Where else but in Greece can you hear the average person singing along to modern tunes on the radio, set to Nobel Prize-winning poetry? Whether you’re into rap or jazz, opera or bouzouki, you can count on Athens to dish up every kind of music.

In this fast-tempo episode, we’ll visit a celebrated singer who has worked with some of the greatest Greek composers of the last century, and we’ll unpack some of the city’s most beloved sounds: from the haunting rebetika, born of poverty and catastrophe; to today’s glossy bouzouki nightclubs and the joyous panigiria summer festivals “where all hell breaks loose” in the village and everyone from youngest to oldest joins in the fun.

 

The Municipality of Athens, through Develop Athens (EATA), has joined forces with the Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT) in order to promote the city of Athens as a global competitive tourism destination. 

With the tourism industry largely affected by the pandemic's devastating consequences, the two sectors work together with the aim of strengthening the local economy and helping businesses recover. 

The strategic plan includes actions for the promotion of Athens as: 

• An ideal year-round city-break destination. 
• A standard destination for conferences and large events.
• A top destination for digital nomads. 
• A top destination for young travelers, senior travelers, gastronomy lovers, etc. 

The two sectors undertake a joint initiative for the development of a single destination brand, by creating original promotional material for special sectors of tourism, thus maximizing the popularity of Athens.

Check the video below, promoting Athens as a modern city whose daily life is inherent in contemporary artistic creation and expression. 

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XpatAthens extends a warm thank you to This Is Athens and the City Of Athens for sharing news and inspiring stories about how Athens aspires to be a clean, friendly, and welcoming city to live in.

Piraeus is much more than just a port. It’s a city in its own right. Yet most visitors fleetingly pass through on their way to the Greek islands and see little beyond the smoggy hustle of the ferry terminal. Take time to explore and you’ll find archaeological sights, stunning sea views, as far as the Saronic Gulf islands; and some of the best fish restaurants in Athens.

Piraeus was first incorporated into Athens in 515 BC. In 493 BC, the great naval strategist Themistocles began fortification works to enclose both cities behind Long Walls. These defences, still visible today, gave the Athenians uninterrupted access to the sea. Over three millennia, Piraeus has grown to become one of the largest passenger and cargo ports in the world. There’s more to this commercial hub and gateway to the Greek islands than meets the eye. Whether you have a few hours to kill before your onward journey or a full day (or more) to explore the area, this guide will help you get the most out of Piraeus.

Around the Port
Inside the Piraeus metro station, the Electric Railways Museum of Piraeus is free. Highlights include a wooden metro carriage from the turn of the 20th century and a collection of rarely-seen black-and-white photography of Piraeus and Athens from the same period.

Perched on a ridge, the well-preserved fortifications of the Ietonian Gate were developed between the 5th and 3rd century BC. This easily accessible site overlooks the harbour and nearby Liberty Ship Hellas, a floating museum that provides a history of the Greek merchant navy.

The ungentrified, post-industrial area north of the port, Retsina is emerging as a new cultural quarter. Rodeo Gallery, which relocated from Istanbul to a cavernous former warehouse, shows a thought-provoking, avant-garde roster of artists from Greece and abroad. Beirut-born Carwan Gallery is the latest organic addition to Piraeus' gallery district, and promotes and produces collectible design, developing exceptional cross-cultural collaborations that call to attention a specific market—the Near East. Next door, Paleo Wine Store another repurposed warehouse with a striking wooden roof, offers an impressive selection of Mediterranean wines, paired with Greek cheeses and unpretentious tapas. In a former sheet metal factory, Pireé has a decadent ambience and a great cafe and cocktail bar, which bubbles with art events, performances, and pop-up exhibitions. This dynamic area comes to alive Thursday-Sunday when Rodeo is open and the surrounding bars and restaurants brim with a cultured crowd.

