Photographic walk along the Faliro and Alimos coast (pt.1)

Leaving the museum ships of the Maritime Tradition Park behind us, I now take you to a photographic walk across the coastal area in the southern suburbs of Athens. This should be a most interesting way to spend a summer evening or a good idea for a walk after visiting the ships [Make sure you take all necessary precautions to avoid a heat stroke if you go during the day].

The overall feeling of the coastal walk is a characteristically Greek blend of moderately great expectations, haphazard maintenance, mostly copycat design and lack thereof, a mixture of social classes -and occasionally age groups- in an easy-going style, all in the presence of a great natural landscape and, in this case, sprinkled with the painful stardust of Olympic memories, as the creation of the coastal tram line in 2004 was a catalyst for restoring Athens' coastal front. Make what you will of all this, but a stroll along the coast is a nice way to spend some time and I'd certainly suggest you consider it.

Flisvos' Marina, at the Paleo Faliro coastal suburb of Athens

Flisvos Marina, Paleo Faliro [Greater Athens], Greece

The first part, is the Flisvos Marina that is very well kept and can be quite lively and full of people in the summer evenings. During the day the typical summer lull prevails but there are still various snack, cafeteria and, mostly, fast-food options for a quick stop. Rich people park their yachts here, and some of them suffer from photographobia :)

Flisvos Marina, Paleo Faliro [Greater Athens], Greece

Flisvos Marina, Paleo Faliro [Greater Athens], Greece - Behind the boats you may see the hill of Kastella, in Piraeus, (center) and the "Peace and Friendship" indoor stadium (center/right)

Boats at Flisvos Marina, Paleo Faliro [Greater Athens], Greece

Sunset from Flisvos' Marina, Paleo Faliro [Greater Athens], Greece

Sunset time at Flisvos' Marina - Paleo Faliro [Greater Athens], Greece

Next to the marina there's a municipal playground / park that leads to the main part of the coastal walk. 

Municipal playground of Paleo Faliro - Flisvos coastal area [Greater Athens], Greece

The municipal playground / park (which also includes a dog-park) ends in a coastal promenade, Paleo Faliro [Greater Athens], Greece

Man fishing, by the Flisvos Marina / Flisvos coastal promenade - Paleo Faliro [Greater Athens], Greece. The hill of Kastella (city of Piraeus) in the background

Some people come here to fish, others to bike, walk, jog or just enjoy the view. 

Bike at Flisvos coastal promenade, Paleo Faliro [Greater Athens], Greece

Fishing rods, Paleo Faliro, Greece

 

Evening in the Flisvos coastal promenade, Paleo Faliro [Greater Athens], Greece

The old Flisvos cafeteria, turned "cultural centre" - Flisvos coastal area, Paleo Faliro [Greater Athens], Greece

Soon after you reach the old "Flisvos" cafeteria, once a landmark but now mostly empty and turned into a "municipal cultural centre". That's what most Greek town authorities choose to call their derelict buildings… :)

Faliro coastal promenade, Paleo Faliro [Greater Athens], Greece

Kiosk at the Paleo Faliro coastal promenade with the city of Piraeus in the background

Statue of Constantine Palaeologos, last Emperor of Byzantium. Many of the residents of Paleo Faliro are immigrants from Istanbul (a.k.a. Constantinople) who were forced to leave their homes there, during 1955-64, and scattered signs like this help preserve their memories and cultural inheritance.

The coastal tram, at Paleo Faliro [Greater Athens], Greece

...Come back in a week for the second part of this photographic walk.

 
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