December 26, 2016

Diary Athens: Dec 25 - Jan 01, 2017

Dec 31
Still cold, but sun expected starting Sunday
Happy New Year!!!!



Dec 29
At 06.00 wet snow coming down!
I do not remember being in Athens ever with snow. It will turn to rain later today though. 2 days ago I sat on the balcony in t-shirt and shorts. Oh well, that will happen again....
I'm skipping running this morning. Too slippery outside. I'll run Friday and my tradition: New Years day.

Dec 27
I have been running for more than 40 years now. I used to run every third day for about 42 minutes.
3 years ago I had blood clots in my right leg (from a running accident), gone now, and now I run every other day around 30 minutes. Aging and injuries has had an effect on recovery time.
This  year I had a groin pull that lasted for months and also a bout of the flu in October that lasted 3 weeks.
Running the past 2 weeks in Athens
Dec 13
Split 1, average pace (moving time) 10.17 per mile (incline)
Dec 26: 1 day ago
Split 1, average pace (moving time) 09.55 per mile (incline)
In 14 dagen 22 seconds faster.
I am finally back to a satisfactory conditioning and running level.

Dec 25

December 17, 2016

Diary Athens: Dec 17-24, 2016

Dec 24
Christmas video's from the internet!

Dec 22
After 5 days of not enough sleep (noise from cars on the street wake me up at 05.00hr) I slept enough last night. It helps of course if go to bed at 21.00hr....
Went running this morning and got groceries on Athinai Street. I started reading RogerZelazny's "The Amber Chronicles" on my e-reader. Again.
Almost Christmas! Best wishes for everyone.



Dec 19
Went to the beach today.
At 11.30 the subway to Syntagma and from there the tram (line 5) towards Voulis.
The tram was full until Neo Kosmos.
I got off at the first stop after turning left along the ocean: Edem. It took 40 minutes.
 It was not a sand beach....small stones.
There is also a harbor.
Charter companies on side and a "small boat" harbor on the other side. Well, small boat is relative...
 A boat being lifted out of the water. Not a cheap operation...

Dec 18
It took me 2 weeks to realize that the sunscreens on the balcony are not locked in a down position.
Before
 After
They can be moved. So I did.
The sun comes up over the mountain at 08.30 and stays on the east side until 13.00hr.
they can be moved. So I did.
The sun comes up over the mountain at 08.30 .and stays on the east side until 13.00hr.

Dec 17
Most of the houses and apartments built from 1930-1965 have disappeared. The ones that haven't, are abandoned and boarded up.
These apartment buildings were built between 1970-1985. after Turkey threw out all the Greeks.
 5 to 6 layers. Ugly, but well built with thick walls and wooden floors.

December 8, 2016

Diary Athens: Dec 09 - 16, 2016

Dec 16
The last 3 days, there is a cold wind blowing from the north. So, depending if you are walking in the shade or the sunny side of the strees, it is nice, or chilly. I do all my shopping on Athinai Street, 10 minutes away by metro. It is a lot cheaper than anywhere else.

Dec 15
3 days ago I looked for the tram to Eden (Beach area).
Today I found it, on the Syntagma side of the street, close to the Airport Bus stop.
 Eden

Dec 14
Stayed home today. Sitting on the balcony, in the sun.Later reading on the couch.

Dec 13
Time is flying, in Athens almost 2 weeks now.
Yesterday I had my first siesta in 5 days: I slept for 2 hours.
Needed it, traffic wakes me up at 05.00hr
Here is an interesting video: electrifying a remote Tibetan village.


Dec 11
Blue skies yesterday and today. Went running, my Natioal Gardens-Akropolis route, also called my "sunday " route, because during the week it is too busy with people.
Took the metro from Monastiraki to Panormou (9 minutes) and when I got to the exit there was a girl checking to see if everybody had a valid ticket. First time in 3 years that I have seen this.
And, also for the first time, A policeman giving a parked car a ticket.
There is 1 car parked on the sidewalk, one too close to the main street, and 1 on the other side. The cop gave only the smart car a ticket. Maybe because it is a smart car?
And some cats!
More wild life

Dec 10
One week has gone by, time to buy another chicken at the Agora market. Tomorrow I'll eat chicken legs and make soup out of the rest.

Dec 09
I am going to walk to the Panormou station, to see if the metro is still closed. I am probably not going to post everyday, because not every day something memorable happened.

December 2, 2016

Diary Athens: Dec 01- 08, 2016

Dec 08
It is not easy to find running routes in Athens. Sidewalks are hard to navigate, broken up, kiosks, lots of people. There are very few parks and you use sidewalks to get to them.
I went to the Agora market to buy groceries, walked to the metro at Monastiraki, and hear there that the metro personal was going on strike starting at 16.00 hr for 24 hours.
It was 16.10, I missed the last subway going anywhere. &#^#@!!
Buses were totally full with people, so I walked,  90 minutes back to the apartment.
There are quite few professional beggars in Athens: gypsies from Roumenia and Bulgaria.
They take a coach bus to Greece, stay for a couple of weeks and then go back home.

