Olympian Interlude

The Greek gods make their presence felt amidst the bustle of modern Athens. Devika Rajan finds herself at home in this ancient city...

Tower Of The Winds, The Roman Forum

I remember reading Greek tales in school, tales of the antics of gods and goddesses, imbued with wholly human passions - much like many of our gods. I also recollect the numerous references to Athens in many school and college lessons, whether they were on Periclean democracy, Sparta, Aristotle, Socrates, Pythagoras, Euclid or Plato (I had done a term paper on the philosopher during college days, for which I had read ‘The Republic’). Even the sign-boards are not unfamiliar (remember the Greek alphabet is what we use as mathematical symbols). Wherever they were not in English, it could be ‘read’, once we mentally adjusted ourselves to converting the alphas, the betas and the sigmas from mathematics to alphabets! Athens is therefore not completely foreign to me, and so also for many other Indians. And yet, while Switzerland, London, Paris, and some cities in Germany are frequently host to the Indian ‘package tourist’, Greece, steeped in history and lore, and with its many islands affording an abundance of beaches and sunshine, has been largely absent from the itinerary. And this is not only puzzling, but a pity too. Fortunately, the Olympics being held in Athens, might be just the perfect excuse to set travel priorities right.

Athens (pronounced Aath-en) is the gateway to Greece but it is a city which does not lend itself to cataloguing. It’s neither east nor west; technically European by location, it has a generous oriental flavour, having been ruled by the Ottoman Turks from the middle of the fifteenth century till recent times. The Turks struggled with the Venetians for control over Athens and Greece, and in the early nineteenth century even the French and the British occupied parts of the country. Athens exhibits all these influences and more. It is a ‘modern’ city, as is immediately apparent, with tall buildings, a bustling city centre, and busy car-filled streets, struggling with the usual problems of pollution and noise, her people proud of their heritage, yet impatient to move ahead and take their place as a significant member of the European Union. Equally unmistakable is the mark of ancient Greek heritage, of being the cradle of European civilisation which goes back into neolithic times. In Athens, the dividing line between legend and history is thin. In some ways, the city itself reminds one of New Delhi - modern and crowded, but everywhere the imprint of ancient cultures in the form of monuments that rise unexpectedly, at a turn in the road, from behind a ‘normal’ concrete structure. The new and the antiquated, both bask peacefully in the Athenian sunshine. I am reminded of what Jean-Marie, our guide on our one-day tour around Athens, told us, “You can’t dig here for laying a road or a foundation for a building without discovering the remains of some ancient monument.” The average Athenian is bilingual, speaking both Greek and English, some of them quite at home with French and German as well. This kind of multilinguism, speaks of an open and tolerant mind, and of cross-cultural influences. Though quite common in India (the multilinguism), in Europe, except for the Swiss peoples, I have come across this only in Greece.

Since there are no direct flights from India to Athens, we decided to go by Austrian Airways, taking off from New Delhi at 2 a.m. A flight of seven hours, a four-hour stop at Vienna, and then we boarded the ’plane bound for Athens. Next to me sat a gentleman, who could have been in his forties. He asked us whether we (my husband and I) were from India; then spoke to us fondly of his Indian friends from college days in London. He told us how they had helped him out when funds ran low. And that was our first encounter with the Athenian persona - direct, warm and friendly. Christos Dionezis gave us his telephone number and address, and told us that we could contact him, should we need any kind of help. He said we could use his car to move around. Though we did not eventually take him up on his invitation, I have retained his number, and am confident that should I go to Athens some day in future, I could drop in on him, and would be welcome. This warmth struck me as the essential difference between the people of Athens and those from most other European capitals, whom we had met on our travels earlier, the ones who were polite and ‘friendly’, but for whom calling people home was a strict no-no. We also, later on, met a youngster, who made a reference to Mahatma Gandhi; and wherever we had conversations with people in Athens, they exhibited interest in India, referring to her long history and culture, and comparing this with that of Greece. In fact, on one day, when I decided to wear a salwar kameez with intricate embroidery, instead of the usual jeans, several strangers on the road made it a point to stop and speak to me, complimenting me on my dress; or else they just paused in what they were doing to look at me. This was another most un-European like characteristic I noticed about the Athenian — they made longer eye contact — more like us from India, and actually looked at people, as compared to the usual ’polite-not-looking-at-others’ expression found on faces further north in Europe.

