GREECE IS | ATHENS | WINTER 2015-2016 by GREECE IS

experience culture, gastronomy & more

1 S T W I N T E R e d iti o n

ATH EN S

2015-2016 ISSUE

8 - 38

39 - 85

87 - 146

W e l c o me

Dis cove r

Ex pl ore

147 - 175 Taste

All that’s happening and hip in the Greek capital: events, new arrivals, family fun and “green” excursions inside and beyond the city that can be enjoyed in winter, snow or no snow.

Can 2,500 years of history be squeezed into a city break? Follow us on a tour of landmarks, exploring the Benaki Museum and chatting with the Acropolis Museum’s statues.

From high-caliber opera to the world-famous “choreography” of the Presidential Guard, Athens is always full of surprises. Greece Is insiders hit the town and bring you their recommendations.

Treat the Epicure in you with our selection of eateries, ranging from no-frills tavernas to posh restaurants serving inspired fusion cuisine and cocktail bars specializing in fortifying brunches.

WE LCOME

Winter Wonderland T H I S I S T H E T I M E O F Y E A R W H E N AT H E N S P R O V E S I T I S A C I T Y F O R A L L S E A S O N S BY Giorgos Tsiros E D I TO R - I N - C H I E F, G R E E C E I S

It was a lovely morning with temperatures hovering around 20 Celsius, more akin to autumn, when this, the first winter edition of Greece Is Athens, went to print. The city’s outdoor cafés were doing a brisk business and even the beaches drew a handful of people still working on their tans. The temperate climate is one of the reasons why we Athenians love our city, despite the fact we may forget to express it – so common in committed relationships that become bogged down by routine. Take, for example, our biggest architectural pride and joy, the magnificent neoclassical trilogy of Athens University, the Academy of Athens and the Library on Panepistimiou Street: there is nothing like it in the world, but we rarely stop to admire it. We’re just content that it’s there. Visitors to the city need not be so blasé. Whether it’s your first time in Athens or not, whether you’re here on a lightning business trip or enjoying a few days of R&R, you will likely experience the thrill of exploration, the urge to discover everything the city has to offer. From the wonderful treasures of antiquity to new and hip hangouts, you will feel that delightful curiosity, the rush of love at first sight. And it is precisely the role of this magazine to stir that sentiment. Shall we? At the Acropolis Museum, which has honored us by being the exclusive distributor of Greece Is, we will get into

conversation with emblematic statues that tell us their stories so we can better understand their era. From the much-photographed Tomb of the Unknown Soldier – where the Evzones of the Presidential Guard hear all manner of comment from “You make your parents proud, son” and “Dad, I want to be like him” to “What the hell, they’re real!” – we will follow the foustanella-clad soldiers where only very few are allowed to enter. We will learn their history and be made privy to all the little secrets, such as how those amazing red tsarouchia clogs are made. In the historic center of Athens, that labyrinth of streets and squares where Byzantine churches stand beside uncomely grey office blocks and workshops covered in graffiti, we will seek out authentic experiences that awaken the senses. For our cultural tour we will visit some of the most interesting exhibitions of the season, enjoy an opera at the same theater where Maria Callas once performed and meet the esteemed ambassadors of the avant garde at the Onassis Foundation Cultural Center. And when those hunger pangs strike, our Gastronomy section features recommendations from authentic no-fuss tavernas to temples of fusion gastronomy. We hope Greece Is Athens will be a good companion and help you have an unforgettable time in the Greek capital.

Rear View of Apartment Buildings by Yiannis Migadis (1926- ). Tempera on cloth, 80x110 cm, (Π. 6346), © National Gallery – Alexandros Soutzos Museum, photo Stavros Psiroukis.

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CONTENTS Greece Is - Athens, First Winter Edition, 2015-2016 Issue WELCOME 8. Culture Shot: Highlights of the season’s agenda

12. New Arrivals: A Plato-inspired museum, a new breed of souvenirs and more

18. Mom, I’m Bored! Activities for children

24. Reconnect with Nature:

72. Perfection of Form: A rare look inside the three jewels of Athenian neoclassical architecture

EXPLORE 88. Don’t Be a Stranger: An insiders’ collection of tastes, experiences and locations in the historic center

106. Keeping Watch on Tradition:

Mountains, forests and parks to enjoy

Behind the scenes with the Presidential Guard

32. The New Landmark: A visit to the

114. Art in the Undergound:

soon to be finished, Renzo Piano-designed Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Antiquities and modern art on display at the Athens metro

DISCOVER 40. Must-see Sites in Short: Appreciating history in Athens

46. If They Could Talk: Eight of the Acropolis Museum’s most significant statues tell their story

122. Nights at the Opera: The Greek National Opera offers high-caliber productions and reaches out to new audiences

128. A Slice of Europe: City Link combines theaters, eclectic shopping, gourmet dining and fine drinks

celebratory exhibition at the National Archaeological Museum

134. A Beacon of Cultural Light: The Onassis Cultural Center is dedicated to promoting all that is fresh in the international performing arts scene

66. Madcap Anthony’s Derring-do:

140. The Grand Dame of Hospitality:

The story of the Benaki Museum, one of the city’s finest

Grande Bretagne, a magnificient hotel that has witnessed history

60. The Europeans’ Athens: A

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GASTRONOMY 148. Ambassador Dishes: Τop Athenian chefs recommend dishes that bridge the past and present of creative gastronomy

154. Coffee Mecca: Quality beans are fast gaining ground for their superior flavor 158. Taste of the World: Athenian chefs are making great strides in fusion cuisine 164. The Taverna Experience: Νο frills eateries where everyone is equal 168. Wide Net, Small Budget: Where to find value-for-money fish and seafood 172. Show Me the Way: The best whisky bars in town 174. Brunch Takes Athens by Storm: Forget traditional cheese pies and coffee for breakfast...

INSIDERS Our insiders’ takes on Athenian taxis, afterhours bars, komboloi and the posh Kolonaki area

122 174

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greece is - athens first winter edition, 2015 - 2016 issue Published by: Exerevnitis - Explorer SA, Ethnarchou Makariou & 2 Falireos St, Athens, 18547, Greece ISSN: 2459-2498 Editor-in-chief: Giorgos Tsiros (editor@greece-is.com) Deputy editor: Natasha Blatsiou Editorial consultant: Vassilis Minakakis Creative director: Thodoris Lalangas / www.youandi.gr Creative consultant: Costas Coutayar Art director: Ria Staveri Pagination: Dimitris Stappas Translations/editing: Paris Ayiomamitis, Maria Deliyannis, George Kolyvas, Damian Mac Con Uladh, Stephen Stafford, Christine Sturmey Proof-reading: Christine Sturmey Photo editors: Dimitris Tsoumplekas, Maria Konstantopoulou Photoshop: Christos Maritsas, Michalis Tzannetakis, Stelios Vazourakis Commercial director: Natasha Bouterakou (sales@greece-is.com) Head of public relations: Lefki Vardikou Online marketing: Thanasis Sofianos, www.relevance.gr GREECE IS - ATHENS is a biannual publication, distributed free of charge. Contact us: welcome@greece-is.com

It is illegal to reproduce any part of this publication without the written permission of the publisher.

ON THE C OVER Flag-raising ceremony at the Acropolis ÂŠ Dimitris Vlaikos

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Athens Concert Hall

Frissiras Museum

Onassis Cultural CentER

AGENDA

CULTURE SHOT In between sightseeing? Here’s a selection of events. BY xenia georgiadou

December 26-28 2015

Christmas with romance Svetlana Zakharova, a principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet, will visit Athens with Giselle, one of the greatest works of the classical repertoire. In the role of Prince Albrecht is Sergei Polunin, the youngest lead dancer in the history of Covent Garden. They are accompanied by dancers from the Moscow Classical Ballet. • Athens Concert Hall, Vasilissis Sofias & Kokkali • Tel. (+30) 210.728.2333 • www.megaron.gr

January 3-6 2016

Brothers Karamazov The murdered father Karamazov lies in a high-tech solarium. Radical director Konstantin Bogomolov’s fourth collaboration with the historic Moscow Art 8

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Theater conveys the story of the Brothers Karamazov from late 19th century Russia to the present, to underline contemporary moral and social decline. Not suitable for children. In Russian, with Greek subtitles. • Onassis Cultural Center, 107-109 Syngrou Avenue • Tel. (+30) 213.017.8000 • www.sgt.gr

TO January 10 2016 Greeks in the East

Home of the Heart takes us to the other side of the Aegean Sea, to Istanbul, Eastern Thrace, Marmara, Pontus, Cappadocia, the Asia Minor hinterland and the western and southern coasts of present-day Turkey, and guides us through the neighborhoods and homes of Greeks who lived there until 1922. Turning her lens on the facades of former Greek homes and their architectural details, teacher Angeliki Kitsou-Magaraki

has rescued them from oblivion. • Hellenic Cosmos Cultural Center, 254 Pireos, Tavros • www.hellenic-cosmos.gr

TO January 10 2016 A lens on worship

In basements and rented flats, apartment blocks and garages, playing fields and outdoor public spaces, squares, courtyards and temporary structures, photographer Tassos Vrettos records the improvised places of worship of migrants and refugees in and around Athens. The exhibition is curated by Nadia Argyropoulou. • Benaki Museum • Pireos 138 & Andronikou • www.benaki.gr

to January 16 2016

Old shoes, new shoes An integral item of Greek traditional

Hellenic Cosmos Cultural Center

B&M Theocharakis Foundation Museum of Cycladic Art

Eleni Marneri Creative Gallery

footwear and a powerful symbol of the country’s national identity, the tsarouchi appears in modern variations, some austere and others more elaborately decorated, in this unique exhibition. Inspired by embroidery designer Andreas Kanellopoulos, it showcases the creativity of photographers, silversmiths, designers and painters. • Eleni Marneri Creative Gallery • 5-7 Lebessi & 16 Ponirou, Makriyianni • www.elenimarneri.com

TO January 31 2016 A Italian in Athens

The Mario Merz: Numbers are Prehistoric exhibition, organized by the Neon contemporary art organization and curated by Paolo Colombo, illuminates the thinking of one of the main representatives of the Italian Arte Povera movement. Introducing previously unexhibited material, the 10

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tribute is a balance between visual art and written expression. • Museum of Cycladic Art • 4 Neofytou Douka, Kolonaki • www.cycladic.gr

To February 28 2016 Modernist mates

Organized into three thematic sections, the Pablo Picasso – Jean Cocteau: Innovators of Modernism exhibition highlights the friendship between the two great men and the influence they exerted on each other’s art. On loan from the Pablo Picasso Museum in Münster, Germany, and the Ioannis Kontaxopoulos Collection, the exhibition’s 190 paintings, sculptures, ceramics, prints and art publications testify to the men’s shared concerns and interests. • B & M Theocharakis Foundation, 9 Vasilissis Sofias & 1 Merlin, Kolonaki • www.thf.gr

to June 30 2016 Feminization

“Women do not know how to paint. They pass neither the test of the marketplace nor the test of artistic value,” said the German artist Georg Baselitz. Soti Triantafyllou, author of the foreword to the exhibition Elles/ Ekeines, observes that in this context, men don’t know how to paint either. The award-winning writer argues that only a few artists leave their imprint on the world of art and that this comes down to talent and personality, rather than gender. The exhibition presents works by 67 female artists who were active in the post-war period and who, despite prejudices about their abilities, contributed substantially to shaping modern art. • Frissiras Museum • 3 Monis Asteriou, Plaka • www.frissirasmuseum.com

Benaki Museum

athens by bike

NEW ARRIVAL S

Plato-Inspired Museum This is probably one of the few museums where kids just can’t get enough� The new and only interactive Digital Museum in Greece is located in the neighborhood where Plato founded his school of philosophy, the Academy, around 387 BC. Built like a box with only two openings at the entrance and exit to symbolize the path to enlightenment, the purpose of the museum is to create a link between the life and teachings of the ancient philosopher and modern-day Athens. Why is Plato still relevant? Find out in a series of rooms with touch screens, cubes, quizzes and other surprises. What is love and what is just? You’ll be asked as you leave. Share your own theories, or read what other people wrote; both are equally fun.

Explore the city with one of the many groups providing alternative tours. Throw on a pair of sneakers and join one of the most recent, Athens by Bike, which offers two groups, the first at 10 in the morning and the other at 2 in the afternoon for late risers. The tour starts at Dionysiou Areopagitou, taking in Plaka, Monastiraki, the Ancient Agora and Thiseio, looping back along the bottom of Philopappos Hill. A stop in the island-like neighborhood of Anafiotika is a recent addition that affords amazing city views. • www.athensbybike.gr • €35/adult, €20/child

B Y M A R I A K O R A C H A I & N E N A D IMI T R IO U

Athens Insiders

At night, book a spot with Athens Insiders for Greek spirit tasting. Never tried tsipouro? Don’t worry, their sommeliers organize private tastings and tutorials on Greece’s most famous alcoholic drinks, including tsipouro, mastic liqueur and ouzo • www.athensinsiders. com • From €55/person.

Info

D i g i ta l M u s e u m Monastiriou & Kreontos, Akadimia Platonos • Open Tuesdays-Sundays 9:00-16:00 • Admission free D o w n l o a d The Android app “Philosophy Navigator” takes you around 91 landmarks in the center through 10 cultural tours centered on Plato’s Academy. Available in nine languages.

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Keep it Natural Wild in the City is known for its sugar-free desserts, flour-free pastas and eggless pies, standing apart from other snack bars because whatever you choose, it won’t contain any processed ingredients. They’re also very creative, so you’ll find goodies like sweet-potato pasta, almond flour and syrup cakes and cheesecake with quinoa and lactose-free yoghurt. The décor follows the same natural concept, an orgy of verdure and climbing ivy smack in a city arcade. • 7 Voulis, Stoa Bolani, Syntagma • Tel. (+30) 210.331.5776

Cheesy Delight

A modern dine-in delicatessen just a few steps from Kolonaki Square, Kostarelos cheese shop is like a boutique of treasures from dairies all over the country and those run by the family, which uses milk from the Attica region. Try its famous feta in a sandwich with roasted mushrooms or the soft, spreadable goat’s cheese (galotyri) from Epirus with roasted vegetables on rustic bread. For brunch or a light meal you’ll find salads and sweets such as rice pudding with chocolate mousse. Coffee is served during the day, followed by Greek wines at night. • 30-32 Patriarchou Ioakeim, Kolonaki • Tel. (+30) 210.721.5972 • Open Mon-Fri 8:00-21:00, Saturday 8:00-20:00

Mexican Grunge

Palmitas is no longer a disreputable neighborhood in central Mexico thanks to the initiative of the street art collective German Crew, which helped transform the grey walls into a colorful canvas. Inspired by this action, the team behind the award-winning Athenian bar The Clumsies opened a Mexican pop-up bar named after the former slum. Colorful lights, eye-catching graffiti and lively music set the mood for dancing while sipping mescal and tequila-based cocktails or nibbling at Tex-Mex delights served in paper trays. Vamos? • 11 Iera Odos, 4th floor, Gazi metro station • Open Fri & Sat from 20:00, through April

Design Meets Tradition Souvenirs have made a comeback since fresh, hip Greek designers took the evzone, the blue glass eye, Hermes’ sandals and other symbols that scream Greece and reinvented them in their own style. Greek creativity is not in crisis, they’re saying, and this is the title of an exhibition of their work, running to December 31 at Forget Me NΩt (100 Adrianou, Plaka). Even if you miss the show, you’ll still find the biggest collection of original souvenirs and other Made in Greece items here. For more insight into what’s happening in the Greek design scene, and not just in souvenirs, visit Matalou at Home (5 Ipitou, Plaka), or Concierge Athens (8 Aghias Theklas, Psyrri), to check out items from the exhibition “It’s all, oh so souvenir to me.”

INSPIRED SOUVENIRS Visit our photo gallery of fun items to take home

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The Historical Archive of National Bank of Greece A longstanding partner of the community

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he Historical Archive of National Bank of Greece (NBG) is located in a unique historical structure known as the Diomedes Building, at 146 Tritis Septemvriou Street. This area of Athens has been subject to urban decay in recent decades, but the elegantly restored Diomedes Building stands as a proud and optimistic reminder of the neighborhood’s heyday. Ever since NBG was first established in 1841, it took special pains to preserve and store every kind of bank document, as well as its equipment and other assets, both for practical and historical – and sometimes sentimental – reasons. The NBG’s first organization chart,

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prepared in 1842, designates the head of incoming/outgoing documents as the person responsible for keeping the institution’s records. In 1894, a General Records index was published for the first time. By order of NBG governor Ioannis Drosopoulos, dated 20 July 1938, an effort was made to distinguish those records, or archival materials, that were of significance for the writing of a history of the first 100 years of the bank. However, the outbreak of the Second World War and foreign occupation meant that this ambitious project had to be shelved. The Historical Archive was formally established in 1962 under the management of Dimitrios Helmis, under an

order issued on 19 October. However, shortly afterwards the military dictatorship of 1967–74 led to the suspension of its operations until further notice. It was not until 1977 that the then governor of NBG, Professor Angelos Angelopoulos, reinstated the operations of the Historical Archive, recognizing the significant role that it should play in safekeeping the documents recording the bank’s history as well as the economic history of the Greek state, with which the bank has been so closely associated since its establishment. The contribution of the NBG Historical Archive to promoting and fostering scientific research includes the presentation of important and specific

1. The façade of the Historical Archive Building. 2-3. Aspects of the exhibition The history of National Bank of Greece as reflected in its archives and collections. 4. The NBG’s oldest safe box.

perspectives on the social, cultural and political developments and activities of the country by means of its diverse archival, historical, research, publishing and educational activities. In addition, the application of innovative technologies for the archiving, safekeeping and showcasing of the Historical Archive’s documents ensures their proper management. The Historical Archive not only holds the archival material generated by NBG itself, but also records and collects items from other companies that, for one reason or another, have come into its possession over the years and are considered to comprise an important part of the country’s

cultural heritage. Despite the adverse circumstances of our time, the NBG Historical Archive is making the most of the limited economic resources at its disposal, working tirelessly and undertaking initiatives such as the organization of exhibitions and hosting of artistic events run by key social bodies such as the KETHEA rehabilitation center. It is open not only to scholars of related scientific and academic fields, but also to the wider public. It also organizes educational programs, is engaged in publishing and offers knowhow to visitors and researchers as well as learning and training opportunities to school pupils and university students.

The NBG Historical Archive’s stateof-the-art equipment and cutting-edge infrastructure, coupled with a broad spectrum of specialized activities ranging from archiving to conservation, and from microfilming to digitization, all combine to make it an exemplary organization that is in step with current developments and serves the community in which it operates.

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FAMILY FUN

MOM, I’M BORED� Don’t despair from museums to parks and organized tours, Athens offers lots of indoor and outdoor activities for children. BY ALEXIA AMVR AZI

raindrop plops on your nose as a cold wind picks up. You’ve been dragging your kids to the sites and a small but portentous wave of unhappiness begins to swell. It’s only midday and you know that if you don’t do something drastic to make them happy right now, lunch at that restaurant you and your partner have been meaning to try out since before you booked your flight to Athens will be like a slow motion assassination scene from The Godfather, but with food instead of bullets flying. But what to do? Where to go? Relax, there are plenty of options both indoors and out. Whether you are in the center of Athens or not, they are all easily reachable and rewarding even to the most demanding of dons who are running your life.

Eugenidis Digital Planetarium Europe’s most technologically sophisticated planetarium is at the Eugenides Foundation, in an auditorium that seats 280. The planetarium screens impressive 3D virtual trips to the galaxy, as well as IMAX movies and other shows, suitable for kids aged 5 and up, and with simultaneous narration in English (€1). Kids can also enjoy an interactive science exhibition.

387 Syngrou Avenue. Paleo Faliro • M e t r o Syngrou and from there, the 550 or B2 bus to Onassio stop • Tel. (+30) 210.946.9600 • www.eugenfound.edu.gr • A d m i s s i o n full €6-8, reduced €4-5 • S n a c k s ? Yes, there’s a café, open Wed-Fri 17:30-20:30, Sat & Sun 10:30-20:30

National Garden/Zappeio

Ancient steps for little feet

Commissioned by Queen Amalia in 1838, the then Royal Garden was initially home to over 500 species of plants and a selection of animals. Apart from wonderful verdant walkways studded with benches, a café, ancient ruins scattered on lawns, ponds with fish, frogs and turtles, and a section with exotic birds, peacocks, wild goats, rabbits, geese and ducks, there is also a large, generally clean playground (with toilets) where your kids can entertain themselves for hours. The adjacent Zappeio Garden is also a great place to set your kids free to play and run around. At the nearby Athens National Gym grounds (entrance from Vasilissis Olgas Ave), you’ll find two basketball courts (balls can be rented for €1), two large trampolines (€1.50 for 15 minutes) and a café serving freshly made pizzas and salads.

Discover Greek Culture, a tour operator offering hands-on experiences, has created the Young Explorers tour especially for children aged 5-13. The tours, which parents are required to chaperone, take kids through experiential visits to the Acropolis Museum, the Theater of Dionysus, the Sanctuary of Asclepius, the Parthenon and the Ancient Agora. There is spirited narrative, story-telling, games and activities to encourage enthusiastic and meaningful understanding of the places and their history.

Entrances from Amalias Avenue & Irodou Attikou • M e t r o , b u s o r t r a m Syntagma • A d m i s s i o n Free • S n a c k s ? Café in National Garden, Aigli in Zappeio, café in National Gym • O P EN sunrise to sunset

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Tours are between 9:30-12:30. For more information, call (+30) 211.215.3585 (Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 17:00) or (+30) 697.012.0878 • Prices: 1 child + 1 adult €100, 1 child + 2 adults €120

FAMILY FUN

Herakleidon Museum & Annex Here you’ll find interactive science, math and art exhibitions for children aged 4 and up. The main building’s exhibition presents interactive exhibits and art, introducing kids to the meaning of symmetry in nature and art. The second floor takes them on a historical journey through the stages of scientific, mathematical and artistic breakthroughs. The annex features an exhibition on The Amazing Inventions of the Ancient Greeks (to January 10, 2016, at 37 Apostolou Pavlou; daily 10:00-18:00), with real-life models.

16 Iraklidon, Thiseio • M e t r o Thiseio • Tel. (+30) 210.346.1981 • www.herakleidon-art.gr • A d m i s s i o n €6 per child, adults free, €4 for annex exhibitions • S n a c k s ? No • O P EN daily 10:00-18:00

Hellenic Children’s Museum

Goulandris Natural History Museum & Gaia Center Located in the leafy suburb of Kifissia, the museum’s fascinating permanent exhibition centers around zoology, botany, marine life, ornithology, entomology, herpetology and paleontology specimens – the latter starring a dinosaur, the Triceratops, which is 7.16m long (the original is in the American Museum of Natural History). With a combination ticket visit the environment-themed and interactive exhibitions at the Gaia Center down the road.

13 Levidou, Kifissia • M e t r o Kifissia • Tel. (+30) 210.801.5870 • www.gnhm.gr • A d m i s s i o n €6 (adults), €4 (children) • S n a c k s ? Café Ammonites • O P EN Tue-Fri 9:00-14:30, Sat & Sun 10:00-15:00

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Fun, creative, educational, interactive play with themed areas suitable for kids aged 2 and up. On one floor you will find a room with a toy grocery store, a fishmongers, bakery and butcher shop, an area dedicated to water play (aprons are provided) and a construction site. There are various rooms with themes such as measurements, musical instruments, cooking and more. Exhibits are in Greek but most of the friendly and helpful museum staff speak English.

