Sitting in the aptly titled Pita (Greek) Street in the centre of Brussels having a yeeros and speaking Greek…my trip to Belgium began in earnest. I had ventured here on the recommendation of a priest. A few years ago I had met Father Christos Sidiropoulos who drives from Belgium to Rotterdam in The Netherlands to…
New feature
To add a little more life to the blog, we now have a new Hellenic Travels in Visuals section where, as the name suggests, we let the visual splendour of Greece do all the talking. Please let us know what you think! https://herculean.wordpress.com/hellenic-travels-in-visuals/
Hellenic Romania: from Greek Colonies to Dracula
Straddling the Black Sea and bounded by Hungary to the north, I was curious by the Hellenic history of Romania and decided to pay a visit. Greek history in Romania dates back over 2700 years! Just don’t call them Eastern European… When I interviewed Ramona a friend of mine from Ploesti, a small inland city…
November 17: the day democracy died and was reborn in Athens
You can hear the screams. If you walk by the Polytexneio University in Athens as I have done many, many times in my life you can feel it. ‘Brother, lay down your weapons, we are students, we are merely protesting…’ Your heart can melt here. In 1973, the world was shocked and horrified by the…
Hellenic Crimea and the discovery of a Greek Principality
The sound of waves crashing on the shore and lush nature that traverses the interior, this could be yet another location in Greece. Instead it is something else. The peninsular at the tip of the Ukraine is known as the Crimea. Whilst it may be in dispute between Ukraine and Russia, it was virtually a…
The Luxury of a Greek Refuge: Luxembourg Hellenes
The hair on the back of my neck stood up as the packed congregation of the Greek Church sang the National Anthem. It was October 28, and the Church was filled by patriots, the local community, members of NATO and a lone tourist from Australia. They sang from the heart, as loud as their voices…
Jerusalem: Hellenic Perspective of an Incredible City
One of the most incredible cities in history, from its establishment by King David in Biblical times to the present day. It is one of the most sought after cities in the world, having been ruled by Assyrians, Persians, Romans, Crusaders, Arabs, Ottomans, British, Jordanians, Jews…. And of course the Greeks. This is not an…
The Many Faces of Hellenic Identity
[Lecture delivered on 4 March 2014 at the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW’s Greek Festival] Where do you start with Hellenic culture?
Hellenic Ocean: Surreal Memories from the Black Sea
A disclaimer or rather a plea from the writer. No article can succinctly detail the Greek history of the Black Sea, for it is such a lengthy period. Virtually the entire ocean was covered by Greek colonies or Byzantine hierarchy. I will merely provide you with a few personal anecdotes. The Black Sea first welcomed…
Opportunity & Adventure: The Greek Presence in Africa
Timing can be everything. I was just about to book my trip to see my adventurous Greek friend Will, a guy who had lived in 4 countries, including his latest residence in Libya. I was in for a rude surprise.
Una Fatsa, Una Ratsa…Venice and the Greek Horses of Power
I remember sitting in St Mark’s Square, Venice, admiring what was in front me. Such a romantic city, this was the place to be. There was a gala, lots of colour, people enjoying themselves and the horses… The famous horses of St Mark’s Square are now located in the main Basilica, though until recent years…
A Greek tale about a Hellene in London
They say New York is the City of Dreams. I say London is the theatre where it all happens. With over 2000 years of history London is a city where every nationality under the sun is represented; and where you can be and achieve whatever you want. For me it was about discovering some more…
Scratch the Surface and you will find Athens
Sitting by the water in Sydney, a place that is summed up with one word, Spectacular, I cast my mind back to where it was in the world that I felt more comfortable, more at ease and immersed in the local culture as I am in Sydney at times. No, it’s not my wonderful London…
With a Greek tear down my cheek…Olympic Games from Sydney to London
Surrounded by a group of Greek speaking friends, the hair on the back of my neck suddenly stood up as my friends rose as one and sang their hearts out to the Greek National Anthem. As the lads sang, se gnorzo ap thn opsi….. everyone in this packed London pub turned to watch us. It…
Double Dutch: A Greek in the Netherlands
Waking up in a household full of Greek students in the Netherlands, I wondered how I got there. And before you say a plane, think again… I was in Athens for a trip and I was told by a student who studies in Rotterdam, that ‘you should visit us in Holland, there are many Greek…
Grant the Scot and the Greek presence in Scotland
It was a typical Scottish day, just before the start of summer…cold, windy, rainy, and then of course the sun came out. This phenomenon repeated over and over again. As I made my way, alone, in the Scottish Highlands, I couldn’t help but think of Grant the Scot. Grant…A Greek in all but name Historian…
BIG Greek Hearts Beating Greek Rhythms: A Hellenic Identity in Beirut
Known to many as the Paris of the Middle East and the birthplace of the Alphabet, Beirut is a bastion of Arab culture. Night life, good food, plastic surgery offices and fast cars epitomise this city. It is hard to imagine that this hustling, bustling city, with its crazy drivers and soldiers dotted around key…
Astoria…Little Athens in the Big Apple
There is a place I know where one is surrounded by Greek shops and Greek speakers. A place were you can buy a yeeros, not a kebab. A place were old men can be seen playing with their kombologia at their usual table in MacDonald’s. This place I know would not be out of sync…
The resilient history of Cyprus
Cyprus has had more twists and turns than a TV soap…… if only it were a TV soap! It was the end of winter and I had stopped off in Larnaca for a few days respite before my return to a freezing London. On a warm day, filled with plenty of sun shine, I thought…
Alexander’s Cultural Success…a Greek Village in Syria
Touched by the Mediterranean Sea and all the delights that an Arabic country can offer, Al Hamidiyah is a small village that is not much different to any other found in Syria. Except its population speaks Greek.
