Archive

Photos in Athens I had forgotten about that sky. So blue, so clear. Day after day the clouds stayed away, perhaps finding somewhere cooler. For the neverending azure blanket that lit up the city but also brought an oppressive heat. I was reminded of summer in Athens when I was looking through some photos of ...

Monastery at Daphni, Athens Piece by piece, tiny tile by tiny tile, the monastery at Daphni is being restored. It’s taken years and it’s bound to take years more – perhaps even longer than it took to build in the first place. Such is the art of making something old look old again. And it’s ...

The Acropolis, Athens It’s always a bit strange, I find, actually going to one of the world’s most famous landmarks. There’s so much expectation there. You’ve seen so many photos – often making the place look better than it could ever be in real life – that you fear the actual thing couldn’t possibly live ...

Trendy bars in Athens, Greece In the heart of Athens, heritage and history are making way for the modern. Tradition is morphing into a new cosmopolitan era, championed by the young of the ancient city. The Greek tavernas are coming of age. The nightspots of Athens have never really been considered ‘trendy’ before but all ...

Archaeological Site of Mycenae While it’s the Acropolis in Athens which gets all the attention when people think of Ancient Greece, another one, further south in the Peloponnese, has a much more romantic history. On the site known as Mycenae, the Mycenaean culture built their citadel. For about four hundred years between the 16th and ...

Greek islands sailing tour The first surprise I got was when I saw the boat. I had been expecting a small yacht – something adventurous with lots of ropes that would need pulling, decks that would need scrubbing, mutineers who would need keel hauling… that kind of thing. After all, this was a sailing trip ...

Jackie Onassis naked She thought she was safe, far away from the creatures that chased her, armed with their notebooks and cameras. She thought she had found a sanctuary where she could be free from constant fear of an invasion. So it was here, on the island of Skorpios in the Ionian Sea, that Jackie ...

Traditional taverna on Kefallinia Twelve years ago the Gonata family opened their restaurant on the Greek island of Kefallinia. Back then, in the town of Ay Eufimia, there were only a few other businesses. The port had once been the main stopping point for ferries to the island but that all changed after the facilities ...

A yacht trip in the Ionian Sea We tune the boat’s radio to channel 72. “Vathi harbour, this is Gypsy Love,” we say into the handset. There’s a bit of static then a crackle. “Gypsy Love, we have a space for you,” comes the reply. “You can pull in in front of the restaurant with ...

The first olympics The Olympic Games have not changed all that much since ancient days. Thousands of years ago, the games were designed to please the Greek gods of Mount Olympus. These days, they’re designed to please the gods of modern capitalism – sponsors, television networks and tourism boards. It has, and always will be, ...