Greece Travel

In 1864, the Greek island of Zakynthos was reunited with Greece, along with the other Ionian islands. The day is vigorously commemorated on Zakynthos, which is also known as Zante.

Zakynthos has a history of being "early" - it established itself as a democracy in very early times, and it also was quick to take up Christianity - supposedly in 34 AD after a visit from Mary Magdalene.

More on Zakynthos

Visiting the Ionian Islands

Shipwreck Cove, Zakynthos. Courtesy Variety Cruises

A couple of years ago, Athenos introduced the "YiaYia" character in its ads for Greek hummus. My blog post on that garnered more comments than any other - mostly strongly pro-YiaYia. (The anti-Yiayia contigent thought she was too much of a stereotype. Most Greeks disagreed.)

Now Athenos has brought a similar series of ads promoting its feta cheese. I still prefer the originals, which were shot in Greece - and I don't know too many Greek women named "Jessica" - but if you've ever wanted to learn exactly how to milk a goat - on your kitchen counter - this is for you. Rated PG-13 for graphic goat ... well, graphic goat something.

Cooking with YiaYia - Where Milk Comes From

What is a YiaYia? Photo copyright Athenos.com. Used by permission

This is one to print out and keep with you - all the days when the majority of museums are free in Greece. A little planning can save you substantial money - though be aware that free days tend to be busy ones and privately-owned museums may or may not honor all of the free days.

As you will soon discover, there's no end of museums in Greece.

The area of Thrace in Northern Greece was granted to modern Greece on this day; from May 1st to the 14th the city of Komotini celebrates its return to Greek control.

The Greek city of Kalamata in the Messinia region is enjoying more international flights and easier access. If you're traveling in the Peloponnese peninsula, you may find more to enjoy than just the distinctive olives which have made the region famous around the world.

Encountering Kalamata

Rembetika master Markos Vamvakaris was born in the village of Ano Syra on the island of Syros on this date in 1905.

Greece is part of the European Union or "EU", and as a member nation celebrates "Europe Day". Europe Day commemorates May 9th, 1950, which is agreed to be the start of the many meetings and efforts to bring the European nations into a unified whole.

Observances vary each year.

For the third year, the Plissken Music Festival brings two dozen foreign musical acts to Greece. This year, the festival takes place on May 18th at Pireos 254.

The full line up includes Moullinex, Dream Koala, Egyptian Hip Hop, King Krule, and about twenty other acts. You can see the full list here. You can also download the Plissken Festival app to keep up with changes and other information.

The organizers are determined to keep ticket prices down, so general admission to the festival is just 30 Euros for the full day of music.

As demand rises for flights to Greece, a number of smaller regional and charter airlines are increasing their offerings to the Greek islands, omitting stops in Athens, eKathimerini reports.

This fits in nicely with the strategy of getting low-cost flights to Greece by choosing a European airport for your connection, then taking a regional flight to Greece itself.

Some of the combinations now include Austrian Airlines flights from Vienna to Chios, Mytilene on Lesvos, and the Peloponnesian town of Patra. This last combination would be a nice way of first exploring the Peloponnesian Peninsula with its key sites of Epidaurus, Olympia, and Mycenae, before going on to Athens and other parts of Greece.

More on new routes from eKathimerini

May 5th and 6th - The Locust Festival of Epidaurus. You can celebrate the salvation of Epidaurus during this festival that commemorates a miraculous moment when a plague of locusts left the town when icons were carried through the streets on the feast day of the Seraphim, celebrated now.

The iconic procession is recreated on the night of May 5th, with a festival on the sixth. This year (2013), with Easter falling on May 5th, the celebration may be delayed.

While Epidaurus is renowned for its excellent ancient theater, this takes place in the seaside town itself.