My Week in Athens… Aug 2

Athens is well and truly in holiday mode. This means that many locals have left the city, there is less traffic, no line-ups, a sense of calm… For those of us who remain in the city during August, life goes on, although admittedly at a reduced pace and a not-so-secret desire to ‘get out’!

Resigned to tough it out and enjoy August in the city, I spent the past weekend catching up with friends before their mass exodus. I was reminded of the many faces of Athens neighbourhoods – the variety of visuals and communities one encounters. A world away from the historic centre, daily life in the northern suburbs reveals an interesting mix of different ‘hoods…

On Sunday I met some friends for breakfast at White Spoon in Cholargo. This is a hip little corner spot, with good coffee (!) and tasty food – omelettes, baguettes, salads. Interesting space, good service – I’d call it ‘cool and low-maintenance’ – busy with neigbourhood locals reading their morning papers…

In the afternoon, I ventured up (way up) to Dionysos, 20km north of the city centre. This is a very nice, well-organized and mostly well-to-do residential area, surrounded by forest and the Penteli mountain. While Athens was scorching, Dionysos was pleasantly warm – I’m told that snow is quite common in winter!

I finished the day off with an evening barbeque at a friend’s apartment in Maroussi. Maroussi is one of those neighbourhoods with something for everyone – apartments & offices, the usual shops, cafes & restaurants – but with enough variety to satisfy most tastes.

Athens truly has many different faces and neighbourhoods– quite handy when one’s vacation turns into a ‘stay-cation’…

Until next week…

Jack

White Spoon
Mesogeion 234, Cholargo
210 653 3645

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...