Cyclades

Tourists hoping to swim in Greece's seas, stroll around the cobbled streets of the Cycladic islands or explore the lush landscapes of the Ionian will need to book this summer for the next.

"He was always happy when he was painting and standing like a bird in front of the easel," Harikleia Mytara once told me of her husband's love for his art. Our conversation took place a few days before his death at the age of 83 in February 2017, after years of suffering from multiple ailments.

As the tourism season gets under way, the holidays islands in the arid Cyclades are at risk of serious water shortages this summer, with some, like Sifnos, at more risk than others.

Cycladic figurines, helmets and amphorae on display at the Cycladic Art Museum in Athens provided the inspiration for a group of Greek designers to develop an exclusive collection currently on sale at the museum shop. The ancient Cycladic world's austere forms are incorporated into the garments and accessories comprising "Cycladic Forms," a project curated by veteran stylist Michalis Pandos.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras described the power interconnection of a group of Cyclades islands - including Syros, Tinos, Paros and Ios - with Greece's mainland grid, a linkup he formally launched on Monday on Syros, as "a project of historic significance."

As of last Thursday, March 8, the power supply on the Aegean islands of Paros, Antiparos, Naxos, Koufonissi, Schinoussa, Iraklia, Ios, Sikinos and Folegandros comes directly from the mainland grid via an underwater cable from Lavrio in southern Attica.

An investigation was being conducted on Wednesday into the circumstances that saw a passenger of the Blue Star Naxos ferryboat fall overboard and drown.

The man, whose age has been estimated at around 60, fell off the ferry into dark and cold waters some 4 nautical miles off the coast of Syros. He was found dead an hour later by the coast guard.

"Cycladic Snapshots: Monuments and People," organized by the Cyclades Ephorate of Antiquities in cooperation with the French School at Athens and the Byzantine and Christian Museum, presents people who have worked to uncover, protect and promote archaeological treasures excavated in the Cyclades group of islands from the late 19th century to the present, along with archaeological finds, most of

Ferryboats were tied up at all three of the capital's main ports on Thursday as strong winds lashed many parts of the country.

There were no sailings from Piraeus, Rafina or Lavrio after the coast guard warned of winds in the Aegean Sea that reached as high as 9 on the Beaufort scale. The Perama-Salamina route remained unaffected, however, and sailings are taking place as scheduled.

Excavations next to the uninhabited Greek islet of Keros, already identified as the enigmatic hub of a forgotten religion, have now revealed traces of intense industrial activity more than 4,500 years ago.