14 Kydathineon, Plaka • M e t r o Syntagma or Acropolis • Tel. (+30) 210.331.2995 • www.hcm.gr • A d m i s s i o n Free • S n a c k s ? No • O P EN Tue-Fri 10:00-14:00, Sat & Sun 10:00-15:00

HAGIA SOPHIA, 1,500 YEARS OF HISTORY A virtual reality representation of the Church of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul

nce seat of the Patriarch of Constantinople, widely considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture, this magnificent monument is an enduring symbol of both Hellenism and world cultural heritage. On entering, the visitor will have the opportunity to see all its chief architectural characteristics revealed, one by one: how it was constructed, the materials used, its splendid mosaics and impressive icon paintings. Watching as the edifice gradually takes shape, step-by-step, the spectator will at the same time learn all about the signif-

icant historical, social and economic events of Byzantium. In taking this approach, the new digital production aims not only to bring to life a particular moment or period in the monument’s 1,500-year history, but to document in vivid detail its evolution and, by extension, the historic, social and cultural background against which it was created and for which it still stands as a potent symbol. The new film is coming to the cutting-edge “Tholos” virtual reality theater of the “Hellenic Cosmos” Cultural Center & Museum on December 20�

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H e l l e n i c C o s m o s C u lt u r a l C e n t e r & M u s e u m 254 Pireos Str • Tel. (+30) 212.254.0000 • www.hellenicosmos.gr

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ACTIVITIE S

RECONNECT WITH NATURE

Athenians really have it good in wintertime. As if the generally bright weather and a rich cultural life were not enough, they have verdant parks, forests and mountains to explore and enjoy. BY Alexia Amvr azi

Highlights W a l k i n g Try one of the following walks: Aghia Triada – Skipiza – Mola (2 hrs), Bafi refuge – Houni Gorge – Thrakomakedones (2 hrs), Mola – Saloniki – Avlonas (3½ hrs), or Fyli -Keladonas – Pan’s Cave – Arma – Moni Kleiston. M o u n ta i n b i k i n g The best trail is the circular one beginning at Kithara (Tatoi) and Metochi – Aghios Georgios – Tamilthi. C l i m b i n g Mikri Varasova, Korakofolia and Petra are the most popular climbing spots. More experienced climbers can attempt Arma and Flabouri summits. F l a b o u r i r e f u g e Yiannis Lykidis, tel (+30) 697.2256.215. B a f i r e f u g e Stephanos Sidiropoulos, tel (+30) 210.240.3556. Maps by Terrain and Anavasi (both in English) are highly recommended.

Leaving behind the district of Thrakomakedones as you start your ascent of Parnitha mountain (1,413m), against a spectacular backdrop of Attica and shimmery strips of sea, you enter one of the city’s green treasures, a magnet for fitness fanatics and nature-lovers especially at weekends. You’re sure to see them: hardcore mountain bikers putting on helmets; runners in team t-shirts preparing for some serious training, speed walkers strutting their stuff; small groups paying attention to curbside rock-climbing lessons; even one or two miscreants, like the elderly couple caught red-handed picking wild greens, being reprimanded by a ranger. And although the mountain teems with human life at weekends, you’re just as likely to come across a Cervus elaphus, the mountain’s red deer, as it forages for food, or perhaps a golden eagle hovering overhead. Covering a huge area of over 30,000 hectares, Parnitha is home to 132 species of birds, 42 types of mammals and around 1,100 species of plants. Despite the devastating fire that burned 5,600 hectares of forestland in 2007, life on the mountain definitely goes on. A good way to start your exploration is by visiting either of the two refuges, Bafi and Flabouri, both of which offer standard or tailored packages for groups as small as two. 24

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Bafi refuge

Parnitha, the highest mountain of attica

ACTIVITIE S

mt Hymettus The Hymettus mountain range, just a 20-minute drive from downtown Athens, is ideal for relaxation, walks and workouts, which can also be combined with cultural discovery. Hymettus (highest peak 1,026m) comprises a precious ecosystem with over 100 species of birds and an extensive network of pathways (many signposted), ancient and religious ruins as well as caves. Hymettus, nicknamed “crazy mountain” (Trellovouni), is popular with joggers, hikers, mountain bikers, picnickers and groups of excited kids on school excursions to plant nurseries and botanic gardens. One particularly interesting half-hour walk begins at the 11th century Kaisariani Monastery on the western slope. For a 2 euro entrance fee, you can tour the site inhabited by monks until the early 1830s. You can then follow the path up to the intriguing Church of the Ascension (Analipsi). In about 15 minutes you will arrive at the ruins of the Fragkomonastiro church and the restored church of Taxiarches, where the view is simply awesome.

A spectacular natural spot, only 27k from central Athens, the lush green Tatoi Estate on the southeast-facing slope of Mt Parnitha is an expanse of thickly wooded forest. Aleppo pine, oak and Arbutus trees abound, but you’ll also see olive, strawberry and plane trees. Outdoorsy Athenians go there for a breather, mainly at weekends, to explore over 90k of unmarked paths that wind through the forest. Europe’s smallest summer palace (4,000 sq.m.) – King George I of Greece wanted nature to feature as the estate’s key element – was built in 1874. Greece’s royal family summered here up to 1948 and later made it their permanent home, until the Greek state seized the property in 1973, following a constitutional referendum that abolished the monarchy. Tatoi Estate is ideal for cycling, hiking, jogging or, weather permitting, an outdoor picnic (the old vineyard, now a grassy patch surrounded by olive trees, is a particularly attractive spot), although local visitors usually prefer to satisfy their post-exercise appetite at nearby tavernas such as Leonidas, Thea and Aghios Mercourios, which serve grilled meats (the lamb chops are especially popular).

INFO Open all week, daylight hours only. The Tatoi Friends Association offers tours at weekends, starting at 10:00 (payment by donation). The meeting point is beside the yellow gate of the Lefkas Street entrance. For more info or to arrange a private tour, call (+30) 697.594.7248,w www.tatoi.org

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Tatoi Royal Estate

ACTIVITIE S

In the heart of the capital AT H EN S M AY NOT BE KNO W N A S GREEN c i t y, b u t i t d o e s h a v e s o m e l o v e ly s p o t s

Lycabettus Hill

This picturesque green refuge in the heart of Athens attracts fitness fanatics, dog walkers and pedestrian commuters taking a green shortcut across the city. The hill (300m) is densely covered with pine trees, aromatic herbs, flowers and plants (even wild asparagus in early spring). A dirt path circles the hill but there are numerous zigzag tracks for more extreme runs, while a leisurely stroll to the top takes around 30 minutes. Stop along the way to take in arresting views of the city below, the Acropolis and the port of Piraeus. At the very top you’ll find the Orizontes restaurant and the small church of St. George. Near the top is an open-air theater that hosts some great concerts in summer. Incurable romantics frequently park here to watch the sun set on the horizon as the lights of Athens gradually begin to twinkle.

Head straight for the top on the 5-minute funicular ride that starts on Aristippou Street in Kolonaki. Best street entry points for pedestrians: Marasli or Kleomenous (Kolonaki), Koniari or Sarandapichou (Lycabettus neighborhood) and Paliggenesias or Melinas Mercouri (closer to Ambelokipi metro station). Open 24 hours. TI P :

ARDITTOS HILL Some of the world’s greatest athletes have competed at the 45,000-seat Panathenaic (or Kallimarmaro) Stadium, famous for hosting the first modern Olympics in 1896. Fitness enthusiasts can exercise on the adjacent pine-covered Ardittos Hill, where ancient Greek judges took their oath in the names of Zeus, Apollo and Demeter. Ardittos towers above the sparkling white stadium, offering lovely views of the city from its top. Athenian runners love going for a jog around the horseshoe-shaped track just behind the stadium. TI P :

The running track is open from 8:30-sunset.

Philopappos

Acropolis, Plaka & Monastiraki runs/walks

ARDITTOS HILL

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Run, walk or bike along Dionysiou Areopagitou until you pass the Dionysos restaurant on your left and the coach terminal, then turn left into the cobblestone walkway that leads to the Philopappos and Pnyx hills; both are gorgeous, scenic routes. Rocky Pnyx, where ancient Greeks gathered for their popular assemblies, affords a spectacular view of the Acropolis and Mount Lycabettus. Philopappos, too, offers memorable views of the Parthenon with the Saronic Gulf in the background.

IN PICTURE S

THE NEW LANDMARK The Renzo Piano-designed Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, to be completed in 2016 to house the Greek National Opera and National Library, is pushing the envelope in sustainable architecture.

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VIEW FROM THE TOP

The sky is not the limit; it is in conversation with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center designed by Renzo Piano, arguably the most anthropocentric architect today. Looking out onto the Saronic Gulf in the South and the Parthenon in the North, the SNFCC will be a hub knowledge, culture and nature, as a 170,000 square meter Mediterranean garden built on an artificial hill – with 1,200 trees and 3,500 shrubs – embraces the Greek National Opera and National Library. Innovative ideas, environmental sustainability and cutting-edge architecture are expected to earn the SNFCC the platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification, which would make it the first project of this scale in Europe to receive the coveted distinction.

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BEHIND-THE-SCENES INNOVATION

Renzo Piano is giving Athens one of the most spectacular and technologically advanced opera houses in Europe. The new Greek National Opera will have two stages – the main stage with 1,400 seats and an alternative venue of 400 seats. These are the building’s only “closed” spaces; all the other areas are left bare, transparent and visible from the entrance foyer, looking 27 meters up. What we won’t be able to see is the sophisticated stage machinery and the seismic isolation system that allowed Piano to build 27-meter concrete columns. One of the most touching moments for the award-winning Italian architect was when an awestruck worker remarked that the building would last a thousand years.

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FLYING CARPET

The view of the Greek National Opera at dusk reveals the transparent quality that defines the structures, but mainly the dominant role of the canopy, a feat of engineering and architecture. The 10,000 square meter “flying carpet,” as Piano has fondly dubbed it, is supported by 30 thin steel columns and will be covered with photovoltaic panels. Special shock-absorbing systems make it immune to strong winds and earthquakes. Beneath it, visitors will enjoy a 360 degree view from the the so-called “lighthouse,” a room made entirely of glass, as well as the SNFCC restaurant.

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THE TOWER OF BOOKS

An 18 meter “tower” of books is the first thing visitors will see when they enter the new National Library, a temple of knowledge that inspires instant awe. Here too, transparency and light are key elements, carefully designed to make the most of the strong Attica sun, without allowing it to become too overpowering. Unlike most libraries, this one won’t be on “mute,” however, as a large area at the entrance will be dedicated to educational programs and activities, ringing with the sound of music and voices; sounds of life. The 22,000 square meter building will be home to more than 4,500 manuscripts from the 9th to the 19th centuries, as well as an extensive collection of significant historical documents.

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IN PICTURE S

Α MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN

An architectural achievement in its own right, the landscaping consists of a gentle artificial slope that climbs to a height of 42 meters, strengthened by special systems to prevent soil erosion and sogginess. A series of carefully appointed arbors of pines, olives and smaller trees form an elegant succession of open and more sheltered spaces, which include several playgrounds for children. With the help of experts who studied Attica’s endemic flora, the garden is planted with boxwood, oregano, lavender and rosemary, among other shrubs and herbs.

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discover GREECE IS

ATH EN S

SOU RC ES OF IN SPIRATION

Beyond the imperative pilgrimage to the Acropolis and its wonderful museum, where every statue has a great story to tell, Athens offers a plethora of opportunities to dive into its long and fascinating history. ÂŠ Dimitris Tsoumplekas from the series Future Athens, 2004, Lambda print, 96x106 cm, courtesy of the Ileana Toumta Contemporary Art Center

HIS TORY

MUST-SEE sites in ShorT Chalking up memorable experiences and appreciating history is really what visiting this city is all about. BY John Leonard

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A view to the Acropolis, from the Hill of the Muses (Philopappos Hill). Mt Penteli rises in the distant background.

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HIS TORY

isitors with an appetite for Greece’s ancient past will discover a virtual smorgasbord of experiences to choose from, given all the archaeological sites, scenic historic spots and freshly refurbished museum galleries now available around Athens. Even with only a few days of “site-seeing” time, there are certain key places not to be missed, as you explore the narrow streets, piney slopes and marble monuments that give the city a sense of timelessness. Εven visitors who think they already know what to expect will discover Athens holds many archaeological surprises and opportunities for new understandings, from inspiring hilltop ruins, to towering Corinthian columns, to richly illustrated Byzantine manuscripts, all in the midst of the bustling modern city cityscape. Topping the list is the Acropolis: one should always begin with a pilgrimage to the most perfect marble temple ever built, or to have survived condemning Christians, destructive conflagrations or Venetian bomb blasts. But don’t make straight for the Parthenon and miss all the intriguing other details to be noted during your walkabout. The Theater of Dionysus and the stone arches of Herodes Atticus’ music hall lie just beside the path, as you tread up the South Slopes in the footsteps of probably every prominent ancient Athenian to have left their mark on history. Beginning about 2,500 years ago, this was an area of Athens frequented by playwrights, city leaders, social critics, would-be brides and many other inhabitants or visitors seeking musical entertainment, drama, laughter, religious fulfillment or medical relief. The dimin-

1. Plaka’s 19th- and early 20th-century townhouses, overshadowed by the rocky Areopagus Hill, the seat of ancient Athens’ highest court. 2. The Roman Agora, erected by Julius Caesar and Emperor Augustus; once the haunt of peddlers, prostitutes and ordinary Athenians.

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utive Sanctuary of Asclepius, once something of a hospice or health clinic, recalls to mind the terrible plague that swept through the walled-in, war-torn city of Athens and claimed the life of its great leader Pericles in 429 BC. As you climb higher, catch another glimpse of the Herodeion from above, with its rising tiers of marble seats: a benefaction Herodes made to the city in the name of his late Italian-born wife Regilla—herself a great public benefactress and the head priestess of Fortuna’s temple, whose ruins lie hidden on the wooded knoll beside the horseshoe-shaped Panathenaic Stadium, easily distinguishable from the Acropolis. On another pine-clad hill, as you look out to the sea, stands the curving, partly preserved facade of a monumental tomb belonging to Gaius Julius Antiochus Philopappos, a distinguished Athenian citizen and the exiled ruler of a Roman-occupied kingdom in Asia Minor. Passing upward through the Propylaia, be sure to notice its coffered ceiling and the exquisite Ionic styling of the Athena Nike Temple to the right, both newly restored by the present-day Acropolis team of cutting-edge architects, engineers, conservators and stonemasons. On emerging from the colonnaded gateway, there lie before you the jewels of the Sacred Rock: the Parthenon with its refined Doric architecture; the Erechtheion with its elegant Caryatids and moldings; and, from the Belvedere, one of the most panoramic views of age-old Athens and its surrounding hills. Equally impressive experiences can be had at lower altitudes all around the Acropolis, especially at the Acropolis

3. The South “Caryatid” Porch of the Erechtheion, on the Acropolis, below which lay the tomb of Athens’ mythical King Cecrops. 4. Sculptural displays in the Stoa of Attalos, an ancient, colonnaded shopping mall enclosing the east side of the Athenian Agora.

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The Roman-period orchestra of the Theater of Dionysus, where dramas, gladiators, wild animals and mock sea battles were regular fare.

HIS TORY

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project. As recently as the mid-19th century, a monk still carrying on the ancient Stylite tradition sought a secluded refuge atop the columns, closer to God, and had his daily sustenance raised to him in basket. The city’s most notable museums include the foremost National Archaeological Museum, where you will meet such prototypical works of art as the handsome Zeus/Poseidon, the Boxing Boys of Akrotiri and the amused Aphrodite slapping at Pan. Perhaps Athens’ most visually striking museum experience, however, can be had at the Byzantine and Christian Museum, where a resplendent array of artifacts are notable for their rich colors, golden surfaces and enormous spiritual and historical value.

In the Athenian Agora one can almost feel the presence of Socrates, philosophically sparring with the city’s youth... or of Thespis, the world’s first award-winning actor...

Info Τhe Acropolis Tel. (+30) 210.321.4172 • Open daily 8:0015:00 (winter) 8:00-20:00 (summer) • Admission full €12, reduced €6 ( This ticket allows admission to all main archaeological sites, seven days a week) Acropolis Museum 15 Dionysiou Areopagitou • Tel. (+30) 210.900.0900 • www.theacropolismuseum. gr • Admission €5 • Open April 1 – October 31 Mondays 8:00-14:00, Tuesdays-Sundays 8:00-20:00, Fridays 8:00-22:00; November 1 – March 31 Mondays-Thursdays 9:0017:00, Fridays 9:00-22:00, Saturdays & Sundays 9:00-20:00 ( Last admission is half an hour before closing) At h e n i a n A g o r a a n d M u s e u m 24 Adrianou • Tel. (+30) 210.321.0185 • Open daily 8:00-15:00 (winter) 8:00-20:00 (summer) • Admission full €4, reduced €2 (Includes admission to all the main archaeological sites in the historical center) O ly m p i e i o n Entrance from Vassilissis Olgas Avenue • Tel. (+30) 210.922.6330 • Open daily 8:0015:00 (winter) 8:00-20:00 (summer) • Admission full €2, reduced €1 Byzantine and Christian Museum 22 Vassilissis Sofias • Tel. (+30) 213.213.9500 • Open Tue-Sun 9:00-16:00 • Admission €4 Nat i o n a l A r c h a e o l o g i c a l M u s e u m 44 Patission • Tel. (+30) 213.214.4800 • Open Mon 13:00-20:00, Tue-Sun 9:0016:00 • Admission 7€

The Parthenon, aglow as dusk falls in Athens, with its beautifully restored north colonnade.

Museum. Here, you will reenact your earlier Acropolis ascent, as you move upward through the galleries, culminating with an opportunity to view the Parthenon’s remaining marbles up close and personal. West of the Acropolis is the Hill of the Muses, whose summit carries the Philopappos monument and offers more inspiring views of the templed Sacred Rock. Also visible are the blue Saronic Gulf and Piraeus, home to ancient Athens’ triple-basined military/ commercial port. Adjacent is the Pnyx Hill, which still retains the speakers’ rostrum and hillside auditorium of the popular assembly (Ekklesia), once echoing with the speeches of Pericles and Demosthenes. On the north side of the Acropolis, in the Athenian Agora, the ancient city’s main public square, one can almost feel the presence of Socrates, philosophically sparring with the city’s youth in the House of Simon the Shoemaker, or of Thespis, the world’s first award-winning actor who performed along the Agora’s lanes. The Temple of Hephaestus and Athena (Hephaisteion), the best-preserved temple of ancient Greece, also deserves a visit, while the Stoa of Attalos and its galleries of objects illustrating daily life and the ways of democracy in ancient Athens should not be missed. East of the Acropolis, as you meander through the winding streets of Plaka, the solitary Lysicrates Monument—a marble trophy-stand recognized today for its pioneering external use of the Corinthian style — not only stands as a tribute to past wealthy sponsors (choregoi) who financially backed ancient Athens’ theatrical performances, but also calls to mind Lord Byron. The flamboyant English nobleman once used this diminutive monument’s internal space as a study — in the early 19th century, when a Capucine convent had grown up around the 4th century BC structure and rented rooms to visitors. Further east tower the massive Corinthian columns of the Olympieion, beside which one feels dwarfed in the shadow of such an ambitious building

A DV E R TO R I A L

Myths and Legends Jewelry designer Eva Papadopoulou began her artistic journey at her family’s art foundry, where she worked for many years, observing up close the work of Greek and foreign sculptors and gradually discovering her own voice that would eventually allow her to tell her own story. For her first collection, titled Myths and Legends, she draws inspiration from ancient Greek mythology to create a series of jewelry, which she imagines could once have been worn by Hecuba or Olympia, maybe Ariadne, or even the beautiful Helen. All her pieces are hand crafted and cast out of sterling silver, which is then plated in 24 karat gold, achieving a quality virtually lost in the era of mass production and offering the discerning customer a unique ornament of ancient Greek opulence, elegance and beauty.

www.evapapadopoulou.com

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The Calf-Bearer, whose direct gaze and welcoming smile seem an open window into the soul of the Acropolis.

ΤΗΕ ACROPOLIS MUSEUM

IF THEY COULD TALK At last, more than a century after their discovery, eight of the Acropolis Museum’s most significant statues tell their story! BY John Leonard P H O T OS D I M I T R I S T S O U M P L E K A S

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Papposilenos LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING...

Greece Is: Are you the mythical Silenus, the wise teacher and companion of the wine god Dionysus? Yes, but sometimes, when I look older, they like to call me Papposilenos.

We hear you’re fond of drunken revelries and often get carried home on a donkey. Is that appropriate for a figure of your stature? Well, I am a satyr – we love drinking, dancing, making music… and we’re known for our cheeky, lewd behavior. Plus, I’m the leader of Dionysus’ entourage and I have to set an example for the younger satyrs. We’re an unruly bunch, especially the maenads – those high-spirited women who dance 48

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around in wine-induced ecstasy, usually working themselves into a violent frenzy!

Tutor, sidekick, chief satyr…what else can you tell us? Well, in this particular manifestation as a statue (along with little Dionysus here on my shoulders, holding a theatrical mask), I used to adorn the Theater of Dionysus. But I also became a much-beloved character in those bawdy, tragicomical “satyr” plays.

You satyrs were originally forest men, weren’t you, and typically sport the ears, legs and tail of a horse. What’s with your present look?

Nowadays, I do have an uncanny resemblance to the philosopher Socrates; but he was a familiar, colorful figure around here, well known to Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and the other playwrights who presented satyr plays on the Acropolis slopes.

Ah, you’re from 5th-century BC, Periclean Athens? No, I’m not that old! My era is the 2nd century BC.

So, you’re actually a Roman copy, posing as a Classical Greek original? Something like that. Don’t forget, in ancient Greek mythology and art looks can be deceiving!

Seated Scribe THE POWER OF THE WORD

Who are you… there on your stool? I am an official Athenian scribe. I had quite an important job. Athens was a busy place in the 6th, 5th and 4th centuries BC! What with that ambitious tyrant Peisistratus, the pugnacious Persians, the First Athenian League, the Peloponnesian War and the Second Athenian League, there were always architects, builders, treasurers and other officials rushing about; generals and diplomats coming and going; politicians bustling between the Boule (Council) and the Ekklesia (People’s Assembly); and – for us scribes – plenty of state decisions, pronouncements and honorary decrees to be recorded…

How were Athenians kept informed of this official business? Once decisions had been proposed by the Boule and approved by the Ekklesia, we transcribed them onto a papyrus roll, or a wax-lined wooden tablet, using a sharp bronze or bone stylus. Then, they were inscribed on stone steles, erected in prominent public spaces – especially the Agora (central square) and the Acropolis.

My duties included documenting the leaders’ rulings and keeping accounts of public constructions, or the dedicatory treasure of Athena…

So, these “notice boards” were a common sight on the Sacred Rock? Indeed; if you look just beside the visitors’ path as you ascend from the Propylaia, you’ll see slots in the bedrock that once held steles. People could read these documents as they passed.

What kinds of things did you record? I’m an older scribe (ca. 510-500 BC), so my duties included documenting the leaders’ rulings and keeping accounts of public constructions, or the dedicatory treasure of Athena and the other gods. Later scribes also registered democratic actions by the Demos (citizens), public supervisors’ annual reports, foreign alliances, and who was to be given honors, such as free meals at the Prytaneion (Tholos/Executive Council’s Mess), front-row theater seats, the title of Ambassador, or even Athenian citizenship! G R E E C E IS

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Is there a religious ceremony about to take place? My sister Caryatids and I are thought to be libation-bearers or attendants for Athens’ mythical king Cecrops. That’s probably why we adorn the Erechtheion’s South Porch – his tomb was located just below. We used to carry phialai (shallow libation bowls) in our hands; the tips of our knees pressing against our gowns indicate that we’re moving, perhaps rhythmically in a procession.

