46b.jpg

When the games ended Athens went back to normal. That does not mean the restaurants were empty. This photo is taken at around 7pm, way too early for Greeks to eat. But I had a sort of sadness as the city emptied of visitors because I knew this would never happen again. I would not be walking down the street and see groups of Brazilians dressed in yellow, Lithuanians in emerald green, Canadians in red (at Starbucks) or people from different countries proudly wearing their flags. At the same time I felt lucky because I knew that the Athens lifestyle that these visitors got to experience for themselves, the tavernas, cafes, late night dinner conversations and the excitement of this ancient yet modern city would still be here. For many people who came for the Olympics Athens will just be a fond memory of a very special time. For me, and the Athenians who know how great Athens can be and were here when she showed the world, we can take comfort that tonight in Psiri or the Plaka it may not be the Olympics but it is still Athens and still fun.

[Back][Up][Next]