20 Santa Clauses descend a gorgeous canyon in Crete (Photos)

They wanted to welcome the festive season in their own special way.

 

Twenty fans of canyoning descended a beautiful canyon in Crete, as part of an original event that was organized by the Cretan Canyoning Association.
The annual Christmas descent of the association took place in the canyon of Eligas, which is located at Emparos.
20 members of CCA, including men and women, dressed as Santa Clauses and descended the canyon in order to welcome the festive season in their own special way.

The Cretan Canyoning Association started operations ten years ago, with the purpose of mainly educating young people according to the standards of French and Italian canyoning schools.
It also aims to the preservation and repair of secure locks, the exploration, the security and the mapping of new canyons in Crete and in Greece in general.
 (Source:protothema)

German tourists prefer Greece

A 18.6% increase in traffic compared to 2013

The upcoming summer tourist season is on its way and everything shows that it will be successful, based on German statistics evaluating the 2015 summer season.

This year’s winner in the choice of destinations of Germans is Greece. “No other country experienced higher growth in 2014”, said DRV’s director, the biggest German tour operator and travel agencies operation. Based on the German statistical office, 2,060,000 tourists flew from Germany to Greece between April and October 2014. This is an increase of 18.6% compared to 2013 (1,860,000).
(Source:protothema)

Forbes: Britain must return the Parthenon Marbles to Greece

Making specific reference to the recent loan of a Parthenon statue to Hermitage Museum in Russia, she notes that this gesture was a stinging insult to Greece.

 

In an article published by Forbes magazine, Leila Amineddoleh, partner at Galluzzo & Amineddoleh and executive director of Lawyers’ Committee for Cultural Heritage Preservation, explains why she believes that the British Museum must return the Parthenon Marbles to Greece.
Characterizing the Parthenon as one of the most recognized symbols of Western Civilization and the highest architectural achievement of the Ancient Greeks, Ms. Amineddoleh underlines that, for Greece, these amazing sculptures are “a symbol of their culture, heritage and past.”
“In the same vein, art historians and archaeologists argue that the sculptures are integral to the ancient temple structures still standing in Athens,” notes the successful lawyer specializing in art, cultural heritage and intellectual property law.
Making specific reference to the recent loan of a Parthenon statue to Hermitage Museum in Russia, she notes that this gesture was a “stinging insult” to Greece, who has been requesting the marbles return for many years now.
The author believes that it is “disheartening to view the marbles in London after learning that their removal damaged one of mankind’s crowning achievements” and states that the only moral solution would be to return them.
(Source:protothema)

Photo of the Day..

December in Plakias, Crete!!

http://www.plakiassuites.com/

New Greek Christmas stamps!

New stamps by Hellenic Post (ELTA) to celebrate the festive season.
 A festive season of stamps have been issued by Hellenic Post. The series, titled “Children’s Christmas” circulate in 10 items. The QRC-styled stamps can be read by smartphones and are of the latest technology. The Greek Typaldou children’s choir is featured in the series.
(Source:protothema)

Amphipolis, Greece: One of the top 10 Discoveries of 2014. (A publication of the Archaeological Institute of America)

Ever since the discovery of the largest known Greek tomb was announced in August, archaeology buffs around the world have been eagerly awaiting each successive bit of news from the site. The Amphipolis tomb, which dates to the time of Alexander the Great, is a prime example of how archaeology can captivate the public imagination and easily earned a spot on our list of the Top 10 Discoveries of 2014.

Equally impressive was the discovery, after decades upon decades of searching, of a ship that sank in Arctic waters in present-day Canada almost 170 years ago while looking for the Northwest Passage. That find was deemed so momentous that Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper took it upon himself to make the official announcement.

Archaeologists were also hard at work in the lab squeezing as much insight as possible out of limited evidence. Analysis of 6,000-year-old funerary wrappings established that ancient Egyptians practiced artificial mummification much earlier than had been thought. Genetic material from a skeleton found in an underwater cave in Mexico helped shed light on the relationship between the first people to arrive in the Americas and modern Native Americans. And a clever approach to interpreting the genome of Neanderthals revealed factors beyond the raw genetic code that explain how they differed from modern humans.

This year’s finds span the globe and tens of thousands of years, but are united in demonstrating archaeology’s ability to uncover hidden truths. What better example than the revelation via remote-sensing technologies that Stonehenge is surrounded by thousands of yet-to-be-interpreted Neolithic archaeological features? The discoveries on our top 10 list stand as a reminder that there is always more to learn about our past.
Greece's Biggest Tomb 
(Source: http://www.archaeology.org/)

Low cost airline Niki launches new flight to Athens

The new connection to Athens will operate daily (except on Saturday) with an Airbus A320

Austrian budget airline Niki, a subsidiary of Air Berlin, has announced that it is extending its service to Greece: Athens will be included in the flight plan for the summer of 2015, with flights to the Greek capital every day except Saturday.
With the inclusion of Athens in April 2015, a new Niki destination will thus be added for the mainland of the southern European country, supplementing popular Greek holiday islands in the Mediterranean, such as Crete, Rhodes, Santorini and Mykonos.
The new connection to Athens will operate daily (except on Saturday) with an Airbus A320 and provide additional flexibility and the best connecting flights for holiday and business travelers to Greece.
According to the airline’s announcement, Niki (HG8640) will take off from Vienna at 11:30 and land in the Greek capital at 13:35. The return flight (HG8641) will leave Athens at 14:25 and land in Vienna at 16:45.
“Greece has become the strongest growth market for NIKI over the past few years,” says Niki’s Managing Director Christian Lesjak. “The recently decided-upon fleet conversion and our position as market leader will enable us to offer more flights from Vienna to Greece in the future.”
(Source: protothema)

Take part in the Santa Fun Run in Chania, Crete (photos + video)

Those who take part get 25% off their fare to Crete!

Over 5,000 Santa Clauses are preparing for the 4th Santa Run on December 27 on the island of Crete. The Santa run combines the ordinary fun event as people run with Santa suits with Cretan hospitality and treats along the way.

The run that had initially been started by a group of friends on the island has been gaining in popularity with just 400 participants in 2011, 1,500 in 2012 and 3,000 in 2013. The benefit run allows participants to have fun and enjoy the festivities while also gathering money for good causes.
 

Participation packages:
a) Single participant 15 € (after the 20/12 participation fee is 20 €)
b) Group participation. You can buy one or more entries for the whole gang and make a group participation! The largest group will be awarded!
c) Donation. The most generous Santa Claus will also be awarded! If you wish to help further the charitable purpose of the Santa Run, you can raise money from friends and acquaintances and to participate in form of a donation, choosing 20 €, 50 €, 100 € or a combination (select amounts cumulatively ) . The largest donation by a participant will be rewarded… begin finding your sponsors and become the most generous Santa Claus of the 2013 Santa Run!

Each participant receives
– A Santa Claus Costume
– Treats on the route
– Free entrance to the party
– 1 additional beer at the party
– Gifts and Sponsor contributions

Those who participate in the Santa Run receive 25% off their ferry tickets on ANEK lines from December 18 through to January 10.


Payment for your participation
Transfer to the following bank account:
Piraeus Bank
Beneficiary: Santa Run
Ar.Log .: 5758-069618-527
IBAN: GR31 0172 7580 0057 5806 9618 527
To claim your participation, and if you choose to pay by bank deposit, we will also need to complete and entry form (right).
or visit the following businesses
1) Santa Run, Tzanakaki 17,Chania
2) Galerie de baute, Tzanakaki 34,Chania
3) Sports Stavros, An.Papandreou 57, Chania
CLICK HERE for more info.
(Source:ptothema)

"Top Venues for Live Theatre" Ranks Herod Atticus Odean Second Best!!

The Athenian Herod Atticus Odean that sits beneath the Acropolis, has been deemed the second-best location worldwide, to watch live performances!

Canadian newspaper Globe and Mail conducted a "Top Venues for Live Theatre" list and ranked venues around the map that offer live music, dance and theatre performances.
When discussing Herod Atticus, the news portal described its historical relevance and deemed it, "...the perfect location where modern music meets with the ancient atmosphere." The top ranking site was The Minack Theatre in England, while Sydney's Opera House placed third.

Registrations are open: 6th Poseidon Athens Half Marathon

6th Poseidon Athens Half Marathon

The 6th Poseidon Athens Half Marathon, the great athletic event aiming to raise awareness regarding diabetes and obesity, will be held on Sunday, April 26, 2015.

With the phrase “Everyone’s a winner” as its moto, the event includes several races apart from the Half Marathon race such as a Relay Half Marathon race (2 runners), a quarter Marathon race, a Fun Run and a Power Walking race.
The courses make their way past the most beautiful spots of the coastline at Faliro area. In the case of the Half Marathon race, these include among others the Nautical Tradition Park, the battleship Averof, the trireme “Olympias”, the Water Square, the Park of Kallithea and the Peace and Friendship Stadium.
The finish line for all races is in the track of the Cultural and Sports Centre of the Municipality of Palaio Faliro.
Apart from the races, various other events will also take place from April 24 to April 26, inviting everyone to participate.
The event is under the auspices of the Municipality of Palaio Faliro, the Hellenic Association of Mass Popular Sports & Ultra Running Clubs (EOSLMA-Y), the European Federation “Sports for All” (UESpT) and the Hellenic Diabetes Association (EDE).
For more info: www.poseidon-athenshalfmarathon.com
 

26/04/2015 - 26/04/2015

Location: ATTICA ATHENS

(source:visitgreece)

Hours - Comments

Date: 26/04/2015. Area: Athens. Place: Faliro bay area. Start. T.: 08:30 (Half Marathon race, Relay race, ¼ Marathon race), 08:45 (Fun Run, Power Walking), 09:00 (all other races).

Amphipolis most searched word by Greeks on Google

The uncovering of the Alexander the Great-era tomb at Amphipolis in northern Greece is the subject that most intrigued Greek web users, according to statistics made public on Tuesday by Google.
According to the search engine, Amphipolis was the most searched word on Greek Google this year.
Elections featured heavily in the top 10, with three references: “Elections 2014,” “Where do I vote” and “Interior Ministry” – the latter being the government department that publishes details of polling stations and results.
State broadcaster NERIT was the third most popular search, followed by this year’s edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. The 2014 World Cup and the iPhone 6 also made it into the top 10.
(source: ekathimerini.com)