tamsing

Athens – food, drink, shopping

Food and drink

Often when I travel I buy my food cheaply from supermarkets and prepare it for myself in the hostel – not so here. I sampled all manner of delicacies and was treated to traditional food from all parts of the country. I also learned about a long-standing Greek Orthodox funeral food custom.

Calamari, fish and chips, restaurant food, Greece

Street Food

Street food is good! I had a vege open pie from Feyrouz on Kapori in Athens, and at Falafellas on Ailiou I had falafels in pitta with aubergine (egg plant), yogurt, tomatoes and the option of spices for 3.80 euros for a medium, normal lunch size. Small outlets sell coffee and sandwiches with a wide array of fillings, such as the corner of Eyripidou and Eolou. At this place a take-away iced, decaff cappuccino is 1.20 euros and you get a bottle of cold water thrown in.

Fresh Fruit Juice

Likewise, juice shops are everywhere in the Greek capital and most refreshing in the heat. Nova Gea, 6 Vyronos, had a novel way of serving where you placed your jam jar under the tap at the base of the counter and waited for it to pour in.

Restaurants

For meals with friends, try Avocado (vegetarian) where there are books to read.

People sitting outside restaurant eating in Athens — Avocado Restaurant, Athens, Greece

There are so many places where you can eat under the stars in Athens. I loved Seychelles for an array of delicacies including flava bean puree, sardines wrapped in vine leaves, a cooked green veg salad (pvlita) and carob rusks; and Katsourmpos for Cretan food where I sampled chips cooked in goat’s butter with eggs on top, and Greek salad with bread soaked in the wonderful dressing.

Fish pate sprinlled with chives — Taramasalata with prawns and toast, Athens, Greece

Home Cooking

The best meal was one prepared by my hosts (Italian and Greek) of barbounia (red mullet fish), Greek cooked vegetables with a sauce made of mustard, spices and olive oil), and salads (Greek and Greens), all washed down by tsipouro (an un-aged brandy) which they had bought from a monastery on Paros – lethal at lunch time.

Table set with Greek vegetables for lunch — Salads on the table, before the fish arrived! Athens, Greece

Green pouring mayonnaise with herbs — Sauce for the Greek vegetables – mustard, spices and olive oil

Cooked fish with head and tail — Sea Bream (*Tsipoura*), Athens, Greece

Greek un-aged brandy — *Tsipouro* – deadly! Athens, Greece

Cafe advice

The café at the Acropolis Museum (outside which proudly flutters The Flag of Europe) was cool to cold with air conditioning and has an amazing view of Mount Lycabettus and the…. Acropolis – watch out you don’t get stuck in the Ladies loos!

Glass doors with mountain reflected in them — Reflection of Mount Lycabettus in the roof cafe window, Acropolis Museum, Athens, Greece

The Parthenon in the distance — View of the Acropolis from the roof cafe at the Acropolis Museum, Athens, Greece

Supermarkets and Food Shopping

There are not many large supermarkets in the neighbourhoods mentioned above, however google for any Sklavenitis (8 minutes from Psyri) or AB Vasilopoulos (9 minutes from Psyri) which are the major chains in Greece. Cheese and fish counters are of particular note, but you won’t find biscuits or oat cakes (a Scottish delicacy)! The range of cakes, pastries and biscuits that you will find in the bakeries, however, is vast and there are sugar free options as well as artisan bread.

Red and orange strings of dried chillis — Herbs and spices hanging outside a shop in Athens, Greece

You can buy a dazzling array of fruit and veg from wayside shops and stalls in Aristofanous; there is a Central Municipal Market off Athinas (the name of the road); and there are fascinating individual shops selling cheese, olives, flowers, hardware and useful things to put on an altar on Evripidou.

