Athens Days
Topic: Europe
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I was last in Athens 26 years ago. Susie had the runs and we had to spend a week here getting her stopped up with anti poo meds so we could head for the Islands. I spent a lot of time walking around town, she didn't, but I digress. I've booked a hotel next to the metro downtown some where. Criteria, Breakfast and a pool. The Stanley fitted these, and also has a very nice bar with a view over town. A 5 am Paris start, a stop at Zurich, Athens Metro, Find the hotel, a bit of pool therapy, and its time for lunch. My memories of Athens food are oily salads and souvlakies with not much else. Sue couldn't eat these due to her dogy tummy so I remember finding the one Chinese in town on one of my walks. Fortunately I feel like salad and souva so I head out. I came here via the subway so I haven't really had much of a look at town from under 5000 feet. First impression Zombie town. Most buildings are either half built, half pulled down, or covered with shutters and graffiti. Rubbish is blowing down the street. The people that aren't begging are sleeping something off. Twenty six years, nothing seems to have changed.
I'm about a mile from the main square so I head towards it. It's hot here, damm hot. I pass ice cream
parlours,
baguette shops, a tea house, and the
obligatory golden arches but not one souva shop. Most places are shut, I know it's Sunday but there are a few people in town, and
damn it, I'm hungry and I know what I want. Half an hour later I'm at Sygmarta Square, Greeks protesting about something outside
parliament. Maybe it's the lack of Souvlakie in town. I could get a decent souva quicker in
Woomera. I turn west and finally find some life with lots of nice cafes and shopping, I'm just about to give up. I've only eaten plastic aircraft food and it's getting to late in the afternoon. Then I look down a lane, there are people eating down there. My
eyesight is starting to fade from the lack of food, I stagger towards the light as it fades to a point, then darkness. When I come to I'm in Heaven .
Souvlakie Heaven.
Tables with plastic cloths, towers of pita bread, people yabbering in Greek, things rotating on spits as far as the eye can see. I lunge towards the nearest tower of rotating mammal flesh, and for 2 euro I have my prize. Some times the best things in life take a bit of work. Click the
pic for more.
Posted by bondrj
at 9:02 AM NZT
Updated: Saturday, 19 August 2023 2:50 AM NZT