The theatre of Greece -2

(September 28-29, 2015)

My Greece trip began with a small fiasco. My tickets were booked on Etihad Airways and my travel agent had asked me to reach the Bengaluru airport on September 28, three hours in advance for the immigration formalities.

Though I am not one to land up at the airport well in advance, today I decided not to take chances mainly due to the overcast skies and Bengaluru's notorious traffic snarls when it rains. I reached the airport a full three hours in advance only to be told that the immigration would be at New Delhi and not Bengaluru.

I went to one of the restaurants and ordered a bisi belle bath and filter coffee. On the next table were two pilots who had made up their mind on South Indian but were not sure what to order. With some help from the steward they settled for appam and veg stew. One of the pilots cross checked with his colleague if he was a vegetarian and the latter replied in the affirmative. After a quick bite, the first pilot excused himself as it was time for his flight. No sooner had he left, the second pilot called the steward and ordered for one more round of appams, but this time with mutton stew. Why would he lie to his colleague that he was a vegetarian, I would not know.

I chose an isolated seat in the departure lounge and spent the next hour or so observing people and reading a book. Three hours flew by and our flight took off at 10.50 pm.

I had pre-booked a seat with extra leg room as I wanted to have a comfortable flight. The passenger who occupied the seat next to me was very fidgety, constantly moving his body and irritating me no end. I sent a signal to the Universe that he should shift to another seat and in a matter of minutes my wish came true. The rest of the journey was hassle free.

We arrived at New Delhi at about 1.30 am on September 29 and I made a dash towards immigration because once in the past the queues were so long that I had almost missed the flight. But today, I could not believe my eyes. There was not a single passenger at the counter. The Universe was already at play. The process was over in less than 30 seconds. This left me with enough time for a cold coffee at Starbucks.

Everything was going on at clockwork precision. My flight to Abu Dhabi left on schedule at 4.50 am. I can never sleep while travelling and usually use the time for meditation. After a light breakfast of eggs and chicken sausages, I put on my earphones and listened to the soothing music of Hariprasad Chaurasia. 

We landed at Abu Dhabi where there was a small window between the our landing and the connecting flight, but the security handling was so brisk and efficient that an entire plane load of people was cleared in less than five minutes. 

After a short wait at the departure lounge I was on the last leg of my journey. The passenger next to me was a polite gentleman who appeared to be an Arab. My attempt to strike a conversation proved futile as he could not speak a word of English. One more round of breakfast, a brief spell of meditation and we touched down at Athens airport, at 1.30 pm. Here too, the immigration process took less than five minutes as there were hardly any queues.

As I stepped out of the airport, the first man I met was my driver who was holding a placard with my name. While leaving Bengaluru, I had wished that there should not be even a moment of lag during my trip and the Universe was surely answering my prayers. The weather outside was exactly like that of Bengaluru, with a nip in the air.

I was transferred to Hotel Stanley, which touted itself as a four-star property, but the room was disappointing as it was no better than a typical Indian lodge. I tried to catch up on sleep, but could remain on the bed for barely half-an-hour. Though I had not slept the entire night on the flight, I was fresh as a daisy.  It is said that one hour of meditation is equal to six hours of sleep.

I had an appointment at 8 pm and my contact had requested me to take the Metro to Syntagma station at Vassilisis Amalias. Since I had some time at hand, I decided to reach early and explore the place. When I reached the Metro station I was at sea as the ticketing process was totally automated. 

The receptionist at the station was not of much assistance. Just then a lady appeared from nowhere and asked if I needed any help. I told her I wanted to go to Syntagma and she helped me buy a ticket. The Athens Metro has only one flat fare of 1.20 euros irrespective of the distance. This ticket can be used for the next 70 minutes in all modes of public transport including buses and trams.

As we walked down to the underground station, the lady asked me where I was from. For some reason she seemed happy when I said I was from India. She herself was a foreigner in Greece having moved with her family on work from the United States.  

The train arrived almost immediately and I did not face the risk of alighting at the wrong station as coincidentally the lady too was headed towards Syntagma. The Metro station opens to the Syntagma square which is also called the Constitution Square, in honour of the Constitution that the first king of Greece, Otto was forced to grant after a military uprising in September, 1843. Overlooking the square is the nineteenth century Old Royal Palace, which is now the Greek Parliament.  

Just a stone's throw away is the nerve-centre of Athens, Plaka. I walked through the main thoroughfare, a beautiful vehicle-free cobbled road with the best international brands on either side. 

By now my stomach had begun to growl and I realised that the last meal I had was on the flight many hours ago.  The Palm Bistro looked inviting. I was escorted to my seat by a very friendly steward who had a 100 watt smile. I had yet to familiarise myself with the local cuisine and my instruction to the girl was to give me something that was light and Greek. After debating over half-a-dozen dishes, we finally settled for the Greek salad. What better way to start my Greek holiday than with a Greek salad?

