Galery

1

This is a space image of Athens. Do you see how beautiful it is? Like a huge and graceful spider, braided in a brilliant net of lights. Athens is a chameleon city with many faces. Anyone living in it can find what fits him or her the most. See it through our eyes.

Why Gypsy and Peruvian music does not sound strange at the foot of the Acropolis

Anastasia Balezdrova

My Athens does not resemble any of the pictures that have been filling the TV screens in the past two years. It is connected with the memory of my first trip back in 1990. Of course, I did not even imagine then that one day I will live in this city and make reports on violent events, accompanied by a plenty of tear gas.

To me, however, Athens is a sunny and welcoming city and I always find something new and interesting. One can find nowhere else the ancient and the modern so close to each other and the feeling resulting of this closeness is unique. The walk down the paved boulevard Dionisiou Areopagitou that starts from the Temple of Olympian Zeus and gets to the hills of the Acropolis and Philopappou is always full of surprises. Athens is a capital attractive to tourists from around the world and there is nothing funnier than looking at the colourful mosaic of people, colours and tempers, combined with the cheerful voices of the travellers. This mixture gives the impression of travelling without passing more than a few kilometers from your home.

I like to walk in the labyrinth of narrow streets and the steep steps in Plaka and especially the part called Anafiotika. There the settlers from Anafi have carried the architectural style of the Aegean islands. The results are small whitewashed houses with blue shutters, with the eternal large pots of flowers that the guests are often faced with as guardians, not allowing you to continue along the non-existing street.

The proposal for lunch is the Avisiniya café situated on the eponymous square to Monastiraki. All customers feel like friends there and the live music draws them even closer together.

Just outside is the market for antiques. Old furniture, books, ornaments, chandeliers, old swords, knives, jewelry and a lot more bring the people to times gone by, but they are attractive enough to provoke them to find a suitable place for them in their otherwise modern homes.

Coffee drinking in Greece is a very old tradition. The capital is full of large and small, modern and traditional cafes and coffee shops, but what is the enjoyment of the refreshing drink if it is not combined with a beautiful view? Tisio is the place that offers them both. Most likely, it is always full of people because of that.

And how about ending this full of pictures and scents day in a summer cinema? There are some downtown Athens and films from the golden years of Hollywood are often screened. The screen surrounded by greenery brings to life forgotten films such as African Queen and Some Like It Hot, and stars such as Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn. And all under the stars and into the embrace of the cool evening.

Of course, Athens is a modern city living under the rules of the modern era. But to me its beauty lies precisely in the way the old coexists with the new in harmony and the music of the Romani brass bands and of the Indians of Peru at the foot of the Acropolis does not sound strange to anyone.

Tranquility in the sea of ​​concrete buildings

Marina Nikolova

The best weekend walks in Athens for me and my child are those in the neighbourhood where I live in downtown Athens, close to the square of Tisio. As you have already guessed, I'll tell you about a few nice places where you can go with your child, have fun and enjoy the spring sun.

Close to the Keramikos metro station is the Athens cultural centre Technopolis. This is an old gas factory that stopped working at least 30 years ago and has become an exhibition and festival centre. The huge chimneys are red-lighted in the evening and the factory itself was rebuilt and is of very modern "space" design. There is a huge playground where the children can ride their bicycles and have fun while the parents can drink a cup of coffee in the open air, and enjoy the sun watching the kids play before their eyes. And there will certainly be held an interesting exhibition in the large halls around.
 
Another favourite place of ours is the Philopappou Hill and its surroundings. This is a beautiful park where you can go for a walk but you can also make a picnic, play with your child, watch the caterpillars that fall from the trees or climb any of the hills and enjoy the sunset while hiding behind the mountain. It is incredible the tranquility that reigns in Philopappou and although it is located in the centre of the noisy and busy city, you feel like you are far away from the chaos. But the sea of ​​concrete buildings spreading in front of you and the subtle rumbling of the cars bring you back to "reality".
 
A great place for both a cup of coffee during the day and to have a drink in the evening is Six D.O.G.S. It is difficult to find but it is worth the efforts. It is situated in a small street almost a crossing of the Athens Avenue, close to Monastiraki Square. This is one of those places made in the courtyards between the buildings, like many similar places in Sofia, for example. Good music, good service, organic products for the sandwiches, hammocks stretched between the trees, several levels with small tables and comfortable sofas – this is the atmosphere in a carefree urban design. And for those more demanding customers there are gas stoves resembling a "mushroom" but also soft blankets on the chairs to put them on your shoulders in colder nights or days. The place is spacious and safe if you decide to go with your children who might not be bored.

Where you can meet the future Greek Mark Zukarbarg or Steve Jobs

Maria S. Topalova
 
I am interested in cinema, documentaries and films, visual arts, media, photography and I will show you around these places in Athens, which are preserved for people of similar inclinations. They are not as shiny as the Cycladic Art Museum, Benaki or the Athens Concert Hall, but they attract an interesting crowd and you could probably meet the future Greek Mark Zukarbarg or Steve Jobs (not in terms of the amounts in their bank accounts, of course, but in terms of the power of thought).

The journey around the Athens of films can start from the Greek Film Archive - a small nondescript building located on Yera Odos Street known for the noisy nightclubs. For cinema fans, however, it is like the Holy Land. There are festivals held all year round which show unique films of all genres, super new or forgotten old, masterpieces of great masters or experimental work of enthusiasts and novices. Along with the screenings, there is a rich palette of film workshops, free because this is the philosophy of the cinematheque – those who are willing to learn must be able to do so for free. Just look at the titles and choose something that fits you best for your next visit to Athens.

Another place that is full of funny mix of designers, architects, photographers, filmmakers and curious types is The Art Foundation. If you hang out around Plaka and Monastiraki, you should cross the wooden door of TAF to find yourself in one of the artistic hearts of Athens. There you can drink a cup of good cappuccino, a bottle of iced beer or an intimate glass of red wine. The bar in the middle of the courtyard is full of people throughout the year because it is covered with a removable roof during the winter and rainy days. Different exhibitions - paintings, sculpture, and photography – are arranged in the small halls and the corridors around it, and you can see rare films for connoisseurs or other theatrical performances in the big hall on the second floor.

Athens is a paradise for admirers of photography and it is really difficult to me to recommend a particular gallery. Although October is officially proclaimed the month of photography, exhibitions, competitions and workshops are held all year round and at extremely good level. However, my heart draws me to Athens House of Photography. It is located in the bustling Keramikos, not far from Karaiskaki Square and its tranquil atmosphere is in pleasant contrast to the street noise. On the first floor there is an exhibition hall which hosts known contemporary photographers. There is a small bookstore on the second floor, offering albums and books by world masters in the craft and near it is the studio where photo workshops with renowned photographers are held from time to time. Prices are decent and for a three-day or a weekend seminar a double-digit euro amount is paid.  

I like SIX D.O.G.S. too, like Marina, but I prefer to go there without the kids, in the midnight hours when the music it too loud, the crowd gets too noisy and strange people in unusual transformations that provoke and inspire can be seen on stage. The genuine talent of the young is charismatic and gives you power. A great end for a hard day.