A new unplugged version of the song “Zari,” by Greece’s Eurovision 2024 Song Contest representative Marina Satti, was uploaded on Tuesday night to the official Eurovision YouTube account.
Marina Satti again takes center stage with her performance, which is accompanied by musical instruments such as the clarinet and zurna. The YouTube comments are positive, with many of them coming from abroad and expressing their support for Greek participation.
The 68th Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Malmo, Sweden on May 7th, 9th, and 11th, and Marina Satti will perform third in the second semi-final, which will be held on May 9th.
In the first semi-final on Tuesday, May 7th, fifteen countries will participate in the following order: Ukraine, Cyprus, Poland, Serbia, Lithuania, Croatia, Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland, Finland, Portugal, Luxembourg, Australia, Azerbaijan, and Moldova.
In the first semi-final, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Germany will all appear and vote.
In the second semi-final, on May 9th, the following will participate in turn: Malta, Albania, Greece, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Denmark, Armenia, Israel, Estonia, Georgia, the Netherlands, Norway, Latvia, San Marino, and Belgium.
In the second semi-final, Spain, Italy, and France will appear and vote.
How Greece has fared in Eurovision in the past
During the 1990s, Greece finished in the top-ten spot twice at the Eurovision Song Contest with Cleopatra and Katy Garbi reaching fifth and ninth place in 1992 and 1993, respectively. The country competed every year until 1999, when it was relegated from participation. This was because Greece’s five-year points average had fallen below the limit for participation after Thalassa’s 20th-place finish in 1998.
The following year, ERT announced it would not return for the Eurovision Song Contest 2000 despite its eligibility due to financial reasons.
Greece returned to the contest in 2001, represented by the Greek-Swedish duo Antique, comprised of Helena Paparizou and Nikos Panagiotidis. Their song “Die for You” was selected through the national final Ellinikos Telikos 2001 and placed third at the 2001 contest, a new record for the country.
Then, thirty-one years after its debut, Greece won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time in 2005, with Helena Paparizou singing “My Number One,” which, at the time, tied for the record for the highest number of twelve points awarded to the song (10).
The song also meant Greece was the first country that wasn’t a member of the Big Four to win the contest without going through a semi-final. After Eurovision, the song topped the charts in Greece, Cyprus, and Sweden and entered the top ten in Romania, the Netherlands, Hungary, and Belgium, as well as the American Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Chart.
The price of spot gold reached $2,364 per ounce on Tuesday after hitting record highs for seven consecutive sessions and trading at $2,336 per ounce on Monday. Year on year, gold is up 16.5 percent.
The main driver of the price increase is investors who expect the Federal Reserve to cut its benchmark interest rate. However, the surge is boosted by other things, including central banks, led by China, buying up gold to ease reliance on US dollars.
Central banks view the precious metal as a long-term stock of value and a safe bet during times of economic and geopolitical turmoil.
The precious metal is considered to be a resilient investment. When interest rates fall, gold prices typically rise, as bullion becomes more appealing than income-paying assets such as bonds. Investors also trust gold to be a hedge against inflation, betting bullion will retain its value when prices rise.
China purchased gold for the seventeenth consecutive month in March, adding 160,000 ounces to bring reserves to 72.74 million troy ounces of gold, according to Reuters.
Central banks could potentially move away from US dollars and buy gold amid geopolitical uncertainty, as per an April 9th UBS research note, and as China builds its reserve, demand is driving up prices already boosted by usual investors.
Chinese buyers are relying on gold as an alternative asset during downturns in property valuations and equity prices in past years, according to an April 9th Capital Economics research note. Other central banks, including India and Turkey, are also working to increase their gold reserves. India’s GDP growth is driving those purchases, according to UBS.
According to Ulf Lindahl, CEO at Currency Research Associates, central banks demanding the precious metal is a sign of lessening reliance on the dollar, as reported by CNN, and dollars are increasingly unappealing for central banks that want to decrease economic reliance on the US, Lindahl added.
Countries not partnered with the US in any way may accumulate gold to “mix away from dollars” to reduce vulnerability to sanctions, according to a March JP Morgan research note. Central bank purchasing has fueled the rise in gold prices since 2022, according to the note.
Gold may be entering a strong period, as central bank uptakes of gold in 2022 were more than double the average annual purchase across the decade prior, according to JP Morgan.
