Spetses is one of Greece’s more civilised islands – it avoids excesses of all kinds, neither tat nor ostentation. Impeccable breeding and manners.  This is what attracts the older money and European chiceria who feel perfectly at home. They arrive in their yachts  or drive down from Athens and catch one of the gaily painted water taxis that zip back and forth across the narrow channel that separates the island from the Peloponnese. The island is car-free, so apart from the electric golf carts that some of our villas have, or the local taxis,  there is an eclectic range of mode ..read more

  “Oh!” exclaimed Irene in the office when I told her I was going to Delphi, the navel of the world, the centre of the earth, the home of  Pythia, the Oracle of Delphi.  “You must take your shoes off and go barefoot to really feel the energy and connect with the earth.” I am not a naturally spiritual or reverent person, and everyone tells me I have no feel for energy or auras or anything like that, so Pythia had a challenge in front of her. Pythia was the title given to the succession of archaic priestesses who were considered to be the mouthpiece of the god Apollo –  the ..read more

SECRETS OF THE TAYGETUS – living in the skirts of The Prophet. A guest blog by James Heneage.   Eight years ago we moved into a shepherd’s hut, the only building standing on the new land we’d bought just north of Kardamyli in the Peloponnese and were contemplating the task of creating our idea of paradise amongst the terraced olives above. Now we wake each morning on top of it all: a tower bedroom that sits above many others scattered across the slope below, with views over the Messinian gulf in front and the Taygetus Mountains behind. It is a sight of immense calm and some portent, depen ..read more

  200 years ago, it was agreed by all except the Ottomans, that what the world really really wanted,  was… Greece.  How could there be a Europe without it? This year is the bicentenary of the War of Independence where poets, peasants, priests, and princes joined the trickle that ended up as a riptide, carving out a Hellenic homeland  in the south-east corner of Europe.   The battle for Athens If you need an excuse to go to Paris, ( yes, spellcheck, Paris not Paros, for once you are right!) then the Louvre and the Levendis Foundation have given you  one of the be ..read more

Kind clients and friends have asked us how they can donate to help victims of the tragic wildfires that have affected people and wildlife  this August. Here are the ones we recommend: HELP THE ANIMALS   EDKE The Greek Action of Volunteer Veterinarians (EDKE) ALPHA BANK IBAN GR66 0140 1240 1240 0200 2007 199 BIC: CRBAGRAA Note on deposit: Greece Fires NINE LIVES GREECE Account Name: Eptapsihes – Nine Lives Alpha Bank IBAN: GR2901401770177002002000571, BIC: CRBAGRAA, Note on deposit : Greece Fires DOGS VOICE PIREOS BANK IBAN: GR 6601 7214 1000 5141 0762 68861 BIC: PIRBGRAA All o ..read more

What is Greece like in November?  Where in Greece would be a good place to escape to this winter? Is Greece a Christmas destination?   These are questions we are being asked more frequently, as long-haul and ski resorts appear less and less likely to be on offer as Christmas holiday destinations, and as lockdowns in northern Europe loom. We used to answer that although Greece couldn’t compare with the Maldives or the Bahamas for winter sun, or  with St Moritz or Aspen for skiing, winter in Greece could be a wonderfully authentic and rewarding experience, but now we are ..read more

That is meatballs in egg and lemon sauce to you… This is a unique Greek combination of flavours and for us, the most delicate and evocative taste sensation in Greek cooking. Greek mothers make chicken broth with avgolemono sauce and rice for any ailment from a broken leg to a broken heart, and it usually works. Simple, subtle, clean and healthy, this is a classic. Angelina Kalogeropoulou, one of our favourite chefs to whom we entrust our most demanding clients, continues her cult cooking course for us with this recipe.  Follow her on our social media or search our blog for her other vide ..read more

One of our favorite chefs, Angelina Kalogeropoulou, has started to become a cult figure with her charming  presentations of delicious and easy dishes to prepare, to bring some Greek  flavours, scents sunshine into your kitchens. Our clients love her and we are so lucky to have her! You can follow her on our social media, and we are also publishing her videos on our blog here. Here is her first one ..read more

Last updated May 5th 2020 Greece has to date fared far better on the Covid-19 battlefront than many of its European counterparts and has been rewarded with a strong brand name for being a safe and responsible tourist destination. Details of the lockdown release for Greeks from May 4th, and for the resumption of international travel from late June are detailed below. Currently: All transport links with non-EU countries as well as Spain, Italy, Germany and Holland are suspended till at least up to 18th of May when further announcements are expected. The Greek government is conducting bilat ..read more

Posted by Ileana von Hirsch:     “Where?” ask my Greek friends when I say that I have just come back from a wonderful trip to Kilada. “Kilada,”I reply, “You know, that cute little provincial seaside town in the Argolis,  on the east coast of the Peloponnese, famous for its small, succulent pink shrimps and its traditional wooden-boat-building yard?” “Nope,” they say. “The prehistoric cave of Franchthis? The rolling hills with sea views, windmills and artful groups of cypress trees? The vineyards, the carob honey, the artisanal wine makers, it is our Tuscany!” “Never heard of it.” “Near Porto ..read more