Athens

Welcome to Athens. 

Surely as you may have thought, what foolishness have brought me to Athens in the midst of wrangling between a bankrupt government and the "troika" of creditors? And when banks are closed and ATM limited?

Secretly perhaps we wanted to arrive in Athens for all the excitement. "Historical" decisions in a city that which had left a way greater historical footprint than the current chaos. Financial bankruptcy will most probably be a small footnote compared to the triple influence of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle over Western civilisation.

It isn't a pretty city in all honesty.

The mass construction in the 1960's led to huge Brutalist, indeed ugly looking city of tall apartments and narrow streets in the suburbs, while the centre is dominated by the Acropolis hill and the touristy (maybe 1700's-ish) Plaka area at the centre. More of this in later post. Roads are pockmarked, and while the Metro and buses do exist surprisingly well (incredible for a city probably haven't had a lot of funding for some time) they do look old, 1990's feel. 

But it is too a rapidly ageing city. On the streets, in the restaurants, nearly everyone is either tourists or at least older than 50. Perhaps we were out during working hours and in the hot sun but it does become apparent the longer we were in even on the weekends. 

Now back to the hottest topic: austerity and the people.

Athenians do not seem to be passionately conversational nor cold and respectful to people. Rather they are nice people (even when you are lost and know no Greek some old lady would walk you to your place!), and it is one thing that stood out throughout our time. Nor do the people seem lazy. I have seen "worse" professionalism in countries that aren't in credit crunch (hint Malaysian public transportation and services) but even in the midst of hardship people still work. And none of the protest I've bumped into (yes, all three evenings by different groups) nothing is damaged, only buses to my accommodation blocked out at 5pm (protests at the same time each day too!)

That seem odd in the face of the media onslaught of a city in crisis. No one attempted to rob us nor do the street seem filled with shady or desperate people trying to nick a living. The dignity of living life well meant the cafe's are still filled at 6pm (pre-dinner coffee as per tradition) and restaurants still open. Families still do have hearty meals together on Sunday and busy as ever. Normality reigns, and even with the protests in the Syntagma Square facing the Parliament no one are too riled to start fighting. London probably seem more threatening then crisis hit Athens. 

All the while the beginnings of democracy watches down from the Temple of Athena, the Parthenon. The contract between the demos (the citizens) and the city to remove all tyrants by law if they ever exists that once stood at the gates to the Pynx (site of the Athenian assembly, the ekklesia) still stands in a museum. The Acropolis as the crowning glory of the city, the Agora as the city centre and centre of commerce.