Between 8-16/8/2009 a workshop on Greek Traditional Dances will be organized in Crete, half days at Almyrida/Chania and half days at Anogia/Rethymnon and we propose you to join it and enjoy real traditional Cretan Life, Dance Courses and Holidays !!!
CHANIA and RETHYMNON are the most beautiful areas of Crete, known for the typical old towns, the old Venetian ports and castles and the natural beauty. ALMYRIDA has a beautiful sandy beach awarded with blue flag and is in the middle of all the villages that organize festivities every night. ANOGIA is on the mountain of Psiloritis (Idaion Andron) that is characterized for the “wild” beauty, the alive Cretan spirit expressed in the daily life of the people, as it is also the birthplace of many Cretan Musicians as Nikos Xylouris, Psarandonis, Vassilis Skoulas, Nikiforos Aerakis. Joining the workshop you’ll realize what hospitality means, as also you’ll dance with Choreographers, really experts on their field of expertise!!!
Cretans’ hospitality and the traditional Cretan food & wine, will make your holidays very pleasant!
LOCATION and HOTELS
8-12/8/09: ALMYRIDA is a fishing village, has crystal clear waters, safe beaches awarded with blue flag, also home to water sports, diving and fishing. The hills with the olive trees and the mountain range of the Lefka Ori (White Mountains), give to the area cool climate. The hotel is in the middle of all the villages that keep alive the Cretan tradition and organize festivities every night.The HOTEL: We’ll stay at ALMYRIDA BEACH RESORT, 4 stars, on the beach of the village (www.almyridabeach.com). The hotel provides rooms with A/C, SatTV, Fridge, Hairdryer, Bath, Radio, sea/mountain view balconies, as also bars, 3 swimming pools, bowling hall and Jacuzzi, Safe deposit box and Mini Bar at local charge.
12-16/8/09: ANOGIA, is one of the few mountain villages at Crete that keeps the real Cretan tradition in the daily life of the villagers. At 750m on the mountain of Psiloritis (Idaion Andron) were God Zeus was hidden by his mother IRA (we’ll also visit the famous cave), Anogia is alive day and night, as you’ll see people in the squares singing and drinking during the night! You’ll have the chance to buy hand made broidery & pieces of costumes, as also to taste Cretan specialties as the meat “ofto”, cooked in woods.
The HOTEL: We’ll stay at MARINA HOTEL, 3 stars, in the centre of the village (
www.marinahotelanogia.com). The rooms provide A/C, Kitchen, Fridge, Bath/Shower, mountain view balconie, as also provides breakfast to the group, but the lunch will be offered at the 4 stars HOTEL DELINA (
www.delina.gr), where you can also join the facilities of Spa, Jacuzzi, indoor pool and have them in discounted costs. On the 16th,you’ll have the chance to participate in a Traditional Cretan Wedding!!
PEDAGOGY
3-6 hrs/day dancing lessons from Crete and Islands by Mary Markaki, Pontos by Nikos Zournatzidis as also Thrace, Macedonia, Cyprus dances and rest areas of Greece (rest teachers not determined yet). A Briefing on the traditional dances, music, costumes, customs etc. will be given by each choreographer, we’ll give emphasis to Cretan male/female “solos” and you’ll be surrounded by good dancers!
ACTIVITIES
During our stay at Almyrida, we’ll visit the Traditional Museum at Gavalochori and one evening we’ll visit the city and port of Chania. Leaving to Anogia, we’ll stop at the famous Sfentoni Cave & Museum, where are 87 Wax Statues from the history of Crete, as also the Nida’s Cave, where Zeus was hidden. Every night we’ll have the pleasure to dance at “panigiria”, join concerts of dance and music and have fun at the squares with villagers.
COST
IS...880/prsn in double room. Friends or family guests who will not attend the dance courses, could be with us everywhere and pay 650 Euros in double room and join all the workshop. Cost Includes: a. 9 days accommodation with half board (breakfast+1 meal) in the hotel b.Dance courses c.Two CDs, d.Transportation expenses from Almyrida to Anogia e. Sfendoni Cave & Museum entrance fee
Useful Infos
ARRIVAL-Distances to ALMYRIDA: From Airports= Chania 27Km, Heraklion is 157 Km, Ports=Chania (Souda) 19Km,Rethymnon 25Km. DEPARTURE-Distances from ANOGIA: To Airports=Chania 113km, Heraclion 40m, Ports=Chania 105km, Rethymnon 55km, Heraklion 40km. Also, Bus service connection to main cities.
Taxi service can be arranged from/to the hotels or festivities to transfer you any time (charge on your own)
Registration Deadline IS… 1st June 2009!
