Wake up 7am, train at 7.35am across town, panic? It's a race but I'm out the door by 7.13am which gives me a fighting chance. My main hope is that Greek trains are as reliable as the 8.19am Manchester Victoria to Wigan Wallgate. Fortunately they are identical and despite arriving 7.38am the train does not arrive and leave until 8am, phew!
My close friend Dave flies out to meet me for five days. He wasn't able to make the leaving celebrations in Manchester but thanks to climate change disregarding cheap flights it's possible to meet for a Mediterranean holiday at a marginally greater cost than the return trainfare from Glasgow!
We're protesting in the rain
As if to make a point, the our first day and it pouring down torrents of rain, in other words ideal museum weather. After a morning coffee to wake up we head out and within two minutes we're soaked and wandering aimlessly past the Parliament Building we discover a large crowd of people. Thousands of students are protesting at a new bill to allow the re-introduction of a military presence onto campuses and restrictions on the right to study. We spot anti-war symbols and join the march alongside this group. It's a pretty lively and loud despite the weather. Seeing the riot police fully-clad in storm-trooper gear is unnerving but the demonstration passes peacefully!
Spirit of '68?
Whilst marching we get talking to Spyros, a hospital worker, trade unionist and activist supporting the student protest. He explains some of the background to the dispute and together we go for lunch at a 'radical' cafe where he points out various characters including the head of the College tutors who had recently been on strike and we're joined by Kriton a psychology lecturer. On Friday night we're invited to a party at the Kalon Technon which students have occupied on and off for the past 10 months in protest at government educational reforms. It's a very lively atmosphere with 400-500 people dancing away in what I guess was a sports hall to reggae, punk, soul and disco (and hearing Survovir's 'Eye of the Tiger' is perhaps the most bizarre moment of the night!). The main political ideas amongst the students seem to be those of an anarchist tendency, which could explain the mass of graffiti. The problem of trying to organise around such ideas is shown when around 3am the music is cut and someone tries to make an announcement that 10 students have been arrested and invites people to go and discuss what to do. Curious we follow to see what will happen but find about 350 people just hanging about in small groups of 3 and 4 talking amongst themselves. Hmmm, the weakness of autonomism!
Acropolis sunset
After an afternoon wandering the streets around the Acropolis we settle down with a beer to watch the sunset along 100 or so other people. It's a spectacular view, at one point the clouds and skyline shot through pink-orange and red sunlight creating a mirage effect of a marble-dome ceiling that Michelangelo would be hard-pressed to surpass. It's almost unreal, so much so that I'm half expecting a TV camera to fall from the sky.
Mattsideon of Mancos
My close friend Dave flies out to meet me for five days. He wasn't able to make the leaving celebrations in Manchester but thanks to climate change disregarding cheap flights it's possible to meet for a Mediterranean holiday at a marginally greater cost than the return trainfare from Glasgow!
We're protesting in the rainAs if to make a point, the our first day and it pouring down torrents of rain, in other words ideal museum weather. After a morning coffee to wake up we head out and within two minutes we're soaked and wandering aimlessly past the Parliament Building we discover a large crowd of people. Thousands of students are protesting at a new bill to allow the re-introduction of a military presence onto campuses and restrictions on the right to study. We spot anti-war symbols and join the march alongside this group. It's a pretty lively and loud despite the weather. Seeing the riot police fully-clad in storm-trooper gear is unnerving but the demonstration passes peacefully!
Spirit of '68?
Whilst marching we get talking to Spyros, a hospital worker, trade unionist and activist supporting the student protest. He explains some of the background to the dispute and together we go for lunch at a 'radical' cafe where he points out various characters including the head of the College tutors who had recently been on strike and we're joined by Kriton a psychology lecturer. On Friday night we're invited to a party at the Kalon Technon which students have occupied on and off for the past 10 months in protest at government educational reforms. It's a very lively atmosphere with 400-500 people dancing away in what I guess was a sports hall to reggae, punk, soul and disco (and hearing Survovir's 'Eye of the Tiger' is perhaps the most bizarre moment of the night!). The main political ideas amongst the students seem to be those of an anarchist tendency, which could explain the mass of graffiti. The problem of trying to organise around such ideas is shown when around 3am the music is cut and someone tries to make an announcement that 10 students have been arrested and invites people to go and discuss what to do. Curious we follow to see what will happen but find about 350 people just hanging about in small groups of 3 and 4 talking amongst themselves. Hmmm, the weakness of autonomism!
Acropolis sunset
After an afternoon wandering the streets around the Acropolis we settle down with a beer to watch the sunset along 100 or so other people. It's a spectacular view, at one point the clouds and skyline shot through pink-orange and red sunlight creating a mirage effect of a marble-dome ceiling that Michelangelo would be hard-pressed to surpass. It's almost unreal, so much so that I'm half expecting a TV camera to fall from the sky.
Mattsideon of Mancos
Somewhere nearby we discover a statue commemorating a Greek warrior. An inscription reads, "Mattsideon of Mancos, guardian of the harbour. His ability to ward off marine invasions with a mighty
discus throw was legend amongst the ancient world. Better known in modern day as a veteran decathlete of the XXIII Olympiad in Los Angeles finishing 12th behind eventual winner and world record breaker Daley Thompson. He nevertheless gained the respect and admiration of fellow Olympians for amassing a total of 6,847 points, over 6,000 of these achieved in the discus with a throw of 435metres. However, his decision not to compete in the individual event was generally considered to be a mistake.
discus throw was legend amongst the ancient world. Better known in modern day as a veteran decathlete of the XXIII Olympiad in Los Angeles finishing 12th behind eventual winner and world record breaker Daley Thompson. He nevertheless gained the respect and admiration of fellow Olympians for amassing a total of 6,847 points, over 6,000 of these achieved in the discus with a throw of 435metres. However, his decision not to compete in the individual event was generally considered to be a mistake.Happy Birthday James
Sunday 25 March James is 23 years old. In the afternoon I get a call from home and speak to James, Gerard, Ruth, Clare and Dave. It's the first time on my travels we all talked and it's great to hear their voices even if it leaves me a little homesick afterwards. I think James likes his present, the Bled rowing team shirt. I remind Dave that although it's his birthday that's no excuse for letting James win at pool, even if he does have his own cue dubbed Excalibur!
"It don't matter to Jesus!"
Late in the evening we meet up again with Spyros and go for a meal at Pozanni taverna in the Exharia district. The food is delicious, fava bean mash with olive oil and lemon, salads, and three types of fish. Afterwards, around 1am we go and find a local bar still serving to round of the night. The bartender there is in a buoyant mood as it is his last night working after 10 years there and invites us all to join him with a celebratory Herradura Tequila shot, yamas! He looks a lot like John Turturro and even speaks a bit like him to, so I keep thinking of the Big Lebowski and laughing. He offers to take a group photo of us and immediately goes into Austin Powers mode, shots from all angles, yes yes yes NO! After, he surveys his work and with a huge grin says "'they're terrible, you should be ashamed you're all a disgrace to the human race, ha!". A bit harsh maybe, judge for yourselves...
The littlest (?) hobo
It's a sad farewell at the airport but also a new phase in travelling. Dave's going home and I'm looking ahead to having no immediate milestones, I've nowhere I need to be at no particular time, just me and the world. On the metro back to Athens I'm humming again... "maybe tomorrow I wanna settle down, until tomorrow I'll just keep movin on"....
No comments:
Post a Comment