You’re also columns; is that unusual? No, caryatids had already appeared in the Siphnian Treasury at Delphi about 530-525 BC. We were installed on the Acropolis a century later. The Erechtheion may have been started as part of Pericles’ great building program on the Sacred Rock… or at least by 421 BC. It was mostly complete by 406 BC, but – as you can see, if you examine the molding just below our feet – some decorative details were left unfinished. Those final years of the Peloponnesian War were difficult.

Our sculptor…? That’s still a mystery. Some say we came from the workshop of Alkamenes, a student and collaborator of the great Pheidias.

Mnesikles, the architect of the Propylaia, may have designed the Erechtheion, but who was your particular sculptor? That’s still a mystery. Some say we came from the workshop of Alkamenes, a student and collaborator of the great Pheidias. We are enchanting, with our thick braided hair, clinging garments and unique, crown-like capitals resting on our heads. The vertical folds of our peploi recall the flutes of an actual column. We do carry a lot of weight on our heads.

Where does your name come from? One local myth claimed we represent girls from Karyai, in the Peloponnesian region of Laconia. Vitruvius, the Roman architect, wrote that we are Carian women from Asia Minor, who sided with the Persians and now bear the weight of our guilt on our heads… But these are apocryphal tales. We are Korai, elegant ladies of Athens!

But one of you is missing. Where is she? You are speaking of our sister, who is now in London. The people of Athens used to say they could hear us mourning for her at night, after she was taken by Lord Elgin.

Caryatid AN ELEGANT L ADY O F AT H E N S

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The Rider O N P A R A D E I N A N C I E N T AT H E N S

Those horses are a little frisky. They want the parade to begin! We’re getting them into formation for the dokimasia – the annual inspection of the Athenian cavalry. One of our commanders (hipparchoi) is just ahead, also trying to soothe his mount. He was likely carved by Pheidias himself, but most of us Parthenon figures were created (430s BC) by lesser sculptors of the master’s workshop.

was presented to the goddess for her cult statue in the Erechtheion. Supposedly, the central scene over the Parthenon’s east entrance depicts the new garment’s presentation. In recent years, however, a fresh interpretation has been offered, in which the east frieze’s central scene is said instead to concern human sacrifice, involving the mythical Athenian king Erechtheus, his wife Praxithea and their three virgin daughters. It’s based on a familiar Athenian myth.

You’re members of the cavalry? Aren’t there new interpretations of the Parthenon frieze these days?

Where does that leave you?

The traditional view is that we’re all participants in a Greater Panathenaic procession in honor of Athena – during which a new peplos (robe)

We’re still cavalrymen. But now we’re participants in a sacrificial procession, held in honor of Erechtheus’ slain daughters. We riders accordingly

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belong to the king’s army, which, the myth says, defeated the invading forces of King Eumolpus of neighboring Eleusis. Athenian independence was thus divinely ensured, thanks to the sacrifice of Erechtheus’ offspring.

Which interpretation is correct? The specialists are still talking… But the new view fits the other decorative themes portrayed on the Parthenon and Acropolis– military victory; order over chaos; patriotism and self-sacrifice, all in the name of Athenian supremacy and freedom. In Pericles’ day, these were key issues, fueled by Persian invasions, imperial expansion and all-for-one, one-for-all democratic reforms.

… And you are the Peplos Kore, a work of that great Athenian sculptor whose name we do not know but refer to as the “Rampin Master?” Yes; we korai first appeared on the Acropolis in the early 6th c BC. We’re all unique! I myself was sculpted around 530 BC. You can see that I’m a more recent figure – from my relaxed Archaic Smile, less stylized “Almond Eyes” and more naturalistic body.

The Peplos Kore A COLORFUL L ADY SMILES

You’re wearing a traditional Doric peplos (heavy woolen robe). Why is that? Well, firstly, we Acropolis ladies are more modest than those nude kouros boys! We prefer to appear fully dressed, in our finest clothes. My own style is conservative… they say I’m a goddess – perhaps Artemis – though, I seem to have lost my bow and arrows. Other korai hold small offerings: a pear, a flower, a dove…

They say I’m a goddess… but most of us Korai are likely priestesses, temple attendants, or young Athenian women typically seen at public celebrations or ceremonies… You korai are not all goddesses? No, most of us are likely priestesses, temple attendants, or young women typically seen at public celebrations or ceremonies. The more progressive ladies among us tend to wear lighter, sheerer fashions, like those of Ionia (western Asia Minor) and the Aegean islands. That is, a linen chiton (tunic) beneath a himation (mantle).

We understand from the museum’s conservators that you were all once much more colorful. Alas, our luxurious fabrics have indeed faded! Originally, our clothes, hair and faces gleamed with rich shades of blue, green, yellow and red. We looked very lifelike! My peplos was adorned with animal images and lovely palmettes, rosettes and running waves. We also wore painted or attached jewelry. I had a bronze wreath around my hair. Those metal fittings still visible on some korai’s heads weren’t so fashionable, but they kept pesky birds from landing and spoiling our appearance!

ΤΗΕ ACROPOLIS MUSEUM

You must be The Calf-Bearer…? One of the eldest members of the statue community here in the Acropolis Museum? Yes, I was one of the first statues produced when the Attic sculpture workshops got started in the early 7th century BC. My creator is still unknown, but the experts think I was carved about 570 BC.

How do they know you’re such an early sculpture? For one thing, I’m made of white marble from Mount Hymettus, just outside Athens. In later years, Athenian sculptors largely switched to using finer-quality marble from the island of Paros. But I don’t feel old-fashioned; I’m an original… an icon! I’m in all the guidebooks and school texts!

You sound a little… supercilious. Who are you exactly? From my inscribed base, you’ll see I’m a dedication offered by Rhombos, son of Palos, who was probably a top Athenian aristocrat – a member of the 500-Measure social class, with the necessary means to make expensive gifts, such as me. Some say I’m Rhombos himself, bringing a calf to Athena as a sacrificial offering.

How else can we identify you as an early Archaic sculpture?

The Calf-Bearer A DEDICANT COMES TO WORSHIP

Well, look at my features – the distinctive “Archaic Smile,” almond-shaped eyes and stylized hair and anatomy. And check out these impressive “abs,” just above my button-like navel. I used to go to the gymnasium every day!

If you’re so old, how come you’re still in such great shape? It was those rascally Persians. When they ransacked the Acropolis in 480 BC, they knocked me down, along with some of my other colleagues here in this gallery. Later, the Athenians buried us, when they were tidying up. So, here we are! 54

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I don’t feel old-fashioned; I’m an original… an icon! I’m in all the guidebooks and school texts!

Pensive Athena INSIDE THE MIND OF A GODDESS

If we may intrude on your quiet reflection, aren’t you Athena, the divine patroness of ancient Athens? I initially had to compete for that role against the sea god Poseidon, but I prevailed… aided by a persuasive gift: the olive tree. That pivotal contest was commemorated in a sculptural scene in the Parthenon’s west pediment. My birth is featured in the opposite east pediment.

Would visitors have seen many tributes to you on the Acropolis? This prominent hill was the seat of my cult – the foremost religious sanctuary in a city named after me. The Athenians were always finding new ways to express their respect, and to remind other city-states what a powerful goddess I am!

…You often appeared on steles such as this one? My image regularly accompanied official steles. This relief (ca. 460 BC) may have been a boundary marker; or part of a treasury archive or solemn list of war dead. With my expression and heavy drapery folds, I represent the Severe Style, prior to the more idealized, fluid, lightly clad figures of the ensuing High Classical era.

My image regularly accompanied official steles. This relief may have been a boundary marker; or part of a treasury archive or solemn list of war dead

Where might we have seen larger images of you? The most visible was the colossal Bronze Athena, between the Erechtheion and the Propylaia. I was Athena Promachos, dressed in armor, holding a spear. This statue towered impressively over visitors as they emerged onto the Acropolis. It was so tall (at least 9m.) that sailors reputedly could see the tops of my helmet and spear as they approached from Sounion! With the sun flashing off my polished bronze, it must have been a glorious sight! Of course, the pièce de résistance was my gold and ivory cult statue, 10 meters tall, inside the cella of the Parthenon, created by the sculptor Pheidias!

You’re a handsome fellow. You look quite distinct from the earlier statues around here. I’m what the art historians call a transitional figure. I represent an Athenian youth (ephebos), in the era after the Persian invasion of 480 BC. I was also preserved by the city’s clean-up/burial operation that followed the wartime destruction of the Acropolis. You’ll notice I have a very naturalistic appearance. No more stylized Archaic facial features. Instead, I’m portrayed as physically relaxed, mentally composed; still standing erect, but with my body weight predominantly on my left leg.

Is there still uncertainty concerning who carved you? Yes, but whoever he was he has masterfully demonstrated an artistic canon later embraced by famous sculptors including Polykleitos, Praxiteles and Lysippos. Through me, he shows that although the body has many different parts, it can be unified symmetrically, by applying a system of ideal mathematical proportions and balance. You could say that I’m the first “digital” statue!

Kritios Boy A C O M P O S E D AT H E N I A N TEENAGER

Your hips are narrower, with one side slightly higher than the other…

I’m a forerunner to the artistic sensibilities of Classical Athens... My contribution to Greek art has been partly described as a newfound attitude of calm, post-war confidence...

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That’s the “contrapposto” effect, where my back is beginning to curve like an “S”… one hip down and the opposite shoulder up. I’m named after my creator Kritios, the same sculptor who depicted those tyrant-slayers Harmodius and Aristogeiton.

Your humor is a little surprising, given that you appear so serious. My austere expression is characteristic. I’m perhaps the best known example of the “Severe Style,” a forerunner to the artistic sensibilities of Classical Athens’ Golden Age. My contribution to Greek art has been partly described as a newfound attitude of calm, post-war confidence; a harbinger of the Athenians’ blossoming ideological and visual emphasis on individualism, within their increasingly democratic society.

Nike EVEN GODDESSES REMOVE THEIR SANDALS

May we ask, where you are going? Into a temple; but first I’m removing my sandals as a sign of respect. I represent victory, a familiar theme on the Acropolis, heralded by Pericles’ artists through their various decorative programs – as visual reminders of Athenian military might and success. The recurring association between Athena, patroness of Athens, and Nike, goddess of victory, was symbolic and propagandistic…

Where were Athena and Nike seen together? In the Parthenon, a Nike nearly 2 meters high stood in the open, upturned hand of Pheidias’ statue of Athena Parthenos – dwarfed by the enormous figure, which (with its base) was more than five times taller! Other Nike figures appeared in the temple’s pediments, on its metopes and even on its roof, adorning the building’s four corners. Affluent worshipers would have dedicated marble, bronze or gold Nike figures to Athena as votive offerings.

The balustrade was carved by at least six sculptors… There were about 50 Nikai…moving gracefully, clad in near-transparent drapery… offering sacrifices to Athena and erecting trophies… Where were you? The Sandalizomene relief was one of the marble slabs that formed a balustrade around the Athena Nike temple, built in the 430s and 420s BC. The balustrade itself was carved by at least six sculptors during the last decade or so of the Classical 5th century BC. There were about 50 Nikai depicted, moving gracefully, clad in near-transparent drapery. We are offering sacrifices to Athena and erecting trophies before and after battles.

Did Nikai appear on the temple itself? Ten gilded bronze Nikai adorned the roof. The temple’s overall decorative theme was the victory of Greeks, specifically Athenians, in battles against Persians or other Greeks. Pedimental sculptures portrayed the Gigantomachy and Amazonomachy; the frieze illustrated Marathon and other historical or mythical battles. This little sanctuary may itself have been a votive offering by the Athenians, in the last years of the Peloponnesian War. 58

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THE ACROPOLIS MUSEUM At the Acropolis Museum, the small details hold the key… from the soaring modern architectural features of the building itself and the ruins of an ancient, once-crowded neighborhood visible outside, to the scenes of women’s rituals and ancient everyday life found on Classical vases inside in the Acropolis Slopes Gallery. One also has to look beyond polished marble surfaces and stunning sculptural forms, however, remembering what is now missing, before one can fully appreciate the soul of ancient Greece.

Traces of once-bright paint still cling to Archaic Kore (maiden) statues; striding Caryatid ladies and graceful Nike goddesses attend to their sacred rituals; intricately carved original panels from the Parthenon’s metopes and frieze stand ready for inspection beside casts of their brethren now in foreign museums; while the view to the Acropolis and surrounding city, framed within the top-floor gallery’s all-glass walls, provides an inspiring bonus display to the museum’s already superb exhibits. Take a moment also to appreciate the friendly staff, the well-stocked book/ souvenir shops and the excellent roof-top restaurant and café, offering delicious, freshly innovative fare.

Info 15 Dionysiou Areopagitou • Tel. (+30) 210.900.0900 • www.theacropolismuseum.gr G eneral admission €5 • O pening hours November 1 – March 31: Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday 9 a.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday 9 a.m.-8 p.m. April 1 – October 31: Monday 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Tuesday-Sunday 8 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday 8 a.m.-10 p.m. • L ast admission is half an hour before closing.

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Ε ΧΗΙΒΙΤΙΟΝ

The Europeans’ Athens Realistic and romantic views of the city over a period of three centuries are on display at the National Archaeological Museum on the occasion of its 150th anniversary. BY TA S S O U L A E P TA K I L I

he winter morning may have been chilly but inside the National Archaeological Museum it was still a late summer’s afternoon. The setting sun cast its orange light over the statues, the cicadas were singing in full voice and the smell of oregano and thyme filled our noses. At least this is the scene set up by the people of Greece’s largest museum for the exhibition A Dream Among Splendid Ruins: Strolling through the Athens of travelers, the forerunner of several events culminating in 2016 to mark the foundation’s 150th anniversary. Within 250 square meters set aside at the heart of the historic building, visitors are able to stroll through 17th, 18th and 19th century Athens – taking in the Temple of Hephaestus, the Tower of the Winds, the Pnyx, the Agora and, of course, the Acropolis – as it was seen through the eyes of Europeans

French Vice-Consul Louis François Sebastien Fauvel in his house with the Parthenon in the background. Illustration by Louis Dupré from Voyage à Athènes et à Constantinople, Paris, 1825. (Library of the Hellenic Parliament)

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Oil painting by Josef Theodor Hansen depicting the Erechtheion, 1881 (Library of the Hellenic Parliament).

who came to Greece in those distant times, affected by classicism, in search of the traces of its ancient civilization. Was their influence important? Undoubtedly! Because they reintroduced Athens to Europe and contributed to Greece being perceived as the homeland of European intellectual thought. How true the depictions in their works – publications, paintings, watercolors and engravings – are is hard to say. The images of the city they passed down are a mixture of realistic and dreamlike; they did not always describe Athens the way it actually was, but the way they themselves would have liked it to be, blurring the boundaries in between. This game between the real and the imaginary is what makes this exhibition particularly fascinating. But its greatest strength lies in the fact that the exhibits on the travelers, comprising 22 illustrated editions and 14 original works of art (most of which come 62

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from the Library of the Hellenic Parliament, as well as the Museum of the City of Athens and the General State Archives of Greece) are cast in conversation with 35 marble sculptures – many of which have been taken out of storage for the first time. One of the painters, for example, visited Athens in 1819. Taking advantage of the magnificent view of the Acropolis from the house of the French Vice-Consul Louis François Sebastien Fauvel near the Roman Agora, he gives us a stunning depiction of the Sacred Rock, with Fauvel himself posing on his balcony next to Greek antiquities from his private collection, amassed during his notorious “hunts” for ancient relics. Among these is a male torso in breastplate, seen today in front of a case with a lithograph by Louis Dupré. The “dialogue” between the colored cuirassed man and his marble alter ego, almost two centuries later, is fascinating.

The colossal head of the father of the gods, a find from the Temple of Olympian Zeus dating from the first half of the 2nd century AD.

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a COSC-certified Swiss chronometer, like all Rolex perpetual movements. The Calibre 3135 has a blue Parachrom spring, patented and manufactured by Rolex in an exclusive alloy, which is highly resistant to magnetic interference and offers great stability in the face of temperature variations and shocks. The Yacht-Master’s innovative new Oysterflex bracelet, developed and patented by Rolex, conceals a flexible titanium and nickel alloy metal blade

overmoulded with high-performance black elastomer which is particularly resistant to environmental effects, very durable and perfectly inert for the wearer of the watch. It combines the robustness, waterproofness and reliability of a metal bracelet and the flexibility, comfort and aesthetics of a rubber strap. It is fitted with an 18ct Everose gold Oysterlock safety clasp that prevents accidental opening. The Yacht-Master is also offered in a new 37mm diameter.

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ROLEX HELLAS • www.rolex.com

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DON’T MISS View of Athens (1674) Written by Jesuit monk JacquesPaul Babin, it is the first printed traveler monograph on Athens in modern times, embellished with several engravings.

Colossal head of Zeus (2nd century AD) It was found at the Temple of Olympian Zeus in 1937 and is part of a statue that was meant to be visible from a great distance, as attested by its impressive dimensions.

Handwritten inventory by Kyriakos Pittakis Kyriakos Pittakis (1798-1863) was the first curator of antiquities in Athens, appointed in 1832, and although self-taught, one of the pioneers in archaeology in Greece. This inventory, dating to 1834, comprises the antiquities kept then at the Temple of Hephaestus, the Propylaia and the so-called Stoa of Hadrian, actually the western wing of Hadrian’s Library.

1. Louis-François Cassas (1756-1827), general view of Athens, colored etching. (Art Collection of the Greek Parliament)

I n f O n at i o n a l a r c h a e o l o g i c a l M u s e u m 44 Patission • Tel. (+30) 213.214.4891 • Open Mondays 13:00-20:00, Tuesdays-Sundays 9:00-16:00 • www.namuseum.gr • The exhibition runs through October 8, 2016

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2. Statuette of Venus, 1st century BC. Found near Thiseio in 1904. 3. The main entrance of the museum.

Read more The museum and its collections

BENAKI MUSEUM

Madcap Anthony’s Derring-do The Benaki Museum, one of the finest cultural institutions in Greece, carries on the vision of its founder to celebrate and propagate Hellenism.

BY CHRISTOS CHOMENIDIS*

om Sawyer is always getting up to some mischief on the banks of the Mississippi River or engaging in crazy feats such as balancing on a fence to impress his sweetheart in the pages of Mark Twain. Victor Hugo’s Gavroche roams the streets of Paris, joining forces with Les Misérables in protest and penning scathing verses against the tyranny before falling in a hail of bullets… But Madcap Anthony – or Trelantonis, as the most popular childhood hero of modern Greek literature is known – need not be sought in books. Just walk down from Lycabettus Hill towards the National Garden and there, on Vassilissis Sofias Avenue, diagonally opposite the side entrance to Parliament, you will find the repository of his spirit in a 19th century mansion. For all his mischievousness, the boisterous Trelantonis was known for hating lies and injustice. But this precocious and courageous pea-jacketed boy was not a figment of the imagination of his creator, Penelope Delta. He lived, traveled, fought and loved, from 66

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1873 to 1954. He was Antonis Benakis, the founder and creative force – even to this day – behind one of Greece’s finest museums: the Benaki. The small state formed in 1830 in the southern Balkans did not simply represent the ideal of a handful of visionaries who – initiated in the spirit of the Enlightenment – despised Ottoman domination. It was not even a vindication of the local population that took up arms against the hated pashas and sultans, shouting “Freedom or Death,” and decimated in the 10-year War of Independence. New Greece saw itself as the embodiment of a tradition that went back thousands of years, picking up the thread of its interrupted history from the rhapsodists who sang of the Siege of Troy; the thread Ariadne gave Theseus to help him escape from the clutches of the Minotaur. The continuity, the resilience of Hellenism through the centuries, was certainly not founded in heredity, the DNA. Nor was it personified by some

The pea-jacketed boy was not a figment of the imagination of his creator, Penelope Delta. He lived, traveled, fought and loved, from 1873 to 1954.

Antonis Benakis examining the Mycenaean gold kylix from Dendra in the Argolid, in a phototgraph of emblematic significance for the museum, taken in 1950.

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royal dynasty. What survived in spite of all the death and rebirth were language, art and a sense of place. Or, as so aptly put by the poet Odysseas Elytis: “My only care my language on Homer’s shores.” From the collapse of the Byzantine Empire or thereabouts and to the present day, communities of diaspora Greeks have been striving, surviving and doing great things, nowadays mainly in America and Australia; back then in Egypt, Constantinople, Russia and the Danubian Principalities. The Benaki family, an economic force in Alexandria, came to Athens not to invest but to endow the country-birthplace with its wealth. Its patriarch, Emmanouil Benakis, threw his significant weight behind the father of modern Greece, Eleftherios Venizelos, thanks to whom the country expanded

three times in size and five in population, and was impressively propelled into the modern 20th century. His daughter, Penelope Delta, became one of the most emblematic writers of her time. His son, Antonis, succeeded, among his many endeavors, in convincing his siblings to give over the family mansion to the creation of a museum, which he nurtured and grew throughout his lifetime. What is the guiding principle of the Benaki Museum? The propagation of the Greek language and art as it evolved not just within the confines of the country’s borders but throughout the Eastern Mediterranean. Through the gate, across the garden, up the marble steps, brings you to the museum’s ground floor and immerses you in the long-distant past. Cycladic figurines and miniatures of

Exhibition hall with traditional costumes from various regions of Greece.

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female deities whose enlarged breasts denote a matriarchal period of human history. Spearheads, grave offerings and funerary steles dedicated to warriors and maidens. Objects of day-today use – reminders that ancient times were not inhabited just by poets and philosophers, but also by simple folk who knew how to enjoy and beautify their lives – such as children’s toys, jewelry, cups and cookware. Coins depicting hegemons and illustrating the skill of their craftsmen. A whole world opens up as you wander from room to room. A sculpted head from Afghanistan marks the outer border of Alexander the Great’s sphere of conquest and an epigraph from Phrygia proves the reach of Greek: “Our Common Greek Language / which we carried as far as Bactria, as far as the Indians,” as C.P. Cavafy puts it.

1. The splendid reception room of a mid-18th century mansion in Kozani, northern Greece, with splendidly carved wood panels lining the walls and other impressive ornamentation.

2. Penelope Delta, the sister of Antonis Benakis and one of the greatest Greek writers of her generation. She was born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1874 and died in Athens in 1941.

3. A Young Greek Boy, 1837. Oil painting, 0.28x0.21m. Gift of Damianos Kyriazis. The artist remains unknown, but this portrait radiates a peculiar feeling of resignation and intangible sadness, which only an exceptionally sensitive individual could perceive. Collection of Paintings, Drawings and Prints.

4. A hall dedicated to the reign of King Otto, including a portrait of the Bavarian monarch of Greece at a young age, by J.K. Stieler.

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Fragment of a marble Attic grave stele. 4th century BC.

Silver-gilt belt buckle with enameled decoration and corals. From Saphrampolis, 1837.

Early Cycladic marble female â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;folded-armâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; figurine. Early Cycladic II period, 26002500 BC. The figurine, belonging to the Spedos variety, has been attributed to the so-called Fitzwilliam Museum Master. Height 0.21m. Gift of Chris Bastis. (Prehistoric, Ancient Greek and Roman Art)

Finely incised figure of a dancing girl, holding rattles of some kind, on the glazed bottom of a shallow bowl, the work of a Cypriot workshop (13th century).

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Domenikos Theotokopoulos, St Luke painting the Virgin and Child. Egg tempera on wood, pre-1567.

