# Athens: back after 12 years



## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Athens. A city hated by so many, including most of its inhabitants, but I am not “most of its inhabitants”  Sprawling, dense, and noisy, but also sunny, colorful and vibrant, with a bustling center hiding surprises at every corner, a unique mix of ancient and new, of traditional and modern, and a wild and varied nightlife offer that not many cities can match, Athens always fascinated me, and I looked forward to spending a few days in it every year when I was a student, when I had to go there to do some necessary document work. As life brings unexpected changes however, I have not been able to return there since 2007 when I left to pursue my master studies, and with the recent Greek debt crisis and all the drama my Greek friends seized the opportunity to make about it, I was curious to see how things had changed since my departure, because if you were to believe them the country had become unlivable. And here I get the opportunity I have been waiting for, as I have to take a trip during summer 2019 that might be a crucial turning point in my shattered life, and transiting through Athens International Airport turns out to be the cheapest and most convenient option. So here I am, on an early morning of late June, landing at ATH after a rather rough descent:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

The first change I notice at the airport is the amount of Aegean Airlines aircraft parked on the apron, as the airline, which was still rather small during my stay in Greece, had overtaken Olympic Airlines (which had always been plagued by problems and eventually closed down during the debt crisis) as the Greek national carrier, and subsequently expanded its offer of destinations at a quick rhythm, bringing back ATH to the world aviation map as a transit hub. It was this expansion that allowed me to find connecting flights between my home country and my destination, something that wouldn’t have been possible before!


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

We disembark and head to passport control. The terminal is still airy, clean and organized, just like it was on my last passage, but a short and very unpleasant employee is standing now before the immigration desks, barking at the passengers the number of the desk that is getting free, as if they can’t see it by themselves. Like the state of the terminal, Greek rudeness and obnoxiousness hasn’t changed either! After passing the control, I proceed right away to the departure area on the first floor, as there isn’t much time before my connection flight. It’s shortly after 7am, but the main departure hall is already crowded with passengers, more than I remember it at any other passage of mine. And we’re still in June and the tourist season still isn’t at its height yet, so I try to imagine the amount of overcrowding to come in July and August!


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Luckily I have already finished my check in at my airport of departure, so I leave the crowded main hall behind and head towards the luggage security control before the gates:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

This part of the airport has been remodeled and a new restaurant / wine bar has opened there:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

As have several other cafes and eateries:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

The amount of passengers in the hallways leading to the extra-Schengen area is a reminder that ATH is evolving into a transit hub and not just a destination in its own right:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

It’s however the intra-Schengen area to the other side, where I have to catch my flight, that impresses me the most and allows me to understand how the airport is serving now about 25M passengers a year although it was built in its current state to accommodate 16M. The security control area has been radically remodeled, and many additional metal detectors and X-Ray machines have been installed, together with the staff needed to operate them. After I’m done with the tedious procedure, I find myself in a consumerist paradise with the omnipresent perfume and cosmetics brands, but also a lot more:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Wines, gourmet foods, Greek specialties…


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Chocolates, honey and various sweets, all displayed enticingly in a beautifully redecorated section of the terminal:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

I wander for a while among the displays, curious to see what is on offer and maybe buy something more for the friend I will be staying at. The store is complete with dozens of olive oil brands and varieties, none of which I remember having seen in a Greek supermarket, olive oil soaps with various extracts, mastic products… And I can imagine the appeal of all these local products to the foreign visitor and what a substantial source of income they should provide to the airport:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

A little further is a newly opened café set under a series of design lamps:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

And with a display of local products that is definitely getting some attention:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Time for my flight is near and I must go further towards the gates, through an interminable hallway lined on two sides with all sorts of luxury brands. Did anyone say debt crisis?