The surge in prices comes as the US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visited China to discuss financial stability in US-China relations, including what Yellen termed the overproduction of Chinese electric vehicles. Oil prices are also increasing, creating a threat to the US economy, according to Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s.
It is probable that higher oil prices will stoke concerns over inflation, boosting gold prices, as per the UBS research note.
Why has there been a surge in the price of gold?
Some investors are taken with the hype around gold bullion as prices surge, driving them ever higher. On Reddit, purchasers of gold often post threads about their stocks.
Costco started to sell gold bars online in August and silver coins in January. The company may now be selling as much as $200 million in gold and silver each month, according to an estimate by Wells Fargo. Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti told analysts in December that the company had sold more than $100 million of gold bars in the previous quarter.
“The accelerating frequency of Reddit posts, quick on-line sell-outs of product, and [the company’s] robust monthly eComm sales suggests a sharp uptick in momentum since the launch,” the April 9th investment note said.
It’s also worth noting that the precious metal is a traditional asset to hold during political uncertainty and upheaval. Voters in more than sixty countries are set to head to the polls this year, including for the US presidential election. That uptick in geopolitical and economic unpredictability underscores the precious metal’s stable value.
Athletics will become the first sporting category to introduce prize money at the Olympics in Paris this summer with World Athletics, the international athletics federation, saying it will pay Olympic gold medal winners $50,000 at the Games.
The athletics governing organization reports it is setting aside $2.4 million to reward gold medalists across forty-eight events at Paris’s track and field prograe. Relay teams will divide the $50,000 between members.
A new milestone for our sport 🏟️
World Athletics becomes the first international federation to award prize money at the Olympic Games.
Take a look at some of the other major athletics milestones at the Olympics.
Reward money for silver and bronze medalists is expected to begin at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. The prize money will not apply at the Paralympics, which takes place from August 28th to September 8th, as Para-athletics is governed by World Para Athletics.
Lord Coe’s comments on prize money for gold medalists in athletics at the Olympics
“The introduction of prize money for gold medalists at the Olympics is a pivotal moment for World Athletics and the sport of athletics as a whole, underscoring our commitment to empowering the athletes and recognizing the critical role they play in the success of any Olympic Games,” World Athletics President Sebastian Coe told Sky News.
The introduction of prize money for Olympic gold medallists is a pivotal moment for World Athletics and the sport of athletics as a whole, underscoring our commitment to empowering the athletes and recognising the critical role they play in the success of any Olympic Games.… pic.twitter.com/useLANqnHd
Coe added, “This is the continuation of a journey we started back in 2015, which sees all the money World Athletics receives from the International Olympic Committee for the Olympic Games go directly back into our sport.”
The former British athlete went on to say, “While it is impossible to put a marketable value on winning an Olympic medal, or on the commitment and focus it takes to even represent your country at an Olympic Games, I think it is important we start somewhere and make sure some of the revenues generated by our athletes at the Olympic Games are directly returned to those who make the Games the global spectacle that it is.”
He also told Sky News that he wants athletes “to recognise that I see a very clear correlation between me announcing the new partners, the Sony’s, the Deloitte’s, the Morinaga’s that come to the table and the fact that they are able to benefit from the proceeds of the growth of the sport.”
He further claimed that he does not think prize money ruins the spirit of the Olympics, saying, “Rather than have the athletes as the first thought and the last consideration, and singing a good song about how important they are, that needs to be reflected.”
“This prize money I see as a raft of funds that we are making available within the sport that may actually allow those athletes to remain in the sport for another four years,” he added.
“And look, not everybody is going to win an Olympic title at 100 [meters] or 1,500 [meters], but we’ve got 48 disciplines, and this will help the athletes.”
Greg Rutherford, who won gold in the long jump at London 2012, told BBC Sport: “This is a brilliant step in the right direction and I take my hat off to Seb Coe and the rest of the World Athletics staff for initiating this improvement.”
Mithridates was an ambitious Greco-Persian king who left his mark in history as a result of his fierce war against the Romans and his immunity to poison.
Mithridates VI Eupator (132-65 BC), was surnamed Eupator (meaning noble father in Greek) and Dionysus to distinguish himself from his father, Mithridates V Euergetes (meaning benefactor in Greek), who had been king of Pontus between approximately the years 151 and 120.
As soon as he inherited the throne, Mithridates declared himself an enemy of Rome and fought three separate wars with the Romans. These came to be known as the Mithridatic Wars and took place between 89 and 63 BC.
