THE GREEK ISLANDS

Archondoula Goutziouli

Most tourists who visit Greece either visit Athens or the beautiful islands . About 20% of those who visit the islands go to Mykonos, 15% to the other islands of the Cyclades, 25% to Rhodes, another15% to Crete and only 5% to the Ionians.

The islands which make up Eptanisa, the Ionian group, are Corfu , Lefkada , Kefalonia , Zakynthos , Ithaki , Paxoi , Antipaxoi and Kythira . The least visited ones are Ithaki, Paxoi , Antipaxoi and Kythira. On the other hand, the most popular Ionian island is Corfu. But I’m sure that Corfu doesn’t make so good an impression on its guests as Zakuynthos does. It is an island with 55,000 residents. There are wonderful little picturesque villages all over the island. The town of Zakynthos has most of its churches round the port, because they used to believe that the port was protected in this way.

The churches are quite different from those in the rest of the country. They aren’t round but instead they are tall wide and square, containing beautiful, colourful paintings. These were painted centuries ago when the Byzantine empire was at its best or in earlier ages when Zakynthos was known all over the world because of its port. But a part of the Zakynthos civilisation was destroyed by an earthquake in 1953.

Nowadays Zakynthos is well known for its wonderful beaches. The deep, dark blue water attracts people. The turtle Caretta-Caretta has chosen Zakynthos for giving life to young turtles by laying its eggs there. Of course, I must let you know that the coast of Zakynthos is very clean and the water is always calm.

I am quite sure that this island will " win your heart’’ on your first visit.

Archondoula Goutziouli is seventeen years old and in her final year at the fifth Lykeio in Katerini. Her interests include athletics, shooting and literature, and she is a member of the Syllogos Ipiriton dance team. She is a fluent English speaker, having passed both the Cambridge and Michigan Proficiency exams.

RHODES - THE ISLAND OF THE KNIGHTS

Alexandra Tsialidou

One of the most remarkable and cosmopolitan islands in Europe is Rhodes. It is at the southern end of the Aegean, and every year it welcomes thousands of tourists from all over the world. The town of Rhodes was built in 408 BC and in 290 BC the Colossus was erected.

Rhodes is encircled by walls and by the "Castello". The "Castello" is the castle of the Knights of St. John.

This stunning town is separated into two parts. In the northern part there is the vast castle of the knights, and in the southern part is the place where the people live. Of course, in the town centre there are a lot of bustling restaurants, discos and parks, and there are also some fantastic, but expensive, shops.

The most famous street on the island is the Street of the Knights. Here are to be found the nicest, most picturesque and most traditional buildings on the island. Some of the more interesting buildings are the Town Hall, the Law Court, the Prefecture and the Theatre.

In the northern part there is the harbour, named Mandraki, which has a large old tower with and interesting history, and some much photographed windmills. At the entrance to the harbour you can find the statues of two beautiful deer. In ancient times this was the site of the statue of the "sun", famous as the Colossus of Rhodes.

The people in the town are very friendly, and when I visited Rhodes with my parents I had a wonderful time. If you haven't yet been to Rhodes, then I suggest that you go as soon as you can !

Alexandra Tsialidou is a sixteen year old student at the Third High School in Katerini. Her interests include painting and music, and she enjoys playing volleyball. She passed the Cambridge FCE exam in 2000.

SANTORINI

Sophia Sahinidou

This summer we visited Santorini, an island famous for its history and its volcano. On Thursday evening we went to Salonica to take the ferry for Santorini.

At first sight the island looked wonderful. There were a lot of little white houses running up to the hills with blue windows and doors. All you could see was the black of the hills, the white of the houses and the blue of the sea. Dramatic and peaceful, the sun and the calm lay everywhere.

We went straight away to Imerovigli, a wonderful village with a magnificent view of the volcano, a village which lies on the "Caltera". We arrived at the hotel and the rest of my family took a nap in order to recover from the journey, but I didn't. I sat on the balcony and I relaxed, looking at the wonderful sunset, the traditional houses and the fells. Everywhere there was a blue intensity which made me feel that I was living in a dream.

In the evening we went to Fira, which is the capital of the island. The town was crowded with young people from all over the world. We walked along its narrow stone paths and we decided to have dinner at a restaurant with a view of the volcano.

The next days were very similar. All day we were at the beach until the afternoon. Then we visited some of the other towns on the island, and late in the evening we tasted the traditional island wines and dishes. On one of these days we visited La another traditional village which was the most peaceful on the island. Finally we enjoyed walking through the traditional houses and shops.

During our holiday we visited Akrotiri one of the oldest civilizations in the Mediterranean sea, which flourished four thousand years ago. Everything was destroyed and sowed by the volcano. This ancient civilization was destroyed by the volcano but also the volcano's materials preserved it and helped the archeologists to discover it without any damage.

It is said that everything which is good has an end, and that's true. So next Saturday we left the island and we arrived back home, back to the old routine. We left Santorini, a place where the hills, the sun, the sea, the dramatic history of the volcano and the wines compose one of the most beautiful islands, and we kept a lot of memories to remember it by!

ZAKYNTHOS and KEPHALONIA

Despina Papathemelis

A few weeks ago I went to Zakynthos and Kefallonia, two wonderful islands. These two islands were completely destroyed by an earthquake which happened a long time ago. Even today the inhabitants of these islands are trying to fix the damage this earthquake caused. However, despite this Zakynthos and Kefallonia have not lost their beauty.

Zakynthos is called by the Italians “the flower of the East”. It has got quite a lot of sights that are very interesting, such as the blue caves, the shipwreck and a museum with pictures of the Saints. It also has some beautiful beaches. maybe that’s why the Caretta Caretta turtles have chosen this island for laying their eggs !

On the other hand, Kefallonia is as beautiful as Zakinthos. It has some admirable sights, such as the Drogaratti cave, which is full of stalactites, and the underground lake “Melissani”, a part of whose roof fell in 1,000 years ago. Finally, there is Fiskardo, a very picturesque village near the sea, which was the only place not to be damaged by the earthquake in 1953.

As you can see, Zakynthos and Kefallonia are two wonderful islands where I had a fantastic time, and I’d like to visit them again in the future. I was completely captivated by their beauty!

Despina Papathemelis is a 12 year old pupil at the Third Gymnasium in Katerini. She enjoys swimming ~ she won two gold medals in the Northern Greek swimming championships. She started learning English when she was 6 years old, and passed the Cambridge First Certificate examination this year with an A grade. She was the youngest student in Greece - perhaps even the world - to achieve this! She is now studying for the Cambridge and Michigan Proficiency exams.