This is also Athens

This is also Athens


Friends from Turin Italy joined us for the first couple of days and we toured the Acropolis and Parthenon together. 

Also a food walking tour (forgot to take any photos but it was delicious). 



















There are stray cats everywhere. 

There are cat food bowls tucked all over the place for the kitties.



















Some kitties even get places to sleep.


















Bitter orange trees are also everywhere. 

Apparently the fruit is inedible but the scent of the flowers at this time of year is delightful. 

No idea what happens to the cars parked below when the ripe fruit starts to fall.























Profusion of spring wildflowers

























Benaki Museum in Athens is really ten different museums. 

After spending four hours in the National Archaeological Museum (not a Benaki) we skipped 

every other museum except for the Benaki Nema Passamenterie. 

It was amazing and not a museum at all but an active workplace (we did not expect that but we were certainly not disappointed).

Passamenterie is the art and practice of making tassels, fringe, ribbon, ornamental braids, cords, and elaborate trimmings. 



An example of some items made and for sale. 
















They work with some haute couture brands and a variety of museums. 

The amazing thing is the public can ring the bell and come in to shop and watch these beautiful things being made. Admission is free!


8-second video of crazy spinning machine making orange ribbon.

https://youtu.be/QgGQFqKSzNw


1-minute video of elaborate machine weaving an equally elaborate ribbon 

It was set up to weave two of the same ribbon at each end of the machine.

They said it takes a full day to set up the machine.

https://youtube.com/shorts/4AvWxozc40c


Except for the metallic threads these are all hand dyed in-house!


















Nema workshop is getting ready for Orthodox Easter

























Friday farmer’s market at the end of our block.



















Eggs are available and inexpensive. All groceries seem to be less expensive here.





12 @ 3.64 euros


or ½ dozen @ 1.69 euros


The dollar and the euro are nearly 1:1 right now.










A brief walk through the fish market was part of our food walking tour.



















Locally famous muralist, Ino, always paints in shades of black and white with a splash of blue.

























Sidewalks everywhere in Athens are terrible.

Uneven, broken, holes, tripping hazards, narrow…



























Restaurants, cafes, and bakeries are everywhere. And they are all delicious.



















Other tidbits you might not know.

  • ALL toilet paper goes in the trash. Only human waste gets flushed.
  • Less smoking than we had expected.
  • People of Greece do not call themselves Greek (that is the Roman name). They are Hellenic (the culture) or Hellenes (the people). 
  • English is widely spoken. Maybe a bit more so here in Athens and for younger people since it is a subject taught in school.

Comments

  1. claudiaApril 6, 2025 at 4:55 PM

    Thanks Serena ! Wishing you guys the best … looks amazing

    ReplyDelete
  2. justcruznMay 17, 2025 at 11:25 AM

    Glad no one got hurt on the sidewalks! Love the mural art and the fine craftsmanship

    ReplyDelete

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