Visiting Thassos | Visiting Kos | Visiting Santorini | Links | Newsflash Book Updates
Newsflash
Below are detailed the latest news and information updates, relevant to the specific publication. These will be incorporated in the next book revisions.
| Thassos - latest news and information | |
| 17/07/2008 | The annual Thassos arts festival takes place this year between 30th June and 31st August. Events are staged all over the island, though the majority are centred in Limenas (Thassos Town). These include plays and dancing in the ancient theatre, art displays, concerts and traditional nights. If you would like the latest details please email, giving the dates you are on the island and we shall confirm the list of relevant events. |
| 17/07/2008 | I am pleased to confirm that the gardening maintenance to the main archaeological sites in Thassos Town is now well under way and should be completed within a few days. |
| 12/07/2008 | A recent addition to the islands museums is the 'Traditional Olive Oil Mill' in Panagia village. The museum which I recommend, charts the history of olive oil production on the island and has many working exhibits. Admission to the museum is free and there is a small shop to buy that little momento of your visit. |
| 06/05/2008 | The following updates only apply to the 6th Edition or before. |
| 05/05/2008 | Out of the blue, the Flying Dolphin service from Prinos to Kavala has been re-instated (they said they had sold the craft.....I love the Greeks!). The new times are, Skala Prinos to Kavala, 07:15 and 13:00, Kavala to Skala Prinos, 06:30 and 12:15. The new times for the service from Limenas (Thassos Town) to Kavala are, 08:55 and 15:30 and from Kavala to Limenas, 08:00 and 14:00. The prices have also been reduced, they are 7.00 euro one way 3.50 for a child (they must be feeling the competition from the ferries!). |
| 17/04/2008 | The Vasilis taverna, referred to at the top of page 47, has changed hands and has been re-named the Patrikos. |
| 26/04/2008 | I am pleased to say that due to the sharp cold spells and rain during the winter, there should not be a plague of wasps in 2008. |
| 02/02/2008 | The opening of the vastly expanded museum in Thassos Town has been further postponed until August/September 2008. A definite date has yet to be finalised. |
| 10/03/2008 | Due to further archaeological research and to improve the directions for a visit to the Acropolis, I have revised the text on page 50 and 51 as follows:- Acropolis and Byzantine castle. From the theatre continue up to the acropolis, following the lampposts. On the first level the acropolis is a long and narrow terrace, which during antiquity was the site of the sanctuary of Pythius Apollo. In Byzantine times the area formed the natural buttress of the town and also acted as a lookout post as its position is 137 metres above sea level. It was at this time that the medieval castle you see today was constructed, a work of Byzantine architects, which was completed during the first half of the 15th century A.D. by the Genoese Gattilusi's dynasty. When you leave the fortress at the southern end, down the steps and through the archway gate, turn right and you will see on your right a well-preserved late 4th century B.C. funerary stele (gravestone), re-used during the building of the castle defences. It depicts the deceased male lying on a couch in a heroic pose, holding what was likely a wine goblet. A snake, an emblem of the underworld, rears up in front of him. His wife (seated) looks on, whilst behind her is the man’s horse (obviously favoured by the man and a sign of his status). Behind the figures, the man’s armour (greaves, cuirass [torso armour] and part of the shield [Hoplon]) is portrayed, but would have extended onto the block above. To the far right, a servant stands attentively behind the couch. The path continues up to the second level of the acropolis, where you will find the ruins of the sanctuary of Athena, with a splendid view over the town and sea. On the final and highest level, is the sanctuary of the god Pan, enclosed within an artificial cave. Although it is the most humble of all the Thassian sanctuaries, it is the one that today’s visitor finds especially interesting. An embossed carving inside the cave portrays the goat-legged god, a loyal follower of Dionysus, nonchalantly resting and playing the Syrinx. The less than artistic quality of the relief does nothing to decrease the graceful portrayal of the subject that dates from around the 4th century B.C. This completes the tour of group one. Return back down the path, and just before the theatre keep to the left path and you re-enter the town past the Dionysion. |
| Kos - latest news and information | |
| 03/04/2008 | If you planning a trip to Bodrum (Turkey) during your stay on Kos, you may now require a visa. However, these are easily obtained at passport control as you enter Turkey at a cost of around 15 €. The visa is valid for 3 months. |
| Santorini - latest news and information | |
| 22/05/2008 | IMPORTANT ADVISE. We have received a message from one reader who purchased the 'A to Z Guide to Santorini', complaining it does not state that the Akrotiri archaeological site is closed. The book is obviously an old edition, that is why we strongly recommend here and elsewhere, the only guaranteed way of receiving the latest edition is to purchase the book through the publishers Lulu.com, or on eBay. Whilst we endeavor to make sure the information in all our books is up to the minute, the first review of the year cannot be undertaken until the season starts and the businesses and attractions are open to visit. Although a revised book is immediately available on Lulu and eBay, it takes approximately four weeks for the major book retailers such as Amazon to adopt it, we have no control over this. We would also suggest that it is a false economy to purchase a discounted book, as with any book that is regularly updated, there is an obvious reason why some are discounted! |
| 26/04/2008 | The following updates refer to the first edition of the A to Z Guide to Santorini only. |
| 05/04/2008 | A year ago to this day, the cruise ship 'Sea Diamond' carrying 1,195 passengers, hit submerged rocks in the Caldera and sank early on the 6th. Sadly a French passenger and his daughter were unaccounted for and it is presumed that they went down with the ship. However, all other passengers and crew were rescued. She now lies bow up, between 62 and 180 metres down, directly below the Senor Zorba Mexican restaurant, 3 kms south of Fira town. There is a memorial plaque at the restaurant and you can see the inflatable skirt the authorities have put in place to trap the oil that is still leaking out of the ships fuel tanks. |
| 22/04/2008 | If you fancy a change from Greek food during your stay and you like Chinese, the 'China Restaurant' near to the cable car in Fira town, has been refurbished and is now also offering a 'take away' service. This is the only Chinese restaurant on Santorini and is of high quality, therefore I am happy to mention it. |
| 21/04/2008 | Due to a serious accident at the archaeological site of Akrotiri, the site has been closed to the public. The authorities are not sure when it will re-open, the only news I have is that it will definitely be open in 2010. However, during my research visit in April 2008, they were renovating the entrance to the site, so I can but hope that it will re-open soon. I will post a note as soon as I know more. |
| 02/01/2008 | I am afraid there is a corruption of text on page 149. The Anniversaries and special occasions section should read:- 'Would you love to re-live your special wedding day, by taking your vows again? Or on the contrary, was your wedding day not the way you had always dreamt of, due to weather, anxiety, rush or limited budget? If so then Santorini is just the place to organise that special occasion and I have no doubt the memories will last forever.' |
Copyright © 2008 Tony Oswin. All rights reserved.
Web solutions
by gWebsolutions.eu Creative | Development