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Click Chania Wins Council Of Europe's “12 Star City” Award!
Date : June 20th, 2013
Author : TtC
it's worth mentioning that last year, the Council of Europe awarded to the Municipality of Chania - for the first time - the prize of “12 Star City” on the occasion of the successful participation of the Municipality in this pan-European initiative. <br><br> <p> The participation of Municipality Chania in the European Local Democracy Week 2012, aims to:</p> <ul> <li> spread of culture on human rights at local level.</li> <li> promote social rights at local level and ensure a better access to municipal services and social support structures to all people in need.</li> <li> encourage involvement among under-represented groups, such as youth and elderly, in public life.</li> <li> enhance the intergenerational cooperation and solidarity.</li> <li> defense the most vulnerable groups of population and enhance the public awareness on human rights.</li> </ul> <br><br> More information on <a href=http://www.chania-city.com/demoweek/en/ target=_blank>Municipality of Chania on European Local Democracy Week (ELDW) 2012</a>

Click Rethymno Carnival 2013
Date : February 3, 2013
Author : TtC
For 2013 the big parade will be on March 17. <br><br> In the beautiful Renaissance city of Rethymnon, the carnival dates as far back as 1914. Halloween of another era bygone era. Nostalgic scent, lots of dances and romantic Rethymno greets His Majesty King Carnival! <br><br> A custom of that old Rethemniotikis Carnival of the last century, the

Click Crete on 3rd place at Best Honeymoon Destinations
Date : October 15th, 2012
Author : TtC
Crete was voted as top honeymoon destination according to U.S. News Travel. <br><br> According to U.S. News Travel about Crete: The large Greek isle of Crete is broken into four distinct regions that offer very different experiences, from jungle adventures to beach-bum lazing. The sands are lovely, as are the hotels, spas, and Greek cuisine. <br><br> More information: <a href= http://travel.usnews.com/Rankings/Best_Honeymoon_Destinations/ target=_blank>17 Best Honeymoon Destinations by U.S. News Travel </a>

Click The Island of Crete - See for yourself, feel for yourself
Date : July 28th, 2012
Author : TtC
Greece has nothing to do with the way the international press presents the current situation. Enjoy the video of Crete, Greece, Heraklion, Rethymno, Chania, Agios Nikolaos, Sitia, Ierapetra, Anogia Tympaki, Kandanos

Click Events for the award of the coast of Chania with the Blue Flag
Date : July 17, 2011
Author : TtC
Once again, 11 beaches in the municipal units of Chania - from 25 in the entire prefecture of Chania - were awarded the Blue Flag by the Greek Society for the Protection of Nature. The beaches were awarded this year with the Blue Flag are (in alphabetical order): <br><br> 1. Agia Marina, <br> 2. Holy Apostles 1, <br> 3. Holy Apostles 2, <br> 4. Saint Onoufrios, <br> 5. Kalathas, <br> 6. Kalamaki <br> 7. Marathi <br> 8. New Country, <br> 9. Stalos, <br> 10. Cross <br> 11. gold coast <br><br> With this award, certified both the suitability of bathing waters, and the excellent infrastructure to ensure safe and convenient service to bathers. It should also be kept and the remaining 31 strict criteria relating to both the cleanliness, organization, information, safety of bathers and visitors, and protect the natural wealth of the coast and the coastal area, while environmental awareness.

Click Best Beach Vacations - Europe
Date : 27 April 2011
Author : Travel to Crete
Good news from Tripadvisor, where Crete is listed at the No 4 in Europe best beaches proposals. <br><br> Although Crete is Greece biggest island, its popularity has caught up with it and caused some overcrowding on its east coast. Those who venture farther west and south will find unspoiled beaches, low-key resorts and 300 days of sunshine to worship each year. <br><br> More information on <a href=http://www.tripadvisor.com/Inspiration-g4-c1-Europe.html target=blank>Best Beach Vacations - Europe</a>

Click EC-TEL 2007 - Second European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning
Date : July 16, 2007
Author : Travel to Crete
Second European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning - Creating new learning experiences on a global scale, 17-20 September 2007, Crete, Greece. <br><br> With the advance of metadata standards, learning objects, Web 2.0 approaches to rip, mix & burn learning, wikis, blogs, syndication, user generated content, interactive TV, games and the ubiquitous availability of computing devices we can and have to offer more flexible learning services on a global scale. As one of the new objectives of the 7th Framework Program of the European Commission puts it: we need Responsive environments for technology-enhanced learning that motivate, engage and inspire learners, and which are embedded in the business processes and human resources management systems of organizations

