2020 has been a watershed year for us all. But for best-selling British author Victoria Hislop, it’s been “the very worst and very best of times”; defined by extremes of pain and joy. In the wake of losing her mother, Hislop buried herself in her work to produce two new books and a televised series (mid-pandemic, no less) and also became a...
Read moreFor an appetising treat that balances buttery heft with feathery flake, look no further than Overoll. The secret is getting there early. A lockdown baby, this brand new croissanterie has its sweet and savoury flaky treats flying off its shelves. Angela Stamatiadou can’t have enough of the crescent-shaped buttery goodness! When...
Read moreWe don’t want to hear it or be reminded it. The Voice of Reason. In the seventh of his monthly chronicles on living through pandemic times, as told from the perspective of an American mystery writer who has called Greece home for 35 years, Jeff Siger insists on why we cannot wear our noise-cancelling ear plugs just yet. Do not ignore the Ca...
Read moreGlamorous socialite, political powerbroker, commissioner of grandiose palaces, grieving mother and champion of women’s education. The Duchess of Plaisance was no ordinary expat. Discover how this intriguing single female from Philadelphia came to wield such great power and influence over 19th century Athens, and find out where you can stil...
Read moreAthens’ underground music scene, fuelled by crisis and creativity, has lent it a unique sound, making it a top contender for the world techno capital spot, Maya Iliades argues. The indoor bar scene might be new to the city but the bars and clubs that have been instrumental in honing local experimental talent to keep that singularly edgy, ...
Read moreEveryone knows bouzouki music: it’s the sound of cliched touristic Greek entertainment, heard on debauched, ouzo-soaked nights in tavernas across the world. Few, however, know about this music’s ancestor. Its name is rebetiko: a hairy, uncouth, underground sound that arose from the hash dens, cabarets, brothels and prisons of fin-de-siècl...
Read moreThe tempo that builds in the bouzouki gives a real sense of the underlying raw emotion, of ‘rebetiko’s’ illegal past and its gentrification by the greats of modern Greek music, Vassilis Tsitsanis, Manos Hadzidakis and Mikis Theodorakis.The bouzouki is Greece’s siren call. To hear but a few bars is to instantly conjure raki-fueled nights a...
Read moreIn October 2020, 160 Greek musicians and groups joined forces to produce Unity Vol. 1, a unique album to demonstrate their solidarity and support for the refugees displaced by the fire in the Moria camp on Lesbos. The totality of the funds were donated to the NGO Attika Human Support. Joan Bienaimé writes about this touching artistic in...
Read moreInsider shares our 3 favourite Athens venues where you can take a delightful journey of musical nostalgia, Greek-style. And with chilly evenings still upon us, now is the perfect time of year to cocoon yourself in one of these cosy dens, sit back, and escape to the soundtrack of the past, while enjoying a classic cocktail or memorable mea...
Read moreFrom his family’s journey as undocumented Nigerian immigrants living in Greece, to his current ranking as one of the NBA’s brightest stars, the inspirational story of Milwaukee Bucks defender Giannis Antentokounmpos has all the makings of a slam dunk. Clearly, Disney agrees. Giannis Antentokounmpos’ real-life struggles and suc...
Read moreRemember the frenzy to bake banana bread and stir cocktails? So Lockdown 1! Why bother when you can order? Here are 5 ways to enhance your festive Lockdown experience. How can you resist a liveried Matsuhisa delivery? Just because we are confined to our barracks, doesn’t mean you can’t treat yourself in the comfort of yo...
Read moreOnly in “anything goes” Athens might you expect to bump into a Greek God, lingering outside one of the city’s best-known bar districts on a Friday evening. That’s exactly what happened when the 2,400 year-old head of Hermes rolled into view in Agia Irinis Square. Only in Athens could you expect to bump into Gods and saints, lurking...
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