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- 🌀The Island That Inspired Navarone—and Your Next Craving
🌀The Island That Inspired Navarone—and Your Next Craving
The Greek Talk: 30% culture, 70% attitude—like a good frappe. 🧋😎
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Hi Greek Talkers!
This week, we’re diving deeper than a Greek uncle into a political argument at Easter. From a shipwreck full of ancient statue bits to syrupy pastries with war-tunnel energy (trust us), The Greek Talk is serving up Greek pride with a twist of chaos and cinnamon. And if you’ve never heard of Leros—spoiler: you’re about to fall hard.
Also:
💡 Reader Tip of the Week:
A big efharistó to our reader Ilias G. who reminded us about ERTFLIX—Greece’s (surprisingly excellent) free streaming platform.
Created by Greece’s public broadcaster, ERTFLIX offers a mix of Greek series, documentaries, classic films, international cinema, and even kids’ programming—all available online and with no subscription needed. It’s like Netflix, but with fewer algorithms and more grandmas.
ok, let’s dive in. ☕🤿🇬🇷
**Got a story, photo, or memory we should share? Send it our way — we’d love to hear from you: [email protected]
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🇬🇷 WHAT’S NEW IN GREECE
🏛️ UNESCO adds Minoan palaces to World Heritage list—finally, some respect for a civilization that figured out indoor plumbing before half of Europe figured out pants.
tovima
🤿 Divers find ancient statue bits in Antikythera shipwreck, confirming once again that Greece has better stuff underwater than most countries have above ground.
CBS news
More news from Greece
🪧 British campaigners threaten legal action to keep the Parthenon Marbles in the UK—because nothing screams “cultural appreciation” like stealing art and then suing the original owners (I mean, SERIOUSLY??).
🛤️ The Panathenaic Way returns—perfect for your next existential stroll between ancient ruins and coffee breakdowns.
☀️ Greece shuts Acropolis midday due to heat - not even Zeus would climb that hill in 44 degrees C.
🎬 Greece stars in new Netflix promo— now when you’re binge-watching Love Is Blind, you’ll suddenly crave pita-gyros with extra tzatziki.
🔥 EU carbon tax to hit Greek households—so now it’s not just the sun roasting you, it’s Brussels too.
🏟️ PAOK unveils new stadium plans in Thessaloniki—finally, a temple worthy of the faithful and the fearless, and engineered to shake the earth every time a goal is scored.
👩⚕️ Athens and UK’s Exeter university team up for Greece’s first dual medical degree and give students a way to stress out in two languages at once.
🤖🎨 ‘I pray for love’, a short film by Olivia Hadjiioannou, redefines AI and art, proving even robots can catch feelings (and probably ghost you).
🌎️ WHAT’S NEW OUTSIDE OF GREECE
🎉 Greek Fest returns to Brighton-Le-Sands—time to celebrate culture, community, and eating enough loukoumades that your Fitbit quietly resigns.
ekathimerini
🇬🇷 Fourth annual Greek Adoptee Reunion wins big in Vegas—love and bonding all around 💙 🤍💙
The Eftychia Project
More news from outside of Greece
🌍 Greek Gen-Zers try to stay connected to homeland—mainly through memes, WhatsApp groups, and debating islands.
🖼️ Māori-Greek artist’s work shines on Manhattan billboard—making Times Square 47% more emotional and 100% more Greek.
🎬 Greek LA-based director Tatou Dede reveals new project—rumored to include 3 plot twists, 2 breakups, and 1 disappointed Greek mother.
💎 CULTURAL GEMS
The Antikythera Mechanism
Long before smartphones and Fitbits, the ancient Greeks were building machines that could out-nerd your favorite science podcast. Enter the Antikythera Mechanism—a 2,000-year-old device discovered in a shipwreck off the island of Antikythera in 1901. Often called the world’s first analog computer, this intricate box of over 30 bronze gears could track lunar phases, predict eclipses, model planetary motion, and even determine the dates of the ancient Olympic Games.
Recent excavations at the shipwreck site in 2025 have unearthed even more clues—fragments of wood, statue pieces, and ceramics that deepen the mystery of who built this thing and why. Scientists using X-ray CT scans on one of the fragments (Fragment C) revealed how the device modeled solar time via a zodiac dial, showcasing a mind-blowing level of astronomical knowledge. But here's the twist: some researchers now think it may have jammed often, possibly making it ancient Greece’s most brilliant, beautiful, and buggy invention.