Click European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning EC-TEL
Date : July 4, 2007
Author : Travel to Crete
he flagship of the PROLEARN Academy is the European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning EC-TEL, an annual conference for the technology enhanced learning community in Europe. Last year, the EC-TEL 2006 took place in Crete, Greece. This year (big surprise), the EC-TEL 2007 will take place in Crete, Greece. <br><br> More on <a href=http://www.prolearn-academy.org/>PROLEARN Academy</a>

Click Culinary Tourism in Crete
Date : 18/5/2007
Author : Travel To Crete
The shepherds go up on the mountains to milk their goats. There are no milking machines, not even any electricity to run them if there were! Instead, the men use highly trained dogs to round up the goats from wherever they are on the mountain, then herd them into a pen, pushing them forward so the men can grab them and milk them by hand, rapidly squirting the milk into a large can set into a concrete holder.<br> The local cheese makers process the milk obtained from the goats. They make several kinds of fresh and aged cheeses there. <br> The traditional way of roasting meat in Crete, is skewering the meat on spikes and resting it on stakes pounded into the ground so the fat drips away from the meat without creating flare-ups. Inside the village community centre a massive display of foods is lining the perimeter of a large room. Each woman in the village brings a different traditional dish. <br> There are pastries made with homemade strawberry and apricot jams, tiny fried pastry pockets filled with sweet cheese, savory pockets stuffed with spinach or wild greens, pork with wild greens, cured olives, umpteen artichoke dishes, rabbit and much more.

Click The new Archbishop of Crete
Date : September 26, 2006
Author : e-Kathimerini
The new Archbishop of Crete, Irenaios, leads a procession through the rain-soaked streets of Iraklion towards the Aghios Minas Cathedral for his enthronement yesterday. The Ecumenical Patriarchate named Irenaios as the new archbishop of Crete last month. The 73-year-old Irenaios takes over the post following the death of Archbishop Timotheos in July. Timotheos had served in the position for 28 years.

Click Safety of Samaria examined
Date : September 17, 2006
Author : e-Kathimerini
Tourists hiking through the Samaria Gorge may be given hard hats to protect them from falling rocks, authorities in Crete said yesterday, as a 14-year-old boy was recovering in the hospital after being injured while walking through one of the island’s main tourist attractions. <br><br> Doctors in Hania said the unnamed Austrian teenager’s health was improving after he was struck on the head by a falling rock on Tuesday. Surgeons operated on the boy but said he was not yet out of danger. <br><br> The teenager’s injury came two months after a Frenchman was killed after being hit by a falling rock at the same spot in the gorge. <br><br> This prompted the head of the forestry service, which is responsible for looking after the national park in southwest Crete where the 18-kilometer-long gorge lies, to say safety measures may be adopted. <br><br> Vassilis Kassotakis said authorities would look into diverting hikers past the section of the gorge where falling rocks have been reported. The forestry service is also examining the possibility of distributing hard hats to visitors.

Click Global Volunteers
Date : September 15, 2006
Author : Travel to Crete
Like thousands of North Americans, Stamford residents Denise Greenman and her daughter Jennifer, 17, traveled to Crete this summer. Yet, unlike the typical sun and scooter island experience, theirs was a unique journey of learning and service. <br><br> For two weeks in July, this adventurous mother and daughter joined a Global Volunteers team that taught English at a summer camp in the community of Gazi, located along the northern coast of Crete near the city of Iraklion. <br><br> The summer camp was attended by youngsters from several local villages who rarely have an opportunity to practice their oral language skills, let alone meet North Americans. They participated in informal classes that often took the form of crafts lessons, song sessions and recreational games. <br><br> As is often the case, the teachers learned more than the students as they immersed themselves in the local culture. The Greenmans enjoyed sharing their lives with local villagers. <br><br> During free time, the volunteers had the opportunity to explore ancient Minoan ruins at Knossos and Phaestos [dating back to 2000-1400 B.C.], historical museums, Crete's breathtaking gorges and the coastal ports of Chania and Matala. <br><br> More on <a href=http://www.thestamfordtimes.com/stamford_templates/stamford_story/25056620851845.php target=_blank>The Stamford Times</a>, <a href=http://www.globalvolunteers.org target=_blank>Global Volunteers</a>