Honey and jars of marmelade — A stack of olive oil and other Greek specialities

Goats and cow scheese counter with seller — Cheeses from all around Greece being sold in Athens

Wooden crates of spices and bunches herbs — Herbs (chamomile) and dried fruits (orange and apple) in huge sacks, Athens, Greece

Loops of pork and chorizo — Meats and sausage, Athens, Greece

Other Shopping

Garlands of pretend flowers, incense holders — For making an altar, Athens, Greece

Naked male figure and clothed goddesses — Greek statuary is sold in various forms

Unlike Estonia and Norway, where the alcohol is sold in separate stores (not beer), here you can get it in the supermarkets, but it was much more expensive than I thought it would be – about the same as the UK. On the other hand, in the small villages near where I have stayed a couple of times in the north, you can get a bottle of retsina for 1.25 euros.

Emptying bottles for recycling — Recycling seems to happen in the suburbs but not in the centre, as far as I could see

On my beach day I was taken for a late lunch at Theodore and Helen’s (Leof. Legrenon, Lavreotiki 195 00 Te; +30 2292 051936) – where the platter of salads including the sea greens (which were the best) and the mussels were sumptuous.

Feta cheese, beetroot and sea greens — Platter of salads, Athens, Greece

Sample menus with prices and deep fried strips of courgette (zucchini) in the restaurant outside Athens near Kape Beach

Sample menu

Sample menu 2

Delicious!

Stalls and shops line the streets around the Acropolis selling clothes, trinkets, leather goods and jewellery. Some shop keepers call or tempt you in, others sit outside smoking and looking very hot. If you pass by every day as I did, you start to see the displays changing, and without meaning to, you stop and browse. I had to rein myself in from buying anything that would take my rucksack over weight, even though I wanted to get mementoes for my daughters and family.

Shop dummies wearing fur jackets with dogs — Two different sorts of fur coats, inside and out. Athens shop front and dogs, Greece

Coliva – Greek Orthodox Funeral Food

I was in Athens to lead a workshop for Shiatsu practitioners who are working with the dying or those suffering loss. On the second day, Panayiota who was organising the event, brought in a cake made by her sister.

Funeral cake with white sugar and silver cross on top — Coliva – Greek food for mourners

This beautiful creation is called Coliva and it is for Greek Orthodox mourners to eat after the interment. The server mixes it up and then you can see that it is like a loose melee of mixed nuts including almonds, pomegranate, raisins (golden and black), white sugar and sometimes also coriander and parsley – lively colours and a variety of textures and tastes. It tasted really good and fortifying. Portions are put into individual, brown paper bags and handed to each person, and eating it together symbolises the sharing of the pain of living without the deceased.

Initially this dish was prepared to appease the gods of Hades, the underworld, so that they would give up the body after death, allowing it to go to a better place. Nowadays, it is to fortify the grieving.

A robot in a shop window carrying a ‘We heart food’ bag

Here is some advice from a local friend who was so kind as to send me suggestions:

If you are hungry you can stop at the oldest pastry shop Ariston (Voulis 10, Athina 105 62, Greece) which is parallel to Ermou Street. Ermou Street is the biggest shopping street.

For coffee or a cold drink you can visit A for Athens, it has a great top floor café open to everyone and you can see the Parthenon. And if you are hungry you can go at Savvas across the road (Ermou 91, Athina 105 55, Greece).

For drinks, here is a hidden bar at The Art Foundation Taf (Address: Normanou 5, Athina 105 55, Greece)

Another couple of places for nice traditional sweets are Krinos and Sermpetiko Nancys Sweet Home (Pl. Iroon 1, Athina 105 54, Greece)

Chocolate and sweetmeats — Greek sweets sold from a bakery come wrapped in silver foil

Finally, I found this recommendation: Vasilopoulos deli in Klafthmonos square is where you can find a bit of everything, some of the best products from around the globe. 10 minutes walk from Psyri.

