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Island-hopping around the Cyclades
The Cyclades. A group of 24 inhabited islands (and many more uninhabited). But which one to choose? Hedonistic Mykonos, romantic Santorini, or a lesser known one? Or, perhaps, island-hop? A Greek travel enthusiast myself, I definitely prefer island hopping, as this allows me to explore more than one islands each time… but, of course, I still have to make a choice! A couple of years ago, I followed a 13-day itinerary from Santorini to Amorgos, and then to Koufonisia and Mykonos. Certainly, a good place to start (that was my first ever holiday in the Cyclades)! I have been back to the Cyclades several times since, and here is another…
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Finland and the World Happiness Report
Happy International Day of Happiness! Today is the International Day of Happiness and the theme this year is ‘Happier Together’. The focus is on what we have in common, rather than what divides us. Indeed, research has shown that relationships are essential to our happiness and wellbeing. I do not refer only to romantic relationships; our social network includes friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, teammates and so on. Research has also shown higher mortality among individuals who are lonely. In The Nordic Guide to Living 10 Years Longer: 10 Easy Tips to Live a Healthier, Happier Life Dr Bertil Marklund, a doctor and researcher at the Gothenburg University, shares…
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A walk and a recital in hip Shoreditch
Sat in a café in Shoreditch, reading books and articles about happiness and the neuroplasticity of the brain, I came across some research studies about the iconic London black cabs and their drivers. In a landmark study, Maguire et al scanned these taxi drivers’ brains and found that a specific part of their brains (the posterior hippocampus, believed to play an important role in spatial memory and navigation) was significantly larger compared to controls. Based on the findings of their research, Maguire concluded that ‘there is a capacity for local plastic change in the structure of the healthy adult human brain in response to environmental demands’. This is of extraordinary…
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Aristotle ’s Way: Ancient Wisdom & Happiness
Today is the World Book Day. To mark the occasion, I’m publishing this post based on Edith Hall’s recently published book ‘Aristotle ’s Way: How Ancient Wisdom Can Change Your Life’. I first came across this book a few months ago, when I read Lisa Allardice’s article ‘How Aristotle is the perfect happiness guru’. Three words, two featuring in the title of the book, and one in the review, sparked my interest: Aristotle, wisdom, happiness. Aristotle was born in the town of Stageira, in Halkidiki, Greece, an hour’s drive from my home-town, Thessaloniki. Then, I studied Medicine at the Aristotle’s University of Thessaloniki. ‘Let Wisdom Guide’ is the motto of…
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Folegandros: the secret alternative to Santorini
When I came across Jade Conroy’s article ‘the secret alternative to Santorini’ (published in the Telegraph on 22nd February), Folegandros immediately sprang to my mind. I was right. One of the least known Greek islands, Folegandros is only an hour away (on the ferry) from the world-famous Santorini. This rather small Cycladic island is located in the southern Aegean Sea, nested between Milos and Kimolos on the west, and Sikinos and Ios on the east (Santorini is further on the east). An off-the-beaten-track island, Folegandros has a small population of fewer than 1000 inhabitants. Every summer, however, it comes to life thanks to a wave of mostly Greek,…