Peacefulness…

I looked at grey sky
A quiet seagull flew by
And I felt its peace…

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Paleochora: The insular “Mystras”

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On the steep hill that is located opposite the Monastery of Agios Nektarios, at the area of Xantos, is the location of the ruins of Paleochora, the Byzantine capital of Aegina, also known as the “island Mistras”.

 

At the same area was the ancient city of Oie, while in the 5th-6th century Christian churches must have already been there. The Byzantine settlement dates in 896, when the people of Aegina moved here trying to avoid pirate raids.

The city developed amphitheatrically on the slope of the hill, with

Mandrake… Satan’s Apple

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Στη βοτανολογία ονομάζεται Mandragora officinarum και είναι γνωστός και ως «το μήλο του Σατανά».

Ernest Board, Dioscorides describing the mandrake, 1909

 

Fans of Harry Potter must remember the scene from the second movie ‘Harry Potter and the Secret Chamber’ when Professor Sprout pulls out a squealing Mandrake from its pot during Herbology class.

In real life, Mandrake is a plant related to deadly nightshade and has roots that resemble the male and female human form.

Pierre de Coubertin’s Monument

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Pierre Frédy, Baron de Coubertin (1 January 1863 – 2 September 1937) was a French pedagogue and historian, founder of the International Olympic Committee, and considered father of the modern Olympic Games.

Ç çèïðïéüò Êáôåñßíá ËÝ÷ïõ, ìå ôçí éäéüôçôá ôçò ÐñùèéÝñåéáò, êñáôÜ ôçí ÏëõìðéáêÞ Öëüãá êáôÜ ôç äéÜñêåéá ôçò ôåëåôÞò ÁöÞò ôçò ÏëõìðéáêÞò Öëüãáò, óôçí Áñ÷áßá Ïëõìðßá, ôçí Ôñßôç 24 Ïêôùâñßïõ 2017. Ïé ××ÉÉÉ ÷åéìåñéíïß Ïëõìðéáêïß Áãþíåò “PyeongChang 2018” èá ðñáãìáôïðïéçèïýí áðü ôéò 09 Ýùò ôéò 25 Öåâñïõáñßïõ 2018. ÁÐÅ-ÌÐÅ/ÌÐÅ/ÃÉÁÍÍÇÓ ÊÏËÅÓÉÄÇÓ

The first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896 in Athens, Greece, and the second, the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. He was buried in Lausanne (the seat of the IOC), although, in accordance with his will, his heart was buried separately in a monument near the ruins of ancient Olympia.

Courtroom sketch

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Οι σκιτσογράφοι στις μεγάλες “κλειστές” δίκες

A courtroom sketch is an artistic depiction of the proceedings in a court of law. In many jurisdictions, cameras are not allowed in courtrooms in order to prevent distractions and preserve privacy. This requires news media to rely on sketch artists for illustrations of the proceedings.

Old Greek cafes – Kaphenia

Ὁ Ῥωμηός

Στὸν καφενὲ ἀπ᾿ ἔξω σὰν μπέης ξαπλωμένος,
τοῦ ἥλιου τὶς ἀκτῖνες ἀχόρταγα ρουφῶ,
καὶ στῶν ἐφημερίδων τὰ νέα βυθισμένος,
κανέναν δὲν κοιτάζω, κανέναν δὲν ψηφῶ…….

 

Efi’s stone craft decoupage

The kaphenia (cafes) are an integral part of Greek culture, places for locals to talk to each other and share news. They first appeared at the beginning of the 20th century, and some of them still exist.

Described as historical cafés, kaphenia sustain their classic atmosphere by serving both traditional and modern desserts with coffee of supreme flavor. Here are our favorite kaphenia if you want to explore Athens’s unique historical café culture.