Athens by Day

Athens is dirty, gritty, impersonal, and I love it. The city is always going, all day and night, the people are passionate and vibrant, and it has a tangible energy I haven´t found many places. It also has a very disctinctive, indescribable smell, although the closest I can get to describing it is maybe that it smells a bit like dust from a workshop.

I realize now why I was in such great shape when I lived there - you're constantly going up or down a hill. A simple ten minute walk in any direction doubles your heartrate, so if you figure in the 5 or 6 ten minute walks you do in an average day living in a city, you have an hour's workout right there.

And it's cheap! Oh my god, so cheap. The taxis cost pennies (a ten minute ride is 3 euros, and a 20 minute ride is 7 euros), groceries are nothing, and even restaurants are half of what you'd pay in other big cities. In 2004 I survived on 550 euros per month, out of which I paid my rent, food, transportation, and entertainment. And I managed to have a really good time! Prices have not really increased since then either.

The city is characterized by the white buildings that stretch as far as the eye can see. It's not a tall city, with most buildings only 5 or 6 stories tall. The rock underneath the city is marble, which means that everything is made of that stone. Even the sidewalks are marble, which makes them very slippery in wet and dry weather. I fell more than a few times in the middle of summer because flat sandals on hilly smooth marble do not mix. It's also characterized by the thousands of stray, half wild cats and dogs that live on the streets. In a bid to be more humane the city recently stopped euthanizing them, and now instead catches them, neuters them, gives them a collar with city tags, and releases them again. The smart ones have learned to hang out near restaurants in the tourist areas, and are ruthless in their fights over scraps.

Athens is also known for its large collection of anti-government, anti-authority, anarchist followers, and for the never ending confrontations between anarchists and police. Athens made international news in December of 2008 when the police shot and killed an unarmed 15 year old boy near Exarhia square. Now there are police on every corner on the streets in that area, just standing around, waiting for something to happen, although they almost never dare to actually patrol in the square, because it would provoke more trouble than it would stop.

It is true that in general you can't trust the Greeks with anything. They are as enterprising and unrepentant as any culture in the world. I watched a woman pluck a bouquet of flowers from a public potted plant to avoid buying her own. But despite having questionable morals they are an incredible religious people, and Greek orthodoxy still reigns surpreme. Every child in Greece is named after a Greek god or saint, so there are a finite number of names, which is why it seems like all Greeks have the same names. Among my friends I knew a Michaelis, an Apostolos, Artemis, three Marias, a Mario, Nikos, Yannis, Chronis, Gregoris, Agapi, and even an Aphrodite. Its so religious that even the post office had silver placards of saints hanging on the wall.

White buildings that characterize the city as far as the eye can see.

Motorbikes everywhere. They even drive on the sidewalks, forcing the people to walk in the street sometimes.

There´s grafitti everywhere, but for me it adds to the wonderful gritty feeling.

Newsstand at Omonia Square.

Walking around in Plaka, near the Acropolis. This area is much more beautiful and more quaint.

This man is homeless, but I love the fact that he is at least trying to be a part of the economy by selling bread, instead of just begging for money.

My friend interpreted this for me as the Greek Muppets.

Plaka, a big market and restaurant area, mostly for tourists.

This is where the politicians give speeches after they are elected.

The ancient Olympic stadium.

Olympic looking statue.

This is where the president works.

And this is where the prime minister works. The equivalent sort of White House, except they don't live there, they live in their regular houses.

You run into ancient relics all over the city, among the new buildings.

It's such a stereotype, but there really are olive trees everywhere!

This stray dog followed us around for a good half hour, just happy to have some company. We didn't even feed him!

We sat to have lunch in a cafe in Plaka, and were harrassed by lots of stray cats, and one dog.

These cats are ruthless!

I was sitting between the dog --------

And the cat he wanted to chase. I was not comfortable with that situation.

Exarhia Square, where all the anarchists hang out.

This is the corner where the 15 year old boy was shot.

People have put a memorial to him.

Police guarding the streets surounding Exarhia, but not in the actual square.

This was on my last day, and it was the only time I ever saw policemen actually in Exarhia Square.

The sidewalks are made of marble!

Look at the saints on the wall in the post office!