During his reign, he won several major battles against the Roman legions and developed immunity to poison by ingesting small doses at a time. He was eventually defeated by General Pompeius the Great after his son Pharnaces rose up against him and betrayed him. Facing certain defeat and humiliation by his sworn enemies, Mithridates killed himself.
Descent from King Darius and Alexander the Great
Mithridates was eleven years old when his father was poisoned and assassinated in the palace. As the oldest son, he was too young to take the throne, and his mother, Laodice VI, reigned as regent, surrounded by conspirators.
Ever since he was a young child, Mithridates was strong-willed, while his younger brother was more compliant. The advisors to Laodice and the queen herself preferred the younger son for succession because he would be easier to manipulate. Hence, Mithridates grew up in a dangerous environment.
As a teenager, Mithridates sensed imminent danger, no doubt strengthened by his father’s demise, so he feigned a love for hunting and left the palace in Amaseia to spend the rest of his teenage years in remote parts of the country. There, he came in contact with new acquaintances and introduced himself as the prince who had fled to escape conspiring assassins.
In his self-imposed exile, he managed to win many supporters. Upon his return to the palace as a prince, Mithridates had his mother, brother, and all those implicated in his father’s death arrested and imprisoned. According to some reports, they were executed, yet others said they died in prison.
Being an ambitious man, from early on, Mithridates claimed he was the descendant of Persian King Darius and Alexander the Great. Some historians reject his claim, however, arguing he came from a lower status dynasty, namely from the northern Asia Minor town of Cius, which was under the control of the Seleucid Empire. He fled from there and settled in Pontus where he established his own kingdom and dynasty.
Mithridates purposefully emphasized his lineage from Darius and Alexander to link himself directly to a glorious past and give his reign the glamor that he would not have otherwise had. Using the names of Darius and Alexander did indeed help him establish his authority and attain the love of his people.
The Mithridatic Wars
Having eventually won the throne and the support of his people, Mithridates expanded his kingdom from northern Asia Minor to Crimea. Taking advantage of the resentment against Roman rule over the region’s people and the Social War (91-88 BC) raging in Italy, Mithridates intended to overthrow the Romans and establish his empire in the Eastern Mediterranean. First, he annexed Cappadocia and Bithynia, two states bordering Roman territory.
In 89 BC, the Romans and allied troops marched against Pontic forces in Bithynia and Cappadocia. The army of Mithridates repelled the Romans and chased them through the province of Asia, where secret arrangements were made with local people for the massacre of some eight thousand resident Italians and Romans a year later.
After that, the people of Asia proclaimed their independence. The revolt against the Romans caught on in Greece, where Pontic General Archelaus liberated Athens and quickly secured Central Greece for Mithridates.
In 87 BC, the Romans launched a counterattack with General Sulla who led his five legions to besiege Athens. He succeeded, and Archelaus withdrew to Northern Greece, where he met up with reinforcements. After two costly defeats at Chaeronea and Orchomenus in 86 BC, the Pontic general began negotiations for peace.
Meanwhile, Roman troops commanded by Lucius Valerius Flaccus invaded Asia Minor, and Mithridates was forced to accept terms of peace and withdrew his forces to Pontus in 85 BC. That was the end of the First Mithridatic World.
From 83 to 81 BC, the Romans launched a series of raids against the Pontic kingdom. These attacks were known as the Second Mithridatic War. Roman General Lucius Licinius Murena advanced north of Cappadocia and overran four hundred villages, thus reinstating the status quo of the peace treaty.
When the kingdom of Bithynia was bestowed to the Roman people in 75 BC, Mithridates began the Third Mithridatic War that lasted until 65 BC. First, he allied with the Sertorian rebels in Spain and then invaded Bithynia to prevent Rome’s expansion. However, the Roman army under Commander Lucius Licinius Lucullus stopped him from capturing the strategic city of Cyzicus in 74 BC. The Romans took the offensive and captured all of Pontus by 70 BC.
Mithridates fled to the court of his son-in-law, Tigranes the Great of Armenia. Lucullus followed him and won a battle against Tigranes. He then captured the capital Tigranocerta in 69 BC. However, Lucullus had political opponents in Rome who did not recognize his great victory and stripped him of much of his power.
Mithridates snatched the opportunity, rallied his forces, and returned to Pontus in 68 BC, but this time, he had to face Commander Pompeius the Great, who assumed the command of the Roman forces in 66 BC and took over Tigranocerta. Tigranes surrendered to the Romans, and the war ended the following year when Mithridates abandoned Pontus for his Crimean kingdom.
