Nota Karamaouna
Born and bred in Athens, Nota has been travelling to Turkey, especially Cappadocia, for many years, captivated by its multicultural history, the spectacular landscape and the warm local hospitality. With a degree in Archaeology and Art History and a Masters in Byzantine Archaeology, she is currently finishing her PhD. at the École Pratique des Hautes Etudes in Paris, focusing on the Byzantine churches of Cappadocia.
Nota has excavated and surveyed at a number of sites in Cappadocia and elsewhere in Turkey, and at sites in Greece, ranging from the island of Kos to central Athens. Alongside her academic studies she has worked for a specialist Byzantine photo-library and the Byzantine Museum of Athens. A native Greek-speaker, she is fluent in English and French (and is picking up Turkish too) and puts her language skills to use as a freelance translator and editor. We are very pleased Nota will be sharing her passion and expertise with our guests.
Greece Cruising the Dodecanese
Greece Cruising to the Cyclades
Greece Exploring the Peloponnese
Greece Easter in Athens
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Another thing: a local masterpiece - a Nike by Skopas at Tegea Do I need to point out the extraordinary beauty of this ancient statue? I firmly believe that such works speak for themselves; they are eloquent as spiritual expressions and proud ... Read More
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Message on a Column: rewriting history at Mystras “May he have the curses of the 318 God-bearing Fathers of Nicaea and also the curse of me, the sinner. [In] the year 1312." These are the final four lines ... Read More
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Xinomavro Wine and a Recipe from Northern Greece Half a year ago, I first wrote about Greek wines and the wine tasting experiences that complement many of our land tours and cruises. At that time of year, Assyrtiko, ... Read More
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Rumeli Hisarı Fortress at Istanbul – A Castle and a City Between Two Worlds The Fortress of Rumeli Hisarı, located on the European shore of the Bosphorus and in the northernmost district of Istanbul, is a striking monument. Every year, hundreds of thousands of ... Read More
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Braised Pork with Leeks – a traditional Greek savoury dish Milder and sweeter than onions, leeks are a member of the same allium family, but have their own distinct and elegant flavour, making them a perfect accompaniment for many Mediterranean ... Read More
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Another thing: A Thessaloniki tomb fresco and Early Christian funeral rites “Another thing” is a series of occasional posts, each presenting a particularly interesting, beautiful or unusual object on display at one of the museums or sites on our tours. A ... Read More
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Karanlik Kilise (the Dark Church) in Göreme Open Air Museum, Cappadocia This is the 100th post on the Peter Sommer Travels Blog. At this stage, a little over three years after launching the project, we feel that we have found a ... Read More
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Oven-Roasted Aubergines with Tomato and Halloumi: a Classic Greek Recipe Aubergine, or eggplant in American and Australian English, but also Melanzane (Italian), Melitzana (Greek) or Patlıcan (Turkish), is one of the most widely used and tasty ingredients in several traditional ... Read More
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Sailing to Byzantium - Patronage and the Chora Monastery in Constantinople Sailing to Byzantium is a celebrated poem by William Butler Yeats, describing the spiritual, mystical and inner world and thoughts of the famous Irish poet in regard to the apocalyptic ... Read More
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Greek Halva Recipe: an East Mediterranean flavour Along the shores of the Eastern Mediterranean, from northern Africa and the southern Balkans eastwards to Lebanon and Syria, the desserts of each country contain more or less the same ... Read More
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Another thing: A Hellenistic pebble mosaic in Rhodes “Another thing” is a series of occasional posts, each presenting a particularly interesting, beautiful or unusual object on display at one of the museums or sites on our tours. Later ... Read More
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Santorini Fava (yellow split pea purée) After our recent posts on Assyrtiko wine and on tomatinia (cherry tomatoes), here's our third instalment on the specialities of Santorini. Santorini fava (Fava Santorinis) is one of the most ... Read More
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The famous Santorini Tomato and a recipe Santorini is one of Greece's best-known travel destinations. It is especially famous for its remarkable volcanic setting, the whole island forming an enormous volcanic caldera, and its extraordinary archaeological wealth, ... Read More
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Another thing: A woman’s dowry - embroidery from Ottoman Greece “Another thing” is a series of occasional posts, each presenting a particularly interesting, beautiful or unusual object on display at one of the museums or sites on our tours. This ... Read More
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Assyrtiko wine from Santorini: a Unique Aegean Aroma It's surprising where a glass of good wine, enjoyed on one of these balmy Athenian spring evenings, in the company of friends and with a wandering mind, can take you... ... Read More
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Kastoria: a Byzantine treasure trove in Greece On our Exploring Macedonia tour, we pass through a variety of Greece's key archaeological and historical landscapes, where Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines, Jews and Ottomans have left their traces behind for ... Read More
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A Cosmopolitan Heritage Lost: The Jews of Thessaloniki We are happy to welcome Nota Karamaouna, who accompanies most of our tours in Greece and is our tour expert for Cappadocia, as a contributor to Peter Sommer Travels' blog. ... Read More
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Discovering Cappadocia in Turkey Over the years, many of the guests on our Turkish cruises have opted to extend their vacation by a few days to visit Cappadocia, that legendary landscape in the heart ... Read More
