Dispatches: Athens
1.
There is an irony to Greece’s location. We have this word balkanization, a term that came into being in the 19th century in reference to the history of the Balkan region, which was then a part of the Ottoman empire but slowly began to dissolve into a number of often-antagonistic, ethnically based states.
The irony is that Greece is geographically part of the Balkans and it too has been a part of several empires and has, over the centuries, been composed of a myriad of different ethnic groups. Greece has been subject to many of the same historical forces as the rest of the Balkans and yet, we have a very strong notion of Greece as a singular place and the Greeks as a people. This wasn’t always the case.
The ancient Greek city states were absorbed into the Roman Empire and remained as such until the forming of the Byzantine or Eastern Roman Empire. After the fall of Byzantium, the Greek peninsula changed hands a few times before falling under Ottoman rule. Most of the Aegean islands were Ottoman as well; although, Cyprus and Crete remained under the control of the Venetians for a time.
During this long history, the people who we would call Greeks remained linked by the Greek language but may have self-identified in a number of different ways. Many Greek speakers simply considered themselves to be Roman long after the fall of Byzantium. There were Phanariots, Greek speakers living in Constantinople who came to occupy places of prominence within the Ottoman Empire. There were Greeks who converted to Islam under the Ottomans. There are Aromians and Northern Eripus, the significant Greek-speaking minorities in Albania. And there were Turks and Armenians and others living within the borders of modern-day Greece.
It was not until the 18th century that the idea of Greek nationalism began to take root. Prior to that, when people spoke of Greece and the Greeks, they were more than likely referring to antiquity or to the Greek language, which was the language of learning and scholarship in many quarters. The impulse towards Greek nationalism culminated in the Greek War of Independence from the Ottomans. When the Greek state formed in 1822, Athens became its capital because it recalled Greece’s ancient glory and perhaps because it was a compromise between the other competing centers of power. As I mentioned in my post on Spetses, Athens at the time was little more than a series of small settlements sitting in the shadow of the Acropolis. Its population had fallen to around 4,000 during the war. Since becoming the capital, Athens has grown into a city of three million.
While very much a modern city, Athens’ views are still dominated by the Acropolis and the ruins of ancient and historical Athens do everywhere peak out from beneath the veneer of the modern city. This simultaneous expression of ancient Greece and contemporary Greek life is what makes Athens such an interesting place.
2.
Across the street from my hotel, in large graffitied letters, a sentence reads, “Athens is the new Berlin.” Or maybe it was, “Berlin is the new Athens.” That I forget the order makes a point.
Berlin is a large city, once split down the middle by a wall constructed to keep the fascists on one side of the wall from interfering with the building of a worker’s paradise on the other, at least that was the official reason given. When reunification happened, suddenly there was a whole half of the city that was relatively under-developed and therefore cheap. Calling someplace the new Berlin is the continental equivalent of calling it the new Brooklyn. And while I have always chafed at that appellation, I have to admit that Athens kinds of has that vibe.
I could tell you to spend more time in cities, but you’ve heard it already. If you’ve been to Greece or spent any time contemplating a trip there, you’ve probably had someone advise you not to skip Athens. So, I won’t bother.
Maybe you also know that Athens is more than just the historical sights. It’s really a wonderful city in which to just hang out. You can dine outside at one of the many restaurants in the areas north of Monastraki Square, make merry in one of the many bars in the Psiri area, or enjoy a cocktail at one of the city’s makeshift storefront bars. Hell, you can do all three in the same night.
If you’re only staying a short time, I recommend finding a guide. There are scores of tours. You can find them on Airbnb and similar sites. When I was there, I took a really great food tour that started with a taste of bougatsa, a traditional Greek pastry, continued through the heart of Athens Central Market and ended with a shared meal at one of Athens unassuming traditional restaurants
3.
Athens is a great city for history buffs but do go and see the historic sights even if you’re not one. Yes, they’re crowded and full of tourists, but so what? You’re a tourist. You’re part of the crowd. Accept it. But maybe go early, before the worst of the crowds and the heat, if it’s summer.
I have some qualms with the travel press. One, is how much certain publications try to convince you that there are all these wonderful travel hacks. Get the right credit card stack and you’ll be flying free on business class forever. Dress up and give the flight attendant the secret handshake and you’ll be upgraded to first class every time. It’s mostly all clickbait. Yes, there are better and worse ways to accumulate miles and ways to make your trips more bearable, but there is no secret handshake, no magic formula.
In this same vein, is the idea of hidden gems, the idea that you’re missing something if you just go and see the obvious attractions. You are missing something, but its fine to miss things.
I recently listened to a travel podcast in which an editor at a travel magazine suggested Choquequirao Park in Peru as an alternative to Machu Picchu. Choquequirao is much less visited because it requires a four-day trek to get there. It’s great that the magazine is highlighting this place and if that sounds like something you’d be into, then go for it. But don’t let the existence of such a place stop you from going to Machu Picchu. Not everyone has the time, the ability or even the inclination to go on a long trek. Don’t stop yourself from seeing one of the wonders of the world out of some weird desire to be the savvy traveler.
Originally, we had meant to spend our last night in Greece at the Hotel Grande Bretagne. I have a soft spot for Europe’s grand old hotels. They call to mind an age before mass tourism that I do admit to romanticizing. But plans change and our trip ended in Istanbul instead of Athens, so we had to cancel our reservation at the Bretagne. It’s fine though. I always like to leave something undone in a place. I like to leave with a sense of longing to return. That is certainly how I feel about Athens. I may not climb to the top of the Acropolis or visit its adjacent museum next time. But I will certainly go back and enjoy Athens’ hipster trappings.