Athens, the pros and the cons
I recently had the opportunity to take a walk around downtown Athens in the company of some foreign friends. Philhellenes to the core, they come with open hearts and open minds, full of curiosity and fascination for all the things that compose Greek reality. They are frequent visitors to Athens and know the city quite well, so a walk from the National Archaeological Museum near Omonia to the historic Plaka district was an excellent opportunity to see the city from our different perspectives and points of view.
We walked from Patission Street, along Panepistimiou to Syntagma Square, and from Ermou to Nikis and Mitropoleos, through the snaking backstreets of Plaka to the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates, the Church of Agios Nikolaos Rangavas and along Pandrossou Street. It was a big circle of the very city center – and what a circle it was!
My friends are more anxious than I am about Athens. They asked when the revamp around the National Archaeological Museum will start and when the development at the old Minion department store will be finished; they asked about the Maria Callas Academy, about the capital’s homeless problem and about drug addicts, they asked about the economy and tourism, and so much more.
Plaka’s prettier corners were like balsam on our souls, and despite the throngs of tourists, the graffiti messing up the walls and the many neglected houses, we felt Athens’ special value
Plaka’s prettier corners were like balsam on our souls, and despite the throngs of tourists, the graffiti messing up the walls and the many neglected houses languishing beside many more that have been reborn, we felt Athens’ special value.
As a native of the city, of course, my eyes were taking in other things as well: Alas, this city needs a good, long scrub. Every sidewalk is covered in grime, squashed gum and goop from torn garbage bags being dragged across the pavement, not to mention human body fluids in many corners. Just a few days earlier I had been standing near the water fountain on Syntagma Square waiting for an acquaintance and found myself overwhelmed by the stench in some parts of the square.
Despite all this – and accepting that no one is perfect, even though everyone should try – we enjoyed our Athenian stroll.
Opening up like a flower in the warm sun, Athens is a fascinating city. Yearning for a few days of rain, though, I noticed the controversial planters flanking Panepistimiou – anything anyone says about them risks being dismissed as petty politics. Yet despite the criticism I had made about the problems the revamp of this big street had caused, I must say the result is positive. The poplars appear to be growing well and the bushes, especially the jasmines, brought a halt to our walk – literally to smell the flowers.
