So glad we went to Greece (and London always)
Apr 11th, 2016, 01:05 PM
#82
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Thanks a thousand thanks! As for the song that starts slow, and then speeds up -- is it the famous "La la la la" song? Here is Greece's MOST famous singer Nana Mouskouri (her records worldwide have outsold ANY vocalist of the 1950-1990 era, including Sinatra. Greece ignored her when she was young so (because she spoke 5 languages) she toured the world and became super-famous & sang in the Acropolis' Herodius Atticus amphitheatre here ... age about 45 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MWGJzMyhxQ
Apr 11th, 2016, 04:03 PM
#83
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Since Nana Mouskouri was mentioned, one of the most famous Greek singers, i think i should correct what was said about her being "ignored"....
She was extremely lucky to start her career with one of the biggest Greek composers, Manos Hajidakis, who wrote some of his classic songs just for her. She then won the first place at the Thessaloniki Song Festival, becoming a famous singer at a very your age.
( and she didn't speak 5 languages back then....)
Her success gave her the opportunity to start an international career which lasts till today.
She was extremely lucky to start her career with one of the biggest Greek composers, Manos Hajidakis, who wrote some of his classic songs just for her. She then won the first place at the Thessaloniki Song Festival, becoming a famous singer at a very your age.
( and she didn't speak 5 languages back then....)
Her success gave her the opportunity to start an international career which lasts till today.
Apr 11th, 2016, 05:31 PM
#84
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Ha, no, travjan, it wasn't the lalala tune. It was this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UgndyMfe-8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UgndyMfe-8
Apr 12th, 2016, 07:04 AM
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Oh, OK, but at least my link perhaps introduced readers to Nana and to the irresistible "la la" tune... its a real Earworm!!
BTW, clausar, i acknowledge that I misspoke. I didn't mean to say Nana was ignored by fellow Greeks... No of course she was madly popular at home -- what some people have told me who were around during that period, Greeks didn't really realize for awhile what an enormous star she had become worldwide ... what was the understanding they awakened to.
BTW, clausar, i acknowledge that I misspoke. I didn't mean to say Nana was ignored by fellow Greeks... No of course she was madly popular at home -- what some people have told me who were around during that period, Greeks didn't really realize for awhile what an enormous star she had become worldwide ... what was the understanding they awakened to.
Apr 12th, 2016, 10:24 AM
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Bit late catching this but what a great TR. Brought back lovely memories of last year when I did almost the exact same itinerary and had lots of wonderful input from travelerjan. I think I stayed just along from Pension Rigas and I certainly didn't find the Trendy Grill! Alice Inn is on my list for next visit.
Apr 12th, 2016, 05:28 PM
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Yes, thank you for that link, travelerjan. I had not heard of Nana M.
And thanks, gertie. I'd love to do the same trip again. Trendy Grill would not be every fodorite's exact cup of tea: the smoke, the biker esthetic at the portside one. But stop by anyway next time.
And thanks, gertie. I'd love to do the same trip again. Trendy Grill would not be every fodorite's exact cup of tea: the smoke, the biker esthetic at the portside one. But stop by anyway next time.
Apr 12th, 2016, 06:37 PM
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And forgot to say how much I enjoyed your London stuff at the beginning. It is home for me and the area you stayed is very familiar. My kids were in uni just behind the British Museum and I can envisage all the places you went. There was a famous Greek restaurant on Charlotte St in the 60s, probably long gone, but a lot of fun.
Apr 12th, 2016, 11:56 PM
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Zorba the Greek is an interesting case of an "artificial" traditional tune been now part of contemporary culture. Great music composer Mikis Theodorakis wrote is for the 1964 movie "Zorba the Greek" and it soon became a familiar sound around the world. Due to the movie's success, taverns and bars started playing it for tourists all around and still do and Greeks adapt it too.
Apr 13th, 2016, 07:26 AM
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Mariha, just to add another insider factoid about the "artificial" tune & dance scene in Zorba ... Anthony Quinn couldn't dance at all, not even a waltz, and they had to labor to teach him the VERY simplest of steps for that scene.
By contrast, all Real Greek men not only can, but MUST dance. As I learned from another Forum friend who went to mykonos back in the Olden Days, u can go to the outdoor theatre there & see the elementary school graduation "dance recital." Part of the P.E. program in lower school is mastery of 3-4 of the basic traditional steps in Greek "line dancing" ... and to that of course is added the steps special to the island or area.
BTW -- I just looked at the length of this thread, stokebailey shall we self-publish this as a paperback?!?!?
