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Halara! (32)

Χανιά, 22.08.2010
02:36
Surreal blue
» Halara!

No words needed - just enjoy this amazing video!

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Χανιά, 13.08.2010
10:59
Roadtrip to Peloponissos - Day 1
» Halara!

The first day of our trip we loaded the car and left Athens at about 8 a.m. We quickly took the highway and in 3 hours we were already in the centre of Perloponissos, in the mountain village of Karytaina, where we decided to stop for a short coffee break.
Karytaina is a wonderful quaint village hanging on the slope of the mountain in Arcadia prefecture, sometimes known as the "Greek Toledo". Its castle was constructed in 1245 and was reinforced in 1826 by Kolokotronis, one of the major generals of the Greek revolution, to use it for military headquarters. We had a coffee at Toledo cafe in the main square, watching the endless view from the balcony. On the square were sitting several old local people as well as tourists, chilling in the shade of the morus trees.

Continuing our journey, we decided to make a small change to our initial plans - instead of going to Ancient Olympia and Kaiafa lake, we headed instead more south towards Neda. On our way, on one of the highest points of the area, we paid a vidit to the Temple of Apollo Epicurius, built in the 5th century BC, now under restoration. Following the snake-like greek mountain road, we passed the ancient fountain of Figaleia and finally drove down the muddy road from Platania to the waterfalls of Neda river.

Neda is a wonderful river to walk through and the only Greek river with female name. To get to the waterfalls you have to walk down the river from where you parked the car or cross the small stone bridge and follow the left path. We played a bit in the waters, but finally decided to follow the path, which was easier and faster if you are not prepared for canyoning. The waterfalls of Neda are really wonderful, with a small blue lagoon under the first one. This lagoon is perfect for from the surrounding rocks, with a depth of about 2-3 meters. You can go up or down the large waterfall with the help of the ropes that are there. Next to it is a cave with bats through which the river is passing - quite a rush!

After the mountain day, it was time to head down to the beaches of west Peloponissos to cool down and find a place to camp. Due to the itinerary change, we had no idea where to sleep now. We passed Kyparissia and finally stopped at the sandy beach after Filiatra. Apparently there were more free-campers there among the cedar trees and even a small hippie tree-house with a hammock inside! The beach among the trees was a bit dirty, more like a toilet in some parts, but the sunset made up for it!

That concludes our first day of the roadtrip. To be continued! :)

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Χανιά, 10.08.2010
22:01
Roadtrip to Peloponissos
» Halara!
One of my dream trips finally came true this summer! My car, a good travel companion and we are off to tour the southest region of mainland Greece: Peloponissos.

Some fast facts about the trip:
- Days: 5
- People: 2
- Car: Peugeot 106
- Distance driven: around 1200km
- Expenses: 400 euros
Route:

Show large map

Itinerary:

Day 1
- Karitaina
- Temple of Apollo Epikourios
- Neda river and waterfalls
- Filiatra
Day 2
- Boidokoilia
- Pylos
- Methoni
- Foinikounta
- Koroni
- Petalidi
Day 3
- Kalamata
- Kitries
- Kardamyli
- Paralia fonia
- Agios Nikolaos/Dimitrios/Trahila
Day 4
- Diros Cave
- Gytheio
- Elia-Glyfada
- Elafonissos
Day 5
- Monembasia
- Sparta
Since the article will be quite long, I decided to split it in separate days this time. Read on! :)

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21:07
Get the local tips!
» Halara!

Here is a website for the travellers who prefer to get the local taste, rather than just do sightseeing: SpottedByLocals.com

They publish experiences and places shared by locals, right now only in large European cities. To sustain the site, they seem to sell complete city guides for a low price and also cooperate with partners to provide side-services, like booking.com.

Latest article is about the Top 10 open-air cinemas around Europe and I'm happy to see Athens and Barcelona in the two first spots :)

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Χανιά, 27.07.2010
03:34
Guy walks across America
» Halara!

Very well-made video of a trip across USA. You can see their journey on Google Maps.

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Χανιά, 11.04.2010
19:50
Sunset in ferry boat
» Halara!

Sunset view in the ferry boat from Eretria to Oropos, Greece.

