Photo of the day: Are you ready for swim?

Today in Plakias, Crete: 26 degrees Celsius!!

Amphipolis: Skeleton found, mystery remains (photos + 3D interactive tour)

A skeleton has been found in the monument for the mortal who was probably worshipped by his society at the time

Archaeologists in northern Greece announced on Wednesday that they found a skeleton belonging to a distinguished ancient celebrity from the time of Alexander the Great in the ancient tomb at Amphipolis. Chief archaeologist Katerina Peristeri speculated that “the tomb in all probability belongs to a male and a general.”

The skeleton found is housed in a wooden coffin once held together by iron and bronze nails and studded with bone and glass decorations. Though the coffin has disintegrated over time, the skeletal remains are intact and were found both inside and outside the floor of the tomb, possibly as a result of the looting during ancient times.

Archaeologists estimate that the person whose remains were found was 1.8 meters tall, however there will need to be complex lab work and an analysis of organic residue that could take months to complete before having a clearer picture of the occupant of the tomb. The analysis will allow archaeologists to restrict the number of potential candidates that the tomb belongs to rather than point to a single person with certainty, possibly Nearchos or Hephaistion, or even Alexander the Great, event though finding the latter is unlikely if historical sources are taken into account.

An analysis of the bone structure will give a clearer idea of the occupant’s build, health and injuries they may have had during their lives that could give scientists more clues when pinpointing the identity of the occupant of the tomb.

The announcement of the discovery of the skeleton overshadowed any other discussion on the monument and a number of serious questions remain unanswered. For instance, the question as to why the monument was sealed even though it had been looted. Furthermore, there is a strong contrast between the pre-chambers and size of the monument compared to the no-frills decor in the main burial chamber and the frugal space in the underground cist grave where the skeleton was found.

Take the tour...

Amphipolis Tomb by Greektoys.org (new update #3)
by Greektoys.org
on Sketchfab

The excitement of finding the skeleton dominated the discussion, however noteworth is the fact that over 500 pieces of the surrounding wall were found near the place where the Lion of Amphipolis sits. More than 100 stones were discovered just a couple of days ago in Lake Kerkini where the pieces were transferred in 1936 by the company Ulen who were responsible for the construction of the Dam at Kerkini.
(Source:prototema, Greektoys, sketchfab)

The simple is beautiful... Thank you Paolo!

     When the art meets the perfect places...                                            

"You don't take a photograph, you make it"
                 Ansel Adams
                                        http://www.paolosarti.ch/

Photo of the day: November in Plakias!!

And the winners of the 32nd Athens Marathon are… Kenyan! (photos + video)!!

The race brought people from 120 countries to run the ancient route!!
Kenyan long-distance runner Felix Kandie is the winner of the 32^nd Athens Classic Marathon with a record win after he covered the 42km-course in 2:10:36. With this result he broke the previous record set by Italian Stephano Baldini at 2:10:55.

“This is my first time in Athens and I am happy,” he said. “I desired to be in the top three and manage to do my best time. The people here were very good and the atmosphere was welcoming. Running at the historic Panathinaic stadium made me happy. I had heard about this stadium in Kenya and I am very happy.”

Raymond Bett, also from Kenya, came second. This was his fourth time at the Athens Marathon and he had reserved optimism despite being last year’s winner and receiving first place in the Marathon twice and second place twice in previous years. He was pleased with his time.

The best Greek winner was Christoforos Meroussis from the isle of Chios with 2 hours and 25 minutes.

(source:protothema)

"Crete the island inside you" - Crete Daydreaming

The Region of Crete continues to promote the island..
Amazing work with new video!!

Mediterranean cooking: Octopus stew with eggplants and potatoes!

A traditional recipe that brings out the flavor and the aroma of the fresh octopus.

Serves: 6 Preparation time: 30m Cooking time: 60m Ready in: 1h 30m
A traditional recipe that brings out the flavor and the aroma of the fresh octopus.
Ingredients
An octopus weighing approximately 1½-2 kg, cleaned and washed
6 small striped eggplants cut in large cubes
6-8 small potatoes, halved or 4 medium potatoes, diced
1 large onion, finely chopped
5-6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and grated
1 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
2-3 bay leaves
2/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
Preparation method
Step 1
Cut the octopus into large pieces and place them in a saucepan. Over medium heat, let the octopus boil in its own juices until tender.
Step 2
Sauté the eggplant cubes in half the oil until golden brown. Sauté the potatoes for a few seconds and place them with the eggplant cubes.
Step 3
Heat the remaining oil and sauté the onion until wilted. Add the octopus and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomato, the parsley, the bay leaves and the pepper. Do not add salt because the octopus itself is salty. Simmer for 2 minutes.
Step 4
Place over the octopus the eggplants and potatoes. Cover the saucepan and let it the ingredients simmer until the octopus is tender and the sauce thickens. If needed, add a little water occasionally. Taste for salt at the end and season if necessary.
Source: Olive magazine
Chef: Georgia Kofina
Photo: Vangelis Paterakis
Food Styling: Antonia Kati