By contrast, all Real Greek men not only can, but MUST dance. As I learned from another Forum friend who went to mykonos back in the Olden Days, u can go to the outdoor theatre there & see the elementary school graduation "dance recital." Part of the P.E. program in lower school is mastery of 3-4 of the basic traditional steps in Greek "line dancing" ... and to that of course is added the steps special to the island or area.
BTW -- I just looked at the length of this thread, stokebailey shall we self-publish this as a paperback?!?!?
Apr 13th, 2016, 08:12 AM
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If you do publish a paperback, I will purchase a copy for sure! 
Man, I am yearning for Greece right now! Fortunately, I have Scotland next month to assuage my travellust. Opposite sides of everything, but still sure to be amazing.
Loving every word of this!
Man, I am yearning for Greece right now! Fortunately, I have Scotland next month to assuage my travellust. Opposite sides of everything, but still sure to be amazing.
Loving every word of this!
Apr 27th, 2016, 11:16 AM
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Ann, apparently there are lots of things I've never heard of.
Oh, let's not get bogged down in admitting how old we are. I can tell we're all young at heart.
Thank you, gertie! A couple of years ago when Hannah had her semester at Regent's College, she and I went to what might be the Charlotte Street Greek restaurant you're talking about. (something about Lanterns in the name)
Thanks for that about the music, mariha, and funny about Quinn and dancing, travelerjan. (Never saw the movie.) At least Theodorakis was Greek. I did get the impression we were being indulged as tourists at both tavernas where the Zorba song was played.
Oh, let's not get bogged down in admitting how old we are. I can tell we're all young at heart.
Thank you, gertie! A couple of years ago when Hannah had her semester at Regent's College, she and I went to what might be the Charlotte Street Greek restaurant you're talking about. (something about Lanterns in the name)
Thanks for that about the music, mariha, and funny about Quinn and dancing, travelerjan. (Never saw the movie.) At least Theodorakis was Greek. I did get the impression we were being indulged as tourists at both tavernas where the Zorba song was played.
Apr 27th, 2016, 11:30 AM
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We visited three different tavernas in four nights, Η ΩΡΑΙΑ ΠΕΝΤΕΛΗ twice. The third one was down at the end of the same Adrianou Street as Dia Tafta, and two out of three of the guitarists asked Hannah to be Facebook friends. Oddly, speaking of being old, none of them gave me the chance to regret I don't do FB.
LCBoniti, that is too kind of you. I appreciate anyone even skimming any of this. I know I'm going on and on.
I don't have many tips for Athens really. Mostly we did the usual tourist things. Claire at Alice Inn told us that she felt safer in Athens than she had when living in London. And I feel always safe in London.
Hannah thought the falafel at the 1-Only fast food place a block up towards Syntagma Square was the best she'd had.
Love the Acropolis Museum, where your ticket is good for one entrance only. One visit I had sketched a panel of man battling centaur, then left and realized I must have left one of my watercolor pencils behind. When I showed my sketch and other pencils to a woman at the ticket counter, hoping to get permission to go look for it, she not only recognized which panel, but sympathized because she uses the same pencils. It made me glad that such a woman can work at such a museum.
We enjoyed the pedestrian causeway south and west of the Acropolis, and walked it several times. Each time we heard fetching street musicians: young men singing harmony, and a trio of beautiful women, long black hair, speaking a language I couldn't place, singing sweet 60's and 70's pop.
Other days, we cut up through the National Gardens, Benaki museums, past the Aristotle Lyceum ruins. Down to the immense Temple of Olympian Zeus. Roman baths, Hadrian's Arch. Briefly considered taking a tram to the sea. Little children dressed in costumes: Batman, kittens, princesses, and their parents buy them balloons. Trees: oranges, lemons, eucalyptus, acacia. Olives stain sidewalks black all around Athens.
Sunday morning we walked to the National Archeological museum, and then, since the timing was perfect, we got a glimpse of Changing of the Guards at Syntagma Square. Definitely worth seeing, and you can stand in the median while guards and band march past. Stirring music, red caps, white kilts, pompom pomp.
It was our last day, and I was almost out of euros, but for some reason we kept walking past ATMs on our thirty minute walk to the museum. I have to say I've never been a big graffiti fan, and the closer we got to the Archeological, the thicker the graffiti. The only protests we saw during our visit were spray painted tags.
At the Archeological Museum ticket desk we learned they only accept cash. Hannah got her free EU studentticket, and I set off in search of the nearby ATM as suggested. I found it with iron shutter pulled down. Another half hour of scouring the neighborhood, no ATM. I found Hannah waiting in the lobby, concerned. Since foiled in going the honest route I used Hannah's ticket to dash in, past the statue that linked archaic kouros and classical styles, to my goal: the bronze Zeus or Poseidon, hurling thunderbolt or maybe trident. Worth the expedition. A few rooms farther, more classical beauty, then dashed back and urged Hannah to do the same with the same ticket. I tried to pay them, really. Next time I make that my first stop and budget a lot more time.
