Category: Greek Islands

  • Hang on! Handpan player Spyros Pan performing in live concerts across the Cyclades this summer

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    Spyros Pan concert poster

    Promotional poster for the Spyros Pan Hang Solo Concerts this weekend at the Magaya Beach Restaurant in the Paros port town of Paroikia

     

    Cyclades tour: If you’re looking for good food and some unusual musical entertainment on Paros island this weekend, the Magaya Beach Restaurant in Paroikia has just the ticket — two live concerts by hang and handpan player Spyros Pan.

    In case you’re wondering exactly what a “hang” and “handpan” are (I’ll admit I had a vague idea, but still had to do a Google search to find out for certain), they are percussion musical instruments related to the steel drums from Trinidad. (Detailed information, photos, audio samples and videos of both instruments can be found on David Kuckhermann’s fascinating World Percussion website, Framedrums.)

    The two Spyros Pan performances in Paros are scheduled for 8 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.  The Magaya Beach Restaurant is situated on Souvlia beach, which is just a short distance southwest of Paroikia.

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  • Jackie O’ Beach Club is a classy new addition to legendary Super Paradise beach on Mykonos

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    Jackie O' Beach Club at Super Paradise beach on Mykonos

    The Jackie O’ Beach Club & Restaurant opened July 1 at Super Paradise beach on Mykonos. The aerial photo below shows the new club’s location on the hillside overlooking the west end of picturesque Super Paradise beach. The pictures were posted on Facebook by club co-owner Carsten Stehr, who created the stylish new beach venue with business partner Michalis Sigounas. Click on the images to view them in full-size format.

     

    Aerial view of the new Jackie O' Beach Club at Super Paradise beach on Mykonos

     

     

    Club class: A stylish new restaurant and bar has opened at Super Paradise, one of the legendary party beaches on Mykonos.

    Featuring Cycladic sculptural design elements in an amphitheatrical hillside setting at the west end of Super Paradise beach, Jackie O’ Beach boasts a large open-air bar, a 150-seat restaurant, private lounge areas, its own beachfront, swimming pool, jacuzzi and even a church.  A Sotris clothing and fashion accessories shop is also part of the complex, which opened on the site of the former Coco Beach Club (see my August 16 2011 post for a description of the old club, as well as photos of the location’s terrific views of Super Paradise beach and bay).

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  • Καλό Μήνα! July’s arrival heralds the beginning of the peak summer beach season in Greece

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    Myrtos beach on Kefalonia island in the Ioanian Sea off the western coast of mainland Greece

    July marks the start of the peak period for the summer tourist season in Greece. And with daily afternoon temperatures soaring into the mid-30s Celsius across the country, it’s also the beginning of the busiest period for beaches. Above is Myrtos beach on Kefalonia, one of the popular Greek islands in the Ionian Sea. The picture originally appeared on the Greece in Photos Facebook page.

     

  • Pic of the day: A village street on Sifnos

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    A street in Apollonia village on Sifnos

    Spiral stairs add a pop of colour to a street in Apollonia village on Sifnos

     

  • Pic of the day: Panagia Ekatontapiliani on Paros

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    Ekatontapliani church in Parikia on Paros

    One of the most famous churches in all the Greek islands, Panagia Ekatontapiliani in the Paros port town of Parikia is more popularly known as the “Church of the 100 doors” (probably because most tourists can’t pronounce the tongue-twisting Greek name.) But depending upon where you stand when you behold this beautiful building (it was constructed during the 4th Century), you will probably see more sections of stone walls and tiled roofs than doors.

     

  • All eyes on tonight’s ‘super moon’ above Greece

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    Anthony Ayiomamitis full moon photograph

    Anthony Ayiomamitis captured this gorgeous photo of a golden full moon rising above the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion in Greece on May 5 2012. It’s the featured photo on the Astronomy Picture of the Day website.

     

    Moon event: You can be sure that a lot of people in Greece will keep looking skyward tonight as the biggest full moon of 2013 rises on its dramatic pass across the sky.

    According to the Astronomy Picture of the Day website, the exact full phase of the moon will occur at 11:32 UT, shortly before the moon reaches perigee — the closest point to Earth in the lunar orbit.

    Since this Full Perigee Moon will be the biggest and closest full moon of the year, restaurants, bars and clubs across Greece will be celebrating the big occasion with a variety of events, from quiet viewings over cocktails to special dinner menus and even some all-night-long dance parties with world-renowned DJs entertaining.

     

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  • Pic of the day: Road to Stavros on Patmos

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    The Stavros beach and bay area on Patmos

    Approaching the Stavros beach and bay area on Patmos

     

     

  • Music fest at Crete’s Matala beach this weekend

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    Matala Beach Festival website photo of Matala Beach on the southern coast of Crete

    This photo of Matala Beach on the southern coast of Crete appears on the Matala Beach Festival website. The 3rd annual music event is underway this weekend.

     

    Hippy haven: A southern Crete beach made famous by the hippies during the 1960s and 70s will be rocking with music from that era — and the years since — all weekend long.

    The 3rd annual Matala Beach Festival started yesterday and runs until Monday at legendary Matala Beach, with 40 concerts scheduled to take place on four stages over the course of the weekend.

     

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