On the table opposite sat a lady in her forties. She seemed to be somebody of consequence. Everybody who entered the restaurant walked up to her and greeted her. People from the walkway waved at her. She seemed to be a very popular figure. I was tempted to ask the steward who she was, but did not want to take any risk on my first day.

I still had a lot of time at hand and ate my salad leisurely. I have had the Greek salad many times in India, but this was something to write home about.  The stewards though were a distraction with their skin tight yoga pants and pink tops, especially the petite one who had a coin bag tied to her waist, which let out a jingle every time she passed by. She definitely knew how to seek attention. I decided to concentrate on my salad.

Now, having satisfied my stomach I had gained some energy to continue my walk. The best way to explore a city is by walk. 

Since one of my aims of visiting Greece was to understand their culture, I was keen to meet a local. My search on the internet only led me to sites of dating and escort services. Well, that was not the kind of culture that I was looking for!

However, just a few days before my travel I found a site called This is Athens. It is a body of volunteers who take time off to showcase Athens to tourists depending on their interest. I had mailed a brief profile and my area of interest, and I received an immediate reply that they would find the right volunteer for me. Soon, I received another mail that I had been matched with Demetra Papaconstantinou, who would meet me on September 29 at Vassilissis Amalias Avenue, adjacent to the National Gardens. 

This service is free and all expenses including that on coffee and museum tickets are shared.

Before continuing my exploration of the city, I decided to first find out the exact location of our meeting. I walked back to Syntagma square and asked a lady who was selling second hand books to guide me to Vassilissis Amalias.  She gave me a blank look as if she had never heard that name earlier, and I began to wonder if I was way off the mark. I then approached a kiosk nearby and the man handling the counter said, "You are standing right at Vassilissis Amalias." I heaved a sigh of relief, for I hate being late. 

I looked at my watch and realised that I was rather a bit too early. It was only 6.30 pm. I walked up to Syntagma square and occupied a stone bench, watching the world pass by. By now, the square was full of life.

There was an old man playing the guitar, some street food stalls had cropped up, boys were practicing the skateboard, some elderly gentlemen were having a quiet conversation, young couples were greeting each other with a tight hug and an extended smooch...Incidence of smoking, especially among women is very high in Athens, and is not regulated in public places as in India.

A girl with torn jeans and a cigarette in hand sat next to me for some time and from the vibes, I knew something was  not right. I decided to leave my seat and take a few photographs which included my first selfie in Athens against the backdrop of the parliament building and a fountain in the middle of the square, dating back to the nineteenth century. 

At 7.30 pm, I messaged Demetra that I had already reached the square. We had never met each other earlier. We had never seen each other's photographs. At 8 pm sharp somebody tapped me on my shoulders and said, "Hey, I am Demetra. We finally meet." Among the hundreds of people in the square, she had correctly identified me. This is how miracles work. Once again, I said a silent prayer to the Universe.

"So, what would you like to see?" asked Demetra and I said I would leave the evening in her hands. We first walked around the Acropolis Hill, which looked beautiful at night. Around the hill were houses of the high and mighty--ministers, musicians, businessmen and politicians. 

Down the hill was an old theatre, like the ones we find in Indian villages. The owner had kept it alive over the years and people continue to frequent it. We then walked through the streets of Plaka, the older part of Athens, with Demetra giving a very passionate running commentary. 

At the end of the walking tour, I asked Demetra if she had the time for dinner and she very graciously agreed. Having heard that volunteers do not accept any money, I had brought a small gift from India. Demetra was touched. We went to small road-side restaurant and had the most authentic Greek food. I thought it was impolite to take photographs of the food and interrupt the conversation, though I made a mental note of sausages, skewers, beetroot salad and honey and cheese pan cake. 

I requested the steward to take a photograph of us and she insisted on adjusting the lens though I have a digital camera. I explained to her that this was an auto camera where there was nothing to adjust and that she just had to click. But she was offended, "I know photography. I have a big camera with adjustable lens." For the next few moments she moved her hands around the lens that would not move and finally clicked a few photographs. At least, the photographs came out well.

When the bill arrived, I insisted on paying it, while Demetra said we should at least share it. But I would not allow it. Demetra who holds a PhD degree is a senior archaeologist who has participated in several exportations around the world. There was no need for such a busy person to spend the entire evening with a stranger. The least I could do was to pick up the tab for the dinner.

Demetra was so passionate about showing off Athens, that we continued our walk even after dinner. As we went through the alleys I noticed that all the restaurants were bursting at the seams. Were they tourists or locals? "They are all Greeks," said Demetra.

Nowhere did it seem that Greece was going through an economic crisis. The locals were splurging at restaurants, all the flights were full, ferries were overcrowded and hotels overbooked. However, the increasing unemployment has led to frustration which the youth have started expressing by plastering walls all across Athens with graffiti. The government has now decided to channelise their energy positively by creating designated spaces where they can display their graffiti. 

Our walk ended at Syntagma station. We bid our byes and promised to keep in touch with each other. I extended an invitation to Demetra to visit India, and boarded my train. 

My first day in Athens was definitely exciting.