Author: Aura Logatou

If you’re planning a trip to Greece, Athens is likely at the top of your list, thanks to its renowned museums. However, travel expert Rick Steves suggests that by only visiting Athens, you might miss out on some of Greece’s most underrated ancient sites. According to islands.com, he recommends three must-visit spots, all within three hours of Athens. Mycenae and the Theater at Epidavros For fans of Homer’s “Iliad” and classic Greek plays, Mycenae is a treasure. Mycenae is a fortress city atop a hill, the center of a powerful civilization that dominated the Greek world between 1600 and 1200 BCE, a thousand…

Promises made to restore the rule of law and deal effectively with the illegal construction on Mykonos, arguably the most famous Greek island, have not been carried out. At least not yet, and definitely not to the extent needed to start making things right. To be fair, it is not an easy task. Strong interests and powerful people with influence are involved. Still, the authorities have to show the necessary resolve to fight corruption. Despite numerous inspections and discoveries by the island’s police, the urban planning abuses continue unabated. There have been very few, if any, cases of illegal constructions…

A tourism tax is not the “right answer” for Weston-super-Mare, the council has warned, amid calls for action against tourists from some in the town. The North Somerset town made its name as a Victorian seaside resort and tourism remains a major part of the town ’s economy. But people who volunteer to pick litter on the beach have called for tourists to have to pay a tax to mitigate the negative impacts of tourism. Sophie Newton runs the Sophie’s Super Litter Picking group and spent more than two and a half hours filling 18 bags with rubbish from the beach on…

Belarus’ place in the European family is not just a dream; it’s a destiny that we, as a nation, are committed to achieving. We seek to join the rest of Europe as a full-fledged democracy, embodying the European values of freedom, equality, and fraternity, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya writes. For almost three decades, my nation has been in the hands of a pro-Russian dictator who rules by fear and denies our identity as a European country of free people. Our struggle for freedom and democracy in Belarus is not just a fight against the oppressive regime of Aliaksandr Lukashenka and Russian imperial…

Council’s commissioner for human rights says some people prosecuted in the Hague for war crimes ‘return to their communities as heroes’ The failure of the countries of the former Yugoslavia to address their violent past has had devastating consequences for human rights and could ultimately lead to a return to conflict in the region, according to a new Council of Europe report. The report, published on Thursday by the council’s commissioner for human rights, Dunja Mijatović, said the region has been backsliding for many years on seeking justice and accountability for the brutal wars of the 1990s in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo,…

The Turkish citizen arrested in Greece last week has been named by Greek media as Ali Yeşildağ, a former associate of the Turkish President who is now a fugitive from the Turkish authorities. A well-known Turkish businessman, Ali Yeşildağ, an alleged former associate of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and reportedly wanted in Turkey, was apparently the Turkish national arrested in Evros, Greece, the Greek media outlet LIFO has reported. Yeşildağ was allegedly arrested on Friday last week, trying to enter Greece illegally. LIFO reported that he was taken to Komotini prison. Yesildag was born in 1961 in Rize province, also President Erdogan’s birthplace. He…

‘Efforts for permanent peace in region should be intensified,’ says foreign minister Greece on Wednesday welcomed the deal on a humanitarian pause between Israel and Hamas. “I would like to welcome today’s agreement between the parties on a humanitarian pause in Gaza and the release of 50 hostages kidnapped following the terrorist attack of October 7,” said Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis in a statement. He maintained that Greece had suggested and worked for a humanitarian pause and the creation of sustainable humanitarian corridors. “In the implementation of the agreement, there must now be an immediate and unhindered flow of humanitarian…

A recent study by Mabrian highlights the integral link between the economic well-being of Italy, Spain, and Greece and the vitality of their tourism sectors. As a result, Italy sees a significant 13 per cent contribution to GDP from tourism, Spain follows closely behind with 12 per cent, and Greece surpasses both with 21 per cent. The analysis tackles the key indicators that shape tourism trends, exploring how tourists perceive the climate in the Mediterranean destinations of these three countries, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. In terms of global rankings, Italy is second among European destinations and the third worldwide according to the ICCA ranking…

Greece and China signed a new bilateral aviation agreement in the context of the visit by Greek Transport and Infrastructure Minister Christos Staikouras to Beijing on Friday. The new agreement, which is fully compatible with European Union legislation and the horizontal agreement between the EU and China, provides for the multiple appointment of air companies by each side. The new aviation agreement will replace the one that has applied since 1973, and modernize the institutional framework on aviation, as well as enhancing the transport of passengers and goods between the two countries, the Greek Transport Ministry said. Source : Ekathimerini

Owning the two properties is part of our transition into retirement Q My wife and I live in a house in the UK which we own together. Recently, we jointly bought a property in Greece with the ultimate intention of moving there on a permanent basis once we have both retired. In the meantime, I may spend increasing amounts of time at the house in Greece as I will be retiring soon. My wife is not ready to retire and intends to continue working, possibly on a six-monthly on/off basis, spending her off time with me in Greece and her work time at…