Carnaval

Ancient traditions are what shape and define the Greek culture, even today. At present, the people are celebrating Carnaval season, (also happening in South America) which occurs during the four weeks that lead up to the start of lent. The word actually comes from the latin "carne vale", which means saying goodbye to meat before fasting. Last Thursday, they celebrated Tsiknopempti here, which literally means "Smell of cooking meat - Thursday"....and it really was! I went outside and could smell steak and lamb cooking all around the city. I even saw a man roasting an entire lamb at 9 o'clock in the morning, which was apparently in preparation for all the yiayias and pappous (grandmas and grandpas) who would want their Tsiknopempti feast early in the day.

The Carnaval celebration is a really fun period all over Greece, packed with crazy costumes and customs. It's like a month-long Halloween, except not quite as freaky! It also creates a sense of community across the city, lifting the morale after the January frost. Walking through the centre last weekend was brilliant; the tavernas were full, and it was just wonderful to know that everyone was out for the same reason...even though the reason was just to eat meat!

Two days before lent, or Clean Monday as they call it here, marks the end of Carnaval. This is the biggest celebration, and there are certain areas in Greece that really go to town. One particular region is Larissa, an area north of Athens and home to a village called Tyrnavos. The festivities that take place in Tyrnavos are based around themes such as the arrival of spring, fertility, and new life. While we might interpret that as new chicks and ducklings, they use the phallic symbol. Consequently, the fame of the village is accredited to its many phallic parades and costumes!

I'm hoping to get some great shots of Clean Monday Carnaval next week, but for now, here are some snaps taken around the various suburbs of Athens that I've visited... 

Aπεργία! Strike!

What’s most interesting about the time I spend here is not why I’m here but, rather, when. Greece is the first country to finally buckle under the weight of the global economic downturn, and is now faced with an almost impossible situation. No thanks to its lax approach to work and constant tax evasion, she is now paying the price. The atmosphere in Athens right now is extremely tense, and the people are very angry. One in five are unemployed and 50% of youths are out of work. With the new cut backs (around the ninth wave of cuts so far) the people feel that they cannot take anymore. They keep receiving measure after measure, but see no outcome. What the government faces is changing the attitude of the people. The Greek culture is second to none, but the country is a nation of shopkeepers that has an economic mentality 50 years behind the rest of europe.

I recently found a list published concerning the top ten tax evaders in Greece (evidently some of the most wealthy in the country). Until today, not one person has been forced to pay back what they owe. Simply making them repay their debts will obviously not solve the current problem, but at least it would set some examples, at least it would help change the "if he's not going to pay his taxes, why should I" attitude. It's about changing the dog-eat-dog character, which, in the present climate, is close to impossible. Moreover, what's hilarious about the entire situation is that no matter what the government do, no matter what agreement the EU come to, a multi-billion dollar loan at an extortionate interest rate is never going to be paid back anyway!

I had my own little experience of the current upheaval when walking through Syntagma square on Friday. As I approached the centre, I saw hundreds of protest police running towards the house of parliament and thought I was headed straight for the strike. Luckily, I just missed the protest, which I'm quite glad of, given that apparently rocks were being hauled at the crowd at one point. As I made my way through the square, there was clear anger and frustration in the atmosphere, so I grabbed some shots and quickly headed away from the area. I started walking back towards home along the deserted streets, when I noticed everyone looking a little ill, coughing, red eyes etc; it felt like something out of a sci-fi movie! Suddenly, my eyes started streaming and burning until I couldn't see anymore, which was when I realised that I was actually in the middle of a cloud of teargas! Pretty freaky moment on my part, but I guess it was my christening as a Greek citizen in the crisis!

 The Bank of Greece

Καλώς Ορίσατε!

Welcome to my blog, thanks for visiting!

Having recently moved to Athens to study Greek, I thought it would be fun to start a photoblog to document my months here. It is an incredibly interesting time to be in the city, with everything that is currently happening to the Greek economy, so I wanted to take on the challenge of showing just how Greece perseveres in this time of crisis.


As a first entry, I've attached some street pictures of a suburb of the city called Galatsi. As you can see, Athens is generally a very compact city, with at least 70% of the Greek population living in the capital. The majority of buildings aren't as aesthetically pleasing as other European cities, however, I tried to find beauty and logic within the chaos (an excellent word to describe the Greek lifestyle!). It's amazing how seeing things from different perspective can completely change the appearance.

Most families in Greece reside in an apartment, and often have a smaller abode in the countryside or on an island, for holidays and summertime. In fact, if you come to Athens in the summer, the city is a lot quieter (minus the tourists), as everyone has left for the islands! Another wonderful thing about living in the city is its hidden gems. As you walk through the crazy, winding streets, you will turn a corner and come face to face with a stunning church or ancient ruin. Such monuments act as reminders that the Greek heritage is not to be forgotten, that amongst all the souvlakis and madness, lay principles that date back thousands of years, and still hold resonance today.

Hope you like the snaps :)