Many of the old customs of Chalkidiki are fortunately still observed to this day. Of these, a good number have been brought by the uprooted Greeks from the Propontis, from Smyrna, and other places in Asia Minor. At Galatista, on January 6th and 7th, the custom of the “camel and the bride” is reenacted. It…
Lamia is situated along the National Road to Thessaloniki ( 214 km from Athens ). It can also be reached from Levadia. It is an important road and rail junction and the starting point for excursions into the mountainous inland regions. Lamia itself is a pleasant town flanked by two pine-clad hills. On the summit…
Thousands of years of Greek history cover the towns and the places of the area around the two roads from Athens to Lamia. Thebes, the once-powerful city-state that fell along with Athens in the battle of Chaeronea in the 4th century B.C., has little to show of its past glory and wealth. The remains of…
Livadeia is a modern commercial town and stop-over for visitors on their way to Delphi. Everywhere in the center of the town are restaurants, cafes, and snack bars serving “souvlaki”, the town’s specialty. Just off the center, at the foot of a hill and next to a cool stream is a tourist pavilion and open-air…
Parents club prepares for Oktoberfest Organized by the Our Lady of Fatima Parents Club, Oktoberfest includes about 150 different kinds of beer and more than 20 types of barbecued sausage, along with wine. The event is modeled after the world-famous celebration of Bavarian culture in Munich … Count Sarah Palin among the sane who clearly…
Cephalonia Cephalonia is mountainous, sprawling, and pine-covered. It is the largest of the Ionian Islands. Among its many attractions are the Mycenaean tombs, ancient mosaics, and medieval castles. Tourist centers are located among pine-tree groves and next to sandy beaches, bays, and headlands. Argostoli, the principal town, lies on an inlet deep in Livadi Bay…
Kythira Kythira can be reached from Pireaus, Gythion, or Monemvasia. It is one of the seven Ionian islands, the Eptanissa, but geographically it belongs to the Peloponnese since it lies south of the Laconic Gulf. This mythical island of Aphrodite was a Minoan and then a Phoenician colony before belonging to the Lacedaemonians, in the…
The ruins of this once splendid city lie high up on a hill above the modern town, overlooking both the Corinth and the Saronicos Gulfs. In fact, ancient Corinth owed its power and wealth to this advantageous position between two large harbors, Lechaion in the Gulf of Corinth and Kechreae on the Saronic Gulf. Corinth…
BMW Built A One-Off M3 “Münchner Wirte” For Oktoberfest [w/Video] In addition, the livery includes depictions of Munich landmarks (such as the Olympic Stadium, Siegestor, Frauenkirche church, and BMW’s headquarters – the “four-cylinder” building), a roast chestnut seller, and the Wiesn-Schänke beer tent at the Oktoberfest. Read more on Carscoops (blog) British-born actress Emily Blunt…
Longmont’s Oktoberfest among several weekend festivals Oktoberfest is one of a handful of annual events that the group intends to launch over the next year, to raise at least $ 30,000 annually for the scholarship fund that will be split evenly between a student at Monarch High School … Read more on Longmont Times-Call The…
Oktoberfest promises fun for the entire family Gate 10 will be open to Oktoberfest traffic as follows: Thursday, Sept. 17 at 4:30 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 18 at 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 19 at 11:30 a.m.; and Sunday, Sept. 20 at 11:30 a.m. All adults in the vehicle must have a valid photo ID; the ……
On this second journey, we shall follow the road linking Thessaloniki to the peninsula of Sithonia. After Nea Moudania, a detour in the main road brings us to Aghios Mamas, which is known for its village fête, celebrated in early September, while two kilometers further along another fork in the road leads to Nea Olynthos….
German Police to Separate Oktoberfest Revelers from Migrant Masses, Fears of… As for Oktoberfest, he said he “could not foresee how the many drunken Oktoberfest revelers will behave”, but noted that there were always some incidents and the meeting of a large group of refugees and the revelers could close both the railway … Read…
Pope urges Europe’s Catholic churches to host refugees May every parish, every religious community, every monastery, every sanctuary of Europe host a family, starting from my diocese of Rome, Francis said at the end of his Angelus prayers in Rome on Sunday. “The two parishes in the Vatican these days … Read more on CNN…
Phaistos Another Minoan palace has been found in the ruins of Phaistos ( 64 km from Heraklion ). It has an imposing entrance with a remarkable enormous flight of steps. Phaestos was a rival city of Gortyna ( 47 km from Heraklion ) where were found many interesting inscriptions and among them the famous “God…
LASSITHI Lassithi Plateau, with its 10,000 windmills leisurely churning the air, lies off the main road to Malia. The road zigzags up the mountain until suddenly the whole plain spreads out below, fertile and cultivated. AGHIOS NIKOLAOS From Malia, a smooth and easy drive will take you to Crete’s tourist showplace – the lovely Gulf…
Southeast of Thessalonike lies the peninsula of Chalkidiki. Its three long “fingers” – Cassandra, Sithonia, and Athos – stretch out across the Aegean.The peninsula has been richly endowed by Nature: along the delicate tracery of the coastline a string of enchanting coves and bays alternate with rocky headlands and beaches of golden sand, while groves…
During this part of our travels, we shall get to know the rolling wooded hills and picturesque villages of inland Chalkidiki. We shall follow the road which links Thessaloniki to the shores of Chalkidiki that are washed by the waters of the Gulf of Ierissos. Before coming to Vassilika, we shall take a detour that…
