My mother is in Athens this week, visiting from Canada after an absence of many years. She is not Greek, but over the years has picked up the language, and many of the customs and ‘-isms’ of being in a bi-cultural family. Unfortunately (!) this doesn’t mean that she does my laundry, nor that she delivers food to my door, but it does mean that we grew up following many of the traditions and cultural norms of ‘being Greek’…

It’s really great to have her here. She has very interesting observations and comments about daily life in Athens, even after a couple days here.

“I forgot that it’s safer to walk on the street than on the sidewalk!”
“There sure are a lot of empty shop windows.”
“That old abandoned factory would be full of squatters in most other cities.”
“I love seeing people out for a walk with their kids.”
“Is that a rooster I hear??”

We’ve been sharing a lot of memories, with my extended family – the time when I refused to come out of the water at the beach, the time when we all went to Delphi, the summers we spent in the village, the time when the whole ‘expat’ family was here together, etc… My mother’s visit reminds me of simpler days, of a time when different things mattered, and everything seemed possible. Those days are certainly behind us – but maybe, like a circle, they’re somewhere up ahead…

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…

This was quite a week for Athens, indeed for Greece – for Europe! Politics, economy, business, society – every day held dramatic developments… All of this has left me rather confused – confused about the future for Greece, for Europe; confused about my own beliefs and views; confused about what to tell people when they ask me ‘What’s going on there??’ But one fact remains: Good or bad, Athens is alive.

Just think about it. Sure, the bustling streets, the open-air patios, the din of voices and cars, the music coming from cafes, the smell of food from everywhere, the sunshine and (even!) the rain – there’s something magical in the mix. But this week, we added to that the Olympic flame (and one Mr. Beckham), the Athens Half-Marathon, art exhibits all over the place, summer live music nights popping up, and ‘Tuesdays in Athens’ getting into full swing. Beyond the obvious struggles, Athens remains alive!

I choose to be positive in my outlook. I also choose to live in Athens. This often makes for a difficult combination. With all its imperfections and tragedies and frustrations, I appreciate all the city offers. I love it for what it is; I don’t begrudge it for what it’s not…

Until next week,

Jack

P.S. Wondering which restaurants and bars are participating in the ‘Tuesdays in Athens’ initiative? Check out the map here: www.cityofathens.gr/node/20050

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 week, our member Marina shares her experience in Athens - a nice reminder for all of us. Hope you enjoy...

I am a visitor in this great city, from Venezuela. This is a true story – it happened this very week.

I am staying with a friend in ‘Maroussi’ – and I decided to spend the day exploring the centre of Athens. I loved walking around the Acropolis and the flea market, having lunch in the Thissio, and visiting the many museums. My Greek skills extend so far as ‘kalimera’, but this wasn’t a problem at all!

I had a Google map which my friend printed for me, so I knew how to get home – or so I thought! I even borrowed my friend’s mobile phone, to be able to call in case of emergency.

On my way back home on the train, the phone somehow locked, so I wasn’t able to use it. Then I noticed the map I had was printed without street names. And I never bothered to write down my friend’s address or phone number – everything was in the phone!

So by the time I exited the train in Maroussi, I was really stuck. A woman noticed my obvious confusion with the map, and approached me, talking to me in Greek. I replied in English, then in Spanish – no luck. She gestured to me to follow her, waving her keys in front of me - and we got into her car. She drove me to her home nearby, and called her entire family out to try to help me – all in Greek. This was great! But it didn’t help, since we couldn’t recognize the actual street name…

So she took me back to the train station, where she asked another random stranger to help. This time, the young man managed to speak some English, but we still couldn't figure out the map! So he walked with me to a nearby internet café, and helped me speak to the shop-keeper. I managed to get online, and found my friend via Facebook!

There is a certain spirit in Greece, and even in Athens, that welcomes you and surprises you, and shows itself when you least expect it. I did love my week-long experience here, but more than the monuments and great food, it is this spirit that will remain in my memory. I hope you have a chance to experience this too!

Thanks Marina.

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 had the pleasure of hosting 2 business colleagues for a ‘non-business’ couple of days in Athens. These colleagues are both successful professionals, in their 40’s, well-travelled - one Polish, one Turkish. We were quite a sight…

We started Saturday with a slow breakfast at HipCafe at Syntagma (yes, they have pancakes), then wandered around the centre, ventured through Plaka, up the Akropolis and stopped in Thissio for a late lunch. Later, Monastiraki, Ermou, Syntagma and Kolonaki. The evening began with dinner, and ended with a couple drinks around Plateia Karitsi…

I know what you’re thinking – yeah, so what? We do that all the time.