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

I encounter other eateries at the beginning of the gate area, all serving appealing specialties and teeming with passengers. I can’t help but think about our own airport, with that one sterile café found after the final security control ever since its opening, and the little store of overpriced souvenirs that constantly sits empty just like the airport itself, and how pathetic it looks in comparison to this bustling and colorful hub hno:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

I pass yet one more duty free store before getting to my gate, but I’m already late and have no time to take a look:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

After we have finally boarded, I can take a few good pictures of the airport terminal as the sun has risen:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

It is the largest single building in Greece today, with a total area of 150,000 square meters:


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice new thread/photos about Athens, cat :cheers:

BTW, are you still here in Athens or not?


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

christos-greece said:


> Great, very nice new thread/photos about Athens, cat :cheers:


Thanks, there are a lot more to come!



christos-greece said:


> BTW, are you still here in Athens or not?


No, I only transited there and could visit the city for only a couple of hours on my way back, that's why I didn't get in touch with you like I had promised. My visa days were counted and I needed to take care of important stuff in France, so I couldn't afford to waste more days in Greece, but if all goes well in the next months, I will be back and we can meet over a coffee


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)




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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 39*

Next to it is this large modern building with the rounded corner, which always impressed me whenever I passed through the area. While it looks a lot like a hotel, strangely it doesn’t seem to be one, but rather an office building instead:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 39*

More restored neoclassical buildings are to be found ahead, with more restaurants and boutiques. Based on what Mitropoleos Street looks like now, things in Greece must be going quite well after all:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 35*

The name of Mitropoleos references the Cathedral (“Mitropoli”) of Athens, located along it. Following damage from the 1999 earthquake, it was undergoing restoration and was covered in scaffolding during the whole length of my stay in Greece, so this is actually the first time I’m seeing it uncovered:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 36*

The cathedral was initially supposed to be erected on Panepistimou Avenue, next to the Academy of Athens, but the City at the time (1842) rejected the proposal, judging the proposed area to be empty and way outside the then city center. The present location was chosen instead, at the site of the archiepiscopal complex, which was entirely demolished save for the small Gorgoepikoos church:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 37*

Construction started in 1942 using material from 72 demolished buildings, then stopped the following year due to lack of funding, before resuming in 1846 following a revised plan of more Greco-Byzantine inspiration. Elements of western inspiration can still be seen however, such as the lunette of the north transept door depicting St George slaying the dragon, and the medallions on the lintel below it:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 38*

While the lunette of this smaller side door is clearly in Byzantine style, and depicts the martyr St Philothei whose tomb is kept inside the church:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 40*

The cathedral was finally completed in 1862; it presents a cross plan with three aisles, and is 40 meters long and 20 meters wide:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 40*

The stylistic changes during its construction, and the successive restoration works of the late 19th and 20th century, which removed many important historical tokens, resulted in an ensemble that lacks a distinct architectural character:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 41*

It is dedicated to the Annunciation of the Mother of God, as can be seen in the gilded fresco above the main entrance:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 41*

The wooden doors are decorated with nice carvings, and above the central one opens a rose window, another element of more western inspiration:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 42*

The interior of the church is quite colorful compared to the facade, with the light mainly coming from openings around the 24-meter-high dome:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 42*

There are icons from the late 19th century:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 42*

Set within large gilded frames:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 42*

A nice embroidered antimins kept in a wooden frame:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 42*

And an icon of the Annunciation with silver and enamel finishes:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 45*

There is a mass going however and I can’t explore the church in detail, so I return outside and take a look at the shady square south of it, which forms one of the several entry points to Plaka neighborhood, Athens’ Old Town:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 45*

A building in need of renovation stands at the corner, with the stores on its ground floor walled with iron curtains, which makes me think works are due to start soon:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 46*

The highlight of the square however is the unique small church of Panayia Gorgoepikoos (“Our Lady Who Swiftly Hears”), also known as Ayios Eleftherios, and affectively as “Little Cathedral”. This Byzantine domed church on a square cross plan is generally believed to have been built in the late 12th or early 13th century, and although it’s dwarfed by the cathedral towering above it, a closer inspection reveals why size doesn’t matter (at least not in this case :lol Although most middle Byzantine churches are built of alternating courses of stone and brick, Panayia Gorgoepikoos is built almost entirely out of reused marble blocks called spolia, and incorporates much figural material:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 44*