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Χανιά, 31.03.2010
11:04
Lunch in Zagreb center
» Halara!
Here are some recommendations from friends of good restaurants in the city center of Zagreb, Croatia:
- Leonardo
  Skalinska 6 (small allay that connects Tkalča with the market) - Great Italian food, cheap, good waiters (5 euro for meal+drinks).
- Nocturno (hostel)
  Close to Leonardo - Cheap, big meals, but too much waiting, loud and crowded.
- Pivnica Mali Medo
  Tkalčićeva 36 - Quite cheap and good food (sausages, meats, pizza), beers from Pivnica Medvedgard
- Boban
  Gajeva 9 - pasta, fish and meet, especially "biftek"
- Caramba
  Savska cesta 30 - mexican, great food but with a very bad entrance.
- Va piano (chain-restaurant)
  Radnička Cesta - salads, pasta and pizza, dishes are prepared in front of you! They make their own pasta.
- MU
  Vukovarksa ulica 72 - steak house
Thanks to Marina from Zagreb and two other BEST friends for these tips! :)

Not enough for you? More recommendations can be found in Tripadvisor.com

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Χανιά, 25.03.2010
22:39
Philosophy and Happiness
» Halara!

A recent study by Matthias Mehl, a psychologist at the University of Arizona, claims talking about deeper issues rather than small talk makes people happier.

It seems the happiest person in the study had twice as many substantive conversations, and only one-third of the amount of small talk as the unhappiest.

“By engaging in meaningful conversations, we manage to impose meaning on an otherwise pretty chaotic world,” Dr. Mehl said. “And interpersonally, as you find this meaning, you bond with your interactive partner, and we know that interpersonal connection and integration is a core fundamental foundation of happiness.”

So can people actually get happier by just talking more about meaningful things?

Full article by NYtimes

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Χανιά, 24.03.2010
11:00
Living upside down?
» Halara!

How would you feel living upside down?

Life in the world's first upside down house has something from Alice in Wonderland! Everything inside the house is basically hanging overhead, including the dining table and the toilet.

The house is obviouly not made to be lived in, but is located in a local zoo in Gettorf, Germany.
Article by Mail Online

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Χανιά, 11.03.2010
10:53
Change of domain > harilaos.eu
» Halara!

Recently there was a change of domain name for this blog.

The new domain is "www.harilaos.eu", instead of the old "halara.eu". This is more coherent with the actual base domain of the blog "harilaos.blogspot.com" to which it redirects.

If you have links to my blog in your own websites, please update them amigos! :)

Thanks and expect a new post from me within the next weeks!

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Χανιά, 23.01.2010
Χανιά, 19.11.2009
17:10
Oktapodi
» Halara!

Two octopuses in love straggle to escape a tyrannic taverna cook :)
Oscar 2009 - Animated Short Film

If you can't see the video above click here or visit the blog.

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Χανιά, 14.11.2009
14:15
Zero star hotel
» Halara!

Do you want to spend a night cheap in your roadtrip?
Do you want to sleep (and not only sleep) underground?
You don't care much about comfort?
Or are you just missing your army days?

Then Null Stern Hotel is the choice you MUST take when you're having holidays in Switzerland.

A converted nuclear bunker in the Swiss town of Sevelen, embellished with artistic decoration and real hotel duvets, is aimed at guests with a modest income. The price per night is between €7 and €20. The shared bathroom has been converted into a fountain with swimming flowers, and a live cam is sending images from the outside onto a large screen in the windowless building.

"Using the weapon of art, we have created a low-budget hotel, which has charm, takes into account guests' individual wishes and thus becomes quite something," said the artistic twin brothers Frank and Patrik Riklin, who were given the project.

The Null Stern Hotel can host 14 guests in a configuration of 6 single beds and 4 double beds. Larger groups (from 14 people) can also be accommodated in an adjacent room with original military-style bunk-beds.

In case of emergency, the hotel could be converted back into a nuclear bunker within 24 hours, in line with a Swiss law that says all civil defense buildings have to be ready for use within one day.

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Χανιά, 11.05.2009
12:44
Optimism
» Halara!

I liked this definition of optimism, by Noam Chomsky:
Noam Chomsky

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you believe that the future can be better, it’s unlikely you will step up and take responsibility for making it so.
If you assume that there’s no hope, you guarantee that there will be no hope. If you assume that there is an instinct for freedom, there are opportunities to change things, there’s a chance you may contribute to making a better world.
The choice is yours.”

