Tracing Roots and Routes of Religious Tourism in Rural Areas of Greece

Author(s):  
Despoina Lampada ◽  
Yorgos Tzedopoulos ◽  
Afroditi Kamara ◽  
Kleopatra Ferla

Greece is an Orthodox country, pretty much attached to its religious past and identity. This factor has had a decisive impact on its approaches to religious tourism so far. The model of religious pilgrimage, especially in rural areas, is based on excursions to particular religious centers on local saints' days rather than on religious itineraries, as is the case in other countries where routes such as that of Santiago de Compostela or Via Francigena have been traced for a long time. On the other hand, the route along St. Paul's travels in Greece is growing in international appeal, with various travel agencies active in the field. The chapter focuses on describing existing infrastructure along St. Paul's route, on its possible linkage to various forms of tourism as well as to the development of a hiking route along Via Egnatia (patly covering St.Paul's itinerary), and on the impact this will have on rural communities in terms of opportunities offered for local societies and economies to develop.

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Βασιλική Μπενάκη

The original contribution of the present thesis is to implement, in aquantitative way, a “measure” of rural development at regional scale compared to ameasure of the environmental performances of the different areas of the country.Rural development is in theory and in practice a multidimensional andcomplex concept. The complexity of this phenomenon leads to limitations in theanalysis of its structural dimensions. The variables better describing these dimensionsshould be selected to effectively inform policies aimed at promoting rural areas with asustainable development perspective.The aim of the thesis is to develop a multidimensional model in order tomeasure the rural development using thematic indicators and a final, composite indexof rural development. The composite index integrates a large number of demographic,social, cultural and economic indicators that are key elements of rural development.The environmental sustainability of rural development in Greek prefectures (Nuts 3level) was assessed too by using thematic indicators of climate, soil, and vegetationquality (all of these are environmental dimensions directly linked to ruraldevelopment) and a composite index of land quality.Descriptive, correlation, and multivariate statistics were used for thedevelopment of the multidimensional approach measuring rural development.Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools were also used to derive the selectedenvironmental indicators from national cartographies and other sourcesThe results derived from the multidimensional analysis measuring ruraldevelopment compared with the selected environmental indicators depict a complexpicture of the Greek rural development at the prefecture level.According to the results, rural development policies should more effectivelyintegrate economic, social, institutional, political, cultural and environmental aspectsand peculiarity of each region.As a matter of fact, this contribution demonstrates how rural areas in Greecedo not follow a certain pattern but different patterns according to the specificsocioeconomic and environmental features of each area. The results also pointed out the traditional socioeconomic gaps in the rural geography of Greece as well as somerecent changes that have been observed especially in the most dynamic areas. At thesame time no significant development has been observed in rural areas where atraditional economic structure exists.Although agriculture plays an important role in rural areas, the traditionalagricultural model can no longer be considered to be sustainable in the long run andneeds to be replaced by more viable modes of production. On the other hand, it hasbeen found that socioeconomic drivers affect significantly the environmentalconditions possibly creating downward spirals determining land degradation and evendesertification risk in non-affluent, agricultural specialized areas.On the other hand, the results highlight the ability of the proposed model tosummarize and interpret a large amount of information in a composite measure,enabling the assessment of the economic performance of different rural areas ofGreece. Additionally, it identifies points of weaknesses and strengths of rural areas,and classifies them based on their environmental performance, prioritizing them andidentifying developing areas.The model can provide a simple and flexible tool informing rural developmentpolicies. Moreover, the proposed results highlight the possible relationship existingbetween rural development and environmental quality in order to indicate a regionalpath to sustainable development.These findings may apply not only to the case of Greece but also to othercountries similar to Greece as far as environmental conditions and rural landscape areconcerned, including Portugal, Spain and central/southern Italy.


Author(s):  
Oscar Gutiérrez-Bolívar ◽  
Oscar Gutiérrez-Bolívar ◽  
Pedro Fernández Carrasco ◽  
Pedro Fernández Carrasco

The opening of relationships between United States and Cuba could be a drive for a huge increase in the affluence of tourism to Cuba and especially to the coast areas. Cuba has been for many years an important tourist destination for people from many countries, but almost forbidden for US citizens. The proximity of the USA, its amount of population as well as their great acquisition power will increase in a very substantial way the demand for accommodation and other uses in the proximity of the coasts. There will be a need to implement a package of measures that reduce the impact of such sudden increase in the coastal line. On the other hand that augment in tourism could be an opportunity to improve the standard of life of Cubans. The consideration of different possibilities of such development, the analysis of the damages that each one could cause as well as the measures that could avoid, ameliorate or compensate such effects are the goals that are going to be presented in this paper.


