Golf in Greece - New Travel Book

Coffee Table Travel Book on “Golf in Greece”
Travel writers Burke and Euser bring Greek golf to the “shelves” of international bookstores and offer insight into what is no doubt the latest big travel investment in Greek tourism in recent years. This full-colored hardback is written in both Greek and English.

ATHENS, MAY 2010 – Just as The Dunes Course at Costa Navarino (part of the largest tourism development project in Greece in recent years) gets ready to open to the public, a new book “Golf in Greece” (www.golfingreecebook.com, 186 pp, $28.00) brings to light the history and current status of the sport, hitting the shelves of major bookstore outlets in Greece and the United States.

Golf in Greece is a golf book and travel guide in one. Athens. Corfu. Rhodes. Crete. Olympia. Messinia. The reader travels to Greece's seven existing golf courses and beyond to nearby beaches, archaeological sites, casinos, spas, vineyards, resorts, restaurants, hiking trails and more... continued

From Hellenic News of America

Ferries from Crete to Gavdos

Gavdos Island, located to the south of Crete, is the southernmost Greek Island and the southernmost point in Europe. The tiny island is home to only about 50 inhabitants year round. There aren’t any hotels although there are limited numbers of rooms for rent. However, you might end up camping right on the beach.

The only way to get to Gavdos is by ferry from Chora Sfakion (1hr 15 mins) or Paleochora (3hr 30 mins) in South West Crete.

Click here for the Crete - Gavdos ferry timetable & more information.
Source: Why Go Greece

Battle of Crete

Battle of Crete Programme 2010
Chania area Memorial Services



Monday 17th May

Nea Hora Harbour, Chania 18.30hrs. With the Mayor of Chania, Kiriakos
Virvidakis.


Tuesday 18th May

Souda - 11.00 am. Souda Municpality

Armeni - 19.00hrs. Armeni Municipality


Wednesday 19th May

Chora Sfakia - 11.00 a.m. Memorial service.

Gouvernetou Monestery, Akrotiri. 19.00hrs. Memorial service.


Thursday 20th May

Kolimbari - 11.00a.m. Army Cadets Memorial

Kokkino Horia 18.30 hrs. Memorial service


Friday 21st May

Chania Old Harbour, Firkas Fortress. 10.00 a.m. Raising of the Flag at the
site of the Battle of Crete Exhibition at the Naval Museum.

Galatas - New Zealand Memorial 19.30hrs. With the Mayor Of Nea
Kydonias Emmanuel Stamatakis.


Saturday 22nd May

Alikianos, Dimos Mousouron. 11.00 a.m.

Souda Bay War Cemetery, Souda. 18.00hrs. Memorial organised by the
British Embassy.


Sunday 23rd May

Metropolis Church, Halidon St, Chania. 11.15a.m. Memorial Service

German War Cemetery, Maleme. 13.00hrs. Memorial organised by the
German Embassy.

Maleme Airfield 19.00hrs. Memorial Service followed by parachute jumping
by the Pan-Cretan Free Divers (short event).



Programme details from the Chania Prefecture

Announcement from British Embassy Athens re UK Passports

From the British Embassy Athens:

We want to alert you to an important change to British Embassy passport services in Greece. From 8 May 2010, the British Embassy in Athens will no longer issue UK passports. After this date, all British passport holders resident in Greece will need to send passport applications to the regional UK Passport Processing Centre based in Madrid, Spain.

The new Regional service is part of a global rationalisation of the UK’s overseas passport production. The regional centres will help reduce costs of producing passports overseas and increase document security. The UK Passport Processing Centre aims to process correctly completed applications within 10 working days from date of receipt. As applications will need to be sent by post/secure courier to and from Madrid, applicants will need to apply at least 4 weeks before travelling. As applicants can apply up to nine months before their passport expires – this time will be added to their new passport – offering flexibility to apply at a time of their choice. Full details of the new procedures, including what type of documentation and photographs must accompany an application, and how to check on the status of applications, can be found at: ukingreece.fco.gov.uk

Anyone who has an urgent and unavoidable need to travel to the UK may still be able to get an Emergency Travel Document from the British Embassy and Consulates in Greece for a one-way trip to the UK. Once in the UK a full passport must be issued before travelling abroad. If you need urgent assistance you should contact the British Embassy Consular Section at: Tel: +30 210 7272 600 or email: consular.athens@fco.gov.uk.

Finally, we assure you that the British Embassy in Athens and its Consulates throughout Greece will continue to provide assistance to British residents and visitors who need our help. We have a professional and high performing Consular team and the changes to the passport service should free up more time to allow them to meet the growing demand for other forms of consular assistance.

Regards
British Embassy, Athens

Further information can be found on the British Embassy's FAQ's About the New Process

Author of 'The Island' bestseller shuns Hollywood

The filming of the serialisation for Greek TV of Victoria Hislop's best selling book, The Island, started in December 2009 (see my blog post January 2010)

It now emerges that Victoria Hislop has rejected an offer of about £300,000 from Hollywood to turn her debut novel about a leper colony off Crete into a blockbuster film, according to the Sunday Times today:

Keen to preserve the integrity of the book and to give something back to the Mediterranean island on which it is based, Hislop has instead allowed one of Greece’s main television channels to dramatise her story for a fraction of the fee.

“Some were offering me high six-figure dollar sums for the rights,” said Hislop, whose follow-up novel, The Return, set in Spain, has also been a success.

After spurning Hollywood, the author settled for “far less” from Mega, the Greek broadcaster, which is turning The Island into a 26-part drama that has just started filming.

“I really don’t mind,” said Hislop. “What I wanted, and will now get, is a chance to have a say in the TV series.

“Of course it is the writer’s script, but I feel much happier with some of my input and knowing that the Greeks, who took the book to their heart, will care about making the series and keep loyally to the plot.

“I was simply not happy with the approaches from America. I was worried what might happen to my story and my characters.”

The writer, who owns a house on Crete with her husband, Ian Hislop, editor of Private Eye magazine, will even have a small speaking part in the drama. “I’ve been learning Greek for the past couple of years,” she said. “I’m fairly fluent now.”

She also said the deal did not preclude secondary rights being sold to a British film or TV company at a later date.

Timesonline