Greece

The Sights of Athens, Greece

Mostly a photo essay – June 2019

Photographs of some of the wonderful sights in Athens which I saw on my trip

Night sky with moon and Parthenon — Nearly full moon over the Acropolis

Blue and grey hues of the concrete and glass Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece — The Acropolis Museum, Athens, Greece

The white Classical architecture of the National Archaeological Museum with trees on either side and the tiled driveway curving up,, Athens, Greece — The National Archaeological Museum, Athens, Greece

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with soldiers and their shadows marching in front — Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Athens, Greece

Classical Greek architecture with colums, pillars, statues and Greek flag flying — The old National Library, Athens, Greece

There are many beautiful Greek Orthodox churches everywhere

The domed roof of a very old Greek Orthodox Church amongst pretty bouganvillia and spiky trees — Church of Ayia Aikaterini below on the left where P and L got married, Athens, Greece

A Greek Orthodox Church with towers and dome next to Olive trees — Greek Orthodox Church, Athens, Greece

Beige and white Greek Orthodox Church with columns, turrets, crosses and stepped entrance — A Greek orthodox Church, painted white and In a side street off Sarri, Psyri, Athens, Greece

Simple exterior of Greek Orthodox Church with decorated window and cross on top — Church entrance, Athens, Greece

Pink, silver and gold church interior with the Virgin Mary and Christ — Church interior second only in richness (in my experience) to St Mark’s In Rome and Samye Ling Buddhist Temple in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. This one is in Athens, Greece

Doorway to a religious crypt with frescoes in natural setting — Crypt, Aiolu, Athens, Greece

Towering column and domed roof painted blue with silver stars of Greek Orthodox Church, Athens — Ekklesia Panagia Chrysospilaiotissa Orthodox Church of Theotokou – Virgin, Athens Greece

Blue painted roof with golden stars and red walls with religious paintings — Ekklesia Panagia Chrysospilaiotissa Orthodox Church of Theotokou – Virgin, Athens Greece

Classical Greek facade of school with columns and triangular roof, Athens — Very grand school, Athens, Greece

Other nice places and things I passed by and snapped

Pink facade with Greek urn, 2 windows and decorated roof — Modern day exterior influenced by Classical Athens, Greece

Small decorated water fountain with 2 basins and flower motif — Fountain, Athens, Greece

3 busts of Famous Greek men Socrates Plato Aristotle — The three best known men in Ancient Greece – Saorates, Plato and Aristotle (at night), Athens, Greece

Overall it is very built up with only a few green areas, although you will come across gorgeous flowers every now and then. Try and cut through the area around the Acropolis and you will get a little mountain feeling – parched but traffic free and mosaic full. Thanks to the lovely Maria for showing me the way.

Olive trees, ancient ruins and mosaic pavement — Mosaic, Athens, Greece

Iron work balcony with trailing magenta bouganvillia — Bougainvillia, Athens, Greece

Orange pink trumpets of large flowers and serrated leaves — Chinese Trumpet Vine, Greece

Places I will go next time I visit

The peak of Lycabettus mountain with city in front — Mount Lycabettus, worth climbing to get a view all over Athens, Greece

Flamenco dancer with red fan and Greek urn — Flamenco classes, Tositsa, Athens, Greece

Mountainsides with olive trees, crags and flowers — The countryside outside Athens, Greece

Greece

Athens

June 2019

Arriving and starting to get to know the centre

Athens is surrounded by the Imittos mountains – it was the first thing I noticed when I got off the plane at 5.30am. The centre of Athens, on the other hand, is dominated by the Acropolis – a citadel (or upper city) on a hill. Showing clear blue skies through the arches of its most famous ruin, the Parthenon, and baked the colour of pale sand which stunningly reflects the setting sun, it is proud and impressive in its old age. Planned by Pericles with advice from Pheidias, and described as “a unique monument of thought and the arts” by UNESCO, it is the world heritage site to end all WHSs.

At its foot are more ancient remains; more tourists than you can imagine even if you know Marbella well; a suprisingly tempting selection of leather belts, ceramic blue and white ‘evil eyes’, and the sort of blousy, floaty clothes that are so attractive when it’s over 33 degrees, but which you are unlikely to wear when you get home unless you go to Shiatsu classes.

rhdr — You can see it from miles around, at the end of many streets

Why I was here

I was here to lead a workshop, How we Cope with Loss with Shiatsu, at the peaceful Zen Center (link below), wonderfully organised by Panayiota Polychroni-Giannino. I had an amazing itinerary – danced at the Pride celebrations, attended ‘Norma’ (opera by Bellini) at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, and had some delicious and companionly meals with new friends.