Author(s):  
Anna Peterson

This book examines the impact that Athenian Old Comedy had on Greek writers of the Imperial era. It is generally acknowledged that Imperial-era Greeks responded to Athenian Old Comedy in one of two ways: either as a treasure trove of Atticisms, or as a genre defined by and repudiated for its aggressive humor. Worthy of further consideration, however, is how both approaches, and particularly the latter one that relegated Old Comedy to the fringes of the literary canon, led authors to engage with the ironic and self-reflexive humor of Aristophanes, Eupolis, and Cratinus. Authors ranging from serious moralizers (Plutarch and Aelius Aristides) to comic writers in their own right (Lucian, Alciphron), to other figures not often associated with Old Comedy (Libanius) adopted aspects of the genre to negotiate power struggles, facilitate literary and sophistic rivalries, and provide a model for autobiographical writing. To varying degrees, these writers wove recognizable features of the genre (e.g., the parabasis, its agonistic language, the stage biographies of the individual poets) into their writings. The image of Old Comedy that emerges from this time is that of a genre in transition. It was, on the one hand, with the exception of Aristophanes’s extant plays, on the verge of being almost completely lost; on the other hand, its reputation and several of its most characteristic elements were being renegotiated and reinvented.


Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 542
Author(s):  
Dariusz Kulus ◽  
Natalia Miler

Lamprocapnos spectabilis (L.) Fukuhara (bleeding heart) is valued both in the horticultural and pharmaceutical markets. Despite its great popularity, information on the in vitro tissue culture technology in this species is limited. There is also little knowledge on the application of plant extracts in the tissue culture systems of plants other than orchids. The aim of this study is to compare the utility of traditional plant growth regulators (PGRs) and natural extracts—obtained from the coconut shreds, as well as oat, rice, and sesame seeds—in the micropropagation and cryopreservation of L. spectabilis ‘Gold Heart’ and ‘White Gold’. The biochemical analysis of extracts composition is also included. In the first experiment related to micropropagation via axillary buds activation, the single-node explants were cultured for a 10-week-long propagation cycle in the modified Murashige and Skoog medium fortified either with 1.11 µM benzyladenine (BA) and 1.23 µM indole-3-butritic acid (IBA) or with 10% (v/v) plant extracts. A PGRs- and extract-free control was also considered. In the cryopreservation experiment, the same 10% (v/v) extracts were added into the medium during a seven-day preculture in the encapsulation-vitrification cryopreservation protocol. It was found that the impact of natural additives was cultivar- and trait-specific. In the first experiment, the addition of coconut extract favoured the proliferation of shoots and propagation ratio in bleeding heart ‘Gold Heart’. Rice extract, on the other hand, promoted callus formation in ‘White Gold’ cultivar and was more effective in increasing the propagation ratio in this cultivar than the conventional plant growth regulators (4.1 and 2.6, respectively). Sesame extract suppressed the development of the explants in both cultivars analysed, probably due to the high content of polyphenols. As for the second experiment, the addition of plant extracts into the preculture medium did not increase the survival level of the cryopreserved shoot tips (sesame and oat extracts even decreased this parameter). On the other hand, coconut extract, abundant in simple sugars and endogenous cytokinins, stimulated a more intensive proliferation and growth of shoots after rewarming of samples. Analysing the synergistic effect of conventional plant growth regulators and natural extracts should be considered in future studies related to L. spectabilis.


1981 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Orme

During the last hundred years our knowledge of the educational institutions of medieval England has steadily increased, both of schools and universities. We know a good deal about what they taught, how they were organised and where they were sited. The next stage is to identify their relationship with the society which they existed to serve. Whom did they train, to what standards and for what ends? These questions pose problems. They cannot be answered from the constitutional and curricular records which tell us about the structure of educational institutions. Instead, they require a knowledge of the people—the pupils and scholars—who went to the medieval schools and universities. We need to recover their names, to compile their biographies and thereby to establish their origins, careers and attainments. If this can be done on a large enough scale, the impact of education on society will become clearer. In the case of the universities, the materials for this task are available and well known. Thanks to the late Dr A. B. Emden, most of the surviving names of the alumni of Oxford and Cambridge have been collected and published, together with a great many biographical records about them. For the schools, on the other hand, where most boys had their literary education if they had one at all, such data are not available. Except for Winchester and Eton, we do not possess lists of the pupils of schools until the middle of the sixteenth century, and there is no way to remedy the deficiency.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 11193
Author(s):  
Karol Król ◽  
Dariusz Zdonek

Content published in social media (SM) can be motivating. It can induce action, stimulate demand, and shape opinions. On the other hand, it can demotivate, cause helplessness, or overwhelm with information. Still, the impact of SM is not always the same. The paper aims to analyse the relations between sex, personality, and the way social media is used and motivation to take specific actions. The conclusions are founded on a survey (n = 462). The data were analysed with statistical methods. The study revealed that the use of SM has a significant impact on the motivation to act. Browsing through descriptions and photographs of various achievements posted by others in SM increased the intrinsic motivation of the respondents. Positive comments and emojis had a similar effect. Moreover, women and extraverts noted a significantly greater impact of SM on their intrinsic motivation concerning health and beauty effort, travel, hobby, and public expression of opinions than men and introverts. The results can be useful to recruiters. Extravert women that are open to cooperation, thorough, and well-organised are more likely to be active in SM.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 411-430
Author(s):  
Maja Tabea Jerrentrup

