My Week in Athens… Aug 16

This has been a quiet week, I’ll admit. Still working, the city empty, the heat on ‘high’, I’ve been rather lazy… My balcony has been oh-so-comfortable after long days of work…

But on Saturday afternoon I took the radical decision to venture out in search of coffee. After a couple phone calls, I rounded up two or three similarly challenged friends, and we made the momentous decision to ‘go somewhere different’.

‘Different’ on that particular day turned out to be Chalkida (Halkida). Chalkida is the main town on the island of Euboea, reachable by car in under 60minutes from Athens (40 minutes from my place in Kifisia!).

Drive straight up the Ethniki highway towards Lamia, and follow the signs for Chalkida, connected to the mainland by two bridges – really simple. It’s a town built on the strait of Evripos, with a lovely waterfront, nice cafes and restaurants, and a laid-back atmosphere. I'm told the currents in the strait actually change directions every 6 hours or so – I think I was enjoying my meal on the waterfront too much to notice.

Feels like we were well and truly ‘away’ for the afternoon – well worth it for a 45minute drive…

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…