Marble head of a goddess. Roman copy, perhaps of a 5th century BC sculpture by Agoracritus.

Attic red-figure hydria by the Syracuse Painter, depicting Eos pursuing Cephalus, 470-460 BC.

The exterior of the Benaki Museum, a neoclassical jewel that has gone through various phases of expansion and refurbishment for more than a century (1895-1997).

In the next room we see a pre-Christian stamp used to sanctify bread in Egypt; an ivory comb engraved with the figures of two beautiful women embodying the two queens of the time, Rome and Constantinople; icons of the Virgin holding or kissing the infant Jesus on wood, cloth and papyrus, and we wonder: how many tears are soaked into these materials? The next cases hold icons of the warrior saints: George, Demetrius, Archangel Michael, reincarnations we could almost say, with their curled locks and swords, of Achilles, Patroclus and Hector. The first floor contains what is probably the museum’s most exciting exhibit: young Domenikos Theotokopoulos, before he left his birthplace of Crete for the West, before he became El Greco, paints the Apostle Luke painting the Virgin Mary – an image within an image, a destiny within a destiny. In the meantime, the Ottomans are sweeping through the Eastern Mediterranean, tolerant of the different religions and customs under their dominion, so long as taxes are paid and the Sublime Porte worshipped. In the Aegean, the Peloponnese and Epirus, Christians wore colorful dress to marry and the girls wove their dowries on a loom. The bridal bed was ensconced behind an embroidered curtain, or sperveri, away from prying eyes in homes inhabited not by single families, but entire clans. Rooms from two such homes, mansions, are reconstructed at the Benaki: one from the Macedonian town of Kozani with ornate, engraved wood walls, and the other from Siatista, with a ceiling done in gold trim and resplendent with Byzantine and other eastern motifs. The upper floors of the museum are dedicated to the emancipation of Greece through the War of Independence that began in 1821. Here we see the prophets and warriors of modern Greece, their swords and guns, and the wills they wrote minutes before dying

on the battlefield. We see the sheet music for the National Anthem and witness the assassination – in the throes of civil strife – of Ioannis Kapodistrias, as well as the first Greek Constitution ceded by King Otto in the wake of popular revolt. There are manuscripts in the hand of the visionary poet Angelos Sikelianos, the Greek grandson one might say of Lord Byron, and C.P. Cavafy, as well as Greece’s two Nobel Prizes: Seferis’ and Elytis’. Some of the greatest Greek painters are also represented here: Yannis Tsarouchis, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas (who has donated his studio to the museum), Photis Kontoglou, Panagiotis Tetsis, etc. The Benaki also includes what I

surmise is the Greek Spring of the 60s, paying homage to Maria Callas, Dimitris Mitropoulos, Manos Hadjidakis and Mikis Theodorakis, making room for Oscars won by Greeks and reaching all the way to the 2004 Olympics, which began in Athens with the exaltation of Cycladic idols – the same idols on display as you first enter the museum. Trelantonis was right: In the Eastern Mediterranean – as in the world over – the One is the All (en to pan), or as a modern folk tune has it: “everything is blended so sweetly.” * Christos Chomenidis is one of the country’s most popular contemporary authors and an Athenian born and bred.

Info B e n a k i M u s e u m 1 Koumbari & Vassilissis Sofias • Tel. (+30) 210.367.1000 • benaki@benaki.gr • O P EN Wed & Fri 9:00-17:00, Thur & Sat 9:00-24:00, Sun 9:00-15:00, closed Mon & Tue

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The Ionic prostyle portico of the Academy of Athens, designed by Danish architect Theophil Hansen.

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The Trilogy

Perfection of Form A rare look inside the three indisputable jewels of Athenian neoclassical architecture: The University of Athens, the Academy and the National Library. BY MARIA COVEOU P H O T OS D I M I T R I S T S O U M P L E K A S

orld-famous, the stunning Athenian Trilogy – the three elegant buildings on Panepistimiou Street – stands above the scramble of one of the city center’s busiest thoroughfares. Designed in the mid-19th century by the Danish Hansen brothers and completed years later with the help of benefactors and donors, these buildings have seen it all: from the urban planning visions of King Otto and the star architects of the time, horse-drawn carriages making way to trams and later cars, to apartment buildings popping up on all sides and the evolution into a metropols of today, complete with demonstrators, official guests and distinguished academics, migrants, students, drug addicts and peddlers. Athenians may hardly cast them a glance, but their presence is a constant, a consolation in an ever-shifting landscape.

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The University A union of vision

The Great Hall of Ceremonies, with painted decoration by Polish artist Eduard Lebiedzki, is where all the formal events of the University of Athens take place.

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ur tour of the neoclassical Athenian trilogy begins in the forecourt of Athens University, the first of the three buildings to be constructed, in 1864, by the Danish architect Christian Hansen and the one that gave its name to one of the busiest streets in the city center, Panepistimiou (University street). Before I go in to view the famous Great Hall of Ceremonies, the aula, I look up to marvel at the colorful murals in the portico, one of its most impressive elements. Financed by wealthy benefactors Simon Sinas and Nikolaus Dumba, the mural was designed by Austrian artist Carl Rahl and executed after his death by Polish painter Eduard Lebiedzki. At its center it depicts King Otto, the building’s primary donor, surrounded by the arts and sciences personified in classical attire. I take several steps back to appreciate the entire mural, all 45 meters of it, and the edifice’s relative simplicity, despite its neoclassical splendor, which shows Hansen’s attempt to adapt it to the Athenian land-

1. Depiction of King Otto surrounded by the arts and sciences, on the portico of the University building, based on designs by Carl Rahl. 2. A sphinx, a mythical creature connected to the legend of Oedipus, on a handrail inside the Great Hall of Ceremonies. 3. A section of the painted ceiling, the work of Eduard Lebiedzki.

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scape of the time. Athens, you see, was still a village in those days. I join a group of Japanese tourists who approach the building to take photos. They peek in with curiosity, wondering what happened to all the students, only to discover that just some of the institution’s administrative services are housed here and that visitors are not normally allowed to enter for security reasons. Disappointed, they turn away, as I make my way in and up the marble staircase towards the aula. There is some commotion inside because they are getting ready to welcome French President François Hollande (our tour took place a few days before his official visit to Athens, at the end of October, during which he was presented with the title of Professor Emeritus of the University). This majestic hall is a regular venue for such ceremonial events. Its painted, multicolored ceiling, another impressive creation by Lebiedzki, adds to the architecture and makes for a space fit for a president.

4. A detail from Lebiedzki’s elaborate work on the epistyle, frieze and an Ionic column capital. 5. Marble staircase just beyond the entrance to the University, leading up to the Great Hall of Ceremonies. 6. Seated statue of Greek scholar Adamantios Korais, by sculptor Ioannis Kossos, placed in the university’s forecourt in 1875.

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The Academy C e l e b r at i n g E x c e l l e n c e

The meeting hall of the Academy of Athens, with the masterful pictorial ensemble by Austrian artist Christian Griepenkerl.

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One of four ornate marble lamp-holders that decorate the meeting hall.

s I stand on the threshold of the Academy of Athens, regarded by many Greek and foreign experts as one of the most beautiful neoclassical buildings in the world, I realize that none of these buildings would be standing here were it not for the generous donations of members of the Greek diaspora. Simon Sinas, the building’s benefactor, assigned Theophil Hansen – brother of the architect who designed the University – with its construction, which was completed in 1887. Inspired by the Propylaea of the Acropolis, Hansen’s Academy was the result of the efforts and talents of many artists, including those of architect Ernst Ziller, a student of Hansen’s;

sculptor Leonidas Drosis, responsible for the pediment above the entrance and the statues of Athena and Apollo on the flanking pillars; and Christian Griepenkerl, who painted the building’s hidden treasure, the pictorial ensemble in the meeting hall, which is where I’m headed. Through the main entrance, I encounter the marble statue of the Academy’s benefactor, Simon Sinas, standing guard. Straight ahead is the meeting hall, the most fascinating room in the building, which accommodates the plenary sessions of the Academy members and is home to some great works of art. The 50m-long colorful mural, based on designs by Theophil Hansen and

inspired by Aeschylus’ tragedy Prometheus Bound, depicts the Passions of Prometheus and reads like a story, starting from the prophecy about the theft of fire by Prometheus and ending with his reception by the gods on Mount Olympus. Apart from its artistic qualities, what’s striking about Hansen’s mural is the choice of theme, centered on the authority-defying Prometheus who brings fire, a symbol of knowledge, to the people. No doubt this symbolism mirrored the beliefs of the Academy’s first visionaries who held that national independence from any sort of oppression had to go hand in hand with a spiritual renaissance through knowledge.

1. Detail on the base of one of the marble lamp-holders.

2. Crowned with a ceiling decorated with panels of exquisite artistry, the Eastern Hall is used for scientific conferences and exhibitions.

3. A corridor with pictorially painted walls connects the two wings: Simon Sinas’ statue is on the left and the Eastern Hall at the end.

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The president’s office, located in the west wing. Behind the desk hangs a portrait of Simon Sinas, the institution’s great benefactor.

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The Library Treasury of Knowledge

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The National Libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impressive reading room, with an Ionic peristyle by Theophil Hansen, and furnishings and bookstands by his student Ernst Ziller.

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A bookstand in one of the reading room galleries, screened by the Ionic columns.

he National Library, created by Theophil Hansen in order to complement the Academy on the far side of the University, has been housed here since 1903 with a mission to preserve Hellenic intellectual heritage. I walk up the monumental semicircular Renaissance-style staircase, which was chosen for practical rather than aesthetic reasons, as too many straight steps would have made the edifice taller than the adjacent ones. I pass under the impressive Doric prostyle portico, through the main entrance and arrive in the library’s lobby. The architectural order changes here with two pairs of decorated Ionic columns, contrasting the stern Doric exterior and making for a lighter space. Two exquisite library index card cabinets behind me have stood the test of time but are now ignored in favor of computers. Beyond the lobby lies the reading room, where I am welcomed by the

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smell of old books, more of which are stored behind closed doors in the building’s side wings. The library is home to an impressive body of knowledge, including the first printed book in the Greek language from 1476. The sun streaming through the skylight gives the reading room a somewhat imperial atmosphere and highlights its elegant marble Ionic peristyle and furnishings. The original tables and chairs, as well as the unusual castiron bookstands and galleries around me, are still in use and were designed by Ernst Ziller, a student of Hansen’s, who supervised the Library’s construction. I want to reach for my camera, but photography is not permitted and visitors can only peek in, unless they want to do some reading. So that’s what I decide to do. What better way to end my journey through the Trilogy than by doing some research on Hansen sitting on one of his student’s creations?

1. Marble statue of Maris Vallianos, one of the three wealthy brothers who financed the Library. The work of Georgios Bonanos, it is located in the lobby. 2. A time-honored search engine: index cards in one of the library’s multi-drawer file cabinets. 3. Venerable volumes, part of the immense body of knowledge housed in the Library. 4. A movable iron bookend, singular in design for its time, by Ernst Ziller. 5. Detail of a handrail’s carved newel post, on a staircase leading to the reading room galleries. 6. Classic library lamps, contemporary additions that add color to Ernst Ziller’s original desks.

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BESPOKE MEN’S SUITS

245 Petrou Ralli • Tel. (+30) 210.491.8021 • info@panglis.gr • www.panglis.gr

explore GREECE IS

ATH EN S

O N L Y IN ATH EN S

Follow us on our exciting walk around the historic center, meet the Evzones of the Presidential Guard and do some of the things that Athenians themselves like to do. Tailor Shop by Giorgos Paralis (1908-1975). Acrylic on canvas, 78x63.5 cm, (Π. 5150) © National Gallery – Alexandros Soutzos Museum, photo Stavros Psiroukis.

DOWNTOWN

Don’t Be a Stranger

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An insiders’ collection of tastes, experiences and locations that will put the icing on your cake as you explore Athens’ historic center by doing what the locals do. B Y A L E X I A A M V R A Z I , N E N A D I M I T R I O U , S OT I R I S G E O R G I O U , M A R I A KO R AC H A I , D I M I T R I S R I G O P O U L O S , D I A N A FA R R L O U I S , A L E X A N D R A T Z AV E L L A

FLOWERS & HIPSTERS

The last remaining flower seller at Aghias Irinis, 82-year-old Pavlos, has seen the square’s denizens change from housewives shopping for fabrics and plants, to hipsters worshipping at the temples of speciality coffee, bespoke cocktails and fancy street food. The hottest among these are Tailor Made for its skilled baristas, School Pizza Bar for its Italian dedication and Osterman for its elegant cocktails and retro ambience. Don’t neglect to dedicate some time to the 19th century church that gave the square it’s name.

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BIRTH OF A STATE Can a bed fit in a trunk? It’s not a magic trick, but the folding camp bed used by Lord Byron, on display at the National Historical Museum of Athens. Here you will also see the benches where Greek Parliament convened for 60 years and displays on the War of Independence: the imposing equestrian statue of one of its leaders, Theodoros Kolokotronis, dominates the courtyard entrance on 13 Stadiou Street, while the steps leading into the museum are flanked by canons from that era. Kolokotronis’ uniform, portraits of his brothers-in-arms, their weapons and other heirlooms from the struggle for liberation from Turkish rule are showcased on the ground floor. The building itself was designed by Florimont Boulanger, with modifications by Panagiotis Kalkos, and served as the nation’s parliament from 1875 to 1935. It became a museum in 1960. The history of the Greeks from the Fall of Constantinople to World War II is the subject of 19 halls and chambers. One of the most striking exhibits is an original manuscript of Greece’s first Constitution, penned in 1844. • 13 Stadiou, Kolokotroni Square • Open Tue-Sun 9:00-14:00 • Admission is free on Sundays

tour Six not-tobe-missed neoclassical gems

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Athens boasts a number of neoclassical buildings worth a visit. Among them is the home of the Parnassos Literary Society, one of the city’s foremost intellectual institutions since 1865, designed by architect Iphicrates Kokkides. In recent years it has revamped its image by hosting musical soirees aimed at a broad audience. • 8 Aghios Georgios Karytsis Square

CATCH THE VIBE Open-air museum, flea market, skater park and popular hangout for fashion- and fun-seeking teens, Monastiraki is a vortex of past and present, East and West. Landmarks include Hadrianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2nd century AD library, a small Christian church from the 9th-11th centuries, a mosque from 1795 and the train station itself, built in 1895. To get the full picture, head up to one of the rooftop venues, including A for Athens and 360Â°.

Kotzia Square

The big public square on Athinas Street, between Omonia and the Varvakeios Municipal Market is mostly associated with City Hall, but it is also home to some beautifully restored neoclassical buildings that belong to the National Bank of Greece. On the southeastern corner, the Mela Mansion was designed by Ernst Ziller in 1873 and was the biggest private building in its time, while the premises of the National Bank was built for its first governor, Georgios Stavros, as his home and office. Beneath the square is an important archaeological site. While it is not open to the public, you can see parts of it on Aeolou Street and from the glass pavement outside the Karantza Mansion (also a part of the National Bank) on the corner of Aeolou and Sophocleous. It includes the Acharnian Road, the biggest road in classical Athens leading outside the walls to the north, a densely populated cemetery (9th c BC to 3rd c AD) and a complex of pottery workshops from the late Roman era (late 3rd-4th c AD). The square regularly hosts events, from flower shows to book fairs.

Museum of the City of Athens

The museum consists of two mid-19th century mansions connected by an interior bridge. Among engravings by foreign travelers, there is also a monumental oil painting of Athens by Jacques Carrey, executed in 1674 before the explosion that destroyed much of the Acropolis. On a touch screen, you can tour Athens’ Top 30 buildings. Some, like the Mint, disappeared; others are more recent constructions, while several survived the ravages of war and abandonment, like the building of the museum – home for seven years to King Otto and Queen Amalia before they moved to the palace (present-day Parliament). The first floor still resonates with the presence of the royal couple through a display of their possessions. The internal bridge takes you into the living rooms of prominent Athenian aristocrats, where tables are still laid with exquisite porcelain. The richness of the parties once held here is depicted in Carnival, a painting by Nikolaos Gyzis, considered among Greece’s most important artists in the 19th century. You mustn’t finish your visit without stopping for a coffee and snack – if the day is fine – at the bistro in the garden that once connected Klafthmonos Square to the Old Parliament. • 5-7 Paparigopoulou, Klafthmonos Square • Open Mon & Wed-Fri 9:00-16:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-15:00 92

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A Byzantine JEWEL

Kapnikarea is never deserted. Even late at night when the street artists have turned in, you’ll see some passerby taking a breather on the low wall surrounding the Byzantine church that sits in the middle of Ermou Street. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the church was built in the 11th century on the ruins of an ancient temple and was named Kapnikarea because it was funded by a kapnikari: a collector of taxes introduced under Byzantine rule for the emission of smoke (kapnos) from chimneys. Aficionados of church architecture and art will find here a lovely example of a cross-shaped, domed church, which has seen numerous additions through the centuries, among which a small chapel dedicated to Saint Barbara and exquisite murals of saints executed in the mid-20th century by the celebrated painter Photis Kontoglou and his students. • Ermou & Kapnikarea • Open 8:30-15:00

TRADER’S LANE Find out more about the history, architecture and shopping scene of Ermou Street, Athens’ most popular commercial strip

Hidden Church Designed by the Danish architect Christian Hansen, the two-story neoclassical building on the corner of Aghias Eleousis and Kakourgodikiou streets in Psyrri was built in 193537 to house the Athens Felonies Court around a small church, dedicated to the Merciful Saint (Aghia Eleousis), after its roof collapsed in the War of Independence. The building is listed as a historic monument. Abandoned for years, it is now home to the Library of the Archdiocese.

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THE FOOD MARKET © CLAIRY MOUSTAFELLOU, DIMITRIS VLAIKOS

Central city food markets may not be in everyone’s taste and Varvakeios Municipal Market of Athens, in operation for the past 131 years in the same Italian-style building designed by architect Ioannis Koumelis, is no exception. It is separated into two sections, for meat and fish, and is always abuzz with the good-humored banter of the sellers advertising the freshness of their products, the thumping of cleavers and animated exchanges of cooking tips with customers. Don’t let the tough exterior fool you, these guys know their food and can tell you how to make the perfect sole meunière. Though much of the clientele has been lost to supermarkets, the Varvakeios is still a part of daily life for the city’s denizens. Across the street, where the historic Varvakeios Lyceum stood until a fire in 1944 destroyed it, you’ll find the open-air farmers’ market with 56 stalls run by vociferous sellers touting their fresh produce. Open daily 6:00-15:00, complete enjoyable bedlam before midday.

LAMB PATTIES & TSIPOURO

One of the tastiest breaks in town, a hole in the wall run by the Karagiannis brothers is hidden in the Varvakeios Market, along one of the corridors that leads from the meat to the fish section. Hailing from a village near the northwestern town of Arta, Costas and Apostolis are carrying on the family business, bringing select tsipouro (a potent spirit made from grape pomace) from back home and cooking up minced lamb patties the likes of which you’ve never tasted before. They also serve ouzo and beer (€1.50 a glass), while the snack also includes sausage, kaseri cheese, pickled peppers, olives, tomato and bread. The meze for the ouzo and tsipouro costs €1.80 per person, while the beer snack includes a second patty and costs €2.50. 94

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Karamanlidika tou Fani

The Nose Knows If smell is the key to memory, then youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never forget Evripidou Street, with its collection of spice shops and the aromas of peppers and cinnamon, turmeric, cumin and oregano. Bahar at No 31 has been around for two generations, Hatzigeorgiou at No 37 is being run by the third and Elixirio further up the road has been around since 1950. The street is also home to two famous Armenian charcuteries, Miran at No 45 and Arapian at No 41, both specializing in exotic delights like pastourma and soutzouki. If you start feeling peckish, head to Karamanlidika tou Fani at No 52, an excellent grocery store-cum-tavern.

BACK TO BASICS Athenian shops that live for the ABCs of flavor

Zoom’s Fabrica

Priests’ robes and great espresso The small street of Aghia Filothei behind the Athens Metropolitan Church in Monastiraki is dotted with stores selling sundry ecclesiastical wares. One of these belongs to Panagiotis A. Theodoropoulos, a tailor specializing in bespoke church garments, carrying on his grandfather’s business, which opened in 1907. Though the clientele consists mainly of priests who come here for their robes and vestments, the door to the narrow store opens and Neon Raum

Sartorial Explorations

Young, up-and-coming Greek designers are increasingly launching showrooms in the city center to showcase their work, inspired by a love for all things Bohemian, with influences from the vintage craze sweeping international fashion houses and simple, elegant lines. Neon Raum (17 Leocharous), an interesting multi-purpose space designed to give the feel of a New York loft, is the permanent showroom of owners Diana Vardaxi (AKA Cat Black) and her rock n’ chic jewelry, and Sotiris Trechas (The Dreamer), who designs t-shirts with psychedelic prints, as well as presenting the work of other designers. At Zoom’s Fabrica (7 Praxitelous) you can buy colorful handmade garments in classic patterns for women and children, distinguished by primitive appliques that are reminiscent of a young child’s drawings. They also sew custom-made patterns and fabrics. At DNA Stars I&II (Voulis & 2 Axarlian), in a space that resembles the living room of a cozy home, you can try on handmade kimonos, hippie-style dresses, scarves, leggings and more made by different designers, while at the workshop and showroom Prinkipo by Kelly and Kalomoira (34 Kolokotroni, 3rd floor) the Chevalier motif is all the craze, with the duo crafting elegant brass and silver jewelry, as well as wedding rings and modern spins on traditional Greek wedding crowns.

closes all day long as passersby fascinated by the odd assortment of wares in the display window take a step inside. Panagiotis and his assistant of 20 years Stelios welcome customers and drop-ins alike with a smile and one of the best espressos in town, and are happy to show you take you on a tour of the ever-rarer line of business as jazz plays from an antique radio. Massive age-old scissors, heavy irons from before the time of steam pressing, antique Singer sewing machines and luxurious fabrics printed or embroidered with motifs that survive since Byzantine times are but some of the objects that will draw your attention. • 5 Aghias Filotheis, Monastiraki

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DNA Stars I&II

Prinkipo

A TRUE CLASSIC When his father first opened his eclectic boutique at 27 Ermou Street in 1907, merchandise was still brought in by horse-drawn carriage. A gentleman of the old school, 97-year-old Eftychios Alexandrakis proudly carries on the tradition of always putting quality above fads. The store itself is a perfect period piece.

READ MORE An interview with the man himself

The Great Escape

WANNA PLAY? Read the full story on Athenian escape rooms

Are You Retrosexual?

Joe got his love of all things retro from his collector grandparents and opened Retrosexual (3 Aghias Irinis), a store dedicated to his passion, where you’ll find authentic vintage items that express the main design trends of the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Every piece, even the rarest – and there’s a good chance you’ll come across a gem – is in excellent condition. His greatest find? A space helmet-shaped JVC VideoSphere television from 1970 like the one at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

The international fad of escape rooms has captured Athens too. Imagine yourself trapped like a rat in a mad scientists’ lab for 60 minutes. Can you escape? This is but one of many adventures on offer in Athens. We picked the most exciting: Athens Clue (11 Dioharous & Ionos Dragoumi, Hilton Area / 26 Vassilissis Amalias Avenue, Syntagma / 3 Xanthou, Glyfada, tel +30 210.321.1121), Great Escape (12 Lepeniotou, Psyrri, tel +30 213.035.4432), Adventure Rooms (Athinas & 2 Kakourgodikiou, Monastiraki, tel +30 211.012.4729).

