2nd Traditional Yachts Boat Show, news from Greece

The 2nd Traditional Yachts Boat Show will be hosted in the picturesque town of Methana  from 30/05 up to 01/06/14 with the collaboration of the Traditional Boats Association of Greece , the Hellenic Professional Yacht Owners Association,  the Town Administration Authority  and  the Greek National Tourism Organization.

Visitors will have the opportunity to visit and admire splendid traditional wooden boats, professional and private yachts as well as fishing boats

For more info:  www.traditionalboatshow.gr

Piraeus will host the European Maritime Day 2015, news from Greece

The European Maritime Day (EMD), celebrated on 20 May every year since 2008, is an important maritime event that seeks to raise European citizens' awareness of the seas and their importance. This day is celebrated in all Member States, but specially in the port city of the honored country.
After Brussels / Belgium (2008), Rome / Italy (009), Gijon / Spain (2010), Gdansk / Poland (2011), Gothenburg / Sweden (2012), Valetta / Malta (2013) and Bremen / Germany (2014), it's the turn of Greece to undertake the organisation of the EMD.
During the second day of the events of this year's European Maritime Day that took place in the city of Bremen and the port Bremerhaven, the European Commission officially announced that Piraeus will host the European Maritime Day in May 2015.
The host cities for the future European Maritime Days will be Turku / Finland (2016), Poole / United Kingdom (2017), Burgas / Bulgaria (2018) and Lisbon / Portugal (2019)

Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Famous Greek archaeological sites

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Greece

On the South-West slope of the Acropolis, just few meters from the theatre of Dionysos was built in 161 B.C. the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. 

There is a Stoa (=Portico) called "Stoa of Eumenes" which joined the theatre to the Odeon. This Stoa which had an outer Doric colonnade with 64 columns was built by Eumenes II , the king of Pergamon (197-159 BC). It was used as a shelter and promenade for the spectators. The Portico communicated with the Odeon by two doors. 

The Odeon was built by Herodes Atticus in memory of his wife Amnia Rhegilla in 161 BC and served for musical festivals. Herodes Atticus was an aristocrat benefactor . He was also a philosopher and orator. 

In the ancient years this magnificent concert-hall was covered with a roof which was supported by huge beams made by the very expensive Lebanese cedar.

The massive facade stands to the second story and in places to the third. Entrance is made to either side, leading to the parodoi. The wall of the stage has three doors and eight niches where they had statues.

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Greece

The diameter of the semi-circular cavea, in Greek "koilon" is 86 m. It was hewn out of the rock and it is divided into two sectors (diazoma). Each diazoma had 32 rows of seats. The orchestra is paved with marble. The length  of the scene ("skini" ) is 35 m. and it is one meter higher from the orchestra. The seating capacity is about 6.000 spectators.

The scene , the orchestra and the cavea of Herodion, Greece

   

The destruction of the theatre was done in 267 AD by the Eruls. As the seating was entirely destroyed it was restored in 1950-961 in Pentelic marble. 

Nowadays the Odeon hosts the Athens Festival which runs every Summer from May through October. The Festival contains Greek and International performances.

Among the artists who have performed in the Odeon were Maria Callas, Frank Sinatra, Nana Mouskouri, Pavarotti, the Bolshoi Ballets, Maurice Bejart, Liza Minelli, Diana Ross and many others.

Under the Acropolis and under the stars the Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a unique place to experience a theatre performance. 

The facade of Herodion, Greece

 written by: Sophia Kokkinou , archaeologist, guide, writer

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Second Best Theatre in the World

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Greece

The Herodion or the Odeon of Herodes Atticus is the second best theatre in the world to watch live performances according to the Canadian newspaper Globe and Mail. The newspaper defines the Odeon as the best example of an authentic Greek Theatre, the perfect location where modern music meets with the ancient atmosphere and the ideal place for all artists. 

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus was also at the top of a list of the world's most spectacular theatres published in March by the online newspaper of The Telegraph  .

Hellas Rally Raid in Nafpaktos, News from Greece

                                        

Hellas Rally Raid in Nafpaktos, Greece 6th - 11th May 2014

The "Hellas Rally Raid" starts today 06.05.14 until the 11.05.14 in the Lepanto region at the south-western coast of Greece. The official opening ceremony took place yesterday in the beautiful and historic port of Nafpaktos. 220 teams from 18 countries participate to this adventure race and will cover in 6 days about 2000 Km in a breathtaking scenery, following spectacular and picturesque tracks crossing the mountains, the rivers and the forests of the Lepanto Region.

Enjoy the related video of Hellas Rally Raid 2013

NAFPLION, the romantic medieval city. Beautiful places in Greece

Bourtzi, Nafplion, Greece

Nafplion or Nauplia is situated in the Northeast Peloponnese and it is the capital of the prefecture of Argolis. Its name comes from the name of the legendary king Nauplios, who was son of the god Poseidon.

The delightful situation o Nafplion near the Argolic Gulf makes it one of the most attractive towns of Greece.

The city was inhabited during the prehistorical period and owed its importance to its position. This is one of the reasons that after the liberation from the Turks on 1828, it became  the capital of the newly formed  Greek state until 1834 when Athens became the capital.

