This is an exciting project of finding the heart of Athens from the concrete jungle.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Controversial art

The streets of Athens are covered with paint by local “artists”. 


Copyright 2011 Jan

It is no wonder because that has been the case since the ancient times and has been a part of the city since its birth. 


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There are some works that are without a meaning, lack of talent and done out of a pure boredom. On the other hand there is also a large amount of art out there that has a message. They are also skillfully done and emotive. 

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At least emotions are awakened by the property owners, who call this kind of art Greek tragedy or vandalism and who have an ongoing battle with these kinds of artists. Little do they care that the opposite troops says they have just transformed boring walls to a street gallery of beautiful art. 

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Anyway, while street art is there, here are some of the thrilling and mouthwatering pieces from the streets of Athens. Try to find them out or sit back and enjoy!

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Areas popular with street art are the Exarchion, Plaka, Psiri, Gazi. Comment here if you think you know where a peace of street art in the picture is taken. Anyone, anyone? :D

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Copyright 2011 Jan

Friday, February 18, 2011

OCC - the dream of art

The brand new Onassis Cultural Centre (OCC) is Athens' emerging cultural space for theatre, dance, music and art. The OCC covers an entire city block and can be found from Syngrou Avenue. It is located next to the headquarters of the Ethniki Asfalistiki insurance company, and opposite Panteion University. 


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From the outside the OCC is airy and white huge building with innovative use of white marble bands. Inside it has sixteen levels, nine of which are underground. It includes an 880-seat amphitheatre, a 220-seat auditorium, 5th floor lecture/exhibition space, underground exhibition hall, a number of open spaces and Liquid Sky meeting point. 

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The ground-floor has a nice bar-café for sipping few drinks. From the top floor one can find the jewel of the OCC. There is a restaurant just waiting for one of those long Greek diners with a good company. During summertime it has a rooftop terrace that offers stunning views of the Acropolis, Lycabettus hill, the Philopappos monument and the Saronic gulf. The only downside is that The OCC is rarely open to the public to just walk in. You usually need a reservation to enter.

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There are three easy ways to purchase your tickets to numerous events: online, by phone or from the OCC box office and some other selling points in town. Tickets go on sale three weeks before an each event. Reduced prices are for persons: over the age of 65 or below the age of 18, unemployed, with disabilities (and their companion), and students in educational institutions.

Open Mon-Sun 12.00-21.00. Syngrou Avenue 107-109. Information/Tickets: 0030 210 900 5 800.


Monday, February 14, 2011

Impeccable metro system

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Athens metro system is fast, clean, safe and easy to use. Slowly expanding network has at the moment three lines to choose. Green line 1 (Kifissia-Piraeus), red line 2 (Agios Antonios-Agios Dimitrios) and blue line 3 (Athens International Airport-Egaleo). Metro is open from 05.30 a.m. until around midnight - when employees are not striking.


Copyright 2011 Jan
Probably blue line is most known by tourists since it’s the fastest and cheapest (8 €) way to reach downtown of Athens from the airport. On the other hand all of the major sightseeing’s in the city are located nearby metro stations, like Akropoli by the red line. 

Vending machine (old prizes, though). 
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You can get tickets from vending machines or booths. Ticket fares are: 1,5 hour 1,40 €, 24-hours 4 €, 3 days 15 € and 7 days 14 €. Purchased tickets are valid after validation on all of the metro lines. All of the tickets are valid to buses, trolleybuses, trams and suburban railway (between Piraeus, Magoula and Koropi stations) as well. 

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Getting caught without a ticket by inspectors costs you 60 times the price of a standard ticket. Reduced prices are only for persons over the age of 65, below the age of 18 or students of Third Degree Faculties or Universities of abroad, up to the age of 25. Children under the age of 6 travel for free. 

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Moving inside the stations is easy because all of the signs are in both scripts and very well located. There are also plenty of maps on the stations and trains. Approximately 650,000 passengers use the metro lines on a daily basis. You can always ask for directions from friendly co-passengers if you feel unsure of where to go. 

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Before hopping on one of the best metro systems in Europe you can hang around for a while listening music played on the Athens metro stations here.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Your Big Fat Greek Carnival

You can see a priest going out with a shemale prostitute, famous politician hanging out with an oversized bear or maybe a fairy girl partying with a clown. Ready or not, the Carnival (Apokries) time has arrived!

Be prepared to see an everyday life transformed to a fantasy of masqueraders and parties for three weeks. Weekends are the most popular periods for dressing-up and having fun. Streamers, confetti, tins of foam, whistles and clackers are must to have in order to take a part of the party atmosphere. 


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Here is a little survival info kit for the Carnival first timers:

First week of the Carnival starts with the opening of the book of the Triodion, the three holy sacraments. Second week is a meat week preceding Lent (Sarakosti). Third week is a cheese week when people are supposed to eat mostly dairy products and eggs but not meat. The wildest parties must be on the weekend prior to the end of the Carnival season. In Athens the place to be is the part of the city called Moschato because it holds Athens´s biggest parade!