Angelos Antonopoulos learned the secrets of male grooming from his father at the age of 12. Services offered at the elegant Sir Barber shop (7 Voulis, in the arcade) include everything from a hair trim and a traditional shave to ear waxing and facials. A bit further into the heart of the historic center, Vassilis Monastrilis may be new to the trade, but boasts the “biggest collection of barber’s tools in Europe” and an antique chair that he swears has “sat every gangster in New York,” the city that inspired the aesthetic concept of his barbershop En Athinais 1928 (5 Sophocleous). En Athinais 1928

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FIND YOUR CENTER Yoga and Pilates have become popular forms of exercise for thousands of straight-backed, om-chanting Athenians. Î&#x;ur shortlist features some of the most reputable, centrally located and experienced schools in Athens, where you can drop in for one or more classes costing from â&#x201A;Ź15-17 per session. Check out Bhavana Yoga Center (43 Aeolou), NYSY Yoga and Pilates (25 Nikis) and Swaha Yoga Center (11 Kallisperi, Acropolis).

BEAT THE STRESS From Yoga to outdoor exercise to alternative treatments, our website has it all

Street Food

Trifecta of Fs

THE PERFECT TREAT

Aristokratikon has been making chocolate poetry since 1928, attracting the patronage of the Athenian elite, diplomats and royals. The fourth-generation owners like to boast that Grace Kelly always favored the caramel and pistachio. An army of ladies hand-produces each piece in a range of some 100 different and exciting flavors. • 7 Voulis, Syntagma

Sushimu

Asian Syntagma

Athens’ exotic cuisine hub has evolved just a few meters off Syntagma Square, where the success of the first Asian restaurant soon gave birth to others. The youngest among these is Sushimu (6 Skoufou, tel +30 211.407.8457), where the ingredients are always fresh and the chef creative. Though a Greek, he studied the culinary crafts in Japan with plans to open his own place someday. He has done a great job of it, serving sushi made with Greek rather than imported fish wherever possible. The first place to start the trend in the area was Furin Kazan (2 Apollonos, tel +30 210.322.91.70), launched in 1998 by Japanese chef Eiko Kinebutsi and still a favorite, particularly among Asian diplomats, businessmen and other while-collar types. It is best known for its sushi, but also offers a selection of traditional cooked dishes. Babaji (11 Nikis, tel +30 210.325.48.41) has only been around for a few months, but has already developed a following, serving Indian classics adapted to European tastes, such as spicy souvlaki with yogurt sauce. While the food may not be very original, the quality is better than most Indian restaurants in the city center. 100

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Furin Kazan

You can’t go hungry in downtown Athens, as dozens of eateries (it is said two new ones open every week) excite the senses with aromas of coriander, Mexican chimichurri, Armenian hummus, Italian bruschetta and Russian piroshki. Falafellas (51 Aeolou) was a hit from day one. You’ll spot it from the long queue of customers cutting across the Aeolou pedestrian strip, patiently waiting for a regular or extra-large falafel, served with either a spicy or mild sauce. At lunchtime on Saturdays, the wait can be as long as half an hour. Feyrouz’s (23 Karori & Agathonos) is another hit in the area, where the Turkish cook prepares tasty lahmajun and piroski. It is a simple and friendly establishment playing Turkish, Lebanese and Syrian music, though you may have to be patient while waiting to sample one of Feyrouz’s pies or soups. New dishes are added to the menu every day, with the latest being fragrant pork dumplings with eggplant puree. If it’s a burger you’re after, Food Str (14 Kalamiotou) has the best value for money in town. A small space with young cooks at the grill, there are no tables so you have to eat outside at the stands or on a public bench. The burgers are very good, with well-cooked meat and inventive recipes that are a departure from the typical fare. Ask for the caramelized onion topping; it’s finger-licking good. Specials include the tuna burger with squid ink and avocado salsa, as well as a range of hot dogs. The location can get a bit noisy at night as it is surrounded by bars so lunch may be a better option.

Feyrouz

DRINKERS’ CHOICE The Galaxy is a pure-blooded bar that has been in operation for 43 years, as the old newspaper clippings on the wall tell us. At the age of 72, Dimitris, the tireless and polite bartender still loves his job. Over the course of his lengthy career he’s served politicians, artists, poets and world traveled executives – the latter of which nicknamed him Jimmy. Drinks ranging from classic cocktails to fine spirits are served with a slice of toasted and VINTAGE ATHENS buttered bread, a piece of tangy cheese and olives. • 10 Stadiou, closed on Sundays Go back in time

FLEA MARKET GEM © CLAIRY MOUSTAFELLOU, DIMITRIS VLAIKOS, ANGELOS GIOTOPOULOS

Looking for old but not ancient Athens? Head for the city’s oldest bazaar, in Avyssinias Square in the depths of Monastiraki. It’s lined by small shops on all four sides, whose wares – from genuine antiques to eclectic junk – spill from them in colorful disorder. Treasures may still be found for those with patience and it is one corner of Athens that has kept its funky character intact. One treasure that requires neither a keen eye nor a connoisseur’s expertise is Café Avissinia, the square’s only establishment where the antiques are not for sale. It is more than just a place to grab a bite or sip a drink. With its old-fashioned tables, pink floral wallpaper and stained-glass windows, it feels part ancestral home, part elegant 19th century Viennese coffee house. Good food, music and kefi on weekends, and a roof terrace with Acropolis view make Café Avissinia a favorite with both locals and tourists. • 7 Kinetou Street, Avyssinias Square • Open Tue-Sat 12:0019:00, closed Mon 102

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CYCLISTS’ STRIP

If there is one street dedicated to the burgeoning bicycle culture in Athens, it’s Melanthiou, a tiny strip in Psyrri that has four establishments in a row dedicated to cycling. The first to start the trend was the VCA (Vicious Cycles Athens, vca.gr) bicycle boutique, followed by The Handlebar, launched by the same owners at Number 8 as a cycle café and bar that evolved into one of the liveliest hangout in the center for coffee, drinks and mainly value-for-money breakfasts and brunch. Topping off the cycling theme are the offices of Bondex Cyclist Couriers (bondexcouriers.tumblr.com) and the Greek street and surf clothing brand store We Ride Local (www.weridelocal.com).

By the Glass

WAKING UP TO WINE

The real question when it comes to wine bars in Athens, is why they weren’t around earlier, given the country’s history in wine making. The best in the downtown area, serve fine wines by the glass and showcase local labels and varieties. Οinoscent (44 Voulis, Ralli Arcade, Syntagma) has all the energy of a regular bar and an extensive wine list that it keeps refreshing with new recommendations. It also sells bottles at very good prices. By the Glass (3 Souri & Filellinon, Syntagma) is an elegant, low-key establishment, serving rare vintages by the glass. At Vintage (66-68 Mitropoleos, Monastiraki), Coravin technology allows them to serve wine by the glass from all their bottles without having to uncork them. Heteroclito (2 Fokionos & Petraki, Monastiraki) specializes on local wine and introduces new varieties and small producers during its special monthly tastings.

HEALTHY & GREEN Athens is beginning to buzz with organic restaurants like Avocado (30 Nikis), Rosebud (42 Skoufa) and Pure Bliss (24 Romvis). Read our mini-guide

105-year-old Bakery When it first opened in 1910, Ariston was the “good” bakery in the neighborhood around Parliament, the place where society ladies and government officials would get their bread and sweet treats. It is still in the same spot today, producing in its basement kitchen over 20 types of pie that are almost always sold out by afternoon. The most popular of these are the kourou cheese pie, the chicken pie and the meat pie – hearty and tasty. A queue may form when the aroma of a fresh batch hits the street. • 10 Voulis, Syntagma

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Shaken & Stirred The Athenian drinking scene has built a reputation as among the best in Europe, with hundreds of bars, signature cocktails and bartenders with awards at international competitions. It would take time – and money – for you to choose your favorite among them, so we have put together a brief list of those that transformed the scene. Baba Au Rum (6 Klitiou), the first Greek bar to make it onto the list of the World’s 50 Best, has it all from all-time classics to experimental mixes using cutting-edge techniques. The ambience is urban-exotic, the music alternative and the rum

Sweetest Τhings

list impressive, with over 200 labels from every corner of the globe. As the name suggests, the cozy Gin Joint (1 Christou Lada) specializes in gin, offering a wide selection of labels and an interesting cocktail menu that is regularly updated. Last but not least, 42 (3 Kolokotroni) stands out for its collection of rare Navy-strength rums and whiskies, as well as for having the most interesting cocktails around, such as the Ultima Forsan, made with kimchi, Manzanilla sherry, strawberries, tomatoes and basil. If you’re a fan of the classics, order the Negroni; it’s excellent.

They may not have much in the way of decor or ambience, but the old-school sweet shops around Syntagma and Omonia squares are classics that have kept a steady and loyal clientele through the decades. Ktistakis in Omonia (59 Socratous) has been around since 1912 on the merit of its loukoumades, fried balls of dough with cinnamon and honey that bursts into your mouth with the first bite. In Syntagma, Karaköy Güllüoğlu (10 Nikis) is renowned for its Turkish and Middle Eastern sweets, like baklava in different versions and other syrupy delights flavored with nuts and spices. If you like strong flavors, ask for the ekmek cream made with buffalo milk. The Mitropolitikon nearby (39 Voulis) draws the eye with its display window, featuring an old table dressed in lace and covered with sweets. It’s been specializing in the same things since 1930: almond cakes from Hydra, merinques and chocolate treats. For the holiday season it prepares traditional desserts like log cake with chestnuts or chocolate, cream and orange. Don’t overlook the glacés made with whole, seedless clementines. 104

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ATHENS BY NIGHT Check out our broader selection of bars in the city center

A SLICE OF TRADITION From the remotest islands to the highest mountain villages, a thick slice of pie was the typical midday meal of farmers and shepherds. Fillo (12-14 Karageorgi Servias, Syntagma) brings together pies made by women’s cooperatives throughout the country, honoring age-old recipes and helping local communities. Try a slice of giuzleme from Lesvos, wild fennel (marathos) pie from the Cycladic islands, onion pie from Kastoria and much more.

Souvlaki King “Have you ever seen such a lean souvlaki? I check each one for fat as soon as they’re brought in,” says Kostas as he fans out 15 sticks of succulent pork before throwing them on the grill, the same one used by his grandfather who opened the family business back in 1950. A tiny slip of a store just off Mitropoleos Street, Kostas’ (5 Pentelis) arguably has the best souvlaki in town, which explains the inevitable queue of hungry customers. Kostas does the grilling and his wife Poppy is in charge of wrapping the meat in a pocket of fresh – not frozen – hot pita bread, with a few slices of juicy tomato slices and a dollop yogurt – not the usual garlicky tzatziki and never with fried potatoes, which is considered sacrilege in the eyes of these purists. The motto here is “no stress,” as the preparation takes 10-15 minutes. Definitely worth it. Closes at 15:00.

ADVE RTORIAL S

KARRE furs is a leading producer and supplier in the fur market, with 45 years of experience and expertise in fur manufacturing, as well as a tireless dedication to creating unique, timeless, but also fashionable designs. Their factory is located in the city of Kastoria in Northern Greece, one of the fur capitals in the world, with centuriesold tradition in fur manufacturing and with craftsmen whose skills are recognized worldwide. Following in their footsteps, KARRE’s creative team always aims for perfection and puts out the best of their designs to meet the world market’s needs. in manufacturing and is the basis for fur manufacturing around the world.

For an introduction to their creations you can visit one of their showrooms in Athens at 3 Palaiologou Benizelou near Mitropoleos Square in Plaka. • Tel. (+30) 210.331.0102, or at 46-48 Leoforos Vasilisis Amalias. • www.karrefurs.gr

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HE RITAGE

Keeping Watch on Tradition Almost 150 years in existence, the elite Evzones unit, as Greeceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Presidential Guard is known, is much more than just a tourist spectacle. BY Maria Kor achai

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P H O T OS D I M I T RI S v l a i k o s

unday morning at the Acropolis and the sun is just starting to make an appearance. As much of the city slumbers, a Presidential Guard unit marches up the sacred rock to raise the flag, a mystical, 20-minute ceremony encompassing the nation’s history, collective memory, traditions and symbols. The marching band and the Evzones, presenting arms, take up position by the flagpole. The silence is palpable. At precisely 8 o’clock church bells chime from afar, summoning the faithful to morning mass. The band strikes up the national anthem as the flag is raised, sending a frisson through the few onlookers that have been granted attendance, as here, in this moment, we witness a symphony of all the things that make Greeks proud of their heritage: ancient grandeur, opposition to oppression, faith, symbolism – and Athens shimmering in the morning light. G R E E C E IS

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It is this deluge of emotion that brought Pantelis here. A retired bus driver, he used to serve as an Evzone – and like many met his wife while on guard duty – and 50 years on tries to attend the Sunday ceremony as often as possible. A few hours later, the somber mood is replaced by the Presidential Guard’s most impressive weekly display: the 11 o’clock changing of the guard (repeated in simpler form every hour), which takes on a more festive, yet formal, character as the full complement of Evzones parades from their base on Irodou Attikou Street near the Presidential Mansion to Syntagma Square, applauded and photographed by crowds of foreigners and Greeks of all ages who gather for the colorful spectacle. Some of the boys among them will inevitably dream of becoming an Evzone one day, though they can hardly fathom what it entails or the honor of wearing the fustanella kilt. “You need to be at least 1.87m in height and in excellent mental and physical condition,” the unit’s commander, Colonel Aristeidis Iliopoulos, points out. “You also need conviction.” The young men selected for the unit during their nine-month compulsory military service undergo rigorous training for a month in the “art” of remaining so still they look like real-life statues when on guard duty. They are not allowed to move come what may. They must look straight ahead and verbal communication is forbidden, though other means are used. One bat of the eyelids means “yes,” two mean “no” and three translates as “I don’t know.” “Evzones say a lot without uttering a word. That stillness is a very personal moment,” says former Evzone Stefanos Alexopoulos. “During guard duty at official ceremonies, you could be standing still for a few minutes to hours on end in rain, snow or sweltering heat. It is a test of both body and spirit. At training we were 108

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At precisely 8 o’clock, the band strikes up the national anthem as the flag is raised, sending a frisson through the few onlookers that have been granted attendance.

FUN FACT Many a Greek family has an Evzone costume in the cupboard to dress up the boys on national holidays.

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told to think beautiful thoughts, of landscapes, people and situations. I, for one, didn’t think of anything and just focused on my breathing. It was almost like meditating.” Once a recruit is picked for the Presidential Guard, he is given a “brother,” in a match based on physical resemblance. They are inseparable from start to finish; they help each dress in uniform, stand guard together and are both absent if one gets sick. Evzone pairs become friends for life. Soldiers in the Presidential Guard do not count down the days to their discharge like regular conscripts. “They put on the uniform and get goose bumps,” their commander says. And when the day comes, the first on duty, emotions inevitably run high. The same is true when they appear abroad in cities with a large diaspora Greek community. The biggest of these events is the annual parade marking the March 25 anniversary of the Greek War of Independence on New York’s Fifth Avenue. “We’re treated like comic book superheroes,” says Alexopoulos. “We see respect and pride in their eyes and they, in turn, see in us the country we’ve only left behind for a few days but they’ve left for years.” “Once an Evzone always an Evzone” is the official motto of the Presidential Guard and one that follows the men throughout their lives. The years may go by and their hair may turn grey, but that doesn’t stop the members of the veterans association from paying regular visits to the unit’s base on Irodou Attikou Street. A chance encounter with a “brother” is usually an emotionally charged affair. “We embraced and wept. So did our wives even though they’d never met before,” Pantelis says, recalling the time he met up with his partner after 38 years.

Acknowledgments: Special thanks to the commanding officer of the Presidential Guard, Colonel Aristeidis Iliopoulos, and army historian Marina Tsirtsikou for their valuable help.

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Brief History

The Evzones unit was established in 1867 and was initially tasked with guarding the country’s borders and rooting out banditry. It was called a “light unit” because its members didn’t carry heavy arms and their fustanella gave them agility in combat, making them formidable opponents. During the Balkan Wars (191213) and other armed conflicts that followed (World War I, Asia Minor campaign, World War II), the Evzones were sent on the most challenging of missions, fighting in difficult terrains and displaying great tenacity, daring and self-sacrifice – becoming a symbol of heroism in the public mind. The Evzone detachment that went on to become the Presidential Guard was created in 1868 and tasked with protecting the royal family and its property. The king would later hail the special detachment as the benchmark which other Evzone units should aspire to reach. Since 1929, the Evzones have played a purely ceremonial role, with their main duty being to guard the Tomb of Unknown Soldier, which was unveiled in front of Parliament in 1932 in memory of the country’s war dead.

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Master Craftsmen M e e t th e E X P ER T S that d r e s s th e E v z o n e s h e a d t o t o e i n th e i r o r nat e un i f o r m s

Giorgos Dermatas

“You need the patience of a donkey to do this job,” says Vangelis Lazos, the master Evzone tailor, as he embroiders a fermeli (waistcoat), the most challenging part of the unit’s uniform. He learned the craft from his father and now teaches younger generations. The felt is so densely embroidered that its “good side” doesn’t show at all and its reverse is full of needle holes. “You can tell a man’s character from the reverse. You’ll spot a nervous type from the stitching,” he says. An Evzone’s costume weighs roughly 10kg while a pair of tsarouchia (red leather clogs with black pompons) weighs an additional 3.5kg.

The inimitable master of the legendary tsarouchia – a trademark of Greece around the world – Giorgos Dermatas is just starting to construct a new pair, using nothing but his hands, two small awls and two lasts. “We get goose bumps when we see the Evzones on their way to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We check their tsarouchia to see if anything needs to be fixed,” he says. The smallest size they come in is a Greek 44 (9.5 in the UK or 10.5 in the US) and the largest a 53. The process begins with the cutting of the leather, which is then soaked in water to make stitching easier. The soles are made of

Vangelis Lazos

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cowhide though they look like mahogany. The parts are then sewn together with a waxed cord, also handmade using natural beeswax. Each pair requires more than 600 stitches and 100120 nails are hammered into the soles. After the tsarouchia are painted and polished, the pompon is attached. Some say Evzones would conceal a blade in the pompons for use during hand-to-hand combat. “Let’s give this one a haircut,” says Dermatas as he grabs a pair of scissors and starts grooming a pompon. “The earth trembles,” he says, pounding the shoe to emulate the sharp stamping of the Evzone’s feet as they march.

The components of the uniform Almost nothing has changed in the Evzone uniform to those worn by the Greek revolutionaries in 1821. Handmade using traditional methods, each component is a small work of art.

FARION A cap made of thick felt with a long black tassel. When Evzones salute, their fingers are directed to the Greek coat of arms on the front of the farion

BAYONET Dating from the time when Evzones fought in hand-tohand combat.

FERMELI The waistcoat, which takes about six months to sew and is made entirely from wool. With proper care, it can last for more than 10 years.

SHIRT White, like the fustanella, believed to symbolize purity of purpose.

BELT A cartridge belt with a bayonet scabbard.

FUSTANELL A This is much like a kilt and served the same purpose. It takes many meters of fabric to achieve the intricate pleats, with some saying that there are 400 folds to represent each year that Greece was under Turkish rule. The blue and white fringes represent the colors of the Greek flag.

PERISKELIDE S Cotton stockings, two on each leg.

EPIKNEMIDE S Garters made of silk.

INFO Depending on the season, Evzones wear either the navy-blue winter Doulama (tunic) or the light khaki summer Doulama. There are also Cretan and Pontic uniforms in tribute to the struggles on the island and in the Black Sea region.

TSAROUCHIA Heavy red clogs made of leather with nails in the soles that produce an impressive – and one can imagine intimidating in battle – gunshot-like report during the march.

M1 GAR AND Handling this semiautomatic rifle is the most difficult part of the Evzones’ training. Apart from having to bear its 4-5kg weight and the pressure it exerts on the shoulder, Evzones also have to slam the rifle into their shoulder with great force in order to make a noise. In the initial stages of training, bruised left shoulders are common among recruits.

Acropolis Temple preview

The first decorations to strike your eye at the Acropolis Station are sculptures (casts) from the Parthenon. Mounted riders in carved relief from the temple’s north and west friezes stream along the platforms, while mythological figures from the east pediment (including Helios’ four horses, Dionysus, Demeter and Kore) adorn the ticket hall. A stratigraphic display of ancient “Road 1,” a wall-sized photograph of spilled artifacts from “Well 68,” along with displays of ancient pottery, children’s toys and weaving equipment all attest to the station-area’s past – first as a prehistoric/Iron Age cemetery, then as an Athenian neighborhood inhabited for nearly 2,000 years. 114

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CULTURE

ART IN THE UNDERGROUND A brief tour of the antiquities and modern art that’s on display at the Athens metro. BY J o h n L e o n a r d & M a r g a r i ta P o u r n a r a

Something we might take for granted these days, but shouldn’t, is the Athens metro. Anyone who remembers how difficult and tiring it once was to navigate through Athenian streets can tell you what an enormous, positive change the metro system has made to life here. The metro – even while still expanding its reach – has been praised by visitors as the best available in both Europe and America (“…from Boston to Budapest…”) for its efficiency, economy and ease. Moreover, the network offers numerous stations that contain unique archaeological mini-museums and modern art installations. These stations represent nodes of both transportation and enlightenment – where Greek culture past and present intersect for the appreciation of passersby.

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EVANGELISMOS Chryssa, Mott Street The only artwork in the Athens metro not created in situ is the sculpture Mott Street by Chryssa (1933-2013). After studies in Paris and San Francisco, the Greek sculptress settled in New York, where she became internationally renowned. Like Stephen Antonakos, she was influenced by the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lights and neon signs, especially those filling Times Square. The work at the Evangelismos station draws its inspiration from Manhattanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chinatown and its unofficial main street. 116

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3 AMBELOKIPI

Stephen Antonakos, Procession

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Consider this… The Greek-American artist Mark Hadjipateras created an intriguing series of mosaics in the subway station at 28th Street in New York, while Stephen Antonakos (1926-2013), the Greek-American artist who grew up and lived in Manhattan, contributed an excellent work to the metro in Athens. Antonakos emigrated to the US with his family at age 4 and one of his most vivid memories from his village in the Peloponnese was the church lit up at night with candles. Influenced by this experience, and by his life in the Big Apple, he transformed those faint flickerings into dazzling neon, as anyone who views the display Procession in Ambelokipi station will see.

SYNGROU-FIX Takis, Light Signals & Photovoltaic Energy In 2015, two major exhibitions were held in Paris and Houston, Texas to honor the pioneer sculptor Panagiotis “Takis” Vassilakis (born 1925), whose works are displayed in various places around the world – ranging from his own longtime place of residence, France’s City of Light, to Seoul, South Korea. In his birthplace of Athens, one can see his well-known creations at the National Sculpture Gallery in Goudi, as well as outside the Benaki Museum Annex on Pireos Street. Be sure to see his installations Light Signals and Photovoltaic Energy inside the Syngrou-Fix station, which draw their inspiration from traffic lights, lamps and bulbs. G R E E C E IS

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5 OMONIA

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OMONIA

Pavlos, Football Players

Nikos Kessanlis, Queue

Imagine a vast surface covered in places with adhesive that does not easily dry. Then… people flying over it, men from confetti… sticking… and revealing an entire scene. This is how the installation Football Players appears to have been created by the artist Pavlos Dionyssopoulos (born 1930) in Omonia station. Having lived in Paris and consorted with advocates of the Nouveau Réalisme movement, he discovered that what interested him most was not the brush, but the scissors. Using paper as his primary material, his works are as recognizable and they are endearing.

