Advanced Audio Blog 2
This 25-lesson series is entirely in Greek. Iro will tell you about popular Greek tourist destinations all while speaking natural native speed. Along the way, you'll pick up sophisticated Greek expressions and advanced grammar. The transcript for each lesson can be found in the accompany PDF-lesson notes.
Lesson | Title | Topic | Summary | Cultural Fact | Vocab |
1 | Top Ten Tourist Destinations in Greece—Sithonia | Sithonia | Beautiful coasts, numerous cultural events, vibrant nightlife | Honey, candles, and wine | πόδι, μεσαία, οφείλω, λίστα, φτάνω, ζωντανή, ιππασία |
2 | Top Ten Tourist Destinations in Greece—Karpenisi | Karpenisi | Protected from winds by firs, changed hands many times throughout history, popular destination for skiing and other outdoor activities | The founders' meat thermometer | πρόποδες, ειδικά, πέφτω, ολοκληρωτικά, δοκιμάζω, νυχτερινό, ορειβασία |
3 | Top Ten Tourist Destinations in Greece—Meteora | The Meteora | Natural rock formations, stone monasteries | Village of Kastraki | οροσειρά, μοναστικό, μοναχός, κουφάλα, επιτρέπω, σχηματισμός, ανακηρύσσω |
4 | Top Ten Tourist Destinations in Greece—Mycenae | Mycenae | The acropolis, gigantic walls, the Lions' Gate, dome tombs | More than one Acropolis | υπερμεγέθης, απαιτώ, έμβλημα, ξακουστό, διάδρομος, κόσμημα, μάσκα |
5 | Top Ten Tourist Destinations in Greece—Patmos | Patmos | The Skala, villages of Groikos and Kampos, sacred history | How to get to Patmos's points of interest | ήσυχο, κρουαζιερόπλοιο, χαμηλή, αγγίζω, γράφω, ασφαλές, παλιά |
6 | Top Ten Greek Films or Film Directors—Theo Angelopoulos | Theo Angelopoulos | Born in Athens, studied many other subjects besides film, followed success of first film Reconstruction with many others, won Golden Lion and other movie awards | Emphasis on landscapes and chronology | σκηνοθέτης, κοινό, διαφωνία, κινηματογράφος, βραβείο, τέχνη |
7 | Top Ten Greek Films or Film Directors— "Z" -Kostas Gavras | "Z" - Kostas Gavras | Political thriller that concerns the development of the atomic bomb | θρίλερ, υπόθεση, πρωταγωνιστής, έρευνα, αναζήτηση, ξενόγλωσση | θρίλερ, υπόθεση, πρωταγωνιστής, έρευνα, αναζήτηση, ξενόγλωσση |
8 | Top Ten Greek Films or Film Directors— The Spring Gathering | The Spring Gathering | Tribute to Greek nature and lifestyle | εποχή, πεθαίνω, μίζερη, αδυναμία, κυνηγάω, ξεγλιστράω | εποχή, πεθαίνω, μίζερη, αδυναμία, κυνηγάω, ξεγλιστράω |
9 | Top Ten Greek Films or Film Directors— Pantelis Voulgaris | Pantelis Voulgaris | Born in Athens, helped found New Greek Cinema, broke out with The Matchmaking of Anna, won many awards for films that connect old with new | Voulgaris's movie Brides | σεναριογράφος, αποδεικνύω, βοηθός, ανανέωση, δράμα, ποιοτικός |
10 | Top Ten Greek Films or Film Directors— Drakos | Drakos | Drama about a bank clerk whom the police mistake for a gangster | The director and screenwriter | κατάληξη, συνηθισμένος, απαρατήρητος, μπερδεύω, μοναξιά, νόημα |
11 | Top Ten Greek Films or Film Directors - The Travelling Players | The Travelling Players | Huge 3-layered masterpiece about a family of actors performing the play "Gkolfo the Shepherdess" | The premiere | θίασος, παγκοσμίως, περιοδεία, πιστεύω, χρονολογική, αποσπασματική |
12 | Top Ten Greek Films or Film Directors - Stella | Stella | Drama about a pop singer's affairs and the doom they bring | Actress Melina Merkouri | έμπνευση, δεσμός, χωρίζω, γάμος, πάθος, μαχαίρι |