Opera at the Odeon

Norma was performed in the atmospheric ruins of the Odeon, and after initial rain we were graced with a cool breeze, an attractive sunset and then an almost full moon. Directed and with costumes, set and projections by the challenging La Fura dels Baus from Barcelona, the opera was sung and played by the Athens National Opera. Part of the Athens and Epidaurus Summer Festival, it used both the theme of the opera itself – the almost-infanticide by a heart-broken mother whose lover has dumped her and gone off with the virgin priestess – and at the same time raised our awarness of the damage we are doing to our planet by making set and costumes from recycled waste / plastic.

cof — The neon structures represent a forest (right) and perhaps the altar (left)

cof — Slowly it got dark, people assembled slowly. The strip between the audience and the towers is where they put the translation (sung in Italian, translated into Greek and English). The stage was made of recycled plastic and the two vats in front of the ‘forest’ looked like they were full of poisonous green fluid in which the ‘children’ floated and looked out at us eerily.

Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre

Later I was taken to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, which, according to my laptop’s translation is a “remodeling of the Kallithea area and the phallic front, giving life to a place that has been devastated for many years.” It is an open area of 210 acres housing the new National Library of Greece and the new Opera House plus gardens and other performance areas and a water feature with cafes etc. A very pleasant place to visit (slightly out of town) when the temperatures cool, just a tad, in the evenings.

Open Air Cinema

I loved the open air cinema, Cine Paris, on a rooftop in the centre. I recommend that you book as it is very crowded, although there are 2 films per evening. It did of course have marvellous views of …

mde — Watching The Green Book (great movie) at Cine Paris, Athens, Greece

Economical and Political Situation

According to the Financial Times, Greece outperfomed all the major European economies in the 1960s, but “In 1981 Greece joined the European Union, and that coincided with the start of its fall.” In 1990, in advance of joining the Euro single currency in 2001, things started to slowly improve, only to see another even more serious crisis in the run up to the approval of the adjustment programme in 2015. To all intents and purposes, it is still in economic crisis now and parts of Athens reflect this – pavements need repairing, buildings are falling down. There was a transport strike when I was there, so there were no metros, trams or buses for the main part of the day. I only hope the workers win their case.

Then there is the refugee crisis (our term, not theirs), which has seen countless people dispossessed, arriving here with no money or home, often with traumatic stories to tell and therefore depleted ability to integrate. They are to be found washed up on Lesvos disshevelled and desperate; wandering along railway lines in the middle of nowhere with nothing in their pockets (no ID papers means they are more difficult to send back), and in Athens begging or lining the streets, some working like beavers selling water melons the size of dragon’s eggs from the backs of lorries, and others standing around aimlessly or taking drugs in a corner. There are elections coming up soon (7.7.19) as a result of the defeat of Alexis Tsipras (prime minister) in the European Elections, and everyone expects the Right Wing party to get in now, although those I discussed this with told me there was little difference between the Right and the Left. I saw a truck with refugees lying down and sitting in the back of it and a loud speaker making announcements – presumably campaigning for votes.

Kyklos Project

I also visited the Kyclos project, a grass-roots day centre project where young people from Afganistan and elsewhere are making a community and others are having Greek lessons to help them find work and become part of their new community. Run by the indomitable Katerina, it has an amazing record for keeping the users attending and engaged, finding them work, training them so they have transferable skills and offering a vital lifeline to keep them off the streets and away from potential trouble. Like all such projects, it is in dire need of funds for more staff right now. You can donate here. (http://www.kyclos.org/page-story.html)

The suburbs

I took the metro (red line 2) to Daphne from both Acropolis and Omonia (direction Elliniko to get there and Anthoupoli to get back) to give Shiatsu.

dav — Ekklisia Agios Dimitrios, Athens, Greece

cof — Detail, Ekklisia Agios Dimitrios, Athens, Greece

The beach

On my final day I was kindly driven to Kape Beach where all the tourists from the streets at the foot of the Acropolis had gone to swim and sunbathe (or so it seemed!). The highlight was swimming with my goggles on in the silky Aegean Sea and watching the fish below and all around me. There were white ones with black stripes, shoals of what seemed to be tiny, black ones which glinted silver when the sun shone on them at the right angle, and flat ones which I initially thought must be leaves until they wriggled side to side raising the sand and revealing themselves. Thanks to Elena for a great day out.

cof — Kape Beach, outside Athens, Greece

dav — Kape Beach, outside Athens, Greece

Estonia

Tallinn

May 2019 – it was cold and dull with wind and rain once I arrived.