Nikos Kessanlis (1930-2004) came of age artistically in Rome and Paris during the restless years of the 1950s and 60s, absorbing all the shockwaves that dispelled The Old Ways in art. Though an artist with international reach, he devoted his entire energy to Greece, as a heretical voice, art activist and emblematic dean of the Athens School of Fine Arts. In the city’s most central spot, Omonia Square, silhouettes of men and women waiting in a Queue (the title of the installation) appear to mingle daily with the station’s thousands of passengers.

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A river runs through... The charm of Monastiraki station begins outside, where the Church of the Pantanassa stands as the sole remnant of a 10th century monastery. Nearby, an opening in the pavement allows a bird’seye view down into the metro station, with its preserved antiquities. This was an area at the heart of ancient Athens, crossed by the Eridanos River. The age-old watercourse still flows through the station, where metro riders can see close-up its Roman-era, stone-built channel and vaulted cover. Large information panels illustrate the chronology and complex urban development revealed during the station’s excavation. 118

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Egaleo Rural industries revealed The metro’s most extensive archaeological exhibition is located at Aigaleo. Seventeen display cases highlight the results of excavations at both Egaleo and Eleonas stations, which lie along the ancient Sacred Way linking Athens to the Sanctuary of Demeter at Eleusis. The cases line two hallways: one featuring a range of thematic displays and the other focusing on cemeteries. Info panels offer a comprehensive view of this industrial district, characterized in Classical-Hellenistic times by olive production, metal working, pottery making and weaving. Displays include a horse that drowned in a seasonal flood. Outside the Egaleo and Eleonas stations respectively are a preserved section of the sacred roadway and the piers of an ancient bridge.

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George Zongolopoulos, Atrium This is certainly one of Athensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lesser-known, must-see sights. The installation titled Atrium, by George Zongolopoulos (1903-2004), in the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s busiest station, Syntagma, reaching 20 meters in height and 8 meters in diameter, steals the show. The sculptor had a remarkable sense of space and always worked closely with architects. He produced this work at an advanced age, in 1999, using his trademark umbrellas as protagonists, together with elements of water and movement. Atrium represents the only work of art not purchased for the metro, as it was donated by the artist himself. 120

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8.3

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SYNTAGMA

8.5

Layers of history

8.4

One entire wall of Syntagma Station’s main hall is devoted to an enormous archaeological section illustrating the ancient site’s complex stratigraphy. Visible within this chronological layer cake are walls, drains, a roadway and a 4th century BC slab-lined tomb complete with a skeleton. Displayed nearby are artifacts ranging from clay oil lamps to wine amphoras, terracotta water pipes and a mosaic floor. Info panels describe investigations outside the station, which unearthed (among other things) a Roman bath and a section of Athens’ 6th century BC aqueduct. Additional displays at the Evangelismos, Panepistimiou and Daphne stations similarly remind us that everywhere beneath our feet lies rich Athenian history.

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Nights at the Opera As it prepares to relocate to its new Renzo Piano-designed, state-of-the-art facilities, the Greek National Opera continues to offer high-caliber productions and reach out to new audiences.

BY N I KO S VAT O P O U L O S

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La traviata, 2014-15

La bohéme, 1952-53

Rigoletto, 2009-10

Maria Callas as Norma, 1959-60

Cosi fan tutte, 2014-15

Maria Callas as Tosca, 1941-42

The Apaches of Athens, 1984-85

Manon, 1946-47

Cinderella, 2013-14

CULTURE

The Olympia Theater was inaugurated in the late 1950s and still retains the classical style of that era.

raveling along Athens’ southern coast at Faliro Bay, you will see huge cranes looming over a vast construction site that is rapidly taking shape. This is the Cultural Park, soon-to-be home of the Greek National Opera – in a striking new edifice – the new National Library and a model botanical garden. This cultural complex is a study in the application of new technologies, designed by acclaimed Italian architect Renzo Piano and funded by the Stavros S. Niarchos Foundation. And it begs the question: are Greeks so fond of opera as to merit one of the most advanced venues in the world? On an institutional level, the Greek National Opera (GNO) has been an autonomous organization since only 1939, but the tradition of opera in Greece goes back much further. Over the years, it shot new roots and branches that were transplanted, growing into different forms and popular variations that are 126

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not immediately apparent when one looks at contemporary Greek culture. If you were to attend an opera in Athens, you would note two things: first, the crowd that gathers for every performance, often reaching 80 or even 100 percent of the theater’s capacity, and second, a cross-section of different social classes. This observation lends credence to the argument that opera is indeed very well suited to Greeks. Today, and until the new opera house opens at Faliro in 2016, the GNO performs at the Olympia Theater in downtown Athens. Despite its small size and slightly outdated facilities, Greeks love the Olympia because it has given them some of their most memorable performances. The Olympia Theater was inaugurated in the late 1950s and still retains the classical style of that era. It replaced a smaller Romantic-style theater of the same name that had hosted numerous performances, along with many other the-

CULTURE

While Greece has a relatively small cultural market and only one city with an opera company, it has a large audience.

aters in the capital, both indoor and open-air, from the National Theater and the Pallas, to temporary stages set up for the summer and the grandiose Odeon of Herodes Atticus. The Roman-era Odeon, which in the 1950s became home to the then newly-established Athens (now Greek) Festival, continues to this day to host the GNO, showcasing legendary artists and historic productions. In a country that produced Maria Callas, one might expect a broader education in opera beyond the confines of Athens. Greece continues, of course, to turn out significant operatic talents that have gone on to stellar careers abroad, including sopranos Myrto Papatanasiu and Dimitra Theodossiou, who are still invited back by the GNO to perform in its productions or special opera galas. Though Athens is the only place in Greece with an opera company, its audience is everywhere, in part because the turbulent and often unconventional history of the Greek middle classes in the pre-World War II period saw opera flourishing in other urban centers such as the island of Syros in the Aegean and the islands of the Ionian. So, while Greece has a relatively small cultural market and only one city with an opera company, it has a large audience. The success of the Greek National Opera stems not just from the great performers and productions it has offered, but also from how it has adapted, in the past few years in particular, to changing social and economic circumstances. Chief conductor and Artistic Director Myron Michailidis succeeded in reaching out to the people after first putting the company’s finances and staffing structure in order. Like all state-run organizations in Greece, the GNO has suffered major funding cutbacks since the start of the crisis, but has nevertheless maintained the high quality of its productions – often thanks to sacrifices made by cast and crew – and has presented fascinating performances at the Olympia and at the modern Alexandra Trianti Hall of the Athens Concert Hall. It has also been investing heavily in ballet in the past few years, building a repertory under Artistic Director Renato Zanella. Another achievement of recent years has been GNO’s ability to increase its stake in the cultural market. It has ventured beyond the theater’s walls and staged events in the city with

resounding success. The tribute to Maria Callas that consisted of an operatic walk through the historic center of Athens, concerts at the central Varvakeios meat market and at the Temple of Olympian Zeus under the moonlight, surprise performances in the metro and pocket operas that travel around the country, are but a part of the company’s increasingly socially-aware profile. Most importantly, however, the GNO is not afraid to dive in at the deep end. The first Wagnerian production in Greek history was Tristan and Isolde in 2014 and it surpassed all expectations. At the same time, the company reached out to Greek artists and gradually built a parallel repertory with new works. The recent production of The Murderess by composer Giorgos Koumentakis (music director of the Athens 2004 Olympic ceremonies) is inspired by a 19th century short story by the prolific Greek novelist Alexandros Papadiamantis and became a part of the repertory following rave reviews. This broadening of its scope has borne fruit for the GNO and today you will see groups you would not have pegged as opera fans, from teens and 20somethings to alternative types, hipsters and people more often associated with mainstream entertainment. The GNO has also cultivated a new batch of seasoned and young singers who have been instrumental in breathing new life into a distinguished tradition. With solid educational backgrounds and training, and with appearances in international productions, the Greek opera singers to emerge in the past few years have raised the bar and increased the audience’s expectations for great things to come at the new venue. The expectation is for southern Europe’s newest opera house to make its own mark not just from a technical and aesthetic standpoint but also on a symbolic and pragmatic level, and to redraw the international map of opera companies and the cultural market in Europe and beyond. A long, mostly overlooked tradition, Greeks’ love of opera, operetta, ballet, musical theater and all their variations is condensed in the history of the GNO. The company is also an example of how a cultural organization with limited resources can continue to reinvent itself and broaden its audience, while raising expectations with every year that passes.

Info O ly m p i a T h e at e r 59-61 Academias Street, Panepistimio metro station • B O X O F F I C E Mondays 9:00-16:00, Tuesdays to Sundays 9:00-21:00 • Tel. (+30) 210.366.2100 • www.nationalopera.gr

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The interior staircase of the building on the side of Stadiou Street. Opposite page: The Spyrou Miliou Arcade with its 15 impressive sculptures by Vana Xenos, seeming to fly across the ceiling.

CIT Y LINK

A Slice of Europe Theaters, eclectic shopping, gourmet dining and fine drinks are all available under the roof of an Athenian architectural landmark that was given a new lease of life a decade ago thanks to an ambitious plan by Piraeus Bank. BY TA S S O U L A E P TA K I L I P H OTO S VA N G E L I S Z AVO S

CIT Y LINK

aturday night: high heels click along the Voukourestiou Street pedestrian strip. A lady walks on the arm of her date and, just before arriving at the entrance to the Pallas Theater, casts a glance into the Hermès shop window. “What a beautiful scarf!” Monday morning: the aroma of freshly roasted coffee from Clemente VIII tickles the nose. A group of wellclad ladies finish their espressos and head back to the office. “Do you have time for a bite at Pasaji at lunch?” Wednesday afternoon: two French tourists admire Vana Xenou’s Persephone sculptures soaring above their heads at the Spyrou Miliou Arcade. They snap a couple of photos and head out of the covered walkway to Amerikis Street. At No 4, outside the headquarters of the Piraeus Bank Group, they stop again: “Regarde, c’est un Botero!” says one to the other. They pose for selfies in front of the bronze sculpture of the Abduction of Europa by Zeus by the acclaimed Columbian artist.

welcome to City Link! There is no day of the week or hour of the day that this part of Athens, the block between Stadiou, Amerikis, Panepistimiou and Voukourestiou, is not buzzing with life and enticing passersby to stop and enjoy the vibe. This was the objective and City Link has become an Athens landmark, which, as the New York Times so eloquently put it, helped the capital regain some of its shattered confidence. The story of how City Link came about is a tale of persistence: against the obstacles of bureaucracy, skepticism and constraints. It is also the tale of a vision coming true, of one man who believed that the Military Pension Fund building, dating from before World War II, could be reborn, after decades of obscurity, as a place of importance on Athens’ map. Requiring millions of euros and a gigantic effort, such an ambitious scheme seemed impossible at first. But Michalis Sallas, chairman of Piraeus Bank, believed in the vision and made it happen. 130

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Eye on commerce The Military Pension Fund purchased the plot in 1926 with the aim of transforming the former royal stables into its headquarters. The tender for the project was awarded to architects Vassilis Kassandras (1904–1973) and Leonidas Bonis (1896–1963), graduates of the famed Ècole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, who designed a new building that would be used mainly for commercial purposes. To put the project into its historical context, Greece had just experienced a massive influx of refugees from Asia Minor and many settled in the Greek capital, bringing know-how and an entrepreneurial spirit, which helped commerce flourish. New businesses opened to meet the growing demands of consumers, and the city became more modernized and urbanized.

Coming to life Construction began in 1928 and would take 12 years to complete. The finished structure impressed observers with its modernist lines, art deco brushstrokes and classical references. It included shops, office spaces and the Pallas cinema-theater, with 2,750 seats, hailed by the media at the time as the “most impressive theatrical colossus in the Balkans.” The Pallas was the first part of the complex to be finished. Its inauguration on October 23, 1932, with a performance of Johann Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, was the social and cultural event of the year. Brazilian, a café popular with artists and intellectuals, opened in 1933, followed in 1935 by the Maxim dance hall (transformed in 1949 into a cinema and in 1971 into the Aliki Theater). On August 21, 1940, just a few days after the Elli warship was torpedoed by the Italians, casting a pall over the nation’s morale, Karolos Zonaras, a Greek American, inaugurated Zonar’s, a luxurious patisserie, bar and restaurant, on the corner of Panepistimiou and Voukourestiou streets. After the Nazi occupation, the Military Pension Fund complex begun its return to glory with the country’s reconstruction. Zonar’s was given a com-

Aliki Theater

The Rape of Europa by Fernando Botero

Pallas Theater

Clemente VIII

By 2000 when the Piraeus Bank Group decided to develop the 65,000 square meter premises, the glamor of this majestic building had all but faded.

plete makeover, as was the café-restaurant Flokas two years later. In 1959 another theater, the Vergi, opened in the basement of the building.

The comeback However, the boom didn’t last forever. In the 1970s, changing consumer habits had a negative impact not just on the building, but also on the surrounding area, as dozens of hangouts gradually died out and commercial activity became more scattered. By 2000 when the Piraeus Bank Group decided to develop the 65,000 square meter premises, the glamor of this majestic building had all but faded. It was no longer the heart of Athens’ social, commercial and artistic life, and the Spyrou Miliou Arcade echoed with little but the footsteps of a few harried pedestrians. The renovation plan was extremely challenging. The first priority was to modernize the complex so that it could become a multi-purpose venue. Civil engineers also had to strengthen the massive, 80-year-old concrete shell, while respecting the exterior appearance and the geometry of the interior. And they did this with success. The rather haggard Military Pension Fund building was transformed into the modern City Link we see today, a jewel in a city scarred by crisis and perhaps its most “European” block. Attica department store opened in April 2005. That winter, Piraeus Bank moved into City Link and the theaters reopened to the public, putting the building on a new path of growth.

Source: The Military Pension Fund Building by Vassilis Kolonas, published by Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation.

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Melina Mercouri and Manos Hadjidakis at Zonar’s.

Zonar’s Return of a legend Following a successful career as a chocolate-maker in Ohio, Greek American businessman Karolos Zonaras in 1939 opened Zonar’s on the corner of Panepistimiou and Voukourestiou. The Athenian press at the time hailed it as “the most luxurious patisserie in Athens, as big and beautiful as Vienna’s best.” Over the decades Zonar’s experienced more ups than downs and served such illustrious personalities as Spyros Melas, Odysseas Elytis, Nikos Gatsos, Manos Hadjidakis, Melina Mercouri, Jenny Karezi, Lawrence Durrell, Jorge Luis Borges, Anthony Quinn and Sophia Loren. This glamorous past enticed entrepreneurs Chrysanthos and Spyros Panas to take on the formidable task of relaunching Zonar’s, which closed for renovations at the beginning of summer 2015. Karolos Zonaras’ daughter, now 93 years old, told the brothers how her father had picked the spot, believing it to be the most beautiful in Athens, and used only the most luxurious materials in its

construction. “We decided to bring back this luxury, to revive the feeling, the atmosphere of the 1940s and 1950s, when it was primarily a restaurant, with an emphasis on afternoon tea,” says Chrysanthos Panas. What does the newly relaunched Zonar’s look like? Imagine a space like the lobby of a grand hotel, serving food, coffee, desserts and drinks at all hours of the day. The desserts are presented on trolleys, with classical music playing in the afternoon. During the day, the curtains are open to inspire a sense of extroversion, while the lighting and music changes to reflect the passage of time. Come nightfall, the curtains are drawn to create a greater sense of privacy and a cozier ambience. Acclaimed stage designer Dionysis Fotopoulos, a close friend of the Panas brothers, has advised on every last detail, while leading Greek Cypriot and London-based designer Michael Anastassiades designed the lighting.

City Link Index S H O P P I NG , FOOD AND A S H O W FOLLO W ED B Y A D R I N K ? Y OU ’ LL F I ND I T ALL H E R E

ATTICA DEPARTMENT STORE 1,000 brand names in 25,000 sq.m. First stop, The Upper House on the 6th floor (tel +30 210.321.1114). I resist the snacks, salads and light pasta dishes, and settle for a glass of fresh fruit juice as I take in the view of the city from above. Refreshed, I’m ready to go: 25,000 square meters on eight levels, accommodating around 450 shops in one store and more than 1,000 brands, catering for all tastes and budgets. My only quandary is where to begin? There’s Brooks Brothers, Burberry, Versace Collection, Juicy Couture, Moncler, DVF, Zadig & Voltaire, Nautica, Tommy Hilfiger, Lacoste, Diesel Replay, Pepe Jeans, DKNY Jeans, True Religion, J-brand, 7 For All Mankind, Hilfiger Denim, Funky Buddha, American Vintage and many more. • 9 Panepistimiou • Tel. (+30) 211.180.2500 • www.atticadps.gr/en

CITY BISTRO

PASAJI

CITY BAR DES THEATRES

MUSEUM SHOPS

Comfort food all day long

Greek cuisine, exotic dishes

Theatrical flair

One-of-a-kind gifts

With a great menu based on the tenets of comfort food – the crispy duck confit is delicious – this is a great place for simple, quality food at any time of day, even if other guests are simply enjoying a coffee or a beer. This is a popular spot with the after-theater crowd and also serves a very good Sunday brunch. • Spyrou Miliou Arcade • Tel. (+30) 210.321.1315

With award-winning chef Aris Tsanaklidis in the kitchen, this is an excellent option for a light lunch, dinner or an after-theater bite. The menu is based on creative Greek cuisine, combined with exotic and fusion dishes inspired by the chef’s career in restaurants around the world. Service runs to late at night, with chilled-out live music on Saturdays. • Spyrou Miliou Arcade • Tel. (+30) 210.322.0714

The interior is decorated with photographs from plays performed at the theaters in the complex. In the morning it operates as a coffee bar; afternoon aperitifs come with a selection of canapés; while at night it is transformed into a wine bar and more. The music, supervised by DJs, gets louder as the hours pass, going strong until the wee hours. • Spyrou Miliou Arcade • Tel. (+30) 210.321.1315

A solar-powered lantern from and a water-powered design clock are the first objects to grab my attention. The more I peruse the displays, the more treasures I discover: jewelry, accessories, toys and decorative objects, all brought in from the shops of the museums run by the Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation. • Spyrou Miliou Arcade • Tel. (+30) 210.322.4923 • www.piop.gr/en

CLEMENTE VIII

HIGH-END SHOPPING

Coffee with a reputation The painting on the ceiling is beautiful, making me feel as though I’m somewhere in Florence. Nevertheless, I choose to sit outside, with a view of the bustle of the arcade. From the extensive menu of 24 types of tea, sweets, snacks (salads, burgers and baguettes) and nutritious, anti-oxidant smoothies, I finally choose an espresso. After all, this single-variety gourmet brew is what Clemente is most famous for. • 3 Voukourestiou • Tel. (+30) 210.321.9340 - I P H igenia V i r vi d aki GREECE IS

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City Link also houses boutiques of the following brands: Brooks Brothers, Cartier, Dolce & Gabbana, Hermès, Van Cleef & Arpels feat. Liana Vourakis, Bally, NAK, Tous, Links of London, Replay and Salvatore Ferragamo.

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A beacon of cultural light

State of the Art: the biggest of the two auditoria, with a capacity of 880 seats, can stage theater, dance and music performances as well as multimedia and virtual reality screenings. The theater lighting was designed by James Morse of Light & Design Associates, London.

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The Onassis Cultural Center is helping build a new social identity that is composed of questions, ideas and emotions that make us more tolerant and more open.

ÂŠ SOULIS YIANNIS

BY M A R I A K AT S O U N A K I

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hen the Onassis Cultural Center first opened its doors on December 7, 2010, Athens was like a boiling cauldron. A beacon on high-speed Syngrou Avenue, the faรงade says it all about the architectural philosophy behind this impressive edifice: a solid square banded in white marble slats that offer glimpses of the interior. It was a counterproposal on how we live our lives, inviting us to be alternative and inquisitive. The shock of bankruptcy was still raw when the OCC first started operating. Everything we took for granted was put into question and

Digital Revolution TO JANUARY 10, 2016

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Dancing to Connect MARCH 20, 2016

Chekhov Moscow Art Theater - The Karamazovs JANUARY 3-6, 2016

The Onassis Cultural Center has an exciting program lined up for the new season. (Photographed and art directed by Thanos Samaras.

economic losses came in quick succession. What did the OCC mean at that time and how has its personality been shaped five years on? And what does it mean when most of its shows are sold out even as the crisis continues to gnaw at incomes and push up unemployment? As constants, be they in the political system or people’s daily lives, collapsed, new relationships of trust began to emerge: movements to improve life in the city, synergies and initiatives to help the poor. Greece was straddling two different time zones, past and present, with the future seemingly lost somewhere on the horizon and culture, in its

Ambrose Akinmusire MARCH 18, 2016

TAO Dance Theater APRIL 6, 7 9-10, 2016

Jazz Panorama - New Generation NOVEMBER 9-11, 2016

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The 18,000 sq.m. Onassis Cultural Center was designed by the French firm Architecture Studio. EMMY Award winner Eleftheria Deko’s Lighting Design firm supervised the architectural lighting.

A stand-out on high-speed Syngrou Avenue, the facade says it all about the architectural philosophy behind this impressive edifice.

broadest and narrowest sense, was the only thing that could bring it back as a prospect. The OCC took down the walls between the haves and have-nots in one fell swoop by introducing educational programs and a cut-price ticket policy. Its audience from the onset was basically young, though it had its fair share of older patrons who were open to new artistic experiences and forms of expression. In a relatively short period of time, it succeeded in attracting a public that is well informed, inquisitive, unconventional, open to getting around and asking questions, and supportive of new things in art, in public discourse and in culture. The OCC was a new arrival that built on the momentum created by its predecessors like the Athens Concert Hall, the Greek Festival, the Thessaloniki and Athens international film festivals and dozens of pioneering theaters, all of which through the years shaped a discerning public. “One key word emerges throughout the OCC’s program: contemporary. There is a common aesthetic, a common angst that unite Schaubühne with William Kentridge’s Ubu and the Truth Commission and a show by a Greek group like RootlessRoot or Blitz. These are all artists that are in conversation with the present,” explains OCC Deputy General Manager Afroditi Panagiotakou. Without the lively dialogue cultivated by the OCC with the city, it is unlikely there would be an audience for the experiential narratives of Kentridge or Akram Khan, the artistic

interventions of Boltanski and Bob Wilson or the Fast Forward Festival that provides a platform for new technologies and their applications in theater, dance and music. How else would we be witness to the constant enticements of Rimini Protokol through its unconventional, politicized documentary-theater, or the miniature spectacles of Michèle Anne De Mey and Jaco Van Dormael, who introduced us with Kiss & Cry to a whole new world of movement and emotion? In the performance Refuse the Hour, Kentridge says that time is also geography. And even if a black hole the size of a “full stop swallows the sentence,” there is always “a suitcase filled with thoughts, stories and an ancient disc made of stone.” This, in a way, is the function of the OCC: a suitcase for the city. The OCC is also expanding by developing the Onassis Cultural Center in New York into a showcase of Greek artistic trends and innovation, right on Fifth Avenue, in the heart of Manhattan, launching with the exhibition Narcissus Now. The 300,000 people that flock through the OCC’s doors every year are testament of success in building trust and addressing need. Trust in the fact that they are on a common journey along paths that are chosen yet unexpected. And need because a new social identity is being built around the OCC, one that is composed of questions, ideas and emotions that make us more tolerant and more open to coexistence with the new and the other.