13 | Top Ten Greek Films or Film Directors - The Counterfeit Coin | The Counterfeit Coin | Series of sketches about a fake coin and the hands it falls into | About the director | κάλπικη, αποκτώ, επηρεάζω, απληστία, ζητιάνος, πλαστό |
14 | Top Ten Greek Films or Film Directors - A Touch of Spice | A Touch of Spice | An astronomer lives through four important decades of Greek history | The double meaning of "Constantinopolitan" | βιώνω, φακός, επιστήμη, πλανήτης, σκόνη, πρόσφυγας, γαστρονομικό |
15 | Top Ten Greek Films or Film Directors - Never on Sunday | Never on Sunday | An American admirer of ancient Greek culture tries to win a Greek prostitute away from her profession | The song "The Children of Piraeus" | ασπρόμαυρο, πόρνη, ανέμελος, επαναφέρω, παρατάω, απελευθερωμένη |
16 | Top 10 Greek Songs in Greece - "Cloudy Sunday" | "Cloudy Sunday" | Status as a national anthem, controversy about credit, tragic inspiration | Universality of the lyrics | ηχογραφώ, εθνικός ύμνος, μπογιά, φασισμός, αίμα, ρεμπέτικο |
17 | Top 10 Greek Songs in Greece - "Zorba's Dance" | "Zorba's Dance" | Written for film Zorba the Greek, based on two traditional Cretan songs, famous across the world | The (un)traditional syrtaki dance | ορχηστρικό, Κρητικό, άκουσμα, ξέφρενο, βήμα, μπερδεύω, πιασάρικη |
18 | Top 10 Greek Songs in Greece - "A Magic Town" | "A Magic Town" | Written for film Magic Town about the two faces of Athens after its civil war | Sparse beauty of the lyrics | εμφύλιος πόλεμος, συναυλία, επαφή, διαφωνώ, ήδη, ανάμεσα |
19 | Top 10 Greek Songs in Greece - "Erotic (With a Pirogue)" | "Erotic (With a Pirogue)" | Poetic elegy for lost love (and possibly lost national identity) | The "lost national identity" interpretation | ερωτικό, στίχος, χαμένο, αξιοθαύμαστο, ξανά, μοιράζομαι |
20 | Top 10 Greek Songs in Greece - "1000 Doves" | "1000 Doves" | The slow, steady career of composer Zampetas | Zampetas's sense of humor | περιστέρι, αυθόρμητος, κρυφά, κοινωνική τάξη, διάθεση, ταλαιπωρώ |
21 | Top 10 Greek Songs in Greece - "South" | "South" | Melodramatic love song about a relationship undone by jealous doubt | Machairitsas's rocky path to rock stardom | ευχάριστα, εκφωνητής, δόση, βάλτος, πνίγω, φθείρω |
22 | Top 10 Greek Songs in Greece - "Cloudy Girl" | "Cloudy Girl" | Teenage lamentation of a passed-over boy | Savopoulos's murky journey to self-taught success | αθεράπευτα, ανεκπλήρωτος, ταυτίζομαι, καταγράφω, υποκοριστικό, απότομα |
23 | Top 10 Greek Songs in Greece - "My Number One" | "My Number One" | Written for music contest Eurovision 2005, English lyrics, Greek themes, sung by idol Elena Paparizou | Eurovision | εκπροσωπώ, συμμετοχή, αμφιβολία, δοκιμασμένη, Σουηδία, είδωλο |
24 | Top 10 Greek Songs in Greece - "Under My Shirt" | "Under My Shirt" | Collaboration of lyricist Pythagoras, composer Nikolopoulos, and singer Kazantzidis; played and replayed in anticipatory tribute to Kazantzidis; covered by many artists; written about a heart hungry for forgiveness | Composer Nikolopoulos | αθανασία, συνοδευόμενη, ρεκόρ, δημοτικότητα, χροιά, ξεπερνώ |
25 | Top 10 Greek Songs in Greece - "Come to Me" | "Come to Me" | Smash hit of Greece's biggest pop star | Media attention and Rouvas's relationships | ουρλιάζω, ρίγος, κάνω πάταγο, παραληρώ, γυμνασμένο |