that “Despite the expected slowdown in the fourth quarter, we consider the possibility of growth exceeding the level of 5.8 percent, which is our forecast at Piraeus Bank for the whole of 2022, to be significant.” Read more at thenationalherald.com RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Tilemahos Efthimiadis Adblock test (Why?)

Greece records 33,590 Covid-19 cases and 129 fatalities in week of September 5-11

Greece confirmed 33,590 new SARS-CoV-2 cases in the week of September 5-11, the National Public Health Organization (EODY) said in its weekly statistics report on Tuesday, ANA reports. During the week of September 5-11, there were also 129 deaths from Covid-19, or 12 deaths per 1 mln people (weekly change: -30%), bringing the total of pandemic victims since the pandemic began to 32,894. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Adblock test (Why?)

U-Bahn für Thessaloniki rückt näher

Bis Ende 2023 soll die U-Bahn von Thessaloniki ihrer Bestimmung übergeben werden. Die Hauptstrecke wird eine Länge von 9,6 Kilometern aufweisen und 13 Stationen umfassen. Das Kontrollzentrum befindet sich am Bahnhof in Pilea. „Dieses Projekt wird die Stadt wirklich verändern und den Alltag der Bürger verbessern“, sagte Kostas Karamanlis, Minister für Infrastruktur und Verkehr, bei einem Lokalaugenschein vor wenigen Tagen.Gleichzeitig verlieh er seiner Hoffnung Ausdruck, dass das Niveau des Lebensstandards für Bürgerinnen und Bürger der Stadt durch das neue Projekt erheblich angehoben werden könne. Insgesamt werden 18 Züge im Einsatz sein, die ohne Fahrer auskommen und elektronisch gesteuert werden. Ein Novum für Griechenland. Die Probefahrten wurden bereits aufgenommen. Erste Überlegungen für eine Metro für Thessaloniki gehen bereits auf die 1970er Jahre zurück. Ein entsprechender Vertrag wurde schließlich 2006 unterzeichnet; in dieses Jahr fiel auch der Baubeginn. Finanziert wird das Werk vom griechischen Staat sowie der EU. (GZjp) Adblock test (Why?)

Von Kallithea bis nach Voula: Fahrradweg entlang der Küste Athens

Der Bau des einheitlichen Fahrrad-Fußgängerwegs von Kallithea nach Voula kommt langsam in die Gänge. Grünes Licht für das Projekt unter dem Namen „Athener Riviera – Stadtpromenade“ wurde vor wenigen Tagen durch die Unterzeichnung eines Kooperationsabkommens zwischen der Region Attika und der Privatisierungsbehörde TAPED gegeben.Die Gesamtlänge des geplanten Fahrradweges beträgt 13,5 Kilometer. Er beginnt in der Gemeinde Kallithea, endet am Rathaus der Gemeinde Vari-Voulas-Vouliagmeni im Süden und verbindet insgesamt sechs Gemeinden an der Küste. „Heute ist ein sehr wichtiger Tag für unser Attika.“, sagt der Regionalgouverneur Jorgos Patoulis nach der Vertragsunterzeichnung. Den Bauarbeiten stehe ab nun nichts mehr im Wege. Das Projekt soll voraussichtlich im Jahr 2025 fertiggestellt werden. Finanziert wird der Fahrradweg durch den sogenannten nationalen Resilienzplan „Griechenland 2.0. (GZjp) Adblock test (Why?)

Für einen gesunden Lebensstil: Mit dem Fahrrad auf der Insel Lesbos

Mit dem Fahrrad auf der Insel Lesbos: Gelegenheit, das einmal auszuprobieren, haben die Einwohner und Besucher der Ägäis-Insel zwischen dem 16. und dem 22. September im Rahmen der Europäischen Mobilitätswoche.Der erste Tag (16.9.) ist Kindern und Jugendlichen unter dem Motto „My 1st Ride“ gewidmet. Im Tsamakia-Wäldchen oberhalb des Fahrradwegs in der Insel-Hauptstadt Mytilini werden sie ab 17 Uhr über die Fahrsicherheit unterrichtet und Erfahrungen sammeln können. Ab 19 Uhr findet anschließend – nur für Frauen – eine Fahrradtour durch die Stadt unter dem Motto „Lady’s Ride“ statt. Am 21. September wird nach Sonnenuntergang die erste „Summer Night Ride“ auf der ganzen Länge des Fahrradwegs von Mytilini durchgeführt. Ziel der Veranstalter ist es, die Bürger der Insel zu einem gesünderen Lebensstil zu animieren. (Griechenland Zeitung / eh) Adblock test (Why?)

Vier Verletzte nach Unfall in Vergnügungspark in Athen

Am Dienstag (6.9.) hat sich in einem Athener Vergnügungspark ein Unfall auf einer Achterbahn ereignet. Vier Personen wurden verletzt, zwei davon schwer. TÜV Hellas konnte am Mittwoch allerdings keine Sicherheitsmängel an der Achterbahn finden.Zum letzten Mal wurde sie von Experten im Juni inspiziert und ihr Zustand wurde als „sicher“ empfunden. Augenzeugen berichten, dass sie sich im Zug der Achterbahn nicht anschnallen konnten und dass einige Wasserstellen – der Zug ist stellenweise durch Wasser gerast – leer gewesen seien. Die Leitung des Vergnügungsparks erklärt ihrerseits, dass weder der Zug entgleist sei, noch dass der Wasserstand ungenügend gewesen sei. Über den genauen Hergang des Vorfalls wird weiterhin ermittelt. (Griechenland Zeitung / eh) Adblock test (Why?)