Click Taste of Crete, a gourmet food company, won Gold for its marquee Taste of Crete PDO extra virgin olive oil from Greece in the prestigious International Olive Oils of the World Competition.
Date : September 15, 2006
Author : Travel to Crete
Taste of Crete PDO Extra Virgin Olive Oil, from Greece, won a Gold Medal in this year’s 2006 competition, recognizing it as one of the best extra virgin olive oils. It also carries the DOP or PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) classification which means that it has been recognized by the European Union with highest distinction in quality and adherence to traditional production methods in its geographical region. Taste of Crete’s fine artisan extra virgin olive oil with an extremely low acidity of 0.3% is from the region of Sitia, Crete, Greece. <br><br> The International Olive Oils of the World Competition is a special competition open to olive oils produced throughout the world. Since its inception in 2000, it has quickly grown to world stature and is now the largest olive oil competition in the United States with major participation from Spanish, French, Greek, Californian and Italian extra virgin olive oils and all other olive oil producing countries. It is held in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Fair, The California Olive Oil Council and their panel of international tasters. <br><br> Esther Psarakis, President of Taste of Crete, based in Bridgewater New Jersey, states: “We are extremely honored to be awarded Gold in this competition. It gives well deserved recognition to the farmers in Sitia who take exceptional pride in their extra virgin olive oil’s careful cultivation and production. Last year, our first year in business, Taste of Crete won a Silver medal” Esther Psarakis started the company because her husband is from Crete and she has developed a passion for the culture, food and people of Crete. She elaborates “I have known for years that some of the finest extra virgin olive oil is from Crete, Greece, and I am dedicated to importing its finest quality natural food products”. In addition to her Gold winning extra virgin olive oil, she imports raw varietal honeys from various areas of Greece and she has created a line of traditional Greek cookies based on her mother in law’s recipes. Ms. Psarakis is a 2005 Success Award Winner for the Small Business Development Centers and a 2005 Stevie Award Finalist for Best New Company. <br><br> Do you know that the people of Crete have the highest consumption of olive oil in the world? she asks. The nutritional benefits of extra virgin olive oil are an important component of the diet of Crete, one of the healthiest versions of the Mediterranean diet. My goal is to bring Taste of Crete PDO extra virgin olive oil to health conscious and gourmet food loving Americans. Winning again, and this time the Gold, in this prestigious competition, is wonderful recognition for Greek extra virgin olive oil.<br><br> Taste of Crete will be participating in the Summer Fancy Foods Show being held at Jacob Javits in New York City from July 9-11. They will be at booth 3061 and are also represented by Steiner Foods at booth 1036 and Importika at booth 176. Taste of Crete products will also be showcased at the European Union’s European Authentic Tastes Pavilion and the New Jersey Pavilion. Additional information on Taste of Crete can be found on their website, www.tasteofcrete.com, or by calling 908 685 2035.

Click The Passion of Christ - a painting by El Greco
Date : August 24, 2006
Author : Dalya Alberge
AN AMATEUR collector went to his grave 60 years ago, unable to convince scholars that he had discovered a 1566 painting by El Greco. <br><br> Now Emilios Velimezis, a Greek businessman who bought icons of the 15th and 16th centuries, has been proved right after all, to the excitement of today’s art experts. <br><br> The Passion of Christ — Pietà with Angels, painted in 1566 by the Master dubbed a prophet of modern art, will be unveiled to the British public this week, as part of an important exhibition at the British Library. The attribution was clinched by the discovery of a fading photograph taken in 1938 which shows that the painting once bore the artist’s signature — under his real name, Domenikos Theotokopoulos — beneath Christ’s feet. <br><br> The painting, which measures 68.7cm by 45cm (27in by 18in), had been photographed just before the signature was removed, along with old varnish, by an overzealous restorer. <br><br> El Greco (1541-1614), who is thought to have raised enough money from the sale of this painting to leave his native island of Crete, was one of the most original artists of his age. <br><br> More on <a href=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-2326011,00.html target=_blank>Times online</a>

Click International Healing Conference in Crete
Date : August 25, 2006
Author : Travel to Crete
The Enigma Group Announces International Healing Conference in Crete, Greece, October 12 - 19, 2006 <br><br> This powerful tour to the magical island of Crete offers an excellent opportunity in the perfect environment to explore the cutting edge paradigms of healing with some of the important pioneers in the field. With these world renown teachers and healers you will experience techniques and experiential teachings on deeper levels of healing than you have ever known before in addition to witnessing Greek power places and ancient sacred sites. <br><br> Magical Crete, with its special mystical energy and powerful sense of nurturing, provides the perfect environment for this International Healing Conference. Join Dr. Hulda Clark, and other holistic teachers and pioneers to explore cutting edge paradigms of healing, as well as for networking, rejuvenation and relaxation. Nestled in this protected power place known as Crete, you will experience techniques and experiential teachings on deeper levels of healing than you have ever known before. Enjoy yourself and relax while you explore and experience the power of this health retreat and pilgrimage tour! <br><br> More info on <a href=http://www.powerplaces.com/Greece_International_Conference.htm target=_blank>International Healing Conference</a>

Click Thomas Cook reports Crete as top destination for Britons
Date : July 28, 2006
Author : Manchester Evening News
Thomas Cook said it had seen an upturn in foreign holiday bookings with people reckoning they can cope better abroad with high temperatures. Thomas Cook said Majorca, Crete, the Greek island of Zante and Dalaman in Turkey were the top destinations for Britons at present.

