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Month: July 2023
Not Wittenberg, in Anafiotika
A recent social media storm has taken place in this little church on the edge of Anafiotika, the Greek islander settlement on the foot of the Acropolis, St Nicholas Rangavas. When I realised it was right next to me as I was touring Plaka, I thought it fitting to make a detour. As detailed in […]
Fear and loathing in Exarchia
Had dinner in Exarchia tonight, at Lacantina. … what, take photos at Exarchia?! OF COURSE NOT! THEY MIGHT HAVE KILLED ME!!!! Ok, not really, but yes, those of our party that had not been to Exarchia before entered it with some trepidation. The place has quite the reputation. Exarchia is Athens’ long-standing haunt of people’s […]
The Niarchos Centre
The new digs of the National Opera and the National Library: the completely awesome Niarchos Cultural Centre, complete with musical fountain, which has only been in place for the past decade. I am told that if you are trying to study inside the national library, you will grow to hate the musical fountain and its […]
The navel of Athens
The navel of Athens is not the Parthenon. OK, strike that. The navel of ancient Athens is the Parthenon, but not for me. The navel of Athens is not Parliament. OK, strike that. The navel of contemporary Athens is Parliament, but not for me. The navel of Athens is not the Orthodox Cathedral, nor is […]
The books of Athens
Remember how I pointed out in Salonica the National Bank Educational Institute bookshop, and how it is kryptonite for my wallet? Remember too, how I said that I wasn’t familiar with the Athens bookshop, because it was in a side street. It was indeed in a sidestreet. Two blocks away from the Dialect Research Centre. […]
Uphill and downhill in Kolonaki
Athens CBD involves two hills (pictured: zoom in and you might see a bit of the Parthenon). One is the Acropolis. My accommodation is near the other one, Lycabettus. (Specifically, I am next to the original Roman water tank that fed the city. The water company still uses it as backup. It’s a couple of […]
Greeks mangling English
Poster sighed in Athens, for a book fair. If only Greek have been in contact with a Near Eastern language, from which it could have already borrowed the word bazaar. Oh wait… What’s that? The word παζάρι means “market” so it wouldn’t work here? Why? What exactly do you think “bazaar” means here to begin […]
The Historical Dictionary
My business in Athens, aside from continuing to work for my employer and visiting my kin, was to visit the Research Centre for Modern Greek Dialects in the Academy of Athens, publishers of the Historical Dictionary of Modern Greek. My friend Io Manolessou is now director of the centre, and my friend Dion Mertyris has […]