Any kid who grew up reading about Greek mythology romanticizes Greece. In my mind, Greece's ancient ruins stand proudly over an old, quaint, European cityscape.In my mind, Greece should be nothing short of majestic. So as our airport bus rolled out of the airport, as we drove into a city of graffiti-covered walls, run down, decrepit buildings and shut down establishments, you can imagine my disbelief.
Even in Athens, signs of the financial crisis were apparent. Restaurants served "crisis meals," the equivalent of McDonald's value meals. A few steps from our hotel was Avyssinias Square, which at the time was crowded, teeming with tourists and locals. Nearby were even more old, rundown, graffiti-covered buildings housing restaurants and other merchant stores selling fake Nikes and second-hand clothes.
Athens, it turned out, was not like any other European city. Sure, it had its cobble
stone streets and antique street lamps. It had more than its fair share
of stone churches, cafes and pubs. But unlike other European cities, Athens had no pretenses. It reflects its nation's real state,
the crisis that it is now in. It lives and breaths with its people. It
suffered, and suffers still, with them.
Our first agenda was to have lunch in an authentic Greek restaurant. For this we went to Thanasis Souvlaki. We were not disappointed by the food, the portions and prices. I ordered a huge serving of chicken souvlaki which came with pita and fries. I paid a total of 15 euros but this already included a 500 ml bottle of Fix beer, and shared side orders of greek salad, zaganaki, moussaka and tsatsiki. This meal set the bar for all my meals in Greece, although I later discovered souvlakis as cheap as 2.5 euros. The grilled meat--souvlakis and kebabs, were good and I stuffed myself full with them. But I can't say I was impressed by it as it's not hard to grill meat, and we have grilled meat on Sundays at home. For me, the highlight of Greek cuisine was not their meat but their salads, more particularly, their tomatoes and feta cheese. Their tomatoes were as fresh as it could come--sweet and juicy and plump. Their serving of feta cheese was always, always, always generous. After Greece, all other salads were just disappointing.
After lunch, we spent our first afternoon in Athens just walking around the city. We caught glimpses of the Acropolis and Parthenon overlooking the city--a gentle reminder of Greece's indelible place in history. On the way to Avyssinias square, we came across small Greek Orthodox churches and street performers, and locals peddling all sorts of wares--from fake ray bans to leather wallets and sandals to necklaces fashioned from thin wires to olive wood.The square, which leads up to Monastiriki Flea Market was alive with the chatter of vendors negotiating with haggling tourists. It was neither quaint nor charming. It was like the markets in Singapore and Hongkong--crowded, noisy and slightly dangerous.
The following morning, I decided to join a few of my officemates for a short morning run. It was a brisk morning and even with the steep uphill terrain, I barely built-up a sweat.. As we ran up and down the narrow streets of Athens I finally came to appreciate the strange but beautiful juxtaposition of graffitied walls, ancient ruins and cobblestone streets, under the glow of antique street lamps and the moonlight.This, I realized, was Athens' distinct charm. It was like a toast to freedom, something which Greece is deeply rooted in.
Our run ended on Areopagus, a hill that overlooks the city, and stands just below the Acropolis. We decided to watch the sunrise from there, which was a mistake because the sun rose behind the Acropolis. Still, from there, we witnessed the light creeping into Athens. If you see the sun slowly cast its beautiful orange glow over the magnificent, rolling landscape of white-washed buildings of Athens, how it paints the light blue sky with the faintest hues of pink, you will understand why belief in gods and goddesses is particularly compelling in this city.
On the same afternoon, after a hop-on, hop-off tour of Athens, we returned to the same spot to watch the sunset. This time, we actually saw it. It was heartbreaking seeing such a beautiful sunset. Not for its rarity but for its fleetingness. It was one of those moments you just want to hold on to, to stay in.To revel in.
I suppose this is the general feeling you will hold in Athens, after you get past the apparent effects of the crisis. Every time you come across an ancient structure or its ruins, you will feel a profound respect for what these ruins have withstood and what they now stand for.I remember how, walking into Acropolis, I made sure to get away from the crowd, and walk around it on my own pace. On some occasions, I asked people to take my photo, but mostly, I preferred to be alone in my reverence. The whole time, I kept thinking how much the modern civilized world owed this city. Athens is where the first known democracy was founded. If you know me at all, you would know that the respect for and preservation of democratic spaces is something that I am deeply passionate about.Thus, walking among the ancient pillars that witnessed the birth of the notion of democracy was especially poignant for me.