Kastella
This breezy neighbourhood perched on top of a hill feels a little like an Athenian version of Lisbon, Valparaiso or San Francisco, with winding stairways and colourful turn-of-the-century buildings. Climb up to the summit to take in the great views from the park surrounding Profitis Ilias Church, with the Saronic Gulf and Athenian Riviera stretching out below. Afterwards, refuel at the quaint cafés and tavernas around Idis Street, like O Kalognomas ouzeri.

Mikrolimano
Greek for ‘little port’, Mikrolimano is nestled beneath Kastella. Its biggest draw is the Michelin-starred Varoulko Seaside, presided over by celebrity chef Lefteris Lazarou. If that’s out of your budget, the cute houses that lead up the hill and the bright fish tavernas that ring the port are an aesthetic delight. Mikrolimano may be dwarfed by its neighbours Marina Zea and Piraeus port, but it has more of an upmarket island vibe.

To read this article in full, please visit: thisisathens.org
Photo Credit: Thomas Gravanis

Home turf to millionaires and popstars, this most commercial of beachy suburbs lies 16km from the Acropolis. Often compared to Beverly Hills, there are luxe, leafy pockets where you could indeed be on Rodeo Drive: jazzy Kyprou and Laodikis Streets with their upscale boutiques, imported palm trees and style-conscious pavement cafes.

But Glyfada is a game of two halves. Glam and grit presently exist side by side in this recession-hit postcode, especially in the former social HQ of Zisimopoulou Street, where a slew of boarded-up cafes and restaurants at the lower end evoke less salubrious parts of downtown L.A.

Sitting pretty on the south-western foot of Mount Ymittos, about 40 minutes from the city, this luxe resort town has a year-round tropical vibe and is to Athens what Cannes is to the Cote d'Azur.

 

Palm trees, fountains, and sunny beds of marigolds line Athinas Avenue, heralding your arrival at this most self-aware of southern suburbs whose main game is leisure. Kostis Georgiou’s bright zoomorphic sculpture Equus accentuates the near-constant blue of the sky and the sweep of Vouliagmeni Bay, with its luxury yachts and members-only nautical clubs and marinas.

Vouliagmeni still falls rather short on culture and shopping, but it does flaunt Athens’ comeliest free and paid beaches and finest seaside dining. Along Fleming Street (the area’s Millionaire’s Row) and in verdant Kavouri you’ll find some of the capital’s priciest real estate. On summer weekends, when this coastal enclave swells with tourists and townies seeking a city reprieve, locals have learned to avoid their own beaches and artisan ice cream parlors. Here's a look at what to experience in this southern suburb of Athens.

Vouliagmeni Lake
Almost hidden from view behind Posidonos Avenue is the beautiful sunken cavern of Vouliagmeni Lake, which lends this southern suburb its name (Vouliagmeni means “sunken” in Greek). Open year-round, the lake is actually a flooded limestone cave, lined with tawny cliffs and fed by underground mineral currents that stay a constant 24° C. Many gripe about the hefty entrance fee (currently €12 on weekdays, €15 on weekends). But wading through the brackish grottos, with tiny blackfish (kalogries) nudging your toes, conjures the feel of an exclusive spa. The lake is flanked by luxuriant lawns and sunbeds and there’s an all-day restaurant that hosts gastronomic evenings (spring to autumn), accompanied by live jazz and orchestral performances, under the illuminated rocks.

Swimming in Vouliagmeni
Elegant Vouliagmeni is more democratic than first impressions suggest: you’ll find all bases of beach covered here. High rollers head to the famous Astir on the lush pine-clad peninsula of Mikro Kavouri. Once the summer playground of Jackie Onassis and Bridget Bardot, Athens’ most expensive beach offers manicured sands, waiter service to your lounger, designer boutiques, and fine dining. Central Akti Vouliagmeni, where Posidonos and Apollonos converge, is one of the city’s best-groomed municipal beaches and a multi-tasking oasis that caters to all. For €5 entry, you have access to sun loungers, wide grassy strips for picnics and ballgames, tennis and volleyball courts, cafes and a playground, plus an aqua inflatable park.

