Summertime sadness: Fires, illegal spyware and oversized cruise ships
Summertime sadness: Fires, illegal spyware and oversized cruise ships
Or Athens in August feels weird just for me?
The deeper we move into August, the more you feel it: a strange melancholia, „summertime sadness”, call it whatever you want (there was a great explanatory in Vox a few weeks ago on why this is actually a real thing!).
I recall my first summer in Athens vividly: the eeriness of the empty streets, the quiet, the shuttered shops, the exodus of nearly everyone I knew to islands and country homes. At first, it was unsettling. Now, I see it as a time for reflection, a chance to practice stillness after months of a relentless schedule filled with flights, deadlines, and work. And sitting outside, on my balcony and listening to the cicadas in the middle of the night.
Kinda like those bizarre days between Christmas and New Year’s. But with sweat.
I hope you also give yourself this time. Unless you’re kind to yourself, you can never be kind to others. And boy, how the world needs kindness these days.
I’m curious how you feel about summers in Athens. What do you like? What do you miss? Write back and let me know.
Weekly Spotlight
Evia is burning, again
Four villages were evacuated and an elderly man died. Firefighters have been deployed on all fronts, but gusts of strong winds, which in some cases reach 8 Beaufort, are creating new conditions.
The smoke has reached Athens, you’ve probably seen it already. There are other fires burning all around. Stay safe, guys.
Google will soon offer a tool that uses Artificial Intelligence to help users track and monitor the boundaries of a fire.
This video, though, will restore some of your faith in humanity:
Supreme Court Prosecutor's Office: no state services or officials were involved in purchasing or using the illegal software Predator
The investigation conducted by the Supreme Court Prosecutor's Office into wiretapping found absolutely no involvement with the spy software Predator or any similar software by state agencies, including the National Intelligence Service (EYP), the Anti-Terrorist Agency (DAEEB), the Hellenic Police (ELAS), the Ministry of Citizen Protection, or any government officials.
This piece in Politico will help with more context on this, if you’re curious, as well as this one on AP, and this older piece from the New York Times, but long story short: in March 2022, journalist Thanasis Koukakis discovered his phone had been infected with Predator spyware. Later, Nikos Androulakis, leader of the PASOK opposition party and a member of the European Parliament, reported an attempted hack on his phone using the same software.
Ensuing journalistic investigations revealed that the Greek intelligence service had put a whole range of politicians — including half the Cabinet — as well as journalists under surveillance.
But, it turns out, they were all just imagining stuff.
News You Can Use
Goodbye, unreadable handwritten restaurant bills: as of Thursday, August 1, food service enterprises will be obliged to use machines to issue receipts, such as a registered till or tax receipt printer.
Moody’s warning: Greece will soon have one of the highest proportions of elderly population over 65.
Moving to another age range: students get reduced fares on KTEL buses, which is great, since they probably won’t be able to find any housing, so driving around the country on a bus might actually be cheaper than 40 sqm in Kypseli.
But: taxi drivers are now obligated to accept card payments and must signal this obligation with special signs on their cars. Customers have the right to refuse to pay for the ride if the driver does not accept payment by card.
This is the sign that all taxi drivers must carry from now on:
But, if I were you, though, I’d wait for a while before barging into a taxi without cash. Some things take time here.
One of the road tolls in Attica is dropping from 2,8 euros to 2,5 euros. Don’t say I never bring you good news.
Now, this article is more of a rant about how wildly people park their cars all over Athens. But it has photos, and I do agree with it. Not having to deal with the parking issues in Athens is one of the reasons I bought a scooter instead of a car.
It’s always entertaining when your own personal whining is being validated, so I thought I’d pay it forward.
In other good traffic related news: a campaign has started to remove abandoned vehicles from the roads.
And officials announced an extension of the proastiako (suburban train), which should be functional in 2 years maximum.
Wanderlust
Here’s a picture from last week’s Devendra Banhart concert at Stavros Niarchos:
He was charming, and weird and warm. And people loved him.
And here’s one from the Bresson exhibition at the Basil and Elise Goulandris foundation, which you can see until October:
Just so you know that I practice what I preach and the recommendations I make for you are things that I actually find interesting.
I am a photographer, so I love Bresson and the life that pours from every one of those black and white snapshots.
One of my photography professors used to say that we like him because none of his photos are lazy. He always pokes the viewers, irritates them, holds them captive, doesn’t just let their attention wander, like in front of a desktop wallpaper.
I think that „annoy your audience” is, actually, really good advice in general. So I hope I’m occasionally annoying you with my sentimental musings.
Fifty years after the Turkish invasion and occupation of Cyprus, an exhibition at the Melina Cultural Centre in Thiseio (Iraklidon 66) showcases photographs by journalist Sotiris Danezis. These images capture the eerie 3.5% of the Turkish-occupied ghost town of Famagusta (Ammochostos), which was reopened by occupation authorities in 2021. Admission to the exhibition is free.
If you’re hungry and can’t afford a trip, learn to make fava like they do in Amorgos or maybe a delicious Tinos potato pie. And then try out one of these 10 authentic souvlaki shops in Piraeus.
But there’s still hope! You have time to go on holiday until November, as, apparently, the last hotels and resorts on the islands are deemed to close on November 15, in an extension of the season driven by the high demand.
But, as much as we wished otherwise, we are part of the problem when we complain about tourism - so what might save Santorini from overtourism?
„The biggest problem is caused by the daily arrivals of at least four or five monster-sized cruise ships, which simultaneously pour more than 8,000 tourists onto the island. (...) More than 500 large buses, 4,000 minibuses and vans, and hundreds of ATVs, in addition to the cars of residents and rental vehicles from tourists cause traffic jams, and parking has also emerged as a major problem. (...) The surface of the island covered with buildings reaches 20%, i.e. it is higher than that of Attica. That's why the mayor asks that not a single new hotel bed, not a single new short-term rental bed be built from now on.
Just pick another island, guys. There’s over 200 of them. Kimolos might have the world's cleanest beach.
The Long Reads
Athens: what to do when you're no longer a tourist but a part of the city. secret spots, tips, and what to avoid (Which is me, shamelessly self promoting one of my own stories. Slow news week.)
Useful Tidbits Corner
In order to swim in any public pool in Athens, you need a certificate of health from a cardiologist and one from a dermatologist. You can make an appointment on doctoranytime, but I just googled the doctors’ offices in my area, dropped in one afternoon (no appointment) and solved the problem really quickly. It cost 10 euros for each of the certificates, but some doctors might ask for more.
Have a great weekend and do write back. Even if it’s just to complain.
Ioana