Athens, Greece

Years ago a friend was on a beach near Athens wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with Athens College (his old school) when he was approached by a polite, well-meaning, somewhat ageing American man who asked him: 'Is this from Athens, Ohio or Athens, Georgia?' My friend was stunned, seeing as they were on the coast only a few miles from the centre of that ancient city, after which all other places called Athens are named; it is, indeed a testament to how insular American thinking often is, viewing everything through their own perspective.

Athens, Greece (henceforth simply Athens) is the capital of the modern Greek state, as it evolved in the 19th and 20th centuries. In its present form it is polluted, often charmless and beset with all sorts of problems brought about by rapid growth without proper thought and planning. The problems appear worse due to the current crisis, as there is little money to spend on improvements, especially ones with long-term effects and significant cost. And even if funds - and the imagination and will to use them properly - were available, it would take years to effect significant improvements. The flood of dispossessed migrants putting further strain on limited resources appears to be the icing on the cake.

And yet, and yet... there is much beauty to be found in Athens, if only one takes the time to look.

Some of it is obvious and in all the guidebooks: the magnificent Acropolis of Athens, appearing to float above the city, timeless, reminding Greeks and visitors alike that this is a city with a long, important history. This is where the idea of democracy was born, where philosophy, culture and art flourished; this city was at the heart of the Hellenic civilisation which helped shape the whole of the Western world. Many other glorious ancient sites exist in and around the city, often reachable on foot from central Athens and all well worth seeing, together with the relevant museums. All visitors get to see at least some, but almost certainly not all of these, and are impressed not just with the physical beauty but the refinement and culture that helped create all this.

The Athens that visitors should also make time to see is not always as obvious but very rewarding, revealing and often captivating. This largely revolves around taking a stroll (several strolls, actually) near the centre of town, not far from the Acropolis and Constitution Square. Despite the rapid expansion (from about 100,000 inhabitants at the start of the 20th century to a population nearer 5 million at its close), largely unplanned and with little respect for the existing surroundings, there are plenty of beautiful buildings to be found, most of them quite old. Some are neoclassical in style, many are in ruins yet others are fully restored and looking as stunning today as they would have a hundred years ago. Not all were mansions of the wealthy and some are humble neighbourhood houses, but all have escaped the bulldozer so far. As large scale construction is presently silent due to the economic meltdown there is a good chance that some of these buildings will survive and give pleasure in the longer term.

Some beautiful old residential buildings have survived by becoming restaurants, cafes and bars, pleasing us in more ways than one; others are commercial buildings that need protection, usage and affection, and they are currently unlikely to get this due to successive governments' policies on property taxation in order to safeguard revenues, electoral appeal and to save their status quo. See them, photograph them, talk about them, show them to the world; they may not be as iconic as the Acropolis but are invaluable to keeping the city human.

There are also some excellent modern buildings, though the majority are instantly forgettable as they were built for quick profit. The building boom and rapid urbanisation of the Athens area involved little planning, foresight or respect for past, present and, of course, the future, which is why in many ways living in Athens is not pleasant unless you are well off financially. The prevailing air quality is the obvious indicator, the unsightly commercial and domestic buildings dominating the city another; thankfully they are not the whole story.

The current financial situation appears to be largely behind the neglected buildings all over Athens but this is slightly misleading. The main problems have their origins in the beginning of the building boom and in the greek tendency not to plan or think ahead, so that no provisions were made early on  to enshrine maintenance in the regulations governing buildings and their ownership. No legal structure exists for building maintenance costs to be fairly and mandatorily shared between individual owners, so they cannot be compelled to participate in this - if one owner of a shared-ownership building does not participate in maintenance expenses the others are either forced to go ahead and shoulder his costs as well, or not do the maintenance. Guess which scenario is the most common, purely exacerbated by the current lack of liquidity.

When next visiting I will write again about Athens and its good and bad points, but today I would like to end with two pleas for all those people who care for  or admire Greece, and Athens, as its beating heart:
1. The best way to help the Greek economy, other than buying widely available greek products that may be useful (like olive oil, wine etc. etc., please do that!), is to visit the country and spend some time and money there. Athens is accessible all year round, though it can get quite cold in wintertime, and not only makes an excellent base for a long weekend of sightseeing but has plenty of nice reasonably priced independent cafes, wine bars and restaurants that don't conform to the tourist trap rip-off model. Many parts of the countryside, not just the islands, are also worth seeing, including some amazing ancient and byzantine sites.
2. A large investor with serious financial clout could buy up and renovate parts of historic Athens - no, not the Parthenon, duh, but some of the buildings talked about earlier - and, taking a long-term view after negotiating a tax holiday with the government, look to enjoy the fruits of their labour in a few years time when the economy rebounds. Greece occupies a great geographical position regarding trading with the Near and Middle East, is largely western in style and character, making it an excellent base for companies - if only the politicians create a simpler, more favourable business background. And international investor (with real money and proper business activities, not riffraff looking to take advantage of a country in need) pressure will help bring this about.

Have another look at Athens, the original one, and I think you'll find lots to like. Yes it can be frustrating, sprawling, dirty, often ugly... and yet, and yet.