Abstract The art of bodypainting that is fairly unknown to a wider public turns the body into a canvas - it is a frequently used phrase in the field of bodypainting that illustrates the challenge it faces: it uses a three-dimensional surface and has to cope with its irregularities, but also with the model’s abilities and characteristics. This paper looks at individuals who are turned into art by bodypainting. Although body painting can be very challenging for them - they have to expose their bodies and to stand still for a long time while getting transformed - models report that they enjoy both the process and the result, even if they are not confident about their own bodies. Among the reasons there are physical aspects like the sensual enjoyment, but also the feeling of being part of something artistic. This is enhanced and preserved through double staging - becoming a threedimentional work of art and then being staged for photography or film clips. This process gives the model the chance to experience their own body in a detached way. On the one hand, bodypainting closely relates to the body and on the other hand, it can help to over-come the body.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 374-377
Author(s):  
Prapattra Hongwisat ◽  
Thanawat Wuthikanokkan ◽  
Nathakan Preechakansakul

Covid-19 are one of the viruses that were widely spreaded in 2019 and are still separate until nowadays. Thailand is one of the countries that are highly infected. The majority of people who are infected with this virus tend to have mild to severe respiratory symptoms. Furthermore, anyone can get sick, and it can lead to death. However, the most common symptoms of this virus are fever, cough, tiredness, and loss of taste or smell, on the other hand, characteristics in a minority of people, such as diarrhea and headaches. Due to the impact of the Covid-19 virus, people have to change their lifestyle to the online form. These changes have impacted mostly on economics and education in particular countries, so this problem also affects anxiety among high school students; who must prepare to apply to the university during the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, we have collected 151 answers from high school students by surveying in order to know the feelings for entrance to the university during the pandemic situation. We found out that 81.3% of the students are highly affected by covid, and only 0.7% of students are slightly affected. We also found out that 55% of the students are worried about university entrance, and only 2.6% of the students were not worried at all. According to the result, most of the students in Thailand are facing the problem about their education and their entrance for the university which are caused by Covid-19. This may lead to illnesses like depression and anxiety. Keywords: Students, Learning, COVID-19, Thailand, University.


1935 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 232-235
Author(s):  
Anne Roes

Well known though the grylli are, we have still very little to say about their meaning and about their origin.Our knowledge of them, which has hardly increased since the days of Furtwangler, amounts to the following facts. Grylli were one of the most popular motives for the decoration of gems in Roman times; they remained in favour during more than three centuries. Several indications lead us to believe that some pro-phylactic value was ascribed to them; this may also account for their long popularity. In appearance they can as a rule be divided into two classes. Either they are a composition of various human and animal heads, sometimes with birds added to them, or else they consist of the body of a bird, generally a cock, to which heads and masks are attached in different ways. As the cock often is provided with a horse's head, we are reminded of the Attic hippalectryon; it is, however, impossible to trace their descent from Greek art, for we do not know of any more complicated Greek design that may have inspired Roman gem-cutters; the hippalectryon itself even does not seem to have lived down to the Hellenistic period. On the other hand, it is equally impossible to regard them as an original Roman fantasy. In the first place, their connexion with the hippalectryon, though distant, is unmistakable; secondly and chiefly, we know there were grylli before the days of Roman glyptic art. In the necropolis of Tharros in Sardinia have been found several scarabs decorated with motives closely resembling the Roman grylli. Now the necropolis seems to have been in use for a very long time, but Furtwangler believed, no doubt rightly, that the bulk of the objects found in it, and especially the grylli, must be dated rather early as they still show some of the traditions of archaic art. Our Fig. 3a is a good example.


2017 ◽  
pp. 95-99
Author(s):  
Tamás Köpeczi-Bócz ◽  
Mónika Lőrincz

Both at European and national level tertiary and quaternary sectors are concentrated in the metropolitan centre. In the rural areas only the sites of such sectors can be found the premises of which temporarily transform the sectoral structure of these areas, but from the regional development aspect they did not prove to be an effective strategy.The European Commission is now focusing on growth from innovation, which could become the driving force behind productivity growth and the economy’s long-term trend. The innovation-oriented economic development’s key players are on the one hand the knowledge-intensive enterprises, on the other hand the universities. Tertiary education can play a role – among others – in shaping and creating the development of knowledge intensive business environment and conditions, on the other hand it can assist the development of network contacts – another precondition of employment growth.


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