Ten kilometers of magnificent scenery along Pinios River and a 25 meter wide canyon is enough to excite the imagination. https://www.gotempi.gr/ Valley of Tempi: a monument of the nature The valley is created by the separation of two mountains (Olympus and Kissavos) after an earthquake. Then, according to historians, all water that covered the plain […]

Many important things can start very simple. In this case only one sentence is enough:  Πάμε για καφέ; (Shall we go for coffee? ). Because coffee in Greece is a very strong part of the country’s cultural identity. Drinking coffee in Greece is not just a break of the day. A whole ritual goes with […]

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 […]

Easter is just around the corner, just like the fever of preparations. Especially in Greece it is one of the most important celebrations of the year and is distinguished by its strong religiosity and its family character. Welcoming Easter with white colour! Because of the season, everyone is attempting a small escape to the countryside […]

The most widespread Greek “sea-expressions”! Language is not static. On the contrary, it is something that evolves over time, travels with us and is influenced by our habits. It is not a set of words and rules. It is a communication code and a way of exchanging information. Of course, it is related to society, […]

Exarchia ….  tear gas in the air, graffiti everywhere, broken windows and some older people complaining to reporters about the lawlessness of their area. “It wasn’t always like this… they say”. The different names of Exarchia in time But what is Exarchia and what exactly happens in this small corner of the city? Where is the […]

Traditions, ghosts and Carnaval Legends always remains a significant part of our traditional background. And even if we know that they have nothing to do with the reality, we keep them as a secret treasure. One of them is the “ghost of Harmena”  in Central Greece (in the region of Amfissa) which comes always in […]

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 […]

“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! […]

The golden larnax of Vergina (Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki) Much has been written and told about the much discussed symbol of Vergina. Some call it a star, others call it a sun … The only sure thing however is that all of them are referring to the same symbol which is depicted on the golden “box” (maybe […]

Saying goodbuy to June! What is the Summer Solstice? Every year on the 20th of June (or 21st) the sun is at the highest point of the sky at the northern hemisphere. That is why on that day the longest day of the year (=summer solstice) is observed – at least for the northern hemisphere-, […]

The history of bread in the world It belongs to our everyday life and is one of the things with the longest history. We are talking of course about bread. “Kneaded” with the history of man and identified with food, survival, worship, and enjoyment. But bread is something more than all of these: it was […]

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 […]

May Day is one of the few holidays that do not carry any religious meaning. Also, it is not a day connected just to labour rights. Since antiquity it is mainly a day related to the fruitfulness of the earth, the end of the winter and the coming of the summer. That is why it […]

Ai Giorgis, the patron of farmers and breeders April 23 is a special day in Greece. It is the feast day of St. George and the second milestone day in the year, after the feast day of St. Demetrios. It is identified with the coming of spring, the sowing and transfer of the flocks to […]

Are there trees that are victims of people’s superstition? Trees that folk tradition associates with curses? And trees that we are happy to accept their fruits but are not welcome in our garden?   The incriminated fig tree One of the most “incriminated” trees is the fig tree. Many do not want it in their […]

Why water is of such an importance in some cultures? Most cultures were born and grew up around the water. That is why people understood its power since very early: either when it was giving life, either when it took life back. One of these cultures is Greece. And as it is normal, water and […]

Bells and the melody of the sheep The sound of the flock is a sound of history. The bells were hung on animals as a sound transmitter but not only. The bell is not a simple tool, but a communication code. Experienced breeders know the sounds so well they can understand when their herd grazes, […]

… 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.