Greece Smoking Ban

The new smoking ban in Greece comes into effect in just a few weeks, on July 1st. How will Greece, the country with the heaviest smokers in Europe, cope?

The Greek government originally passed the no smoking law to take effect from January 2010, but then moved the start date forward in order to 'ease' the population into this new smoke-free world. In summer everyone lives, eats and drinks outdoors, so a July ban will have little effect on the social habits of Greece's smokers.

It's also now apparent that this will not be a total ban. Wording in the press include phrases such as 'new smoking limits', 'severe restrictions on smoking in public places'.

So what's the real deal?

Bar and restaurant employers must create separate smoking sections. The Health Ministry’s legal spokesman, Polykarpos Adamidis, says these smoking sections should account for between 20 percent and 40 percent of the premises, unless the establishment is smaller than 70 square meters, in which case the bar or restaurant owner must decide whether to declare the establishment exclusively smoking or nonsmoking.

It's not the first time Greece has imposed restrictions on smoking, but many are hoping that this time the restrictions will be more successful. The real test will come in the autumn when the population moves back indoors.

Red Arrows Chania Display

The Red Arrows performed a brilliant 25 minute display over Chania Harbour today. These photos were taken from Sody, Profit Ilias overlooking the town.

Click on a photo to see larger size.

My Life In Ruins

In My Life in Ruins, a romantic comedy due in cinemas 5th June, Nia Vardalos (of My Big Fat Greek Wedding fame) plays a woman who goes to Greece in search of her "kefi" -- or mojo.

Vardalos is Georgia, a Greek-American history professor unlucky in both love and the ability to land her dream job. Hoping to rekindle that missing spark, she signs on as a professional tour guide in Athens.

Predictably, it turns out to be nothing like what Georgia imagined. The bus is dilapidated, the accommodations are crummy, and the tourists are a stereotypical bunch from hell. Mixed and matched are the loudmouthed Americans in baseball caps and sneakers (Rachel Dratch and Harland Williams), the stuffy Brits (Ian Ogilvy and Caroline Goodall) accompanied by their sullen teenager (Sophie Stuckey), hot-to-trot Spanish senoritas (Maria Botto and Maria Adanez), a kleptomaniac senior citizen (Sheila Bernette), and corny "Mr. Funny" (Richard Dreyfuss), rounded out by the scariest, seemingly mute bus driver (Alexis Georgoulis).
From The Independent NY

Co stars Alexis Georgoulis ('the George Clooney of Greece') and Richard Dreyfuss.

The 50 Most Inspiring Travel Quotes of All Time

Memorable travel quotes are like messages found on the beach; beautiful, timeless, and read at just the right moment.






Tim Patterson writes on
Brave New Traveler

'All of these quotes rang true, and reminded me of why I travel: to learn and grow, to challenge myself, stretch my limits and foster an appreciation of both the world at large and the chair waiting in front of the woodstove back home.'

1. “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” - Mark Twain

2. “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” - St. Augustine

3. “There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.” - Robert Louis Stevenson

4. “The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.” - Samuel Johnson

5. “All the pathos and irony of leaving one’s youth behind is thus implicit in every joyous moment of travel: one knows that the first joy can never be recovered, and the wise traveler learns not to repeat successes but tries new places all the time.” - Paul Fussell

Read the full article here

High Heels and Chewing Gum

Greece is to ban chewing gum and high heels at parts of the Athens Acropolis, saying they are inflicting irreparable damage on the ancient monument

The new law will apply to tourists and visitors to the Herod Atticus theatre, located at the foot of the famous site.


Back in 2007 the Hellenic Festival sought to raise public awareness of the damage which high heels and chewing gum are doing to the ancient theatre. In 2007 a clean up of the theatre collected a massive 27 KILOS of gum, mainly from the upper tier.

For years, archaeologists have been begging audiences attending plays and concerts to respect the delicate marble surrounding of the ancient theatre, but to no avail.

Now the culture ministry is making that request a possible criminal offence.

Culture Minister Antonis Samaras submitted a draft law to parliament Thursday, saying anyone caught chewing gum or wearing heels could risk a hefty fine and arrest.

Archaeologists claim the more than 350,000 annual visitors to the Odeon of Herod Atticus are now detrimental to the venue.

Read more at Monsters and Critcs

Creta Festival – The Scorpions, Firewind, Dokken, Prassein Aloga

Named the Creta Festival, the big summer concert in Chania with rock legends the Scorpions will be supported by the Greek rock band Firewind, American band Dokken and Greek band Prassein Aloga.
The doors to Perivolia Municipal Stadium will open at 3 pm on 11 July 2009 and tickets to the festival are already on sale in the city’s central record shops.

Festival organizer, Elias Arabis, held a press conference at the Minoan Palace Hotel last week. "The Scorpions certainly know Crete", said Mr Arabis, "They are looking forward to coming to the island." Firewind is now the most commercial hard rock band in Greece with many thousands of sales abroad. The American band Dokken will come straight from Los Angeles for a single appearance this summer, and the concert will open with Prassein Aloga, a well known Greek-speaking rock band from Thessaloniki.

Tickets for the Creta Festival are available from:-

Chania:
LA.SI.DO, Virgin, Studio 2000 record shops, and from the coffee shop ‘Στάση’ on Halidon St.

Heraklion:
Metropolis record shop. Other locations will be announced shortly.

Ticket prices start at 40 euros. There are distinct VIP seats in the stands, which cost 50 euros and have a limited number of 2000.

The doors of the festival will open at 3 pm on 11 July and the concert will start around 4:15 pm. The Scorpions will be on stage for over 2 hours, while Firewind will play for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, Dokken for 1 hour and Prassein Horses for 45 minutes.

Buses will be laid on from the centre of Chania to the stadium.

Battle of Crete 2009 - Red Arrows Appearance

The Battle of Crete programme of memorial events for May 2009 has been finalised and will run between 16th and 24th May 2009. All the Chania area services and memorials are listed here on the Living in Crete website.

The highlight of the event for many this year will be the appearance of the RAF Red Arrows flying display over Chania Harbour on Saturday morning, 23rd May at 9.45 a.m.
Photo source: Flickr