It’s no secret, the streets of Santorini grow increasingly congested as the weather heats up.
While many have waited their whole lives to witness the island and its blue domes for themselves, for many of Santorini’s 20,000 permanent residents, the once utopian island has now been spoiled by mass tourism.
As other popular holiday destinations, including Venice and Barcelona, take a stand against mass tourism, Santorini depicts the severely detrimental impact hoards of visitors can have on a place.
Athinios Port in Santorini. Photo: Ferryhopper.
With over three million visitors a year, business owners and facilities themselves find they’re under immense pressure as they were not built to be equipped to cater for such a capacity.
The fallout from this pressure has forced authorities to consider a cap on visitors.
According to Ekathimerini, the second-generation owner of a 14-room hotel, Georgios Damigos expressed his concerns over the annual flocking of tourists. “Our standards of living have gone down. It’s as simple as that,” he said.
“Santorini is a wonder of nature” that risks turning into “a monster,” Mr Damigos said.
Actress Jennifer Aniston took to Instagram on Wednesday to express her shock after comments Trump’s running partner, JD Vance made in 2021 about childless women resurfaced.
The tweet quoting JD Vance said, “childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives… [have] no direct stake [in America].”
Photo: @jenniferaniston / Instagram.
“Mr Vance, I pray that your daughter is fortunate enough to bear children of her own one day… I hope she will not need to turn to IVF as a second option. Because you are trying to take that away from her, too,” Jennifer Aniston wrote in response.
JD Vance slammed Ms Aniston’s “disgusting” comments, due to his daughter’s infant age. He also expressed his support of conception through IVF.
These comments come after Ms Aniston announced her struggles with IVF in 2022.
Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese confirmed on Sunday his new-look Cabinet and ministry, with some pivotal ministers scrapped from their prominent roles.
Tony Burkehas been appointed Home Affairs and Immigration Minister, as predecessor Clare O’Neil will now oversee the portfolios for housing and homelessness. Mr Burke is also the government’s leader of the house.
Taking over Mr Burke’s former portfolio, Senator Murray Watt was promoted to lead Employment and Workplace Relations.
While Tasmanian Franklin MP Julie Collins lost the housing and homelessness portfolios to Ms O’Neil, she will continue to hold the role of Minister for Small Business and will add agriculture, fisheries and forestry to her portfolio.
We'll keep building an Australia where no-one is held back and no-one is left behind. pic.twitter.com/SKzRGx0O1h
Andrew Giles has exited his position in Immigration, moving to the Minister for Skills and Training ministry, which is not a cabinet position.
Pat Conroy has been moved into the Cabinet and is now the Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery and Minister for International Development and the Pacific.
Northern Territory Senator Malarndirri McCarthy is now Minister for Indigenous Australians following Linda Burney’s decision to retire at the next election.
New South Wales Senator Jenny McAllister was given two portfolios, and is now the Minister for Cities and Emergency Management.
The reshuffle was announced alongside the news that Anthony Albanese will take the new-look Cabinet and ministry to the next election.
Having concluded day two of the Paris Olympics, here are some notable updates on Greece‘s progress in the 2024 Summer Games so far.
Rowing Single Sculls
Stefanos Ntouskos has qualified for the men’s single culls quarterfinals, after placing second in his preliminary heat. He covered the 2km course in seven minutes, 1.79 seconds.
The promising Ntouskos won a gold medal for Greece in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Greek athlete Stefanos Ntouskos advances on the first day of the Paris Olympics. Photo: Hellenic Olympic Committee.
Artistic Gymnastics
Olympic gold medallist Lefteris Petrounias was the first member of the Greek team to compete in Paris over the weekend. His performance was witnessed by Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his wife Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotakis (his first Olympic visit since 2004).
Petrounias’ score of 14.800 and difficulty rating of 6.300 saw him through to fourth place in the preliminaries, securing his spot for the gymnastics rings final on Sunday, August 4.
Basketball
Greece fell short of a win against pre-game favourite Canada, with a final score of 86-79 in the national basketball team’s opening Group A game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 34 points for Greece, 18 in the second half, and Kostas Papanikolaou added 17, but none in the final period.
Canada had three players foul out, while Calathes’ foul out did the same for Greece.
Greece is set to face Spain and Australia this week.
Shooting
In the women’s 10-meter air pistol, Anna Korakaki and Christina Moschi failed to advance to the finals. Korakaki will however, have a second chance at a medal in the women’s 25-meter air pistol.