Seen from next to this intriguing church, the cathedral suddenly appears bland and lacking character (which it is to a large extent), despite its much larger size:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)




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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 69*

The Library was seriously damaged by a Germanic invasion in 267 AD, and later repaired










Next to it, I notice a different kind of invasion taking place: the Western African scammers that gave Paris a new notoriety with their “Hakuna Matata” scam - in which they surround you, insistently tie a thread bracelet around your finger or wrist while reciting “Hakuna Matata don’t worry be happy”, then demand that you pay them under the threat of verbal abuse - have arrived to this part of the world too, and are subjecting the unsuspecting tourists to the exact same thing :nuts:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 69*

But rather than snapping a shot of them and putting myself at risk of being attacked, I turn a blind eye and take another picture of the Library’s impressive eastern wall:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 69*

And of this nice neoclassical building across the corner, thinking “the way you make your bed you must lie in it”:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 70*

Back to Hadrian’s Library, it was built on a typical Roman Forum architectural style, with a high surrounding wall bearing three exedrae (protruding niches) on each of its long sides, and an inner peristyle (surrounded by columns) courtyard with a decorative oblong pool in the middle:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 67*

While the library itself, where rolls of papyrus were kept, was on the eastern side. Adjoining halls were used as reading rooms, and the corners served as auditoriums (lecture halls):


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 70*

In the 5th century, an early tetraconch church was constructed in the center of the peristyle court. After its destruction, it was replaced by a three-aisled basilica in the 7th century, then by the single-aisled church of Megali Panayia (Great Our Lady) in the 12th century, which served as Athens’ first cathedral:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 71*

The library’s southeast exedra can be seen right across the street:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 71*

With the Acropolis towering above it:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 72*

A little further is a series of picturesque small buildings housing tourist-oriented businesses (mostly overpriced souvenir shops and tavernas) as expected in this particular corner:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 73*

Followed by this sober in style but remarkable in color oblong building, whose function I couldn't find:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 73*

Between them stands the church of Panagia Grigorousa & Archangels Michael and Gabriel, built in 1852 on the spot of the Byzantine (11th-12th century) church of the Taxiarches (“Archangels”) and later renovated, before having its dedication extended to the Asia Minor icon of Panagia Grigorousa:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 74*

More souvenir shops line the street ahead, while in the back can be seen the small Ayios Elissaios (“Prophet Elisha”) chapel, which in the late 19th century was frequented by some important representatives of modern Greek literature. As it was privately owned, a large part of it was demolished in 1944 by its owner who wanted to reuse the land plot, despite protests by architects and archaeologists. The property was later expropriated by the Ministry of Culture and assigned to the Museum of Greek Folk Art:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 75*

Turning back south on Areos Street (named after Ares, the god of war), I follow the western wall of Hadrian’s Library going towards Monastitraki Square and the Tzistaraki mosque:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 76*

On this side was situated the only entrance to the Library:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 77*

Accessed through an impressive propylon of Corinthian order:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 77*

Right opposite it opens Adrianou Street, appropriately named after Emperor Hadrian, and also lined with tourist traps like most of the streets in that area:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 77*

The view from that spot towards Plaka and the Acropolis is one of a kind, highlighted as they are by the rays of the setting sun. The Propylaea, the monumental gateway to the Acropolis, can be seen on the right edge of the hill:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 78*

I arrive to Monastiraki (“Little Monastery”) Square, one of the best known and most frequented spots in the center of Athens, on the southeastern corner of which stands the impressive Tzistaraki mosque. Built in 1759 by the Ottoman governor of Athens, Mustapha Agha Tzistarakis, it was also known as the Mosque of the Lower Fountain or Mosque of the Lower Market. According to tradition, Tzistarakis used one of the pillars of the Temple of Olympian Zeus to make lime for the building (although it is more likely that he used one of the columns of the nearby Hadrian's Library); this act led to his dismissal, as the Turks considered it a sacrilege which would cause vengeful spirits to be unleashed upon the city:


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## Brazilian001 (Apr 22, 2012)

Superb set! I especially loved the buildings and ruins drenched in golden light! :cheers:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)




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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 79*

During the Greek War of Independence, the mosque was used as an assembly hall for the local town elders, and after independence, it served successively as a ballroom, a barracks, a prison, and a storehouse, then housed the National Museum of Decorative Arts until 1973, when its main functions were moved elsewhere, although a pottery collection is still exhibited inside the mosque today:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 80*

Fun fact: in 1966, the mosque was provisionally refurbished to provide the deposed King of Saudi Arabia with a place of prayer during his stay in Athens, thus temporarily returning to its original function. Today however, it is dedicated to the worship of the god Euro, surrounded as it is by souvenir shops  :


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 80*

Facing it is the Monastiraki light rail / metro station, built between 1890 and 1895 to allow for further extension towards the north of the Piraeus-Athens light rail line (ISAP), which until then used to stop a Thissio, about 500 meters to the west:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 81*

The station was renovated in the 21st century for the incorporation of the light rail line into the Athens Metro network:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 79*

The lower level (where the line 3 of the metro stops) was opened later than the other stations in the center, and one of the reasons for this delay can be seen under a glass floor in the middle of the square: a brickwork tunnel in which flows the Eridanos stream. Born on Lycabettus hill, the Eridanus flows westwards through Athens city center; its course has been covered since the 2nd century AD with a brickwork and clay roof and used as a sewer, to emerge only in the Keramikos archaeological site. The stream was rediscovered during the excavations for the Athens Metro in the late 1990s, and its waters caused considerable technical problems at times in this section of the network, delaying the opening of the Syntagma-Monastiraki section of metro line 3:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 82*

As for the name of the square and the surrounding area, it is derived from the colloquial appellation (monastiraki, or “Little Monastery”) of the church of Kimissi Theotokou (“Dormition of the Theotokos”) or Panayia Pantanassa, which just like Panayia Kapnikarea was the katholikon of a now vanished monastery:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 85*

The church, characterized by its arched roof, underwent two major renovations in the 19th and the 20th centuries:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 83*

During which the lintel of the door was removed and the façade completely reshaped:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 82*

Later, a massive bell tower was erected adjacent to the north side, while the old enclosure was demolished for the present square take shape:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 84*

The square still has the same layout it had during my stay, but has been covered in tiles of different shades of grey forming an interesting wavy pattern:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

A definite upgrade from its old appearance:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 83*

On the western side is this modern building with its floors entirely lined with flowering plants:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 82*

And which adds to the square’s colorful picturesqueness:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 83*

Monastiraki Square remains one of Athens’ most frequented spots, without suffering of the traffic of Syntagma or the seedy atmosphere of Omonia, the other two main squares of the center:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 81*

The sun is now lower over the horizon, and the golden light cast on the façade of Tzistaraki mosque and the Acropolis is starting to fade out:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 86*

So I decide to head back east on Pandrosou Street, which starts at the level of the mosque, to take a look at another important archaeological site I bypassed before:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 87*

The street’s crammed liveliness is actually pleasant, with the souvenir shops lining it starting to turn their lights on:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 88*

Towards the middle is this sober but nonetheless interesting building, which stands out thanks to a number of details:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 88*

Like the large arched door-windows of the first floor, the “grates” of the mezzanine below which seem to have been reused from an earlier structure, and even the spikes lining the sill of the first floor, probably intended to prevent pigeons from scaring patsies (called... pigeons in French) away with their droppings :lol: :


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## Brazilian001 (Apr 22, 2012)

Very atmospheric pictures, I especially loved the 84! kay:


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## Skopje/Скопје (Jan 8, 2013)

Great tour! Very detailed, I must say  Excellent job, WasabiHoney, I enjoy in every visit on this thread :applause:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it! kay: I will post the next series of pictures now, earlier than usual, because I'm traveling tonight and will probably be asleep at the time I normally do it. Then I'll be busy and will have take a break, but I'll try to be back to SSC as soon as I can, at least so I can finish this thread.


