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Anthony Bourdain in Greece Episode Airs

I’m stoked to see that the classic episode chosen to precede Anthony Bourdain’s much-heralded 100th episode celebration of “No Reservations” on the Travel Channel Monday night is the one shot in Greece in 2007, featuring foods on Crete and Zakynthos.  The more people who are reminded of Greece’s many – and increasing – pleasures as [...]

Airliner Makes Fiery Emergency Landing on Kos

An  Air Explore airliner with an engine on fire made a successful emergency landing on the Greek island of Kos on Saturday. The plane with 167 persons aboard was evacuated by slide;  fortunately, no injuries were reported. It originated in Verona, Italy.Kos or Cos, the island of Asclepius, has been known since ancient times for [...]

Italian Tourist Killed on Mykonos

An Italian tourist trying to take a photograph apparently slipped on a rockpile and was killed by a dislodged rock on the Greek island of Mykonos Wednesday. The owners of a construction site have been cited for safety violations.
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New Greece Smoking Ban Begins

Will it work this time? Greece has enacted an EU-regulation friendly smoking ban for public places in Greece beginning September 1st, 2010. While previous restrictions have been going into effect – at least in theory – over the past few years, this one is much more sweeping. With a high rate of smokers – nearly [...]

Variety Cruises Advance Discounts for 2011

Variety Cruises is offering advance-purchase discounts on their Greek island cruises for all of 2011.  While in this uncertain travel environment I think there will be opportunities for last-minute discounts throughout 2011 on nearly all providers,  if you are an advance planner, this is one way of saving money up front and being able [...]

Eat Pray Love – In Greece

Don’t get me wrong – I love both the book and the movie “Eat Pray Love”.  But darn it all, I can’t help but think that the author would have had an even more marvelous time in Greece – where eating is a prayer of love, where the famed “Light of Greece” can’t help but [...]

Acropolis To be Open for Tuesday Night’s Full Moon

Good news – if it holds. The security guards at the Acropolis have come to an agreement and the iconic monument of Greece will be open for Tuesday night’s popular “Full Moon in August” celebration.
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Royalty Gathers on Spetses for Wedding

More:
Hello Magazine: Joyous smiles as Nikolaos prepares to make Tatiana his princess in island wedding
The Greek island of Spetses is the site of a royal Greek wedding as the former crown prince of Greece, Nicholas, marries his longtime girlfriend Tatiana Blatnik.
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Continental, Aegean Airlines Start Codeshares

U.S.-based carrier Continental Airlines and Aegean Airlines are announcing new codeshares which will make it easier for some travelers to reach Greece. While some routes still need approval for the codesharing, a number of flights will now be codeshared. This makes it easier for ticketing and for the transfer of luggage en route to Greece.
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Acropolis Closed for Full Moon Night

As feared, this year’s Full Moon celebration August 24th may be affected by budget cuts. The security guards at the Acropolis have refused to work that night, citing no to low pay for the extra hours, Greek Reporter is noting.
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Greek Olive Oil: It’s In Your Genes

A new report on the benefits of extra-virgin olive oil shows a surprising result – olive oil actually changes the way human genes work, reducing the risk of heart disease. This means that the delightful “Mediterranean Diet”, originally researched on Crete, may be even more potent for health than previously believed. Since Greek olive oil from [...]

Aigina 5th Annual International Music Festival

Aigina, also spelled Aegina, Egine, Egina – well, you get the idea – is again hosting its summer music festival.
This quick-to-get-to Greek island is a great way to squeeze in an island experience if you’ve discovered that you’ve booked one too many days in Athens. And the music festival makes this beautiful island even more attractive as [...]

Feast of the Dormition in Greece

If you’re in Greece right now, don’t assume anything is open on the festival date of August 15th, when the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Feast of the Dormition is observed. This is a major holiday for the Greeks, observing the day when the Virgin Mary is believed to have ascended into heaven, and they [...]

Dollar Gains Again Against Euro

U.S. travelers to Greece are enjoying an improving dollar-euro exchange rate – but will it last? And just what rate will your bank use to calculate your ATM withdrawals and credit card charges? That can be a mystery – the only guarantee is that, for better and worse,  it won’t be exactly the rate you’re [...]

West Nile Virus Hits Greece

At least sixteen cases of West Nile Virus have been confirmed in Greece, with two elderly patients succumbing to the disease which is striking Macedonia and other areas of Northern Greece.
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On this Day in Greece – August 8th

On this date back in 1303, a major earthquake struck the island of Crete.  It generated a tsunami in Greece and throughout the Mediterranean and was widely chronicled at the time.
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Aegina’s Romance Quotient Rises

Or at least that’s one way of looking at the power outages which have struck the beautiful island near Athens. Apparently underwater power cables bringing power to Aegina suffered damage and this has resulted in numerous outages. Some businesses reportedly hauled out the oil lamps once used by their yia-yias (grandmothers) in an effort to [...]

State of Emergency Declared for Fire-struck Samos Island

The Greek government has announced a state of emergency for beleaguered Samos Island, once again the vicitm of wildfires. Some resorts have been evacuated as a precaution, eKathimerini reports. Many of the fires which have scorched parts of the island are believed to be the work of arsonists who time their crimes to take advantage [...]

Poseidon Yacht Cruise 50% Off

Poseidon Cruises has a few spaces left on a week-long Aegean Adventure yacht tour of the Greek islands, and it’s a great bargain at $995 per person. I recently had the opportunity to join them on a press cruise on the 62 ft yacht “Margarita”, and it was a fascinating way to travel through the [...]

Now in Theaters – LGORL – Oops, Agora

One of the best things travelers to Greece can do is learn to recognize the letters of the Greek alphabet as it makes reading roadsigns in remote areas much easier.

Which is why the movie industry drives me crazy. It was bad enough when
“My Big Fat Greek Wedding” came out with cutesy posters using the Greek letter [...]

Fuel Shortages May Affect Travelers in Greece

A  strike by truckers who carry fuel is causing shortages in some parts of Greece as talks between the government and the drivers break down.
If you are planning on driving yourself in Greece…
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Clash of the Titans Out on DVD

The modern remake of the Ray Harryhausen classic “Clash of the Titans” comes out on DVD and Blu-Ray on July 27th. While the movie was not shot in Greece, it’s full of Greek gods and goddesses, though some of the Olympians got their roles reduced to that of silent extras living in what looked to [...]

Aegean Airlines Sale from London to Athens

Aegean Airlines is offering low prices on a limited number of seats for flights between Athens and London for fall 2010. Seats must be booked by Monday, July 26th for travel between October 1st and December 16th, 2010.
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J.Lo May Face Lawsuit From Canceled Concert

Jennifer Lopez, originally slated to perform in Northern Cyprus, cancelled her concert once the controversial playdate and her planned birthday celebration became an international issue. Now the hotel and concert organizers are threatening J.Lo with a 40-million dollar lawsuit … but they say they won’t file if she shows up in time for the show.
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A Travel Tale of Greece

Every once in a while, I come across a fantastic travelogue of a trip to Greece. This one appealed to me from the title “Death by Baklava” which got me reading about a couple’s intense journey through Greece – including how helpful German could have been to them – which I smiled over since I [...]