A peek under the 400-pleated fustanellas and elaborate uniforms worn by the elite Evzones, a real labour of love, embroidered and hand-crafted by the 10-member tailoring department of the Presidential Palace. A photo essay on a unique tailoring tradition by Angelos Giotopoulos. Often the most-photographed subjects of tourists,...
Read moreWhat would a city taste like? Would such a terroir be an amalgam of those of the more definable neighbourhoods that surround it? So would Exarcheia taste different from Kifissia or Kolonaki, and the taste of Athens be a sum of its parts? Or might it have a distinctive quality that—for different reasons—represents a break from expectations? ...
Read moreWHAT: Dr. Nissim Levis lived during a unique moment in history: the last years of the Ottoman Empire and the following years of turmoil and transition as the world changed forever; including the small Greek town of Ioannina, where Levis lived and photographed his society evolving around him. His photographs and family heirlooms reveal an equal part...
Read moreWhy is it that vacays have a knack of making us less-neurotic, more adventurous versions of ourselves while the return back to work with cold Tupperware lunches while insta-spying others with toned bodies tanning on the beach makes us grumpier, un-fun creatures? Athens Insider rounds up 5 fool-proof ways to keep that magical holiday feeli...
Read moreAthens’ giddy food revolution is in overdrive. From grill-houses where meat rules the roost to retro meze mansions and gourmet enclaves, Athens Insider breaks it down to the coolest 6 most eligible new dining addresses for you to discover. Parla Captained by Thodoris Papanikolaou - the gastro-genius who brought us such sophisti...
Read moreJohn Zervos pays tribute to Philip Kerr, a master of historical detective fiction, and the creator of Bernie Gunther, one of the most endearing, wisecracking detectives in crime writing. In his last book, Greeks Bearing Gifts, published a week after his death in March this year, Kerr leaves behind a compelling spy novel that moves swiftly...
Read moreCorfiot resident and cross-culture explorer Richard Pine thinks laterally about the identity debate that has preoccupied much of Greece and suggests embracing a mindful middleway. We should be celebrating much more, and stop feeling sorry for ourselves. Aristotle must take much of the blame for our current gloom. His idea, tha...
Read moreAs Greece gears itself for its ignominious third anniversary of a near-Grexit, tinderbox referendum and capital controls, Athens Insider investigates whether plastic has come here to stay or whether cash is still king. In stark contrast to countries such as the UK and Sweden, Greece has been card-averse, despite limited cash withdrawals a...
Read moreSmoking a cigar – while not everyone’s thing – always makes a strong statement. Athens remains a city where cigar lovers can still inhale the pleasures of the moment, whether at regular cafes or at elegant bars over polite conversation. Julie-Anne Amiard takes her pick of Athens’ cigar-friendliest addresses – from new hotels to rooftop ba...
Read moreWHAT: The internationally renowned crime fiction writer discusses noir, the metaphysical, and the darkest depths of the human soul this July. Award winning, illustrious Irish author John Connolly is visiting Athens for an in-depth conversation with Elias Maglinis, who is author and editor-in-chief of the Kathimerini newspaper. The two will discu...
Read moreWHAT: Active for the past 20 years, Calexico – named after a town in the Mexico-California borders and originally coming from Tucson, Arizona – have fans all over the world. An entirely new sub-genre, ‘desert noir,’ was coined to describe the band’s idiosyncratic style, a blend of traditional Latin music influences (mariachi, conjunto, cumbia, t...
Read moreWHAT: For one month, city shoppers and passers-by can order a performance from popular Cypriot artist Lia Haraki from their menus. Now here is a pop-up show with distinction. Haraki and other Greek-based artists will set up shop in one of the main retail streets in downtown Athens in this fun and inclusive Athens Festival experience. In an attem...
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