Beware, most of people visit Crete/Greece this specific period of August, so book flights & boat tickets before May, as later you’ll not find cheap fees. Ask agents for offers!
NOTE: No of PARTICIPANTS IS LIMITEED as HOTEL ROOMS RESERVED ARE REALLY LIMITED!
REGISTRATION to Mrs. Mary Markaki,
marymarkaki@windowslive.comTel.+30-6944330486 /+302107786625
USEFULL INFORMATION
The Workshop on Greek Dances will begin on Saturday 8th of August 2009, at ALMYRIDA RESORT, on the beach of the village ALMYRIDA at Chania. We’ll meet each other with bathing suites at 12:00 at the Roof Garden of the Almyrida Resort, in order to inform you about the daily schedule of the workshop and taste the famous Cretan “tsikoudia”. Then you’ll have plenty of time to swim and rest. You can check at 12.00 in the morning of the 8t and the dance course will be from 17.00 to 20.00 pm. Then we’ll have dinner at the hotel facilities.
The 12th of August we’ll leave after breakfast to Anogia and before reaching the village, we’ll stop at Zoniana in order to visit the Sfentoni Cave & Museum.
At ANOGIA we’ll stay at MARINA HOTEL, one of the two hotels of the village (***PLEASE, NOTE THAT ESPECIALLY AT ANOGIA THERE ARE NOT MANY ROOMS EITHER IN THE HOTEL OR THE OTHER HOTEL AND RENT ROOMS, AS ALSO THAT THE REACHING OF OTHER VILLAGES IN ORDER TO FIND MORE ROOMS IS NOT EASY AND THEY ARE AWAY FROM ANOGIA. SO, DECIDE THE SOONEST POSSIBLE ABOUT YOUR ATTENDANCE AT THE WORKSHOP, AS THEN WE’LL NOT BE ALLE TO HELP.)
Check out date is the Monday of 17th, after breakfast, as the last dancing course will be the 16th morning.
Dance Courses: This year the dance courses will include dances from all the areas of Greece and the dance choreographers will be Mary Markaki, Nikos Zournatzidis and Yiannis Goutzidis, as also we’re waiting for the reply of two-three more, so their names will be announced till the end of May. The dance courses will be from 09:30 to 13:00 every morning and from 17:30 to 20:00 every evening (1-2 evenings without courses)
Hotels: The service of the reception is really remarkable; they can help you 24hrs a day and find you anything you need. The rooms are cleaned every day, the furniture of the hotel are very nice, new and of high quality, the beach of Almyrida is exactly in front of the hotel and the pools for adults and kids are always very clean. The rooms have nice view and also A/C, Sat TV, Hairdryer, Refrigerator, Direct Telephone Line, Radio and Safe Box and the rooms at Marina Hotel / Anogia have also kitchen. The dance courses will be organized in conference rooms the hotels provide internet connection. At Almyrida Resort there is also a piano for those who would like to play for us
The villages have everything you need, bank, mail, pharmacy, doctor etc.
General Info (when you will be in Greece/Athens) – Telephones:
-All the telephones and address: 11880/11888 - Tourist police: 171 or 210-8081464
-Direct Help for medical care: 166 - Car service: Express 1145, Elpa 10400
-Hospitals & Pharmacies: 1434 - Timetables for buses and airlines: 1440
-Police: 100
-Radio taxi: 18300, 210-3636508, 3389055, 6144000, 2928150, 4182333, 5323300, 5152800
TRANSPORTATION FROM ATHENS TO CRETEIf you are in Athens and want to go to the airport, there are three ways to get there, Taxi that costs 20 Euros, Metro and Airport bus (called “Express”). Metro stations are almost in every neighborhood and there is a bus that stops in many central areas of Athens and goes to the Airport (
www.ametro.gr /
www.athensinfoguide.com/ www.cretetravel.com ) –
For more details when you know where exactly you’ll stay in Athens pls ask me.