For Rome, the outcome of the Mithridatic Wars was the elimination of its most dangerous threat in the eastern parts of the empire. Rome was thus empowered to acquire new provinces in Asia Minor and expand the empire across the Eastern Mediterranean.
Mithridates, the Poison King
Roman author, philosopher, and military commander Pliny the Elder (23/24-79 AD) had called Mithridates “the greatest king of his time” and wrote about his peculiar way of defending himself against poisoning by drinking small doses of poison daily in order to build up immunity.
“For it was Mithridates, the greatest king of his time, whom Pompeius vanquished, that was, we know by evidence as well as by report, a more attentive investigator of life’s problems than any of those born before him. By his unaided efforts he thought out the plan of drinking poison daily, after first taking remedies, in order that sheer custom might render it harmless he was the first to discover the various antidotes, one of which is even known by his name; he also discovered the mixing with antidotes of the blood of Pontic ducks, because they lived on poison addressed to him were treatises, still extant, written by the famous physician Asclepiades, who when urgently invited to come from Rome sent instructions instead. He then, with his brilliant intellect and wide interests, was an especially diligent student of medicine, and collected detailed knowledge from all his subjects who comprised a great part of the world, leaving among his private possessions a bookcase of these treatises (commentationum) with specimens and the properties of each. Pompeius however on getting possession of all the royal booty ordered his freedman Lenaeus, a man of letters to translate these into Latin. This great victory therefore was as beneficial to life as it was to the State.”
In her book History of Toxicology and Environmental Health, author Adrienne Mayor, historian of ancient science and a classical folklorist, says that Mithridates is recognized as the first experimental toxicologist for his extensive investigations into different poisons and antidotes. His fear of assassination by poison led him to gather a team of botanists, physicians, and shamans who sought to create a “universal antidote” that would protect him from all poisons.
Influenced by traditional theriacs and previous investigators and with access to rich natural resources, Mithridates’ experiments resulted in a formulation of more than fifty ingredients combining animal, plant, and mineral toxins with antidotes. He made himself immune to normally fatal amounts of arsenic and enjoyed robust health until forced to commit suicide in his seventies. Efforts to replicate his famous Mithridatium made his antidote the most popular and long-lived prescription in history.
After a week of being stranded, three castaways were saved from a small Pacific Ocean island by using palm fronds to spell out “HELP” in the sand.
The trio were rescued by a US Navy and Coast Guard operation.
The three men’s 20-foot skiff was damaged by swells and its motor broke when they were intending to go fishing in the seas surrounding Pikelot Atoll, which is a part of Micronesia.
After taking damage to their boat, they managed to scramble ashore on the tiny uninhabited Pikelot, but their radio ran out of battery before they could call for help.
The castaways then gathered up palm fronds and arranged them to spell out “HELP” on the beach, according to the US Coast Guard.
For the week they were stranded, the men lived off coconut meat and fresh water from a small well on the island.
Castaways on the remote Pacific Pikelot Island
Officials have said it is difficult to overstate how remote Pikelot is. The island is part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a Pacific nation between the Philippines and Hawaii that is made up of more than 600 islands scattered across about 2.5 million square kilometers of ocean.
The Coast Guard said a US Navy P-8A reconnaissance jet dispatched from Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, Japan, spotted the palm-frond “HELP” sign on the beach on April 7.
After being dropped crucial supplies and communication equipment, the Coast Guard scrambled a rescue effort.
Upon arriving on the tiny island, one of the Coast Guard officers realized that he was third cousins with one of the men and fourth cousins with the other two.
One of the rescuers on the beach was Petty Officer 2nd Class Eugene Halishlius. The stranded men were surprised to see that Halishlius was Micronesian and spoke the local language.
“I could see on their faces, ‘Whoa! Who’s this guy pulling up that can speak our language?’” Halishlius told CNN in an interview.
When he gave his name to the first of the stranded men to reach the rescue boat, the castaway was stunned: they were related.
“It’s a crazy world, I actually found out I’m related to them!” Halishlius said. “He couldn’t believe I’m with the Coast Guard trying to rescue them.”
A similar case in 2020
In 2020 a similar case with castaways proves that if you ever find yourself stuck on an uninhabited island in the Pacific, it turns out that writing HELP or SOS in giant letters on the sand works.