Click The old Venetian lighthouse in Chania reopens at the end of August
Date : July 22, 2006
Author : South East European Times
The old Venetian lighthouse in Chania on the Greek island of Crete officially reopens at the end of August, authorities said last week. The lighthouse, one of Crete’s most famous landmarks, has undergone reconstruction and reinforcing work for two and a half years.

Click Thalassokosmos
Date : July 22, 2006
Author : Travel to Crete
The aquarium Thalassokosmos (Sea world) was inaugurated in Iraklio, Crete on Saturday by Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas, Merchant Marine Minister Manolis Kefaloyiannis and Deputy Development Minister Yiannis Papathanassiou. Sioufas described the Cretan aquarium as a work which advertises research, promotes education and projects culture. <br><br> He added that it was a work which is a motivating lever for elevating the region. <br><br> In statements after the inauguration, the development minister stressed that the Cretan aquarium consitutes an acquisition for science, research, Crete and the whole of Greece, and this makes us feel proud. <br><br> Sioufas added that the entire complex constitutes, as of today, a valuable tool for the special scientists who study the sea life of the eastern Mediterranean. <br><br> by Athens News Agency

Click Total solar eclipse visible on Crete
Date : March 29, 2006
Author : Athens News Agency
The first total solar eclipse visible from Greek territory after decades will come on Wednesday, with residents and visitors to the remote island of Kastellorizo -- southeast of Rhodes and just across from the Turkish resort town of Kas -- able to see the natural phenomenon. <br><br> A partial solar eclipse will be visible elsewhere in Greece, primary in the Dodecanese islands and Crete, although it will also be partially visible from Athens and Thessaloniki. <br><br> The last two total solar eclipses in Greece were recorded in 1936 and 1870, whereas the next one is scheduled for far-off 2088. <br><br> The eclipse will begin in Kastellorizo (ancient Megisti) at 12:34 p.m. and be completed at 3:10 p.m. <br><br> Caption: A partial solar eclipse, visible from the large island of Crete, is seen in this Oct. 3, 2005 file photo. ANA-MPA / S. Rapanis.

Click Crete to get new airport
Date : February 8, 2006
Author : e-Kathimerini
The Greek government has announced plans to build a new international airport in Crete within eight to ten years. <br><br> Crete's current airport, Nikos Kazantzakis in Iraklion, has become overused during the peak holiday season and is situated near a built up area. <br><br> With a proposed size of 70,000 square metres, the new airport will be almost twice as large as Nikos Kazantzakis and will be able to handle 5,000 holidaymakers a day. <br><br> Greek ministers Mihalis Liapis and Manolis Kefaloyiannis unveiled the project last week, stressing that the new airport would promote Crete as an eastern Mediterranean hub. <br><br> They also asserted that the project would boost the local economy. <br><br> The new airport will be based in Kasteli near Iraklion in the north of the island. <br><br> Costing a projected €1.1 billion, the development will be funded by both the government and private investors. <br><br> Crete's airport already receives more international charter flights during peak season than any other Greek hub, according to Greek newspaper Kathimerini.

Click Hera repair to smooth over tension
Date : January 3, 2006
Author : Ansa.it
Italian archaeologists to patch up ancient Cretan statue <br><br> Rome, January 2 - An Italian archaeological team is patch together an ancient statue from Crete, restoring it to its original condition and helping smooth over political tension sparked by the breakage. <br><br> The statue of the goddess Hera, unearthed on the Greek island of Crete by the Italian Archaeological School, was broken last September while under Italian care, attracting extensive media coverage and resulting in parliamentary questions in both countries. <br><br> The problem of the statue from the Roman Theatre in the town of Gortyn has now been resolved, said Anna Maria Reggiani, the head of the Italian Culture Ministry's archaeology department. <br><br> The plan has already been approved by the Greeks, much to the satisfaction of both governments. The incident occurred in September, while the newly unearthed statue was being transported. Although technically under Italian supervision, the archaeology team had hired local Greek workers for the move. <br><br> However, the breakage itself was the result of a freak gust of wind, which knocked the artefact to the ground, cracking it in two. <br><br> Some initial reports suggested the statue had been reduced to smithereens but it soon emerged that there was only a single break. <br><br> According to the co-director of the dig, Francesca Ghedini, the damage is 95% repairable. <br><br> Ghedini, whose brother Niccolo Ghedini is Premier Silvio Berlusconi's lawyer, also suggested the incident had been used by the opposition for political purposes. <br><br> In an interview with daily Il Mattino di Padova, she denied that the breakage had caused any diplomatic problems, implying that the media coverage had been a storm in a teacup. <br><br> Relations with Greece are excellent, just as they've always been, she said. We still have a great many projects under way. Reggiani echoed these sentiments, stressing that ties with our Greek colleagues are excellent and explaining that both side were working on plans to open a Greek archaeological school in Rome. <br><br> Vassily Avarantinos, the classical antiquities superintendent of Viotia, a site near Athens, said the Greek authorities were satisfied. <br><br> The Italian Archaeological School is a highly prestigious body, he explained. I'm a superintendent, I've seen the excavation in Gortyn and I know that what happened to the statue of Hera can happen to anyone working on digs. <br><br> The only real mistake is when people sit back and do nothing about such accidents. What's important is that a solution has been reached. The reconstruction work will be carried out by the Culture Ministry's archaeological team, headed by Giovanna Bandini. Work will start this month.

