Whenever I'm in Greece, I feel... lighter.
It's easy to chalk it up to the sunny weather, good food, and direct access to the sea, but I'm convinced there's more to it than a vitamin D overdose.
It's hard to explain.
To try and capture this feeling, I decided to post a daily photo/video series related to Greece during February. Since 2024 is a leap year, that means 29 days.
1 - Cats
"ψιψιψιψι/pspsps" is the sound of literal catcalling in Greece. Cats are everywhere in Greece, and I'm certainly not complaining. People are constantly feeding the cats so many are on the chonky side.
2 - Oranges
Oranges are everywhere in Athens. Orange trees line the streets and oranges are sold in every market. You see them blooming, in freak snow storms and eventually run over and squished on the streets.
Apparently, you can’t eat the ones on the trees but I’m still kinda tempted to try one.
3 - Laiki (λαϊκή )
Laiki markets are weekly farmers markets that happen in every neighborhood in Athens. It's such an important part of Greek life that we had a whole lesson in our Greek class about it.
4 - 60s/70s Interiors
I've always loved the original 60s/70s interiors of homes in Athens, especially in the kitchens and bathrooms. Some are completely wild. Unfortunately, many aren't in great shape and are difficult to retrofit because newer appliances are different dimensions.
5 - Hanging Laundry
There's no shortage of laundry to dry and you see it hanging from all balconies. There's something about laundry drying in the sun that I just love.
6 - Phone Booths
I've never seen anyone use one of the yellow telephone booths, but I love them and hope they don’t get ripped out.
7 - Watermelon
No fruit quite says summer like watermelon. It's frequently given as a dessert after meals and it never gets old.
8 - Aluminum Wine Carafes
Traditional aluminum wine carafes seen at every Greek taverna. They’re supposed to last forever unless you’re like me and put it in the dishwasher and the coating melts off.
9 - Awnings
The balcony awnings cover the majority of apartment buildings around Athens, especially those from the 60s-80s and give the city a distinct look.
10 - Shopping Trolleys
I couldn’t stop talking about the metal shopping carts I kept seeing at the markets so I got one for my birthday and now I can finally live out my old man ways.
11 - Abandoned Buildings
It's hard to miss the number of abandoned buildings in Athens. Sometimes I dream about buying and restoring one of the old neoclassical buildings, but they're also prob haunted and I'm lowkey scared of ghosts.
12 - Tavernas
Greek tavernas. I love everything about them — the original interiors, the simple food, the wine barrels, and the endless wine. Then about 5 hours later you realize you should go home.
13 - Megalo Lemoni
I saw an old man plucking lemons off the street trees and started taking pics. When he picked a huge one, I said μεγάλο! (big) cause that’s 1 of the 15 Greek words I know. He laughed and gave me the lemon.
14 - Greek Food
Greeks take food seriously. It's hard to have a bad meal and the traditional dishes are cooked simply with fresh meat and produce. The tomatoes actually taste like tomatoes.
15 - Mannequins
The storefront mannequins can sometimes look worse for wear.
16 - Dogs
Greece belongs to the cats, but there is no shortage of cute dogs either.
17 - Beach Umbrellas & Chairs
An 'organized' beach in Greece is one with sun chairs and umbrellas. While a wild beach with no infrastructure has its allure, this shady girl is always going for the sun chair, umbrella, and a vitamin D deficiency at the beach.
18 - Chairs
The chair content or καρέκλες content in Greece is hard to beat.
19 - Water
Part of Greece's allure is the sea. It doesn't matter how many times you go to the beach, effortlessly floating in ultra salty water never gets old.
20 - Traffic Cones
Nothing surprises me anymore about what's being used as a traffic cone. The empty feta tin filled with cement is ingenious.
21 - Trees
Even though most of Athens is concrete, trees and plants are everywhere. On the islands, it's even more lush.
22 - Greek Signs
The signs were clear. But not really cause I still have no idea what most of them mean, but I love that Greek signs are usually in all capitalized letters.
23 - Cigarettes
No butts about it, Greece loves cigarettes. It's not uncommon to see people smoking in restaurants or bars, even if it's not technically allowed.
24 - Beach Lovers
Beach lovers spotted in the wild. In August, the cities empty out and everyone flocks to the beaches and islands.
25 - Cars
Driving in Greece can be crazy and the dents and scratches on the cars are proof of it.
26 - Outdoor Cinemas
Summer in Athens means outdoor cinemas everywhere in the city. Some play new movies and some play older movies with no English subtitles but I’m still there for the vibes.
27 - Marble
It’s crazy how much marble is used in Athens, from the Acropolis to almost every kitchen sink in the 60s, it’s everywhere. Most of these pics were from a quarry close to where the original marbles for the Acropolis are from.
28 - Atrium Plants
Many atriums and storefronts have a tree or plant facing the window. Some are better off than others, but overall the plants add such a nice touch of life.
29 - Cats (again)
No better way to close out 29 days of Greece with more cats.
29 Days Later
One month later, I'm not sure it's easier for me to describe how I feel when I'm in Greece or why I like Athens so much.
But maybe that's just it – there is no big, obvious reason. Instead, it's all of the small, everyday details that have won me over.
And this is just 29 of them.
