Our new SUMMER Office

Our new summer office on the coast of sea and under blue sky! We are open every evening from 18:00 - 22:00
If you are on Crete come to visit us- we will be happy to see you!

"Hippie Reunion" 2-4 June in Matala

Based on the success of the first Matala Reunion festival organized by author Arn Strohmeyer in 2011 to celebrate his book on Matala, local officials have decided to make the "Hippie Reunion" an annual event.

So this year from 2-4 June in Matala, Crete you are very welcome to the event- a 3 day music festival with live music, beach parties, right in front of the famous caves with music from sixties / seventies - the sound & music of the legendary woodstock festival ... an attractive program with lots of (live-) music and party feeling all kind of activities like Hippie bazar, and Hippie events acoustic live music, concerts, happenings, exhibitions, children fun park ... and more!

Program of the event here

Lighting the 2012 Olympic Flame

The Olympic Flame for the London 2012 Games, lit in Olympia, Greece with a traditional ceremony on 10 May, arrived in the UK on 18 May, where it started its 70-day Torch Relay journey.

The Olympic Flame is passed to Spyros Gianniotis,
a 32-year-old Liverpool-born swimmer, who won a silver medal for Greece
in the 5-kilometer open water event four years ago in Beijing,
during the lighting of the flame ceremony,
on May 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Kostas Tsironis)

The Flame was lit at the Temple of Hera, among the ruins of the home of the Ancient Games, with a precise ritual where the sun’s rays were captured for the lighting, through a parabolic mirror. Maybe the most significant symbol for the Olympic Games, the Olympic Flame stands for peace, unity and friendship. 

Traditionally, after being lit in Greece before a short relay, it is handed over to the Host City, where another ceremony takes place in the Panathenaiko Stadium in Athens. In this year’s Handover Ceremony, the Flame was received by the London 2012 ambassador David Beckham, Princess Anne, the President of the British Olympic Association and a former Olympian, and five young people selected by the Get Set education programme run by the British Council. 

Performers dressed as ancient Greek priestesses perform a ritual dance,
during the lighting of the flame ceremony,
on May 10, 2012, in ancient Olympia. (AP Photo/Kostas Tsironis)

The Flame began its 70-day, 8000 mile London 2012 torch relay on 18 May, Saturday morning at Land’s End, Cornwall. It will be carried around the UK by 8,000 torchbearers, until it ends its journey in the Opening Ceremony on 27 July, as the last torchbearer will light the Cauldron in the Olympic Stadium.

Olympic Torch Relay route here

Political landslide in Greece

ATHENS - On Sunday, May 6, 2012, the Greek voters dealt with the two-party political system that a system of nepotism and clientelism had created. At the same time the Greek people also show his disapproval for saving policy that served two years in the country
The results of the elections is to Greek standards really a landslide. Here are the results:

* New Democracy Party won 18.85 percent of the votes, making it the largest party in Greece. In 2009, the party still 33.47 percent so you can only speak but a Pyrrhic victory.

* SYRIZA, a coalition of leftist parties, the big winner of these elections. The party achieved a historic 16.78 percent of the vote, which is an increase of more than 12 percent compared with the previous elections.
* PASOK has tremendous blows. The absolute winner of the elections of 2009 (with 43.92 percent of the vote), now gets 13.18 percent. The punishment is complete. 

* The new formation Independent Greeks, a crack party of New Democracy, has only a few months and immediately took 10.60 percent of the vote.
* The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) ranges from 7.54 percent to 8.48 percent.
worrying is the rise of the neo-fascist party Golden Dawn of a fringe movement suddenly 6.97 percent of the votes.
* Democratic Left finally, a splinter party of SYRIZA, who earlier in the polls has been good, finally got only 6.11 percent of the vote.

The other parties reached the threshold of 3 percent do not. 19 percent of the total number of votes on Sunday, May 6, 2012 is released, these small parties went. An important figure, which often is not listed, the percentage of Greeks who are not going to vote. Despite the fact that voting is not compulsory in Greece, is still around and at the 40 percent of people stayed home, which is historically high.

How this percentage translates into seats in the Greek parliament? As said there are 300 seats in the parliament. 250 shall be distributed according to the usual analogy and the first party gets just a bonus of 50 seats on top. And thus you get a situation that is completely skewed.

