Our trip to Athens I

I rarely like travelling to Athens these days. I like to keep in mind the image of the bright, clean, beautiful city of my youth. There are a few places that remind me of the real Athens. Fortunately, Kifissia, a leafy suburb to the North of the city is one of them.
I remember the dances at the Theoxenia hotel, the summer evenings that seemed so exotic.

Part of the hotel's ground floor now houses Haagen-Dazs. We payed an early morning visit.

 

And yes, we did have a lovely cheesecake and ice cream for breakfast!

The hotel overlooks Kefalari square with the landmark church of the Transfiguration of the Savior, and memories of family functions and teenaged confidences.

This is such a typical Athenian landscape. The tall pines, the church at the center of the suburb, the color of the building even, underlined with white around the windows. On the square, the statue of Pavlos Melas (1870-1904), a young army officer who organised the Greek struggle for the liberation of Macedonia from its Bulgarian and Turkish oppressors.

 

Here is another look around the square with its famous cafes and Greek and foreign press news stands, offering, by the way, delicious chocolates.

Further north, a cinema. It remains just the same as I remember it. It is called "Asteria" (Stars) and has been the meeting point of many Sunday afternoons. Notice the advertising boards for "Nine" and "Petit Nicolas" ("Little Nicolas"). They are not prints. They are actually painted as was the custom in the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s...

 

Right across the street, there is one of the most famous Greek patisseries...I'll show you in my next post.