Longer metro service, more time for drinks

less time to think about what 2025 brings*

Do you know those days when you wake up and just sense that things will never be the same again? You look around, and everything appears unchanged—the same house, sunlight streaming in, your coffee mug in its usual spot—but something has subtly shifted in reality. It feels like a tsunami on the horizon, inevitable and unstoppable, like the looming planet in Melancholia.

I dread that eerie contrast between how things look and how we sense they truly are. Our minds struggle to deny the dissonance, frantically trying to convince us that everything is fine, desperately avoiding that massive wave bearing down on us.

I've been living through a few of those days recently, and yesterday was certainly one of them. After Maia Sandu's hopeful victory in Moldova on Sunday—a small nation with a big role in resisting Putin's aggression—I woke up with a déjà vu of 2016 and a sense that the world has turned upside down. The tidal wave is coming, my friends. Brace yourselves.

*Apologies for the fourth grade level title, some days I like a cheesy rhyme.

Weekly Spotlight

So, naturally, I thought we’d first take a tour of the different perspectives on how Trump’s victory: could mean for Greece? Here’s a round-up of different stories, from different papers, that try to answer this very complex question: 

• How will the result of the US election impact Greece?

• US-Turkey: How Ankara's relations with Washington are changing after Trump's election

• How is Trump’s victory being handled at the Maximos Palace, and what are their predictions for what a second term in the White House might bring?

• Donald Trump: What His Election Means for Athens – The Pros, Cons, and Implications for Turkey

• Mitsotakis: Greek-American relations will be stable and productive even with the new Trump presidency

News You Can Use

• Seasonal firefighters protested outside the Greek Parliament, demanding permanent positions and highlighting the urgent need to fill 3,500 vacancies in the fire service. 

• Starting November 1, the metro service will run until 02:00 every Friday and Saturday. The extended hours apply to Lines 2 and 3, allowing passengers to travel late into the night. Last trains will depart from Syntagma station at 02:00.

• Three people to face terrorism charges over deadly apartment blast in Ampelokipoi.

• How to pay your traffic fees for 2025.

• A new proposal in Greece aims to halt property transfers if unpaid communal expenses exist, requiring a "no debt" declaration before sale.

• Those interested in starting a short-term leasing business in the center of Athens have a deadline of 55 days in the popular areas. From January 1, 2025, restrictions will be imposed on the three districts in Athens for one year, with a freeze on permits.

• “Flipping”, the purchase of old apartments with the aim of renovating them and then renting them out or even reselling them at a profit is gaining ground.

• Traffic restrictions will be introduced early on Thursday morning and stay in place until Sunday evening, due to the 41st Marathon race over the weekend.

• The first 67 proposals for creating and showcasing the paths and hiking trails that will comprise Greece’s first such outdoor network were approved this month by the relevant ministry.

• Heating allowance: Who are the beneficiaries and what are the dates for the applications.

• Free museum and site entry every first Sunday of winter months!

Photo source

• Greek authorities might be tightening alcohol laws by the end of the year.

• Zakynthos' iconic Navagio Beach, known for its shipwreck and stunning cliffs, may soon require an admission fee for visitors.

• A new port is planned for Santorini to address overtourism concerns.

  Yes.

  You heard well.

  A. New. Port.

  

  Photo source

The Long Reads

• Matt Dillon, at the Thessaloniki Film Festival, talks in this interview about his wild experiences, from portraying Marlon Brando in “They Called Her Maria” to surviving the absurdities of Nimic with Yorgos Lanthimos. He even admitted he's still not sure what the film’s about—but he’d work with Lanthimos again in a heartbeat. (And, btw, “Nimic” is a Romanian word that means “nothing”.)

• How to dress for a night out in Athens vs the US.

• A beautiful interviu with Stuart Staples, from the Tindersticks, who played in Athens last Saturday.

• Athens, the city of permanent noise - how noise pollution affects people’s lives and what can we do about it.

Wanderlust 

• Head downtown this weekend for the final days of Athens Bar Week 2024 (which ends on Sunday), an opportunity to explore all the great bars that this city has - and there’s so many of them, it’s one of my favourite things about this city.

• 5 autumn trips close to Athens that are perfect for families with children

• 5 Charming Book Cafés in Athens You’ll Want to Bookmark

• 5 places where you can enjoy the winter in the city, with good food and good drinks

• KVB are playing live at Gazarte on November 16

• The Underground Youth are playing live at Arch on November 15

• And don’t forget about John Maus at Temple, this Thursday and Friday (November 7-8)

On that note, I’ll leave you today with this beautiful song and its lyrics, that somehow sound more powerful than ever these days: 

Reach out your hands to the one alone

In your city tonight

You've gotta do what's right

Have a great weekend and do write back. Even if it’s just to complain. 

Ioana