Telephones: Airport Eleftherios Venizelos: 210-3530000 - Piraeus port: 210-4226000-4
Attico Metro: 210-5194012 - Buses for Athens: 185 or 210-8200999
A) BY AIRPLANE Cost: There are offers usually in the first and last flights, Euros 140
Normal fare about Euros 180-220 Euros
Distance: about 45 minutes (time on air)
AIRLINES: Aegean Airlines, www.aegeanair.gr, tel.+30-2106261000/+30-8011120000
Olympic Airways,
www.olympic-air.gr,tel.+30-210-96666666 (reservations) or -8011144444
B) BY BOAT From Piraeus (Athens) to Souda (Chania), Rethimnon or Heraklion Ports
1. Boat every evening leaving Piraeus at 21:00 and reaches Souda about 05.30 am.
Return from Souda to Piraeus the same times
ANEK LINES (Athens),
www.anek.gr, OR
www.booking@anek.gr Tel. +30-210-4197420
ANEK LINES (Chania) Tel. +30-28210-27500-4 (Souda’s Port) Tel. +30-28210-80051-2
Cost/person (allez-retour): about 30-40 Euros simple fare or in cabin 82,00-99,50-116.00 Euros = depends on the cabin you chose (you have discount on return)
** During the period of the workshop, there are also daily boats that leave Piraeus at 08.00 am and reaches Souda (Chania) and Heraklion at about 17.00 pm.
2. Fast boat every day leaving Piraeus at 15:45 pm and reaches Souda at 20.45 pm
Return almost every day from Souda 21:00 pm to Piraeus 01:45
HELLENIC SEAWAYS,
www.hellenicseaways.gr, Cost/person: about 60 Euros (discount on return)
TRANSPORTATION FROM CHANIA TO THE HOTEL
FROM AIRPORT TO HOTEL ‘ALMYRIDA RESORT”: Outside the hotel there are bus station and taxi station. For those of you that will fly with Olympic Airways there is always a bus waiting the passengers of the flight that goes to the center of the city.
If you take the bus to the city, then you should get either in a bus that leaves from the central bus station at Kydonias Street, to Almyrida village or in a taxi that you will find very easy.
When you’ll arrive at Almyrida you will find the hotel on the central square & central beach.
Cost for bus from City of Chania to Almyrida about 5 Euros (3 to 5 buses during the day).
Cost for taxi from City of Chania to Almyrida about 35 Euros AND we could arrange to wait you and bring you to the hotel.
FROM SOUDA’S PORT (CHANIA) TO HOTEL: There is always a bus waiting for the passengers in front of ANEK’s and HELLENIC SEAWAYS’ KIOSKS, but if you loose it you should ask where is the bus station that stops the buses to the city of Chania. Cost about 4-5 Euros.
There are also plenty of Taxis waiting for passengers. AND we could arrange to wait you and bring you to the hotel. Cost: about 30-35 Euros.
TRANSPORTATION FROM ANOGIA TO CHANIA, RETHYMNON OR HERAKLION
We’ll do our best to arrange a bus transportation to Heraklion and then to give you all the instructions to Rethymnon or Chania, but also we can arrange taxi to whenever you ask.
OTHER INFORMATION
CAR RENTALΙ can give you infos on cost, if you let me know date of arrival/departure, how many days you’ll need it and the type anc CC you prefer.
PAYMENTWe accept only cash, NO traveler or other checks. You can give us the rest of the money when you arrive at Crete. Please, bring with you a copy of the bank deposit, as we would like to keep it in our records.
INSURANCEWe would recommend you to have any insurance you could, such as about the suitcases on airplane, health insurance…
REGISTRATION DEADLINEWe cannot accept registrations after the 1st of June, as we cannot keep any free rooms or if we need more rooms it will be very difficult to find some after that date.
CANCELLATION POLICY
You can cancel your attendance until the 30th of June and take all the amount of your deposit back
CRETAN NIGHT LIFE !!!!!!!
The most remarkable part of OUR Workshop!! TRY TO PURSADE YOURSELF THAT DURING THE WORKSHOP YOU’LL NOT BE SLEEPING AS YOU’RE USED TO BUT YOU’LL DO IT IN DIFFERENT HOURS! CRETAN PEOPLE HAVE FUN DURING THE NIGHT!!
Also, We’ll visit almost every night local festivities / “panigiria” at near villages and at Anogia there will be every night a dance or music concert in the middle of the village in an open theatre. You’ll have the pleasure to join the famous Cretan specialties of food and wine or tsikoudia, we’ll visit the city and old Venetian port of Chania, we can eat fresh fish, as you can also have free time to visit concerts and do anything you want-anything you can have in your own plans.
THE 16TH OF AUGUST, YOU’LL HAVE THE PLEASURE TO TAKE PART IN A REAL TRADITIONAL CRETAN WEDDING!
I’LL BE GLAD TO GIVE YOU MORE DETAILS AND WELCOME YOU AT CRETE THIS SUMMER. MARY MARKAKI, tel. 0030-6944 330486 /
marymarkaki@windowslive.comP.S. PLEASE RETURN THE LAST PAGE WITH THE REGISTRATION FORM, FILLED WITH ALL THE DETAILS.