Dec 07
Other than walking around the neighborhood, I did not go anywhere. Just a quiet day at home. "At home" sounds and is a lot different than staying in a hotel. I've been coming to Athens every winter since 2013. In 2013 it was about remembering the past (when I lived here in 1973) and reconciling that with the present conditions in Athens and me a lot younger and now.
Renting an apartment, grocery shopping and cooking is like I "live" here, no longer visiting. Except that I am not working here. If I live permanently in Greece, it would not be Athens, but an island.

Dec 06
Up at 05.00. (I do need a siesta later today). Ran along Odos Akademia to Aeros Park, through the Park ending the run at Victoria Square.  The groups of economic refugees who where here last year are gone now.
Walked from Victoria to Monastiraki, stopping at the Agora market for some meat and olives.
Meat and salad tonight.
Took the subway back to the apartment.
I have two balconies, (not connected though) and the sun is on the balcony from 10.00-13.00hr.
A bluetooth portable speaker on the table. Drinking tea in shorts and t-shirt....
On the second balcony I hang my running clothes to dry. I had a siesta from 14.30-16.15hr...
I have to tune my bouzouki.

Dec 05
Saint Nicholas in Holland! Clouds and windy this morning...Making the chicken soup, and I am going to have a siesta today.

Dec 04
At 07.30 out for a run. From my apartment to Monastiraki, 6 km. Hope I make it...
Past the National Park and the Stadium, back of of the Acropolis.
200 meters before Monastiraki I ran out of gas....
Went home, took a shower (first I had to turn on switches for 10 minutes to heat the eater in the tank) and then I went to Hara's house. I cooked a perfect meal for 3 people....
Went home again. I am not going to watch Greek television, I have my own gadgets to watch something. I have a 4 gb USB drive hooked up to a WD media streamer, which is connected to an HDMI port on the television.

Dec 03
Got up at 05.30. Rearranged stuff in the apartment. I was cold last night in the bed, so I took a slipcover of one sofa and put it on the bed. Walked to the metro, but before I got there, I ran into the Saturday vegetable and fruit market. Fresh olive oil, 1 1/2 liters for 7 euro.
There is also a laundromat. And a supermarket
Went home again to drop off the groceries, and went back to the metro. Tomorrow I am cooking for brunch at Hara's house. Her brother is coming as well.
I took the metro back home to the Panormou Station (blue line - east),
where I bought from street vendors 2 winter sweaters for 5 euro and a heavy duty big cooking pot for 15 euro. When I got home I put the chicken in the pot that I bought whole at the Agora market. Dinner, is a piece of leg, tomorrow (and the next two days) the rest is going to make chicken soup.

Dec 02
I got up at 06.00. Took the metro to Monastiraki. From there I walked to Victoria Square.
I'm meeting with my friend Hara, I left a suitcase and a laptop computer at her house, which I'm taking back to the apartment.

Nov 30: Weddel (Germany) - Athens (Greece)
At 22.21hr I got on the train from Weddel to Wolfsburg. In Wolfsburg I took another train to Berlin. At the Berlin-Gesundbrunnen station the S41 metro to Ostkreuz and from there the S9 Metro to Berlin-Schonefeld airport. I arrived at 01.45hr.
Killing time until 04.15 hr: checkin. Flying with Ryanair. I had paid 8 euro extra for priority boarding. The plane was 90% full.
Dec 01: Athens
With a strong tail wind we arrived at Athens airport 30 minutes early, at 10.00hr.
 I had only hand luggage, so I got on the metro at 10.30.
The blue line. The apartment I am renting until Jan 30, is 10 minutes walking from Panormou station. But because I was early I got off at Monastiraki and from there another metro to Omonia Square.
At Omonia I got a monthly pas (30 euro) for public transport, and at the Vodafone shop I reactivated my Greek phone number.
I'm meeting the mother of Giorgos (apartment owner) at 13.00 so back I went to the apartment.
Giorgos mother showed me where everything was and how it works.
 The living rooms have sliding doors
 The balcony does not extend to the living rooms balcony.
I went to bed at 20.00hr.

November 30, 2016

Nov 30: Germany - Greece

Went to Braunschweig yesterday
 Braunschweiger Lion

walked around the "Weinachtsmarkt"
Going to Greece tonight!
I am taking a train from Brauschweig at 22.35hr, arriving in Berlin after midnight.
Then 2 S-bahn's to Berlin Schonefeld airport.
My flight to Athens leaves tomorrow morning at 06.20hr.