Posts include information about Ermioni, Ermionida and the Argolida region

New Olympic Museum

The new Olympic Museum of Athens opened to the general public on Friday 14th May.  Greece's new Museum is located at the Golden Hall shopping centre in the Maroussi suburb of Athens.  Visitors are invited to a unique journey through the long and exciting history of the Olympic Games, where three main events of the Olympic Games Ideal are highlighted.  1) The birth of the Olympic Games in ancient Ol

Greece to 'Reopen'

Greece will lift most of its existing lockdown restrictions on Friday 14th May, as it 'reopens' to the world.  The Greek government announced that it would cancel the rule stipulating that all citizens must send an SMS message to be allowed to leave the house for any reason, and lift the current ban on travel between regions.  However, restrictions will still apply to Greeks living on the mainland who

Do you speak Greek?

Numerous languages across the Western world have borrowed words, phrases and expressions from the Greek (Hellenic) language.  English, which is presently the most spoken language, has borrowed thousands of words from Greek.  Studies have shown the influence of ancient and modern Greek on Latin-based languages, especially English, the study confirmed that out of a total of 171,146 English words that are currently in use, 42

Greek Orthodox Easter

This year the Greek Orthodox Easter falls on Sunday 2nd May.  Easter in Greece is the most celebrated festival throughout the whole year, commemorating not only the crucifixion and resurrection, but Easter is also considered to mark the passing of Winter to Spring.  Last year Easter was 'cancelled' due to the developing Covid-19 pandemic, this year there will be

Roadmap out of Lockdown

The Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has set out the 'Roadmap out of Lockdown'.  The government plan is to have Greece out of lockdown, in a three-step process, by mid-May.  The first step in getting Greece back to normal is the opening of restaurants, cafes and tavernas to outdoor dining on Monday 3rd May.  The curfew will also be changed to restrict travel only between 11:00 pm and 05:00 am

Prince Philip 1921 - 2021

Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II's husband, died this morning aged 99.  A statement issued by Buckingham Palace just after midday spoke of the Queen's 'deep sorrow' following his death at Windsor Castle.  HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, the longest-serving royal consort in British history, was at the Queen's side for more than six decades of her reign.  Prince Philip of Greece was born on 10th June 1921 on the isla

First Olympiad Anniversary

Today is the 125th Anniversary of the 'Games of the I Olympiad' held in Athens in 1896.  Organised by the International Olympic Committee, IOC, which had been created by the French aristocrat Pierre de Coubertin, the inaugural Olympic Games were held in Athens from 6th to 15th April 1896.  Officially known as the 'Games of the I Olympiad', they were the first Inte

Retail shops to reopen

After months of nationwide lockdown, smaller retail shops will reopen on Monday 5th April.  Deputy Minister for Civil Proptection Nikos Chardalias announced that customers, with appointments, will be permited to do their shopping under strict anti-virus measures.  However, large super-stores and malls will not reopen.  People will have to send a message to the new SMS text number 13032 t

Independence Day 2021

25th March 2021 marks the 200th Anniversary of Greek Independence Day.  Each year on 25th March, Greeks and Philhellenes all over the world celebrate Greek Independence Day, a national holiday in Greece.  The day, in fact, marks the official beginning of the Greek War of Independence, not the end.  This is when Greeks remember their long and

25th March 1821 - 2021

Greece will celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the start of the Greek War of Independence on 25th March 2021.  Although this is the ceremonial date of the Greek rebellion against the Ottoman Empire, the uprising did not start in Kalavrita on 25th March as is often believed.  Although that date was later designated as the beginning of the War of Independence, revolutionary acts ha