On our journey along the highways and byways of Chalkidiki, we shall first explore the shores of the Strymonic Bay. As we drive southwards, we shall find ourselves in ancient Stageiros, the birthplace of Aristotle, and we shall end up in Ierissos where flourished in antiquity the city of Acanthos. Here too we shall be…
The visitor can take a boat from Ouranoupolis to Daphne ( journey time 1.30-2 hrs. ). Information on boat schedules from tel.23770/71149, fax.79016, and the Ouranoupolis Harbor Police, tel.23770/71248. Occasional kayaks run from Ierissos to the monasteries of the north-eastern coast. For information, contact Ierissos Harbor Police, tel. 23770/22576. FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE HOLY MOUNTAIN…
There is a spa at Loutra Aghias Paraskevis in Cassandra, 85 km., south of Polygyros. Water temp.: 39° C. The installations consist of a hydrotherapy center with two common baths for the treatment of skin diseases, gynecological diseases, rheumatic ailments, arthropathy. Information from tel/fax no. 23740/61439.Information from the marina: 2310/444598, 444594-5, and the Port Authority:…
Before we begin our travels around the varied and beautiful region of Chalkidiki, we should become acquainted, if only briefly, with the city of Thessaloniki itself, the second city in size and importance in Greece and, so to speak, the gateway to Chalkidiki. Thessaloniki is the capital of northern Greece and its largest urban, cultural,…
This part of mainland Greece is one of the largest in the country, extending from the Aegean Sea in the east to the Ionian Sea in the west. In the south, it embraces the Saronic and the Corinth Gulfs and reaches northwards as far as Thessaly ( For Attica see pages 18-37 ). Central Greece…
Climate and Temperature Crete is the largest of the Greek islands. It is blessed with a turquoise blue sea and a wonderful climate. The geographical location of Crete and the climate have created an amazing diversity of flowers, plants, wildlife, and trees. The climate of Crete is a mild Mediterranean climate with temperatures around 12 C…
Archaeological Museum, XANO ( YMCA of Thessalonike ) Square, is on 6 Manoli Andronikou Street.Among its exhibits are architectural fragments from the Archaic temple of Therme, finds from the excavation at Sindos, the amazing and unique treasures from the royal tombs of Vergina, and finds from the tombs at Derveni and the areas around Thessaloniki,…
HOW TO GET TO THESSALONIKI By air Several flights operate daily throughout the year between Thessaloniki ( “Macedonia Airport”, 16 km. from the city ) and Athens ( West/Olympic Airways Airport ). Thessaloniki is also linked by air to Rhodes, Corfu, Ioannina, Herakleion, Chania, Lemnos, Myti-lene, Samos, Chios and Kavala, and in summer to Mykonos…
Founded in the ancient city of Halicarnassus, modern Bodrum is one of the most important tourist centers of Turkey. The characteristic architecture of the town, yachting, and sympathetic people have created the Bodrum of today. Hundreds of Bodrum-made yachts bring visitors from all over the world along the Aegean coast, making them enjoy the beauty…
The province capital of Tyrol, Innsbruck, is situated in the Inn Valley, on the exit of the Wipp Valley surrounded by a beautiful alpine landscape. The city is crossed by the river Inn and separates the Upper from the Lower Inn Valley. Because of the location on the important intersection of the north-south connection of…
Macedonia, the largest and northernmost of the 9 Greek Provinces, is bounded on the north by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Albania. It possesses great fertile plains, many large rivers like the Nestos, the Aliakmon, the Strymon, and the Axios, and several lakes. While the climate along the coast in the Mediterranean, further inland it is continental….
The grandeur of Delphi has to be seen to be believed. Nature and ancient ruins blend in an extraordinary way enhancing the beauty of one another against a set of mountains, terraces, and trees. Situated at a height of 700 meters and a distance of 164 km from Athens, Delphi is impressive in all seasons….
The Eiffel Tower, which has become the symbol of Paris, was erected for the World Fair in 1889. A masterpiece designed by the engineer Gustave Eiffel, it is altogether 1050 feet high, an extremely light, interlaced structure made of 15000 pieces of metal welded together. Its weight of 7000 tons rests on four huge piers…
Is your bag practically packed for your long-awaited European travel adventure this year and you still can’t decide on the best way to travel once you get there? Sure it’s hard to know the best way to book before you book, especially with all the ticket and pass programs that are up for grabs in…
Place de l’Hotel de Ville Its present appearance dates from 1853, but from many centuries, from 1310 to 1830, this vast area was the site of public executions. Flanked by the Rue de Rivoli on one side and the Seine on the other, it is dominated by the wide facade of the Hotel de Ville….
The Schonbrunn Palace is one of the most important cultural monuments in Austria, Katterburg as it was previously called has been in use since the early 14th century. Tenants of greatest acclaim were the Habsburgs who gained possession of the estate in 1569 and held it for 630 years.The palace and its elaborate gardens are…
Salamina ( ancient Salamis ) lies nearest to the coast of Attica and can be reached by the motor launch in about 20 minutes from Piraeus. The narrow strait which separates the island from the mainland marks the site of the celebrated Battle of Salamis ( 480 B.C. ) when the combined Greek fleets defeated…
This large peninsula technically forms an island in southern Greece and resembles a huge mulberry leaf. For this reason, it was called in the Middle Ages Moreas ( from the Greek word for mulberry ). Its ancient name was Peloponnese or Peloponnissos ( the island of Pelops, the mythical King of Phrygia, who later ruled…