Returning to Athens

After a short break, the blog is back in business. 

Jump the park

In Sintagma square, just opposite the Parliament, the flying skaters are practicing their magic tricks.
No skater was hurt during this shooting :-)

Athens and New York are getting closer

The first photo is in New York Metro and was taken by my friend Nikos (here is the post in his own blog). I took the second one in Athens. Both are promoting the new Continental Airlines Athens-New York route.

It's exciting to look how the same thing is promoted in both sides of the trip.

...and I 've been drinking like a dog

Tongue work in Syntagma Square

Summer blues

Another door to the sea

After this door in Santorini here is another one in Syros.

Cruiser "Averof"

Georgios Averof is a Greek warship which served as the flagship of the Royal Hellenic Navy during most of the first half of the 20th Century. It is an armored cruiser and the only such ship still in existence.

Launced in 1910, it served during WWI and WW2 and was decomissioned in 1952.

Today serves as a museum and is docked in Faliron.
In Wikimapia
A photographic tour
Naval Museum
Detailed history of the ship

Doorway

The official entrance to former Syggros estate (see previous post here).

Big Fish

A rather unlucky yellow fin tuna.

White on black

In Kamari, Santorini, the beach is full of black pebbles, probably because of the volcanic nature of the whole island. I took this photo in late afternoon, just after sunset.

Door to sea

What a letterbox!

In Santorini.

Summer moments: Blue and sand

High noon

Andros town under the sun. The balcony on the front is from a mansion built on the rock. On the middle a little church, the "Virgin of the Sea". The ever-present wind was calm that day.
Andros island

E la nave va

Early in the morning, minutes before we sail for the Aegean...

Syntagma protest: Silence and mourning

From the blog of my good friend Nikos
Something is changing - and these viral campaigns of disgust for what happened are gaining momentum.
Thousands gather again in Constitution square to protest about the fires and the non-existent government coordination.

Raging Fire

Five days now, Greece is being burnt by huge wildfires. In Ancient Olympia the flames reached the first ever Olympic Stadium.
Fighting the flames..
Western Peloponnese, most of the victims were caught here by the fire.
In Google News

Note: These photos are not mine, they are collected from various news sites.

Paradise Lost

It's a moment of great grief, with hundreds of wildfires raging all over southern Greece. In some years from now, it will be impossible to find places like this.
2007 Greek Forest Fires (Wikipedia)
BBC Coverage

In Santorini...

Every day, during the sunset, thousands of tourists take position to view and take photos.


More info and photos

Greetings from Santorini

Ovelikios is vacationing but the blogger inside him does not. Greetings to all from the most beautiful sunset in Greece.

On vacation

Athens DP is "moving" to Aegean sea for three weeks. I may post something from there, so please check back regularly .

Have a nice summer everyone.

Cyclists, AKA negros

In Athens, cyclists can enter with their bikes on the metro Green Line ONLY on the last wagon through the last door. And I thought apartheid was dead long ago.

As if that wasn't enough, bicyclists can use the trains ONLY at off peak hours. That means, if you like to use your bicycle to go to work, you lose.

On the Blue and Red Line (the newest and the most central ones) bicycles are totally forbidden.

How does it sound to you? Are cyclists allowed in your metro system?

P.S.
As I was taking this photo, a security guard approached me and said that taking photos of the sign is forbidden. I said "oh, my. So I cannot take a picture of a PUBLIC sign!" I hope the metro company won't sue me over this. Or, think about what happens to cyclists with cameras!! :-)

Sappho

Outside Athens National Gallery, the sculpture of ancient lyric poet Sappho, by Antoine Bourdelle.

Fisherman's Blues

On a boat, in Varkiza little port.

Summer time

The houses on the hill seem to blend beautifully with the ship's white deck. Scenes like this make me love the greek summer.
Andros island, main port.
Satellite photo
The same boat outside Tinos island

George Michael in town

Last Thursday, George Michael gave a big concert in Athens Olympic Stadium in front of 40.000 spectators. It was the last concert of his european tour and one of the best events of the summer for Athens.
Many thanks to Annika for the photos. 

The Departed

These are death notices on a telephone company´s switchbox. In Athens there are no designated areas for such announcements so everyone uses walls, poles and any suitable surface.

It´s common that you can stick your notice or poster on other people ones, last week here was an anarchist movement´s poster, next week..who knows?

Outlaw and disorder

This area is supposed to be pedestrians only. As you can see, cars are parking even in front of the entrances.
The municipality police is nowhere to be seen. So,  the pedestrian's area is turned into a parking lot. Of course, none complains. Everybody wants to park his car right on the front of his store. 

So, everyone passes freely from there. They even horn at you when you dare to walk. No surprise none wants to shop at this particular area and the shop owners are complaining. Well, you do can shop there. As long as you are Indiana Jones.

A tail and a tower

I took this photo seconds before boarding in an Aegean Airlines plane to Rome, at Athens airport.

Athens airport satellite photo

Old Parliament and a hero

This is where the Greek Parliament was from 1875 to 1935. The equestrian statue on the front is Theodoros Kolokotronis, the most prominent figure of the Greek Revolution of 1821. 

The building now houses the National Historical Museum. 

See the place in Wikimapia

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