Author: Celeste

Pinatas We Love Pinatas is the creative work of the Anthomeli bloggers, two sisters from Thessaloniki in Greece. I met Callie and Kathy during my travels with Travel Bloggers Greece. Although piñatas are nowadays thought of as a fun activity for parties, they have a long, rich history. There is some debate but it appears that their origin is not Spanish but Chinese. The Chinese version was in the shape of a cow or ox and used for the New Year. It was decorated with symbols and colors meant to produce a favorable climate for the coming growing season. It was filled with…

Are you an expat in Athens, a non-Greek speaker or maybe you Greek but looking for an activity for to improve your child’s English language skills? Are you looking for something different to do with your children or are you looking for a creative writing course? Creative writing in Athens for Kids This English-speaking Creative Writing Meeting in Athens for Kids takes place on Saturday 31 March from 12:30 – 14:00. This first workshop in a series of 8 is free of charge and suitable for children aged 7 – 11 years old. The experience of creative writing for children is…

Driving in Greece I have been driving in Greece for more than 25 years. I have driven on islands, through the mountainous mainland and for the past 21 years I have been in busy city life in Athens. I currently make 4 school runs per day. And I love taking small road trips on the weekends. I believe that I am a good driver and have much experience. Yet, I cannot get used to some aspects of driving in Greece. Although I would definitely recommend hiring a car to explore Greece, I would also like to give you some advice. …

Renting a car in Greece for your family vacation is a great way to safely discover your holiday destination. With a car, you do not depend on a taxi or public transport and you can book a car seat for your babies or children. Preparation for renting a car in Greece I believe that successful family travel is all about planning. It is best to book your family car well in advance. This way you will not have any unexpected surprises and you will not have to wait at the rental car company at the arrival (air)port. You will get…

Flying with kids can only be successful after good preparation and excellent packing skills. Have a look at the key items to pack for a successful plane trip with kids in this post with top tips for flying with kids! The baby diaper bag Make sure you bring plenty of wet wipes and always have a spare set of baby clothes with you. Take only the essentials for the trip and toss everything not necessary. Do not put your passports and other ‘adult’ items in there. Keep one (backpack) bag for your own items and a diaper bag for the…

Flying with kids can be successful. This much depends on the trip itself; the weather during the flight, the situation at the departure and destination airports (read Tips for Athens airport in this post), the season (winter or summer), the crew and passengers on board (especially the ones sitting next to you). The children change too. My oldest always loved flying until we faced some turbulence. She had a fear of flying for a while, but it seems to have gone now. Good preparation is another factor for a successful trip. Flying with Kids In a series of articles about Travelling…

Athens airport with kids is easy to navigate. I have been flying with my kids from and to Greece countless times since they were both newborn babies, so I believe my tips can be valuable. If you are visiting Greece from abroad, you are likely to arrive at one of Greece’s 15 (!) international airports or (mostly in summer) one of its 27 (!) national airports. The busiest is the Athens International airport (or AIA) called “Elefthérios Venizélos”. It operates since 2001 and serves as the hub and main base of Aegean Airlines as well as other Greek airlines. Update 2023: The airports…

25 March holiday is a public holiday in Greece. This national holiday marks two important historical events, thus a double Greek feast. The day is celebrated around the country and far beyond. In this article, we’ll explain the traditions of the 25 March public holiday in Greece. 25 March Holiday Greece – What do we celebrate? Independence Day The 25th of March is also called Greek Independence Day because it commemorates the start of the War of Greek Independence in 1821. The Greek War of Independence (1821–1829), or Greek Revolution was a successful war waged by the Greeks to win independence for Greece from…

The colors, sounds, and smells of the Greek market were overwhelming. ‘Is it still alive?’ My daughter asked admiring a large lobster at the fish section. We saw fish and octopus, meat and herbs, snails crawling out of their crates…We tried cheese and olives, herbs and sweets and we saw the way they were prepared. This is how you get to understand a country. Not only by visiting archeological sites or museums and queuing at monuments. You get to understand a country by eating its food. And we did a lot of that on a sunny March morning in Athens…

Music for kids is essential. Classical music is highly beneficial for their development. Did you know that recent studies have shown that making music can make your child nicer, more willing to help, and better at problem-solving than his peers who don’t play it? Young children love a blend of music, movement, rhythm and dance. Music and movement together provide a lot many benefits to the social, mental and physical development in children. Moreover incorporating music and movement in early childhood education helps young children with social interaction and language growth. It is also believed that music helps adolescents release or control emotions and helps coping with difficult situations…

Gialova Gardens was the base during our trip around the Peloponnese with the Family Goes Out team in the summer of 2016. My family and I spent a week in Bungalow Josefine, a 3 *holiday house in Gialova, Messinia. If you are looking for family vacation homes in Greece, have a look at our tried and tested review and add to your kid-friendly accommodation list! Family Vacation Homes in Greece: Gialova Gialova Gardens is a compound on a plot of 8.000 m², consisting of three identical family vacation homes (bungalows Marijn, Suze and Josefine) plus two villas (Villa Hetty and Villa Andrea) on a green hill…

Information about the latest exhibition presented by Goulandris Museum and the Gaia Center. Goulandris Museum and Gaia Centre demonstrate to visitors the way planet Earth has been functioning for millions of years and how it functions today, with the interventions of modern people. At the entrance, as well as all along the exhibition, the ancient goddess Gaia is present extending her offering hand to humans. The «Geo-sphere», which is unique in the world, is a hemispherical dome- monitor of 5m of diameter and of approximately 40 m2 of surface. It shows the rotating planet in 225,000 high-resolution images. It also…