I just got this email from easyJet:
easyJet are now pleased to announce even more new routes for your summer holiday. From 1 January 2008 flights are on sale to the following new destinations:
from London Gatwick:
I was surprised by the recent announcement that the group of Schengen countries had enlarged by nine new members: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic. What this means is borderless travel for 24 countries throughout Europe (and 400 million citizens), including Greece. Country hopping just became easier.
The ground floor of the New Acropolis Museum is now open to the public for two hours daily running through the Easter holiday, it was announced recently.
The founding of a Greece-Turkey Business Council was announced on in Athens by the Federation of Greek Industries (SEB) and Turkey's Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK). The target of the Council is to boost bilateral trade and collaboration between the two business communities in the regions of Southeastern Europe and in the Black Sea countries.
I have discovered another couple books about expats living on a Greek island.
ΚΑΛΑ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥΓΕΝΝΑ
Merry Christmas
These photos are from Paros, Greece while we are with family in Oregon, USA.
I recently downloaded a video creating program, Camtasia Studio 3, and have put together a collection of photos. Here is my second effort: Our Life on Paros
For more photos including other Greek islands try these sites:
The oldest are on Webshots under paroshep: http://www.webshots.com/webshots.cgi?cashclubparoshep
There are a few on Flicker under paroshep: http://www.flickr.com/
Even more on Picasa: http://picasaweb.google.com/ParosShepherd
Enjoy!
Hello, I have not posted in a while because we have traveled from our quiet Greek island to the hustle and bustle of Christmas season near Portland, Oregon, USA. During the trip we watched several movies and now have unlimited access to more at our son's house. Such luxury!
Since I don't have any news from Greece to post about I suggest you click on over to deTraci Regula's Greece for Visitors. She lists 10 top movies filmed in Greece: http://gogreece.about.com/od/greecemovies/tp/greekfilms.htm
Her Number 3 is our Number 1: Shirley Valentine We can identify with this classic but one of our friends says this film was a prime motivation for her move to Paros. So if you are open to a life change check it out. You also can read our web page about Work from home at the beach
Of course, Captain Corelli's Mandolin is another good Greek island flick.
Like the rest of the Christian world, I am sure, we are into the full swing of Christmas--decorations, music, shopping.
Athens is going all out for Christmas this year. In addition to the traditional events at Syntagma Square they have added a fairy-tale village for young children in the National Gardens.
Through out the city there will be free concerts of all kinds:
Pop, Rock, Reggae and Jazz as well as classical, carols and Byzantine hymns--even a Dec 24 party featuring well known DJ's.
It all starts with a street and tree lighting on Dec 13--designed by EMMY-award winning lighting designer Eleftheria Deko--and goes non-stop until January 6.
Syntagma Square activities include a free carousal for all ages and will be flooded with entrepreneurs in Santa suits offering the traditional pony rides.
Read about our Athens Christmas Past Here.
Read about our 2007 Christmas in a later post.
By the way if you are a British expatriate living anywhere in the world BBC Radio would like to here from you. They are running a series about how expats are spending Christmas. Send an email to Radio Five and they will telephone you for a 5 minute interview. Sounds like fun, unless, of course, you are maudlin about spending Christmas away from home.
So, how about some comments, please. How are you spending Christmas? How would you like to spend Christmas? Non-Christian readers tell us what you think of the Christmas season--diplomatically, of course.
Karin spent most of the day translating the liner notes from a music CD that had been loaned to us. It was by a local Aliki man, Vangelis Paroussis, who in 2005 won the Pan-Hellenic Song Competition organized for Senior Citizens--that's for all of Greece. Here is her version of the Greek and the list of songs: we found it beautiful and moving.
There is one day (from all the rest), when May has much gaiety.
It scatters wide open its sweet grin over all Paros. From St. Pantes, Stromboula, Bizani Trypiti, and all the salt marsh called Alyki, and as far as AntiParos.
I am sitting in the courtyard of my house by the sea, where the waves are voracious. I can see in the distance a boundless and immense light crystal blue. Here I see caciques, small sailing boats, trawlers and fishing boats. Some of the fishermen are eagerly starting their engines, untying their ropes and leave for fishing. Following them are troops of gulls, hovering above in a light blue sky, giving one a magic picture.
It speaks strongly, and you know that God is sending all his happiness in this beauty...this place that is called Saltmarsh (Alyki).
My brain is filled with thousands of recollections. They bring back to me my younger years when I also went fishing with my father on days just like this. I use to see, from the sea, the smoke from ovens that the housewives turned on each Saturday in order to cook the bread of the week. The smoke twisted and turned, one with the other as it reached the sky. The roosters crowed, the farmer tilled his field in the first rains of autumn with oxen. The sound of mules and the voices of the ploughmen calling into the wind spoke with such beauty that they sounded like people in love; speaking in affection and pride.
With Love,
Vangelis Paroussis
I have many sweet memories from my juvenile years. From the first beating of my heart, then from my fun loving and ardent compatriots (friends) who together we played the violins, the gramophones, tambourines and sang songs.
All these prompted me to write these few words for my beloved island, Paros, and with the poor talent that I have, I made these songs.
I want to thank with all my heart my conductor (with his big heart and immense talent), as well as all the other contributors....in particular my nephew Nikos Drakaki, where with devotion he supported this endeavor in order for it to become this beautiful work and make it realized....a small piece from my dream.
SONGS
1. Preface
2. Paros, My Love
3. Years Gone By
4. Salt Marsh (Alyki)
5. I Did Not Stay
6. A Boat
7. Your Kiss
8. My Glance
9. My Everything Mother
10. Without a Doubt, Your a Star
11. Each Day
12. Because You Leave This Place
13. You Are My Life
14. My Love Remains
15. In the Market of Pireaus
16. Sweet Bow
17. Dazzled With Beauty
18. The Marriage
6/12/07 Update: The photo is of Aliki fishing boats by Ray Keppie.
Recent weather has been a bit of a paradox. Late October and early November storms delayed the olive ripening on Paros. But now the last several days have been mostly sunny with night time thunder showers. 
Quality Award in the medium fruitiness olive oil category, was won by a producer based in the town of Plomari on the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos. We know this town as the producer of our favourite ouzo. Now we will have to try their olive oil as well. This contest had 73 entrants from all the major olive oil producing countries.