• New Democracy Party wins 58 of the 250 seats and gets a sneak preview party for another 50 on top. Result: more than a third of parliamentary seats going to the party who was not even 20 percent of the vote;
• SYRIZA has 52 seats;
• PASOK has 41 seats and has more than 100 of his former MPs to send home;
• Independent Greeks get 33 seats;
• KKE has 26 people in parliament;
• Golden Dawn has 21 seats;
• And finally, the Democratic Left has 19 seats.

The emergence of left and a vote against the austerity 

SYRIZA is a winner off the bus came. A large part of the Greeks is left to vote. The slogan of the party went to the polls, was "They decided without us, we go on without them and that's exactly the signal that the Greek electorate has given. SYRIZA president Alexis Tsipras held Thursday before the election a well-attended political meeting at the central Omonia Square in Athens. At his side stood the emblematic Manolis Glezos, symbol of the Greek resistance against the German invader during the Second World War.

Not coincidentally by a large part of the Greeks learned that Germany currently occupying Greece again, but in economic terms. The decision of the German Finance Minister, Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU), last week showed there is little doubt about understanding - he said that Greece would have to bear the consequences if the people choose parties that do not comply with the agreements reached with the Troika made.

Such statements have the Greeks to the extremes of the political spectrum pushed, because no sensible Greek accept such interference in Greek politics. Links also seemed the sensible choice for a lot of people saw crumbling social achievements over the past two years. CAOs were abolished, health is priceless and expenditures in education are reduced.

The climate was ripe, and yet the KKE did not benefit. The Communist Party has barely one percent gains and the unwillingness to front to form a broad left, has certainly to do with it. While the president of SYRIZA in his campaign has said he wants to unite the left to counterbalance against the economic policy, KKE leader Aleka Papriga dug. For her, the turnaround can not not through the ballot box, but through a revolution. The Greeks did it anyway prefer a swing through the voting booth, apparently.

"KKE leader Aleka Papriga had entrenched themselves. For her, the turnaround can not through the ballot box, but through a revolution. The Greeks did it anyway prefer a swing through the ballot box, as it turned out Sunday" Than all the Greeks suddenly become left-wing? That's not exactly the case. Many people wanted to punish the major parties and their dislike of the show gruesome saving policy. People who has always voted for PASOK and New Democracy Party because they have an interest in and were now their "interests" have lost see you go, wanted to make sure that their voice went to a party that the threshold would not make it, or who would not join a government.

Others were not thinking straight after when they voted. They wanted to punish the politicians. The vulgar populism of the neo-fascists who said that they not only migrants from Greece will continue, but the thieving politicians behind bars would be stabbing, could count on a lot of votes. Unfortunately, the voters were not informed enough what they voted exactly. There was clearly voted for punishment. Feel that many big names of PASOK, which have emerged in central Athens, where the party is referred to sixth place. A number of New Democracy MPs is not re-elected. And the extreme right LAOS didn’t get even the threshold.

And how to go on?

The European partners are the Greek politicians in the neck. Everywhere is said that the Greeks themselves have created a problem with this election. It should be clear that this is not the result is that one would have expected in Brussels.

In Greece itself provides the results for a deadlock. By the system of bonus of 50 seats, one can not do without for a New Democracy government. The other six parties will never form a coalition. Coalition Governments are also virtually unknown in Greece. The uneasy cooperation between PASOK and New Democracy is a good sign.

Despite the rhetoric of recent weeks, these parties are willing to go with each other and saving policy to continue, but not without first re-negotiate with the troika on the terms of the drastic savings.

But who wants that? SYRIZA has already said that they only want a leftist government. KKE is certainly not easy, and there remains only on the Democratic Left, that's not enough seats. PASOK is no longer as 'links' seen.

On the right it looks not good. Between Samaras of New Democracy and Panos Kammenos, leader of the Independent Greeks, there is not a personal vendetta that they will be put aside to work together to govern. That Golden Dawn will not be required for participation in government, is obvious.

Format

ND party leader Samaras was the first who has received a mandate to form a government, as leader of the largest party. In Greece, a formateur three days to a government on its feet. After a day he threw the towel in the ring already.

