Street Photography

The Evzones/Εύζωνες

The new guards enter.

The arrival of the tsoliades.

Waiting in front of the tomb of the unknown solider.

Changing of the guards

The soldier inspects the uniforms of the tsoliades.

Soldier waiting to inspect and taunt the Evzones.

Changing of the guards

Tourists in front of the guards.

And off they go.

They will be back later on.

Eery hour and on the hour the changing of the guard takes place in front of the Greek parliament building. The soldiers are called two names ‘Tsoliades’ and ‘Evzones’ meaning ‘well-belted’. The Evzones are selected for the height, eventhough when I was there the guy in the middle seemed kind of short for an Evzone (eh no offense). They are the presidential guards and it is an honour to be selected. It’s not an easy task as these soldiers have to endure a lot from the blinding sun and heat in the summer and cold and the rain in the winter. There are many people who try to grab their attention as they cannot sneeze or scratch their noses while on guard. The day that I went it was extremely hot and I felt really bad for them. But, it’s just an hour and their well-trained so it is probably not so bad for them.

Κάθε ώρα και ακριβως πανω στην ώρα η Προεδρικη φρουρά αλλαζει μπροστά από το Ελληνικού κοινοβουλίου. Οι στρατιώτες εχουν δύο ονόματα «Τσολιάδες» και «Ευζώνων» που σημαινει “εὖ”+”ζώνη“. Οι Εύζωνες επιλέγονται για το ύψος, αν και όταν ήμουν εκεί ο τύπος στη μέση φάνηκε λιγο κοντος για να ειναι Εύζωνας (ε χωρίς παρεξήγηση). Αυτοί είναι οι προεδρικοι φρουροι και είναι τιμή να επιλέγονται. Δεν είναι εύκολο καθήκον καθώς οι στρατιώτες πρέπει αντέξουν πολλά. Aπό το εκτυφλωτικό ήλιο και ζέστη του καλοκαιριού και το κρύο και βροχή του χειμώνα. Υπάρχουν πολλοί άνθρωποι που προσπαθούν να τους τραβήξουν την προσοχή, καθώς δεν μπορούν να κουνηθουνε η να αντιδρασουνε καπως . Η μέρα που πήγα στο Συνταγμα εκανε πολυ ζεστη και αισθάνθηκα πολύ άσχημα για αυτούς. Αλλά, ξερω οτι ειναι καλά εκπαιδευμένοι και γι ‘αυτό δεν πρεπει να είναι τόσο δυσκολο για αυτούς.

For more info. on this subject visit: http://www.athensinfoguide.com/wtsevzones.htm

At The Marina/ Στη Μαρίνα Φλοίσβου

Lovers at the Marina

Aww Young Love

A family at the waterfront

A small crowd hangs out at the marina

A few luxury yachts

The very historical battleship ‘Averoff’.

The retired battleship ‘Averoff”.

The sun is setting at the marina

This was the first time that I visited the sea port called ‘Flisvos’ at Palaio Faliro located southwest of Athens’ center. There were so many things to photograph from the people, to the boats and of course the sea. I felt a bit like a paparazzo at times, but I tried to be discreet so I didn’t have any problems with anyone 🙂

May Day!/Πρωτομαγιά!

A lady that I met on the street was kind enough to let me take a photograph of her dog, who was surrounded by a wreath full of poppies that his owner had made. Making flower wreaths on the 1st of May is a tradition in Greece. The roots of the flower wreaths lie in Northern Europe and it is a pagan tradition. May day coincides with labour day a national holiday that is observed in 80 countries. There were many demonstrations in downtown Athens today and most businesses were closed.

Μια Κυρια που γνώρισα στο δρόμο είχε την καλοσύνη να με αφήσει να τραβηξω μια φωτογραφία του σκύλου της, ο οποίος περιβάλλωταν από ένα στεφάνι γεμάτο παπαρούνες που ο ιδιοκτήτης του είχε φτιαξει. Τα στεφάνια λουλουδιών που φτιαχνουμε για την 1η Μαΐου εχει ρίζες στη Βόρεια Ευρώπη και είναι μια παγανιστικη παράδοση. Η Πρωτομαγιά συμπίπτει με την Παγκόσμια Μέρα των Εργατών, μια εθνική εορτή που παρατηρείται σε 80 χώρες. Υπήρχαν πολλές διαδηλώσεις στο κέντρο της Αθήνας σήμερα και τα περισσοτερα καταστήματα ήταν κλειστά.

