Pawn shops in Athens

The economic crisis has left (or rather, is leaving) several marks on Athens' urban landscape. The most prominent one is many retail stores shutting down and laying unoccupied for several months now. But one's crisis is someone else's opportunity, so there's also a number of newcomers into this situation. The most prominent ones are pawn shops. Shops where you can sell your valuables (gold and silver items notably) in exchange for some badly needed cash (in what I assume will be severely depressed prices).

Pawn-shop at Athens' Gyzi residential, middle-class neighbourhood

Pawn-shop at Athens' Gyzi neighbourhood

Up until 3 years ago, almost no Greek had ever seen a pawn-shop except in US crime films. Sure there was one somewhere in the central Omonia Square, if my memory doesn't trick me. But to me, and I think most people, this one pawn-shop was seen as something exotic; present here mostly because Athens needed to have one of these curious places as well, than for any real, functional reason.

Well... no more! Every major street and every neighbourhood in Athens now has its own pawn-shop and often more than one. Day and night, "GOLD" and "SILVER" signs are flashing in neon lights,  with their large, yellow poster-signs airing a deceptively festive look, symbolizing Athens current troubles with its desperate attempt to come out clean, no matter which way possible.

City kiosk with an ad for a pawn-shop on its "roof"

Flyer / business-card for a pawn-shop

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Greek Independence Day Parade

March 25th is the day of Independence in Greece. It was in 1821 that the Greeks decided to revolt againt the Ottoman Empire and -with the help of foreign powers of the time- finally managed to gain their independence and have a sovereign Greek State recognized in 1830. But the date 25 March 1821 is the (symbolic) day of revolt against the Ottomans and a National Holiday for the country, which conveniently fell on a Monday this year.

 Independence Day Parade, Panepistimiou St., Athens, Greece

I'm not a fan of military style parades but this is the main way such events are celebrated here.  Both school students and army regiments (is that what they are called?) parade in the central streets of each town. In the city of Athens, there is a school parade on March 24 (military style / marching in step) and a real military parade on March 25, both passing in front of the Parliament and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Syntagma Square and then continuing on Panepistimiou St. (a.k.a. Eleftheriou Venizelou St.) till Omonia Sq. Due to the cutbacks of recent years, there are no longer tanks, or any other vehicles parading and no airplanes flying in the sky above. Only soldiers (and marine sailors, airmen, policemen, firemen, etc.) on foot. Good for air quality as well!

Independence Day Parade, Panepistimiou St., Athens, Greece

I hadn't watched a parade in Athens before -only in smaller towns- and mostly during my school years when we had to take part. But I did go to city center this morning for the sake of... AthensWalker. Too militaristic for my liking (more than what I remember from other towns), with groups of soldiers marching in line in various steps and often yelling macho army slogans that either make no sense or have no need to be shouted out in public. If not anything else, these  theatrics just diminish what the army stands for... Anyway, here are the pictures from the parade, along with some calmer ones with Greek flags flying at various points in the city.

People watching, cheering and taking photos. Independence Day Parade, Panepistimiou St., Athens, Greece. 

Independence Day Parade, Panepistimiou St., Athens, Greece.

Independence Day Parade, Panepistimiou St., Athens, Greece.

Independence Day Parade, Panepistimiou St., Athens, Greece.

Independence Day Parade, Panepistimiou St., Athens, Greece.

City Band at the Independence Day Parade, Panepistimiou St., Athens, Greece.

Rescuers at the Independence Day Parade, Panepistimiou St., Athens, Greece.

People watching the Independence Day Parade from the stairs of the old National Library, Panepistimiou St., Athens.

Child dressed in national costume in front of the University of Athens, Independence Day, Athens, Greece.

Greek flag and statue of Goddess Athena, Athens, Greece.

Greek flags in Athens balconies, Independence Day

Greek flags in Athens balconies, Independence Day

Greek flags in a nursery school, Independence Day

Little house but full of flag, Independence Day, Athens

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Pictures from Clean Monday - Athens, Greece

It was "Clean Monday" (a.k.a. "Shrove Monday") today - the day right after Carnival and 48 days before Easter Sunday. Most Athenians, especially those with children, headed to the nearby hills and parks to fly a kite and have a picnic (or lunch in a nearby taverna, since this is still Athens and not the "real country-side") and we were there too. 

The weather was cloudy for most of the day but I still managed to get a few pictures, from the "Alsos Veikou" park in the suburb of Galatsi. I'll let the pictures do most of the talking for today.

Selling kites - for those waiting till the last minute

(Attempt at) flying a kite - Alsos Veikou park, Galatsi - Greater Athens

A big crowd was out for Clean Monday, even though the weather was not really inviting

Alsos Veikou park, Galatsi - Greater Athens

Flying high

Five kites up in the sky

Some failed attempts - Kites most likely destroyed

Flying like a bird

A crowded sky, full of kites

Easy going...

A big crowd both in the park and in the sky

Even infants were brought out today!

Four more kites, flying high above Alsos Veikou park, Galatsi - Greater Athens

Struggling, in the grass

Time for a picnic

Parents and children - Learning to fly

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