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)




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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 88*

I notice some cute cats chilling out in a small courtyard facing the building. Suddenly, they spring out to their feet and start meowing and moving around uncontrollably, and for a couple of seconds I wonder what the reason of this frenzy is, before noticing a kind girl (apparently a tourist) shaking a bag of croquettes at them:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 88*

I’m very pleased to see the cats are being taken care of, and stop for a while to watch them eat. Here are a couple of shots from the meal for all other cat lovers out there  :


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 88*


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 88*


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 89*

Time is going by however, and I have to move on so I can take some more pictures before it starts getting dark. The last stretch of Pandrosou before Aiolou Street is lined with shops selling Greek specialties and olive oil products, which I find a lot more interesting than the overpriced souvenirs made in China, but I quickly pass them as I don’t have enough time left:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 90*

Arriving to Aiolou again, I follow once more the east wall of Hadrian’s Library then continue further to the south, passing next to this beautiful neoclassical building whose ground floor has been defaced with graffiti following the lovely Greek “custom”:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 91*

The extent of the damage becomes even more visible on the south side, and I can even see what look like Cyrillic letters among the graffiti. If anything, the city is being, ahem… remodeled in a multicultural way  :


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 99*

Fortunately, the upper floor of the building has escaped the “remodeling”, and its fluted pilasters, palmetto-lined eaves and balustrade are an example of neoclassical elegance:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 93*

Across Aiolou are the ruins of an old Ottoman madrassa, built in 1721. The building, which comprised living quarters surrounding a large courtyard and a small mosque, functioned as a madrassa until the late years of the Ottoman Empire, and was converted into a prison in 1836 with the addition of an extra floor. It was almost completely destroyed in 1914 to make room for archaeological excavations, and only the gate – decorated with interesting carvings - and the courtyard remain:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 92*

I’m here for another monument however: the intriguing Tower of the Winds, also called the Clock Tower of Andronicus (after its supposed builder, Andronicus of Cyrrhus), and supposedly built around 50 BC, but possibly as early as the 2nd century BC:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 92*

The tower stands in the eastern part of the Roman Forum or Agora:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 99*

Built in the 1st century BC, the Forum comprised a spacious rectangular courtyard surrounded by stoas, shops and storage rooms, with everything in turn surrounded by an Ionic colonnade. This became the administrative and commercial center of Athens after the Germanic invasion of 267 AD:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 91*

Still visible are the Roman public latrines, or Vespasianae. They consisted of an antechamber and a square hall with 70 benches, bearing holes on all its four sides, and a sewer pipe underneath:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 91*

Back to the Tower, the octagonal structure of Pentelic (the same one used for the temples of the Acropolis) has a height of 12 meters and a conical roof that was topped in antiquity by a Triton-shaped weather vane indicating the wind direction. Its frieze depicts the eight wind deities (hence the name Tower of the Winds), below which there were eight sundials in the antiquity, while inside it was an elaborate water clock (or clepsydra) driven by water coming down from the Acropolis. In early Christian times, the building was used as the baptistery of an adjacent church, and later, under Ottoman rule, it became a tekke and was used by whirling dervishes:










The wind deities visible on this side are, from left to right: Kaikias (the northeast wind, depicted as a bearded man with a shield full of hailstones), Boreas (the north wind and bringer of winter, depicted as a winged old man with a shaggy hair and beard, holding a conch shell), and Skiron (the northwest wind, depicted as a bearded man tilting a cauldron that represents the onset of winter).


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 93*

East of the tower is a heap of remains, both from the original Roman structures and pavement of the Forum, and from the houses and churches that gradually covered the area in later Byzantine times:


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## skymantle (Jul 17, 2010)

Lovely thread WH, but please try to refrain from snide ethnic comments, like 'Greek obsession', 'Greek rudeness' etc as if it's inherent to an entire people or nation. That's how the Nazis spoke. Incidentally, Greeks are in the top ten of most welcoming people in the world according to [URL="https://globalnews.booking.com/bookingcom-reveals-the-most-welcoming-places-on-earth-according-to-its-2018-guest-review-awards/"]booking.com[/URL]. 

