"Ancient jewels set within a concrete... " a Athens Travel Page by leics

See that sticky-up bit in the middle of the main photo? That's the Acropolis (the 'high point') and, on top, is the Parthenon. That's what Athens means to the vast majority of people, and that is why I had to visit eventually. My archaeological and historical interests do not, in truth, focus massively on the ancient Greeks but, nevertheless, the city had to be visited.

Easyjet flights from the UK mean that a visit is now financially feasible, so that's why I went.

I'm not going to talk about the history of ancient Greece on these pages; there are a zillion websites, and far more books....the information is already there. So this page will just be about my reactions to the city, and what I found there.

Wherever I go I walk and walk, for miles each day. It is my way of getting to know a place, of finding little things which are easily overlooked. I had not realised quite how small central Athens is (maps are deceptive) and yet how enormously large the actual city is. Like London, it just sprawls and sprawls across the plain.........miles and miles of concrete blocks bisected by massively busy roads.

But in my naivity I'd expected my Athens walking to have the historical interest I have found elsewhere. And, to be frank, away from the Acropolis and the surrounding area there is little. Yes, there are some ancient churches, many of them hunkering down in the shadow of tall concrete and glass structures. The Plaka area with its narrow streets, stepped alleyways, terracotta roofs and low buildings, and Monastiriki (if one strips away the touristy shops) perhaps show Athens more as as it once was. But other than that (and a few 19th and early 20th century grand buildings) it seemed to me to be a concrete sea, flooding the plain with its sprawl.

My interest has never been in demonstrations of power and wealth. I can aprreciate the skill and beauty of buildings, of course, but am far more interested in the buildres, the sculptors, the workmen and their families....how they lived. More interested in the lives of those who served the wealthy (and those lives were often very hard indeed) than the wealthy. So Athens is not a good place from that point of view, for it is mainly the demonstrations of its past power which remain: the Parthenon, Hadrian's library and Arch, the ancient and Roman agoras, the temples. But there are little bits, small areas where the lives of the ordinary folk can be glimpsed......and these are worth seeking out.

Ironically, the fact that so many of these huge and impressive buildings remain means that there will be many travelogues attached to this page devoted to them for there is no doubt that they are fascinating places, even for someone whose main interest lies elsewhere.

My hotel was very near Syndagma, the huge square in front of the parliament building where so many demonstrations have been held. And yes, there was one going on all the time I was there.......the farmers, I was told, complaining that they were not allowe to raise their prices whilst having to pay higher taxes. Their musical acompaniment blared out from 9 - 6 every day, but there was no trouble. Lots of police in riot gear on the first day, standing around smoking and being bored.....but fewer on subsequent days when, apparently, the risk of disorder was less.

Life continued as normal anyway, as far as I could see. Athens traffic is continuous and chaotic (I saw 3 near-misses in 40 minutes from the airport bus, late on a Sunday evening), much like the traffic in Rome and London was before regulations were brought in to change matters. They don't seem quite so keen on their horns as in Italian cities, but it's a noisy place. You need to keep your eyes open too: the fact that the pedestrian crossing has a litle green man showing and the traffic lights are on red does not necessarily mean no traffic will shoot across!

There are pigeons everywhere, and streetdogs. I wasn't expecting the latter and, being wary of any dog I do not know, I was a bit disconcerted by their presence. But they seemed to be completely focused on doing their doggy thing (mostly sleeping in the daytime, as they have presumably reverted to the natural nocturnal state) and didn't cause me any problems at all. Those wearing collars (and there were plenty of these) have, I was told, been neutered and are being fed by 'someone' (an organisation?) but I saw several without. They all looked in remarkably good condition, and din't seem to be running in packs....so perhaps more of them were 'owned' than it appeared? But it's best not to touch; one very silly man I saw went to stroke a dog he'd just woken up and it bit him. Let sleeping dogs lie!

