PlanetEye

In celebration of 'Marine Week', we have been enjoying performances, both theatrical and musical, on the beach.  'Marine Week' started on June 30th and continues on through tonite, June 6th.  I went to an open-air performance on Friday night of ‘The Imaginary Invalid', Le Malade Imaginaire, by Moliere.  The theatrical performance took place on the out-door theatre stage of Batis, in Paleo Faliro.  The theatrical group was called ‘Thimeli' and the play was directed by Elli Bozikiathou.  Although a bit exaggerated, the actors performed very well.  The protagonist gave a great performance!

Tonight we will enjoy the play by Nikolai Gogol, called ‘Diary of a Madman'.  It was written in 1835 and is considered to be one of Gogol's greatest short stories. The tale centers on the life of a minor civil servant during the repressive era of Nicholas I in Russia. Following the format of a diary, the story shows the digression of the protagonist, Poprishchin, into insanity.  It is the only one of Gogol's works written in first person, as the story follows diary entry format.  It is only in his madness that the lowly anti-hero attains greatness in life.  The story satirizes the rampant petty officialdom of the bureaucracy in the 1840s in St. Petersburg, and has been interpreted by some as going beyond this to being an allegory about the political state of Russia at the time, revealing Gogol's view of the government from the standpoint of a lowly citizen. The story also portrays the average man's quest for individuality in a seemingly indifferent, urban city.  Tonight's play will be performed by the theatrical group 'Modern Theater' and directed by George Messala, a Greek actor and director.

The performances start between 9.00 - 9.30 p.m. and have no entrance fee.  The theatrical stage of Batis is on the beach and we breathe the fresh sea air as we watch the actors perform!  It is located at Batis Beach, in Paleo Faliro and can be reached by tram, line Syntagma-SEF, Batis stop.

To celebrate ‘Marine Week', the Cultural Center ‘Flisvos' had its Grand Opening on June 26th and has an exhibition of old marine maps and other marine material on display, from the Marine Museum of Greece.  The ‘Flisvos' Cultural Center is a couple blocks down from the Flisvo tram stop, line Syntagma-SEF.  It is open from 9.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. and 5.00 p.m. - 9.00 p.m. daily.   

There is no sign on the outside and until I entered, I wasn't sure if it was the trattoria I was supposed to be at!  They had told me about ‘Il Tinello' with inconsistent details; some saying that it was the ‘best' Italian restaurant of Athens, and others telling me about the ‘capriccio' of the owners...  Finally, I decided that I just had to visit it by myself to form my own opinion since so many fans had bragged about it and others avoided indisputably. 

Although the small dining area does not impress, the atmosphere gives you a homey feelings with simple decor and a few tables covered with tablecloths.  Daniela, a professional cook from the Veneto region reinvents her dishes according to her moods and the season.  Stefano, the server, will not bring you a menu...he will only ask you if you would like white or red wine with your meal.  Soon after, the parade of the Italian meal begins, commencing with salads of fresh mushrooms & garlic, roca & vitello garnished with parmesan cheese, salami from Italy, taliata, risotto with porchini, and amazing pasta with various sauces, including:  chicken with almonds, tomato, pesto, and naturally, one of the best carbonaras that I've ever tested...and I've lived in Italy!!  Make sure you leave room for the dessert!  Panacota, tiramisu, crème brulee will give you a sweet taste to remember for the week!  To finish off the meal, a shot of grappa or an espresso will give you the winding down or winding up needed, depending on if you are going to continue your night on the town or call it a night!

‘Il Tinello' is at 54 Knossou Street, in Alimos, in southern Athens.  Get off the tram stop of Kalamaki and walk up Kalamakiou Street, make a right on Erestiou and then a left on Knossou.  Call 210 98 28 462 for reservations and precise directions.  Cost per person:  30 - 35 Euros.

Copa Copana is a new water park in Athens, ideal for dealing with this hot weather we are having if you feel like going somewhere besides the beach!  First of all, there are 17 waterslides to get wet in and feel like a kid again.  There are various levels for those of you who like speed and other slower ones for the beginner.  You will also find the "Magical City", which is reserved for kids up to 12 years old.  This is a place with games for kids in the biggest playground of Athens, which runs year-round.  The ‘Water Playground' is another place for kids with a kid's pool and kid water-slides and a huge pirate's ship for those kids craving adventure!

The islands and night pool bars are composed of three ‘islands' in the huge pool, which serve coffee and drinks all day.  At night they are transformed, from relaxed cafes during the day, to clubs with famous DJs and appearances from live bands!  They are open year-round also.  Flocafe is at the entrance of the park and open 24 hours.  The ‘Copa Cool Summer' restaurant is open during the summer with great views during the evening and nightly hours.  There is also the ‘Yacht Club - VIP' Lounge for those of you wanting exclusive service and to be pampered in the DNA Medi Spa, which functions only during the summer. 

This summer Copa Copana gives everyone the chance to relax and enjoy the various places and services offered.  Prices vary from family packages, year-round passes, and group rates.  Please call 210 5576 006 for more information or visit http://www.copacopanapark.com/.