Thank you and please continue. :cheers:


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## midrise (Feb 17, 2012)

^^..Not true, I like cats as pets....not on the streets, feral cats. They are not indigenous too the order of nature. They prey upon victims that are not part of the food chain. Thus making things unbalanced....It's like a pollution too the environment, it's not natural.


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

midrise said:


> I like cats as pets....not on the streets, feral cats. They are not indigenous too the order of nature.


So according to you, the order of nature has designed cats as stuffed toys to be kept inside houses?



midrise said:


> They prey upon victims that are not part of the food chain. Thus making things unbalanced....It's like a pollution too the environment, it's not natural.


This may be true in places where cats never existed and were later introduced, but most of the "victims" they prey upon in Athens consist of rats, mice and cockroaches, so they're actually beneficial to the city.
Speaking of which...



midrise said:


> They prey upon victims that are *not part of the food chain*.


What does their natural food chain consist of in this case, beef and lamb, like the kind of meat found in commercial cat food? :nuts:

Anyway, I have good news for you: no more cats in the remaining pictures!


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)




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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 100*

Going past the apse of Panayia Kapnikarea church:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 102*

I find myself on the stretch of Ermou Street extending until Syntagma Square, which, lined with expensive stores, forms the city's best known shopping district:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 102*

It is teeming with people, perhaps more than I have ever seen any spot of Athens at this hour, be it pre- or post- economic crisis:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 101*

The first building along this stretch houses a well-known Italian clothing brand:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 102*

And presents interesting decorative details, like a central door-window flanked by two protomes (female heads), and a niche on the last floor which may have housed a statue in the past:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 103*

Further east is this large modern building, housing an American brand on the lower levels:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 104*

And a smaller neoclassical one, noticeable thanks to its pilasters and the red frieze running on top of the last floor:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 105*

Across the street from it is a rather sober building that presents however a peculiarity: a portico with arches, reminiscent of some Italian cities and quite rare in Athens:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 105*

As the sky is getting darker, the decorative apparatus of the elegant facades is enhanced furthermore by the artificial lighting:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 106*

With impressive light and shadow effects being created on the three-dimensional elements, like the fluted pilasters and the dentils on this one:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 107*

I can’t get my eyes off this architectural gem, thinking it’s almost too elegant to house a sportswear store!


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 106*

The building facing it is nowhere such a beauty, as it’s entirely covered in scaffolding, but what I saw elsewhere in the center makes me hope in a great result once the restoration is finished:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 107*

The following one, while not exceptional either, is however beautified by the clothing store on its lower levels:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 108*

With its myriad of vibrant colors and shining lights:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 108*

Another brand of the same Spanish multinational is housed in the adjacent building:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 109*

While across the street stands one of Athens’ oldest stores, founded in 1860, though the premises were rebuilt in 1930:


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## midrise (Feb 17, 2012)

WasabiHoney said:


> So according to you, the order of nature has designed cats as stuffed toys to be kept inside houses?
> 
> 
> This may be true in places where cats never existed and were later introduced, but most of the "victims" they prey upon in Athens consist of rats, mice and cockroaches, so they're actually beneficial to the city.
> ...


great news.....the nonsense was amusing however..:lol::nuts::lol::nuts::lol:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)