Alexis Tsipras after him to try. If he fails to form a government, it will turn to Evangelos Venizelos of PASOK. If that also fails, then it is the President of the Republic to see if the outgoing government continues to do its work, or that there is a transitional government, with someone from Justice to the head.

Another possibility is that there is again come elections. Possible date is June 10. And as the state looks at this time, it may be that more people will vote for SYRIZA, especially those who now voted for small parties, who may no longer participate because they have not reached the threshold. And maybe also another lot of protest votes of the neo-fascists the other side can go up.

That voters will still return to the two major parties of yesteryear, seems excluded. If anything this crisis has produced, it is the end of this two party system.

Dutch throne prince buys villa in Greece

"The heir apparent to the Dutch throne prince Willem-Alexander and his charming wife Princess Máxima bought a holiday villa in Greece, worth 4.5 million euros and locates near to Kranidi, small town in the Peninsula Peloponnese."

History. The heir apparent to the Dutch throne prince Willem-Alexander and his wife Princess Máxima  met in 1999 in Sevilla, Spain. Máxima, an economy major, whose father was a minister of agriculture in the dictatorial regime under General Videla in Argentina. Because of that their relationship was accompanied by fierce public debate and only officially sanctioned after quiet diplomacy, resulting in Máxima's father agreeing not to be present on their wedding day (2 February 2002).

Máxima closed her eyes to the past and behaved as an exemplary- she visited the right places, smiled and waved when needed, almost without accent spoke in the local language and gave birth every two years for three times, bringing in life three granddaughters to Queen, look alike her eldest son Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange.

And now this family will "almost unnoticed" appear in Greece to quietly enjoy holiday, away from curious eyes, on their 40 acres land with private beach and marina. A place to relax they have chosen very correctly, because to get to Kranidi with car is not so easy, most of the property owners are getting there by sea or by air.

Happy Easter!!!!!

Did you know that....?

Some interesting facts about Crete:

• Crete – Motherland for the most ancient European civilization, whose history was written by Homer, Plato and Aristotle.
• Crete still is the most biggest historical mystery in Europe.
• The history of Crete – is more ancient than the history of Europe as continent.
• Crete is identified as The Legendary Atlantis - the huge island, that sank to the bottom of the sea 11 thousand years ago.
• The Minoans had ships with perfect hydrodynamics.
• In Crete Europe’s first code of law was established.
• Minos, if true according to the legend, was one of the Zeus sons.
• In Minoans community the woman's role was decisive.
• In Crete Europe’s first code of law was established.
• The first wine came to Europe from Crete.
• During the ancient times the cultivating of olives was started.
• In Crete Europe’s first code of law was established.
• According to a legend, the king of the Olympian gods- Zeus was born in Crete. As the legend says, he was also buried here, in a cave near the village Archanes.
• There was a time when the whole Mediterranean and even Athens were paying the taxes to the king Minos.
• In the beginning of XX century an English archeologist Arthur Evans excavated the remains of the legendary palace of Minos in Knossos and this sensational discovery showed to the world the great ancient civilization, called The Minoans. 
• Minoan laws were the basis for the law system in Sparta and Ancient Greece.
• The labyrinth of the Minotaur is the famous Minoan palace of Knossos, which is in a suburb of the capital of Crete, Heraklion.
• Daedalus - the architect and creator of the palace of Knossos. He made his escape from Crete by making wings to fly away.
• The Icarian Sea is called in the honor of Icarus, the son of Daedalus, who fled in the sky together with his father and died in the see.
• Until now no one can decipher the famous disk that was found in the Minoan city of Phaistos.
• During the ancient times the cultivating of olives was started.
• Crete is located on the crossroads of three parts of the world: Europe, Africa and Asia, almost at equal distances from the three continents. Crete belongs to Greece and is the most southern point in Europe.
• Hippocrates prescribed the air of Crete as pure for the healing of many diseases.
• For many years the fresh waters of Crete were recognized as the best in the Mediterranean.
• Many beaches of the Crete are marked with “Blue Flag” of the EU (this award is the most ecologically clean beaches and resorts).
• Water clarity in the coastal waters of Crete sometimes reaches 40 m.
• In Crete there are more than 3,000 caves and 100 canyons and also the longest gorge in Europe.
• Some types of Cretan flora and fauna can not found anywhere else in the world.