The last Thursday before Lent starts, is called Sizzling Thursday (Tsikno Pempti), referring to the sound made by the grilling of the meat traditionally eaten on this day. The weekend following "Burnt Thursday" is important because Meat-eating Sunday is the last allowable day for eating, well, meat. Tables at meat taverns will be hard to find without reservations.



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The final day of the Carnival is called Tyrofagou Sunday. It is a good day for big carnival parade and having an unhappy marriage (according to old traditions). The day after is Clean Monday (Kathara Deftera). It marks the end of the Carnival and beginning of 40 days long Lent. It is a Bank Holiday in Greece and seen as the start of springtime. It is usually family-oriented day where picnics and kite-flying prevail. 

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In Greece the Carnival started in Ancient times, believed to be as a worship to Dionysos, the God of Wine and Feast. In the Orthodox tradition Apokries is the preparation period before Lent. Nowadays it is a harmonious blend of traditions and contemporary ideas and events to all citizens and city visitors. 

In 2011 Carnival runs from Saturday 12th February to Sunday 6th March. The Carnival dates: Triodion is on Feb 12th, "Burnt Thursday" is on February 24th, main Carnival weekend is from March 4th to 6th and Clean Monday on March 7th.


Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Park Makeover

Who says there are no nice, large and luscious parks in Athens? After two years of intensive therapy and a successful makeover a totally transformed Pedion tou Areos Park is finally revealed to the public eye. 

Copyrigh 2011 Jan
Nice day out begins from the main entrance of the park where is an equestrian statue of King Constantine. 


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The park is breathtakingly beautiful with 1 200 new trees, 2 000 rose bushes and more then 50 000 other flowers and plants. 

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The huge park hides an Avenue of Greek Independence War Heroes, not one but two Orthodox churches, delicious marble and granite dominated landscaping and serene ponds. 

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There are plenty of places to sit down for a perfect picnic hidden from sometimes chaotic traffic from the downtown of Athens. The temperature inside the park in the summertime can be almost five degrees less than city around it making it a leafy oasis of Athens. 

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When the night falls it is still pretty safe to take a stroll in the park. It is very well lit and under a close surveillance of security guards. 

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Open from sunrise to dusk. At the intersection of Patission and Alexandras Avenue.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Freeday way of a good night out

You go around the corner on casual Friday night out and all of a sudden witness a huge group of people on bicycles. What is going on in the hustle and bustle of Athenian traffic?

The group goes by the name Freeday. Every Friday their start up point is at Assamaton Square in Thissio at 21.30. Cyclers meet up to explore the city of Athens for about four hours including a 40 minute pit-stop for a bite to eat.

Every time the route is different but as fun as the last week. After a good night out of riding up and down the streets of Athens, riders go out for drinks. If you are up to all of this, hop on your bike and show up next Friday!


Copyright 2011 Jan

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Puppy on display?



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It was found from the window of a bike shop yesterday.




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You look ones, you look twice. Is it some kind of a weird decoration  on the window?


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Naah, it was a lively little puppy running wild and free inside the shop.


What a nice little surprise in the middle of a busy day. Heh!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Intriguing taf


The Art foundation (taf) is an innovative and experimental concept to art. It wants to encourage people to engage in discussions and debate.


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There is an old building in Monastiraki from 1870. From the small Normanou street 5 one can find tiny golden taf-sign on the graffiti painted wall. Right next to sign is an old wooden door just waiting to be opened. One most be well prepared and orientate carefully to find the place.
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Concrete stairs leads to a basement which is actually a club in the yard surrounded by an art gallery.



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The whole taf concept is rough and industrial-like but there is something in the atmosphere that causes an adrenalin rush when you enter from the well hidden door to the secret garden of temporary art lovers.

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Open Mon-Sat 13.00-24.00, Sun 14.00-24.00. Normanou street 5, Monastiraki. Information 0030 210 3238 757.


Currently Lightroom Projects presents there photography exhibition called Ink – The Tattoo Project by Pantelis Zervos and Ilias Anastasiadis, which will run until February 13.


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The exhibition explores aspects and meanings of tattoo in correlation with the portrait of their owner. It lets your imagination fly making up stories behind characters on the pictures.

There is almost 200 men and women ready to tell their story through 400 unique tattoos - if you dare to look under their skin.

Lovely Athens

The Parthenon (Παρθενών) is a temple in the Athenian 
Acropolis, dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena.

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Bustling Athens, the capital of Greece, is everything from majestic past to quirky present. From lively little backstreets to giant archeological park downtown it offers you very unique and surprising experiences. You can find yourself from a little music filled tavern, climbing up to Parthenon, shopping in a conveniently big mall or tanning yourself on the beach. Athens has it all.
One of the thousands of relaxed little taverns
in Athens is inviting you to have fun, relax and
having a taste of famous and amazing Greek 

cuisine. Copyright 2011 Jan

This city is most liveliest after dark. It transforms to a giant living room of fun-loving Athenians. It is hip and traditional, folksy and sophisticated, fun and tiring with good food and strong drinks forming an intoxicating effect of Mediterranean magic.

You will fall head over heels to Athens or pack your bags and never look back. It is a giant breathing and vibrantly growing concrete jungle with heart hidden in ancient hospitality. Athens is one of the unforgettable experiences of a lifetime.