Just think, some 132 years ago, the Greeks had never heard of Metaxa brandy which has now become the hallmark of Greece. They drank their raki, ouzo and wine and did not know that one of the descendants of Dionysus had a dream… Once Spyros Metaxa, a merchant and tavern owner, as well as a […]

“Where basil grows, evil does not grow”, says the proverb. Since pre-Christian times basil has been a plant of prosperity, love and family happiness. Along with other plants, it was tied in dry bouquets and stored in houses serving an apotropaic purpose. Christian tradition recalls that a basil plant was found by Empress Helena, propagator […]

Traveling on Crete in late summer and early autumn, you probably saw cactus thickets colored with red fruits. These are prickly pears: in Latin opuntia ficus-indica and in Greek φραγκόσυκο, meaning “Frank fig” The prickly pear came from Mexico, and the name of the plant derives from the ancient Greek city of Opus, through which […]

According to a recent Passport Index released by Arton Capital (https://www.passportindex.org) has found, The Greek passport is ranked  among the world’s top four strongest. On this site you will find the passport index. The Passport Index allows passport holders all around the world to discover the beauty and diversity of passports— from their colours to […]

The municipality of Heraklion invites you to an interesting gastronomic event—the Cretan cuisine festival 2019 in Heraklion. The festival will be held from Thursday, 26th to Sunday, September 29th at the Old Vegetable Market. Last Cretan Cuisine Festival 2018 in Heraklion, held in October at the Venetian port of the island’s capital, provided a good […]

Not far from Heraklion, in the settlement of Archanes, there is the Cretan Thematic Park. Happy is the tourist visiting a Minoan Wine Festival presentation. Russians, influenced by the “Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece” have often no idea that before the Achaeans on Crete lived their predecessors―the Minoans whose culture and language was very […]

Of course, you remember Pan with a pipe, the charmer nymphs ― the naiads, the Nereides―from the myths of ancient Greece. In perceptions of the ancient Greeks, the sea, the forest, the mountains were inhabited by beings that looked like people, and in each tree or stone was hidden its own peculiar life. A Master, […]

There is a great news for all lovers of Cretan cheese! On April 21, Manolis Parasiris, a hereditary cheese-maker with vast experience, as well as an active member of the Zoniana village team, laid a cheese for the 10th anniversary festival of shepherds and cheese-makers in Zoniana, which will take place on August 15 directly […]

The Greek State Council promulgated in March of this year a decision to ban smoking in casinos and entertainment establishments of more than 300 square meters, repealing the previous law. The previous law, adopted at the ministerial level in 2011, prohibited smoking in shops and medical areas, but relieved casinos and large entertainment centers with […]