On the eastern edge of Chania is the historic suburb of Halepa, and its tiny coastal area -Tabakaria (the Greek word for tanneries). A walk through this magical film-set -like landscape is one of the great Chania experiences, for anyone wanting more than the standard tours. For Tabakaria is a place where the buildings talk. […]
Author Archives: Michael Sweet
Reef Encounter
Lizard Island Resort on the Great Barrier Reef offers holistic escape among nature’s wonders Publisher: South China Morning Post From 2000 metres above, the aquamarine lagoons and coral cays of the Great Barrier Reef, fringed by ribbons of silky white surf, stretch out as far as the eye can see. With its divine beauty, flying […]
Dispatches from the Amari
The Amari Valley in central Crete has a proud history and unique natural environment. Here a new generation of Amariots are intent on protecting this enchanting place and their precious heritage. With the mighty Psiloritis mountain to the east and the Kedros range to the west, the Amari lies cradled 500 metres above sea level: […]
The remarkable story of the Doma Hotel
There aren’t many hotels in the world like the Doma, the century-old establishment perched on the waterfront just east of Chania town centre. To ascend its curved steps and pass across its threshold is to enter a portal to the past, and if you are looking for a spot to reflect on Crete’s rich, turbulent […]
No one smiles anymore
28 June, 2011 Greece has ground to a halt. Flights in and out of Athens’ Eleftherios Venizelos Airport have been cancelled, ferries are at their moorings in Pireaus – the lifelines to the islands cut. From the Ionian to Alexandroupoli, from Thessaloniki to Kythera and Kastelorizo – the Hellenic Republic is closed for business. Meanwhile, […]
On foreign soil: the search for fallen Diggers
Loren Brown, grand-daughter of John McGarrity. Killed-in-action in Greece in April 1941, McGarrity’s remains have never been found. Photo: Meredith O’Shea Taking cover behind a stone wall in northern Greece on April 12, 1941, two Australian soldiers, Private John McGarrity and Lance Corporal Robert Brown were breathless, having run for their lives through a hail […]
Into the blue
It’s the colours that hit you first. From 9000ft the iridescent aquamarine atolls and coral cays, fringed by ribbons of silky white surf, stretch out as far as the eye can see. It’s a vast, jaw-droppingly beautiful grand design, which makes flying over the Great Barrier Reef an experience almost spiritual. I’m en-route to Lizard […]
Je suis un fan
Mandarin Oriental, Paris has just celebrated its first birthday. An oasis of contemporary luxury in the bustling heart of the fashionable Saint-Honoré district, to stay at this hotel is to savour modern Parisian style with a refined infusion of the Orient. Paris Fashion Week was in full swing when our taxi plied its way […]
Deep designs
The Australian Institute of Architects this month bestowed one of its highest accolades on Nonda Katsalidis. Not that the Melbourne architect is any stranger to awards, but as designer of the extraordinary Museum of Old and New Art in Tasmania, Katsalidis shows why he is one of Australia’s most daring and successful engineers of the […]
Reinventing Greece
Global branding strategist Peter Economides is in Sydney and Melbourne this week, brimful of ideas on how to change the world’s perception of Greece. It’s all in the DNA, says the man who helped Steve Jobs rebrand Apple in the 1990s. Think Different was the campaign slogan, not ‘Think Differently’. There’s a subtle but vital […]
