The Hellmouth Is Open

so you should really invest in a hose for your balcony

My name is Ioana.

I am a journalist living in Greece since early 2021. I run a small independent newsroom in Romania (remotely and through a somewhat intense commuting schedule). I freelance for various international publications. And I am a PhD candidate in the department of Social Anthropology at Panteion University in Athens. 

I speak Greek, but this wasn’t the case in the beginning. When I moved here, three and a half years ago, I felt a bit lost. If you don’t speak the language, the media landscape can be difficult to navigate. So this is my attempt at a weekly deconstruction of the news in a way that is (maybe) less overwhelming for everyone.

Most of my sources are in Greek, so keep your Google Translate Chrome Extension (or whatever else you’re using) on.  

Any feedback or thoughts are welcome, so do write back. I’d like to know more about you and what you’d like to read about. Like, for example - do you care about politics? The environment? Beaches? Of course you care about beaches.

Ok. Here we go.

Weekly Spotlight

July 20, 2024, marks the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, which occurred in 1974, following a Greek Cypriot coup orchestrated by the military regime governing Greece at the time. 

It’s a perfect opportunity for a new round of jabs between Athens and Ankara. Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias, during his visit to Cyprus on Monday, referred to the “illegal, completely contrary to International Law, invasion” of the Turkish army. In response, the Turkish Minister of Defence condemned “the low-level, false, and slanderous statement made by the Greek Minister of Defense Nikos Dendias, targeting the Turkish Cypriots and the heroic Turkish army”. More ironic comments followed on the Greek side. 

And the day in question hasn’t even arrived yet.  

Inside Story has a very good, in depth, article on this issue. They talked to veterans who were on the ground during those days. Well worth the cost of the subscription. 

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While Buffy may have closed the hellmouth opened on top of Sunnydale High School (or has she? I don’t actually remember), the one over Athens is still open and spurting its hot lava breath all over. 

Fires in Sofiko (Corinth), the island of Zakynthos, Evzoni (the road towards the border with North Macedonia was temporarily closed), Metamorfosi, and many other places. 

In fact, Greece declared a state of alert due to the wildfires. 

In the meantime, the Acropolis site is still closed between 12 and 5 pm due to the heat, which will not be going away in the following days, with temperatures in Athens rising over the psychological threshold of 40 degrees Celsius in the following days. 

Here are some cute pictures of tourists, cooling in the fountains in Syntagma. You can do it also: just grab the hose on the balcony and go crazy. Honestly, at this point, it’s about all we can do.   

areyouevengreek

A post shared by @areyouevengreek

 

News You Can Use

Public transport in Thessaloniki is about to change for the better this fall, with the opening of the long-awaited metro line, which should, in theory, take place in November. Or, at least, that’s what the Greek Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure says, so maybe don’t throw out your running shoes quite yet. 

For those of you who are honest, tax-paying residents of Greece, maybe this piece of news will allow you to blast the AC with less regrets: the government has decided to subsidize household electricity consumption for August, under pressure from recent price increases. 

In a city with around 14.000 short term rentals (estimated), mostly on Airbnb, new regulations will impose additional restrictions on Airbnbs in 11 regions of Attica (on top of the already existing ones, which involve mainly additional taxes and that haven’t done much to slow down this fast growing market). 

If you were wondering, here is how income from short term rentals is taxed in Greece, a country where you need 11,5 years worth of salaries in order to buy a 60 sqm apartment. 

And if you still haven’t filed your tax income statement, remember that the deadline is July 26 and, so far, no extension has been approved. 

And soon, you should be able to pay with your card in any taxi and at the laiki. 

The Long Reads

• Pedestrian in Greece. A thriller. Especially when it rains. Or snows.  

• The story of a Golden Visa apartment scam. 

• Is there such a thing as a „private beach”?

Wanderlust

Every time I ride my scooter on the roads in the vicinity of the parks, I feel the temperature suddenly dropping by a few degrees. During winter, this makes me think of ghosts breathing down my neck. In the summer, it makes me want to scream into the void, towards the five different construction sites that are simultaneously active these days in my neighborhood, building in places that used to be green. 

So maybe take a walk on Ardittos Hill (or any hill, really), to remember that this city still has some life in it, growing stubbornly among the hot concrete that’s being poured everywhere on a daily basis. 

I would also suggest a day trip to the lovely island of Tzia. Except it’s burning. Again. 

Talking of islands: the island of Delos is described here as one of the most vulnerable Greek islands when it comes to climate change. 

Which is true, but the truth is that they are all vulnerable. And if you’d like to know why, you can visit Sustainable Cyclades, a project dedicated to the problems that these islands are currently facing, from overtourism to the lack of water. For example, a recent mission to clear the seabed off the island of Santorini collected 800 kilos of abandoned fishing nets, 406 potentially recyclable materials, 28 car tires and 30 items of clothing.

Photo source.

And some very cool events:

• An international exhibition called “Democracy” opens on Thursday at the National Gallery in Athens. It investigates artistic expression against totalitarianism and the attempt to reclaim freedom in Greece, Spain and Portugal in the 1960s and 1970s. 

• On Saturday, at Stavros Niarchos Park, the „Full Moon Sleepover” is happening, a full night with music, all-night film screenings, group games, night rides with pedal boats, and many more activities. The only requirement is the willingness to stay up late. 

Useful Tidbits Corner

As a citizen of the European Union, can I register a vehicle in my name in Greece?

Yes. But, as a European Citizen, aside from an AFM, you will also need a Yellow Card (Βεβαίωση εγγραφής για πολίτες της Ένωσης) to register a vehicle in your name, be it scooter, car or horse-pulled cart. Kidding about the horse-pulled cart. Or am I?

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