Posts include information about Ermioni, Ermionida and the Argolida region

Greek Wildfires Return

New wildfires continue on Wednesday 23rd August 2023 with a huge cloud of smoke covering the port city of Alexandroupolis and the Evros region in North-Eastern Greece.  A titanic effort to put out the fire continues for a fifth day, which is spreading due to the strong gale-force winds in the Evros area.  5 Canadair aircraft and 8 helicopters are assisting 220

Dormition of the Panaghia

The celebration of the Dormition of the Panaghia in Greece, on the 15th of August, has a special place in the Orthodox calendar.  Panaghia, as the Greeks call the most Holy Virgin Mary (Maria) gave birth to Our Lord Jesus Christ.  Known in Greek as Kimisis tis Theotokou or Dekapentavousto, this major annual celebration is linked to the Mother of

Marianna Vardinogiannis 1943-2023

Marianna Vardinogiannis, a prominent philanthropist, a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and wife of the president of Motor Oil and shipping magnate Vardis Vardinogiannis, died on Monday 24th July 2023.  Marianna was 80 years old.  Together they had five children, Giannis, Christiana, George, Nikos and Vardianna.  An activist for the rights and protection of children, Vardinogiannis was also the founder of

Greek Wildfires

Two separate major wildfires on Monday 17th July 2023 were tearing through the country as it suffers the effects of a scorching heatwave called 'Cleon'.  Greek authorities ordered the evacuation of the villages of Kallithia, Pefki and Irini near the coastal spa town of Loutraki, just 5kms north of the Corinth Canal. 

Heatwave 'Cleon'

The Greek heatwave called 'Cleon' hit the country on Friday 14th June 2023 after a gradual build-up of heat in the days before.  It is expected to continue over the weekend, with meteorologists predicting highs of over 41°C in many parts of the country.  Temperatures in Athens reached 44°C on Friday, with the

2nd General Election

Greeks headed to the polls again on Sunday 25th June in a bid to elect a government for the second time in just over a month.  After the original election held under the system of simple proportional representation, Sunday's ballot will be carried out with the system of reinforced proportionality, which means that the winning party will be awarded a bonus of 20 to 50 seats in parliament.  It receives 20

'Klidonas' in Ermioni

'Klidonas' is an annual festival celebrated in Ermioni, on the evening of 23rd June.  Klidonas was originally celebrated throughout ancient Greece as it was an ancient pagan fire purification ceremony and celebrated the start of summer, a form of summer solstice.  During the Christian era, the festival was adopted by the new religion as the birth date of Saint John the Baptist, although yo

Stars in Ermionida

Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the worlds largest international luxury goods company, chose Greece to make its global summer show in their Louis Vuitton high jewellery segment. 

Getting to Ermioni

Getting to Ermioni has changed since the Covd-19 pandemic and Putin's invasion of Ukraine.  The travel routes remain the same, but the effect on timetables and ticket prices have changed dramatically.  The majority of visitors to Ermioni tend to come from Athens, foreigners from the International Airport or people who live in the greater Athens area.  This journey has changed for many, with restricted timetab

Driving in Greece

Most Greeks and visitors to Greece will experience the varying standards and degrees of driving within Greece.  Most Greeks themselves admit to driving their automobiles and motorbikes where only they themselves (Ego or Me) have the right of passage, irrespective of road safety standards and other road users.  According to a recently released Ipsos survey for Vinci Autoroutes Foundation, surveying 12