Why on earth would a 70-plus Englishman, who’s terrified of traffic, hop on a decrepit 50cc “papaki” bike named Harley and embark on a road trip from his village in Evia, all the way to Mount Athos? John Mole’s charming latest book, Harley and the Holy Mountain, is Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance with creaky knees, lashings of h...
Read moreHer haunting bass voice and rousing lyrics of hope and inspiration were wartime anthems for Greek troops. On the anniversary of her death, Insider celebrates the courageous chanteuse Sofia Vembo, who defied German orders to entertain young Greek soldiers - often undercover - and remains a national treasure for generations of Greeks; still...
Read moreLord Byron and Eugene Delacroix may steal the spotlight as the most vocal champions of Greece’s struggle for independence. But a band of powerful and international female philhellenes also played a stellar role in the founding of the new Greek state. From princesses and poets, to socialites, missionaries and authors, we introduce 30 influ...
Read moreIn need of fail-safe festive gift ideas? Seek inspiration from the wishlists of one of the fashion industry's insiders. Dimitra Kolotoura, one of the founders of fashion-forward Greek label, Zeus + Δione shares her wishlist from vintage jugs to woven leather baskets, hand-painted ceramic plates, fine jewellery and can't -do-without fashion ...
Read moreLet this purveyor of good taste be your holiday shopping guide. If you're dropping hints to Santa, let Nikos Kontopoulos nudge you in the right direction with his personal wishlist of holiday goodies from cool-kitsch Dutch décor to sought-after lamp icons from Italy. As Publishing Director of the Greek editions of Casaviva and Esquire mag...
Read more2020 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 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 moreChristopher King's first experience of hearing an Epiriot lament, by violinist Alexis Zoumbas, on a 78rpm recorded in 1926, sent him into a cathartic trance. Searching for a connection, Grammy-winning producer and curator King spent years researching and archiving music recorded between 1907 and 1960 from the rural hinterlands of mainland...
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 moreWhat did we learn from the first lockdown, to make the current one more manageable? Athens Insider asks two of its readers… Sing, swim, speak The first lockdown was a complete shock to my system. Unfortunately, I spent it alone as my family resides in Australia. For me, human interaction is vital. I experienced such extreme anx...
Read moreAs this game-changing US election goes to the wire, two Greek-Americans write about their hopes for a kinder, more inclusive America to usher in a new era of healing for the world at large. The Accidental Activist On the eve of national ele...
Read more“We stand still, proud and unflinching. Because at the time we are not human beings. We represent the dead.” Being an evzone is a life-changing honour bestowed only on those with the persistence, discipline and willpower to succeed. Anna Roins speaks to former evzone Sarantis Kouvousis about what it means to walk among the chosen few. ...
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