Greece 's motto: " Freedom or death "
9,000 islands and isles, including 200 inhabited ones
Mountainous areas account for 80% of the territory
Mount Olympus' peak rises to 2,917 m
6,000 plant species, including 4,500 wild ones, with 800 of these endangered
900 wildlife (animal) species, including 200 endangered
25 March celebrated as Independence Day, to mark the revolts that broke out on the Greek mainland against Turkish rule in 1821
28 October, second most important national holiday
Capital city: Athens, with a population of 4 million
Currency: euro
Greece is the cradle of the Olympic Games. Modern Greece has been a member state of the European Union (initially known as the European Communities) since 1981.
Sites inscribed in the Unesco world heritage list :
Daphni and Hosios Loukas monasteries
Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus
Archaeological site of Vergina
" " Olympia
" " Mystra
" " Delphi
" " Mycenae and Tiryns
Temple of Apolo Epikourios à Bassae
Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessalonika
Medieval city of Rhodos
Monastery of Agia Moni of Chios
Archeological site of Delos
Eating à la grecque
The art of living à la grecque
I decline all responsibility should you decide, upon return to your home country, to stick to the laid-back siga-siga lifestyle adopted while vacationing in Greece.
It is not unlikely that following a visit to Greece, you may suddenly feel like slowing down your pace -- so as to no longer be stressed and in a hurry. You may feel like finally taking your time to enjoy life, redressing the imbalance between your "being" and your "doing"...
You may begin working to live, not vice versa. You may start to look for a certain life quality for yourself, including healthy food, cheerful surroundings, contact with nature, and other essentials of everyday living.
Well, that's a clear sign of having caught the "siga-siga" virus. So if you personally discover any of the above symptoms in yourself, here's the good news: You are on the right track -- one leading to Happiness. Do keep taking midday naps, savouring healthy food, chatting with friends at length... And if, with all these practices, you don't feel happy enough as yet, just