Info o n a s s i s c u lt u r a l c e n t e r 107-109 Syngrou Avenue • www.sgt.gr • Tickets & info, tel (+30) 210.900.5800 • Open daily 9:00-21:00. • The top floor is home to the Michelin-starred Hytra restaurant, which extends out onto the rooftop terrace during the summer months and offers views of the Acropolis, the Philopappos monument, Lycabettus and the Saronic Gulf. Open daily 20:00-3:00, tel (+30) 217.707.1118, (+30) 210.331.6767

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A DV E R TO R I A L

Arguably the most famous spot in the Spyrou Miliou Arcade, Pasaji has become a byword for fine dining and overall excellence, offering a culinary experience not to be missed, boasting the signature dishes of award-winning chef Aris Tsanaklidis and his team John Vidalis and John Chrisohoides. Pasaji’s menu is a pleasant surprise fusing Greek flavors and traditional products with exotic dishes, inspired by the experience of well-known restaurants in the Virgin Islands, New York, Mexico, Japan, Hong Kong and even Hawaii. The chef’s cosmopolitan nature is reflected in

dishes featuring Greek pita bread with tenderloin. Aris Tsanaklidis’ delicious, ‘modern Greek’ culinary proposals combined with discreet luxury and an intimate atmosphere make Pasaji the obvious choice in town. But the gastronomic proposals of Pasaji do not stop here� Pasaji opens from noon and serves until late, providing the perfect choice for sushi bar, light lunch, dinner and the best stopover after a night at the theater. At Pasaji you can enjoy refreshing signature cocktails at the refurbished bar by the awarded mixologist John Samaras.

PASAJI City Link Spyrou Miliou Arcade • Tel. (+30) 210.322.0714 • Open Mondays-Saturdays 13:00-1:30, Sundays 13:00-21:00 • Price: Fixed Menu from €16 • www.pasajiathens.gr • facebook.com/PASAJI

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PASAJI MYKONOS Ornos Beach, Mykonos • Τel. (+30) 22890.23216 Open Mondays-Saturdays 13:00-01:30, Sundays 13:00-21:00 • www.pasajimykonos.gr

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THE ROYAL SUITE

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HOTE L Gr ande Bretagne

the GRAND DAME OF HOSPITALITY Hotbed of political intrigue and VIP playground, this magnificent hotel has been eyewitness to some of Greece’s most dramatic moments. BY n ata s h a b l at s i o u

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1. Christian Dior models during a visit for a fashion show in 1956. 2. Aristotle Onassis leaving a press conference in 1968. 3. The Grande Bretagne briefly changes its name in 1956, in response to anti-British sentiment. 4. Elizabeth Taylor with husband No 3, MikeTodd, in1958. 5. Nazi tanks parade on Syntagma Square in 1942.

THE WINTER GARDEN

6. Eleftherios Venizelos and members of his cabinet give a dinner for a Turkish delegation as part of a policy of rapprochement in the wake of the Asia Minor disaster in 1930. 7. View of the hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s facade on an autumn evening in 1930. 8. Greek poet Odysseus Elytis at a press conference in 1979, the year he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

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s you head down chic Vassilisis Sofias Avenue to Syntagma Square in the early evening, there is one building that draws attention as Athens’ most iconic hotel shines through the twilight gloom: Hotel Grande Bretagne. This historical neoclassical building, inspired by the Roman Agora beneath the Acropolis, deviates from the linear design of traditional classicism. It has stood in the same spot since 1842, taking pride of place, as the timeless symbol of Athenian grandeur. Although in its infancy compared to other city landmarks, this hasn’t prevented the Grande Bretagne from occupying a front-row seat throughout many of the stormy events that have shaped modern Greece. During World War II, Winston Churchill narrowly escaped an assassination attempt when leftist National Liberation Front (EAM) guerrillas at the last minute called off a decision to detonate a bomb they had placed in the basement of the hotel. In one of the fifth-floor suites, the interim national unity government established after the fall of Greece’s military dictatorship, came into being under Prime Minister Constantine Karamanlis. In 1974 Cypriot Archbishop Makarios addressed the Greek people from a sec6

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ond-floor balcony some months after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. The recent financial crisis has been no exception. During rioting, the hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marble steps fell victim to violent protesters, who, using hammers, broke off chunks to throw at police. Nowadays, the clashes in Syntagma Square belong to the past and the marble steps are once again providing a hospitable home to resident dogs. Passing the doors is like stepping into a decompression chamber, sheltered from the city noise, where visitors are transported back to the ambience and opulence of late 19th century Athenian salons. Ionian columns, architectural details that have been hand carved with care, the shine of gold leaf and an array of fine antiques recreate the atmosphere and grandeur of the best of Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original 19th century hotels. After an investment of 100 million euros by the current owners a decade ago, the hotel was returned to what the founders had in mind back in 1874 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or even better. The original building dates to 1842, when a wealthy Greek expatriate businessman commissioned Danish architect Theophil Hansen to erect a private mansion. However, in 1874 the need for luxurious food and accommodation for rich travelers from the 6

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West led to its conversion to a hotel. The foundation of the Grande Bretagne was not the result of a considered move by some wealthy investors and knowledgeable consultants, but rather a story involving a lot of risks. The collaboration between two unlikely partners proved to be an inspired move: one was the adventurer Savvas Kentros, who rose from peasant origins to become a self-made hotel proprietor; the other, a talented chef named Efstathios Lampsas, who started out as a grocer’s assistant before progressing to the kitchen of the Greek royal palace and, later,

sought financial backing from Thomas Cook in 1912, the owner of famous British travel agency said he wasn’t interested as long as farm animals shared passage on ships with people and there were no proper roads linking Athens to the archaeological sites. Throughout its history, the hotel has stayed ahead of its time. In 1894 it hosted the first dinner dances with live orchestras in the city. Two years later it was a sponsor of the first modern Olympic Games, and even later, in 1952, hosted Greece’s first post-war beauty pageant. It has always been in

1. The hotel was fully renovated, inside and out, in 2003 to express Theophil Hansen’s original aesthetic.

4. Antiques from Sotheby’s and Christie’s add touches of 19th century elegance to the decor.

2. The dining room of the Presidential Suite, a 200 sq.m. luxury apartment complete with butler services.

5 & 6. Grande Bretagne has received multiple awards for its fine dining and spa facilities, which are open to non-guests.

3 & 7. Travel + Leisure magazine ranked the Grande Bretagne among the world’s top 50 hotels in 2014.

8. There are 14 meeting rooms in the hotel, with a total of 800 delegates.

“After the Parthenon, the building in Athens best known to foreigners is the Hotel Grande Bretagne,” wrote René Puaux in Revenons en Grèce in 1932.

as maître d’hôtel to one of the richest men in France. Lampsas, in fact, is considered the father of Greek hostelry. “What the Ritz is for Paris, Lampsas is for Athens,” remarked the tourism magazine Xenia in June 1949. Within a decade the hotel was ranked the capital’s finest. As a result of its reputation, wealthy, educated travelers bent on exploring Greece soon found rooms hard to find. “After the Parthenon, the building in Athens best known to foreigners is the Hotel Grande Bretagne,” wrote René Puaux in Revenons en Grèce in 1932. At a time when the tourism industry was extremely rudimentary, the hotel owners were so innovative that when they

the news during major events – the international news agency Reuters used it as its headquarters in the 1950s and 1960s when it was home to prominent politicians such as Nikolaos Plastiras, Sophocles Venizelos and Georgios Papandreou. Its halls have also echoed to the sounds of society gossip, such as when the soprano Maria Callas in 1957 refused to sing at the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus, forcing a government minister to visit her in her hotel suite to persuade her to appear. Meanwhile, German writer Heinrich Böll was in the hotel lobby when he was informed that he had been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1972. The Hotel Grande Bretagne has

always been a point of reference. It is the place to be for the wealthiest and most influential people when in town. Callas, Greta Garbo, Sting, Elizabeth Taylor, Rudolf Nureyev, Laurence Olivier, Sophia Loren, Sean Connery and Francis Ford Coppola are but a few of the rich and famous who have passed through its doors. It is the Greek state’s unofficial guesthouse, French President François Hollande being the most recent VIP guest. It is where local politicians, journalists and business executives hold their power lunches, a hangout for pre- and post-theater goers, and the place where wealthy Athenian families celebrate the nuptials that link their family fortunes.

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The GB Experience E V E N I F Y O U ’ R E N O T S TAY I N G I N T H E H O T E L , Y O U C A N E N J O Y I T S P E R K S

Dine with Acropolis views Awarded in 2015 by the distinguished Wine Spectator magazine with a “Best of Award of Excellence” for the third year in a row, the GB Roof Garden restaurant offers a menu with a wide selection of authentic Greek delicacies as well as an extensive wine list. By gazing southwards, guests cannot miss the splendor of the Parthenon.

Food & wine

Cigar tasting

At the monastic wooden table in the impressive cellar, amid the 3,000 bottles that make up the hotel’s wine collection, try a selection of top Greek and imported wines as well as a unique pick of ports. This enticing venue can be reserved for that very private dinner party or business meeting.

Sit back and relax in a leather armchair and enjoy the ambiance in front of the fireplace with your favorite cigar from the most up-to-date list in town. A drink and finger food are guaranteed and if you are a sports fan, don’t miss the theme nights held throughout the year, for Champions League games, for example.

Spa therapies With an East-meets-West philosophy, attention to aesthetic detail and a wonderful welcoming aroma, a visit to the award-winning GB Spa is definitely worthwhile for its beauty, massage and stress-obliterating therapies. From ancient holistic rituals to the finest modern skin care, every regimen promises to indulge, soothe and transform. (www.gbspa.gr)

Cocktail classics Situated to the left of the Winter Garden is Alexander’s Bar, named after its backdrop, an 18th-century Brussels tapestry featuring Alexander the Great entering Gaugamela. Here, guests can enjoy a classic cocktail, fine brandy or exquisite whisky while being entertained by piano melodies. (See more on page 172) 146

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Tea anyone? If there is one reason why the hotel is named the Grande Bretagne, it would have to be the potted palm-filled Winter Garden, where you can enjoy brunch or a very English afternoon tea with freshly baked scones and finger sandwiches, along with a selection of the finest teas.

Getting married The most talked-about winter weddings are held at the Grande Bretagne. From the Grand Ballroom to the Golden Room, these beautifully decorated atmospheric spaces are different, providing a wide choice for those seeking a vintage-look celebration or an ultra-modern gathering.

Treat yourself to a gift The hotel Gift Shop offers jewelry created by Greek designers, but also brand name ties, shirts and t-shirts, while the new concept GB Corner Gift & Flavors promotes traditional products from small producers under the brand name Grande Bretagne, but also Zeus + Dione’s fashionably famous handmade clothing.

Checking in The hotel’s 321 rooms and suites, all tastefully restored, combine opulence with sophisticated technology, most evident in the Royal and Presidential suites (400 and 160 square meters, respectively). A private steam room, gym, fireplace, dining room and even a wine cellar are among the amenities these suites offer. • 1 Vassileos Georgiou I & Panepistimiou, Syntagma Square • Tel. (+30) 210.333.0000 • www.grandebretagne.gr

gastronomy G R EE C E I S

ATH EN S

BON APPETIT!

From colorful tavernas and affordable seafood eateries to gourmet fusion restaurants, Athens’ food scene is constantly evolving while staying true to its roots. Table with Cake by Nikolaos Gyzis (1842-1901). Oil on paper, 28x20.5 cm, Π.3704, © National Gallery – Alexandros Soutzos Museum, photo Stavros Psiroukis.

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AMBASSADOR DISHES Rich in tradition, flavors and pure ingredients, Greek cuisine is constantly evolving. Top Athenian chefs recommend dishes that bridge the past and present of creative gastronomy.

ÂŠ FOOD STYLING: TINA WEBB - PHOTO: GEORGE DRAKOPOULOS

BY NENA DIMITRIOU

Recipe Make your own feta wrapped in a filo crust

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Nena Ismyrnoglou

Gastronomos magazine

Feta wrapped in a filo crust, with pistachios and served with a sauce of honey, Mavrodaphne wine and Corinthian currants This recipe brings together some of the country’s most important ingredients; a taste of Greece in every bite. A slice of emblematic feta, mature and rich, is wrapped in a crispy filo crust. The sauce is made with sweet Mavrodaphne wine, the diva of Patras’ vineyard, and mountain honey, an elixir of nature, scented with thyme. It also contains Corinthian currants, Greece’s black caviar, once a driving force of the economy that helped build the country’s first railway network and which continues to be exported from Corinth all around the world. Last but not least, it includes a dash of mastic, the teardrop of a tree that grows only on the island of Chios. Ingredients that are typically produced only in small quantities, a synergy of man and nature, are cooked simply, without fancy techniques. The feta is wrapped and baked, while the sauce is simmered and stirred in a pan until it starts to thicken to a syrupy consistency: sweet embracing tart. The perfect meze to go with a glass of wine.

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Sotiris Evangelou

GB Roof Garden

This is a rustic dish defined by the principles of home economics. In a typical farming community, the father would sacrifice one of his lambs for the holidays, to bring guests and the extended family around the dinner table. Trahanas, a type of cracked wheat, is one of the first carbohydrates to be produced in Greek households, and it is made with fresh milk, usually – and since ages gone – in the field. Access to fresh ingredients and the mastery of the cook were what made every dish shine. The chef embellishes the traditional dish by adding nuts such as pine and pistachio to give the cracked wheat more texture, as well as sweet notes to the sour trahana and earthy lamb with dried fruits (stocked in most village pantries in their sun-dried versions). Plenty of herbs and spices like thyme, laurel and cumin, are also added.

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Lamb with cracked wheat and dried fruits

Lefteris Lazarou

Varoulko Seaside

Fresh calamari with basil pesto and ouzo, on a nest of fried potatoes

Visitors who have tasted Greece’s fish and shellfish can distinguish its superior quality and flavor. Raised in the clean waters of the well-sheltered Aegean on good-quality plankton, they are a true treasure. Chef Lefteris Lazarou, a maître of the art of fish, recommends fresh calamari, thinly sliced and fragranced with Mediterranean basil to complement its natural aromas and bring out its subtle notes. The addition of ouzo, a strong spirit flavored with anise and originally produced on the island of Lesvos, transports us to a spot on the seaside, looking out at the blue horizon. A nest of fresh fried potatoes is best friends with the calamari, which in Greece is usually served crispy fried.

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Τhe Team Periklis Koskinas, Kleomenis Zournatzis, Nikos Karathanos, Spyros Liakos and Vangelis Liakos

Cookoovaya restaurant

Typical Sunday dishes in Greek households that emote family dinners and celebrations invariably include beef or poultry cooked in a rich tomato sauce and served with pasta. The steaming dish is placed in the middle of the table, symbolizing the joys of hospitality and sharing. The chefs of one of the most talked-about Athenian restaurants in recent years recommend this staple in a different version: cockerel that is slow-roasted in a crust of rock salt, marjoram and thyme to retain its moistness and served with hilopites pasta with herb-infused tomato sauce. The hilopites, which are still made in homes all over the country, are served either in the same dish with the meat or separately.

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Cockerel with fresh hilopites pasta

Dimitris K atrivesis

KIKU

Onions stuffed with uni, nori and seaweed from southern Mani Stuffed onions in all sorts of variations are traditionally found in the cuisines of Lesvos and Kastelorizo in the Aegean, and Mani in the southern Peloponnese. They may be stuffed with minced meat or rice, with bulgur wheat or octopus. The onion, which is grown in almost all family vegetable patches, is transformed from something humble and insignificant to a golden jewel, a work of art. It is considered a demanding dish because it takes a lot of time to prepare. Here the chef gives us his contemporary take on this classic that exemplifies the marriage of Greek and Japanese cuisine he introduced to Athens: Onions stuffed with uni, served with an olive oil tomato sauce, pickled kimchi vegetables, black garlic powder and lime mayonnaise to create a balanced sweet-and-sour flavor, a symphony of land and sea.

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coffee mecca While a nostalgic fondness may remain for traditional brews and instant iced frappe, quality beans are fast gaining ground for the superior flavor.

reek coffee used to be known as “Turkish” until 1974. Then our neighbors invaded Cyprus and the name changed because of political sensitivities; however everybody still assumes that the Turks drink more of the stuff. Surprisingly it is the Greeks who drink twice as much, with the opposite being true for tea. The name change did not affect the actual taste of coffee made the Arab or Turkish way. Lightly roasted and finely milled grains are boiled together with the required amount of sugar in a traditional briki (or “ibrik”, a small brass pot with a long handle), over hovoli i.e. embers. The entire contents of the briki are poured slowly into a small cup, which the consumer must handle carefully in order to avoid drinking the sediment. Greek coffee is sipped slowly, over

long conversations about politics, soccer, relationships, shared interests, life in general, and its dregs may be “read” by professional or amateur fortune tellers to predict one’s future. In 1957 a chance invention during the Thessaloniki fair changed the way coffee was drunk in Greece. An employee of an importer of a major instant coffee brand couldn’t find hot water at the company’s booth so he made coffee with cold water using a shaker that was lying around for chocolate drinks. Thus “frappe” was born, a concoction that quickly substituted traditional Greek coffee as the preferred beverage of the locals. Frappe is consumed much faster, often with a straw, and has many devotees, among them senior government ministers who bring their own plastic cup into the studio during TV interviews.

Greek coffee does not deliver the utmost in terms of taste and aroma from the beans and cold frappe with a hefty dose of ice fares little better. As the frappe steadily loses ground to gourmet coffee, it is good traditional Greek coffee that is becoming harder to find. It’s a pity, as Greek coffee is made with what was historically the first ever brewing method, which probably originated in Yemen more than 500 years ago. One can at least find consolation in the ever growing number of fine gourmet espresso (or cappuccino, latte, etc) coffee peddlers with a variety of choice that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. Those who are not yet convinced that coffee should be drunk hot, with the possible exception of exotic cold brews, will enjoy Freddo Cappuccino, which is topped with a cold

Greek coffee is sipped slowly, over long conversations about politics, soccer, relationships, shared interests, life in general, and its dregs may be “read” by professional or amateur fortune tellers.

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TA I L O R M A D E

MOKK A

milk-based foam, and Freddo Espresso, which despite their names, differ greatly in taste and preparation from their Italian counterparts. At any rate, as more locals join the ranks of aficionados with discerning palates, gourmet cafés are popping up around the city, transforming Athens into a destination for world class coffee.

CULTURAL SHIFT A rapidly growing number of specialized importers and roasters of fine beans are now catering to gourmet coffee shops, often their own, staffed by highly trained baristas who are passionate about their work. There is an annual barista competition and even a TV show by the name of “Golden Barista.” Greeks are fast discovering high quality coffee and many go to great lengths to purchase high-end espresso machines and coffee grinders for their homes. One of the pioneers in gourmet coffee is Yiannis Taloumis of Taf, 156

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which sources green beans from carefully chosen estates around the world and freshly roasts them. Award-winning baristas craft fine coffees from a changing varietal selection that you may enjoy in the recently renovated coffee shop, ideally with one or more of their delicious croissants. Taf also sells specialty coffee beans, ground upon request, including a gourmet ibrik, otherwise known as “Greek” coffee. Not far from Taf is Mokka, which is now in the hands of a fourth generation of coffee merchants. Nikos Psomas has set up Mokka, using the name of the original coffee shop opened by his great-grandfather Chris Samourkas in 1922, in the same location, an exquisite neoclassical building at 44 Athinas Street. In this large and attractively appointed store you will find a wide selection of specialty coffees, mainly from Brazil, and enjoy a cup in the café. Larger is not always better; a case in point being Kaya, the tiny coffee shop in the corner of a dogleg-shaped

arcade that connects Kolokotroni and Voulis streets, very close to Syntagma Square. The tantalizing aroma of coffee permeates throughout the arcade until 6 o’clock in the evening when this excellent espresso bar closes its door for the night. Customers can choose from four different varieties, which they may enjoy for as little as €1.80 for a double espresso or buy ground coffee beans to brew at home… after a spirited discussion with Antonis or Lambros as to the optimal grind level and the best available home grinders. Owned by professional barista Tasos Delichristos, the Underdog in Thiseio uses the latest brewing techniques and trends, including cold brewing, and boasts one of the best teams in Athens. George Koustoumbardis, one of its baristas, is this year’s winner of the World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship which “promotes innovative beverage recipes that showcase coffee and spirits in a competition format.” In

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UNDERDOG

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addition to a good selection of coffees, they offer a number of innovative concoctions such as the “espresso tonic.” Tailor Made was one of the first to set up shop in now-trendy Aghias Irinis Square in the historical center of Athens, when most of the stores there were still selling flowers and plants. This micro roastery and cocktail bar is housed in a wonderful building designed by Ernst Ziller and is one of the trendier in Athens, winning several awards for the quality of its roasts. Although its name is perhaps more suited to a butcher shop, Kudu is an up-and-coming coffee roaster with state-of-the-art equipment. They supply many coffee shops with fresh roasted beans and run a nice café in the affluent northern suburb of Neo Psychico, where customers may sample a fine selection of beans carefully brewed by skilled baristas. You should try their cold brew, which has a markedly different taste to that of an espresso or filter coffee made with the same variety. G R E E C E IS

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Info K AYA 7 Voulis, Syntagma • Tel. (+30) 213.028.4305

KUDU 22 25th Martiou, Neo Psychico • Tel. (+30) 217.722.3040 • www.kudu.gr/en

MOKK A 44 Athinas • Tel. (+30) 210.321.6892 • www.mokka.gr/en

Ta f C a f é 7 Emmanouil Benaki & Panepistimiou • Tel. (+30) 210.380.0014

Tailor M ade 2 Aghias Irinis Square, Monastiraki • Tel. (+30) 213.004.9645

U n derdo g 8 Irakleidon, Thiseio • Tel. (+30) 213.036.5393 • www.underdog.gr

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Taste of the world Athenian chefs are making great strides in the union of ingredients and techniques that may at first appear incongruous, achieving a successful “marriage” of cultures on a plate.

B Y Ne n a D I M I T R I O U

he global trend of fusion cuisine, particularly Nikkei, has filled Athenian chefs with fresh inspiration, prompting them to compose menus featuring hot yellow amarillo peppers, plenty of soy sauce and red mullet sashimi. Tuna from the island of Alonissos is being flavored with miso and garnished with shiso, while sake is replaced by wine for fine dining on fresh fish. In short, they are bringing Japanese cuisine to a wide public – albeit with some shortcuts on technique that occasionally compromise the quality. Inroads have already been made in fusion cuisine, such as the palate-thrilling marriage of soy sauce with extra virgin olive oil or the use of lime instead of lemon to “cook” the flesh of the Ambracian Gulf’s famous shrimp. Meanwhile, rumors abound regarding the imminent appearance of the country’s first fusion bean stew, a traditional fasolada made of fermented white beans, though how well it will go down with Greeks when its more widely known soybean predecessor, Natto, is rarely enjoyed by anyone save the Japanese, is the subject of some debate. Fusion cuisine is the union of ingredients and techniques that may at first appear incongruous; the “marriage” of cultures on a plate; the composition of fascinating, global flavors. The culinary union of Japan and Peru resulted in Nikkei and the man who pioneered it has a restaurant in the Greek capital. Matsuhisa Athens boasts not only some of Nobu’s most popular recipes, but also inspired dishes by Greek chef Vassilis Papatheodorou, who heads the kitchen. Luxurious and stylish, it is impressively located by the sea on Athens’ southern coast, and offers high-quality sushi, an extensive wine list and a more affordable Omakase menu, named after the Japanese word for “entrust,” meaning that you trust the chef to create dishes using the freshest available ingredients and on the basis of the preferences of regulars. In Greece, as in other parts of the world outside Japan, this term has become associated with budget-friendly options at lofty establishments. Located in downtown Kolonaki, Nikkei is a bit fancier than the Peruvian cui-

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Tuna from the island of Alonissos is being flavored with miso and garnished with shiso, while sake is replaced by wine for fine dining on fresh fish.