The city is built along the northern slopes of a rocky peninsula, crowned by a Venetian citadel, the Palamidi. During the War of Independence this was the most important fortress at Peloponnese. You can reach the top of Palamidi fortress by car or by climbing the 999 steps carved in the rock. Palamidi took its name from the hero Palamides, the son of King Nauplios, who took part at the Trojan War.

In the castle of Palamidi in 1833 the greatest hero of the War of Independence Theodoros Kolokotronis was emprisoned. The statue of the great hero riding his horse can be seeing in one of the squares of the town. It is work of the famous Greek sculptor Sochos.

The Palamidi, Nafplion, Greece

It is really a beautiful experience to take a walk in the old town of Nafplion, with its neoclassical houses, its nice restaurants and cafes and its narrow cobbled streets. 

In the Constitution Square stands the Parliament, housed in an ex-mosque, as well as the Archaeological Museum which is housed in the venetian warehouse of the Fleet and in which are exhibited findings from Mycenae, Ancient Tyrins and Assini. 

The Parliament Building, Nafplion, Greece

In the Philellinon Square, in front of the Customs House is the monuments to the French, a marble obelisk erected in 1903 in memory of General Fabvier and others philhellenes who fell in the War of Independence. 

Philellinon Square, Nafplion. Greece

In the old city stands also the church of Agios Spiridon, built in 1702, where Ioannis Kapodistrias the first governor of Greece, was murdered in 1831. The mark of the bullet is still shown near the entrance. 

Along the port there are many excellent restaurants where one can taste fresh fish as well as pastry shops and cafeterias with a magnificent view to the Bourtzi, the most photographed spot of Nafplion.

Bourtzi, the fortress islet that stands in the middle of the harbor has become Nafplion's trademark. It was active as a fort till 1865, then it became the residence for the executioners who carried out the death sentences on the prisoners in the Palamidi. In 1935 it was transformed into a hotel. Today one can visit it by boat. 

written by: Sophia kokkinou archaeologist, guide, writer

YOUTH OLYMPIC FLAME LIGHTING CEREMONY 2014, News from Greece

The Olympic Flame lighting

This is the third time that the torch was lighted in Athens for the Youth Olympic Games (for athletes 15 - 18 years old). The first was for Singapore in 2007, the second for Austria and this one for China.
The Flame is the symbol of the Olympics. The ceremony of the lighting started at Olympia in 776 B.C. as this was the  panhellenic religious  and athletic center.
There were young girls priestesses dressed in white tunics , singing hymns and dancing in the honor of Zeus. One of them called "prothieria" means High Priestess, lighted the sacred flame and announced the beginning of the athletic games. Then started the Torch procession with the torch- bearer infront....
Something like that happened yesterday, 30/04/14, in the Panathenaic Stadium of Athens. This magnificent stadium is the only marble stadium in the world. It was built in the 4rth cent. B.C. and rebuilt in 1896 for the first New Olympic Games. The torch was kindled by the light of the sun by the prothieria. Then, there was a Torch Procession in the stadium and finally the light was given to the chinese committee of "Nanjing 2014" and to the mayor of the city Miao Ruilin

Youth Olympic Flame lighting Ceremony 2014

MAY DAY IN GREECE, Greek customs

May Day (1rst of May) is a holiday which started in ancient Greece. It was the most important celebration of the Spring and they name it "Anthestiria", means all flowers in bloom.

The origin of the name of May comes from the beautiful nymph Maia, the mother of god Hermes. Later on the Romans adapted the same name , calling it Mayia.

May corresponded in ancient Greece to the month Thargilion. It was the month that the earth gave them the flowers, the fruits and the vegetables and the fresh grass for their flocks. Actually it is the end of the Winter and the beginning of the Spring and was symbolizing the resurrection, the beginning of the new life and the victory over the death.

This was the reason that on this month they celebrated the Anthestiria in the honor of Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and cultivation of the earth. This was the time that Demeter's beloved daughter Persephone, was leaving the darkness of Pluto's underworld palace to be rejoined with her mother.

The celebration of Anthestiria in Athens started with a big procession. Singing hymns and holding flowers they visited the sanctuaries of their gods and especially the ones of Demeter and Persephone.

Those celebrations were spread out all over Greece and finally were adapted by the Romans.

Today in many countries people celebrate the May Day with flowers without knowing the Greek origin of this custom.  

Nowadays in Greece the First of May is not a religion celebration but the roots are the same. The most important custom is the flower-wreath of May symbolizing -as in the ancient years- the arrival of the Spring and the regeneration of the nature and the fertility of the earth.

The wreath of the First of May is made usually with wild flowers and they hung it on the balconies or on top of the door.

In the Greek cities of Asia Minor people used to add on the flower wreath a garlic (to protect them from the evil-eye) , a pin (to protect them from the enemies) and a wheat (for fertility). Even today this custom is kept on many islands of the Aegean and other parts of Greece. 

On the island of Corfu they make a procession which is carrying a branch of cypress-tree decorated with yellow daisies and they put a wreath on it made by fresh green branches