The towers of Mani: made of stone like the landscape, tall, with no special decorations and full of pride they stand there; they are the guards of Mani. They guard the dignity of a clan (=Patria), the tradition of hospitality, the local customs and legends. Michael Palaiologos attempted in 1415 to limit the height of […]

According to the Greek Speleological Society, there are around three thousand caves scattered around Crete. Many of these caves are open to the public and they make the difference to the island’s scenery. People lived in caves thousands of years ago. But in Crete, caves were more than a natural shelter. Originally, they were used […]

It could be a village of war-torn Syria. A village that was marked by the war and forced its inhabitants to abandon it, in order to save themselves. Although the images of the recent past come back to fill us with sadness and unanswered questions. Children running and playing carefree in the streets and men […]

Modern cities: black and white life on a coloured background! The spirit of our times, expressed in the form of coloured shapes, images and signatures on concrete walls. Graffiti and Tags: a new form of art that has entered into our lives in recent years. Many find it unsightly. Many others again think it is an innovation. But […]

Greece: a small country, which seems to be made of water and stone, bathing in the light of the Mediterranean sun. For sure, most of the visitors recognize it as the country of the absolute “blue”, through her beaches and her cloudless sky. Only a few know her other side: the one that experienced craftsmen […]

How well can someone know Greece? Whatever the answer is, it is sure that when in Greece one can always discover new hidden places that will surprise him. So, even if Evia is well-known, the small village of Antia remains unknown to many. But not to the linguists! Antia is hidden deep in the south-east […]

    © Lato / Credit: T. Zacharis “Grico“: the Greek dialect of South Italy. How possible is to hear Greek outside of Greece? Ultimately, it seems not so unlikely! The town of Castrignano dei Greci, as its name reveals, is located in Italy, south of the city Lecce. The strange thing is that its inhabitants speak […]

“It happens(-ed) of Popi” is a common expression used primarily in Greece to describe absolute chaos, panic or a situation which has gotten out of hand.  But where did this come from? And how did a tragic event become a story?  If you want to learn more Greek, see all our courses here! The “famous” Popi! […]

Zakynthos, the island of music, poetry, hospitality … A corner of the Ionian Sea that stands out thanks to its distinct culture and customs. That is why many gave the island the name “Florence of the East”. Its unique traditions, its uncommon tastes, its sunsets (less touristic than Santorini’ s but likewise unforgettable) and finally […]

Sitting in one of the many cafes in the shadow of the once holy (now only touristic) hill of the Acropolis, we enjoy a cup of hot coffee, Greek, or one of the European styled we have grown accustomed to in recent years. In the hustle of the modern city, in an environment with old-fashioned […]

Winter  months Even if January changed many times his name in honour of various emperors, the official name January is of Latin origin. Janus was the Roman guardian of doors and also the god who protected the “new beginnings” or endings. He had two faces, one of which looked forward and the other backward. That […]

“March” or “Martis” is a very old custom. It is believed to have its roots  in Ancient Greece and more specifically in the Eleusinian Mysteries, where the mystics tied a thread, the Kroki (=thread), to their right hand and their left leg.  Nowadays at the first day of March, parents put a bracelet made of […]

WhyFebruary has only 28 days instead of 30 or 31?
The folk version …

According to a folk legend two sisters, one rich and one poor, were in dispute with each other because of the plump children of the poor one who were fed with the leftovers of the rich. Eventually a rupture occurred in the relation of two sisters and the poor left her house in order to start a new life far away on the mountains.

… This place has its own different clock.
Here the time is measured according to the fish of each season and their growth…

It was a beautiful day in mid-October. Although the autumn had made its presence clear enough during the previous weeks,something which made the beautiful mountain of the Centaurs look very dark and melancholic, this year we were very lucky and the weather was absolutely summer-like.