Youth of Athens
Athens is a special place.
Recently, I took the opportunity to go to Athens. Solo travelling abroad isn’t something I had done before. I grew up on the shy side, so organising a trip all for myself and keeping myself busy with activities and meeting people would have been inconceivable a few years ago.
Over the past few months, however, I have been forcing myself to speak to strangers and improving my social skills. Well I suppose this trip was a milestone in that process.
I also hold a deep fondness for history and the classical world. I have been to Rome in the past, so it made sense to see Athens as well.
This article is really a collection of musings and reflections on the sites, sounds, smells and scenes of Athens that I saw.
Athens struck me as a clean city, generally. Notwithstanding the graffiti found semi-regularly around the streets, the streets were being taken care of and treated with at least some modicum of respect. The Mediterranean climate probably helps hide any dirt, scuffs, litter or grime bound to accumulate in a city of millions. Warm sunshine draws away the gaze from dirt - isn’t that interesting? I think of walking through London in the rain; how grimier and dirtier it looks.
Granted London is over twice the size of Athens - yet weather can really transform a city’s presentation. The locals ran on their own time. Comparatively I was marching through the streets to get to my destination. Standing out made easy. In my defence, a moving target is harder to rob or assault than a leisurely one. I was clearly a tourist, no need to try to blend in and give my best Athenian saunter a go just yet.
There are two magisterial buildings in Athens. One is the Parthenon, supreme atop the Acropolis. The other is the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Annunciation. I will discuss the Parthenon shortly, but now I will focus on the Cathedral.
When I entered, I was struck. It was dark, at first, but my eyes were quickly drawn to the height of the building. It is impressive on the outside to be sure. Yet when I was inside I felt a strong emotion swell within me. Athens is often lumped together with its classical history. That means, however, the Christian and modern history of Greece is overlooked.
I would recommend the Cathedral. It was solemn and beautiful and equal measure. The icons and artefacts really gave a sense of treasure - rare and beautiful in equal measure.
Now let us turn to the Parthenon. It is always associated with Athens and is regularly seen on advertisements for the city. This comes as no surprise. The Parthenon and Acropolis catch your eye wherever you are in the city. Handy if you want to get your bearings.
I would recommend heading up early in the morning if you go to visit. It gets popular.
The Parthenon is a symbol of the ‘west’, of Athens, of the classical world, of democracy. It was impressive. Yet I felt that the crowds took away. I don’t mean to say no-one should visit the Parthenon or historical sites in general - far from it.
But I couldn’t help feel that the crowds flooded up the acropolis…..then flooded back down. It was strange. A loose viewing, a loose appreciation then off to lunch. Perhaps this is a cynical take. Perhaps each and everyone had a sincere visit. Perhaps.
I would recommend the Parthenon nonetheless. It is the sight to see in all of Athens. Curiously, it was more magnificent the further away I was from it. Maybe there’s a lesson in that.
The Agora was interesting. I learned that the Agora came to be when the Athenians separated religion and business. It is interesting to think there was a time when all affairs were conducted under the watchful eyes of priests and gods.
In a way we have returned to that now - HR officials and DEI inspectors constantly seeking any infringement against the regime are commonplace in corporations and businesses of any size in this day and age. They are our priests; equality the chief deity. I hope for a day of separation.
I did the trip solo, so naturally it was up to me to make some new friends. I selected a hostel precisely because I wanted to meet a young crowd. I succeeded.
There were plenty of Americans and Canadians. A fair few Germans. Even a couple of Brits abroad.
I even met a girl from Frankfurt who likes to smell shoes.
They were a good bunch. All liberals, high in trait openness. That should be unsurprising given they were travelling abroad and travelling by themselves.
A slight regret I have is not meeting more locals. Athens struck me as a young city - although going to bars at 2am will probably skew that assessment somewhat. The city was full of energy both day and night.
I would like to go back. The climate, food, company all agreed with me. The slow walking pace did not, however.
Reflecting, I found a city that knew what it was. It was monocultural. At least to my eyes. I am sure there are immigrant areas scattered across the city. But not once did I feel that I could be anywhere in the world. Not once did I walk down the street and think “This is just like home! This is just like metropolitan area #23038!”.
Even the metro felt unique. Seeing marble sculptures at the exit will do that, I suppose.
Athens is a Greek city. It is better off for it. May it always be so. It’s identity is clear and unambiguous. Centuries of history chart how the city, how Greece, has changed and developed throughout time. None of it felt imposed. No jarring shifts in style, no abrasive stylistic movements from one street to the next, no sudden alterations (save for McDonald’s) as you go about the city.
Perhaps some of it is performative for the tourists…..the street markets….the tat shops etc.
Maybe. But I didn’t sense that the general style was forced. It all fitted into place quite neatly. As opposed to say, London where each district is essentially its own city. London is larger than Athens in fairness, yet London has lost a general identity. That will be the subject for another post, however.
I recommend Athens. Either solo or with some friends and family. It is a warm, energetic city which has made a glowing impression on me. I will be going back, that is for certain.
Maybe I’ll see you there.