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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 116*
The view on Ermou Street looking back west from that spot is impressive, with the last light of the day fading over Mount Aigaleo:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 21*
This is also the time for the normally conspicuous Voulis Street to shine, as the side of the H&M building stands along it:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 120*
With the decorative details of its balconies highlighted by the warm golden lights:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 121*
While the Electra Metropolis hotel, also bathed in golden light, appears in its full glory a little below:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 20*
Never before did I imagine the Ministry of Education (is it even the same building?) could become such an elegant addition to the center of Athens:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 20*
With the lit geometrical decorations along the corners of its façade:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 20*
Magically standing up against the indigo-colored sky:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 20*
Even the portico is now hardly recognizable:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 20*
With only the Ayia Dynami church reminding us this is the same building as back in those darker (literally) times:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 118*
I return to Ermou Street, lined with trees on its wider last stretch before Syntagma Square:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 118*
Only buildings erected from the 1950s onward are found here, but what they lack in exterior charm they make up for with colorful commercial arcades, like this one, housing among others a tattoo parlor:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 119*
The corner of Ermou and Nikis streets has evolved into a hub of eateries, including an unprecedented number of restaurants serving foreign cuisine. No sign of the economic crisis to be seen here either:








I pick a newly opened Indian restaurant to have dinner, accompanied by an India pale ale of course. Interestingly enough, during my time in Greece, Indian restaurants only operated in seedy parts of the center, so you had to be a hardcore fan (like I am) to look for them. Now with some of them having opened in safer and more frequented areas like this one, Indian food finally has its chance of becoming a more mainstream choice in a country where foreign cuisine is still underrepresented.


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 13*
Having finished eating, I still have 20 minutes or so on my hands before going back to the airport, and I spend them strolling around a well-lit Syntagma Square:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 13*
Starting with the 1911 Pallis building that houses the Public book and multimedia store:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 5*
Then the NJV Athens Plaza hotel:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 6*
Next to which starts the busy Stadiou Avenue:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 12*
Leading to the huge Army Shareholders' Fund Building, now entirely lit:


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

*Map: 12*
And back to life after the ambitious restoration project completed in 2005:


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice updates, cat


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

christos-greece said:


> Great, very nice updates once again, cat


Thank you for following, that's all I have for now  I hope you enjoyed this small tour of your hometown.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

WasabiHoney said:


> I hope you enjoyed this small tour of your hometown.


I enjoyed a lot; many thanks once again


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## LEAFS FANATIC (Dec 13, 2004)

@WasabiHoney thank you for your incredible tour of Athens. Your pics remionded me of how much I miss my second home.


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

@LEAFS FANATIC Thank you in turn for the countless likes, I really appreciate it  Imagine what went through my mind when I found 190 notifications waiting for me 😂


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Great thread and captures of Athens different architecture styles and you really seem to know where you were on the map! Athens seems to have a bit of a small town feeling despite it is so big.


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## LEAFS FANATIC (Dec 13, 2004)

The likes are not only for your great pics but for the detailed explanation on each one. It must have taken you a long time so you get an A for effort! Cheers.


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Nightsky said:


> Great thread and captures of Athens different architecture styles and you really seem to know where you were on the map!


Thank you! I know the center rather well, so it was easier to plan my itinerary and know my whereabouts, but in fact posting a map with the spot where each photo was taken is something I have done for all my photo threads (even the one with aerial photos) because I really enjoy doing it, I'm kind of a geo-location freak 


Nightsky said:


> Athens seems to have a bit of a small town feeling despite it is so big.


Yes it does in the area I explored here, because much of it consists of narrow streets with colorful old buildings and establishments designed to look attractive to tourists. Venture a little further out however, on Stadiou or Panepistimiou street or on Omonia Square, and you'll definitely find the noise and bustle of a big city.


LEAFS FANATIC said:


> The likes are not only for your great pics but for the detailed explanation on each one. It must have taken you a long time so you get an A for effort! Cheers.



Thank you again! This is something I also enjoy doing on all my photo threads, because I feel that providing some information about what's in every photo can make them more relevant and interesting. Sure it's not easy (and it can be much harder for some cities than others) and it definitely takes a lot of time and preparation, but I find it rewarding when someone enjoys the result so much like you did. Which is becoming very rare, and is the reason I'm not opening any more threads for the time being lol


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Is there a possibility to see more photos from Athens soon, cat?


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

christos-greece said:


> Is there a possibility to see more photos from Athens soon, cat?