Are you optimists?

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Χανιά, 29.04.2009
17:42
Want to be Halara?
» Halara!
Dear friends and readers,

I would like to invite you to be guest-writers in the Halara blog!

Do you like to write about:
1. Your trips and odysseys
2. Experiences in other countries
3. Culture of your country
4. Nice places you have been, that are worth visiting
5. Cool things you have done
6. Tips about improving life
Contact me and let's join forces! ;)
You can leave a comment below or find me on Twitter.

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Χανιά, 25.04.2009
10:48
How long is 5 Greek minutes?
» Halara!

It's a very good question, don't you think?

Well some friends of mine just invented a formula to calculate Greek time approximately!

GT = T*[1 - T/(HS*60)] + HT*dwf*ff

Where:
GT - Greek time[min]
T - Time as the rest of the world understands [min]
HS - Hours of sun [hours/day]
HT - Halara time needed for average Greek native [min/day]
dwf - day of the week corrective factor [0; 1]

All rights reserved (c) vikachuubeta

As an example, on a normal Friday in August after lunch/dinner, 5 Greek minutes would actually be...

GT = 5*[1-5/(12,08*60)] + 240*0,9*0,2
GT = 48,17 min

I'd say it's pretty accurate ;)

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Χανιά, 08.04.2009
21:13
Driving on ice!
» Halara!

If you've been to Estonia, or the nearby Baltic countries, you might have heard a lot of times about it. Well a friend of mine has the luck to actually try driving on ice!

Check out the video Driving on Ice in Estonia from Joao Rei on Vimeo.

According to Joao, "you’re not allowed in if your car weighs more than 2 tons. Also, once you start driving, you can’t stop and you must keep a constant speed of between 10 and 25 km/h or you must drive above 45 km/h.[...] You’re supposed to drive without a seatbelt, so that, in case the car goes under water, you can get out quickly. But today’s cars start beeping if you remove the seatbelt, so you have to attach it behind your back."

I'd love to try it! Any others had similar experiences?

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Χανιά, 07.04.2009
10:30
Mirrors of rice
» Halara!

What has saved the rice terraces built by the Hani people in China’s Yuangyang County so far is their relative remoteness. They are located in Yunnan province in southwest China, a region not easily accessible and therefore not exploited for tourism but rich in natural beauty and untouched scenery. The spectacular rice terraces drop from almost the summits of the nearby, 2,500-m-tall Ailao Mountains to the bed of the Red River.

The rice farmers who built the terraces almost by hand more than 1,000 years ago had to know about ecology and land preservation long before those concepts had names. Otherwise, without the hard work of maintaining the terrace walls as well as the ancient irrigation system, the precious top soil would have washed down the hillsides into the rivers.

Even today, the Yuangyang rice terraces are a self-sustaining eco system, perfectly in sync with nature like it was a thousand years ago. Just like the Banaue rice terraces, the Yuangyang rice terraces are irrigated with spring water from the rainforest above. The water then evaporates from the rice terraces and forms clouds whose rain water is collected and trapped by the rainforest, from where it is used for the irrigation of the rice fields again.

Article and photo taken from "20 Incredible Pictures Of Rice Terraces From Above" by EnvironmentalGraffiti.com

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Χανιά, 03.04.2009
09:14
What is the Halara spirit?
» Halara!
Lately I'm getting this question by a lot of people, so I decided to answer them all here. I'm actually honoured to have the chance to answer this question on behalf of all Greeks. I will not pretend that my answer is the absolut truth - on the contrary, it's my own perception of the halara spirit that I will present.

For me, Halara is:
1. to drink a coffee with friends in a cafeteria under the sun for 3 hours
2. to arrive 10-15 mins late at a friends' meeting and no one complain
3. to play tavli (backgammon) for 5 hours in a row with your best friend
4. to drink hot chocolate and read a good book next to the fireplace in a cold winter night
5. to walk slow along the beach side
6. to swim under the rain
7. to watch the sunrise on top of a mountain
8. to watch the sunset in the sea
9. to find that shaking Nescafe with cold water and icecubes is better that the hot one
10. to drive in the traffic jam without getting angry while listening to music
11. to ride a bike or go jogging with your MP3 player in the ears
12. to go out for clubbing at midnight and come back at 7am
13. to dance and sing with every chance you get
14. to say goodmorning to everyone you meet with a smile
15. to love someone for what they are and enjoy every moment with them
16. to be on time with work deadlines but not stress about them
17. to find a smarter way to do something
18. to work with a laptop and wifi on a hammock under the shade of a tree
19. to have time for your wife and kids every day
20. to enjoy life in all aspects!
Now it's your turn: What is "halara" for you?

