Crete: The Apokriés, or Carnival season in Rethymno, Brings Thousands of Tourists...

Since 1914 beautiful Renaissance Rethymnon has been celebrating the carnival with its many humoristic events. A carnival of another era leaving behind its nostalgic aroma of romantic balls and the Rethymnians through laughter and their comical antics paying their tribute to "His Excellence, The King of the Carnival."
The Treasure Hunt, an old custom dating back to when the Carnival of Rethymno began about a century ago, was the reason for the creation of 'teams' in 1990, which would give birth once again to this age-old tradition.
In 1993, the Municipality of Rethymnon decided to help fund this popular event and requested the teams to take on the challenging task of creating and organising the Carnival of Rethymnon, which has become the most popular and famous Carnival of Crete!

 The whole town becomes one big party: for almost a whole month, the city plays host to a succession of fun-filled celebrations, bringing together locals and visitors who participate in this carnival because they love to enjoy every moment of their lives. You will see groups of people sitting together in traditional cafés (kafeneia) drinking “tsikoudiá” (raki), tasting Cretan titbits and thinking up “mantinádes” (folk couplet songs) on the spot.
The Carnival in Rethymno, an institution with a great history, has withstood the test of time and returns each year full of vigour. It is a superb way to raise your spirits, meet new people and experience an event that is pure magic.

 (source:Plakiassuites 
VisitGreece
RethymnoCarnival)

Best places to travel in 2015: Athens, the third best destination in Europe!

20 selected destinations competed for the prestigious title of Best European Destination 2015. After a three-week online voting period, Bordeaux was elected as the Best European Destination 2015 and won this prestigious title.

Lisbon, Athens, Valetta, Riga, Zagreb, Ljubljana, Innsbruck, Milan, Brussels, Vienna, Rome, Barcelone, Istanbul and Madrid were not far behind as far as best destinations for a holiday or city-trip in 2015 were concerned, with Greece coming third!

Athens is considered the cradle of western civilization. Over the years, a multitude of conquerors occupied Athens, and erected unique, splendid monuments - a rare historical palimpsest, evident everywhere in the city.

 

The contemporary urban scenery of the sprawling city reflects its exciting history, its multi-cultural modern personality as well as the infrastructure and facilities. In other words, Athens is a must destination that combines modern urban innovation with history, culture and natural beauty throughout the year. 

 

Straight from the Cretan earth...

The metro at Syntagma offers commuters a chance to sample traditional Cretan products from February 16 through to 21. The metro’s conference hall will be filled with kiosks offering Cretan cheese, bread, honey, raki, wine, marathopites and a number of other local products served with a smile.

 (source:protothema)

Mediterranean cooking: Beef roll stuffed with kefalograviera cheese and peppers.

Slow-cooked for hours in greaseproof paper and foil for an even better taste
Serves: 6 Preparation time: 20m Cooking time: 3h.20m Ready in: 3h.40m

Ingredients
½ kg shoulder of beef
200g. kefalograviera cheese, cut into sticks
1 green pepper into strips
1 red pepper, in strips
3-4 cloves of garlic
olive oil
salt, freshly ground pepper
Preparation method
step 1
Ask from the butcher to open the shoulder in a rectangular piece. Mix salt and plenty of pepper in a bowl. Cut the garlic into oblong pieces and dip in salt and pepper.
step 2
With a sharp knife make a few holes in the meat and place pieces of garlic. Spread over the meat on both sides with a little olive oil and season to taste.
step 3
Preheat the oven to 220 ° C. Place pieces of cheese and green and red peppers at one end of the meat along. You begin to wrap the meat as roll sealing in the filling ingredients. Continue with the second row of cheese and pepper. Then wrap again. Repeat until you make a complete roller.
step 4
Tie with baking  string and wrap in two baking sheets taking care to cover well and the side edges of the roll. Wrap also in a piece of foil. Put the roll in a tray and bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.
step 5
Then, lowering the temperature to 150 ° C and continue baking for 3 hours and is ready to serve.

Source: Olive Magazine
 Chef: Ioanna Stamoulou
Photo: Giorgos Drakopoulos
  Food Styling: Tina Webb

Get Greek: Mediterranean diet can reduce risk of stroke, new study shows!

A new study conducted by researchers at the Columbia University Medical Center has revealed a correlation between eating traditional Mediterranean foods and a lower risk of ischemic strokes – that is, strokes caused by a lack of oxygen-rich blood in the brain. The study was conducted in order to analyze relationships between dietary habits and various health issues, including heart disease and mental degeneration.
 
Dr. Ayesha Sherzai, a neurologist at the Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, led a team in examining data acquired from over 104,000 people who took part in the long-term study. The participants were all female teachers from California, with an average age of 52. After adjusting for physical activity and cardiovascular risk factors, the study concluded that women who followed a Mediterranean diet plan had a noticeably lower stroke risk.
The Mediterranean diet that Sherzai recommended mostly consists of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, fish, poultry, whole grains, and a fair amount of olive oil. It reduces the consumption of sugar, dairy, red meat, and saturated fats. The members of the long-term study were split into five groups depending on how closely they followed the proscribed diet.
Strokes are a primary health concern both in the U.S. and across the globe. Treatments are frequently expensive, and taking preventative diet measures is one of the best ways to insure health. Last year, the American Stroke Association and the American Heart Association recommended the Mediterranean diet to reduce the risk of stroke.
However, Sherzai’s findings indicated that one type of stroke cannot be influenced by altering dietary patterns. Hemorrhagic strokes, which constitute 20 percent of all cardiovascular incidents, occur when ruptured blood vessels in the brain lead to internal bleeding, and cannot be prevented by eating habits.
The study’s findings will be presented this year at the American Stroke Association’s annual meeting in Nashville, TN.
(By Katharine Gripp, National Monitor | February 15, 2015)

When is the best time to visit Crete?

People who think about visiting Crete often ask: When is the best time to visit Crete?

There are many answers to this question, but for people who want a unique experience of the real life in Crete and Greece, I would suggest them to choose the week of the Greek Orthodox Easter.... 

Plakias Suites

 
Season 2015 Non-refundable Rate for Low Season:

Kleio Suite : (25/03/2015 - 30/04/2015, Two – roomed Suite (2 persons) 65€

Contact us
  Free sun beds loungers and umbrellas on the beach!!
 
We have obtained for our clients a 12% discount (www.alianthos-group.com) and you can pick up your car directly from the airport .

On this day: 35 years without the great Nikos Xilouris

Thirty five years later, we honor the Archangel Cretan with lyre, Nikos Xilouris or Psaronikos... born in 1936 in Crete, Anogia, from a family with musical tradition.