Tourister Films (July 19, 2023) – A walking tour that starts in Mykonos Town, where you’ll see the iconic white buildings with their blue accents and charming alleyways. Then, the famous windmills and Little Venice, two of the island’s most photogenic spots.
Tourister Films (July 12, 2023) – Páros, island, one of the Cyclades (Modern Greek: Kykládes) in the Aegean Sea, Greece, separated from Náxos (Náchos) on the east by a channel 4 miles (6 km) wide. It constitutes a dímos (municipality) in the South Aegean (Nótio Aigaío) periféreia (region).
On a bay on the northwest lies the capital, Páros (or Paroikía), occupying the site of the ancient and medieval capital. The small harbour is excelled by that of Náousa on the north side. White, semitransparent Parian marble (Paria Marmara), used for sculpture and quarried from subterranean pits on the north side of Mount Marpessa, was the chief source of wealth for ancient Páros. Several of the marble tunnels have survived.
Páros shared the early Bronze Ageculture of the Cyclades. Traditionally it was first colonized by Arcadians and then by Ionians. In the 7th century BCE Parian colonies were sent to Thasos and to Parium on the Sea of Marmara and in 385 to the island of Pharos (Hvar, Croatia) in the Adriatic.
Country Life Magazine (June 10 , 2023) – Annie Tempest, the brains and hands behind Country Life’s beloved Tottering-by-Gently cartoon, shares her pictorial diary of a recent Empires of the Mediterranean cruise, aboard Viking’s ‘Sky’ ship, with us.
Piraeus 1.0 – We boarded Viking Sky at Piraeus port in Athens, so were in harbour over night. I began to notice the blueness and the ‘dome-i-ness’ of my surroundings. Acclimatising my eyes to the change in architecture from North Norfolk.
Still painting late into the night watching the the buildings turn into silhouettes and the blue mountains in the distance fade to smudges.
Koper, Slovenia – Tito Square in Koper has a strong Italian influence and even the language spoken here is part Italian and part Slovene. It was a capital city under the Venetian Republic. I couldn’t paint this journey without including a tourist photographing the magnificent architecture.
This was the sight that greeted us as we approached the Greek island of Santorini. Beautiful coloured buildings above what looked like cave entrances. The town sits on the top of what appears to be a giant rock and is reached by cable car, or donkey for the more intrepid.
The Globalist, May 22, 2023: Zelensky meets with leader at G7 meeting in Japan, de-risking with China, and Greece’s center-right Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis scores big victory in Greece elections.
World Economic Forum (May 20, 2023) – This week’s top stories of the week include:
0:15 Greece makes nearly 200 beaches wheelchair accessible – Seatrac bathing chairs glide into the sea. Wheelchair users reach the Seatrac by an accessible wooden path, transfer to a recliner, then ‘drive’ into the sea using a remote control. At the water’s edge, they can sit and cool off or go for a swim, heading back to the chair for a break. Seatrac chairs are solar-powered and Greek-designed. Enabling people with disabilities to enjoy the sea independently without negotiating the sand, which can be tricky for some.
1:39 This robot surfs over grain, protecting farmers – The robot crawls over grain heaps, while a smaller partner robot burrows in to check the grain is being stored efficiently. Farmers need to check the condition of stored grains such as wheat and barley regularly to protect them from mould and insects. Typically, a person walks on top of the grain bulk and samples it with spears but this method is arduous, time-consuming and dangerous as the grain can shift suddenly and trap them underneath. In 2019, 38 grain engulfments led to 23 deaths in the US alone. Some companies don’t monitor their grain at all because of the dangers involved. These robots are made by Edinburgh start-up Crover.
2:52 These simple measures could save 1 million babies a year – Globally, 1 in 4 babies are born either too soon or too small. Vulnerabilities like these are behind more than half of all newborn deaths and their foundations are laid during pregnancy. Doctors say 1 million neonatal deaths in the developing world could be avoided if we administer simple, low-cost measures during pregnancy. Such as progesterone, help to stop smoking and insecticide-treated mosquito nets. That’s according to a new study in The Lancet…
4:20 The link between green energy and forever chemicals – ‘Forever chemicals’ is a nickname given to some per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Many PFAS are highly resistant to high temperatures, oil, water or corrosion. For this reason, they’re used in many products including some fundamental to the energy transition. From wind turbines to solar panels the batteries in electric vehicles and the semiconductor chips at the heart of energy technologies. They’re also used in thousands of everyday products, from non-stick pans to clothing and fire-repellent foam, but these chemicals pose risks to human health. PFAS have been linked to cancer, thyroid disease and low fertility among many other conditions.
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The Globalist, May 1, 2023: The importance of an upcoming counteroffensive in Ukraine and updates on Sudan, Comoros and Nigeria. Plus: Andrew Mueller’s insights from the Delphi Economic Forum, Balkans news with Guy De Launey and a look ahead to the Met Gala.
Tourister (April 5, 2023) – Athens, Modern Greek Athínai, Ancient Greek Athēnai, historic city and capital of Greece. Many of Classical civilization’s intellectual and artistic ideas originated there, and the city is generally considered to be the birthplace of Western civilization.
Athens lies 5 miles (8 km) from the Bay of Phaleron, an inlet of the Aegean (Aigaíon) Sea where Piraeus (Piraiévs), the port of Athens, is situated, in a mountain-girt arid basin divided north-south by a line of hills. Greater Athens has an area of 165 square miles (427 square km). The Kifisós River, only a trickle in summer, flows through the western half; the Ilisós River, often dry, traverses the eastern half.
Uploaded on March 28, 2023: Chania is a city on the northwest coast of the Greek island of Crete. It’s known for its 14th-century Venetian harbor, narrow streets and waterfront restaurants. At the harbor entrance is a 16th-century lighthouse with Venetian, Egyptian and Ottoman influences.
Opposite, the Nautical Museum has model ships, naval objects and photographs. The former monastery of St. Francis houses the Archaeological Museum of Chania.
Plus: a look at the latest market turbulence after the Credit Suisse deal, how Greece was trying to attract new business opportunities at this year’s Mipim property trade fair and how Finns have reacted to the news that their country has been ranked the world’s happiest for the sixth year running.
Smithsonian Channel (March 16, 2023) – No one is allowed up the historic Chania lighthouse anymore which, for hundreds of years, had guided sailors along the coast. But historian Bettany Hughes has special permission–and she’s taking us with her.
The original Venetian lighthouse was built around the late 16th century to protect the harbour. A chain could be connected from the base of the lighthouse to the fortress of Firkas in oder to close the harbour.
During the Turkish occupation the lighthouse fell into disrepair and was eventually rebuilt between 1824 and 1832 in the form of a minaret. The modern lighthouse is often referred to as ‘ Egyptian’ because it was built during a time where Crete was occupied by Egyptian troops who were supporting the weakening Ottoman Empire against the rebelious Cretans.
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