Athens, GREECE – For most, Athens is just the capital city of Greece, home to the Parthenon that is situated in the Acropolis and every monument or museum surrounding that area.
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To me, it was the city that welcomed me once I came to Greece from my birth country, England. It was and still remains the city that, in a way, gave me the foundation to become the person I am today.
I started school there, meaning that from a very early age I knew about ancient Athens, Greek mythology and why I need to appreciate this city even though objectively, and from far away it looks like an “urban hell” – an endless concrete jungle.
There is a myth that I always mention when referring to this city, “The Founding Myth of Athens,” and it goes as follows: King Cecrops, a half-man half-serpent founded the city and thus was its patron. He agreed to hold a contest for the name of the city – whoever offered the best gift would become its guardian – the person or entity who would become the city’s namesake.
So Poseidon, the god of the sea, decided to offer salt water, though the Athenians thought it weird to accept this as the best gift as they wanted something more practical that symbolized prosperity.
Athena, the Goddess of strategy and wisdom, gifted its soil a plant I associate with my childhood: the olive tree. We all can guess who won the contest!
I grew up surrounded by scenery that looked more like a city straight out of a dystopian movie rather than the center of Ancient Greek civilization. It wasn’t all ancient Greek statues and marble. In fact, it was more concrete and political graffiti on every wall, on every building.
Growing up right on time for the economic crisis of the late 2000s and early 2010s didn’t really help.
Frankly, there are so many magnificent places in Athens, including the city center, Ermou Street to be precise, with its neoclassical buildings turned into worldwide known shops and corners filled with hidden gems of thrift shops in which one can find anything, from old furniture to pictures or letters of Greek people who lived long ago.
It would be a crime not to mention the breathtaking Athenian Riviera. I have only been there a couple of times but trust me, you can’t get enough of this place if your first impression of it was good. Just make sure you don’t go there during peak tourist season.
Last but definitely not least, there are two things that most influenced my childhood in the best way possible: public libraries in Athens and the theatrical plays I saw in Athens.
The city is home to a variety of both theaters public libraries that make you feel the coziest and can warm you even during the darkest times.
Katja Palli is a Junior Reporter with Youth Journalism International.
