Just a few days before the great feast of the Virgin Mary, visitors even from the other side of the Earth have begun to flock to one of the most historic pilgrimage sites of Orthodoxy, that of the Virgin Mary Soumela on Mount Vermio.
A young tourist fell from a rock on Lycabettus Hill.
The Spanish royals and their daughters, 19-year-old Princess Leonor and 18-year-old Infanta Sofia, reportedly flew to Athens last Wednesday night at 9:30 p.m., according to Mujer Hoy.
As Spanish magazine Hola! explains, the flight logs of the Falcon aircraft used by the Spanish royal family have been made public since last year, which means greater transparency about their movements.
Where do King Felipe and Queen Letizia live?
And according to Hola, King Felipe and Queen Letizia are believed to be staying at the mansion of Dutch royals, King Willem Alexander and Queen Maxima, in Kranidi, Argolida.
The mansion was purchased in 2012 by German photographer Manfred Rieker for around 5 million euros, is over 4,000 square meters and features three separate buildings, a tennis court, a swimming pool, a private beach and an exclusive harbor. It is also surrounded by dense vegetation, ensuring complete privacy.
“Their Greek vacation is their real getaway”
“Although King Felipe, Queen Letizia and their family traditionally spend their summer holidays in Mallorca, the island is very open to the media and the public,” says Andrea Caamano, Digital Content Director at Hello magazine.
“Their Greek vacation is their real getaway from the limelight – it’s extremely private and they can really relax there. They have a warm relationship with the Dutch royals and have stayed at King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima’s country house in the past, so it’s no surprise that they chose to travel there again this year,” she adds.
It should be noted, however, that last week it became known that the Dutch royals are also in Greece where they are taking an 8-week vacation, even causing reactions in their homeland.
Friendship with the Dutch blue bloods
But why did King Felipe and Queen Letizia choose Greece? The two royal couples share close personal ties.
King Willem-Alexander's eldest daughter, 21-year-old Princess Catharina-Amalia, was forced to move abroad for a year, specifically to Madrid, due to kidnapping threats after she enrolled at the University of Amsterdam in 2022.
Last year, Willem-Alexander expressed his gratitude to the Spanish royal family for their support during this difficult period for his daughter, saying: "Last year, circumstances forced her to live in Madrid for a while. From there, she was able to continue her studies at the University of Amsterdam. This was made possible thanks to the kind efforts of many of your compatriots and you yourselves. A touching show of friendship at a difficult time. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to you and to all those who helped to arrange this.”
King Felipe and Queen Letizia’s ties to Greece
It is recalled that King Felipe’s mother, Queen Sofia, was born in Athens and is the sister of the former King Constantine. It is not excluded that, during their vacation in Greece, the Spanish royals will meet with their cousins, Paulo de Gres, Marie Chantal and their children if, of course, their vacations coincide during the same period.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has held separate phone calls with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Palestinian President Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, focusing on the need for stability in Libya and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, respectively.