What an unexpected day!
After falling asleep on the couch before 8pm last night I endured a restless night, awoken by the upstairs neighbours rolling in after midnight & their dog barking at 2, 4 & 5am! #Athenslife
At 2.30am I got up, made a cup of tea & ate a marmalade pastry. I think I was partly kept awake by hunger because I ate so long before bed. I messaged Mark who informs me that whilst yesterday’s post is visible there are now 3 menus on the front page! How the hell they all got there I don’t know & at this stage I don’t have the wherewithal to remove any of them 😵💫
Back to today…after a slow start I headed out around 10am. It was sunny but chilly & the puffa has been of great value, again. Since I am staying so close by I thought I should do a tour of the Panathenaic Stadium.
For many centuries the Panathenaic Stadium hosted games in which nude male athletes competed in track events (alas there were none there this morning). First used in around 330BC by the Greeks for gymnikoi agonies (whatever they are) & during Roman times for bloody gladiatorial duels & contests with wild beasts, it fell into dereliction with the prevailing of Christianity & the prohibition of pagan ceremonies.
It became pasture for many years until in 1870 it was used for exhibitions of Greek products associated with athletic events. After extensive reconstruction, based very closely on evidence uncovered during archeological excavations, it hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.
The Games were a resounding success & the winner of the most popular event, the Marathon race was the Greek Spyros Louis. Apparently the name Spyros is still used today to describe someone who is fast! The Stadium was used for archery & as the finish line of the Marathon race in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
What an amazing place, right in the heart of the city & still used today for many & various events by locals. It seats over 68,000 people & I imagine that when full the atmosphere would be indescribable.
Following this amazing start to the day I took a tour down to the coast to see the sea. Passing through Γλυφάδα & Βούλα I was very happy to smell the sea air & bask in the sunshine. Whilst it’s no where near warm enough for me to dip a toe in, there were people swimming & making the most of the first sunshine of the season. The sea is turquoise & so clear, it’s like a postcard everywhere you look.
We then stopped in across the road from the beach at Lake Vouliagmeni, a lake filled with healing waters in the heart of the Greek Riviera. Recognised as a site of outstanding natural beauty the emerald waters & natural thermal pool average 24’ all year. A private beach at one end means you can bathe in peace & benefit from the healing powers in peace & far away from the plebs (apart from people like me gawping from the car-park above)!
Back in the heart of Athens I was dropped off in Πλάκα, a village in the shadow of the Acropolis, buzzing with people from all over the globe enjoying the sunshine & the vibe. A hot tip from the locals saw me eating a massive salad, sausage & chips in Cafe Μελινα, a fabulous place to sit quietly & watch the world go by. I’d like it on record that I ate less than a quarter of my meal, that λουκάνικο was huge!
Wandering up towards the Acropolis I came across the village of Αναφιωτικων, which was like something out of a fairy tale. Narrow alleyways & views across the city were dwarfed by the presence of the rock of the Parthenon casting its shadow across the walls & walkways. Many of the buildings are covered in art & whilst I can’t discover who created it I loved stumbling across the Medusa Mural, complete with Hercules attempting to slay Hydra, the seven headed water snake, who he’d been ordered to kill as part of his punishment for killing his wife & six sons whilst he was temporarily mad.
There’s something fascinating about Medusa & if you’ve ever visited my house you might have seen the Medusa mosaic I made, hanging on the wall outside, warning anyone who dares to cross me that I will turn them to stone. The Medusa on the wall in Anafiotika has a really modern feel to her & is beautifully executed. A very lucky find indeed!
From here my day took a very weird turn.
As I began to head back to my apartment I walked past Hadrians Arch & fell into conversation with a man called Antonio. Antonio, my new bestie, took me by the hand & proceeded to show me all the sites of Athens that he thought I needed to see. We went to the Zappeion Conference centre, to the statue of Angelina in the National Gardens & a Catholic? church in Mitropoleos Square.
I’m not quite sure if Antonio is just a lonely man in Athens looking to spend time with anyone he can, or a snake oil salesman? I left our tour/shared time/sales pitch with a bottle of secret oil (which on closer inspection looks cloudy & suspicious), a phone number & a sense of confusion. He was very gentlemanly, although tactile in a European way & gave me his life history, much of which revolved around his shiatsu massage business which he takes all over the world.
Despite a growing sense of weariness as the afternoon wore on I did enjoy my time with Antonio although I refused his offer of a drink &/or dinner feigning exhaustion. He very solicitously walked me back to my neighbourhood where I left him with a firm no after he offered to drop me to my door!
So that brings me to the end of a strange yet wonderful day. I hope to get a good nights sleep & wake refreshed ready for whatever adventures await me tomorrow. Apparently there is a big military parade in the city which I will endeavour to get to, not a big fan of crowds though so have to play it by ear. Fingers crossed the dogs don’t bark in the night & the neighbours don’t stay out until late again, although here that does seem to be the done thing!