Well, that’s my point. I know it’s ‘more of the same’ for some of us, something we’ve done over and over and ad nauseum. But let’s not take it for granted – we can’t be that jaded...

My colleagues were amazed, to say the least. They kept commenting on the ‘energy’, the ‘life’ of the city centre. Yes, history and ancient culture and western civilization – this amazed them too. But what they didn’t expect in this city of crisis was the relentless and unapologetic buzz of the people. My Polish friend commented that, after 2 days in the city, he is ‘officially optimistic’ about the future of Greece. “Just let them go! Remove the barriers to entrepreneurship, and watch this place go!” he said. Interesting…

We had a wonderful weekend; I was feeling pumped and positive about the possibilities that lay ahead of us… By Monday morning, I was back to square one (I gather most of us were…) – not sure what to think, and a bit unsure about what lay ahead…

They say hope dies last. For now, I’m still hopeful…

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…

Summer is here, judging by the incredible weekend weather… Who wants to stay home? Friday night arrived and a few of us headed to the centre for a couple drinks. With no destination in mind, we headed towards the Gazi district – plenty of choice for a couple drinks, and a few for some good food too.

Sure, Gazi is young, trendy, even predictable (is that so bad?!) – but it was also buzzing with amazing energy… people everywhere, out to enjoy the beautiful night. We ended up at The Hive – a well-known multi-level bar & event space on the main square, with a small bar inside and a great rooftop terrace. Upstairs, the terrace was jammed full of people, enjoying in the beautiful view and the charged dance music. Later in the evening we headed downstairs where we were greeted by a live band – a great band! 2 female singers – mix of Greek and English pop music. Fantastic. Later on, after another visit to the rooftop, we wandered around the square – still busy with people - decided against a late-night souvlaki – and headed home…

Athens comes alive at night. It's a transformed city after dark - bright lights, music, sound, people, action - the city truly buzzes in a way that few others do. At least after the sun sets, we are spoiled for choice on where to meet friends and enjoy a spring evening...

I loved the buzz of the night. Bring on summer!

Athens nightlife. Not to be missed. Now appearing everywhere ;)

See you 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…

Sunday was a gorgeous day – in what promises to be at least six months of more-or-less gorgeous days! – and I wanted to be outside in the sunshine, doing something active… so I dusted off my bicycle and ventured out for a spin.

I headed for the Olympic Stadium complex, since I know that a few of the main gates are normally open and I could cycle around the grounds…. I must say, living in the northern suburbs (or almost anywhere north of the waterfront) means one thing for cyclists: HILLS. But rather than take them as the horrible torture that they really are, I try to take them as a ‘physical challenge’. Right.

Add to that the constant threat of speeding cars that clearly don't notice bicycles, and you have yourself an adventure, to say the least.

But I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised – cars stopped at intersections to let me go by, drivers gave me lots of space as they drove around me, I made it out alive. It wasn’t nearly as bad as it has been in the past. And the OAKA complex was quite busy: other cyclists, families with kids, skateboarders, remote-control car racers, even a couple tourists snapping pics…

In fact, I’m feeling so pumped after my afternoon ride, that I’m thinking about joining the ‘Freeday’ group for their Friday night adventures around the streets of Athens…

The Freeday outings have turned into a wildly popular weekly social event, with people of different ages and backgrounds from all parts of the greater Athens area meeting, making new friends and sharing their love of bicycling as they discover a different face of the city.

The bikers start gathering at a different designated spot each Friday night and set off for their weekly adventure, cycling around the deserted (or not) streets of Athens. Picture 100’s of bicycles on Kifissias…! The outing usually lasts a few hours, but many of participants continue throughout the night, taking in the sunrise at a different location each time. Check them out on Facebook.

Is Athens on the long road towards being a bicycle-friendly city? Maybe so. I’m even starting to believe that all those hills really are just a ‘physical challenge’. Right.

See you 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…

Crisis or not, Easter means one thing for sure: food. And although many tables were undoubtedly ‘leaner’ than in the past, I think most of us will admit to taking a second helping of lamb, or an extra koulouri… in any case, sitting around a table crowded with family, friends and neighbours, felt really great. A blur of faces, voices, arms, bumps and hugs. Wonderful.

Wandering around an empty Athens on Monday morning made me think about day-to-day life in a modern metropolis. And the blur of faces, voices, arms, bumps and, well, hugs. So many faces, so many voices, so many stories – everyone so different. Who really knows what the taxi driver’s life is like, or the lady at the supermarket. Surely different than yours or mine – or is it?