Click World Sailing Championship in Aghios Nicolaos
Date : January 3, 2006
Author : Ioannis Koutsodontis
Aghios Nicolaos will be hosting the biggest Offshore Sailing event in Greece next Summer, the 2006 IMS- 600 World Sailing Championship during 9-17 September 2006. <br><br> The 2006 IMS-600 World Sailing Championship is a very prestigious race in the calendar of the Offshore Racing Congress. The IMS-600 class includes sailing boats of about 40 feet. They are built to the highest standard of quality and design and their crews are amongst the most experienced sailors in the world. <br><br> This event will be under the patronage of the Ministry of Tourist Development and the Secretariat General of Sports. The races will take place around the Bay of Mirabello. The venue for the race will be the Marina of Aghios Nikolaos which offers up to date facilities to host such a prestigious event. There will also be a full program of social events for the entertainment of the participants as well as an exhibition area in the Marina. <br><br> If you are interested in getting the

Click LISTING OF KNOSSOS AS WORLD HERITAGE SITE
Date : December 30, 2005
Author : Travel to Crete
The Culture ministry on Wednesday announced that it had taken all necessary action for the inclusion of the archaeological site of Knossos on Crete in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, while noting that action was now needed by bodies that have shown inertia in recent years in order for Knossos to receive the treatment and upgrade it deserved. <br><br> The announcement was put out in response to a newspaper report quoting the prefect of Iraklion, who blamed the ministry and UNESCO services for leaving Knossos off the list of World Heritage Sites for 2006. <br><br> The ministry said that UNESCO had already agreed to include Knossos as far back as 2003 but had asked for certain additional infrastructure changes in accordance to UNESCO specifications that the local archaeological service had been informed about. <br><br> Source: Macedonian Press Agency

Click Meals On Reels
Date : December 21, 2005
Author : Nikki Rose
The crew from Television New Zealand was coming to Crete to film an episode of Taste Takes Off, their award-winning culinary travel program. They asked us to introduce them to the people, places and cuisine that characterize Crete. <br><br> Long before the crew arrived, Kostas Bouyouris and I conducted a recce, pronounced ricky. It's film lingo for researching story ideas and coordinating shooting schedules. With our growing network of great farmers and chefs, we had to make agonizing decisions. What are the most important stories? Who are the best people to tell them? To minimize crew travel time, we had to choose a single region of Crete, and decided it would Rethymno on the northern coast. The casting decisions required several visits and lots of meze to work it all out. <br><br> Not everyone in the world wants to be on television, especially foreign television that may never be aired in Crete. Some farmers are indifferent to such exposure and suspicious of people asking questions about their cheesemaking techniques. But New Zealanders are historically friends of Crete, and many people went out of their way to help. <br><br> More on <a href=http://www.slowfood.com/eng/sf_sloweb/sf_sloweb_dettaglio.lasso?passaswe=SW_02040 target=_blank>Slowfood</a>

Click International Property exhibition to be held in London
Date : December 21, 2005
Author : Travel to Crete

Click Jennifer Aniston seeks solace in Greece
Date : December 14, 2005
Author : Thomas Crosbie Media
Actress Jennifer Aniston, short for Anastassakis, is planning a trip to Greece to explore her family's roots in Crete (where her family has a farm) in a bid to escape the limelight. <br><br> The former Friends actress is desperate to escape the media frenzy which has surrounded her since splitting from ex-husband Brad Pitt in January. <br><br> And she hopes a visit to her family's farm will give her the opportunity to live a normal life for a few weeks. <br><br> She says: I'm going to take some time off, travel. I want to go to Greece and some other countries. <br><br> I lived there for a year when I was five or six. We lived in Athens for six months, then we lived in Crete. <br><br> My family has a beautiful farm. I've only gone back there once. It would be a refreshing thing to be out of this (Los Angeles) bubble.

