Between my computer and my phone – and the ever-expanding world of (Greek) apps and online shops – you could really conduct every detail of your day-to-day life from the comfort of your sofa (or bed or balcony or…).

I suppose most of us do our banking online – transfers and payments and so on. With Paypal, you can pay for all manner of products and services with a couple clicks. And many of the Greek e-tailers are starting to accept Paypal transactions.

Skroutz.gr is a truly useful site for comparing and buying almost every product imaginable – from flower pots to bicycles to toys. The best part is that the site compares prices for the same products across all available online retailers – and 3 clicks later you’ve bought your new flower pot. The Skroutz smartphone app even lets you scan product barcodes for instant price comparisons – but this implies you actually left the house…

Buldoza.gr is one of many (many!) sites for clothes and homewares, with nice styles and a good range of stuff – at great prices, delivered to your front door. A quick scan of the internet revealed tons and tons of Greek e-tailers, who are more than happy to show up at your door with products in-hand. Seriously, from a bar of soap to a wedding gift - someone in Athens will bring it to your door!

Looking for a new apartment? Your first stop should really be Xpatproperty.com. But your second stop should really be Spitogatos.gr - an amalgamator of most of the Athens real estate firms’ listings. The smartphone app is also really cool – and allows you to ‘see’ all available listing based on your current GPS location.

For those of us who dread the trip to the supermarket, my best discovery has been the Carrefour online shop. In under 10 minutes, I selected and paid for all my groceries – many of which I can’t even get at my local supermarket. The site is still only in Greek, but with delivery charges between 3euros and 6euros, the effort is certainly worth it…

The point is this – modern technology is about convenience. And, apparently, never leaving the house. The point for me is to use all this technology wisely, make the most of it, so you have time for that evening walk. Which is where I’m heading right now…

Until next week,

Jack

PayPal
www.paypal.com

Skroutz
www.skroutz.gr

Buldoza
www.buldoza.gr

XpatProperty
www.xpatproperty.com

Spitogatos
www.spitogatos.gr

Carrefour
www.caremarket.gr

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…

This time, she had an entire morning to spare, and we made the most of it. Since she considers herself to be very much a visitor in Athens, and has never really liked it here, I suggested that we take an easy stroll around my ‘hood: Thiseio, Philopappou, Plaka – the places I love and see every day. We walked towards the Asteroskopeion, up the hill and headed for the lookout near the Pnyx monument. (If you’ve never been there, I highly recommend it for the best views of the Acropolis!) We continued down the hill towards Plaka. Instead of heading into Plaka proper, we took a detour away from the crowds and went into the Anafiotika neigbourhood.

(Footnote: I have had many debates about the ‘tell’ or ‘do no tell’ approach to Anafiotika. Do we want everyone to know about it, or do we want it as our little secret? Not sure where I stand on that one…)

Then we descended into Plaka and stopped for a much-needed coffee at a curbside café, watching the crowds pass by.

It was her reaction to all of this that made my day. She said, unprompted, “All those people who say they don’t like Athens – it’s simply because they don’t know Athens!” I couldn’t agree more. After that epiphany, we said our goodbyes…

I went home, jumped on my bike, and rode (yes, all the way) to Marousi for a late lunch with family in my old neighbourhood. On the ride back home, I passed by the Philippino Festival at the Fokiano Gymnasium site near the Zappeion – lots of people, lots of food & music.

Full, exhausted and happy, I returned home later in the evening and spent the last moments of a great day entertaining those terrible thoughts of Monday morning… ☺

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…

The beautiful spring (summer?!) weather makes us all want to be outside. And that’s exactly where I was for most of the weekend. I decided to jump on my bicycle on Saturday and ‘just go’ – starting from Thiseio and braving the tough road to Piraeus, via Pireos Street, and back again. This took me a couple hours, and if I’m being honest, the roads were far less ‘tough’ than expected. I have the strong impression that Athens drivers have become very familiar and accommodating to cyclists. I can imagine what they’re saying behind their windows – but at least they notice the bikes and swerve around us. I even read that the City of Athens is planning to introduce bike rental stations in a few spots around the city. This may turn into a bike city yet!

Later in the evening I ventured out with some friends to the Museum of Cycladic Art for their (free!) street party. This was an event to promote the museum on the International Museum Day – they had various special events during the day, and closed down the street in the evening – with a DJ, free beer and a great vibe…

On Sunday a couple of us decided to meet for a late lunch. The requirements were ‘cheap & cheerful’ and ‘not a taverna’. We headed to the neighbourhood around Syntagma, towards Plaka, and wandered around with the usual ‘What about here? What about there?’ We settled on a vegetarian restaurant called Avocado. Now, I'm no vegetarian, so I wasn’t convinced at first. But I was certainly convinced afterwards. The food is delicious, the prices are right, the menu is incredibly varied – it never occurred to me that pizza could be classified as vegetarian – and the service was also really good. Refreshing. And lucky for those of us who live in the centre – they deliver.