I took a bus (Lux Express 8 euros 2.5 hours) from Tartu, and walked from the bus station to KE’s flat. KE is a dancer /choreographer / therapist who I discovered on the internet and emailed out of the blue asking her if she might like to meet. She very kindly invited me to stay with her, I enjoyed giving her a Shiatsu, and we had great conversations.

In 1991, Estonia won independence after many decades of Russian (and German) occupation, during which their culture and autonomy were almost non existent. Much architecture exists which is redolent of those years.

‘Cornflower’ is the name of this metal sculpture. It is a memorial which ‘commemorates all victims of the Soviet occupation and those who gave their lives for the freedom of Estonia.’ (from the plaque beside the artwork). Created by Paul Saar, 1990, Tartu, Estonia.

It was not as easy to find an affordable place to eat. The prices were higher (it being the capital and me being in the tourist area) and some places looked shut which actually were not. It was, of course, hard to translate the signs, and my fingers were numb from using the map on my phone. I found a blog which recommended Estonian chocolate which I tried to give myself a quick boost from being freezing and having let myself get very hungry. That did the trick! Lunch at the Teater in Rataskaevu.

The place I found was great. I had a filled pancake (their speciality) and a tea for 5.5 euros.

Tallinna Reaalskool, Tallinn

Lutheran Church, Tallinn

St John’s Church / Jaani Kirik, Freedowm Square, Tallinn

rhdr

St Nicolas Church and Museum

rhdr

cof

oznor

Tallin Old Town

cof

rhdr

Kiek in de kok (round tower) and Maiden Tower (4 sided tower), Old Town, Tallinn

cof

rhdr

Orthodox church, Tallinn

Tallinn Art House Kunstihouene, Vabaduse, Tallinn

cof — Anna Ekston, leader of the Estonian National Ballet 1944-51

I went in search of an art gallery which the woman in the Tartu Kogo Gallery recommended to me and on the way I got to see a different quarter of the city.

Theater – front of the Eesti Draamateater Tallinn

Politseiaia Park

Skyscrapers, Tallinn

Small older buildings amongst the high rise buildings, Tallinn

The Temnikova and Kasela Gallery, Tallinn – cutting edge contemporary art

The End, Edith Karlson and Dan Mitchell, Temnikova and Kasela Gallery, Tallin

Municipal stone statues, reproduced across the city, Tallinn

I saw on the map that I was one minute away from the Kassikohvik cat cafe which was on my list. Unfortunately it was shutting when I got there, but the woman in the yellow jersey let me in to take a few photos. It had been recommended to me so I feel I can put it down here. Expect a five euro supplement for adults, and less for children.

2 sculptures on the outsides of buildings

Gardening outside the flats, Tallinn

Architectural detail on the windows of the blocks

Other than one grumpy bus driver, every other single person who served me or showed me round, gave me a bed or otherwise was where I was, was friendly and kind throughout my month in Estonia, and I am very gratful to them all for speaking English to me when all I could really say was ‘thank you’ in their language.

I bought a bunch of non-hot-house flowers in Tartu from similar women to these.

A lovely Latvian woman I met in the hostel in Parnu, recommended that I walked up to the Kohtuotsa viewing platform where the inscription ‘The Times We Had’ can be found. She also showed me photos of the wonderful Jagala waterfall (bus 152b) a distance away from Tallinn.

Having flown to Riga, I returned to the UK with Air Baltic.