And there are beggars and buskers and streeetpeople of course, as in every European city of any size (and more so if it is tourist-popular). I noticed the quiet ones with eyes downcast outside churches; the merry band of ?Balkan? buskers (see video); the Roma 'statue' man with his pregnant wife and her ?sister? who were in Monastiriki every time I passed through (he was, to be honest, not very good at being a statue as he had not yet mastered the art of keeping entirely still); the broken and mutilated ones who, oddly, seemed to be concentrated around Omonia; the kneeling ones; the Roma woman and her (?) mentally-handicapped son. The street-sellers of tablecloths and of toys, of sunglasses and fake handbags; the flower-sellers and windscreen-wipers walking up and down the lines of cars at traffic lights; the men (mostly) who live under cardboard and plastic constructions in tucked-away corners......all are in Athens.

And every time I am caught in a quandary, for they are human beings with the same emotions as me and you, and it is a truly awful life that many of them lead.......and yet if I give then I am enabling that awful life to continue as it is, and change will not come. I did not know what to do for the best when first I encountered beggars in Rome, and I still do not know. Here in the UK I know there is no need to beg (although there are plenty of beggars), for there is the structure to support those in need, so I do not give for that reason. If it is possible to survive by begging then begging will continue and those in need will continue to be in need. But in other countries I do not know how hard it may be, and so I am caught in the quandary. And sometimes I give, and sometimes I do not, and there is no logic to it.

'The poor are always with us'. But it should not, and need not, be so.

One thing I noticed and appreciated was that there are cafes, restaurants, tavernas, bars and sandwich shops all over the place.........you need never worry about finding something to eat.....native Athenians must clearly enjoy eating out, for otherwise there would be no way for so many such places to survive. Nice to see them open late as well (something we sadly lack in the UK, for we do not really have a pavement cafe culture........the weather is against us).

And of course there are shops..........hundreds and hundreds of them, from the boring (to me) Marks & Spencers/Zara/Gap chains found everywhere in Europe to the tourist shops in the Plaka and the Monastiriki 'fleamarket' (which is, mostly, tourist shops as well). If you want icons, or sandals, honey or olive oil soap, a Parthenon fridge magnet or pom-pom slippers, pottery or clothes or handbags or scarves............they are all here, in spades. Even I bought a couple of handbags in a sale (and I'm not into shopping)!

So. Good things about Athens for me:

Historical sites, especially the south slope of the Acropolis, Kerameikos, the ancient agora.

Greenery and wildflowers on those sites (in Spring).

Some less obvious ancient bits dotted about if you keep your eyes open.

Walkable distances.

Museums, especially the National Archaeological Museum, with its wondrous prehistoric goldwork and its huge array of sheer skill and artistry

Lots of excellent cakes, and lots of cafes/snackbars.

Generally good food (you really do not need to use the McDonalds/Starbucks which exist).

Beer......rather weak and fizzy, but drinkable. I tried Alfa and Mythos (which is definitely better on draught than from a bottle).

Whizzy, clean and efficient Metro and excellent, cheap and most enjoyable tram.

Seeing my first wild tortoises (in Keramikos) and a superb bird of prey (still to be identified) on the south slope of the Acropolis.

Wandering the slopes of the Pnyx, away from the crowds.

Seeing the changing of the guard outside the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (and now I know where John Cleese got his idea for the Ministry of Silly Walks).

Not-so-good things:

Being cross with myself because I could not pick up some of the language as I normally do: the different alphabet meant I could not rely on phonic. I hate not being able to speak just a little bit, however much English local people speak (and they can speak a lot).

Choosing the week when schools have their end-of-term trips, so I was dogged by school parties wherever I went.

The reconstruction of some ancient buildings (e.g. the Temple of Athena Nike). I'm not sure about this at all. Personally, I would rather they were stabilised and left as they are, in ruins or not.

The lack of good clear signage in many sites (it is important that people know what they are looking at, I think).

The traffic, and the pollution caused by it.

The strong feeling that, somewhere very far away, there is a great deal of poverty and many people living very tough lives (which could be said about all major European cities, of course).

Would I go again? Probably, but only with someone else....to show them the city. I'd like to see more of Greece though.

And I'd certainly never visit in the summer. Two of my days were sunny and warm (for a Brit)....I had a taste then of what summer Athens must be like, and it was not nice!