Three mariners from the Micronesian island of Pulap, were reported missing after setting off for home from the Puluwat atoll, about 25 miles away, a day earlier. In a joint operation, aircraft dispatched by the American authorities in Guam and a ship sent by the Australian military combed the area in a search for the sailors.
One of the American aircraft was finishing the final leg of the day’s patrol when crew members saw the scrawled letters and a blue-and-white vessel on the sand of a tiny uninhabited atoll called Pikelot. The mariners were rescued.
The historic Grande Bretagne Hotel was built less than fifty years after Greece won its independence and the modern Greek State was beginning to take form.
It was built across the King’s Palace and now stands across the Greek Parliament at Syntagma Square.
It recently took thousands of visitors on an exciting voyage through time as part of its Always Grand celebrations to mark its 150th anniversary this year.
The luxury hotel kicked off celebrations in February with the pioneering exhibition “A Journey Through Time: The Immersive Experience” and took some 3,500 visitors on an exciting voyage.
Taking place at the legendary Grand Ballroom, the impressive screening seamlessly blended together images and sounds to narrate the hotel’s story.
Using projection mapping on various surfaces to create an imaginative and multi-dimensional environment, the exhibition embraced the viewer, taking them back to the year 1874, when the Hotel Grande Bretagne was founded.
Grande Bretagne and its guests witnessed Greek history
Its guests witnessed some of the most important moments of Greek history. Grande Bretagne stands today as the most historical and most elegant hotel in Athens and Greece.
From its windows, you can watch the Evzones change guard or the Parthenon on the other side. It is also likely that you will see angry Greeks shouting and demonstrating against the government outside the parliament building with the occasional use of tear gas.
The hotel was built in 1842 as a home for a man named Antonis Dimitriou, a wealthy Greek from Trieste, Italy. Athens was a small town at the time, not taken seriously as the newborn country’s capital.
In 1874, Stathis Lampsas, a Russian-born Greek whose ancestors had come from Kalavrita and was a former cook for the King, went into partnership with Savas Kendros, owner of the Grande Bretagne hotel on the corner of Karageorgi Servias and Stadiou, a block down from the hotel. With an 800,000 drachma loan, they bought and restored the Dimitriou mansion and named it the Grande Bretagne.
Grande Bretagne hotel originally had two bathrooms for 80 beds
Grande Bretagne was a luxurious hotel in a town where chickens still ran free in the streets and water shortages were common.
In the beginning, there were only two bathrooms to accommodate eighty beds. Yet, all the luxuries of the time were there, making it a luxurious hotel even by European standards.
In 1888, after the death of Savas Kendros, Stathis Lampsas installed electricity in the hotel when Athens got its first generator.
The hotel was modernized along with the city and became even more luxurious.
Grande Bretagne became a center of intrigue, where international spies passed on information, alliances were made and broken, governments formed and torn down, and businesses were planned. Its ballroom was the center of ceremonies and social gatherings.
Hotel becomes a focal point for politics and business
With the establishment of the Hellenic Republic in 1924, the Grande Bretagne became the central meeting place for the Greeks and foreigners who were shaping the political, economic, and social life of the country.
The new wing on Panepistimiou was built in 1930 to accommodate presidents, kings, and other dignitaries, as well as symphonies and delegations that came to Athens.
During World War Two, the Grande Bretagne was taken over by the General Staff, and all the guests were asked to leave. When Athens fell to the Nazis on April 28, 1941, however, it became the headquarters of the Third Reich and filled with hundreds of officers.
For three years, the Nazis lived in the hotel with regular visits by Goering and Himmler. Rommel and Hitler even stayed here on the eve of the Soviet invasion of 1941.
Things changed drastically when the Germans left and the hotel became the headquarters of the British Expeditionary Force in the autumn of 1944. Instead of peace, however, a civil war broke out between the Greek army and the communist resistance who controlled most of Athens with the exception of the Grande Bretagne.
The hotel became the scene of conferences between the government of George Papandreou and the British delegations headed by Harold Macmillan and later by Winston Churchill and Anthony Eden. The Grande Bretagne was a combination fortress and refugee camp with machine guns set up at the entrance, windows, and hallways.
The civil war ended in 1949, and in 1956 four more stories were added to the hotel. In the years to follow, the Grande Bretagne witnessed numerous demonstrations, election rallies, and military parades, and military coups when the army tanks surrounded the parliament in April 1967.
