Sweating in the City
- by XpatAthens
- Thursday, 05 February 2015
The heat is on. This is, clearly, an understatement. The temperatures of the last week have made the topic of ‘the weather’, so common in rainy northern climates, the topic of the day across the city. Have we finally joined the rest of the world who complain about the weather on a daily basis? Hopefully not. But one could be forgiven for doing so this week…
With air conditioners taxed to their maximum, and fans spinning out of control, the midsummer ‘get out of Athens’ feeling is creeping up… For those of us still in the city (and there are many of us these days!), the question is how to enjoy our days and nights while dealing with this heat. For me, the question has become ‘who is arriving or departing today?’ – as I deal with an influx of friends and travelers at my place.
Moving into the city centre has meant that I’m now the preferred destination for friends visiting Athens. I’ve been lucky (!) to have a series of visitors in town for the past month or so. I’ve got my city tour down pat – Plaka, Monastiraki, Acropolis (entrance fee not included), Syntagma, Kolonaki, Exarheia. And even a trip down to the seaside for those who have the time. Nights out in Gazi, in Plaka, at Plateia Karitsi, etc are also included in Jack’s Athens Package. I love to show people my Athens.
The trouble is, they love it here. And they inevitably tell their friends, who also jump on a plane headed for Athens. And before you know it, you have a house full of people with cameras in hand, who can’t wait to see what they can see. At this point I have sweat through all my t-shirts and most of my sneakers. And we’re only at the end of July. Surely it can’t get any hotter…
In my next life, I will own a bed-and-breakfast. With air conditioning.
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…