Articles about Greece

Athens Traditionally Trendy.

After the tourist traps, try these offbeat, fascinating and newly trendy precincts.

By ΑΝΤΗΕΕ CARASSAVA      MAGAZINE " TIME " OCTOBER 15, 2001

SO, YOU'VE HIKED UP THE ACROPOLIS, TOURED the ancient Agora and struck a snapshot pose at the grounds where Pericles once preached the wonders of democracy. You've bought a lamp of Aphrodite with a clock mounted in her belly, and you've paid $8.99 for a slice of mousaka that tastes like the rubber Parthenon you picked up for the folks back home. What next?

Get out, out of the tourist rat runs and into Psirri and Votanikos. There lie the liveliest new quarters of old Athens. Once home to the country's best craftsmen, Psirri, a honeycomb of one-room workshops, barbershops, tobacconists and tanneries, has been revamped and gentrified, gracefully. Humble huts are now trendy ouzeri and cafes. Warehouses have become fashionable nightclubs. Neoclassical buildings with gateways onto verdant courtyards have been converted to stylish galleries and quaint taverns. That uneasy coexistence between the district's old and new, its mix of shabby and swish, is the area's most lively feature. Look behind  the designer glitz and the wrought-iron balconies, and you'll find craftsmen like Constantine Petropoulos, 88, repairing some of the world's oldest gramophones. Walk into the workshop of Dimitris Kokkinelis, one of the last chalcographers in Greece, and watch him hold medals, some of which may be destined for the 2004 Athens Olympics. Stroll into an archaic atelier and observe the casting of copper cauldrons, used to brew ouzo, the potent, anise-flavoured national drink. Or trek to the fringes of Psirri, a few steps beyond the final show of its spanking new hot spots, and discover the 200-year-old bakery of Venetis. The site, dusty and derelict, may be unappealing. But the aroma is alluring, guaranteed to send you straight to the counter for a slice of traditional feta-cheese pie, plus some olive-and -basil bread, plus a taste of those yeast less loaves that nourished the ancient Greeks for eons. Then hit the district's hippest gallery, Epistrofi (meaning "return"), for a view of works by upstart artists, mainly of the Greek Diaspora. And wrap it  all up with a visit to Dimitris', one of the oldest barbershops in Athens (sorry ladies, this is a treat for men). There, for a merger $7, you can indulge in a trim-and-a-shave that has shipping titans, politicians and common folk queuing for that timeless "garcon" look. What next? Be daring. Face west, a slant to the south, and walk ahead. Fear not the toe-nipping traffic that suddenly re-emerges. Or the streets hawkers and immigrants who sometimes clog the rugged roads to Votanikos, the thriving trend-setting part of Athens. Within minutes, you'll be stunned by the sight of Athinais, an architectural oasis designed by one of Richard Branson's favorite visionaries, Tom Gazetas. Formerly a silk factory sandwiched between a cluster of auto-repair shops, the 6,500-sq-m stone Athinais in now home to the first museum of ancient Cypriot art in Greece, with one of the rarest collections of its kind in the world. It features a gallery of notable avant-garde art and is home to Red, perhaps the most louse-looking restaurant in town. The plump, red couches have even the most starched of customers slouching like lounge lizards. The wine list would make Dionysus' toes curl, and the nouvelle Greek cuisine is affordable and appetizing. Best of all, it won't taste like the rubber Parthenon you picked up earlier.

STREETWISE
Best jogging: The National Gardens This sprawling park and its jungle tangle of trees offers the most refreshing retreat within Athens. Miles of meandering paths have joggers running at all hours between sunrise and sunset.
Best theater: Odeon of  Herodes Atticus. Popularly known as the "Herodio", this ancient theater on the southern slope of the Acropolis serves as the center of Greek cultural events: The cheaper the seats, though the less you'll be able to see of the shows.
Best View: Likavittos Hill. Α funicular hoists visitors to the summit, the picturesque chapel of Agios Georgios. For the more energetic, a winding footpath leads to the top. A terraced cafe facing the Acropolis offers a stunning, expansive view:
Best Comeback: Benaki Museum. If you have time for only one museum stop, this Neoclassical Landmark is the place to go. Open again after a 12-year renovation, the museum has a priceless collection spanning Hellenism's 5;000 years: 1 Koumbari Street, Tel: +30136 71 000: Admission: $4.50: