Greece - Travel Blog

Teresa Dominici Art with Ricardo Chappe Music

2011-12-22T23:04:00.000-08:00

Sharing my latest PowerPoint art presentation. And also, I take this opportunity to wish all my readers, fans, followers and friends a very Happy Holiday Season! Thank you for your continuous support.

Contemporary paintings in acrylic by Teresa Dominici. Visit: http://www.dominicistudios.com.

Thank you to Ricardo Chappe for allowing me to use his music for this presentation. His music can be found at http://ricardochappe.webs.com/.

Teresa Dominici Art

View another webinar from Dominici Studios

BEAUTIFUL CYPRUS - CREATED BY FANIS ADAM

2011-10-23T10:54:00.000-07:00

EXPLORE SACRED PLACES OF CYPRUS.THE ISLAND OF GODS...
FIND ME IN FACEBOOK AS "ΑΓΑΠΑΜΕ ΕΛΛΑΔΑ ΓΙΑΤΙ ΕΤΣΙ ΜΑΣ ΑΡΕΣΕΙ - GREECE IS BEAUTIFUL THAT'S WHY"

Mykonos, Greece

2011-08-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

Painting: Mykonos, Greece by Teresa Dominici, Year: 2011, Medium: Acrylic on canvas.

We have traveled to Greece many times, and we have found it to be a country with very friendly people, excellent food and beautiful scenery.

Mykonos is a Greek island and one of the top and famous international tourist destinations, around the world for its cosmopolitan character and its strong nightlife. The island is part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Siros, Paros Greece and Naxos. The Mykonos island has spectacular beaches with crystal clear green color water. The largest town is Mykonos, also known as Chora , which lies on the west coast.
Mykonos town however offers a different architectural style that is unique in the area. Here, flanking the narrow winding streets are buildings reminiscent of a medieval style.

Every house is reached via a flight of straight steps, parallel to the road, whilst the space underneath these steps was traditionally kept for storage. Atop the steps is a wooden painted balcony that sometimes projects over the road to nearly touch the balcony of the house across the street. Here too, you will find a change from the ubiquitous blue and white decor of Greece.

In Mykonos town the wooden structures of every house are painted in a rainbow of colors, against the whitewashed walls and blue sky, the effect is absolutely delightful.

Mykonos - Greece

by: The World of Travel, http://www.viaggiatore.net/

Mykonos is a Greek island and a top tourist destination, renowned for its cosmopolitan character and its intense nightlife. The island is part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. It spans an area of 105.183 km2 (41 sq mi) and rises at an elevation of 341 m (1,119 ft) at its highest point. The island is composed primarily of granite. It has little natural fresh water and relies on the desalination of sea water in order to meet its needs. There are 9,320 inhabitants (2001) most of whom live in the largest town, Mykonos, also known as Chora (i.e. the Town in Greek, a common denomination in Greece when the name of the island itself is the same as the name of the principal town), which lies on the west coast.
It is believed that the island was named after a local hero, who is considered an offspring of the god Apollo and was worshiped locally in antiquity. ( source Wikipedia )

Parga, Greece

2011-01-27T23:32:00.000-08:00

Painting: Parga, Greece by Teresa Dominici, Year: 2011, Medium: Acrylic on canvas.

It was our first visit to Parga, and can certainly see us returning in the future.

Parga is a picturesque small town on the north-western coast of Greece, in the area called Epirus. Parga town is situated in a sheltered bay and its houses climb the mountain side from seaside to the top. It’s got a castle, one large beach on the other side of the mountain called Valtos Beach, two smaller beaches in town, an island across the bay with a chapel on, a pier for the tour boats and fishing boats in the middle of town and another beach a couple of kilometers south of town in the next village called Lichnos beach.

Parga is surrounded by mountains covered with olive groves.

Visit Parga in Greece

Athens, Greece

2009-07-13T06:25:00.000-07:00

May, June, September and October are our best month to go, the weather is perfect and the island is quieter, kids are back to school and the popular islands are less crowded.

Athens has many neoclassical buildings like the Athens Academy, the National Library, The Historical museum, the Archaeological museum and many others mainly at the streets of Panepistimiou, Stadiou, Athinas, Patission (28 October street), around Omonia square and in the area of Plaka where located the first university of Athens and many neoclassical houses .

Athens has very good transport services, the visitor can use the bus, trolley tram or the metro and of course taxi. Since the distances to most of the main sights of Athens are not far, walking is a good idea and a good way to get to know Athens. Of course you will not be able to see Athens within one or two days unless you want to get some pictures of the Acropolis and pack for the Greek islands, but Athens has a lot of attractions that someone will need at least one week or more. there are many museums in Athens like the National Archaeological museum of Athens one of the most important museums in the world, exhibition centres, shopping malls, theatres and concert halls and of course the famous nightlife of Athens equivalent with the nightlife of Paris and London. There are many places to visit in Athens that sometimes you can spend the whole day just strolling around. A place like that, is Monastiraki and its famous flea market with all kind of old and new stuff, a place that first was used by the rag and bone men of Athens as their main market place. Just across Ermou street from Monastiraki is the area of Psiri with numerous restaurants, bars , cafes and taverns with Greek live music both Monastiraki and Psiri is something like the Camden market in London. But do not forget the beaches of Athens. From the Lycabettus hill you can have an amazing panoramic view of Athens. The coastal road from Faliro to Glyfada, Vouliagmeni and further until Sounion is full of sandy beaches, yacht marinas, hotels, sport clubs, a worth seeing Riviera of Athens. From the port of Athens, Piraeus you can visit the beautiful Greek islands of the Aegean world famous for their nature, history and tourist attractions like Crete, Rhodes, Kos, Santorini, Mykonos and many others.

Athens, Greece: Ancient Acropolis and Agora

By: Rick Steves, http://www.ricksteves.com/

Crowned by the mighty Parthenon temple, the Acropolis rises above modern Athens; a lasting testament to Greece's glorious golden age. The Acropolis was the center of ritual and ceremony, and the religious heart of the city. The marketplace at its base is Agora, and was the hub of commercial, political and social life. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit www.ricksteves.com.

Greece by Diamantis Bournakis Photography

2009-07-13T06:16:00.000-07:00

Hydra Island, Greece

2009-04-21T20:17:00.000-07:00

Painting: Hydra, Greece by Teresa Dominici, Year: 2009, Medium: Acrylic on canvas.

Hydra is perhaps the most beautiful port village in all of Greece. A tiny harbor ringed with cafes, restaurants and gold shops is surrounded by a village of stone houses and villas that rise up the hills like an amphitheater. But one of the best things about Hydra is that there are no cars. Everything is moved by donkey, including groceries, building supplies, people and their luggage.

There are many paths through the hills that lead to small settlements, monasteries and churches and a walk in springtime will introduce you to the islands large array of wildflowers. We walked to the Monastery of Profiti Illias and it took us an hour but the view is worth it. There are still monks living there.

Swimming in Hydra in the rather clear and deep waters can be done only rock diving.

Hydra, Greece: Traffic-free Tranquility

by: Rick Steves, http://www.ricksteves.com/

Only a 90-minute hydrofoil ride from bustling Athens, Hydra is the prettiest of the Greek isles. The community is an easy blend of work-a-day commerce, fancy yachts and lazy tourists meandering through traffic-free streets, alongside the occasional donkey. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit www.ricksteves.com.

Aegina, Greece

2008-10-12T12:19:00.000-07:00

Painting: Aegina, Greece by Teresa Dominici, Year: 2007, Medium: Oil on canvas, Original "SOLD" Thank you.

Aegina lies almost in the center of the Saronic islands and is the closest island to Athens with the exception of Salamina, just a few miles away.

The beautiful Aegina town, beautiful beaches, traditional architecture, picturesque settlements like Agia Marina and Perdika and of course the sanctuary of Afea Athena and the famous church of Agios Nektarios next to Paleohora.

North Aegean islands - Greece

by: The World of Travel, http://www.viaggiatore.net/

The North Aegean islands are a number of disconnected islands in the north Aegean Sea, also known as the Northeast Aegean islands, belonging to Greece and Turkey. The islands do not form a physical chain or group, but are frequently grouped together for tourist or administrative purposes. To the south are the Dodecanese islands; and to the west are the Cyclades and Sporades islands.

Within this group, the main islands along the Turkish coast are the Greek islands of Samos and Ikaria, Chios, Lesbos and Lemnos, and the Turkish islands of Imbros (also known as Gokceada), Tenedos or Bozcaada and the Rabbit Islands. The main islands in the Thracian Sea in the far north are the Greek islands of Samothrace and Thasos.
( source Wikipedia)

Santorini, Greece

2008-08-24T00:30:00.000-07:00

Painting: Santorini, Greece by Teresa Dominici, Year: 2007, Medium: Acrylic on canvas, Original "SOLD" Thank you.

The world famous island of Santorini is the southern most island of the Cycladic group in the Aegean Sea, and is located 63 nautical miles north of Crete.

Santorini is one of the most magical islands of Greece. It is a barren, rocky island just opposite a volcano, with black and red beaches and towns situated on high cliffs offering breathtaking views and fantastic sunsets. Santorini has a dramatic beauty as opposed to lush and green islands.

Santorini is like three islands. One side is the caldera with the villages of Thira,
Imerovigli, Firastefani and Oia perched so far above the sea that it may as well be a painting. This is the commercial part of Santorini. This part of the island brings in most of the money and is completely dependent on it's image to attract the visitors.
Perissa and Kamari are full of restaurants, bars, cafes and shops. There are supermarkets, campsites and even some kind of water park for kids in Perissa. Both Kamari and Perissa have diving centers. On the way to these beaches you pass through towns like Megalochori and Emborio which are agricultural communities that held out til the last minute before giving in to tourism, where you can still find restaurants that are filled with mostly Greeks.

The third part of Santorini is Akrotiri, known of course for the famous ruins from the Minoan period. The actual village of Akrotiri is not as well known and that is for a number of reasons. The main reason is that the road to the archaeological site does not even go through the town.

There is not much to see in Akrotiri town. People go about their work. They are farmers mostly or engaged in some kind of craft. Probably many of the people work in hotels and restaurants around the island. But it is a quiet village and enjoyable to wander around in. There is an old fortress at the top of the town which was destroyed during the earthquake in 1956. This was the site of the town and instead of restoring it they rebuilt the town below the fortress. You can still go up and wander around. From the top of the village you can see the caldera of the volcano and miles of grapes. In fact you can see most of the island.

Santorini - Greece

by: The World of Travel, http://www.viaggiatore.net/

Santorini is a small, circular archipelago of volcanic islands located in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast from Greece's mainland. The largest island is known as Thēra (or Thira, Greek Θήρα [ˈθira]), forming the southernmost member of the Cyclades group of islands, with an area of approximately 73 km2 (28 sq mi) and a 2001 census population of 13,670. It is composed of the Municipality of Thira (pop. 12,440) and the Community of Oía (Οία, pop. 1,230, which includes 268 inhabitants resident on the offshore island of Therasia, lying to the west). These have a total land area of 90.623 km2 (34.990 sq mi), which also includes the uninhabited islands of Nea Kameni, Palaia Kameni, Aspronisi, and Christiana (all part of the Municipality of Thira).

Santorini is essentially what remains of an enormous volcanic explosion, destroying the earliest settlements on what was formerly a single island, and leading to the creation of the current geological caldera.

A giant central lagoon, more or less rectangular, and measuring about 12 by 7 km (7.5 by 4.3 mi), is surrounded by 300 m (980 ft) high steep cliffs on three sides. The island slopes downward from the cliffs to the surrounding Aegean Sea. On the fourth side, the lagoon is separated from the sea by another much smaller island called Therasia; the lagoon merges with the sea in two places, in the northwest and southwest. The water in the centre of the lagoon is nearly 400 m (1,300 ft) deep, thus making it a safe harbour for all kinds of shipping. The island's harbours all lie in the lagoon and there are no ports on the outer perimeter of the island; the capital, Fira, clings to the top of the cliff looking down on the lagoon. The volcanic rocks present from the prior eruptions feature olivine and have a notably small presence of hornblende.[1]

It is the most active volcanic center in the South Aegean Volcanic Arc, though what remains today is chiefly a water-filled caldera. The volcanic arc is approximately 500 km long and 20-40 km wide. The region first became volcanically active around 3-4 million years ago though volcanism on Thera began around 2 million years ago with the extrusion of dacitic lavas from vents around the region of Akrotiri.

The island is the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history: the Minoan eruption (sometimes called the Thera eruption), which occurred some 3,600 years ago at the height of the Minoan civilization. The eruption left a large caldera surrounded by volcanic ash deposits hundreds of feet deep and may have led indirectly to the collapse of the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete, 110 km (68 mi) to the south, through the creation of a gigantic tsunami. Another popular theory holds that the Thera eruption is the source of the legend of Atlantis.

The name Santorini was given to it by the Latin empire in the thirteenth century, and is a reference to Saint Irene. Before then it was known as Kallístē, or Thēra.
( source Wikipedia )