When the Junta collapsed in July 1974, it was at the Grande Bretagne where Constantine Karamanlis lived for four months while he formed the new government in his 5th-floor suite. The same year, Archbishop Makarios addressed the Greek people from a second-floor balcony on his way back to Cyprus after his near-assassination and the Turkish invasion and occupation of the island.
The Grande Bretagne suites have accommodated over foroty kings, queens, and heads of state. This is where most international leaders stay to this day. The hotel maintains its high standards of elegance and luxury, as the gourmet food is served with fine porcelain and crystal and nineteenth-century gold silverware.
In 2003, the Grande Bretagne underwent its most extensive renovations while maintaining its splendor, making it the best hotel in Athens.
Goats are practically rock stars in Greece and when a herd decides to take a stroll at a beach it becomes a magnet for tourists and locals alike.
A few years ago a bearded beachgoer made a sudden appearance on a popular beach on the island of Symi and became an instant Facebook sensation. The goat was separated from the main group and trotted among the beachgoers who erupted in a mixture of gasps and laughter.
The young goat with its large brown eyes blinking innocently and seemingly unfazed wandered around the crowd and surveyed the scene with imperious curiosity.
He then sat on a sun lounger and enjoyed the rest of the day. The scene was captured by Imad Nehmeh, who was on vacation in the Greek island and posted on a Facebook group, Greek Islands, with the comment “Only in Greece!!!”.
Of course this was not the first time that goats have added a new dimension of beach life in Greece. It is a reminder that even on the most tourist-trodden islands, a touch of the unexpected could be found around every corner, with a sprinkle of goat hair for good measure.
There are dozens of videos uploaded on social media from all over Greece of goats invading beaches. Here is a sample:
Greece is the land of goats on beaches too!
Greece is known for its adorable goats, particularly on islands.
According to a recent study conducted by the European Union’s statistics authority, Eurostat, Greece is the clear EU champion in regard to its number of resident goats.
Recently, a British tourist won a prize from the Daily Telegraph newspaper for her intriguing holiday story about a group of bearded beachgoers in Greece. Debby Waldron won £200 for the tale of her unexpected encounter. Here it is:
We hear the goats before we see them; our backs are to the shore, swimming across clear Greek water towards the brown lump of Albania. We’ve been in the sea for just minutes when the bells reach us through the calm morning air – distant at first, but getting closer.
Turning, we spy a pair of horns just above the horizon; then another, and another, until the low cliffs at the end of the beach are a mass of jostling creatures.
Now, that beautiful beach is filling up fast – with goats. We begin to swim back towards the shore, all the time observing their steady progress towards our belongings. As we plow through the water – desperately slowly, it seems – I count.
There are upwards of 40 animals on the beach now, from huge grand-daddy goats with impressive beards to tiny kids on wobbly pipe-cleaner legs, in shades of brown and black and something in between.
They reach our clothes before we do – and file on past, without even a curious sniff. Clearly, there are places they need to be, and things they need to do. By the time we reach the shallows, only the bleating stragglers remain, and they are more intent on catching up with the flock than investigating what they probably think the tide brought in.
As we stand to paddle the last few feet to the sand, a rush of water comes up behind us and knocks us from our feet. It races on ahead, swamping our belongings. We’re only just able to stagger upright and grab them before they disappear out to sea.
“Ah,” Dennis smiles, as we drip our way into the village shop half an hour later, “Twenty minutes after a cruise ship passes – then comes big waves. But – a beautiful beach, yes?”
Yes, we agree. It is.
A roundtable discussion dedicated to the Greek diaspora was held on Wednesday at the 9th Economic Forum of Delphi, which takes place in Delphi from April 10-13.
The discussion on how the diaspora, counting more than 7 million people worldwide, can strengthen ties with Greece was chaired by Endy Zemenides, Executive Director of the Hellenic American Leadership Council.
In his statement, the Secretary General of Hellenism Abroad and Public Diplomacy, Yiannis Chrysoulakis, referred to the diaspora as an “invaluable asset which is a key priority for Greece”.
He spoke about the recent establishment of the postal vote, through which 17,000 people voted in the recent parliamentary elections, while he emphasized that the registration process for the European elections is also in force.
National plan for action on the Greek diaspora discussed at Delphi
He also spoke about the drawing up of a national strategy for the expatriate Greeks with 5,000 different actions, noting that “our country wants to strengthen its relationship with the diaspora and help the everyday life of Greeks everywhere.”
