Greece


 * Hello, and welcome to a Wiki that's all about Greece! Greece is home to many historical artifacts and a unique culture. It also have unique foods and many sights and attractions to see. **


 * Currency **

** -called the euro ** ** -exchange rate: 1.398048 ** ** -one euro equals $1.40 in America **

** -gyros: meat roasted on a vertically turning spit and served with sauce (often *tzatzik) and garnishes (tomato, onions) on pita bread; a popular fast food ** *tzatziki is made of strained yogurt (usually from sheep or goat milk) mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil (usually), pepper, lemon juice (sometimes), and parsley. ** -keftedakia: fried meatballs **
 * Foods **

** Travel **
 * ** Departure cities ** || ** Airlines ** || ** Length (in time) ** || ** Distance (miles) ** || ** Price ($) ** ||
 * ** Los Angeles ** || ** British Airways ** || ** 15.5 hours ** || ** 6,947 ** || ** 864.00 ** ||
 * ** New York City ** || ** American Airlines ** || ** 12 hours ** || ** 5,058 ** || ** 701.00 ** ||
 * ** Chicago ** || ** American Airlines ** || ** 12.5 hours ** || ** 5,446 ** || ** 814.00 ** ||

** Famous Museum **

** Acropolis Museum is famous for supporting ancient Greek art, and they are considered hidden treasures. The museum exhibits some of the most famous and ancient artifacts of Greece for attendees. In the months of June to October in 2009, the museum had about one million people visit it. The museum tried construction in 1970, it but resulted in failure and didn' **** t cope satisfactorily. The inadequacy of the space frequently caused problems, so they delayed construction. Then, in 2000, they tried again and completed the museum successfully by 2007. The museum was finally opened to the public in 2009. **

** Special Activity-The Day of the Panagia (virgin Mary) **

** August 15 th is the second biggest religious holiday after Easter and is on the island of Tinos. This day is celebrated like no other holiday/celebration. Pilgrims will come by the thousands to the island to crawl on their knees up the steps to the church that holds the "Holy Icon". This day is also celebrated in almost every town and village in Greece, especially those with a church dedicated to the Panagia (Virgin Mary). That means on the days leading up to it, every boat is full and on the islands, every hotel is full (keep this in mind if you are traveling on these dates). General booking a hotel on any island during August is difficult if you don't do it in advance (we recomend to plan ahead). **

** Agiassos, located in Lesvos, is the second most holy place in Greece. Pilgrims begin arriving weeks before the 10th of August, and by the 15th of the month the town is alive with ceremony, both religious and socia,l with live music. ** ** Anywhere you go there will be a celebration at one church or another with dancing, food, and services. Usually, they go on until dawn. The best ones are held in the monasteries, like Profit Elias. ** ** August 30th is the name day for Saint Alexandros. ** ** The church on Tinos is called the Panagia Evangelistria Church and in the church, men must wear long pants and shirts with sleeves, and women must wear dresses or skirts and tops with sleeves. Remember that it's not appropriate to explore the church during a service. **

** Nature attraction-Vikos Gorge **

** Vikos Gorge is beautiful with its wooded slopes, often taxing terrain, and rugged riverbed. Its located in western Greece in Epirus; its said to be at least as impressive as the far better known Samaria Gorge of Crete. Because of the gorges remoteness, it is visited far less frequently; and that much more a wilderness challenge. **

__** Viewing Platforms and Trails **__ ** There are natural viewing platforms near Monodendri, Beloi, and Vradeto. Theres also a hiking trail that descends into the gorge from Monodendri. It then goes to the springs of the Voidomatis River, then to the village of Papingo thats on the north side of the gorge, or the village of Vikos thats on the south side of the gorge. If you take the trail that leads south through the gorge from Monodenri, youll be able to see the 18th century stone bridges near Kipi. **

** Lodging ** __ ** Hotel Aristoteles $35 a night for a single room Athens phone: +30-210-522-8127 ** __

** Aristoteles is a 2 star central hotel (recently renovated in 2008) which displays the true values of Greek hospitality. There are room sizes from singles to quads, with all modern comfort ensuring a unique stay in this ancient and charming city. It is located adjacent to Omonia ( main underground station -300m ) allowing for easy rail (Larissa station- 500m ) and bus access. **

__ ** Hotel Rotonda $54 a night for a single room Thessaloniki phone: +30-231-051-7121 ** __ ** The Rotonda hotel is a high standard 3 star hotel and an 8 story building, located in the city center, very close to the central railway station. A modern lobby and a cafe/bar welcomes you to the ground floor. Breakfast is served in our elegant restaurant, where our friendly staff is always ready to offer the best services. The hotel has 79 rooms elegantly furnished that can satisfy the needs of the modern traveler. All rooms have A/C, soundproof windows, direct dial line, TV, 24Hh room service, refrigerator, wireless internet access, and a balcony. **

** Historical Attraction-Temple of Zeus **

** In the center of Athens, about a quarter of a mile to the southeast of the Acropolis, and within a quarter mile south of Syntagma Square and the Parliament Building, lays the Temple of Zeus. Construction started in 515 B.C., and it was built on the site of a previous temple. The Temple of Zeus is made out of rock and has many pillars. The original Olympic Games were held here. It can be reached by bus or train from Thessaloniki and Athens on the route to Pyrgos. If you rent a car, you can head there on your own. ** //[]//




 * Weather and Climate **

** Greece has mild, rainy winters and warm, dry summers; from October to March, it s cold and rainy, and its warm and dry from April to September. The warmest time of year is the last ten days in July and the first ten days in August; the average temperature for that time period is 84-95 degrees F. For the winter, youd probably want to bring pants, sweatshirts, rain jackets, hats, gloves; what youd wear in the fall or spring, bring. For summer, youd want to bring shorts, short-sleeved shirts, caps; bring what youd usually wear in the summer. **

** Knossos Royal Palace-Crete **

**Knossos was the court of the legendary King Minos, whose wife Pasiphae gave birth to the Minotaur – half-bull, half-man. Excavations were begun by the English archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans in 1893 and lasted 35 years. Entering the Great Palace through the West Court you can easily understand why the legend of the labyrinth started here. It takes nearly two hours to walk around the site and explore the entire Palace. The wall above the entrance door of the Queen’s Quarters is decorated with a copy of the famous dolphin frescoes.**

**Sources** //[]// //@http://www.mccullagh.org/photo/1ds-12/temple-of-zeus// //@http://www.activitiesgreece.gr/weather_and_climate.cfm// //@http://www.aristoteleshotel.gr/accommodation.php// //@http://www.hostelsclub.com/hostel-en-10380.html// //@http://alltravelgreece.com/Greece/Destination_Guides/Top_Attractions.htm// //@http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Sandwiches/GyroSandwich.htm// //@http://www.cubacurrency.com/node/215//