So, I went to Athens and now I'm back.
So I went to Athens for two weeks. And the time flew.
I hardly did anything much. Lazed around. Saw friends. Went for walks. Got a bit of sun. Ate real greek food.
While walking around the dirty dingy streets of the centre of Athens, streets that have hardly changed since I was a teenager, streets that are full of memories and feel just like home, I couldn't help composing sonnets to their familiarity and beautiful ugliness in my mine. Seriously, Athens is so ugly and dirty, yet feels so much realer that London does. Living in London still feels like I'm on a vacation from real life. London is not my real life, Athens still is. I doesn't help that I have done so much damn living in the streets of Athens, yet in London being poor, friendless and living in the suburbs has stopped me from doing much of anything important in the city.
Then of course I started talking to my friends about the reality of living in Greece today and was reminded again why I cannot go back. I am officially an economic refugee. An economic refugee who owes the greek state a bunch of money - far more money than I have in my bank account - because if you are greek, you can be charged just for existing, even if don't live or work in Greece any more. I'm working on fixing it soon. I just hope I don't have to reach the extreme of permanently handing back my hard earned licence to practice architecture.
I didn't take any photos while in Athens, even though I brought my camera, because I found I didn't feel like it. I should have though. I ate fish in my old neighbourhood to the accompaniment of a street performer. I went for a picnic in Suggrou park. I listened to a live jazz band in a bar in Exarcheia square. I ate mezedes in a little mezedopolio in a dingy little stoa near Ermou Street. I had drinks in Karutsi square. I visited Thusio and browsed the market stalls, buying some new earrings. I visited fabric shops and haberdasheries and bought myself some linen thread and cotton cheesecloth in various colours. I had coffee in the sun by a marina on the seafront in Glyfada. I ate some more delicious food in Panormou. I visited art shops and bought a cute little box of japanese gouaches. So much stuff!
I went to a free concert near Omonoia, just off Pireos street. Even the free concerts I go to in Athens are different! The free concert I go to in London are invariable cute twee indie affairs in pubs with more of an indie-folk style music. The free concerts I go to in Athens are in bars in big old industrial buildings and the music is usually old-style indie fully plugged in with guitars, synths and lots of noise and lots of cigarette smoke in the air!
The band I went to see was Baby Guru. I tried to find you a good video from youtube to share and came to the conclusion they are much better and much louder live.
I hardly did anything much. Lazed around. Saw friends. Went for walks. Got a bit of sun. Ate real greek food.
While walking around the dirty dingy streets of the centre of Athens, streets that have hardly changed since I was a teenager, streets that are full of memories and feel just like home, I couldn't help composing sonnets to their familiarity and beautiful ugliness in my mine. Seriously, Athens is so ugly and dirty, yet feels so much realer that London does. Living in London still feels like I'm on a vacation from real life. London is not my real life, Athens still is. I doesn't help that I have done so much damn living in the streets of Athens, yet in London being poor, friendless and living in the suburbs has stopped me from doing much of anything important in the city.
Then of course I started talking to my friends about the reality of living in Greece today and was reminded again why I cannot go back. I am officially an economic refugee. An economic refugee who owes the greek state a bunch of money - far more money than I have in my bank account - because if you are greek, you can be charged just for existing, even if don't live or work in Greece any more. I'm working on fixing it soon. I just hope I don't have to reach the extreme of permanently handing back my hard earned licence to practice architecture.
I didn't take any photos while in Athens, even though I brought my camera, because I found I didn't feel like it. I should have though. I ate fish in my old neighbourhood to the accompaniment of a street performer. I went for a picnic in Suggrou park. I listened to a live jazz band in a bar in Exarcheia square. I ate mezedes in a little mezedopolio in a dingy little stoa near Ermou Street. I had drinks in Karutsi square. I visited Thusio and browsed the market stalls, buying some new earrings. I visited fabric shops and haberdasheries and bought myself some linen thread and cotton cheesecloth in various colours. I had coffee in the sun by a marina on the seafront in Glyfada. I ate some more delicious food in Panormou. I visited art shops and bought a cute little box of japanese gouaches. So much stuff!
I went to a free concert near Omonoia, just off Pireos street. Even the free concerts I go to in Athens are different! The free concert I go to in London are invariable cute twee indie affairs in pubs with more of an indie-folk style music. The free concerts I go to in Athens are in bars in big old industrial buildings and the music is usually old-style indie fully plugged in with guitars, synths and lots of noise and lots of cigarette smoke in the air!
The band I went to see was Baby Guru. I tried to find you a good video from youtube to share and came to the conclusion they are much better and much louder live.
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