He referred to a new program of action for 2024-2027, which will be offered for consultation. The program, according to Chrysoulakis, has been based on five main pillars:
The first objective is the support and development of networks and structures of the expatriate community.
The second objective is to take advantage of the presence of the expatriates for local issues in host countries.
The third objective is preserving and strengthening the Greek language, especially among the young generation.
The fourth objective is developing further links between the Greek diaspora and the Church while the sixth objective is the upgrading of the services provided by the consular authorities, with the digitization of many procedures.
Ambassador Tsunis: My generation has failed
George Tsunis, the US Ambassador emphasized that “diaspora is something we talk about a lot, but it is also a misunderstood concept. We must ensure that the relationship between Greece and the US is more vibrant than ever. We must make sure that there are opportunities for Greeks to study in America.”
Tsunis said: “My generation has failed, we have not done enough. I am not impressed with what has happened in recent years, there are problems everywhere.
“Where is the Greek Harvard? Why don’t we have excellent Greek schools? We must do more, do more, and approach things with a sense of responsibility. We need leadership and leadership is lacking.”
The US Ambassador also slammed the lack of institutions that can interest the diaspora world, stressing the need for introspection:
“We don’t have institutions that fascinate the world, that’s the reality. We need to introspect and decide what we want. We don’t have institutions that people believe in, giving our children equal opportunities to participate in them.”
Tsunis also spoke about education and the lack of connectivity with Greece through educational institutions.
“It is time to get serious about creating institutions that facilitate this connectivity. We’ve failed at it, we don’t support each other, if it’s not ideal we don’t even want to hear it. In America we don’t have a Greek university, schools are closing one after the other. The diaspora is such a rich and successful group. Why is this not translated into institutions? We must do more. If we don’t create connectivity, every year a bigger gap will be created” he concluded.
Taking the floor, the Australian ambassador to Greece, Alison Duncan, underlined that the Greek diaspora is one of those passionate about their country, having already taken many actions, something for which the Greeks should be proud.
On a similar wavelength, former ambassador of Australia to Greecey, Jenny Bloomfield, stated that five years after her retirement, she saw “a new Greece, different, a maritime superpower and a developed economy”, for which more things must be done, in cooperation between the country and the diaspora.
For his part, John Sotos, Co-President of the Hellenic Initiative Canada referred to the Prime Minister’s recent trip to Canada, which, as he noted, “motivated Greece and activated the investor community”, adding, at the same time, that it should to simplify procedures for Greeks abroad such as the Greek passport or their connection to real estate they have in Greece.
He also emphasized the need to create an organization that includes diaspora Hellenism, in all countries of the world.
Amorgos, the Cyclades’ easternmost island, boasts marvelous beaches with azure waters, gorgeous caves, ideal spots for diving, scenic bays, and ancient footpaths leading through its steep rocky terrain.
It was there that the 1988 movie “Le Grand Bleu” ( The Big Blue) with Jean Reno was shot. The film became one of France’s most commercially successful films.
Built at the center of the island and surrounded by rocky hills, the maze-like Chora of Amorgos is considered to be one of the most picturesque in the Cyclades.
Here you can admire a breathtaking setting with beautiful squares, traditional Cycladic houses with bougainvillea trees in their courtyards and little whitewashed alleys.
In the morning you can wander around the narrow streets, visit the 13th century castle and the monasteries or relax at a local coffee shop; in the evening pick one of the cosy bars and tavernas scattered around Chora’s streets and squares and enjoy local specialties accompanied by a shot of raki.
Katapola is the main harbor of the island as well as a haven for boats and small cruise ships. Aigiali is the second harbor of Amorgos Island. It is very popular among young people as there is a camping site. Along its lively waterfront, you will find plenty of cafes and restaurants. Perched on the mountainside beyond Aigiali there are three picturesque villages: Tholaria, Lagkada and Potamos.
Beaches on Amorgos Island
On Agia Anna beach, where the film “Big Blue” was shot, you will find two amazing bays, one of which is home to the church of Agia Anna. The beach is pebbly, with rocks and caves, crystalline waters and is ideal for snorkeling.
Mouros Beach with its rocky landscape and secluded caves is superb. Take a moment to admire the breathtaking view from the top of the footpath that leads down to the beach.
Agios Pavlos is a small peninsula with pebbles. Take one of the boats departing from here to reach the small island of Nikouria, which boasts two amazing beaches.