Swimming
Greece’s Katerina Dountounaki and Sofia Damasioti did not qualify for the semifinals of the women’s 100-meter butterfly.
🎾Ο Στέφανος Τσιτσιπάς δυσκολεύτηκε απέναντι στον Βέλγο Ζιζού Μπερχς, αλλά τελικά πήρε τη νίκη με 2-1 σετ και το «εισιτήριο» για την επόμενη φάση (7-6, 1-6, 6-1). 👉Στην επόμενη φάση θα αντιμετωπίσει τον Βρετανό, Ντάνιελ Έβανς (νο 59 στον κόσμο). pic.twitter.com/RH8eNVhdsp
— Ηellenic Olympic Committee (@HellenicOlympic) July 28, 2024
Tennis
Stefanos Tsitsipas has qualified for the second round of the Olympic tournament in a 2-1 set win over Zizou Bergs. The Greek champion recovered his lead after losing his footing in the second set, ending the gruelling match at 7-6(6), 1-6, 6-1.
Maria Sakkari prevailed against Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic in a delayed match due to poor weather conditions. In the second round of the tournament, Sakkari will face Yuan Yu.
Η Εθνική πόλο ανδρών κέρδισε την Ρουμανία 14-7 στην πρεμιέρα της στους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες του 2024, με την ελληνική ομάδα να μην αντιμετωπίζει το παραμικρό πρόβλημα, ξεκινώντας με τον καλύτερο τρόπο το τουρνουά.#TeamHellas🇬🇷 #waterpolo#paris2024🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/ob9R4HhooD
— Ηellenic Olympic Committee (@HellenicOlympic) July 28, 2024
Water Polo
Led by Thodoris Vlachos, Greece’s men’s water polo delegation claimed victory over Romania with a 14-7 win in Group A of the Olympic tournament in Paris.
This comes after Greece’s silver medal win in the event in Tokyo.
The Paris Olympics committee have released an apology to those offended by a scene that mirrored Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper during the 2024 opening ceremony.
Da Vinci’s painting shows the moment when Jesus Christ declared that an apostle would betray him.
The scene displayed on Friday, July 27 at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony featured DJ and producer Barbara Butch – an LGBTQ+ icon – surrounded by drag artists and performers.
French actor Philippe Katerine appearing as the Greek god Dionysus. Photo: The Australian.
The scene received global condemnation from religious communities worldwide.
Australian journalist Carla Efstratiou was among the angered who criticised the controversial interpretation as a “sign [that] the West has officially fallen.”
Ms Efstratiou took to social media to express her disdain toward the “mockery of Christianity.”
In response to this controversy, the opening ceremony’s artistic director Thomas Jolly said, “My wish isn’t to be subversive, nor to mock or to shock… I wanted to send a message of love, a message of inclusion and not at all to divide.”
Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark was pronounced dead at age 85 on Sunday, July 28. The royal passed away at an Athens hospital.
Prince Michael was Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh’s first cousin. He will be buried in the Greek capital on Thursday, August 1.
The royal was an esteemed writer and historian under the pseudonym Michel De Gres and was the last remaining grandson of George I, with a lineage to the House of Bourbon.
The royal was well known for his marriage to Marina Karella, for whom he renounced his right to the Greek throne to marry in 1965.
Prince Michael of Greece said he quickly fell head over heels for Marina Karella. Photo: Reporters Associes / Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images.
He studied political science in Paris before repatriating to Greece for military duty, where he served a term in the Hellenic Coast Guard in order to regain Greek citizenship.
Prince Michael is survived by his wife and their two daughters, Princess Olga of Savoy-Aosta and Princess Alexandra of Greece.
The Greek Olympic team (Team Hellas), as is customary, led the athlete parade along the Seine River during the Paris Olympic Games opening ceremony on Friday, July 26.
The flag bearers for Team Hellas at the opening ceremony were basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo and race walker Antigoni Drisbioti. Antetokounmpo made history for Greece, becoming the first Black athlete to bear the Greek flag for the Games.
In a post on Facebook, Antetokounmpo said holding the Greek flag was “the greatest honour.”
This is the first time the parade has been held on water. Each team was given its own boat that follows a 6-kilometre route along the Seine.
Team Hellas was followed by the refugee team which consists of 37 athletes this year. The remaining delegations followed in alphabetical order and included an Australian team with 460 athletes.
Greece’s Foreign Ministry wrote on Facebook: “We are proud of #TeamHellas and wish all our athletes: Βonne Chance (Good luck)!”