Athens In One Shot/H Αθήνα σε μία Φωτογραφία

The Bustling Monastiraki Square

If there was a photograph that can encompass everything that a city has to offer, than this one would be it. Everything that someone would see in Athens is in this photograph, from the churches, the ruins, the many yellow cabs, motor bikes and of course all kinds of people.

Αν υπήρχε μία φωτογραφία η οποία μπορεί να περιλαμβάνει τα πάντα που εχει μια πόλη, τοτε αυτη θα ήταν. Κάθε πράγμα που θα δει κάποιος στην Αθήνα είναι σε αυτή τη φωτογραφία, από τις εκκλησίες, τα ερείπια, τα πολλά κίτρινα ταξί, μοτοσικλέτες και φυσικά όλους τους τύπους ανθρώπων.

The Agora of Athens/Η Αγορα Της Αθηνας

Creative Entrance at a Shop

Happy to Serve You!

Bakery with heart-shaped chocolate cakes. Not for the diabetic.

Sign says ‘Small goods. Soft drinks and cigarettes’ Healthy stuff.

Colourful Chairs at Restaurant at Psirri

A basement shop that sells Greek traditional clothing and footwear in Psirri

A Flea Market at Thiseio

Thousands of small business owners have had to close up their shops during the economic crisis in Greece. Athenians can’t believe how many ‘for rent’ signs they have seen on every shop window they happen to walk by. The hardest small businesses hit are the neighbourhood businesses just outside the city center. When a shop closes downtown a new one quickly opens because downtown Athens will always have its crowds of shoppers. It’s a tourist area and there is a lot more to see and do than in any other area of Athens. Many business owners have now realised that to survive they have to come up with an idea for a business that is s unique and creative and that people will really like and will want to come back to again. Hundreds of ‘souvlakia’ shops appeared like mushrooms and several months later those shops have had to close down. How many ‘souvlakia’ can a person eat anyways? It’s not very healthy either. Healthy eating is popular now and that is why frozen yogurt shops do well, but there are already enough of those now. The only positive thing about an economic crisis in that it can inspire people to be more creative. The competition is a lot more fierce now. A new shop cannot not be a carbon copy of a shop down the street. The business should be unique and the business owners have to supply the people with the things that they really want. Of course, it helps if people (the customers) had more money in their pockets too.

The Artsy Avenue/Ο καλλιτεχνικός λεωφόρος

Narrow street with couches on a tiny sidewalk from an outdoor café in Psirri

Open shutters of an old building

Row of lamp shades against a back drop of a run down building

Funky lamp shades and chandeliers light the street at night

Lamp shades in Psirri

Chandelier in the sky with crystals

How can a creative person like myself not take a few photographs of the quirky and creative neighbourhood called ‘Psirri’. Psirri is located in the downtown area of ancient Athens and is a well-known ‘artsy’ area with a shady reputation. Many university students live there and they have made their presence known to visitors, an example would be the lamp shades and chandeliers hanging above the streets. They light the dark and narrow streets beautifully at night. These photographs are just a glimpse of the offbeat quality of Psirri that you won’t find in other areas of Athens.

The Glorious Past/Το Ένδοξο Παρελθόν

A statue of a Greek soldier staring at the Acropolis from below.

“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.”

–J.R.R. Tolkien

Different Modes Of Travel/Διαφορετικοί Tρόποι Mετακίνησης

The Happy Bus!

The Happy Train!

Happy on a Four wheeler bicycle!

Not-so-happy waiting for the bus!

Urban Athens/Aστική Αθήνα

A juxtatposition of the old and the new

Some might say ‘ewww’ when they see this, but I find it fascinating.

Art is everywhere. Artwork on a wall of a building.

Graffiti on the wall of an old movie theatre

The greatest movie theater in the world!

Athens Street Photos/Δρομοι Της Αθηνας

It was a beautiful and sunny day in downtown Athens. And of course , like the tourist that I am, I had to take photographs of the unique little streets of Athens.

Ηταν μια πολυ ωραια και ηλιολουστη μερα στο κεντρο της Αθηνας. Εννοειται οτι επρεπε, σαν μια τουριστρια, να φωτογραφησω τα γραφικα σοκακια της Αθηνας.