Click Early Greek writing unearthed on Crete
Date : November 15, 2005
Author : ekathimerini.com

Click China Shipping Group Favors Greek Island
Date : November 11, 2005
Author : Associated Press

Click Byzantine Churches and Monasteries of Crete
Date : October 28, 2005
Author : By Nikos Psilakis
Byzantine Churches and Monasteries of Crete is a lovingly prepared and fully illustrated book, and not merely a documentary collection of churches on Greece’s biggest island; much more than that, it tells the spiritual history of Crete, weaving together legends, myths and vivid historical facts into a narrative that both recounts and guides. It is thus both a wonderful book to browse while at home, and an indispensable companion for travelers headed for Crete and interested in the Orthodox heritage, so vital to Greece and its people. <br><br> Reviewed by Christopher Deliso<br><br> More on <a href=http://www.balkanalysis.com/?p=576 target=_blank>Blakanalysis</a>

Click Greek goddesses unearthed in Crete
Date : September 30, 2005
Author : Associated Press

Click Partial solar eclipse will be visible from Crete on Monday
Date : September 29, 2005
Author : Athens News Agency
Weather permitting, a partial solar eclipse will be visible in Greece next Monday, October 3.<br><br> The eclipse will be total for sections of Spain, Portugal and Africa and partial in Greece, with a maximum 57 per cent coverage of the sun's surface over Iraklio, Crete. <br><br> The phenomenon will begin on Crete at around 11:42 and reach its peak coverage at 12:40, ending after three hours at 14:11. <br><br> The eclipse will be observed by astronomy students at Crete University using a telescope with a special solar filter and through a telescope owned by the Crete University Physics Department, again equipped with a special solar filter. Both telescopes will be placed on the roof of the physics department, eight kilometres outside the city of Iraklio. <br><br> Scientists also warned that special glasses or other specialised equipment are needed in order to observe a solar eclipse and cautioned the public against using ordinary sunglasses, which do not provide adequate protection. They also noted that smoked glass, which is often used in order to observe an eclipse, does not block ultraviolet rays.

Click Greece breaks world record of largest newspaper printed
Date : September 15, 2005
Author : Xinhua

Click Travel through Zorba the Greek country
Date : 17 August 2005
Author : Melissa Jones
Of all the islands in the Aegean, Greece’s millpond-calm sea studded with largely unspoilt tourist magnets, Crete holds a special place. It could be its colourful history: it features large in Greek mythology when the demi-god Theseus, slew the Minotaur (half-man, half-bull) with the help of Ariadne (daughter of the king of Knossos) and in more contemporary times the Cretan resistance wrote volumes of heroism during the island’s involvement in the second World War. It could be the allure of its archaeology (the Minotaur may be mythical but the palace at Knossos actually exists) or it could be the combination of wild mountains and calm seas that form its landscape. <br><br> The attraction is felt by more than half a million visitors each year who, outnumbering the island’s population by about two to one, visit their favourite haunts again and again, becoming, in the process, honorary Cretans rather than tourists.<br><br> Enter into Chania, one of the island’s largest cities and the most probable place you’ll disembark (or land) in and you’ll be surprised by two things: its size (it’s much larger than you’d expect) and the mind-blowing combination of rugged mountains in the background and wine-calm sea in its harbour and many scenic beaches. <br><br> This is a tale that’s repeated every time you strike out in Crete. The mountains are rugged beyond belief. The beaches appear unspoilt. You take one look at Samaria Gorge (which can be traversed with the help of a guide and his train of donkeys – or for the more hardy, on your own) and you instantly realise that the larger-than-life character played by Anthony Quinn in Zorba the Greek could have come only from Crete. <br><br> Cretans are fiercely proud of their island and its history that dates back to the Phoenician times in 800BC but they’re also incredibly welcoming and go to great lengths to make visitors feel at home. Whilst, obviously, much of the island’s income comes from tourism Crete is large enough and rich enough to not rely entirely on visitors so when Cretans go to seemingly extraordinary lengths to make you feel at home it’s because they genuinely like you and want to impress you with the tradition of their hospitality rather than because they’re after your tourist-dollars.<br><br> I have had friends being offered the loan of a taverna-owner’s car when they couldn’t find transport and the number of instances when Cretans have helped tourists find accommodation, food, or simply an out-of-the-way beach are too numerous to mention. <br><br> This is a place which while feeling fully integrated into Europe (internet cafes abound and there are few places on the island where your mobile phone will be out of reach of a signal) it is still safe enough for locals to leave their front doors unlocked and visitors to come back to their unattended towels on the beach and find their mobile phones and digital cameras (left in plain view) still there. <br><br> It’s little wonder that so many of them, each year, decide to sell-up back home and settle permanently on the island. Of course no such move is ever culture-shock free and this is probably more true for Crete than most places. <br><br> While many Cretans speak English (and French and German) the island’s incredibly long history makes for a culture that’s multi-layered and hard to penetrate –at least initially- add to it a level of bureaucracy that even native Cretans hate and the fact that the language of officialdom is Greek and you begin to realise that a love affair with the island must be deep indeed to go the distance. <br><br> That so many expatriates decide it’s worth the trouble speaks volumes about the island’s incredible beauty and its ability to work its magic upon its visitors. One of these expats is Carol Palioudaki who, eighteen years ago, was just one of many island-struck backpackers coming off the boat from Athens (the capital of Greece) to check out the island they’d heard so many tales about. <br><br> Married into a Cretan family and the mother of two children Carol is living testament to the island’s allure. “You consciously give up a certain way of life back home,” she says “but the compensations make it more than worth it. This is a place where children can grow up in complete safety, where the past is never far from the present and where history makes itself felt in almost everything you do.”<br><br> To step onto the island is unlike anything you’ve experienced. The Crete of today is as much a magical amalgam of past and present as it ever was and just a few hours spent walking the narrow streets of the old part of Chania are enough to strip away the façade of modernity and bring back to life larger-than-life heroes and colourful characters. There is a zest for living here that instantly transports you into the heart of Zorba the Greek, and explains why Crete is still called the island of dreams.