These easy weekends seem to be few and far between lately – but what a great treat when one comes your way…

Until next week,

Jack

Museum of Cycladic Art
Neofytou Douka 4
www.cycladic.gr

Avocado
Nikis 30
www.avocadoathens.com

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...

But this baptism was somehow different. Although not a highly religious family, they are lovers of traditions and of the ‘Greek way’ of doing things. The priest was decidedly ‘proper’ in following certain rules – including not letting the crowd of witnesses cram the baptismal basin. But unavoidably, there was a crying baby.

For me, the church itself played a big role in the general tone of the day. Agia Marina in Thiseio – on the hill behind all the cafes – is a special place. Its location, its history and its size make it interesting. The location of the church is affiliated with religious beliefs regarding the birth and health of children, dating back to ancient times. The original church on the site was constructed as far back as the 11-12th century. But it’s the cave within the church, revealing the place of an older place of worship, which really impresses – and which really gives the church a unique and, I would even say, ‘mystical’ feeling. I highly recommend dropping in to take a look…

I’m not a religious person, but I feel there is value in these things - for the sake of a culture and its centuries-old traditions, and for our connection to those things. For the sake of family and friends getting together to celebrate. For the sake of the special bond between the ‘nono’ and the child. And for the sake of writing the first important milestone in the child’s life. The ceremony, the lunch that followed, the dancing and the happy little child that barely knew what was going on – this was a nice day by any count…

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…

But Easter is also a time of beautiful traditions and a time to spend with loved ones.

For me this meant calmly explaining to the family why I would not be joining them for Easter dinner, and instead opting to spend Easter Sunday with a group of Greek and expat friends. (Easter is also a time of high drama, as it turns out…)

During the evening of Good Friday, I ventured out for a walk, to discover a very unusual side of Athens – ‘silence’. Streets were almost deserted, no music at the cafes, everywhere calm - people young and old were following some unspoken rule, all of them, at the same time. Believers or not, I was impressed by this cross-generational observance of a tradition, which resulted in a common cross-generational behavior.

At the Anastasi service on Saturday night, my local church was packed – overflowing - with at least as many people outside as inside. And again, a cross section of Greek society, at the same place, following the same unspoken rules, calmly and without fuss. Easter in Greece seems to cross generations – young and old following a tradition that is very strong in the national psyche. And it’s not just Easter – this country is one of the few places I’ve been where the dominant culture crosses generations to such a great extent. I’m sure there’s a lesson in there somewhere…

Sunday was a great day. The wine was flowing, the lamb was roasting, the faces were smiling. And I thought that this amazing reward, this ‘payoff’ of the fantastic Easter feast, really made following the rules quite easy. If A + B = ‘really awesome’ C, then surely I’ll endure A & B… hmm…

Xronia polla to all!

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 lucky to be able to travel a lot – my work affords me the opportunity to move around all the time. So much so, that I don’t really have a place that I consider ‘home’. I’m a person who can honestly say ‘wherever I lay my hat is home’ – and I mean it. This lifestyle is not about wealth and riches – quite the opposite: this lifestyle is about having different experiences and the richness of meeting interesting people wherever I go.

The last few weeks were particularly special. I spent the first ten days in the Peloponnese, staying in a rural house, looking after the pets for the owners who were away. This was lovely and peaceful, a world away from the urban chaos of London, my previous destination. Then I came to Athens, determined to see the ancient sites that I had learned about during my studies. I wouldn’t say I had many expectations – I take each experience as it comes.

The ruins and rocks I expected. What I didn’t expect was the realization that Athens is more about what you feel than what you see. There are of course some beautiful parts of the city – and there are some not-so-beautiful parts of the city. But this feeling is undeniable, this unique mix of highly charged and yet incredibly relaxed energy – this is how I will think of Athens and its people.

This is a city that one must experience, rather that ‘tour’. And hopefully at the end of your experience, you will say ‘I get it’ – as I did. It is not a city without challenges and troubles and woes – but I believe that even these things add to the particular energy that is Athens. I understand why so many choose to live here – also not because of wealth and riches, but rather about the richness of everyday life. I found myself thinking that my hat might like to stay here for a while…”

Thanks for the inspiration, Kristie!

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 have no memory of this, since my (strict) Greek father could never understand why one would want to go to another family’s house to sleep. But I digress…

So, when my sister suggested a sleepover last weekend, I jumped at it. Our sleepover was to include an afternoon in the city centre, a taverna nearby, a movie – and my 11month old nephew.