Acropolis Picture Courtesy: TCI

Landing in Athens, we discovered that there was a cab drivers’ strike on. The situation had a familiar Indian ring to it. In fact, a couple of days later when we were wandering around the city-centre, we came across a group of people — maybe 20 or 30 persons — shouting slogans. They held banners and placards, as well as large colourful balloons and went about loudly proclaiming their displeasure. We asked a passer-by, what they were striking about, and were told that they were employees of the Sports Ministry protesting about pays being inadequate as compared with the work they had to do, especially in view of the increase expected as a result of the forthcoming Olympics. The strikers were allowed to vociferously express themselves. There was no attempt to stop them though on a side street there was an armed contingent of police personnel parked...just in case. We got our cab though, since we had booked from the airport. Our initial view of the Acropolis was obscured by a thousand heads that came our way. But the crowds melted in a matter of half-an-hour, and we were able to have a proper view of this monument devoted to Athena. The tall pillars of the Parthenon, located on the site of the Acropolis, are constructed to gently broaden as they proceed upwards, so that when viewed from below, they appear to be of the same thickness from top to bottom. Such is the meticulousness with which the structure has been constructed. A panoramic view of Athens may be had from the site of the Acropolis. One of the problems, marring the beauty of most ancient monuments that we saw, was the scaffolding, put up everywhere. We were told that they were all being renovated for the Olympics. In fact, the Acropolis with scaffolding symbolises what Athens is today - a city with an impressive history, now struggling to hold its own with global competition and modernisation. Everywhere in Athens there were the signs of a city being ’readied’ - roads being metalled, bulldozers and construction material strewn about on road-sides, and museums and monuments closed to the public as they were being renovated. It’s my guess that anyone who travels there during or after the Olympics has wound up, would have a wonderful viewing of all the monuments. The museum adjoining the Acropolis houses several artifacts. We visited the Benaki Museum, where the exhibits were impressive. A visit to the temple of the Olympian Zeus (pronounce as Zus) just across the road from the Acropolis, followed. After which the museum, then the ancient pathway, and a leisurely walk down the Plaka, to buy some souvenirs and enjoy the delights of a typical Greek town - colourful sights, interesting shopping, tavernas.

The Plaka, which is within walking distance from the Acropolis, is the best place for shopping and dining out. Good buys are lace, metalwork, jewellery, and of course the local wines. Olympics’ memorabilia were being offered in many shops - they cost a bit more in the official shops, where we were told, the proceeds went to an official Olympic fund. I was accosted by a matronly looking woman while walking on the road below the Acropolis, leading to the ancient walkway, near the Plaka. She wanted me to buy an embroidered, white bedspread for an exorbitant price. On expressing my inability, she stood there bringing down the price rapidly to Euro 10 and telling me of hungry ‘bambinos’ at home. She literally snatched away the Euro 10, dumped the sheet in my hands and disappeared. Later on, I discovered that the ’bargain’ price given to me was the actual one offered in the stores. I had got off lightly. It is advisable not to shop from stray hawkers, or be taken in by persons offering ’deals’ on the streets of Athens, especially in the Omonia area, which is best avoided.

Eating out is also best in the Plaka, at any of the numerous tavernas, under the floodlit Acropolis at night, or during the day, sitting under a parasol, enjoying the lazy atmosphere. Make no mistake, one goes to a taverna, not just for a meal, but for the experience. At midday, you sit out in the sun, under a large sunshade, and sip some wine, while debating on the most important question of what to eat. We had decided earlier on to give ourselves up completely to Mediterranean pleasures, so almost every meal was accompanied by wine. Athens offers two local drinks - Retsina and Ouzo. The Retsina is a resinated red wine. It is even sold loose in stores, where it is stored in wooden barrels, and quantities are measured out according to one’s requirement, somewhat the way cooking oil is sold in a traditional kirana shop in India! In a taverna, one can order glasses of the drink, or get a bottle. Retsina suited my palate; it is a red wine, and went well with the typical Greek food. Ouzo is a colourless, viscous liquid, with a strange oily-sweet taste, which I did not take to. Meals at tavernas come for anything as cheap as Euros 4 to 6. Greek food is palate friendly, even for the Indian vegetarian. The Greek salad which formed part of most of our meals consisted of tomatoes, capsicum, cucumber and other salad vegetables, cut into large pieces with some olives added, and a piece of feta cheese on top. The salad dressing is light - just a dollop of olive oil. Moussaka was one of the dishes I ordered frequently at a taverna. It is a baked dish of brinjals, potatoes, tomatoes and meat, served in layers with a milk-based sauce. Tzatziki, we discovered, is the Greek version of the Indian raita. Kebabs, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, are commonly served in Greece, because of the strong Turkish influence. Fish was also available, though this is more expensive than the other dishes. The blend of east and west is much in evidence in the cuisine of Athens.

If you are in Athens for work, then the business district in Athens is concentrated around the Syntagma (parliament building) Square. In fact, all the places one would like to visit, whether the Acropolis, or the business area, are all concentrated within a small area, bounded by Omonia Square to the north, Monastiraki Square to the west, Syntagma Square to the east, and the Plaka district to the south. In fact, any place in this area can easily be covered by foot. Most of the major banks and travel agenies have their offices around the Syntagma which also houses a great many luxury hotels. There are several internet cafes as well around this area. The Syntagma Square offers the usual touristy sight of change of the royal guard in front of the parliament house. The guards dress in traditional Greek costume, with their distinctive headgear, and shoes decorated with pom-poms.

One quaint thing which came to our notice were the little shrines alongside roads and highways. We were told that these were built by the relatives of those who died in road accidents, as a reminder to others to be careful while driving, and also to protect travellers. Road traffic is chaotic in Athens and one had better look out for one’s own safety. This is different from other cities of Europe, where everyone follows the rules of the road. Again, the sight of these shrines by the side of roads milling with traffic is a reminder of the paradox that Athens is - prayer and fast cars, scaffolding and ancient culture, long queues to use the toilet beside the most sublime monument to Athena...a veritable pot-pourri of images!