Sitting around the table at Easter, participating in simple traditions that date back centuries, I realized that we aren’t so different. Here is a country that, on days like Sunday, join together in some great unspoken agreement to be together, to observe the same traditions, in more or less the same way, in more or less every corner of the country. It’s powerful.

See you 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…

Springtime weather has everyone outside… The week’s tragedy was fresh in everyone’s mind – but still something about the sunshine, the fresh air and the families outside made Saturday a ‘good day’…

I spent the afternoon learning about the past – the ancient past on display at the National Archeological Museum of Athens.

I know, I know - I figured I knew as much as one needed to know about ‘all that stuff’… I mean, it’s kind of everywhere in Athens. Well, was I ever wrong.

This time, we were lucky to be escorted through the museum by a professional Guide (friend of a friend of a friend…). This made all the difference. She knew the history, the symbolism, the cultural realities, the archeological controversies, the stories, the myths, the regional contexts, the social customs, the religious background – and anything else we cared to ask her about! For the first time, the rocks and the statues really came alive. There is really so much there to take in – the richness of the Hellenic past cannot be comprehended just by walking around and reading the little descriptive paragraphs alongside the endless rows of statues…

And what’s more, we got to see the brand new exhibit of the Antikythera Shipwreck, the sunken treasures of a 2nd century BC cargo ship. This is a really cool display (both in content and in concept!), and includes the Antikythera Mechanism – what some are calling the first ‘computer’.

All of that for the 7euro admission charge (Guide extra!) – not bad for a Saturday afternoon. And totally worth the visit.

National Archeological Museum
44 Patission Street
http://www.namuseum.gr/wellcome-en.html

See you 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…

This week I am playing host and tour guide to a good friend of mine who is visiting for ten days. She is a Canadian who has spent the past 8 months living in Paris, on a sabbatical to ‘fulfill her dream’ of learning French and living in the City of Lights…

She has been in Greece twice before, and this time is staying in Athens… She asked for a ‘normal’ weekend – nothing touristy, nothing out of the ordinary. Ok, I can handle this. After some laundry and the usual Saturday chores, we wandered out… It was, by all accounts, an ‘average’ weekend afternoon – couple of long coffees with friends, aimless wandering, people-watching, comments about closed-down shops and the general state of things, mixed with comments about the sunshine and the kids playing everywhere and the sheer number of people who were outside enjoying the day… We took the Metro back home, ordered-in from the Noodle Bar, and called it an early night.

Sunday was much the same. Early-morning earthquake (!), lazy morning, late lunch at a taverna with friends, a visit to the Thissio outdoor market looking for a ‘lambada’ (easter candle) – and we even made it to a movie at the Mall in the evening.

What stays with me is not what we did or where we went or what we ate… What stays with is a simple statement.

“I love Athens”, she said. “I feel so comfortable here.” And she meant it.

This city is a lot of things, to be sure. Despite a list of rational reasons to be here (or not), Athens to me is a feeling – one that sneaks in on a warm afternoon in Thissio, and remains long after the weekend is over.

See you 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 real Greece… I spent Sunday in the village – the place where my father was born, the place where most of my extended family lives, the place that feels most like the ‘real Greece’. And of course, the place where one finds that most central event of Greek culture: the ‘Sunday family meal’.

Food is love. If you’ve ever doubted that, you haven’t met my Theia Maro. The Sunday meal is planned days in advance – with fact-finding phone calls to figure out what we all want to eat (‘anything but lamb’, I say), with plans and revisions and more plans. And then a last-minute change to the menu because ‘the butcher had some really great lamb’.

We all gathered together a little while after midday, told our stories of the previous weeks, complained about the state of the nation, talked about the weather (Theia Maro, it turns out, is also an expert meteorologist who can predict weather patterns days in advance), and generally shared the mundane aspects of our daily lives – all the things that connect us and make us ‘family’.

And then it was time to clink our wine glasses and eat. But it’s not enough to simply sit around the long table and consume. There are important rituals during the Sunday family meal, which must not be avoided. These include explaining the meal, critiquing the meal, comparing to previous meals, planning future meals – all of this in the wonderful multi-decibel choir of voices of every Greek dinner table.

I remember the exact same scenario from almost every Sunday (or any day!) meal, back when I would spend summers in the village, back when it didn’t mean as much. These days, it feels good to know that some things never change, in spite of ourselves and the world around us.

The Sunday Family Meal, Greek-style!
Location: a village near you.

See you 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…