A February week in Athens

February is -among other things- the month of carnival celebrations in Greece, with private parties as well as festivities organized by local authorities, mainly geared towards kids. It is also the month in which Athens usually catches its "two days of snow every three years".

This past week included both of these things, with a cold current from the North covering part of Greece with snow, on Tuesday and Wednesday, only for the weather to gradually get better from Thursday on, making it easy for the City of Athens to stage its usual carnival celebrations at the yards of the Zappeion Megaro in the city center, this noon.

We call this "snow-covered"!

Snow in Athens, Greece, 11 Feb. 2015

Snow in Athens, Greece, 11 Feb. 2015

Snow in Athens, Greece, 11 Feb. 2015 - hazy view from Galatsi peripheral road

Snow in Athens, Greece, 11 Feb. 2015 - hazy view from Galatsi peripheral road

Snow in Athens, Greece, 11 Feb. 2015 - Galatsi peripheral road

Carnival festivities, Sunday 15 Feb. 2015 - Zappeion Megaron, Athens, Greece

Carnival festivities, Sunday 15 Feb. 2015 - Zappeion Megaron, Athens, Greece

Helium balloons between the columns of the Zappeion Megaro during the annual carnival festivities, Sunday 15 Feb. 2015 -  Athens, Greece

This could be a great idea for a B-movie script (Dinosaurs at the Acropolis!) - Carnival festivities, Sunday 15 Feb. 2015 - Yards of the Zappeio Megaro, Athens, Greece

Stilt walkers among the crowd - Carnival festivities, Sunday 15 Feb. 2015 - Yards of the Zappeio Megaro, Athens, Greece

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Diomedes Botanic Garden: a jewel of a garden west of Athens

Local authorities and other Greek officials often use the term “oasis of green” to describe even the smallest of public spaces, but only a handful of places really deserve the title. A, somehow little-known, botanic garden in the western suburbs of Athens is one of these places. The "Julia & Alexander N. Diomedes Botanic Garden" in the western suburb of Haidari is the product of a donation and long-term thinking by late Greek academic, politician and prime-minister Alexander N. Diomedes (1875-1950). If you like visiting urban parks and other public spaces this is something to put in your agenda, even though it will be a bit of a journey. The botanical garden and adjoining wood (186 hectares in total) are maintained and run through funding from Diomedes' trust fund, with the care of the University of Athens, as a public benefit foundation.

Diomedes Botanic Garden, Haidari (Athens suburb), Greece

The botanic garden is based on initial designs by German Professor and landscape architect Herta Hammersbacher from the 1960s but has greatly expanded ever since. It blends nicely with the surrounding forest which, if I remember well, was the site of the now infamous 'Greek wine fest' in the 1970's and 80's (a dark page in Greek wine production associated with binge drinking of low quality wines, ...but that’s another story!).

Diomedes Botanic Garden, Haidari (Athens suburb), Greece

Entering the site, you notice a playground to your right which is popular with small kids and their parents. Straight ahead from the entrance there is an area with plants from Oceania, while to your left you’ll see a wood with typical Mediterranean vegetation, leading to a landscaped area with flower gardens, large lawn areas and plenty of ponds with turtles, insects and frogs dotting this well-crafted, “natural” landscape. There are also sitting areas and a few wood benches that look just right for a pic-nic. Part of the garden hosts an “historic plants” section –not clearly marked but still there!-, with plants mentioned in the Bible as well as in ancient Greek writers and mythology (more about it in the Garden's official site, together with detailed info on other sections of the garden). Obviously there's also a good deal of research and teaching activity taking place here and if you’re interested in knowing more about the garden it is possible to have an educational visit arranged. Contact the site directly for that purpose.