I must say, walking around Athens with a cute, blondish baby boy is good for the ego. My ego. The glances, the smiles, the ‘oooohs’ and ‘aaaaahs’ and looks of adoration (I’m assuming a lot, I know), made me reconsider my ‘no-child policy’. I mean, I never realized how much attention one cute kid could bring!

I also never realized that mothers and fathers (and pseudo-parents) really ‘check out’ each other – constantly. As in, is that guy as stressed as I am? Do I look older than him? Why is he carrying the kid that way? Is it obvious I don’t know what I’m doing?

Our sleepover was great fun. Laughing and playing and the odd bump on the head… The best part was waking up to my nephew sitting beside me, just waiting for me to wake up so we could start all over.

Being around kids makes me feel great – brings out the kid in me, as the cliché goes – and it’s true. Almost makes me want one. Almost.

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…

"Dear Jack,

I enjoyed your April 11 story of the first houseguests. My grandparents also left Smyrna / Izmir in 1921, before the Catastrophe (Katastrophi) and burning of the city.

As my grandmother was then 26 years old, her diary of life in Smyrna is quite interesting; most importantly, she writes that the Greek-descended population had nothing against the Turkish-descended population. They lived together and worked together. During the 3-year Greek rule (1919-1922) many Greeks helped their Turkish friends.

The same happened after 1922, when many Turks helped their Greek friends. This is not just hearsay; there are specific stories with names.

The great animosity was started by other nations, in order to divide and rule. Mass, unbelievable atrocities did happen. So it is true that on both sides feelings still run high. For myself, my motto is “forgive, not forget” - we all live on a very small planet!

As a member of the Association of people descended from Smyrna I would ask to be put in touch with your friends; we may be able to assist them to find their roots. This Association is a non-profit and our assistance comes at no cost. There are many old books and photographs which families may find very interesting.

The Association of Smyrneans was founded in 1936 by a number of Smyrneans, to preserve all the memories and traditions of the Greek populations of Asia Minor before 1922. The website is www.enosismyrneon.gr. Part of the site is in English.

Smyrna was a truly cosmopolitan city, much, much more so than Athens. My great-great mother was British, another branch Venetian, another Syrian!

Regards and best wishes,

SA"

P.S. This is a great example of people in the community reaching out to lend a hand and support each other, each in their own way. How great it is to discover one’s history!

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…

We did the required site seeing, the necessary museums, and the expected tavernas. We walked everywhere, spurred on by frequent coffee stops. We even made it down to the waterfront – for a great lunch at Rakadikon in Vouliagmeni (well-worth the trip!)

But here’s the strange and incredible part. Over the course of the weekend, my friends made a huge discovery.

Throughout their childhood, they had believed that their ancestry was partly Turkish. Their parents thought so, and apparently their grandparents thought so too. But after some interesting conversations, clarification of some historical facts, some name checking and eating Greek food which tasted ‘exactly like their mother’s’ – my friends concluded that their ancestry is, in fact, Greek! As it turns out, their (Greek) great-grandmother fled Smyrni (Izmir) in 1921, moved half-way across the world and completely closed the book on that part of her life. Her passport was Turkish, hence…

So this weekend went from a city-break in Athens, to a full-fledged discovery of roots, connecting with a newly-discovered past and adding a fantastic new layer to a family’s complex identity. Needless to say, it was a special few days.

And needless to say, they loved Athens. Especially the food ;)

Until next week,

Jack

Rakadikon
Poseidonos 17, Vouliagmeni
210-9671530
www.rakadikon.gr

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…

Sunday started with my utter confusion at the correct time – I wasn’t sure what clocks/phones/computers/watches had been changed, so I didn’t know if our 7am start was really 8am, or 6am. But when all my helpers arrived at ‘8am’, the day started.

I ended up hiring a guy with a moving truck, who was perfectly efficient and experienced and new exactly what should go where. He was on time, well priced, and a nice guy. Good call! And when I saw him manoeuver his truck through the narrow lanes of central Athens, I knew this guy was a pro. Nothing broken, nothing lost, nothing forgotten – a success.

The best part of the whole process was the group of friends who pitched in to help with the move. It wouldn’t have happened so easily without them. And at the end of it all, a visit from my pals to welcome me in my new place made a perfect end to a long day…

So, after more bubble paper, plastic wrap and sticky tape than I could imagine, the job was done and I closed the door on the old place, and opened the door on the new one. I think I’m going to enjoy living in the centre – the energy, the neighbourhoods, that Acropolis.

Sometimes change is good just for the sake of change. ‘New beginnings’ and all that… Well, I fully agree. Go ahead, change something, change anything. And pop in for a coffee while you’re at 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…