Who could imagine in March 2020, that the whole world would go to “lockdown” due to the Corona Covid-19 virus, and when traveling many times a “quarantine” is requested? All this belonged to history, most of us thought… or the younger generation probably never heard of the word “quarantine” before. S0 let’s see how the quarantine was organized on the Greek island of Syros, in the previous century.
Since 2005, during the summer months, Omilo is organizing its Greek Language and Culture courses on the island of Syros. The Omilo students usually fly to Athens or Mykonos, and from there travel by boat to Hermoupolis, the harbor of Syros island, and the capital of all Cycladic islands.
When you are about to arrive and face the harbor, you have a magnificent view over the hills of Hermoupolis and Ano Syros. When you look to the left, on the southern extremity of the port, you also see a stone building, which once was the island’s quarantine, the “Lazaretto”. Nowadays, the building is beautifully lit at night, so it is easy to spot.
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Greek Μovie “Notias” by Tassos Boulmetis
The Greek movie “Notias” (Greek for “southern wind”) , by Tassos Boulmetis, was released in 2016. A beautiful movie, filmed mostly in “Athens of the sixties” and for sure liked by our students learning Greek! Below two trailers of the movie with Greek dialogues. We translated the dialogues for you in English, so you can improve your Greek listening skills, while also reading the Greek text or English translation.
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The Local Cuisine of the Greek Cyclades | Omilo
The Local Cuisine of the Cyclades is very versatile and delicious. Every summer since 2005, Omilo organizes Greek Language and Culture Courses on Syros, one of the Greek Cyclades Islands. Located close to each other, their beautiful landscapes, bright Aegean sun, clean blue waters and cosmopolitan vibes make them an ideal summer destination. Of course, adding delicious food to your holidays, is even better! Keen to find out more? Keep reading – and next time you visit Syros you’ll have more confidence ordering from the menu at the taverna!
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Greek Herbs And Spices Vocabulary
Greek Herbs And Spices are natural products, and have been used since Ancient times in Greece. The variety of herbs and spices in the Greek countryside gave the Ancient Greeks the ingredients to flavor their food, as well as the possibility to cure people. This reflected in the famous quote of Hippocrates (c. 460 – c. 370 BC), physician and the father of medicine: “Let food be your medicine, and medicine be your food”.
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Στο Παρά 5: Practice your Greek listening skills with a comedy series!
Watching TV can be a relaxing as well as fun way to practise your listening skills and learn new vocabulary. This is why we would like to introduce you to a popular Greek comedy series called Στο Παρά 5 (Sto Para Pente; =at five minutes to… which in Greek also means “in the nick of […]
The Town Of Livadia And Its Myth
The town of Livadia is an interesting place, where stories of Greek mythology are still told today, as in many other regions in Greece.
Here you can learn about a Greek Myth, related to the town of Livadia.
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How to use the verb “I understand” in Greek and useful expressions
One of your main purposes while learning Greek is to understand Greeks or to be able to communicate in Greek. The verb ‘to understand’ in Greek might seem a long word, but it’s one of the first verbs you will learn in order to specify your degree of comprehension or to declare if you understand something or not. Read more
How you wish something in Greek, in various circumstances
Do you also love Greece? Wouldn’t it be nice if you could say a “Greek wish” to a Greek-speaking friend or acquaintance? Being able to say a typical wish would make you feel part of Greek society.
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Lazaretta, The Former Quarantine of Syros Island – Omilo
Who could imagine in March 2020, that the whole world would go to “lockdown” due to the Corona Covid-19 virus, and when traveling many times a “quarantine” is requested? All this belonged to history, most of us thought… or the younger generation probably never heard of the word “quarantine” before. S0 let’s see how the quarantine was organized on the Greek island of Syros, in the previous century.
Since 2005, during the summer months, Omilo is organizing its Greek Language and Culture courses on the island of Syros. The Omilo students usually fly to Athens or Mykonos, and from there travel by boat to Hermoupolis, the harbor of Syros island, and the capital of all Cycladic islands.
When you are about to arrive and face the harbor, you have a magnificent view over the hills of Hermoupolis and Ano Syros. When you look to the left, on the southern extremity of the port, you also see a stone building, which once was the island’s quarantine, the “Lazaretto”. Nowadays, the building is beautifully lit at night, so it is easy to spot.
Read more
The advents calendar for Greek Easter!
The advents calendar for Greek Easter, is made by Kiria Sarakosti! A calendar counting down 7 weeks until Easter. It is not easy to translate the Greek “Kiria Sarakosti”, but we propose to call her “Lady-Lent” in English! It is an old tradition in Greece and a way to count the weeks from Clean Monday (the end of carnival) until Easter.
Click on the photo above to also see her 7 legs!
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Learn the Greek verbs “πίνω” and “πεινώ” – I drink and I am hungry!
Do you also love to enjoy a Greek drink in one of the nice cafes or taverns in Greece?
When you learn Greek, one of the very first words you learn is the verb ‘πίνω’ (= to drink). There are many good reasons for that: you need to drink something every day, it’s an easy verb to conjugate –at least in Present tense– and it helps to form full sentences in Greek even in the very early stages of learning;
e.g. Κάθε πρωί πίνω καφέ με γάλα = Every morning I drink coffee with milk.
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