Crete: the Resort of Europe....one of the most hottest destinations for 2013!!

It may be one of the largest islands in the Mediterranean, but Crete offers plenty of intimate experiences, plus plenty of reasons to party -- the island is celebrating a century of union with Greece in December 2013.

Away from the blissful beach resorts, still extremely good value thanks to the country's recent economic woes, chilling of another kind is in full swing.

Crete is developing a reputation as one of the region's finest wine producers, with a growing catalog of extremely drinkable native grape varieties: Vilana and Vidiano, Dafni and Kotsifali, Mandilari and Thrapsathiri.

The best bit? Many of the vineyards are wedged between languid towns where predictably good tavernas dish up uncomplicated, but classic, Cretan fare for a handful of euros.
source: CNN TRAVEL

Crete’s Incredible Hospitality and History

Two new videos that promote the civilization, history, hospitality and merits of all Cretans, have been created by the Region of Crete..

 Crete: Surprisingly Yours!!!!

Photo of the day....The Blue Flag Plakias Beach is ideal for windsurfing, diving and, of course, swimming!!!

Flickr

Student’s Doodle 4 Google For Greece

The painting of a student in Litochoro, a town in Greece, has been featured on the search engine’s central page for May 14. Asterios Reynik, a young pupil from the second elementary school in Litochoro, was the winner of Doodle 4 Google competition that took place in Greece and was open for all students from 6 to 18 years old in Greece.
The competition’s purpose was to encourage the students to use their creativity in order to design Google’s logo. The subject of the 2013 competition was My Greece and doodle reflects what young pupils think of Greece.
At the same time, Google strongly promotes Greek tourism by combining the beginning of summer with Greece, projecting the sun and the sea.
The title of young Asterios’ drawing is My Greece, Sun and Sea. The basic features of the winning doodle also includes the Greek flag. Through his children’s eyes, Asterios added a small boat on the sea and two seagulls on the sky. This is Greece for him – and many around the world, especially with tourism season getting into full swing and hopes of better times for Greece.
The voting was held from April 15 to May 7. The ceremony of the final winner’s announcement took place on May 13. The winner will be enjoying for 24 hours the number one position at the first page of the largest search engine, on May 14.
 source: Greek Reporter

Have a great May!!

On Easter Sunday a gastronomic marathon takes place...

A gastronomic marathon for “tough” competitors and food-party animals brings the 40-day period of fasting to an end. It all starts when people return home from the midnight Resurrection Mass and have the traditional “mayirítsa”, a delicious lemon meat soup made with lamb offal and flavoured with fresh lettuce and dill. Spiced bread, fresh cheese and traditional boiled red eggs complete the event. The eggs are used for a special game this time of year. One player hits the bottom of the other player’s egg with the top of his own. Whichever egg loses, i.e. gets broken, is eaten.
When Greeks talk about Easter they are referring to the whole holiday period, but it is on the actual day of Easter (Easter Sunday) that the partying takes place. At the crack of dawn a lamb or a goat, the superstar of the Easter meal, begins to roast on the barbecues of Greece, some of which are improvised affairs constructed over holes dug in the ground.

In Central Greece they opt for lamb, whereas on the islands they prefer goat stuffed with spices, rice and chopped entrails. Some skill is required to cook some of the dishes and it is usually the experienced ones who will prepare the “kokorétsi”, a dish made with lamb’s entrails wrapped around a spit with its bowel, and the “spleenántero”, i.e. lamb’s bowel stuffed with its spleen. While the meat is cooking, housewives take fresh, unsalted cheese out of its cheesecloth and everyone starts nibbling away at finger food, salads and appetisers, such as the famous Greek dish “tzatziki”.
Now is the time for all the neighbours to prove themselves as accomplished amateur winemakers. Remember that “retsina”, although widely consumed in Greece, is not generally regarded as a particularly classy wine. But there is more to come to make your mouth water and give your eyes a feast when dessert is served: Easter plaited cookies and “tsouréki”, a kind of brioche with a red egg in the middle, are sure to enchant everybody with their sweet aroma. Delicious honey pies made of honey, eggs and mizithra cheese (a traditional, unpasteurized fresh cheese), and sweet cheese tartlets round off the gastronomic orgy.
Join us for music at full blast, folk dancing, red-egg games and an unforgettable food experience!

source: Visit Greece, Plakiassuites

"Gracias, Grecia" / "Thank you Greece"

Καθηγητές και μαθητές, «από το τεχνικό λύκειο μιας ταπεινής γειτονιάς της Μούρθια», εξέφρασαν τις ευχαριστίες τους στον ελληνικό πολιτισμό για την προσφορά του....