The ceremony will last three and a half hours, during which about 7,000 athletes will parade aboard a total of 94 boats. Performances and events on floating platforms and monuments will accompany the historic opening ceremony.
A lifeline was handed not once but twice to 43-year-old Dimitri Tsekinis when he was the recipient of two organs – a kidney from a family member and a liver from someone who was a registered organ donor.
Dimitri will share his story at a workshop run by The Greek Welfare Centre in Adelaide, South Australia for the Greek community and will also speak at the launch of DonateLife Week 2024.
While four out of five Australians support organ donation, only 36 per cent are registered to be a donor on the Australian Organ Donor Register. A spokesperson for DonateLife said most religions, such as the Greek Orthodox faith, support organ and tissue donation as ‘an act of compassion and generosity.’
Dimitri with his parents, wife Stephanie and children.
The Organ and Tissue Authority’s (OTA) Community Awareness Grants program supports organisations nationally to raise awareness about organ and tissue donation. This year, 11 organisations have become DonateLife Community partners receiving grants to run workshops.
Guest speaker Dimitri, who received a kidney transplant from his mother Sophia in 2010 and a liver transplant in 2016 from an unknown donor, will share his story on the day.
Happy family times.
The part-time sales manager, husband to Stephanie and father to Eleana, Christian, Sophia, Natalia and Emilia, wants to share his story in the hope people will understand what it means to be a recipient and to raise awareness about becoming a donor. Dimitri believes organ donation should be compulsory because it will assist people in need to live a fuller life.
There are currently around 1,800 Australians on the organ waitlist and 14,000 on dialysis for kidney failure.
The long road to recovery begins
Dimitri’s health journey started when he was born on April 15, 1981 as the second child to Fotios and Sophia.
Dimitri was born with a rare condition called Auto Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease (ARPKD) – one in every 900,000 children is born with this disease. He spent the first two years of his life in hospital.
Dimitri and Stephanie’s wedding day.
“Being born with polycystic kidney disease, my mum, parents and sister never made me feel like I was “sick” or there was something wrong. When I look back on it all, this was a really positive way for me to just be a kid and enjoy life and my childhood,” Dimitri said.
Serious health problems developed before his 21st birthday. A large lump appeared on his throat, resulting in the first of eight surgeries to remove cancer in his lymph nodes followed by an operation to remove his gall bladder.
“I never researched anything to do with my condition or what the side effects were. I basically told myself I will deal with it as it comes. I am not one to go online or Google symptoms. If anything happens, I will deal with it then and there,” Dimitri said.
Dialysis, remaining cancer free and a kidney transplant
In 2008, Dimitri, then aged 28, went on dialysis for around 18 months because a kidney transplant was needed.
However, he had to remain cancer free during his kidney dialysis journey. Dimitri remained positive watching his favourite comedy shows – Acropolis Now and Everybody Loves Raymond.
“I never really knew there was a big issue until I needed a transplant back when I was 28,” he said.
“I figured the more things I watched that made me smile, the quicker time would go.
“I also told myself that if I could beat cancer than this would be a walk in the park and I took it as time to rest and recuperate.”
During this time, the whole family was tested for kidney compatibility and his mother’s kidney was found to be a match – it was, he said, a relief.
“I was relieved my mum was my match,’’ he said.
“In my mind she had given me life and so it was like she was doing it all again and there are no words to ever express the love and gratitude I have for her to be willing to give up an organ to keep me alive.
“I just wanted to be off dialysis and enjoy all the things life has to offer and for me it was going out with my friends, playing soccer and spending time with my family and friends.”
Keeping the faith and positivity for the future
After the transplant, Dimitri went through ‘a painful and frustrating’ time that required a great deal of strength to recover. He found support through his Christian faith.
“I keep my religion and my prayers very close,” Dimitri said.
“When times were tough, when it all seemed too much for me, I prayed to Panayia and God to get me better, along with praying to my pappous and my yiayia.”
A happy ending at last
Today Dimitri loves playing with his five children, waking up and seeing them smile and enjoying a life that would not be possible without the kidney and liver transplants.
“It has created a legacy and now so many generations will thrive due to my mum giving me her kidney and the selfless act of a stranger who donated his / her liver to save my life,” he said.
Dimitri will be speaking at ‘Change a life! Organ Donation Awareness’ workshop on Tuesday, July 30 (12.30pm and 2pm) at Prophet Elias Hall, Norwood. The event is open to everyone in the Greek community and is run by the Greek Welfare Centre of South Australia.
