Summer Thoughts on Wintering in Hydra
A world in miniature, an abandoned movie set in winter, and a whirling circus in summer, Hydra enjoys an unparalleled attraction.
Article Selection
Zea, Kea or Tzia
Scarcely touched by tourism, Kea is rather what the islands must have been like 20 years ago. Empty roads, pristine beaches, unpolluted sea.
In pursuit of the ‘Plato of the East’
Greek Indianist Demetrios Galanos earned the title ‘Plato of the East’ through his original studies.
An Imperious Call
Summer sets in, tables are brought out, all thought of work is banished. Tavli reigns everywhere.
Alcoholism on the Rise
Tradition in Greece has it that alcohol is used only by the adult population mostly during feasts and recreational activities with friends or other family members. In all cases alcohol, mainly wine, is drunk during meals and in moderate quantities.
Oasis of Stability in the Trouble Balkans
Traditional political backbiting and economic stagnation should not conceal Greece’s ethnic and social solidarity in a region of growing uncertainty.
The Master of the Animals is not at Home
A century ago this month the British Museum acquired what is known as the Aegina Treasure, but its true provenance is still mysteriously linked with sponge fishermen and grave robbers -as well as Syria, Egypt and, above all, Crete.
Turtle Castle
Whether called Clermont, Cloudless Mountain, Chateau Tournois, Castel Tornese or Chlemoutsi, the names all refer to the same great mass of stones on a hilltop which make up the most impressive and celebrated Frankish monument in the Peloponnese.
The Delusory Treaty of Sevres
Signed in August 1920, it was Venizelos’ diplomatic masterpiece, granting Greece Thrace nearly to the gates of Constantinople and the administration of the Smyrna District. But it was never ratified. Three months later, Venizelos was overthrown by popular vote and King Constantine, detested by the Allies, restored. Though politically abandoned, Greece, in a renewed wave of nationalism, attacked Turkey alone, paving the way to the Asia Minor catastrophe.
Antiquity Preserved or Cultural Loot?
Theft or purchase? It is all a matter of perspective. Which is the best home for the Elgin Marbles?
