Greece Travel Blog
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Greece Travel Blog
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10/24/2008 Athens, Greece | |||||||
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Dear Mr. Barrett, Excuse me for writing You,( You have told me in Your Blog,to feel free to write,and I take advantage of it,)I am writing You from Budapest, Hungary. I am retired now,(62)and I am a devoted Philhellen,I love Greece,and I had been there few times,unfortunately not enough time,but my budget is very very limited. Why I writing You,is,You have mentionedKLEOVOULIS street,and Mikras Asias street,etc. (September 26 2008) I know these places, telling You why. It is a long story,goes back to 1966,Budapest. Then it was a communist dictatorship in this country,and the feared secret police was controlling the whole nation.It was a saying,you can go to jail any time for anything. I was a university student,and with some friends,we wrote "illegal",kind of anti communist leaflets. I was caught,(of course,)and taken to the police,beaten,and tortured,(since 1966,then I was 20,I wear set of artificial teeth,because my teeth were kicked out at the police,)in short,I was sentenced to 4 years prison,for "trying to subvert,and owerthrow the Socialist State". The communist prison was terrible,(which prison is not?) and only two factors helped me to survive. One was my age,I was young,and durable. We were separated,as "political prisoners" from other,common criminals, so,I was together with people like me, who did,or try to do,or at least,thinking to do something against the communist regime.(even if someone telling a bad word,any criticizm agains the regime,even if the person was drunken,was taken to the prison. ) I met in there many interesting,and good,and innocent people. Many catholic priests(!) were imprisoned that time for so called "anti government conspiracy", and also some foreigners . I met and I was together in one jail cell,with a Greek, named Argiriadis Argiris. He was a communist partisan,a refugee after the Civil War 46-49, he,and many Greek communists escaped to Hungary, (and other then communist countries,)where they become political refugees. Argiriadis was studying journalism in Budapest, and was a editor of a communist Greek newspaper Laikos Agonas,in Hungary. But he and his family wanted to go back to Greek,-which it was impossible in that time,it was prohibited by both the Greek Royal authorities and by the Comm.Party of Greece. Argiriadis one day went to the Greek embassy,to ask questions,(western embassies were under strict surveillance,and control by the secret police,so,my poor friend soon find himself at the prison, for "Spying". We were in a same cell,and talking a lot. Argiris was a real Greek,a passionate freedom,and justice loving man, he told me first about Greece, and its great history,the struggle against all invaders,the Turks,Bulgars,Italians, Nazis,and the battle against them. He told me the Glorious "Eikosi Ena",the kleftis,and armatolos,Katsonis,Rigas Ferreos,Velestinlis,Korais, the Filiki Eteria,Kolokotronis,Ypsilantis,Miaoulis,Botsaris,Karaiskakis,etc, he told me about the fight agains the invading Hitlerist Germans, he told me about the beautiful Ellada,the country,Kornofolie,where he was born,and Athina,he was living, and I felt nostalgy (and I still feel,) for Greece,which,especially in the prison,meant me The Freedom. Few weeks later we were separated,he,and other foreign citizens were transported to another prison,but it was a big solace, a comfort,a consolation,and giving me big moral strenght,and persistence. Argiris, and Greece means me the eternal Freedom. It help me to survive that 3 more years I had to spend in prison. I was freed in 1970,but still under police controll,I was not allowed to go back to University,I can not choose jobs,just what the police offering,or permitting me, I was not entitled to have a passport,to go abroad,etc. for ten years. I did not know,what happened to Argiris. Whether he was freed,and was granted a passport,and going back with his wife and two children(Panayotis,and Triandafilia) to Greece, I did not know. Write letters to abroad,was very dangerous,because the omnipotent communist censorship opens all the letters written to the West,and I easily could have been at the prison again. Finaly,in 1998, I met someone,a Greek,who gave me an Athenian Phone Directory,and I have found out my friends address. He was living in KLEOVOULIS 26, Zografou,Athina. (He is still living there) I call him,after 30 years,and then we met in Athina. It was fist time I see Greece,I have been in Athens. It was a great experience. (I wrote in my diary.." I am here in Athina. I feel,I get home. After so many years of sufferings,poverty,humiliations,troubles,and sorrow,grief and misery,and after so many years of nostalgy and craving,desire for Ellada,and Athina,this is a reward from the life. My memories allways go back to Athens. I will never forget it. In the sunset,at the last beams of sunshine when the whole sky was so unbelievably red,and blue,I was taking the delight and pleasure in the spectacular sight of Akropoli. The breathtaking,wonderful panorama,the view from Philopappos Hill,was so unrealistic,and in the same time,so vivid,and joyfull. Next to me was the Prison of Socrates. Under the Hill I saw the Areospagos,where thousand years ago Agios Pavlos was preaching the Evangelion. The whole Parthenon was in front of me,and the Lykavittos was in the back. This was maybe the greatest, most unforgettable,and happiest moment in my life. Athens was the reward for all my misfortune,and now,I couldnt believe,I am here,after so many years of dreaming of Athens, and Greece. All my dreams come true,in this,once in lifetime moment. Beethoven,after composing the famous 9th Symphony,had intended to compose a symphony Nr.10,in which he wanted to depict the beauty of ancient Greece. This, unborn Symphony I saw here,from the Philopappos Hill. It was the embodiment of Humanism,the human kindness,goodness, freedom, and eternal beauty,the final purpose of human life. This means Athens to me" I was Argiriadis guest for a week. They have a big tragedy. their beautiful,young daughter Triandafilia (who was a successful television riporter,and ,like his father, a journalist,) died in an car accident. Two more time I was in Athina since, last time 4 years ago,and I met with Argiris. since no contact,No phone,no answer my letters, I dont know,if he is still living there, (he is about 80 in these days,God give him long life!) So, Dear Mr.Barrett,sorry for taking Your precious time,I wanted to tell my story,my love for Athina,and I will be happy if You could answer me. Looking forward to Your reply, Our best wishes,and regards, |
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