I only have these for now Christako. Like I told you, I was planning to spend 3 days in Athens in the summer of 2019 (and hopefully meet you on the same occasion), but complicated visa regulations and the necessity to find the lowest fare possible for my air ticket left me with no choice but merely transiting (for 2 hours on the way to France, and 7-8 hours on the way back, during which I took these photos). Additionally, I'm stuck in an administrative nightmare at this moment, and will probably be unable to travel for some years. However I have a number of old scanned photos of Athens, taken between 2000 and 2007 when I lived in Greece. As they're scanned analog photos, they're obviously of lousy quality, but if you're interested in seeing them anyway I can add them to this thread, although some of them I already posted on your own thread in the past.


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## batman08 (Sep 28, 2008)

I would like to present you my story to Athens 

To stare like the Gods of the Acropolis in Athens


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

WasabiHoney said:


> I only have these for now Christako. Like I told you, I was planning to spend 3 days in Athens in the summer of 2019 (and hopefully meet you on the same occasion), but complicated visa regulations and the necessity to find the lowest fare possible for my air ticket left me with no choice but merely transiting (for 2 hours on the way to France, and 7-8 hours on the way back, during which I took these photos). Additionally, I'm stuck in an administrative nightmare at this moment, and will probably be unable to travel for some years. However I have a number of old scanned photos of Athens, taken between 2000 and 2007 when I lived in Greece. As they're scanned analog photos, they're obviously of lousy quality, but if you're interested in seeing them anyway I can add them to this thread, although some of them I already posted on your own thread in the past.


OK. Thanks anyway for these photos from Athens


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

batman08 said:


> I would like to present you my story to Athens
> 
> To stare like the Gods of the Acropolis in Athens


Thank you for the link to this nicely made blog  I have one correction to make however: you say the Parthenon is the largest temple in Greece, but it's not. This distinction goes to the temple of Olympian Zeus, located southeast of the acropolis and Plaka neighborhood (on Vassilissis Amalias avenue), and of which only 16 columns still stand.


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## Bidelson (Mar 21, 2014)

WasabiHoney, dear thanks for the great work... I looked in one breath, a lot of interesting information, unusual angles of city in photos and beautiful architecture. I love Athens with its unusual for Europe combination of classical architecture (all possible styles with Greek influence from "neoclassic" to "bau-house") combined with Greek modernism (with its expensive marble finishes, tall columns that give buildings "lightness" and "solemnity" at the same time... and, of course, elegant porches/aluminum doors with marble porches). Thank you, it was interesting. Since you love Athens, I'll leave you a link to photos of this guy ( Flickr Search ), he has gorgeous photos of Athens architecture from different parts of the city... it's even strange that these photos were not published on www.skyscrapercity.com.


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## WasabiHoney (Jan 31, 2011)

Bidelson said:


> WasabiHoney, dear thanks for the great work... I looked in one breath, a lot of interesting information, unusual angles of city in photos and beautiful architecture. I love Athens with its unusual for Europe combination of classical architecture (all possible styles with Greek influence from "neoclassic" to "bau-house") combined with Greek modernism (with its expensive marble finishes, tall columns that give buildings "lightness" and "solemnity" at the same time... and, of course, elegant porches/aluminum doors with marble porches). Thank you, it was interesting. Since you love Athens, I'll leave you a link to photos of this guy ( Flickr Search ), he has gorgeous photos of Athens architecture from different parts of the city... it's even strange that these photos were not published on www.skyscrapercity.com.


Many thanks for your countless likes, I'm touched that you appreciated my thread and photos so much! Getting passionately positive feedback like this motivates me to possibly open other threads  Thank you too for the link to the flickr account, indeed it has a lot of interesting photos


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## Bidelson (Mar 21, 2014)

WasabiHoney said:


> Many thanks for your countless likes, I'm touched that you appreciated my thread and photos so much! Getting passionately positive feedback like this motivates me to possibly open other threads  Thank you too for the link to the flickr account, indeed it has a lot of interesting photos


We will look forward with impatiently to other topics.


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