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Χανιά, 31.03.2009
09:07
The Love Matress!
» Halara!

Now here is a concept mattress all couples will want!

Designed by Mehdi Mojtabvi, the "love mattress" is actually made up of single slats, each covered in with a smooth fabric. The slats allow you to dip your arms to better hug your partner in bed.
Fragmented bands design lets you easily mattresses will be “separated” from the pitch arm in the gap. This mattress was designed for those people who want to hold their partner in their arms all night long without feeling the pressure in the arms. You can also pitch feet in the slot and easily find the most comfortable sleeping position.

Found and copied from freshhome

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Χανιά, 17.03.2009
12:00
Garfield forever!
» Halara!

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Χανιά, 16.02.2009
12:33
Coming back from work
» Halara!

Can you imagine coming back from work like that?

Barclay card advertisment video

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Χανιά, 13.02.2009
11:07
Living life backwards!
» Halara!

Woody Allen

We all know the new movie these days "The curious case of Benjamin Button" where the boy is born old and grows younger and younger until he dies a baby.

Well there is a wonderful quote by Woody Allen long time now that he describes how he would like to live his next life... backwards!

"In my next life I want to live my life backwards. You start out dead and get that out of the way.

Then you wake up in an old people’s home feeling better every day. You get kicked out for being too healthy, go collect your pension, and then when you start work, you get a gold watch and a party on your first day.

You work for 40 years until you’re young enough to enjoy your retirement. You party, drink alcohol, and are generally promiscuous, and then you are ready for high school. You then go to primary school, you become a kid, and you play. You have no responsibilities; you become a baby until you are born.

And then you spend your last 9 months floating in luxurious spa like conditions with central heating and room service on tap, larger quarters every day and then Voila! You finish off as an orgasm!"

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Χανιά, 01.02.2009
12:50
Confess online!
» Halara!

You did a bad bad thing? Now you can confess your sins online!

I don't need to tell you more... Just write what you did in ComeClean.com and it will tell you what to do (in a funny sarcastic way)!

P.S. No need to say that I tried it already, but I ain't gonna tell you what I confessed!!

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Χανιά, 26.01.2009
12:16
Your slogan, your T-shirts!
» Halara!

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeAfter a notion from a friend, I joined Threadless.

Threadless is an online T-shirt store with a unique quality: anyone can submit their own design or slogan, which is then voted publicly. Only the best voted designs get printed!

I submitted some of my own slogans, not too successful for now. You can join and vote for them!

Here is the one slogan-Tshirt for you: Halara! :)

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Χανιά, 22.01.2009
10:49
Imrov Everywhere: "Life's for sharing"
» Halara!

Have you heard about Improv Everywhere?

After the Freezing stunt in New York station, the hit again this time in Liverpool, UK! ;)

If you can't see a video above, click here

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Χανιά, 20.01.2009
17:01
Submachine: dive into the adventure!
» Halara!

I like games! :)

Here is a small online puzzle game, called Submachine.
You're "lost" in a silent place with rooms and you're trying to figure out how to get out. It's supposed to be one of the most popular flash games lately. Enjoy and leave me a comment how much time it took you!

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Χανιά, 18.01.2009
18:28
Ice windsurfing!
» Halara!

Guys doing ice-windsurfing in the middle of winter in Maine, USA.
I wouldn't want to fall doing that!

If you can't see a video above, click here.

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Χανιά, 05.01.2009
20:06
IT vs SALES: the war
» Halara!

Wouldn't YOU want to work in such a company?

Thnx to orck

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Χανιά, 03.01.2009
12:34
4 days in Finland: Tampere
» Halara!

The 2nd day of our trip in Finland we took a train and landed in Tampere, a bit more north and into the mainland.