If you're curious to see it up close, the original fragments and several reconstructions are on display at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. There's also a replica on the other side of the world at the American Computer & Robotics Museum in Montana.
🤯 Fact: no other known device came close to its complexity until 1,400 years later!
📆 BEST OF GREEK CALENDAR
🎵 6 July - 26 September, 2025, Paxos Music Festival, Paxos
🎤 18 July, 2025, Kylie Minogue, Release Athens
💃 21 July - 2 August 2025, 15th Dance Days Chania, Chania,
🍺 1 - 3 August, 2025 , Peloponnese Beer Festival 2025, Kalamata
🧳 TRAVEL NEWS
🏖️ 💣️ Leros: The Quiet Island With a Loud History
If Greece were organizing its islands like a dinner party, Leros would be the soft-spoken guest with a wild past, impeccable taste, and the kind of stories that make you forget your wine. Tucked in the Dodecanese, Leros is often overshadowed by its louder neighbors—but don’t let the calm fool you. This island once hosted some of the largest naval guns of World War II, and the epic film The Guns of Navarone is loosely based on the legendary 1943 Battle of Leros.
Historically known as part of Kalyndia, alongside Kalymnos, Leros gets its name from “levros,” meaning smooth—not a personality trait, just its surprisingly gentle terrain. Unlike the rugged cliffs of Kalymnos, Leros offers gentle hills, quiet beaches, and charming neoclassical architecture leftover from Italian rule (fun fact: it was once a favored naval base of Mussolini—awkward, but historically juicy).
Things to do in Leros? Stroll past the island’s postcard-perfect windmills on your way up to the Medieval Castle. Dive into history (literally) at the War Museum, tucked inside an old WWII tunnel built by the Italians. And when it’s time to cool off, head to the laid-back beaches of Alinda, Agia Marina, or Vromolithos.
🚣♂️Blefoutis Caves by kayak - Paddle through sea caves only reachable by kayak.
🕊️Partheni Wetlands - A serene patchwork of migratory birds, still waters, and zero cell service.
🌊 Tourkopigado Bay - A remote cove with emerald waters and zero umbrellas.
Vromolithos beach, greeka.com
Leros traditional windmills, Greeka.com
POLL TIME!
Be honest—did you actually know where Leros was before this? |
🆕 OBSESSIONS
greece-is.com
🫒 Anãsa: Taste Greece in Helsinki! At 43 Eerikinkatu street, a cozy Greek Deli, Anãsa, is serving up authentic favorites like moussaka, briam, and irresistible bougatsa. A true flavor journey to Greece — right in the heart of Helsinki!
✨ TRENDING GREEK SOCIAL MEDIA
🤖 AI for men is here and they all jumped on it faster than you can say “bro version of the Mona Lisa.” Όχι άλλα ιδρωμένα πορτρέτα—we get it, you lift!
@fanislabropoulos Όχι άλλα ιδρωμένα πορτρέτα ! 🥷🧠📸 #BigNisfa #TaKounavia
🧑🍳 RECIPE OF THE WEEK
From Leros With Crunch: Traditional Sweet Almond Pouches (Τα Πουγκιά της Λέρου) 🌊🌰
If Leros were a dessert, it would be this: delicate on the outside, rich and nutty at heart. These Traditional sweet almond pouches - Ta Pougkia - come straight from the kitchen of award-winning island cook Anna Karpathaki. Recipe in Greek and in English.
cantina.protothema.gr
💡 INSPIRATION
To find yourself, think for yourself.
😎 GREEK FYI
🇬🇷 Greece has no navigable rivers, despite having over 80 of them. The country’s mountainous terrain makes river travel nearly impossible.
😂 MYTHIC MEMES
Hellenic World
Greekboston.com
greekboston.com
📌 RECS
This week, why don’t you watch:
✅ Little England (Mikra Anglia) – A stunning Andros-set family saga, written by Ioanna Karystiani and directed by Pantelis Voulgaris
✅ The Trip to Greece - Coogan & Brydon travel from Troy to Ithaca following in the footsteps of the Odysseus. Think of existential dread with a side of tzatziki.
That’s all from us—your unofficial guide to everything Greek that’s not politics. Whether you’re planning a trip, missing home, or just here for the sarcasm, we’ve got your back. Catch you next week for more news, drama and deep dives. 🧿 Stay Greek. [email protected]
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