We walked to Exarchia (Εξαρχειωα) triangular Square, had Greek coffee at an apex café and felt refreshed. Then wound our way south into less intense graffiti and more posh residential areas. Back in Plaka we settled on 1-Only for another falafel. I can be a good sport, too.
John, our charming Alice Inn host, let us relax in the lounge before we headed to the airport, and he suggested taking the X95 express bus from Syntagma Square. Wow, so much better than our trip down on the metro, and far more frequent. Since it was a Sunday afternoon there was no anxiety about rush hour traffic delays, and the bus sped us right over. John said that the government mandated every business accept credit cards, except those run by the government itself.
LCBoniti, that is too kind of you. I appreciate anyone even skimming any of this. I know I'm going on and on.
I don't have many tips for Athens really. Mostly we did the usual tourist things. Claire at Alice Inn told us that she felt safer in Athens than she had when living in London. And I feel always safe in London.
Hannah thought the falafel at the 1-Only fast food place a block up towards Syntagma Square was the best she'd had.
Love the Acropolis Museum, where your ticket is good for one entrance only. One visit I had sketched a panel of man battling centaur, then left and realized I must have left one of my watercolor pencils behind. When I showed my sketch and other pencils to a woman at the ticket counter, hoping to get permission to go look for it, she not only recognized which panel, but sympathized because she uses the same pencils. It made me glad that such a woman can work at such a museum.
We enjoyed the pedestrian causeway south and west of the Acropolis, and walked it several times. Each time we heard fetching street musicians: young men singing harmony, and a trio of beautiful women, long black hair, speaking a language I couldn't place, singing sweet 60's and 70's pop.
Other days, we cut up through the National Gardens, Benaki museums, past the Aristotle Lyceum ruins. Down to the immense Temple of Olympian Zeus. Roman baths, Hadrian's Arch. Briefly considered taking a tram to the sea. Little children dressed in costumes: Batman, kittens, princesses, and their parents buy them balloons. Trees: oranges, lemons, eucalyptus, acacia. Olives stain sidewalks black all around Athens.
Sunday morning we walked to the National Archeological museum, and then, since the timing was perfect, we got a glimpse of Changing of the Guards at Syntagma Square. Definitely worth seeing, and you can stand in the median while guards and band march past. Stirring music, red caps, white kilts, pompom pomp.
It was our last day, and I was almost out of euros, but for some reason we kept walking past ATMs on our thirty minute walk to the museum. I have to say I've never been a big graffiti fan, and the closer we got to the Archeological, the thicker the graffiti. The only protests we saw during our visit were spray painted tags.
At the Archeological Museum ticket desk we learned they only accept cash. Hannah got her free EU studentticket, and I set off in search of the nearby ATM as suggested. I found it with iron shutter pulled down. Another half hour of scouring the neighborhood, no ATM. I found Hannah waiting in the lobby, concerned. Since foiled in going the honest route I used Hannah's ticket to dash in, past the statue that linked archaic kouros and classical styles, to my goal: the bronze Zeus or Poseidon, hurling thunderbolt or maybe trident. Worth the expedition. A few rooms farther, more classical beauty, then dashed back and urged Hannah to do the same with the same ticket. I tried to pay them, really. Next time I make that my first stop and budget a lot more time.
We walked to Exarchia (Εξαρχειωα) triangular Square, had Greek coffee at an apex café and felt refreshed. Then wound our way south into less intense graffiti and more posh residential areas. Back in Plaka we settled on 1-Only for another falafel. I can be a good sport, too.
John, our charming Alice Inn host, let us relax in the lounge before we headed to the airport, and he suggested taking the X95 express bus from Syntagma Square. Wow, so much better than our trip down on the metro, and far more frequent. Since it was a Sunday afternoon there was no anxiety about rush hour traffic delays, and the bus sped us right over. John said that the government mandated every business accept credit cards, except those run by the government itself.
Apr 27th, 2016, 07:06 PM
#99
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Good last paragraph ... the X95 is my fave. Always take it ... am exhausted and cranky after 10 hours crammed in a USAir Economy Seat (aka Medieval Iron Chair); I always say, no need for spymasters to use waterboarding -- just strap the suspect into a US plane Economy Seat and he'll beg to Tell All! Anyway, I want to collapse & drowse on way into Athens, & X95 is safe; no one gets on except at airport, and only 1 stop before terminal, so no fancy-fingered pickpockets there. And no rush to get out, either, its end of line. Love it.