Dimitri will also present at a DonateLife Week launch event on July 28 at 10am-1pm at the Adelaide Riverbank Lawns.
The Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia’s (GOCSA) Odyssey Festival celebrates 17 years of presence in Adelaide’s cultural scene this year, with a diverse program of cultural and artistic events that will take place from Friday, October 4 to Saturday, November 2.
As part of the festival, the GOCSA is calling for South Australian artists to apply for the 2024 Odyssey Art Prize. This competition, sponsored by Guardian Insurance Brokers, is open to all South Australian artists active in the visual arts and producing original artwork that reflect Greek history, language, and culture.
The first prize winner will receive $1000, and the second and third prize winners will receive $600 and $400, respectively.
The first prize-winning artwork will be displayed in GOCSA’s prestigious Community Gallery, providing the winning artist with exposure and recognition. All other artworks will be available for sale, offering art enthusiasts a chance to own a piece of this cultural celebration.
The deadline for submissions is Friday 13 September 2024, 11:59 pm. Winners will be announced during the festival’s opening night, which will be held on Friday 4 October 2024 at Olympic Hall.
GOCSA Cultural Committee Chair, Hellas Lucas said “since its inception in 2006, GOCSA’s Art Prize is a feature piece of the Odyssey Greek Cultural Festival and provides a fantastic opportunity to showcase local talent.”
“I encourage all artists of our Greek community, as well as the broader community, to participate in our art competition and express their concept of everything Greek,” Ms Lucas added.
GOCSA Vice President, Peter Gonis said “South Australia is known to be the heart of arts and culture.”
“I’m proud that our Community provides an opportunity to contribute to that by celebrating and promoting our Greek heritage and culture through the arts,” Mr Gonis said.
Guardian Insurance Brokers has been the major sponsor of the Odyssey Art Prize for the past 15 years, with 2024 being no exception. Managing Director, Evan Jackson, said he is immensely proud of his Greek heritage and loves giving back to the community.
“We trust that this year’s prize will be as successful as the last and look forward to continuing to support such an excellent initiative for South Australian artists,” Guardian Insurance Brokers said in a statement.
Dr Phil Kafcaloudes, acclaimed author, journalist, and former ABC Radio Australia presenter, will deliver an interesting lecture titled “Going English: the Greek migrants who left their family names behind”. This event is scheduled for Thursday, August 1st, 2024, commencing at 7:00 pm at the Mezzanine Level of The Greek Centre, 168 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.
Dr Kafcaloudes’ lecture is part of the Greek History and Culture Seminars offered by the Greek Community of Melbourne. His research delves into the phenomenon of Greek migrants anglicising their family names upon arriving in Australia. The lecture promises to explore the historical and cultural contexts that led to this practice, particularly in the context of Australia’s evolving attitudes towards migration and integration.
“In a name-proud Greek culture, the decision to anglicise one’s family name is a profound study in migratory and cultural dynamics,” says Dr Kafcaloudes, drawing on his extensive survey of Greek-Australians and their descendants who have undergone this transformation. His findings challenge perceptions about identity and assimilation, offering new insights into how individuals navigate cultural shifts when relocating to a new country.
Dr Phil Kafcaloudes is an author, journalist and writer who presented the breakfast program on the ABC’s Radio Australia for nine years, including the ABC’s first English language program from the mainland. In 2022 the ABC published Australia Calling, his history of international broadcasting. He has taught journalism at La Trobe University and at RMIT, earning a teaching award by the Journalism Education and Research Association. He has also taught journalism in South Africa, Vietnam, Malaysia, Fiji, Samoa and PNG. For a Churchill Fellowship, he studied journalism trauma training worldwide. In 2011 his novel Someone Else’s War was published in Australasia and translated into Greek for Europe. His PhD looked at oral history storytelling, which involved adapting the novel into a play called Of Forgetting. In September 2024 the play will have its world premiere at La Mama theatre in Melbourne.
Attendees of the lecture can expect a thought-provoking discussion that intersects history, sociology, and personal narrative, shedding light on the enduring legacy of migration on cultural identity. The event is anticipated to attract scholars, students, and members of the public interested in Australian-Greek relations and the broader dynamics of multiculturalism.
Event Details
Title:Going English: the Greek migrants who left their family names behind
When: Thursday, August 1st, 2024, 7:00 PM
Where: Mezzanine Level – The Greek Centre, 168 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