Click Nicolas Bliatkas exhibition
Date : 1 August 2005
Author : Travel to Crete
You are cordially invited to the exhibition of Nicolas Bliatkas at Omma Center of Contemporary Art in Chania Crete, Greece A very interesting work of mixed media and painting. Exhibition starts in August 1 (the opening reception) and it will last until September 1, 2005. <br><br> Opening hours: 10 - 2 in the morning 7- 10 in the afternoons of Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Sunday closed all day. <br> Address: 43 E. Venizelou <br> Chania - Crete <br> Tel. & fax + 30 2821042100

Click Wihlelmina's Lof exhibition
Date : Friday, May 6 2005
Author : OMMA
Opening of Wihlelmina's Lof exhibition at the OMMA Center of Contemporary Arts in Chania on Friday, May 6, from 7 pm to 9 pm

Click Exhibition
Date : 9-25 February 2005
Author : www.Travel-to-Crete.com

Click PAINTING EXHIBITION
Date : 11 Jan 2005
Author : Omma Art Gallery
LYSSANDROS MHTSOTAKIS OPENING FRIDAY 14 JANOUARY 7.00 p.m. Exhibition lasts until February 5 2005 OMMA CENTER of CONTEMPORARY ART 43 E. Venizelou Chania Crete Tel 2821042100

Click Crete's Culinary Sanctuaries at the Adventures in Travel Expos
Date : 22 December 2004
Author : Nikki Rose

Click Cinema posters exhibition in Chania, Crete
Date : 29/05 - 07/06/2004
Author : Culture guide
Material from the rich collection of poet Leonidas Kakaroglou makes up the exhibition of cinema posters that is presented for ten days at the Great Arsenali venue of the city of Chania in Crete (May 29 to June 7, 2004), The exhibition is organized by the Municipality of Chania, the City's Cultural Enterprise and the Center of Mediterranean Architecture. To celebrate its opening, a round table entitled Cinema Posters: Aesthetics, memories, cinephiles and advertisement takes place at Arsenali. <br><br> The round table that opens on the evening of Saturday, May 29, at 9pm, is seated by speakers Dimitris Arvanitis, graphic designer, Elias Kanellis, journalist-cinema critic, Antonis Kioukas, deputy director of Thessaloniki's Film Festival, and Konstantinos Proimos, lecturer in the Univeristy of Crete. <br><br> The exhibition takes place as part of the celebrations for the inauguration of the new Municipal Cinema Hall

Click Fossils & Rocks of Crete
Date : Wednesday 19 May 2004
Author : Omma
We invite you to the opening of the exhibition

Click Omma Gallery- Chania - Crete
Date : 18 - 21 May 2003
Author : Despina & Thomas Tunberg

Click INTERNATIONAL ART FESTIVAL 2003
Date : March 15 - April 15 2003
Author : Despina & Thomas Tunberg - Omma Center of Conemporary Art
Omma Center of Contemporary Art, together with the Perfecture of Chania, the Municipal Government of Hania, Crete, Greece and DI.PE.H (Public Cultural Organization), are organizing a huge International Fine Arts Exhibition from 15 until 15 April 2003 at the NEORIA public exhibition center in the Old Town of Hania. The exhibition space, a converted 15th century vaulted Venetian shipyard, is over 4000 square meters in area (in the picture the Neoria Exhibition Center with the two halls from right to left have been converted to an exhibition center). It will be the largest art exhibition ever held in Hania and one of the largest ever held in Greece, and will be covered accordingly by the local and national media. <br><br> UNDER THE AIGIS OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CHANIA