Some friends of mine who were here in Athens visiting last week stayed at The Athens Gate Hotel.  They told me that the hotel was very clean, modern and simple.  Their room was very nice and quiet, with a beautiful bathroom, closet, and safe.   Some rooms face the Temple of Olympian Zeus but those are on a busy road.  The two top floors in the back have a view of the Parthenon (Acropolis area).  Their room faced an alley and another building, which many people prefer due to less noise.   There is an excellent view, on the rooftop with a bar for a drink, or breakfast. The rooftop has great views of the Acropolis and the Temple of Olympian Zeus.

The location of the hotel is the best part because it is about 100m down from the pedestrian walk-way that goes around the Acropolis.  It's just a few minutes walk to get to the train, the Acropolis, the Plaka, so the location is ideal for those wanting to be in the center.  The hotel was fully renovated a year ago and has 7 floors with 99 rooms, an a la carte restaurant, a bar-cafeteria in the lobby area, a roof garden bar and a cozy area with fireplace in the lobby.  All rooms are equipped with a 27" TV, a mini bar, a small safe, a hair dryer, direct dial phones, individual temperature control, high speed G6 internet connectivity, but no wireless internet yet.  Some rooms offer bath tubs and others only a shower.  The junior suite offers a Jacuzzi bath tub and shower.

The hotel staff was very friendly and helpful, and the breakfast had the largest spread that they had seen in Greece.  They highly recommend the hotel.  The contact information is:  sales@athensgate.gr, reservations@athensgate.gr, Tel. (30) 210 9238302-3 or Fax (30) 210 9237493.  The address is:  10 Syngrou Ave. 11742 Athens.

The Ministry of Mercantile is hosting an exhibition on the islands of the Northern Aegean.  From May 22nd - 25th 'Technopolis', the cultural center in Gazi, will host the exhibition which takes us to the islands of Hios, Mytilini, Samo and Limno, by enticing our imagination with four different themes:  the Port as an arrival point, the Squares & Markets, the Room with a View, and the Port, once again, as a departure point.

In the first part, the ‘Port - Arrival', we experience the entry onto the islands - the ports.  Ports are very important for guests to feel welcomed to the island and have a first contact with the culture.  This initial encounter contains pictures of life near the ports to immerse us into the island life.  Huge suitcases serve as visual projectors and describe the historical development of the islands. 

The second part, ‘Squares & Markets', includes a walk through the centers of the major cities of Mytilini, Hios, Samo, and Limno.  In this section of the exhibit, we walk through city squares and market places to experience the society and culture of the inner city life up close and to view landmark buildings. 

Next we enter a room of a house and become one with the space, as we view the city from the windows and hear voices from the outside, observe the people in the streets and look out at the sea. 

Finally, we come to the space of departure...  In this closing part, the port serves as a ‘goodbye' place for the guest, and for the island to say a final ‘farewell' to the visitor.

 It's an exhibition not to be missed!  'Technopolis' is in Gazi, at 100 Peiraios Street, just below Omonia Square in Athens.  Subway stop Thissio.  You may call 210 - 34 61 589 for more information.

"Ksilino", a restaurant in the southern suburb of Athens, Alimos, is one of the many restaurants in the area that serves the authentic food of recipes from Constantinople (Istanbul).  The restaurant has specialty dishes from Kebab with Yogurt and Tomato Sauce to Gyros "Donner", a type of long hamburger filled with herbs and spices.  It also serves a variety of appetizers, baked peppers, fried cheese, haloumi, salads and a few ‘traditional' Greek dishes which I long to taste the next time we visit.

This "politiko", meaning from the "poli", city of Constantinople, restaurant is frequented by many local people from the actual city and I was taken there by friends.  I was very impressed with the delicious food, service and reasonable pricing, 5€ - 14€.  

"Ksilino", which literally means "wooden" in Greek has a warm wooden decor inside and the owners and servers are sure to make you feel at home.  It is located at Thoukididou 32 & Auksediou 16, walking distance from the tram stop.  Its hours are 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m. and it's recommended to reserve a table.  Telephone:  210 - 98 22 500.

Along PierOne, one of the new beautiful piers at Flisvos Marina, there are three separate places you can visit:  Coquillage, ZiNC, and BrasserieSUD.  Coquillage is a seafood restaurant and bar, which is nearest to the boardwalk, with seating inside and out.  BrasserieSUD is the café - restaurant nearest the water and ZiNC is in between the two, with the best view, since it has an upstairs.

We chose to eat nearest the water and taste the seafood at BrasserieSUD.  This restaurant - bar has pasta, meat, and seafood dishes.  The fresh fish dish was delicious, but be sure to let the waiters know your particular diet if you don't want too much butter.  The salmon was also very good and the meat was excellent as well.  In Greece the service is still not considered the utmost importance since the waiters get a minimal tip, so you must have some patience and not be afraid to ask if you run out of water or need anything else with your meal.  Unfortunately, food is served only inside and there is a very small smoking section, so I recommend making reservations during the weekend.

A great option this restaurant has is Breakfast!!  It's very hard to find a nice breakfast place in Athens, so take advantage if you're an earlier riser.  Breakfast starts at 9 a.m. and brunch follows.  And if you are not in the mood to eat, you can sit outside and enjoy a tea or coffee while marveling at the yachts docked along the pier.  PierOne is at Marina Flisvos, Paleo Faliro, about 15 minutes by taxi from Syntagma Square or at the Trokadero Tram stop.  You may call 210 - 98 53 183 to make reservations.