Locals like to swim for free from the rocky piers outside of En Plo café or Sardelaki. Both provide access to the clear waters of the Vouliagmeni basin. Also free, Limanakia Vouliagmeni is the most popular of a run of rocky coves off the coastal road, just outside of Vouliagmeni. Bronzed locals chill out to music on a sociable deck before leaping into the deep blue sea. Grab a seaside perch at Sardelaki on Vouliagmeni Bay and watch the boats roll in. 

Big Crab and Little Crab - Kavouri
Vouliagmeni’s western half, from Athinas Avenue to the sea, is arguably the postcode’s prettiest face. It takes in the two, adjoining pine-covered peninsulas of Megalo and Mikro Kavouri (Big and Little Crab) and is host to lavish villas, unsullied swimming coves, the iconic Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel, scenic seaside promenades, and the picture-book chapel of St. George. It’s here that you’ll find Vouliagmeni’s most revitalized pulse. One of Athens Riviera’s most popular promenades, the paved seafront path that starts just after Lasithi Café on Iliou Street, has been spruced up with new greenery and fresh eateries in place of the slightly seedy shacks of old.

Further down on Iliou, opposite the Divani Apollon Palace, established sunset haunt Garbi has been joined by the chic and breezy Agora Riviera (another recent refit of a once tired venue). But last summer’s talk of the town was the Margi Hotel’s new beach club, Krabo by the Sea, a high-aesthetic (and high-cost) outpost on stunning Koska Bay with canopy sunbeds, a resort wear boutique, and on-the-sand fine dining.

To read this article in full, please visit: thisisathens.org

Photo Credit: Manos Chatzikonstantis

Originally from Sicily, granita is a semi-frozen dessert with crystalline texture, made from sugar, water, and various flavorings, mainly fruit juices. It's extremely popular all around Greece, especially among kids, and it's the ultimate drink to survive the Greek summer's scorching heat.

Yield: 4-6 servings
Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Ready in: 6 hours

• 150 g water
• 150 g brown sugar
• 800 g watermelon, cleaned
• 1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• lemon juice from 1 lemon
• lemon zest from 1 lemon
• sliced watermelon for decor

• In a pot, add the water with the sugar and place it over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
• As soon as it starts bubbling, let it boil for 2-3 minutes, and then remove from heat. Set the syrup aside to cool.
• Cut the watermelon into 2-3 cm pieces and puree them along with the syrup, the vanilla extract, and the lemon zest and juice into a blender.
• Share the mixture into ice-cube trays and freeze them for 5-6 hours.
• When they freeze well and you are about to serve them, pour the ice cubes into the blender and puree them until they look like snow.
• Fill the glasses and serve with watermelon slices.

To read the complete recipe and learn the nutritional information, please visit: akispetretzikis.com 

While we’re all about the big museums and historical sites in Athens, we also love to go off the beaten path and find something a little unusual. Fortunately, there are plenty of options. If you’re a jewellery lover, you can’t miss the Ilias Lalaounis Jewellery Museum. To learn more about musical instruments in Greece, including the bouzouki, you can head to the Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments. And to get a better understanding of modern Greece’s political history, try the Political Exile Museum. 

Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments

Music has shaped Greece’s cultural heritage almost as much as marble. This melodic museum contains about half of the 1200 musical instruments amassed over decades by its founder, Fivos Anoyanakis. They’re tucked away in a glorious mansion in Plaka’s backstreets, with a garden inhabited by two colossal tortoises. Inside, you’ll find unexpected additions like the semantron, a long plank accompanied by wooden hammers or bells to call monks to prayer. By pressing a button, you can hear the instruments played through headphones. Upstairs is Greece’s most famous instrument: the bouzouki, which played a starring role in the works of legendary composers Mikis Theodorakis and Vassilis Tsitsanis. The bouzouki still thrills modern-day audiences at the city’s many rebetiko joints, usually accompanied by amplified beats, trays of gardenias to fling in appreciation at the players and singers, and copious amounts of whisky.

Ilias Lalaounis Jewellery Museum

The perfect museum for those who prefer their history lessons to sparkle. In a handsome building that once served as the workshop of Ilias Lalaounis, a Greek jeweler to the stars, this museum tells the story of adornment through the ages. The glittering collections are based on motifs and artifacts from the Stone Age, the Minoan civilization, and Byzantium, all the way to the 20th century. The most eye-catching items are the massive gold pieces, almost like armor, displayed on life-sized mannequins: huge circular plates dripping with gold discs, and a thick serpent twined from neck to breast. But it’s in the foyer that you’ll find this museum’s rarest showing: a fully functioning artists’ studio, where resident goldsmiths and silversmiths follow traditional techniques, including Lalaounis’ trademark practices of hand-hammering, hand-weaving, filigree ‘embroidery’ and granulation.

Hellenic Motor Museum

Not renowned for its automotive tradition, Greece might seem an odd place for a motor museum. But there are many super-car collectors in Greece, many of them ship-owners with a penchant for sleek, fast-moving machines. One such magnate is Theodore Haragionis, whose car collection got so out of control that he created a museum to house it. Parked on three levels is a rotating display from his 300-strong collection, divided into antique, veteran, vintage, classic, and contemporary. Everything from horseless carriages and a Model T Ford (the first ‘real’ car) to a fleet of flame-red Ferraris. There’s also a small section devoted to models from the little-known and short-lived Greek car industry. Petrolheads of all ages will love it.

To read this article in full and discover even more unique museums in Athens, please visit: thisisathens.org

School’s been closed for some time now and most children are bored and don’t know what to do with their free time. Lots of kids will spend hours in front of a screen unless there are other kids around that they can play outdoors with. Younger kids will most probably keep on wanting their mom’s attention and involvement. For sure you’ll hear the word “mom, mommy” much more now than while they were at school. Meanwhile while you, mom, are running around trying to take care of everything and everyone, you are also trying to find ways to keep your child busy. Maybe now is a good time to sort out their clothes and toys.

There are toys your child no longer plays with, let alone those they’ve never attracted their interest, and clothes they’ve outgrown or haven’t even tried once. Find a day that’s convenient for you and your child and play “The mountain with the three rivers” game together. Start with their toys. Put everything in the middle of the room and form a mountain. Young children especially enjoy this one a lot. Choose a name for your own mountain – names can vary depending on your child’s age.

Then form three rivers: one with the toys your child absolutely loves and wants to keep, one with the ones they want to give away, and another with the ones they are not sure about yet. Don’t forget to name the rivers too. Now let the fun begin! Which river will be bigger / smaller? Which river will have more / fewer turns? Which river will be calm / rough? Remember to define together the criteria in advance.

Keep in mind that this game can take hours because your child might want to play with some toys or tell a story about some others. So relax and enjoy it. After all, it is a super opportunity for bonding! When you are done not only will you be more relaxed but your child’s room will also be lighter. And your child will feel that their opinion and decisions do count!

Have a discussion about where to give or donate the items your kid has chosen – to a cousin, to a friend’s child? Can you think of an institution or organization where you will go with your child so as to showcase another way of life? The choices are endless!

PS. You can play the same game for clothes, books, anything you like. And do not forget to do the same with your own clothes, “toys”, etc.

The 2nd summer festival of the street magazine Shedia is here, connecting locals and visitors through a series of unique events. Shedia invites everyone who will be staying in Athens this summer to celebrate, meet new people, and enjoy nights and days of culture and fun, companionship and joy.

Until September 6th, 2021, small parties will be set up in and around Shedia's home, in the capital's historic center (56 Kolokotroni & Nikiou 2, corner), including pop-up photography and cartoon exhibitions, music nights with live gigs and guest DJs, tastings, barbecues, guest chefs, cool cocktails, happy hours and even happier days, guest mixologists, evenings of literature and poetry. Yoga sessions, activities for children, screenings and games, creative workshops, walks in the heart of the city, and special brunches are only some of the activities we have the opportunity to participate in.