Sitting by the water in Sydney, a place that is summed up with one word, spectacular, I cast my mind back to where it was in the world that I felt more comfortable, more at ease and immersed in the local culture as I am in Sydney at times. No, it’s not my wonderful London/Crystal Palace or Brasil where I visit annually. No, it isn’t the splendour of Spain or Italy where I had been somewhat of a celebrity. I thought maybe Mytilene, my incredible ancestral home.
It’s the city of Athens, my city. Your city.
Whenever I return to Athens, and I’ve visited 40 times, I’ve felt like a new man, like a king, like a poet, like a writer, like…. Athens
It can be hard to explain but Athens provides an energy, an aura. This city which has been continuously inhabited for 7000 years, the home of theatre, the home of politics, the home of philosophy, the home of art, the home of expression, the home of Pericles. My home.
My routine
On my very first day in Athens, I have a ‘routina.’ I sit in a park and there are only few of them. It is usually hot. Relaxing in the sun with either my water or frappe, my phone, my Greek newspaper and my thoughts. I immerse myself in the geitonea (neighbourhood). I listen to the people talking excitedly about politics, I survey the packed cafes. After making a series of phone calls to see who is about, I have one last look around.
Athens, you see, may perhaps not be “aesthetically pleasing” to some, at least on the surface in parts….
Athens was once adorned with columns and marbles, Byzantine stones and churches (medieval times) is now… slightly different, though significant parts remain historic, electrifying, and inspirational. In the 1960’s or thereabout, Karamanlis the Greek Prime Minister, like many before and since, had a ‘vision.’ That vision was to (attempt to) “wreck” the beauty of Athens. To be fair, Athens was experiencing a population boom as the other regions of Greece struggled post war and post famine, and of course the city welcomed Greek refugees from Constantinople.
The Government in their “wisdom” would replace some of the majestic Neo-Classical buildings (many are found around Ermou and the city kentro, wonderful buildings) that adorned Athens since independence from the Ottoman Empire. People would trade in their homes for apartments in new buildings.
In this context I stand at the corner of any given street. If you scratch the surface, you will find another Athens. The buildings may or may not be Neoclassical, but each street tells a story. I feel the history on any given street, perhaps as I never lived here. My grandparents never visited, they were refugees, they would have had no knowledge of Athens. My parents rarely visit and they never grew up with this city. Yet here I am, feeling attached.
I find a sense of wonderment when I see the old Trolley transport or orange street lighting glowing, the frequency and noise of motorbikes or the souvlatsidiko cooking my favourite food. The smell wafts across my nostrils.
The narrow streets scream Europe, are easy to get around, like the grid system in Melbourne thanks to a plethora of one-way streets.
A sense of modern history
On any given street I can feel it. The sense of history in modern times is there. You cannot believe how many times Athens has been at war. From Ottomans, Italians, disgraceful Nazis, Civil War. Athens, my one true love, has also experienced the turbulence of famine last century, the pathetic military Junta and the ‘welcoming’ of refugees from the catastrophe of the 1920’s in Asia Minor.
On any given street, you can feel the spirit of these people. If you are lucky to find a Rebetathiko or Skiladiko, you will hear the heartfelt sounds of the refugees and of a poverty-stricken Greece, sounds that were on the radio long before Sakis Rouvas told us to ‘Shake It.’
Athens may not have had a Masterplan. It did however end up being a masterpiece. For no city in the world can overcome adversity the way she does. Beaten by Sparta, she rose again. Beaten by Thebes, she rose again. Beaten by Philip II, she rose again. Beaten by the Romans, she rose again. She will always have a spirit that can never be beaten. When I say masterpiece, she genuinely is. Athens has a myriad of ‘cultural’ institutions to whet the appetite, and I mean bars, cafes, tavernas, eateries. They are Athens’ version of a community centre. Just about every street will of course lead you to one of these.
Good people, characters in the stage play that is Athens, will await you at every turn. Good people…. I can list ten relatives and about fifty people from Aristeidis Koutsoumpas to Dioni Vertzayas the brilliant singer, from new mates and old, DJs to dancers!
Athenians treat me well, they take the time out for me, no matter what. Whether I see them at Koukaki or Plaka or Nea Smyrna, which pays homage to Asia Minor, Athens actually IS aesthetically pleasing; scratch the surface where you will see the brilliance of Athens.
The periptero
And at every turn you will also find a periptero. It’s a kiosk that is small, manned by a single person and in some respects is “bigger” than a supermarket as it has what you really need…. Tsigara, newspapers, souveneirs and anything else you want. They also act as defacto information booths.
Athens by night, no comparison.
This is a city that tries not to sleep. I had a girlfriend from Athens. She worked at 8 am, yet at 4 am we would still be at the bouzoukia! No city has what Athens has. Most tourists have no idea. Pool parties, mountain bars, DJs by the water, Greek singers playing every night.
Athens by night can never cease to amaze me. I will not tell you where to go. You will have to discover them as I did. With locals who care not what the economic situation is at 2 am in the morning. Athens by night is where the beautiful creatures play.
The beaches
Let me hasten to add something else that will surprise you. Athens has great beaches. Once you get close to Vouliagmeni, the coast all the way up to Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon, is amazing. Forget the islands, there are sandy spots to unwind, windsurf, tan up and have your frappe on the Athenian Riviera!
If you ever get bored of Athens, and I doubt you will, try one of the neighbouring islands. There are five or six in the Soranikos Gulf and Tzea. Each island is small and can be reached within an hour or two from Piraeus.
I can rave about Athens for hours. I won’t tell you about the ancient sites or the Byzantine churches to visit. I’m not a tourist travel writer. I won’t tell you to visit Lykavitos for a concert or to sit by the church and survey Athens. I won’t tell you why cobble-stoned Plaka is one of the most picturesque city centres in the world, nor will it be me who will tell you that Sounion has a spectacular sunset. I might tell you it has great public transport links, from the Metro, Trams, Trolley, frequent busses, taxis everywhere and horse-drawn carriages.
A change of heart
I hated Athens until 2004. It took a trip to the Olympic Games with Leonie and t ten others to realise what this city can do. I have a picture from a night at a bar in 2004. There are about a dozen of us. Each of us had had an inspired time in Athens. This city has something for everyone; character, style and substance!
Athens is the city I truly belong in. Something about a crisis put an end to that dream. I have met some amazing people. My cousins who are more like brothers and I love my parea/friends.
As I reflect on our city, I’m grateful for the influence and hold she has over me. Athens, just scratch the surface.
*Billy Cotsis is the director of Magna Graecia: GRIKO of Apulia which plays at the Greek Film Festival on Monday, 19 October.
More photos below:
