Cafe Society

I’m not sure if it’s correct to designate a city with thousands of years of well documented, world-shaping history as up and coming, but that was certainly my impression of Athens. It seems like a city that’s just hitting its stride and putting on it’s best face for the world, or even just for itself. Or, perhaps it’s just reinventing itself for the umpteenth time in it’s storied history.

Part of my reason for labeling Greece’s capital as a city on the rise is that my guidebook warned that Athens has historically played second fiddle to other European hot spots with travelers due to a reputation for smog-filled air, horrendous traffic and trash-filled streets. But, I couldn’t reconcile that observation with my own experience.

I found Athens to be a fantastic city that with fairly clean streets, breathable air, a fantastic collection of eclectic neighborhoods, incredibly friendly people and an itinerary-filling collection of ancient ruins brimming with history. OK, the traffic wasn’t so great, that much is true. But, it’s a compact city, without feeling small, that’s easily walkable even though stations for it’s efficient metro system can be found around just about every corner.

In some ways, Athens reminded me of a slightly smaller version of Rome with ancient ruins dotted around a thriving modern metropolis brimming with life. It’s also a whole lot cheaper than Rome, and much of the rest of Europe, even though they share the same monetary system. The crowning glory, of course, is the ancient Acropolis which towers over the modern city.

After making the climb up the steep hill to the top, however, I was a bit disappointed to find the site in the midst of a decades long restoration project that had most of it covered in a lattice work of scaffolding and construction equipment plopped into the middle of the important ruins. The Pantheon, the centerpiece of the Acropolis, was a little difficult to fully appreciate with a massive crane sticking it’s head out of one end. But, it was still worthwhile to see it all and the views of Athens from atop the Acropolis were well worth the climb.

From Athens '07

But, perhaps the most enjoyable part of my time in Athens was simply walking around the streets of the various neighborhoods and taking in the life of local Athenians. The area directly beneath the Acropolis, Plaka, is full of tiny streets that twist and turn as they encircle the mountainous monument, rich in the city’s oldest history and sprinkled with various Greek and Roman ruins (the two parties basically captured and ruled each other for centuries with the Romans winning the bulking of the exchanges). It also felt like a prototypical old world European city with outdoor cafes everywhere and cobblestone streets that come to life in the afternoon and evening with locals and visitors alike seeking out food and entertainment.





A stone’s through from Plaka was my favorite neighborhood in Athens. The modern, energetic enclave of Kolonaki is replete with narrow, attractive streets lined with chic boutiques, swish apartments and condos, and hundreds of small cafes. In fact, life in Athens seems to center around cafes. Morning, noon and night, even the smallest or homeliest cafés would be packed with Greeks chatting away a good portion of the day over a cup of coffee and some sort of honey-based pastry.

Although I don’t drink coffee, I frequented the cafes for the social atmosphere and some of their other specialties - such as a warm Belgian waffle covered in sugary strawberry syrup adorned with vanilla bean ice cream - aka, my new favorite lunchtime snack. One afternoon I spent over an hour talking with a 50-ish Greek man about nearly any subject under the sun. He did a lot of the talking. The only reason the conversation ended was because I had to leave to pick up my laundry before the store closed.




My time spent at cafes showed me that Athens not only resembles Rome (I’m not so sure that Greeks or Italians will really appreciate my comparison as the competitiveness between them seems to endure centuries later) with it’s mix of modern and ancient buildings, but also in the fact that Greeks, like Italians, are passionate about just about everything. From politics to love to life and, especially, football (soccer).

Cafes are full throughout Athens because Greeks seem to value, above just about anything else, taking to time to enjoy life and aim to spend as much of it enjoying socializing with friends and family as possible. Plus, if the 2004 Olympics showed anything, it’s that Greeks can still roll up their sleeves and get things done when needed. Although, a trip out to the Olympic Park revealed that maybe their last minute approach gets the job done, but it doesn’t tend to wear very well down the line…even just three years removed.






Perhaps the best complement I can give about Athens is that I’m eager to come back to continue exploring this superb city - and the rest of Greece - so rich in history and brimming with modern life. Even in the chilly air of late March, the city was enticing. I’m sure visiting in the months after the thermometer heads a bit further north would find the city absolutely electric. But, spending time in Athens in any season is time well spent - even if it’s just to sit around at a café all day.

ATHENS PHOTO ALBUM (click photo):

Athens '07