From Athens to the World

Anyone with even a limited knowledge of history can appreciate the aura of Athens. Even though it’s almost impossible for someone to fathom the importance of such a historic location, to realise that the ground you are walking on has been walked on for thousands of years or that the landscape you are mesmerised by has inspired such thinkers as Aristotle and Socrates, the sheer energy of the place resonates through you in the most undeniable way.
One evening last summer, after what felt like the longest day at work, I decided to hop on the train and head down to the historic centre, to stroll down the winding cobblestone streets that circle around the Acropolis. The air was still humid but as the sun began to set over the city, the breeze picked up a crispness from the cypress trees, a welcome change after the strain of an Athenian summer’s day.
As I made my way up from the historic neighbourhood of Theision towards the ancient Odeon of Herod Atticus, all around me I noticed groups of people, some in pairs and completely enamoured, others with friends, laughing wildly and puffing on cigarettes. I passed an elderly man winding his laterna, an organ covered in photos of Greek movie stars from the 1960s and decorated with red and white carnations, its melancholic sound filling the air and lending a deep sense of nostalgia to the atmosphere.
It may have been the wistful tune of the laterna, reminiscent of a bygone era, or perhaps the already loaded atmosphere of the momentous city that is Athens, but in that moment, I was overcome by a deep and retired calm.
In that single moment, like an oasis in time where the past, the present and the future were equal, I lost some of my innocence, coming to terms with the inevitable and certain truth of mortality, while at the same time being liberated by that thought. To passersby, I most likely looked like just another girl on her way to meet with friends but within me a momentous shift had taken place.
A mix of the smouldering heat, the intoxicating freedom of a summer’s eve and the energy of Athens; that’s what the city is capable of evoking in you.