Egiali Beach is a long sandy beach with many beach bars and tavernas. At one end of the beach, there is a path leading to the secluded beach of Levrossos.
Kalotaritissa Bay lies in the southernmost part of the island. It is a sandy, organized beach with beautiful blue water and a beach bar. Take a boat out to the stunning beach of Gramvoussa and bask on a white sandy beach with turquoise waters.
Maltezi is only accessible by boat departing from Katapola. It is an organized sandy beach with blue-green waters and a beach bar.
Mikri Vlyhada is a quiet secluded pebbly beach with crystal clear waters. In order to reach it you have to walk along a steep footpath (starting from Tholaria) but it is well worth the effort.
Panagia Hozoviotissa in Amorgos
You will find the Monastery of Panagia Hozoviotissa on Amorgos clinging to a steep rock above the endless blue of Agia Anna Beach.
The Monastery of Panagia Hozoviotissa has been standing there, a bright white sentinel against the grey rock surrounding it, since the year 1088.
The monastery has eight floors connected by narrow stone staircases carved into the rock. 350 steps lead you to the monastery, the interior of which is like a labyrinth. The cells of the monks are all carved into the rock to form a unique example of traditional architecture.
According to tradition, the miraculous icon of Panagia arrived by boat on the beach of Asia from Hozova in Palestine, sent by a pious woman who wanted to save the icon from the Iconoclasts.
The monastery is perched on steep cliffs 300 meters (984 feet) above sea level. Incredibly, it is only visible from the sea.
Olympia shipwreck
The famous Olympia shipwreck lies on the southwestern coast of the Greek island, near Kalotaritissa beach. The shipwreck has been featured in many documentaries and travel shows.
According to residents, a ship approached the island in February 1980. The captain was looking for a place near the coast where he would find shelter from the strong north winds. The ship anchored near the beach of Kalotaritissa but did not hold and the waves threw it on the rocks.
The ship’s original name, “Inland,” is still visible despite the rust. It was later renamed “Olympia.”
Golden Visa applications in Greece are surging before the changes introduced recently take effect, as reports say that wealthy Americans are increasingly looking for supplementary passports.
New applications for five-year residence permits through the Golden Visa program continue unabated in Greece, as 1,299 new applications were submitted in the first two months of this year, compared to 1,248 applications submitted in the corresponding two months last year.
In total, it is estimated that since the beginning of the program, 24,000 properties have been acquired with a minimum investment value of six billion euros.
The surge in applications is expected to grow before the new requirements take effect at the end of August. Greece is increasing the minimum amount a third national needs to invest and secure the residence permit. This is to tackle the country’s housing crisis.
In popular regions, such as Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, and the islands with a population of over 3,100 inhabitants, the threshold increases to 800,000 euros while in other areas the threshold is 400,000 euros and above.
Moreover, investors must purchase a property of at least 120 square meters. For buildings that have industrial use and are converted into houses, the required amount is 250,000 euros while the required amount for investment in a historic building stands at 250,000 euros.
Spain scraps Golden Visa scheme
The changes in the Greek Golden Visa come as Spain recently announced that it is scrapping the program introduced in 2013 altogether. Critics say it creates inflationary pressure and acts as a back door for dirty money to enter the economy. That prompted Pedro Sanchez’s government to announce in October that the scheme would be phased out.
“We are going to take the necessary measures to ensure that housing is a right and not just a speculative business,” Sanchez said.
The Minister of Housing said that between 2013 and 2023, more than 14,000 such permits had been issued, mostly to citizens of China and Russia.
Americans increasingly look for Golden Visa in Greece
Wealthy Americans are increasingly applying for second citizenship and national residences, including in Greece, according to the leading US law firm Henley & Partners.
It says the wealthy are building these “passport portfolios”—collections of second, and even third or fourth, citizenships—in case they need to flee their home country.
“The U.S. is still a great country, [and] it’s still an amazing passport,” Dominic Volek, group head of private clients at Henley & Partners told CNBC.
“But if I’m wealthy, I would like to hedge against levels of volatility and uncertainty. The idea of diversification is well understood by wealthy individuals around what they invest. It makes no sense to have one country of citizenship and residence when I have the ability to actually diversify that aspect of my life as well.”
According to Henley, the top destinations for supplemental passports among Americans are Portugal, Malta, Greece, and Italy.
Greece’s and Portugal’s “Golden Visa” programs are especially popular since they provide a path to residency and citizenship—with visa-free travel in Europe—in exchange for an investment.