Holidays from Home: Your very own Greek week

In the latest from our Holidays from Home series, we bring the sights, sounds, flavours and colours of Greece to your doorstep. And – believe us – there’s plenty to explore.

What’s one of the most special things about going on holiday? We think that a big part of the fun is getting to immerse yourself in a different culture. And if you feel a little uneasy about leaving the country right now, or have been trapped by travel restrictions, it doesn’t mean other countries can’t come to you! Every fortnight or so we will be helping you to enjoy the quintessential culture of some of our best-loved countries – all from the comfort of your own abode. From food and drink to music and architecture, it’s ideal for bringing some fresh sights, sounds and flavours to your home.

Rapping on your front door this week is the enchanting nation of Greece. Opa!

“It’s all Greek to me”

You don’t need Plato’s powers of reasoning to see why Greece is such a cherished holiday destination. With mouth-watering food, hallowed hospitality and a patchwork of sun-drenched islands lapped by azure waters, Greece deserves its place among the pantheon of heavyweight holiday destinations. But skim beneath the admittedly beautiful surface and there’s so much more to discover. As the birthplace of democracy, literature, theatre and western philosophy – not to mention the Olympic Games – Greece really is one of the world’s most historically influential nations.

Adding to the allure is that delightfully unusual Greek alphabet – endowed with shapes and scrawls that look quite alien at first. Well, relax. They’re not as imposing as they look. Greek is a wonderful language and easier to get to grips with than you may have thought. It’s also fascinating – if you’re into this sort of thing – to discover how Greek has influenced many English words. In ancient Athens, for example, political officials would meet and anonymously vote for individuals to leave the city by carving their name into pottery. The ejected individual was deemed an ‘ostrakon’, from which we get the English word ‘ostracise’.

If you have ten minutes per day, you can begin getting to grips with the unexpected pleasures of Greek for free with Duolingo.

A vibrant culinary kingdom

Tasty – seriously tasty – dishes are abundant in Greece. But you don’t need to be in Greece to enjoy them when you have everything you need at home. Now, you already know about moussaka. It’s a Greek staple. But for something a little less obvious, try whipping up some gemista. Take a giant beef tomato, stuff it with rice, minced beef/pork and veggies, then bake. You can also make gemista by stuffing aubergines or bell peppers. Hearty, wholesome and downright delicious. Best of all, easy to make at home. Here’s an authentic Greek recipe for gemista. Don your apron and rustle up something special. Bonus points if you’re feeling fancy enough to try making some baklava for pudding. You’re in for a plate-smashingly good feast.

Something to drink?

Everyone has their own horror story about ‘a friend’ who has overdone it on the ouzo. But love or loathe, it’s a key part of the canon when it comes to Greek spirits, along with metaxa – made from aged wine distillates and botanicals – and tsipouro: an un-aged brandy. Even the soft drinks put hairs on your chest in Greece, where nerve-shreddingly strong coffee is the order of the day. Though in the sizzling hot summer months, a refreshing iced frappe is just the ticket.

Grecian sounds

Grab the lyra and gather your lutes. Traditional Greek folk music is what you need when clamouring to create a quintessentially Greek aural backdrop. Lacking in your lute collection? No worries. Fire up your streaming service of choice and search for Dimitris Lagios, Alkinoos Ioannidis or Kostas Mountakis. Bingo: instant Greek vibes.

For something a little less traditional, fetch your hairbrush and sample the 70s pop rock of Poll or Nastrodamos. Also worth mentioning is Vangelis, one of Greece’s most famous electronic and orchestral composers and the man responsible for the Chariots of Fire and Blade Runner film scores.

Finally, if contemporary is the only way, get giddy for the energetic howl of Yannis Philippakis filling your lugholes. Born on the island of Karpathos, he’s as famous as feta when it comes to Greek exports. You may know him better as the frontman of a band called Foals.

Greece and the silver screen

After all that fine dining and musical frolicking, it might be nice to cosy up on the sofa with a film. Acclaimed Greek director Theo Angelopoulos has you covered. Perhaps his most famous film is Eternity and a Day, which scooped the Palme d’Or and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival.

Yorgos Lanthimos (director, producer and screenwriter) is another successful Greek figure in film, and has received numerous Academy Award nominations for his contributions to Dogtooth (Best Foreign Language Film), The Lobster (Best Original Screenplay) and The Favourite (Best Picture and Best Director).

You can do better than watching Mamma Mia to get your filmic fix of Greece, right?

Hold your own Olympic Games. Or simply shoot hoops.

As the instigators of the original Olympic Games – held in Olympia in 776 BC – Greece’s contribution to sport is forever cemented in the legendary bracket. The event was the precursor for the modern summer Olympic Games that we know today, the inaugural event of which was, fittingly, held in Greece in 1896.

You may be wondering what any of this has to do with you and your Greek week. Well, wouldn’t it be suitably apt to design your own Olympic Games. Perfect for the most competitive among your cohort, nobody said you can’t make up your own series of events – assuming you’re lacking access to pole vault facilities, of course. After all, that’s what the Grecian people did all the way back in 776 BC.

Alternatively, hit the basketball court. No, really. Greece has a long history of success in the sport and is ranked 7th in the world (as of 2020).

Surprised?

Globally significant ancient architecture

If you had eighteen of something in your favourite collection, you’d feel happy. So imagine how Greece feels to have 18 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. And while it obviously doesn’t compare to being there in real life, virtual tours are available to give you a sense of the sheer magnificence of what’s on offer. For starters, here’s Mount Athos in stunning panorama. Follow that up with a virtual tour of the Acropolis in Athens.

Literature and philosophy

The time is somewhere around late 8BC. A poet called Homer steps forward to take his place in history by penning his classics The Odyssey and Iliad. In doing so he laid the foundations for the emergence of western literature. These works are readily available, either online or in paperback.

Not content with inventing literature, Greece also created philosophy. Plato, born in early 4BC, is one of the most famous philosophers of all time. And it was from his work that Stoicism was born. Founded by Zeno and followed by Seneca, Epictetus and Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Stoicism is arguably Greece’s most famous contribution to philosophy.

The teachings of Stoicism, focused on finding wisdom and happiness through acceptance of the present moment – be it good, or bad – are relevant to this day. A really easy and bitesize way to sample Stoicism is through The Daily Stoic – which contains a short and snappy Stoic teaching for each day of the year, written by New York Times bestselling author Ryan Holiday.

Your Greek week

Okay, it’s over to you. In summary, here are some activities for your Greek week.

LEARN a little Greek on DuolingoCOOK a tasty Greek dish – gemistaDRINK some rich black coffee (or rustle up an iced frappe)TOAST health with a shot of metaxaLISTEN to Dimitris Lagios, Alkinoos Ioannidis or Kostas MountakisWATCH Eternity and a Day by Theo AngelopoulosPLAY basketball or make your own Olympic GamesVISIT (virtually) the Acropolis in AthensREAD The Odyssey and Iliad by HomerGET WISE with The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday