The other day I read an article by Nikola Georgiakodi about outlet/warehouse stores around Athens. I figured at least a few of you might be interested in this very important topic, so I’m including parts of the piece in English below…  Original Greek article is here.

Here we go:

Local warehouse/outlet shops promise that we can go shopping for the new season without emptying our wallets in the blink of an eye. The majority of the discounts offered by these outlets reach 70%, but you may well run into some of the ten-day bazaars organized by products (eg. jeans, shoes, jackets) and get lucky with even greater discounts . Here are some of our favorite warehouse addresses in the wider Athens area for cheap autumn shopping.

Factory Outlet: www.factory.gr   At their 2 big locations, on Pireos Street and at the Airport, they stock some of the most popular casual and sportswear brands at prices up to 80% off retail.

McArthur Glen: www.mcarthurglen.com/gr/mcarthurglen-athens/gr   With lots of brands, including many more expensive names (Diesel, Guess, Lacoste, Moschino, Levi’s, Bodytalk, American Vintage, Notos Galleries, etc), McArthur Glen in Spata is part of an international chain of outlet ‘villages’ – an easy place to spend a day, with cafes and restaurants too.

Empoli Outlet: www.empoli.gr  At their 2 locations (the larger one in Nea Ionia and another in Peristeri), you will find brands like American Vintage, Attrativo, Boss, Miss Sixty, Nautica, Nike and many more, again up to 80% off retail.

Notos Outlet (Meneksedon 6, tel: 211 188 7341)  Notos Outlet in Kifisia stocks a large selection of clothing from brands like Trussardi Jeans, Ralph Lauren, Ecco Shoes, The Bostonians, Kookai, etc., at prices from 30%-70% off retail.  At the Notos Perfume Bar at the same location, you will find a large selection of fragrances, make-up and skincare products from Clarins, Guerlain, Lancaster, Davidoff, Max Factor, Givenchy, Bulgari, Calvin Klein, Hermes, etc. at 30%-50% off. You can also find a number of home décor products discounted up to 50%.

And here are a few more warehouse/outlet locations!

Benetton – Sisley: Alatsaton 34, Nea Ionia, tel 210 271 7774

Berto Lucci Stock: Lenorman 254, Athens, tel 210 515 2576

Oxford Company Stock: El. Venizelou 231, Palio Faliro, tel 210 988 9043

Raxevsky Stock: Kolonou 1, Peristeri, tel 210 575 1188

Vardas Stock: Sof. Venizelou 59, Likovrisi, tel 210 283 7796

Puma Outlet: El. Venizelou 224, Palaio Faliro, tel 210 985 4582)

Nike Outlet Store: El, Venizelou 224, Palaio Faliro, tel 983 6021

Top Shoes: Leoforos Dim. Metaksa Aggelou 24-26, Oscar Shopping Centre, Glyfada, 210 894 5935

Orange Stores Outlet (men’s & women’s underwear): Ag. Paraskevis 10, Peristeri, tel: 210 578 5400

Kalogirou Shoes: Arkadias 36, Peristeri, tel 210 335 6406

Roccoco Stock: Ag. Paraskevis 32, Halandri, 210 682 4059

The North Face: Her. Polutexneiou 19, Halandri, tel 210 675 5785

Happy Shopping! 

Until next week,

Jack

In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…

I was very lucky this Saturday 5th October!   I had the pleasure of being hosted by Coco-Mat in Kifissia, a rather swanky Northern suburb in Athens.  Coco-Mat was established in 1989 here in Greece…if you’ve not heard of them, they’re Award-Winning makers of quality mattresses, pillows sleep products, towels & furniture.

They have stores around Greece and various places in Europe, the Middle East, the U.S.A. and Asia including France, Spain, The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Saudi Arabia, New York, China & South Korea.

The Coco-Mat concept of wellbeing for all by creating a truly restful night’s sleep has migrated into the company opening a series of Hotels and Resorts around Europe.   And I spent the night in their Nafsika Hotel, Kifissia, Athens.  Only opened for a year and a half, what awaited me?  How was the experience?  What’s all this fuss about pillows and beds?

Coco-Mat have a simple philosophy: to make your stay feel as if you’re at home. And I have to say, they’ve created an ambiance that certainly reflects this.  From the moment you step through the front door, the open plan ‘reception’ / relaxation area / restaurant plays its role.   Cleverly there is a lot of light, open space and an open kitchen.  The ability to see through the glass into the kitchen area goes one step further into ensuring a homely atmosphere.    They go further by providing you with their top quality mattresses and pillows. And believe me, I slept like a baby.

Sleep is vital to wellbeing

I usually sleep very well, but didn’t realise how much better I could sleep until I slept on a Coco-Mat bed and pillows.  After a delicious dinner of spinach risotto, I had a lovely long, hot shower in the monsoon style bathroom, then crawled into bed for some cable TV (another little luxury for me).  An hour later I was fast asleep, head nestled into the goose down pillow, body firmly moulded into the gorgeous mattress.  

I awoke rejuvenated (not quite jumping out of bed)—and ready for breakfast.

Muesli, fresh orange juice and a buffet selection of cheeses, home-made bread, halva and cheese pies awaited me. I could have had fresh coffee and a range of teas too.

Other hotels

I would jump at the chance to stay in another Coco-Mat Hotel.  In Greece they offer locations in Athens, Serifos, Halkidiki, Karpenisi, Korinthia, Karitsa Larisas, Alonissos, Milos and Karpenisi as well as a the sailing boat ANEMOLIA which provides exceptional cruising holidays in the Sporades and North Aegean Islands (yes please!).  COCO-MAT Hotel Nafsika in Kifissia, Athens (where I stayed) is perfect for business and pleasure alike.   If I’d wanted to explore Kifissia more closely, I could have done so by borrowing one of their bicycles (unfortunately I don’t trust myself not to fall off into the path of an approaching car, otherwise I would have done).

Rates at the Hotel Nafsika in Kifissia, Athens start at 115 Euros per room per night for a Double, rising to 150 Euros per night for the Suite.   Whether you’re coming to Athens (or Greece) for business or pleasure, I’d highly recommend Coco-Mat Hotels for their ambience, healthy food and, of course, a guaranteed peaceful night’s sleep.

By Bex

http://www.leavingcairo.com/2013/10/a-night-at-coco-mat-hotel-nafsika-in.html

Until next week,

Jack

In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…

I’ve had to spend an unusual week on the road, for work, jumping between Zurich, Berlin and Istanbul. My reactions have truly spanned the 2 extremes above – and have even fluctuated from minute to minute. To be perfectly honest, I had moments over the past days where I questioned my desire to live in Athens, with its challenges, its graffiti, its difficulties, its dramas…

Zurich is like a ‘perfect society’ - Pristine, wealthy, efficient, on time (down to the second!), sophisticated, beautiful. One could say, the way a 21^st century city ought to be…

Istanbul, by contrast, is huge, bustling, cosmopolitan, historic, developing, energized. Berlin is modern, trendy, creative, progressive, young, open, cool. Athens, on the other hand, is none of these things - at first glance - but Athens is actually all of these things, depending where you look.  

It struck me that Athens is not easily defined, and does not have an easily discernable character, no global footprint as a city (apart from ‘historic’ and whatever news reports you choose to believe…!).

And that’s cool. Because it means that we still have time to make one. And according to my mother, challenges, difficulties and drama (and maybe even graffiti) create character.

And so it goes… When I woke up at home on Sunday morning, and walked out to greet the shining sun, I knew that in fact I do want to live in Athens. The rest is details.

Cheers to 21st century Athens!

Jack

The tickets are cheap for what you get & if over 62 ( not sure of this age)  years old 1/2 price. I have a lot of friends that abhor the bus due to their ignorance & spoiled upbringing.

I love to watch them stuck in traffic for an hour as I cruise along in my air conditioned bus in the right lane all the way from Kifissia to Athens center in 20 minutes or via the subway in 10 minutes. During our Athens day out they have to worry about if they parked their car in a place where their number plates will be removed or get a hefty fined ticket. Or try to forget the 20 euro they were dumb enough to pay for organized parking.They are also faced with having to go back to where they parked their vehicle while I get on the nearest train or bus back home. I usually have had a shower & glass of wine before they return ass stressed out & in a hurry...

So, if you want to enjoy your life on earth & save time & aggravation go PUBLIC. You get a cheap city tour, save a lot of parking & gas money & time due to walking back to your parked car. Keep your car for country trips & get a life! Try the transport system."

 Regards, Steve

Until next week,

Jack

In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…

I am the owner of St. Thomas B & B in Peania and can expect the occasional call at odd hours but this was really early!!

The voice on the other end sounded very anxious and after explaining to me who she was, a previous guest of ours, she told me that she had a huge problem and I was the only person she could think of at that time in Athens to help her!

They had arrived from Norway and taken the 04:05 Express bus from the airport to the port of Piraeus and after leaving the bus she discovered she had left her handbag on there with passport, purse, mobile phone and various other personal items.

My husband immediately called the police who gave him a number to call and after only  5 minutes we were speaking with someone from the bus company at the airport who actually told us that the driver had found her bag and handed it in to the central bus station in Athens!

You can imagine how relieved she was - only a matter of retrieving the bag as they were leaving on the ferry.   We sent a very reliable taxi driver to the station later that morning to collect it and bring it to us.   On checking it out  everything was there!

We must give a huge thank you and round of applause to that bus driver and the bus company as we were absolutely certain that in these difficult times a handbag left on a bus would certainly not be found!  Trust in human nature has been restored!"

St. Thomas B&B
+30 210 6029 367
saintthomas21@yahoo.com
www.stay-in-athens.com
 

Until next week,

Jack

In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…

I met up last Sunday with my Greek-American friend, Evi.  She, like myself is from the US, but has now made Athens her home.  Fresh from her two-month trip to Boston, I was looking forward to hearing some new perspectives from New England.  I haven’t been back to the US in a year, and after my surreal 3-month army experience at Kalamata Military Base and the Defense Ministry in Athens this summer, I am getting a small dose of Greek cabin-fever. 

I barely let her take a sip of her coffee before I started with a barrage of questions: “So, what is the vibe like in the US right now?  Did you want to stay more or are you glad you’re back in Athens?”  I asked her, like my one-year stretch in Greece had given me amnesia to thirty years of living in America.

“Yeah, I’m glad to be back here.  But it’s really good over there too.  You know; everything works. Everything is easy.  Customer service is good.  You do things online.  You run errands in like fifteen minutes.  It’s not like here, where you spend a half-day, running from office to office, paying bills in-person, getting signatures, asking for sealed-stamped certificates, like we’re still living in a 1970’s cult TV comedy series.” 

“I took my mom to General Mass Hospital to get an x-ray on her wrist.  When I asked the nurse when we should come back to get the diagnosis, you know what she said?”  My lower lip quivered and I raised my eyebrows in anticipated fear, not so much for the results of her mother’s x-ray, but preparing myself to be flabbergasted by American efficiency.  “She said by the time you drive home, you can check your mom’s online medical profile and read the doctor’s notes.”

If you said that to an Athenian who recently visited a public hospital, they might give you an empty stare, take a deep breath, laugh delusionally and then weep quietly that their mothers gave birth to them in the cradle of democracy.  A friend of mine stubbed her toe and fractured it during her summer vacation and wanted to get it checked-out.  She walked into a hospital a few days later, but soon left because she didn’t have the energy to wait in lines and go through the ‘whole process’.             

“There’s a trade-off wherever you live.  In the US, my friends seem to have more stable lives, they’re ‘building careers,’ their kids go to good schools, they’re saving money for the future.  But whenever anyone comes to visit me in Athens, they can’t believe we have this outside our doorstep.” She pointed her hand out to this -the lively, bustling neighborhood square filled with outdoor cafes-bakeries-tavernas- which on a Sunday evening, pushing 11PM, it was still full and animated with families out for late night-snacks, young couples cuddled up on outdoor patio couches at the tastefully-designed cafes, teenagers somewhat respectfully loitering around and flirting with other adolescents, old folks sitting back on benches, and the solitary, out on their evening ‘peripato’ – nightly stroll.

Greek culture has something embedded in its social fiber, in its cultural DNA.  It’s not a numerical, quality of life that is going to give Greece a higher ranking in the Monocle and Mercer ratings of best places in the world to live in, by crunching hard-data on public transportation, health care, education and safety.  It’s a humane touch that you observe discreetly and experience subconsciously, in the 24-hr daily lifestyle of peoples’ behavior: the details, little intricacies, what they prioritize, what they consider necessary.

“You know what was kind of a pain-in the ass in Boston?  Trying to meet some of my friends for a coffee or lunch was almost like scheduling an appointment with my dentist.   It’s not like here, when you’re passing by someone’s office after work or you happen to be in their neighborhood and you say, ‘hey you want to meet for a coffee, now, like in thirty minutes and you do.   I played phone-tag with a couple good friends of mine, all summer back home, we-rescheduled a few times and then I just stopped trying and we never ended up meeting.”

The Greek impromptu social gatherings are one of my favorite occurrences when you happen to stumble into one of them: its like a game of social musical-chairs playing out throughout neighborhood piazzas all over Greece.  On the weekends they tend to last longer and can be all-day affairs, at the neighborhood taverna/café; and on the weekdays, they still happen after work or later in the evening at a more rapid-fire pace: friends drop-in, others drop-out, on their way to a gym class or strolling out of the office. Calling a friend out-of-the-blue because ‘I thought maybe you might be around here’ is not a rare occurrence in Greek social life.

I remember last year, a  NY Times article, circulated widely online, about Greeks who live to the age of a hundred on the island of Ikaria.  Besides a healthy diet and some of the obvious traits to staying fit, most of the people in these communities also had stress-free lifestyles: (1) waking up late and taking naps (2) lax attitude to meetings and appointments (3) Greek coffee didn’t seem to hurt either.    

We chatted a bit more about Boston, how some of the old neighborhoods have changed, and some common friends.   But I didn’t feel like I was walking away with a new striking revelation in my comparisons of laid back Mediterranean life and efficient, meritocratic Americana.   As we got ready to leave Evi added, “It’s a love-hate relationship.  It makes sense to go back to the US, to work in a professional environment where you will be rewarded, to take classes, to learn new things.   But at the same time, I can’t picture my life without Greece.”

I felt somewhat similarly.  I am missing the cultural and intellectual stimulation of NYC.   I don’t know if I’ll stay in Greece another year, or longer or perhaps it will become a base to a professional, 21st century nomadic lifestyle.  But there is a real-life charm here, no matter how low the country sinks on the financial data and econ statistics, the lifestyle is very alluring and very humane.

To read more from Spyros, check out his blog  here.

Until next week,

Jack

In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…

It was my first time in Greece and after visiting Mykonos and Santorini, a must they tell me when you come to this country, we decided to stay in Athens to see the city and visit friends. On the last day we checked out of the hotel and were having lunch (our flight was thankfully not for a few hours) when I realized that I had forgotten all my jewelry in the hotel room safe! I quickly called the hotel and told them the situation. They agreed to leave the room as it was and didn’t allow anyone in until I arrived and had taken my belongings. I am so thankful and impressed with how professional they were. I’ll be coming back to the Life Gallery on my next visit to Athens. Thank you XpatAthens for letting me tell my story.

Life Gallery Hotel
http://www.lifegallery.gr/en/

Until next week,

Jack
 

In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…

Of course I do need to rent cars from time to time, especially when there are visitors around. And the money I save on car expenses means that the cost of renting isn't such a sting...

This past week I had (more!) guests in town. (One would ask why I haven't opened up some sort of hotel or half-way house by now... ). I decided to rent a car so we could spend some time down the coast, beach side.

Driving in Athens is in fact not so bad - and I would say has gotten better over the years. Compared to places like Rome or Istanbul, driving in Athens is a walk in the park. But by far the biggest challenge on Athenians road, morning or night, is the miracle known as Finding Parking.

Finding Parking happens only for the lucky few, those chosen souls who have clearly lead better lives than I have, and for whom the universe has decided to provide the last remaining spot in the city.

Finding Parking is the last hope of every desperate driver. When every sidewalk, driveway and ditch - literally every open space - is jammed with headlights and tires, the only thing to do is accept that Finding Parking was not your destiny. When you are three and a half hours late for an appointment, Finding Parking is surely to blame. When you have to drive around the block 75 times, only to find that someone has left their spot and someone else has taken it while you were at the bottom of the street, make peace with the Parking gods, since you will not win.

When I returned the car the other night, I breathed a sigh of relief. My two feet would get me home ('in' the house, not 'near' the house) in half the time it would take me with Finding Parking.

And that's the way I like it.

Until next week,

Jack

In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…

"I come from Brazil - Rio de Janeiro - and came across your site while I was looking for information about my trip. I just returned home from my first time in Athens and i wanted to write to you to share my great experience...

Of course we all have learned about the history of Greece and the importance of Athens to the world. I know what many of the sites look like and remember many of the 'facts'...

I have also heard all the news reports that tell us how bad things are in Greece and this made me expect the worst...

But visiting Athens is nothing like the facts! I found a city that was as full of 'today' as it was of 'yesterday'. A city that made me feel happy... I remember walking through the Plaka in the mornings and wish I was still there!

I can share that I have recently gone through a breakup and have been feeling unhappy (yes even in Brazil!). I guess I came to Greece hoping to get away from that and wishing to be inspired.

Now back at home, I can tell you that I felt inspired. I heard the stories of difficult times from some locals, but i felt a special energy in the air ( not to mention amazing food!) that made waking up on the morning something to look forward to.

I feel changed by Athens. And charged. I want to say to everyone who lives there to feel lucky for living there and never to take it for granted that you live in such a place.
I can't wait to return!

Thanks for the chance to write in your site!

Silvia"

Until next week,

Jack

In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…

Over the past week, I really noticed how ‘far away’ Athens feels from the rest of Greece. Of course, we often hear people outside the capital say they could never live in Athens, not with the crowds, the noise, the traffic, the chaos. And it seems the further away you get from the city, the more dramatic is this response. My answer has always been (usually spoken to myself), ‘sure, but Athens is like a quiet country town compared to Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, Sydney...’

After hopping around Crete over the past days, I understand this more clearly. In places like Agios Nikolaos, Elounda, in the villages around Chania – Athens seems like a world away. And the pace of life in these small, ‘authentic’ Greek locales does make Athens seems like a chaotic metropolis. There are days in these rural zones where, I’m sure, not much happens. And where not much has changed in generations.

I suppose the truth is that everything is relative – relative to where you’ve just come from and relative to where your life’s experience has decided is the ‘comparison’.

The same goes for Greece’s beaches. Some of us have unwittingly become acclimatized to the beauty around us – so much so, that I have often found myself saying ‘oh look, those tourists think that (tiny, average) beach is wonderful – how unfortunate’. But really, relative to the colder, wetter, less ‘beachy’ places they’ve come from, those (tiny, average) beaches are a little piece of paradise for many people. And why shouldn’t they be!

So I am really trying to avoid this ‘relativity trap’ – the trap of thinking ‘gosh, Athens is so loud and busy’, after returning from an idyllic getaway - and instead remembering why I moved to this ‘energetic and alive’ city.

That, and also thinking about where I might go next time…

Until next week,

Jack

In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…