We awoke hungry, as anyone sleeping that late would, so we ventured out for a quick brunch in Plaka. We just wanted some easy gyros to get on with our day, but we got suckered into sitting at an outdoor café along a popular thoroughfare. Our gyros were overpriced(~8€ each, w/ 3€ coffee that didn't include refills), took too long to arrive, and weren't as tasty as what we'd had elsewhere.
With stomachs full, we made our way back to the Divani and inquired about a laundromat at the reception desk. We were directed about five blocks away, so we packed our dirty clothes[mostly Annie's; I've worn Dri-Fit stuff that has been sink-washed] into our hiking pack and hit the road.
Annie prefers to photograph me from a safe smelling distance.
The Athens Laundromat was easy to find, and immediately earned our respect--it was right next door to the Athens Sports Bar. In fact, if you needed to make change, the laundromat directed you to the bar for such a task. We were reminded of the Buds 'n Suds business concept that we'd discussed in the past with friends. It was brilliant.
We put our load in to wash for 5€, then bought pints next door for 4€ and made use of the free wi-fi until our wash was done. The dryers sucked; 2€ for 20 minutes--we had to dry twice and still had some damp clothes. No matter; we enjoyed the experience, greatly enhanced by available booze.
On this evening, our dinner plans included Mary & Thanasi Kouri. Mary is first cousins with my mom, Uncle Spiro, and Aunt Georgia. I'd met her for the first time when my sister and I visited Athens in 2000, then again when my whole family came to Greece in 2005. I recalled that she spoke pretty good English for someone that didn't need to, though my uncle reminded me that Thanasi did not speak English at all.
They met us in our hotel lobby, and after warm greetings we decided to walk the Promenade route into Plaka for dinner. It was refreshing and helpful to talk about Greece and the current political/economic climate with native citizens. We learned about how harshly the new cuts and tax hikes would affect Greeks, and about how the employment rate was a challenging obstacle, for youths in particular. My relatives' children, Thalia (28) and Eleni(21) were very worried for the future. From what I gathered, Thalia holds a temp job as receptionist for a local business working 10-hour days, while Eleni is finishing up school and concerned about finding a job. The unemployment rate in Greece is 16% right now.
The conversation turned brighter when we reached our restaurant, Estia. Seated outside--I don't think we've eaten indoors since we arrived in Greece!--we enjoyed the cool evening and some Heinekens. Thanasi ordered bread, salad, feta cheese, and French fries, which seem like a delicacy eaten with a fork in Greece.
Mary and Thanasi were very kind and gracious, and we navigated the language gap without problems...though Annie certainly felt lost at times! My Greek is barely what you'd call conversational, but I used what I knew where appropriate, much to Mary's satisfaction.
After dinner, Thanasi insisted on paying, then we walked them back toward the Acropolis metro stop. We asked a local to snap a quick photo of the four of us, then we said our goodbyes.
Mary got slightly emotional and teared up, but we hoped it was because she was happy that we'd spent such a lovely evening together. With hugs, thanks, and blessings all around, we parted ways with pledges to see each other again--hopefully sooner than later!
Athens June 17 Album:
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| Athens: June 17, 2011 |
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Athens, Greece
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