M at s u h i s a At h e n s

K iku

Nikkei

C i n co

R akka n

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sine it embraces might require. The space is modern ethnic, with just a few tables and a big bar, where the cocktail list has received a good deal of attention. After building his career in several well-known kitchens, Chef Thanos Stasinos gravitates more to Peru than Japan. So you won’t be having sushi but tiraditos with raw fish, ceviche, pork belly and bao ban (steamed bread rolls) with a twist, topped off with delicious desserts. The most popular bar restaurant in the same neighborhood and the first Athenian venue for this kind of cuisine is Cinco, with JSP (Japan, Spain and Peru) roots. The atmosphere is industrial with mix-and-match decorative elements, and more bar than restaurant, as the music gets louder and the lights dimmer at night. The food is good and matches very well with the excellent cocktails and premium spirits that are served. In the northern suburbs, fusion is synonymous with Rakkan. The geo-

metric installation on the ceiling, composed of 9,500 wooden cubes, is quite impressive, while the ambience and crowd are best described as cosmopolitan-posh. The cuisine is basically Japanese with Mediterranean influences. The lunch menu is streamlined and ideal for a quiet business meal, while in the evening the fare on offer is as stylish as the diners. The very well-executed black cod is the star of the kitchen, while there’s also an extensive variety of sushi. A Greek-Japanese gastronomic alliance forged by one of the boldest Greek chefs around today, Dimitris Katrivesis, is the driving force behind Kiku, an institution that has seven different restaurants in a range of styles operating under its umbrella. Where possible, the chef replaces imported ingredients with fresh Greek ones, so menu highlights include Greek tuna as well as tonburi (a garnish also dubbed “land caviar”) with sea urchin, soy milk skin, squid ink and Japanese barbeque

sauce – several timeless delicacies on one plate. The Kolonaki restaurant is reserved for members only, while that in Neo Psychico further north – darker and with louder music – is more influenced by the traditions and culture of Peru than its downtown partner. Taking a step beyond fusion is Funky Gourmet. The dining experience here is not limited by the type of cuisine, but is rather fun and original, mimicking no one but itself. Funky Gourmet has been around since 2009 and has racked up two Michelin stars thanks to the high standards maintained in the kitchen by chef duo Georgianna Hiliadaki and Nikos Roussos. The menu consists of a stellar parade of different dishes, many microscopic bites with layer upon layer of flavor that make you wonder how the essence of so many ingredients can be concentrated in such a tiny portion. Its reputation, however, is very well deserved and Funky Gourmet should not be missed if you’re in the mood for splashing out.

Info C i n co 52 Skoufa, Kolonaki • Tel. (+30) 210.364.3603

Fu n ky Gourmet 13 Paramithias & Salaminos, Kerameikos • Tel. (+30) 210.524.2727

K iku 7 Pericleou, Neo Psychico • Tel. (+30) 210.677.6759

Nikkei 3 Leventi, Kolonaki • Tel. (+30) 210.723.9366

M at s u h i s a 40 Apollonos, Vouliagmeni • Tel. (+30) 210.890.2000

R akka n 238-240 Kifissias Ave, Kifissia • Tel. (+30) 210.808.7941

Fu n ky Gourmet

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OPEN Mondays through Saturdays from 20:00; Sunday brunch starts at 12:30 noon 48 Armatolon-Klephton, Ambelokipi • Tel. (+30) 210.643.9466

Urban Garden

Dinner at the gallery

A food truck in a restaurant? A cocktail bar with its own herb garden? A gallery that is all about fun? All this and more is the word at 48 Urban Garden, which filled in a small vacuum in the Athenian restaurant scene with its fresh, original and unaffected concept. 48 UG shares a roof with the Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Center, with the two operating in conjunction with each other. The Airstream food truck located in the restaurant’s dining hall is not just a pretty piece of the décor, it serves as the kitchen. The dining area’s big windows look out onto an urban garden that enlivens the grey apartment blocks surrounding it. It is built on different levels and has picnic tables as well as herb patches and a lemon tree. The food is inspired by street staples with a more creative and “restauranty” approach. Try the tuna tataki, spicy burritos, the beautifully roasted picanha beef and the rib-eye steak, a mix-andmatch of the elements that define Asian and ethnic cuisines. Over at the bar, the cocktails are designed to complement the food, light and refreshing. The music is the cherry on the icing, bringing together the whole ambiance.

GODS’ RESTAURANT

Greeks tend to associate pleasure with homemade food, quality wine and good company. That’s why they are always searching for a special hangout that combines the intimate atmosphere of home with their mama’s kitchen aromas. At the traditional, family-owned Gods’ Restaurant, you will feel right at home with the rustic and hospitable atmosphere, but it is the father who heads the kitchen here. With 40 years of cooking experience, he works alongside the executive chef to create authentic Greek recipes, like the traditional finger-licking dolmades (meat and rice wrapped in grapevine leaves with egg and lemon sauce) or the ancient Greek recipe, fried feta cheese wrapped in filo pastry with honey and black sesame. In Gods’ Restaurant your culinary experience won’t be anything other than divine.

GODS’ RESTAURANT 23–27 Μakriyianni • Τel. (+30) 210.923.3721 • www.gods-restaurant.com • Open every day, all-year round 9:00-01:00

Earth to Plate

A new restaurant just launched in the capital’s Ano Petralona district by Χrysa Protopappa, Greece’s first female celebrity chef, Χrysa Χrysa promises excellent service and impressive culinary proposals. Fresh quality ingredients are diligently gathered by the chef herself on a daily basis for dishes inspired by the Anatolian recipes of her ancestors and endowed with her own Mediterranean style, rivaling the best in domestic cooking. Try the prawns with dill and ouzo, and lamb fricassee with fennel, leek and seasonal greens. Save a little space for semolina halva with cream, pistachios and caramel. If this description whets your appetite, remember Xrysa is on standby, feeling inspired and ready to offer an abundance of good wine. Χrysa Χrysa Restaurant: 40 Eoleon & Kallisthenous, Ano Petralona Τel. (+30) 2130.356.879, (+30) 697.414.1304 FOLLOW US: www.facebook.com/XrysaXrysaRestaurant

D i p orto

The Taverna Experience Chatting around a table while dining on cheap food and house wine is an inextricable part of Greek social life and some of the best classic tavernas – old wine barrels and plastic floral tablecloths to boot – are in Athens. B Y Ne n a D I M I T R I O U

he authentic taverna has been a confessional, a haven, a mini-agora where thoughts and ideas are exchanged, a place to express grief or mirth. It is a place where class distinctions are eliminated as there are no expensive options. Everyone drinks the same, choosing only between white, red and maybe rosé house wine. Wooden barrels are a common motif as wine is at the core of the taverna experience. Up until the 1950s, tavernas were relegated to basements. They were the hangouts of outsiders, blue-collar workers, artists and outlaws. It was not until they

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were discovered by middle-class intellectuals that they were elevated to the ground floors and courtyards of houses and apartment blocks. In one such courtyard, near the Panathinaikos soccer stadium on Alexandras Avenue, you’ll find Trifylli, or Oinomageirio as it’s known by most, between two small buildings – one the taverna itself and the other the home of the family that owns it. It’s been around for 58 years and is fabled to have started as a small grill house serving souvlaki to hungry soccer fans after a game. The menu now includes stuffed vine

leaves (dolmadakia), fried liver, batter-fried cod with garlic puree and its famous keftedakia meatballs. Service is strictly from 20:30. You won’t find it in any guidebooks, but it’s 100 percent worth a visit. In contrast, mentioned in most tourist guides and popular with foreign visitors is Klimataria, located in a covered courtyard and decorated with wooden barrels and ivy. Maria is the heart and soul of the establishment, a cook with attitude. The owners are especially proud of their wine and homemade bread, while they also make good

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workers after a day on the job. One of the last surviving grocery-taverns in the broader area is Eidikon in Piraeus, in the same spot near the port since 1920. Its refrigerator could be a museum piece; the mosaic on the floor a well-worn gem. The menu includes salad, sardines, a mature graviera cheese, fava bean dip, meatballs, fried liver, sausages and a famous omelet with corned beef. Every so often, groups turn up with musical instruments and, if the vibe is right, all the tables will join in song, well into the night. The sound of song spilling out into the streets is also a regular occurrence

Up until the 1950s, tavernas were relegated to basements. They were the hangouts of outsiders, blue-collar workers, artists and outlaws.

casseroles and baked dishes. You may be lucky to come on an evening with live music from a band playing old rebetika tunes. In the same neighborhood in the city center, Diporto is known for its good food, but even more so for its ambience. It’s located in the basement – a time capsule that seems to come from the pages of a novel or a 1950s film set. With historical references dating back to 1911, this is probably Athens’ oldest taverna. Located near the central market, it has a wonderful vibrant atmosphere, with people coming in and out, jostling for space at one of the cramped tables – but no one complains. The chairs are wooden and the tablecloths made of greaseproof paper, perfect for a quick clean-up and scribbling orders. The food is basic and authentic, with staples including an excellent chickpea stew, potatoes cooked in tomato sauce, wild green salads and cheap fish. The owner, Dimitris Kololios, came here as a kid to work as a helper over 60 years ago. You’ll spot him by his white shirtapron. Another unique example of the taverna species is Kottarou. In 1885, the area known as Metaxourgio and Kolonos today was just open space with fields. In one spot, near Larissis train station, was an open-air poultry farm. Cart drivers would come by to pick up orders for delivery to Athens, stopping for some wine as they waited. As the years went by, the farmer started preparing small snacks to go with the wine; then he added a makeshift roof and enriched the meze menu, until in 1950 the whole thing was enclosed in stone, in the basement, of course. The hen house remained in the taverna until 2011. The chorus of boisterous patrons and the absence of adequate lighting make for a mystical atmosphere. Specialties include fried chickpeas, smoked eggplant and a minced-meat pie called boxa. Two old-school musicians play Greek tunes, live and unplugged. Service starts at 20:00. Some tavernas started out as grocery stores, selling cheeses, cured meats and wine, and also serving blue-collar

K ottarou

every Thursday at Ramona, probably Athens’ only after-hours taverna, located in the same basement since 1974. Service starts at 14:00 and can go on till 4:00 on weekends. The afterhours clientele consists mainly of people working in the bars in the vicinity and often their booze-soaked customers. The decor consists of plastic grapes and ivy hanging from the ceiling and winding its way around wooden wine barrels, while the food can be described as above average compared to most typical neighborhood tavernas. The menu is huge and the service very rapid. Try the beef stew, stuffed cabbage and grilled meats. Dessert is on the house.

Info D i p orto

9 Socratous & Theatrou, Theatrou Square • Tel. (+30) 210.321.1463

E idiko n 38 Psarron & Salaminos, Piraeus • Tel. (+30) 210.461.2674 K limataria

2 Theatrou Square • Tel. (+30) 210.321.6629

K ottarou

43 Aghias Sofias, Kolonos • Tel. (+30) 210.512.0682

O i n oma g eirio

7 Panathinaikou, Ambelokipi • Tel. (+30) 210.644.6585

R amo n a 11–13 Minoos, Kallithea • Tel. (+30) 210.951.5952

Τ r a v o lta

WIDE NET, small budget You don’t need to spend a small fortune to enjoy the bounty of the Aegean in Athens. B Y Ne n a D I M I T R I O U

ish from the Atlantic, with the possible exception of sole and monk fish, are relatively tasteless compared to their cousins from the Mediterranean, and particularly from the Aegean Sea. Although the word terroir is typically associated with wine, the concept of a holistic natural environment that significantly affects the taste of anything produced within it can easily extend to fish. In that sense the “terroir” of the Aegean nurtures especially flavorful crustaceans, fish and shellfish. As such, in Athens you can have 168

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good fresh fish without spending a small fortune. We’re not talking about salmon and tuna, which despite their popularity must travel for at least three days from the big ports of Europe. Here you should opt for mullet (red and striped-red), gilt-head bream, white bream, European barracuda and sea bass, common pandora, mussels and oysters, as well as octopus, prolific in the Greek seas in winter (from November to February). Do not underestimate the small, humble fish – they make excellent soups and stews – or the larger, lesser-known varieties such as bogue, bonito or golden

grouper, which are quite delicious when properly prepared. Near the port of Piraeus, Hatzikyriakou Avenue is an excellent spot for simple, good meals. Popular with local families, the tavernas here may be almost devoid of decor and their tables squeezed closely together, but they are still worthwhile – though best avoided on Saturday evening and for Sunday lunch. Yiannis serves an excellent fish stew (you need to call in advance to order it), well-grilled fish, pasta with shrimp, raw or cooked shellfish and a

ATTIC MOON CHINESE RESTAURANT

Τhe most talked-about and impressive Chinese restaurant in the center of Athens nowadays. It’s a convenient, cozy place, where you can enjoy your meal while listening to soft, relaxing Chinese music. Our two levels can accommodate up to 100 people for big events and special occasions. Service is quick and easy. Chefs are highly experienced, offering delicious menus: YUXIANG PORK, SICHUAN BEEF, BEEF SATAY, PECKING DUCK AND SEA FOOD SPECIALTIES (sweet-and-sour fish, boiled fish and spicy shrimp). We are open daily from 11:30 AM to 11:30 PM

Xenofontos 10-12 • Syntagma, Athens • Tel. (+30) 210.322.7095 www.atticmoon.com

A taste of pure bliss

Cozy and fairy-tale like, the three-story alternative space Pure Bliss allows you to relax to chill-out music, while enjoying your favorite beverages as well as a wide selection of nutritious juices and snacks made mostly from organic ingredients. For breakfast, energize your body with fresh juice made with spirulina, reishi mushroom and chia seeds. At lunch, try out the black tagliatelle with smoked salmon and pink pepper, while for dessert indulge in the unusual sugarfree cheese cake, made using the natural sweetener stevia, with a cranberry base, oat-and-almond energy bars, and topped with fruits boiled in sweet wine. A visit will reveal more imaginative and nutritious delicacies to refuel yourself with.

Pure Bliss: 24A Romvis • Tel. (+30) 210.325.0362

gluten free, vegan & more G R E E C E IS

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A r g oura

medley of meze to go with ouzo. A similar style of cuisine is served nearby at Ilias. The taverna has been taken over by the proprietor’s sons, with one working the grill and the other on service. A meal of salad, steamed mussels and fried langoustine tails will cost about 25 euros per person. Slightly more adventurous dishes – though not so much as to mask the high quality of the ingredients – are prepared at Travolta. Located in the suburb of Peristeri, somewhat off the beaten track, what it lacks in views it makes up for with specials like beautifully grilled skewers of shrimp and calamari served with squid ink and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, the simplest yet most appropriate dressing. Other musts are the lightly fried anchovy fillets with beetroot sauce and the gilt-head bream or white grouper served with eggplant puree, a play on hunkar beyendi, a traditional dish from Asia Minor made with veal and eggplant. You should also try the gilt-head bream in its fricassee version (made with seasonal greens and an egg-lemon sauce) or as a tartar. The service is quick and the finish quite voluptuous – a big slab of creamy, syrupy galaktoboureko. Meals cost about 30 euros per person. Closer to the sea and in the spirit of experimentation, Agroura is a contemporary taverna with an energetic owner. When the weather allows it, he serves a plethora of seafood and shellfish, from the most popular – 170

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mussels, oysters and clams – to lesser-known kinds like sea figs and date mussels. Fish is prepared in many different ways – as an appetizer, soup, entree or salad – but the high point here are the meze, so you had best go about it Greek-style, ordering plenty of small dishes for the middle of the table, to be enjoyed by all: smoked eel with eggplant cooked on a clay roof tile, European sea bass carpaccio and seafood giouvetsi casserole (with date mussels if you’re lucky). The wine list is quite extensive and the atmosphere lively. The cost comes to about 35 euros per person. In downtown Athens, walking along Lekka Street around lunchtime, your nostrils will be assailed by the aroma of food and you know something’s cooking. Known by its regulars simply as “The Rose,” To Triantafyllo tis Nostimias (The Rose of Deliciousness), is tucked away in a small arcade. It is best to look for a table outside rather than inside the rather stuffy dining room. The menu offers several meat dishes, but as you’ll notice, most people come here for the meze: anchovy and small fry, fava bean paste with chopped onions, fried kefalotyri cheese, boiled wild greens and grilled herbstuffed sardine fillets are among the many delightful dishes. You need to be patient with the service at rush hour, but you shouldn’t pay more than 20 euros per person, wine, ouzo or tsipouro included.

Info A r g oura 49 Agisilaou, Tzitzifies • Tel. (+30) 217.717.3200

I lia s 104 Hatzikyriakou, Piraeus • Tel. (+30) 210.451.1261

Τ r av o lta 33 Aghiou Pavlou, Peristeri • Tel. (+30) 210.571.9222

T o T ria n ta f yllo ti s No s timia s 22 Lekka, Syntagma • Tel. (+30) 210.322.7298

Y ia n n i s 107 Hatzikyriakou, Piraeus • Tel. (+30) 210.418.0160

FOOD & DRINK

WHISKY BARS: Show Me the Way… Greeks love their whisky – coming second only to the Scots in per capita consumption in 2010 – and are becoming more discerning drinkers thanks to specialized bars. BY SOTIRIS GEORGIOU

CV Distiller The whisky lover’s Athenian paradise is located in a pretty neighborhood behind the Hilton Hotel. Its collection comprises some 700 labels – 70 of them Japanese – and is constantly being enriched thanks to the passion of proprietor and collector Stefanos Psyllakis, who regularly visits auctions and sellers around the world. Behind the impressive wooden countertop, highly trained and knowledgeable bartenders know which glass to use and always pour over whisky stones to avoid compromising the flavor. Down a couple of stairs in the private cigar lounge is where the jewels of the collection are safely stored and displayed: Macallan 25 Y.O., Brora 35 Y.O. 1960 and almost all of the different editions of the highly sought-after and expensive Port Ellen. Prices per serving start at €9 for single malts, reaching €257 for a Mortlach 35 Y.O. • 7 Hadziyianni Mexi, tel (+30) 210.723.1767

56 Burrowed among the buildings on the steps of Ploutarchou Street in Kolonaki, it looks like a speakeasy from the Prohibition era, but through the doors is a space that has acquired a really great patina over time. The big classic bar countertop with leather cushioned trim, the piano, dozens of musicians’ portraits, subtle lighting and jazz backdrop make the bar look like something out of a film set. Panagiotis – artist, proprietor and bartender – knows his music as well as his whiskies. He also likes to philosophize, as you’re bound to find out. The selection is comprehensive and comprises many single malts (quite a few from small distilleries), including Irish and Japanese, as well as bourbons. A fan of the old school, he pours generously without using a measuring glass and prices start at €8 for regular single malts. • 56 Ploutarchou, Kolonaki, tel (+30) 210.723.1424

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Alexander’s, Hotel Grande Bretagne One of Athens’ classiest, original bars. The beautiful décor – featuring an 18th century tapestry depicting Alexander the Great at the Battle of Gaugamela – the leather stools, collectible lighting fixtures and paintings, but mainly its complete collection of labels, earned it a Forbes recommendation as one of the Best Hotel Bars in the world. Much like a private gentleman’s club, the clientele consists mainly of hotel guests and businessmen talking shop in hushed tones. The

bar boasts a collection of more than 100 whiskies, some of which are exceptionally rare, such as the Macallan series from 1940, 1946, 1952 and 1969, with prices starting for a 50ml serving at €950. Cognacs are also very well represented with the Remy Martin Louis XIII Black Pearl Limited Edition and Hennessy Paradis and Richard Hennessy. • Vassileos Georgiou & Panepistimiou, Syntagma Square, tel (+30) 210.333.0000

Low Profile Old-school bartenders, photos on the walls of Miles Davis, Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk, and laid-back music from retro speakers create a warm ambience for a clientele that consists of discerning drinkers of all stripes. The list caters to even the most demanding aficionados with a large collection of single malts, Irish and bourbons, including some real gems. Prices range from €6 to €45 per serving, while you can also order a half-serving. • 7 Voulis (inside the arcade), Syntagma Square, tel (+30) 213.035.2144 G R E E C E IS

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Brunch takes Athens by storm Forget traditional cheese pies and coffee for breakfast, and make way for Bloody Marys, burgers, pancakes and Croque Madames. B Y n e n a dimitriou

p until a few years ago, Athens did not offer much in the way of breakfast save traditional coffee houses that served cheese pies and the like or fancy hotel buffets. Now brunch has become all the rage, especially on Sundays, and reservations need to be made days in advance. Prices range between 15 to 27 euros per person. The menus do not vary that much, containing staples such as multi-layered burgers, pancakes and eggs cooked in different styles. The biggest perks of eating at a bar, however, are the drinks, particularly at the better establishments, where they’re sure to hit the spot. The first to introduce brunch to the Athens food scene was Nixon, an authentic bar that has gradually become a classic; rather dark and British in style, with seating arrangements that afford a sense of privacy even on a busy day. The menu is big with selections including wild spiny chicory with tomato and cured pork, three different burgers and a dozen different types of eggs. The place that really established brunch as the new thing was The Clumsies, an allday bar that ranked 22nd this year among the world’s top 50 bars. A different acclaimed Greek chef takes over the kitchen each Sunday, preparing an original, signature menu, usually consisting of four or five courses. Most Sundays are sold out weeks in advance, but it is still worth trying your luck! In the hip area around Syntagma Square,

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Barreldier is a bar with character and expertise, serving in-house barrel-aged classic cocktails with a twist, created by bartender Mario Bassο. Brunch is usually accompanied by an Aperol Spritz, a classic Mimosa or a Bloody Mary, but the Vermouth is really the star attraction. Another great spot in the area is By the Glass, a wine bar tucked away in a beautiful arcade with a secret garden. It is quiet and sheltered from the city hubbub despite its very central location. You can pair your food with a selection of some 200 different labels served by the glass. Tip: The bougatsa cream pastry is delicious. A walk from the city center towards the suburb of Petralona leads to Kyrios Hou (Mister Who), a 1970s style all-day bar in a neoclassical mansion with a retro courtyard. For brunch, they have created a fantastic Bacon Βloody Mary, the perfect match with eggs. Don’t miss out on sampling the cheesecake pancakes. In the up-and-coming district of Koukaki near the Acropolis Museum, a former car repair shop has been transformed into a bar with a 1980s aesthetic and a devoted clientele. Bel Ray is always lively, youthful and bright, serving brunch daily from 10 in the morning, though the bar doesn’t open until 18:30. Try its famous Croque Madame and the Rachel sandwich made with apaki (Cretan smoked pork) and tangy cabbage.

Info B arreldier 7 Voulis, Syntagma • Tel. (+30) 210.325.4711, • www.facebook.com/Barreldier

B el R ay 88 Falirou, Koukaki • Tel. (+30) 213.032.6450, • www.belraybar.gr

B y t h e Gla s s 3 Souri, Stoa Ralli, Syntagma • Tel. (+30) 210.323.2560, • www.bytheglass.gr

K yrio s Hou 1 Yperionos & Dimofontos, Ano Petralona • Tel. (+30) 210.342.3972, • www.facebook.com/kyriosxou

Nixon Βar 61B Agisilaou, Kerameikos • Tel. (+30) 210.346.2077 • www.nixon.gr

T h e C lum s ie s 30 Praxitelous, Syntagma • Tel. (+30) 210.323.2682, • www.theclumsies.gr

B arreldier

B el R ay

T h e C lum s ie s

B y t h e Gla s s

K yrio s Hou

Nixon Î&#x2019;ar

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