Click 35 years without Che Guevara Photography exhibition in Rethymnon
Date : 14 Dec 2002 - 02 Feb 2003
Author : Greek Ministry of Culture
Rethymnon Centre for Contemporary Art, in collaboration with the University of Crete and the State Museum of Comtemporary Art, presents the photography exhibition Che Guevara's death at Art Room 8 in Rethymnon. The exhibition curated by Nikos Hatzinikolaou, professor of History of Art at the University of Crete, is also to be presented shortly in Thessaloniki, at Moni Lazariston.<br><br> Organized 35 years after Guevara's assassination, this exhibition pays respect to a moral personality - an example of objectivity, disinterest and militancy. It is presented in order to aggregate the evidence concerning the way the artistic circle reacted, when the news and the photographs of Guevara's assasination, travelled worldwide in October 1967.<br><br> The exhibits (paintings, engravings and posters) presented, belong to diverse collections in Latin America, USA and Europe. Original photographs by Freddy Alborta are also exhibited.<br><br> The exhibition also includes works by Raul Arellano, Antonio Frasconi, Oskar Rojas, Ian Hillenberg, Ruth Weisberg, Yiannis Gaitis, Dimitris Zouroudis, Kyriakos Katzourakis, Despoina Meimaroglou and Aggelos Skourtis.

Click Greek Architectural Reality in the '60s
Date : 09/11/2002 - 10/11/2002
Author : Greek Ministry of Culture
As part of the side events that are presented on the occasion of the exhibition

Click License to ride a bicycle
Date : 02/12/2002 - 03/12/2002
Author : Greek Ministry of Culture
As part of the side events that are presented on the occasion of the exhibition

Click Landscapes of Modernization. Greek Architecture, '60s and '90s
Date : 21 November 2002
Author : Greek Ministry of Culture
Since last year, after the presentation of the exhibition 20th century Architecture in Greece, the Center of Mediterranean Architecture had taken the initiative to present in Chania the exhibition Landscapes of Modernization. Greek Architecture, 60s & 90s that had been touring abroad. Now the time has come and starting from November 8 the exhibition is open to the Cretan public in the exhibition hall of Megalo Arsenali.<br><br> Focused on the exhibition Landscapes of Modernization. Greek Architecture, 60s & 90s, that opens in Friday, November 8 in Megalo Arsenali and lasts up to Wednesday, December 11, CMA tries explore the Greek architectural reality of our time.<br><br> The exhibition had been organized in common by architects Yiannis Aesopos and Yorgos Simeoforidis, who left us so suddenly this year, and now it is taking place as an act of respect for his work and memory. Curator of the exhibition is architect Yannis Aesopos, who had worked close with Simeoforidis for its presentation.<br><br> The exhibition consists of a rich photographic material, a lot of models and designs, as well as a collection of videos and films from the 60s and the 90s, in which important public and private buildings in Greece are shown.<br><br> The exhibition had been presented for the first time in Rotterdam, the Netherlands in February 1999 and it later traveled to many European cities (Barcelona, Helsinki, Thessaloniki, Belgrade, Pescara), before arriving to Chania, Crete.<br><br> On the occasion of the exhibition, the Greek translation of the Rotterdam catalogue (144 pages) is being published, together with a smaller catalogue (130 pages) with title Landscapes of Modernization: Estimations, where architects exhibiting their works comment on the Greek architectural realities.<br><br> Together with the exhibition and throughout its presentation, CMA organizes three interesting side events in Chania's Megalo Arsenali. These are the following: <li> Two-day Symposium entitled Greek Architectural Reality in the 60s through the work of important Architects (November 9-10) <li> Theatre monologue entitled Do you love Brahms? (November 11) <li> Music performance entitled License to ride a bicycle (December 2-3). <br><br> CMA's work The Center of Mediterranean Architecture is the Municipal Cultural institution of the city of Chania, chich was founded in order to bring about several activities that would trigger the interest of the people of Chania, Crete, Greece and the Mediterranean basin in architecture. It also aims to highlight all these architectural characteristics that represent what we call today Mediterranean identity. These are the elements that come up from the way we create as caretakers of space in the Mediterranean countries.<br><br> CMA aims also to try to give back to the built environment its value as a work of art and culture. In what concerns architects themselves, CMA aims to encourage research, give further support to the development of architecture and its cultural character.


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