Flowers and grass in Diomedes Botanic Garden, west of Athens, Greece

The Botanic Garden is located 8kms west of Athens city center but there are various buses coming here (some from city center and some from further west), described in the garden’s website. The ones that will serve you best depart from Plateia Koumoundourou in Athens city center (not a great area...) or Egaleo Metro Station (the closest one). See map below for details and advice. There is no legal parking space provided, but parking on the street (Iera Odos) by the Garden is allowed / tolerated according to my experience.

View Diomedes Botanic Garden in a larger map

Days and Hours of operation: As of the time of writing of this post, the Garden is not open during the high “tourist season” (July 15-August 31). Except for major holidays it is open everyday as follows: Mon-Fri: 08:00am-2:00pm, Sat-Sun (and holidays): 10:00am-3:00pm.

Baby watching turtle; Diomedes Botanic Garden, west of Athens, Greece

Flowers; Diomedes Botanic Garden, west of Athens, Greece

Flower bed; Diomedes Botanic Garden, west of Athens, Greece

Flowers and ... busy bee in Diomedes Botanic Garden, west of Athens, Greece

Landscaped section of the Diomedes Botanic Garden, west of Athens, Greece. The nearby Mount Egaleo and the edge of the city can be seen over the tree tops.

Water lily; Diomedes Botanic Garden, west of Athens, Greece

Turtle crossing a pond passage through the grass; Diomedes Botanic Garden, west of Athens, Greece

Flowers and grass in Diomedes Botanic Garden, west of Athens, Greece

Landscaped part of the Diomedes Botanic Garden, west of Athens, Greece

Butterfly on a flower; Diomedes Botanic Garden, west of Athens, Greece

Certainly the biggest tree flower I've ever seen; Diomedes Botanic Garden, at the Haidari suburb of Athens, Greece

Insect on a flower; Diomedes Botanic Garden, at the Haidari suburb of Athens, Greece

Water lilies pond; one of several at Diomedes Botanic Garden, at the Haidari suburb of Athens, Greece

Stone passage over a water lily pond; Diomedes Botanic Garden, at the Haidari suburb of Athens, Greece

Frog sunbathing at the Diomedes Botanic Garden, west of Athens, Greece

Pic-nic tables at Diomedes Botanic Garden, west of Athens, Greece

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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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Back to Plato's Academy (pt.2)

The video installations at Plato’s Academy (Akademia Platonos) were all at the western section of the park. We  (we being wife and I) thought it proper to check out the north-eastern section as well, before night would set upon us for good. Exiting the park at Kratylou St. we walked to the left and across the street, searching for the preserved ruins of Akademos’ “Sacred House”. We did not see any improvement in the site from the last time we were here but, on top, we came across what seemed like a scene from a disaster movie.

Palm trees at Akademia Platonos, Athens, infected by the red palm weevil 

Palm trees at Akademia Platonos, Athens, infected by the red palm weevil 

I remembered a couple of articles I’d read about the “red beetle” (aka “red palm weevil”) and the havoc it’s causing in palm trees throughout Greece. This invasive species was introduced into Greece from affected palm trees about ten years ago, after being detected in various other Mediterranean countries. It feeds on the interior of palm trees and often causes their destruction. EU authorities were late in banning its import several years ago and Greek authorities have mostly been caught off guard when it comes to protecting palm trees in urban parks and other public spaces. This seemed to be one such case, with palm tree branches and leaves having wilted under the attack of their enemy. 

Palm tree trunk (middle of the picture), destroyed by the red palm weevil, at Akademia Platonos park, Athens, Greece 

Yet, the light of dusk did provide for some interesting photos and the air of destruction only added to that effect. 

Akademia Platonos park at dusk. Athens, Greece.

Akademia Platonos park / archaeological site at dusk. Athens, Greece.

Evening practice at a soccer field; next to Akademia Platonos park. Athens, Greece 

I’ll be curious to see the new landscaping choices for this park and how the red beetle problem gets treated, at least in  the case of Akademia Platonos. Once I do, I’ll let you all Plato fans out there know about it!

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