April showers bring May flowers, the saying goes, and while it usually applies to wreaths being crafted to ring in spring, this year it warrants a different interpretation: we’ve finally earned our first tentative steps to normalcy after six weeks of exemplary behavior in lockdown. A bit like Navine G.Khan-Dossos’ art whose colour-soaked ...
Read moreThe Greek government announced a gradual easing of its lockdown measures, to be reviewed daily for public safety. The magic date is May 4, but the relaxation of measures comes with constant urging to remain vigilant and to follow safety guidelines - compulsory masks, use of gloves, use of antiseptic gel and mandatory 2-metre distancing. ...
Read moreThe fast-forward freefall of March has given way to a rewound, frozen April and the anxiety of groping our way back into our changed reality. What are the take-aways? While grappling with one pandemic, are we exacerbating another? From discarded gloves to fast fashion will we shield ourselves behind masks or finally embrace conscious chan...
Read moreERT had us hooked with the 6 o’clock broadcast for daily updates, so it was only a question of time before they decided to go the Netflix way and offer us prime content for free. A savvy move by the state broadcaster to capitalise on its high ratings and captive audience to up its game. Just when you thought you’d run out of s...
Read moreSince many of you have asked for clarifications, Athens Insider has compiled a list of subsidies announced by the Greek government to offset the economic repercussions of the pandemic (in Greece, 240,000 are expected to be unemployed in 2020 and more than 100,000 small businesses are expected to go bankrupt). Here are some of the measures...
Read moreIf the pandemic has proved one thing it is that we are more resilient than we think we are, and quicker to adapt to change when ‘normalcy’ is in freefall, than we give ourselves credit for. From Greek immigrants embarking on a new life in Australia in the ‘50s, to cultural institutions adopting digital channels to inspire and share, young...
Read moreWhat do we cherish most about Easter in Greece? Its glorious paradoxes! The joyful arrival of Spring with its jasmine-scented air, the incense-infused solemnity of Holy Week rituals, the smell of lamb whirling on the spit. This year, Easter will be poignantly different - no candle-lit processions or fireworks. But the wildflowers will be ...
Read moreWhile we refashion traditions this socially-distanced Easter, having festive meals with laptops instead of family, watching services on screens instead of thronging to light candles, there are still lessons of hope to be had. And stark lessons in gratitude - from history, from nature in full bloom, from civic society, and even, street art...
Read moreWho would have thought that when we were asked ‘to give up jolly taverna nights and replace them with family fights,’* Greeks, the eternal anarchists, would comply? Greece’s remarkably stoic response as a people has evoked praise and rekindled pride in our country’s handling of the pandemic. It will be a poignant Easter, but here’s our fe...
Read moreHow telling that in an era when the barometer of success is to ‘go viral’, the very thought now evokes doom and gloom! From the real concerns the pandemic conjures - the corrupt posturing of populist politicians to the extraordinary challenges faced by cultural institutions – we dive into the everyday anxieties that manifest as google se...
Read moreThe new FOMO of our isolation age is Fear of Not Doing Enough! It’s almost as if we’re expected to pack every minute of our confinement with more information, more entertainment. Cultural venues, chefs, concert halls, Greece’s Tourism Ministry (Insider too!) have all scrambled to create more content to keep us ‘engaged’. How transporting ...
Read moreWater sports and swimming banned Additional measures including a ban on exercising may come into place to contain the spread. Exceptions for exercise will be made only for people with serious health problems who need special exercise or swimming, children with autism or people with multiple sclerosis must have the necessary certificate wi...
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