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…

The warmer weather and sunshine (finally!) really make a difference to one’s mood… Spring is here, and with it the feeling of ‘getting outside’… With this in mind, I ventured out to the Run for a Smile event on Sunday put on by the Sport Relief charity. The event was a lot of fun, great turnout, lots of families, out in the sunshine for a good cause…

In many ways the ‘main character’ of the whole day was the Alsos Syngrou (‘Syngrou Park’, Alsos means ‘grove’) – what a nice surprise! An unexpected green forest in the heart of the northern suburbs.

The park is on Kifissias Avenue, opposite the KAT hospital - with bus lines stopping right outside, or a 15-minute walk from the Marousi metro station. It is a favorite spot for walking the dog, jogging, cycling, etc. There is some parking available on Kifissias avenue outside the park gates.

There are plenty of trails for walking, jogging or cycling – and dog-owners will be in paradise. Numerous cyclist groups meet there regularly – Google it! Top off your afternoon at the park with a coffee or bite to eat in Kifissia or Kefalari – and you have the making of a perfect spring day…! The park is open daily until dusk.

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…

..was a quiet one – consumed with work and running around for this or that… paying bills and wondering why they seem higher than normal… I almost believe that spring is around the corner. The sun appears more and more and the sky is a deeper blue. I must say that I felt a hint of something positive – from “Give Greece a Chance” printed all over the newspapers of Europe, to a charity run last weekend, to one or two optimistic reports on Greece amidst the usual doom & gloom.

And then I found Furin Kazan. I say ‘found’, but obviously so had the other seven people waiting in line for the jam-packed Syntagma restaurant. It’s small, it’s busy, it’s buzzing. It’s a no-fuss, casual Japanese/sushi restaurant – and apparently has been there for 35yrs. My friend thought ahead and reserved a table. Wait-staff is a mix of Greek and expat, speaking several languages. They move fast, scanning tables for signs of hunger. The space itself is very ‘sushi international’ – could be any small sushi restaurant in any city – nothing fancy, basic and clean. But the place is jumping – tables are packed, the sounds of voices fills the air, the line-up outside doesn’t subside. The menu is familiar, and my sushi is good. Everything is on fast-forward. And for 90 minutes, I’m not in Athens, but rather in that global-neutral zone known as the sushi restaurant, and it feels good. I wonder if their delivery service has the same effect…

Furin Kazan
Appollonos 2 (below Syntagma Square)
210-322-9170
www.furin-kazan.com

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…

One of my favourite things to do is wander through the historic centre and ‘see what I see’… Early on Sunday afternoon I was in Psiri, with no real agenda except to feed my coffee addiction. Psiri is one of those colourful neighbourhoods where you tend to notice something new with each visit. Call me naïve, but I feel it’s one of the ‘real Athens’ areas of the city-centre – classic Sunday afternoons with a bite to eat and live Greek music…

…I was emerging from the alleys, towards Monastiraki Square, and noticed the smooth, graffiti-free exterior of the ‘A For Athens’ boutique hotel. It’s a hotel, it’s hip & totally urban – I figured there must be a bar or a cafe in there somewhere. And there is. Up on the roof. And your reward for braving the cigarette-heavy air is a view that rivals any in the city. Seriously. Acropolis, Monastiraki, Plaka stretch across the super-wide window like a painting, with colours I never really noticed before, frozen in time. It’s breathtaking, and the best part is that I felt like I was sharing a ‘local’s secret’, not just another stop on the tourist route. And staring at the centuries-old scene below, I remembered a few of the reasons why I first fell in love with Athens…

A For Athens
2-4 Miaouli Street
www.aforathens.com

How was your Week in Athens? Do you have a story you want to share? Send me a note at ideas@xpatathens.com.

See you next week,

Jack

A reader’s comment from last week’s post:

Thank you for sharing the information about The Black Duck cafe. It is encouraging to hear that interesting cafes exist in the centre as most of the beautiful and historical cafes in Athens eg. in Syntagma square and Panepistimiou, have been destroyed or replaced by shopping centres and fast food places (which don't really merit the name "restaurants"). I think it is also important for those of us who live in the "sheltered" northern or southern suburbs to go to the centre of Athens and keep in touch with life "down there" and support events which happen -in spite of all the frequent turmoil- as the experience is often rich and rewarding.

Annetta E.

Last Thursday night I met a writer friend for a coffee in the centre of Athens. She was excited to tell me about a new project she’s working on, a concept for a new online business. We met at the Black Duck on Christou Lada Street – off Stadiou Street.

I was impressed with the place – spotless, airy, creative space - but creative in the sense of a canvas hanging in a gallery, as opposed to grafitti on the side of a building. It’s a ‘grown-up’ café, bar, restaurant and art gallery – with painting and photo exhibitions, musical events, theatrical performances. Interesting menu. Appropriate service. Acceptable prices. And – wait for it – wheel-chair accessible, including a dedicated washroom. Their own marketing is not overstated: “The Black Duck offers a breath of art and aesthetics in the everyday life of the center of Athens.”

5 days later, the neighbourhood wears the evidence of the weekend’s violence. Burned out buildings and broken windows. But The Black Duck is still open, and my friend’s project is moving forward… Destruction and creativity, neighbours.

Black Duck, Christou Lada 5A

This was, if nothing else, a week of reflection for a lot of us.

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…

In this new 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… Have a story to share? Send it to ideas@xpatathens.com!

Hey! Welcome to my corner : ) I’m a 30-something expat – born & raised in Canada, of mixed English/Irish/Greek ancestry. Outside Canada, I’ve spent a few years living in Australia and Ireland, and have called Athens home for the past two… I love so many things about this city – and so much else leaves me shaking my head…

Will there be traffic? Will I get the paper I need? Will I find parking? Is this ‘highly recommended’ restaurant worth the price? Is that random café on the corner as bad as it looks? Is the beach I heard about today worth the drive? Can my ‘brain’ and my ‘heart’ ever agree on this place? Is it really too far to walk? Was she just rude to me, or did I miss something in translation? Is the sun through my window as warm as it looks?

‘You never know until you try…’ – in Athens, ain’t that the truth!

See you next week…

Jack