Tampere is mainly an industrial city built between 2 lakes, Pyhäjärvi and Näsijärvi. The remarkable thing is that the two lakes are connected by rapids. This uniqueness, apart from a charming environment, it has also attracted industries, who take advantage the "green" power from the rapids using turbines.

The nicest part of Tampere centre is the main street, Hameenkatu, full of lights and stores. Starting from the train station and passing by the bridge with the huge worker statues and the central square, it is definitely the most lively place in Tampere in all seasons.

A walk between the rapids and the old industrial buildings is a must. At night the red-brick buildings shine magically above the waters.

Find some time for a small walk a bit outside the centre: there is a wonderful viewpoint on the top of the Pyynikki Observation Tower, located in the park-forest area in the west of the centre between the lakes. The 360 view is just amazing, not to mention the home-made tea and donuts with herbs!

In Tampere there are plenty of places to eat and drink. We took advantage of the cheap "lunch-time" for the company employees to eat the cheap buffet (around 8 euro per person) at the Viking Restaurant Harald (named after a Viking cartoon hero). For lovers of Chinese food, there is a great place with very good food and good prices called Nguyen Cao Su or "that tiny Chinese restaurant". Finally if you like a cozy bar to play some table games, I totally recommend Konttori bar (which means Office). A combination of Railroad game and a glass of good beer is perfect to conclude a nice day.

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Χανιά, 24.12.2008
12:24
How to serve chicken wings
» Halara!

I guess you get the point ;)

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Χανιά, 22.11.2008
16:33
4 days in Finland: Turku
» Halara!

Turku was our first city of the trip. We flew from Gdansk with Wizzair and landed in Terminal 2 of Turku airport, which was nothing more than a warehouse roughly converted to a gate/check-in/duty-free/baggage-claim building!

We stayed at a wonderful Finish couple that we found from Couchsurfing, who were a bit obsessed with squirrel-dolls and treated us like kings! Kaatja and Jaakko, thank you so much for everything :)

A walk around Turku is a nice idea (even better if it doesn't rain, like it did with us). You can see the beautiful Cathedral, walk along the river with the old sailing boats and the windmill. You can also pass through the oldest road in Turku and the old prison. Turku is the oldest city in Finland, believed to have been settled in the 13th century.

Turku has a very cool castle. Unfortunately it has been destroyed in the past so inside it's a bit empty of old furniture, but they have made a good restoration so it still gives you this old-times feeling. The Historical Museum is there also, included in the ticket of 7 euros for entrance. Advice: be prepared to go up and down a lot of steps and go through the castle quickly to have more time to see the wonderful exhibits of the museum.

At night, you can visit the most original bars ever. Fins have the good tendency to re-use old buildings in new ways. This is exactly the case with the bars called School, Toilet, Bank and Pharmacy! We especially liked and spent a good 1 hour in "Koulu" (=School) which is also a fine brewery.

We had the luck to try some delicious typical food made by our hosts. Juustoleipä is a white cheese with almost no taste (like mozzarella) that they eat with orange cloudberries. Fins eat a lot of berries, and believe me they have a LOT of kinds!
One of most delicious dices, especially for breakfast, was the Rice pies (Karjalanpiirakat). Bake them, put Munavoi on top (boiled egg and butter mixture) and a slice of cheese if you want.
Finally, Fins' usual fast-food is Makkaraperunat, which is basically a dish with fried sausages and potatoes. It's a bit fatty and unhealthy, but that's why it's called "fast-food"!

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Chania Blogs » Halara!

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Halara! (32)

Surreal blue

Roadtrip to Peloponissos - Day 1

Roadtrip to Peloponissos

Get the local tips!

Guy walks across America

Sunset in ferry boat

Lunch in Zagreb center

Philosophy and Happiness

Living upside down?

Change of domain > harilaos.eu

Storm in Santorini

Oktapodi

Zero star hotel

Optimism

Want to be Halara?

How long is 5 Greek minutes?

Driving on ice!

Mirrors of rice

What is the Halara spirit?

The Love Matress!

Garfield forever!

Coming back from work

Living life backwards!

Confess online!

Your slogan, your T-shirts!

Imrov Everywhere: "Life's for sharing"

Submachine: dive into the adventure!

Ice windsurfing!

IT vs SALES: the war

4 days in Finland: Tampere

How to serve chicken wings

4 days in Finland: Turku