“Theeeeiiir back!!!!!” My husband groaned as the sounds of cars started to fill the streets of Athens last week. Yes, summer is over and the “eisodus” or the return to Athens, has begun. By tomorrow, September 1, 2008, the return will be complete and Monday morning will be a work day for most of Athens, the streets and metro trains filled with Athenians going about their daily lives. And while I mourn the loss of the quiet streets, the plethora of parking spaces and the passing of my ability to ride my bike down the streets of Athens, I am excited about the publishing of the next series of concerts and performances in the theater under the Acropolis, the Herodion or the Irodion or the Theater of Herod Atticus … (three of the many names given the amazing venue at the foot of the Acropolis).
September marks the beginning of like as usual in Athens, and along with the thousands and thousands of returning everyday Athenians, the musicians also return! And that means the music returns to Athens before the days are too short, cool and rainy to enjoy their music under the stars. And so, check out our recently updated event calendar, where you’ll find listings for now only September and October 2008 under the Acropolis, but you’ll also find performances listed for the outdoor theater on Mount Lykavittos, the ECM Festival (one of my favorite Greek singers, Savinna Yannatou and her band Primavera en Saloniko will perform here in Athens before heading to Chicago (my hometown) to perform in our World Music Festival later this September, thankfully giving me TWO opportunities to catch her live).
By Athensguide
How does a little girl from Skokie, Illinois find herself in historical Athens, leading curious explorers through the winding streets of Plaka, down "pezodromos" to hidden ouzeries for tempting mezedhes and homemade barrel wine? The journey began more than twenty years ago, and regardless of whether the wanderlust comes from the spiritual and culture DNA flowing through my veins, or the alignment of the stars on that cold mid-December day this Sagitterian came into the world, I never seem to tire of exploring my adopted homeland of Greece. Here you'll join me as I explore Athens: be it the back streets of Psirri and Gazi, or through the National Gardens and Zappeio where a family of turtles makes their home, or down wide, treelined Imittou Street in Pagrati, which pulses with Athenian life 24 hours a day. And while Athens has stolen my heart, the rest of Greece vies for my curiousity and wanderlust. My two guys (that'd be the Greek God, Vasilis and our Greek dog, Scruffy) and I can often be found settling in for a long weekend in some charming mountain village, or a quaint fishing port on a nearby island, or learning how Greek vitners are producing wines that rival some of Napa Valley's finests productions, or celebrating a panayeri in Epirus or sharing in the festivities as a family of Cretan sheepherders come together to sheer their 1500 sheep in the spring ... And if you happen to find yourself heading to Athens, consider finding yourself a real home for your stay. Living amongst the locals, be it for 3 nights or 3 weeks, will offer you the chance to experience true Athens, beyond the Acropolis. Choose from one of our 5 beautiful penthouse and historical homes, and who knows, I may be leading you down that winding "pezodromo" to our favorite hidden ouzerie!
