At this year’s 2021 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, Greek producers and exporters raised the bar once again, this time winning an unprecedented 99 Awards in the competition’s 9th edition, an all-time record high for Greece. With a total of 45 Gold and 54 Silver Awards beating the previous record of 70 awards in 2020. This was the second year in a row where the evaluation of samples was done remotely with the results announced online due to pandemic restrictions. While the volume of olive oil produced in Greece this season nearly matched the 275,000 tons produced in the previous crop year, according to data released by the European Commission, the…

It is a truly amazing and historic time for Greeks in the world of Tennis. This is the first time that a Greek has made it to the French Open Final. Bravo Super Stefanos Tsitsipas! Bravo to Maria Sakkari No. 17, who made it to the semi final, however, unfortunately lost to Czech Republic’s Krejcikova. In his fourth major semi, Stefanos Tsitsipas has become the first Greek player to reach a Grand Slam singles French Open Final with a 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Alexander Zverev.  STEFANOS TSITSIPAS – No. 5 While Stefanos Tsitsipas is the current World No. 5, he’s already a role model in the motherland, having helped…

The restoration project on the Acropolis has been met with controversy as critics are accusing the Greek government of ruining the country’s priceless antiquity and cultural icon. Most of the backlash is with a new concrete walkway that was introduced in December, which Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras said constitutes “abuse” of Greece’s most valued archaeological site. A veteran architect and former member of the Acropolis restoration team,  Tasos Tanoulas, called the new paths “foreign” and “stifling” to the 5th-century BCE monument. Critics say that the walkway was done without the care needed to safeguard a national ancient monument that is for many the emblem of Greece. The Greek government says it has…

Sakellaropoulos Organic Farms took 1st place and won 14 awards at the prestigious international olive oil competition, EVO International Olive Oil Competition 2021, held in Italy, setting a new record for Greece. The competition’s sixth edition was held in Palmi, Calabria, from May 15 to 20, 2021. The EVOIOOC competition received a very high score of 9/10 from the EVOO World Ranking (EVOOWR), which is based on strict international standards, bringing it to one of the highest positions in the world for its validity, integrity, and methodology. This international competition follows very stringent guidelines,  and is regarded as one of the most professional olive oil competitions in the world. The criteria are based…

Mykonos, the best known party island, white houses, blue shutters and scarlet bougainvillea all glimmer in the sun. Two weeks after the country’s official tourist season was declared open, everything is quiet except for the work of bringing the place back to life. Work crews paint luxury shops in the maze-like lanes of the main town, where social distance is easier said than done during the busy summer months. If everything goes according to plan, they’ll soon be the backdrop for thousands of Instagram selfies again. The speakers that regularly hammer out basslines and beats at beach bars across the island are silent, with the only sound coming from the water.…

Before anyone may be offended in our ultra sensitive world of 2021, all ethnicities are unique and beautiful in their own way. That being said, Greek girls make great girlfriends (and wives) for a multitude of reasons, including a love of dancing and celebrating life with “kefi”, delicious food, and a rich cultural heritage, among many more things. Have you ever wanted to date a Greek girl? Well, there are many amazing reasons why you should. To all our readers who are an Ellinida, how many of the qualities below do you agree with or see in yourself? Let us know in the comments below. 1. YOU WILL INDULGE IN ALL…

The craziness of cancel culture has struck again. This time at Princeton University. The infamous university decided recently to remove Greek and Latin for Classics majors to combat what it called  “institutional racism.” According to Princeton Alumni Weekly, faculty members sadly approved modifications to the Classics department, including the elimination of the “classics” track, which required intermediate proficiency in Greek or Latin to enter the focus. Students are no longer required to take Greek or Latin. A statement on the department’s website states that “history of our own department bears witness to the place of Classics in the long arc of systemic racism.” “Our department is housed in a building named…

With a record 18 movie productions expected to be shot in beautiful Greece in 2021 (some still confidential), every film piece wants to film in Greece. You can expect to see many Hollywood stars in Greece this summer than you might find at Chateau Marmont during your usual Oscar week. Besides Viggo and Kirsten, catch Daniel Craig and Kate Hudson, for instance, just two of the many, many names confirmed for the “Knives Out” sequel, which is filming in Greece starting this June. With plot details under wraps, but a murder mystery anchored once again by a problematic detective played by Daniel Craig, that movie has a cast that includes:…

Meet the richest Greek woman in the world, Vicky Safra. The guarded Greek widow is inheriting a 90 billion dollar banking empire. This massive fortune was left to her by her late husband, Brazil’s richest man, financier Joseph Safra, who passed away in December of 2020.  With banks on three continents and the Gherkin tower in London, Joseph Safra was Brazil’s richest man. He was a Sephardic Jew. Joseph and Vicky’s four adult children each got a percentage of Joseph’s inheritance, totalling $7.9 billion according to Forbes. Vicky Safra, a Greek citizen, has lived in Brazil and Switzerland for many years. Vicky and Joseph Safra have 4 children (and 14…