TWO FACES OF ATHENS
… „Travel is like marriage. The basic mistake is thinking, that you can control it „…
John Steinback.
In my workplace, where I earn money to afford a bread (or rather to afford the buckwheat for my bread) and flight tickets , I am perceived as a person, let’s say : unusual 😀 Not only because of my highly sarcastic sense of humour, specific nutritional-health-social views, and a passion for the subject of serial killers and other psychopaths. The general interest is mainly the fact, that I am constantly flying somewhere, and the calendar of trips I have planned for longer, than a year in advance. That’s on paper. Because in my mind I probably have a schedule for the next 10 years 😀 .
Naturally, such long-range plans undergo modifications, changes, sometimes, but rarely cancelled. However, this does not change the fact, that by organising our trips on my own, I always try to prepare everything thoroughly. Understanding the area in which we intend to stay, any transport that can be used, places that must be seen, etc. These are only the basic points of such preparations … Believe me – there is much more … 😀 Travelling, „our way” is sometimes hard work 🙂 Really … Just looking for flight tickets, accommodation, matching holiday dates is sometimes a real feat … 😀
That is why, being aware of how much energy was devoted to the initial organization of a given trip, while on the spot it turns out that we need to change the whole plan for this moment, you always have to be prepared for the irritating circumstances ….
That’s what we experienced during our last trip – to Athens. One of the oldest European capitals, which is also the largest city in Greece, home of olives, Olympic games and democracy … A place, that every historical enthusiast simply must see. A place, that has as much magic in it, as painfully stub in the eyes images of the modern face of the country … A place, that can arouse admiration, while shocking.
But.. Let’s get to the point …
Looking for accommodation in a convenient place, I chose the Isminis area, located between the Port of Piraeus and the Acropolis, in the northern part of Athens. A very comfortable, neat little one-room flat was waiting for us there. Definitely recommendable, booked on Booking.com. And here … and here the stairs begin … Because the list of usually recommended by me hosts, or other organisers of expeditions, etc., in Athens, on the order of accommodation, unfortunately, ends … Without going too much into the basically irrelevant details, I will only mention, that for the first time in my life I had to leave a negative feedback somewhere on the Internet … To be precise, I would only add, that having a few organised trips, that looked really interesting, I was put in a situation where at the very last moment I had to be guide for myself … 🤣🙈 And for caution, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that, in principle, only one company deals with such an organisation there, so if you have already decided to buy some „attraction” then, really check all details thoroughly …
Anyway, enough of complains 😀
As an experienced, a little bit at least, traveller, I had to get to work, and embrace exploring everything on my own. It is not so complicated in Athens, but the whole thing often depends on where you are. Public transport in Athens consists of: three metro lines, and a network of buses and trolleybuses. Information on these can be found on the Civitatis Athens website.
Of course, we focused on our own transport – a pair of legs. Even today, I have the impression that we have walked in Athens countless kilometres, traversing the city that never ceased to amaze us … On the one hand, absolutely amazing, beautiful, incredibly proud historic part of the Greek capital, fighting bravely with the present image of ancient Hellas … And today’s face? … Well … Even if someone is not very interested in politics or the world economy, after travelling a few kilometres the capital of Greece, is able to see that bankruptcy, not the first of this country, is visible literally at every step …. And this fact is just as much a kind of sadness as it provokes reflection: why? ….. I can already hear comments in the background, reminding me that similar, for example, abandoned „zombie estates” occur in Spain or Portugal, and Cyprus is not much different from such images .. It is true. However, this is the centre of Athens, not the suburban of the capital …
Fortunately, Athens heroically defends its cultural heritage, which dates back to the second millennium BC. Being there, you just can’t miss such works as the Acropolis (20 euros admission ticket), Erechtejon, Odeon of Herodos, Hadrian’s Arch, Dionysus Theater, or the Tower of Winds or the Temple of Olympian Zeus (6 euros admission). All these monuments, despite the quite tectonically unstable terrain, exposed to earthquakes from time to time, still bravely reign over the sad face of modern Athens.
However, if someone would like to see and trace the history of these places, gathered together, I recommend a visit to the Acropolis Museum (10 euros). Entrance tickets are best bought comprehensively, for a few days, in several places (cost of 30 euros). But of course individual versions are also available.
It should also be remembered that Athens is not only great architecture, the world of Greek myths, or the Olympic Games. It also has beautiful beaches, Mediterranean, Ionian and Aegean seas surroundings, beautiful parks, and botanical gardens. Did the crisis also creep into those picturesque areas? Unfortunately yes. However, when it comes to the beauty of nature, it always wins with all kinds of inconveniences of everyday life.
To the specific part of the Greek’s flora and fauna certainly belong countless cats everywhere 😀 No one ever chases them away, you can see them literally everywhere 🤣🙈 To the extent that I would probably not be surprised to see them, for example in the toilet … Whether home or public one 😀 Greeks just love cats. More than just cats in Athens, there is probably only olive trees ….
Athens also has other somehowt forgotten monuments. These include the Averof ship – a Greek armoured cruiser, which also hides the interesting parts of European history. Admission costs only 4 euros, and the visit there is really worth that amount :). Next to it you can find also an ancient Greek trier, from the 5th century BC – Olympias trier.
The weather in Athens, like in most of the whole country, is also very encouraging. Mild winters, very warm summers, lots of sun and opportunities to catch the olive skin colour 🙂
But there are also astonishing things in the Greek capital. And apart from the shadow of the economic crisis, which, however, covers usually sunny part of this piece of the world, in some cases I have literally strained my mind in order to find the answer to the key question: „what did the poet mean?” 🤔
Well, architectural pearls, in the form of extremely interestingly designed sidewalks or pedestrian crossings, parking vehicles, traffic lights, make up sometimes extremely puzzling image of everyday life in Athens, or I suspect – in Greece in general.
While visiting Athens you certainly will take notice of shops with beautiful Greek handicrafts and Greek delicacies. Shopping in them is not the cheapest, but believe me, better olives, spices for tzatziki or feta cheese, you will not find anywhere 😀
At the end obviously, I have to mention something about Greek cuisine. But only mention for now. Literally. Greek cuisine is delicious 😀 And that’s it. I expand the topic in a separate blog, it will soon be included in the section : „world’s kitchen”. In my opinion, Greek cuisine is worth separate chapter 🙂
Our stay in Athens lasted a week and aroused very mixed feelings in me … Like no other trip so far. Not only because my plans had to be modified in the blink of an eye, but also because of the so-called entirety. I am, of course, aware of the fact that Athens is just a piece of Greece, a scrap of the whole beautiful country. And I think, I want to give this country a second chance, probably going to one of its islands after some time.
As for Athens, however, today I know that the city definitely able to enchant with the ancient legacy, the beauty of nature and fascinating history. At the same time, somewhere deep in the mind, it raise the fear, that these treasures might be lost somewhere, that their days are numbered. I deeply hope, that such impressions will remain in just a sphere of fear only as long as possible.
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