Other sights in Tallinn Estonia Tourist Board

https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-Estonia

Estonia

Tartu

May 2019

The forests and cleared forests of Estonia

I took the bus from Pärnu to Tartu (Lux Express, 9 euros) and passed through more forests areas which had been cleared and a church on a mound in Viljandi, approximately half way along the 105 kilometre journey between the two cities.

Tartu is the second largest city (with 101, 000 inhabitants) in a country whose and the total population is smaller than the population of Bucharest.

Located in eastern Estonia, it’s known for the prestigious, 17th-century University of Tartu (the population is made up of one fifth students). The old town is centred around the university’s neoclassical main building, and the cafe-filled Town Hall Square, home to the Kissing Students fountain.

The modern Science Centre AHHAA has hands-on exhibits and a 4D cinema.

Kirik (a bit like Scots kirk) St John’s (above and below).

Still in use but in a poor state of repair

In contrast to Estonia’s political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub.

Tartu is renowned for its beautiful pastel coloured 18th century buildings

Cars actually stop if you want to cross the road. Travelblog.org

There are hiking tracks along the banks of the river Emajõgi, and I am told that you can be in a more natural environment in 15 minutes, but the weather was very cold until my last hour, so I didn’t go there until then.

If you stay at Hektor Design Hotel or the Looming hostel, don’t believe g…. maps about how to get to the tourist part of the town! Instead, wind your way through the streets which are parallel and at right angles to Rïgli, and you will find all sorts of interesting places:

The award winning architecture of St Luke’s United Methodist Church, Tartu, Estonia

Next to Looming is a yoga centre and I had a lovely class with Anna Morozova (see YogawithAnna on Facebook).

I stayed in Hektor which has a lot going for it – a clean, private, single room with writing desk, and a kitchenette and toilet right outside (shared with 3 other rooms), but there is no sound proofing and every door closed created an echo, every footstep reverberated. For an extra 3 and 5 euros you can use the washing machine / dryer (once) and sauna (unlimited) respectively. I had the latter (women separate from men) to myself all 3 times I used it. There is a cafe downstairs which looked good, a smart, shared kitchen, and a book collection to borrow from. Other downsides: There is something wrong with the drains so my shower / toilet smelled terrible. It is on a very busy main road, quite pricy, the basement, where the sauna and machines were, was creepy, especially in the evenings, and it was approximately half an hour’s walk from the centre.

Accomodation pic Tartu

The Toomemägi Park is on a steep hill and is well worth a visit: a beautiful green area, cafe, playpark and below –

The ruined Tartu Cathedral, in hilltop Toomemägi Park, has two restored towers with viewing platforms

Chimneys coming out of grassy mounds. This was my view when I did my Tai chi one morning

The Angel Bridge, named after either the English or the pretty face of Rector Parrot

To find the park, go to the foot of the hill by the playpark, in front of the pink church which is now a kino / cinema and either climb the steps or walk up the cobbles under the Angel Bridge (above).

This debonair gentleman stands in the calm sitting area next to the Elektricteater cinema

Here was my favourite café, Kohvik Krempel, which is a few minutes walk from the main square. The middle two photos are of an Estonian healthy drink called Yook which was different both times I had it (one to be eaten with a spoon and the other the consistency of coffee). It’s cold, made with oatmeal, fruit and kefir and is delicious!

Tartu street painted a lovely yellow

Delicious food

Desert

Soup. Yum

Like lots of the coffee shops, it looks shut from the outside. Do not be deterred!

I loved the Botanic Gardens.

Bridge looking towrads the main house, Botanic Gardens, Tartu

Pansies, hyancinth and tulips in contrasting colours

Reflections and Dandelion

Lillies in front of the ornamental lake, bridge and summer house

They have an extensive collection of mosses and lichens

Other sights include the Toy Musem:

The leaning art museum:

Unfortinately closed between exhibitions, when I was there

The theatre museum:

The Natural History Museum

It turned out that the charming Kogo Gallery was a minute away from my hostel. I was impressed by the woman who watched over it (friendly, helpful and knowledgeable), as well as by the exhibition of Ede Raadik‘s Sailin’ on the Red Sea contemporary art work.