Word for the Travel Wise (11/04/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

If you should find yourself in Greece this holiday season for only one day and one day only check out the Greek National Opera. That’s if you’re not in the mood to explore the outdoors, plus it has been said that productions during summer and winter months tend to be the most interesting. Of course that is coming from the Ministry of Tourism, but I’ll take their word for it.

Today’s word is a Greek word from Greece:

imera – day

Online sources for learning Greek for free include BBC Languages and AGNI. The courses at BBC Languages are incredible. Probably one of the best you’ll find online and audio can even be found for today’s word by clicking here. Amerispan offers Greek immersion and language courses in Athens. Pretty pricey, but hey it’s Greece!

Past Greek words: toh karavee, Pascha, aigolios, thello, foni, filaki

Photo of the Day (10/26/06)

by Neil Woodburn on

A few jagged lines and two contrasting colors and strudelmonkey has captured himself a rather nice shot of Mykonos, Greece. Such shots are usually a pleasant accident when I’m behind the camera, but assuming this composition was intended as is, we award Mr. Studelmonkey Photo of the Day. Good job!

Photo of the Day (10/19/06)

by Neil Woodburn on

Here’s a great shot from the Greek Island of Mykonos where the island’s beautiful white houses are so over-photographed they’ve become a cliché. Peteppp, however, has managed to capture a unique perspective that gives the place a bizarre, M.C. Escher twist.

Better stay away from the ouzo if you ever find yourself wandering around here!

Word for the Travel Wise (09/30/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Here’s another interesting blog out of Greece. This one is called Elginism, which means an act of cultural vandalism and focuses on museum scandals and ancient art. Certainly isn’t your average blog, but that’s what I dig about it. If you’re headed to the country and plan on doing some museum hops it may be worth the time to pick up some inside info just to have some conversation pieces if the opportunity so arises.

Today’s word is a Greek word from Greece:

filaki – prison

Online sources for learning Greek for free include BBC Languages and AGNI. The courses at BBC Languages are incredible. Probably one of the best you’ll find online and audio can even be found for today’s word by clicking here. Amerispan offers Greek immersion and language courses in Athens. Pretty pricey, but hey it’s Greece!

Past Greek words: toh karavee, Pascha, aigolios, thello, foni

Paros: Greece’s Newest Party Island

by Neil Woodburn on

The islands of Greece are a little bit like nightclubs; some quickly become hot spots while others fade to obscurity.

When I first traveled to Greece, Ios was the big party island. Then it became Mykonos. And now, according to an article in The New York Times, Paros has assumed the throne.

I spent a few days on this island ten years ago but it was a rather quiet place at the time. The beautiful beaches and quaint harbors and little villages were wonderful and very underrated, however, and it seemed only a matter of time before everyone else discovered the charm of this island.

Today, it’s busting its gut with restaurants and nightclubs and is so crammed with tourists in the summer months that it’s almost impossible to find accommodations.

Although this may sound slightly horrendous, it is not reason enough to avoid the island. Paros is 13 miles long and offers many secluded areas to which one can escape the tourist throngs.