Our beach

Our beach, The Beach of the Sun, is a five minute walk from the apartment

It's a pay beach, but we have passes because we're residents - it's a bit like the right of way in the UK: the idea is that everyone should have access to the beach, so if the powers that be decide to turn part of the coast private, the local residents have a right to get in for free. If residents want an umbrella and bed, then they pay one euro - again, the price is reduced for residents.

View from the top

After descending the first flight of stairs we come across this cat that seems to have made the beach its home. It's an extraordinary looking cat, all white except for the tail and a mark on the forehead; and look at the eyes

down another two flights of stairs and we come to bougainvillia passage

not as many flowers as other years, but maybe it's too early.

This stretch of green which we reach after we have shown our passes at the entrance is empty now but at weekends it's packed with people who were unable to find an umbrella and a lounger on the beach so they settle here.

We tend to come around 8:30 to 9:00 as we want to sit on the front row to have unimpeded view of the sea. This beach gets very busy, particularly this year - since lockdown ended Athenians seem to have gone mad, trying to make up for the time when they could not get out: the beaches are packed, as are the bars and restaurants, and as for the traffic, it's unbearable - there are traffic jams everywhere.

It's lovely coming this early: the beach is relatively empty, it's quiet and just wonderful

We like to look at this

rather than this, so first row is imperative.

Our beach is very long, taking up the whole of the bay. 

We saw a paraglider the other day

On the way back, we have three options: we can go the way we came, up the four flights of stairs, or we can take the east entrance/exit, or the west one. Taking one of the last two options is a good way of seeing what's going on on the rest of the beach.

Going out from the east gates takes us through this lovely, cool, shaded bit full of pine trees

a new sculpture

We have a shower here, making sure there is no sand on our feet as we don't want to get it in the apartment

we tend to leave around 12 and by then the beach is packed.

This cactus display is by the east entrance

and then the road is lined by pikrodaphnes which are in full bloom at the moment. I could not find a translation for pikrodaphne on google, but a literal translation is bitterbay.

If we take the west entrance on the way home, 

we walk past the kids' play area

the boats, canoes and pedalos that are for hire

The cage section, as I call it, a new construction aiming to draw in people who have lots of money - it costs 45 euros to sit here for the day

cages with cushions and bean bags

a water fall cascading down this granite wall

A bar and extremely luxurious toilets and showers.

I have never seen anyone using this bit, and there's always a young woman touting for business. She wanted to have a chat with me and asked me what I thought of this development. I decided to be honest since she had asked and I said that I was not very keen as one would be sitting in a cage at quite a considerable distance from the sea. 'But, you have privacy', she said. I re-iterated my point about sitting in a cage and we talked for a while. I honestly, can't see why people would pay 45 euros to be as removed from the sea as possible, sitting in what is effectively in a cage.

Next, is Bolivar, beach

and bar

They get bands to play here at weekends, and the place is heaving. In the pre-pandemic days, our street would be packed with cars and people walking down to Bolivar. 

There was a party here last week, and we read in the news that loads of people tested positive following this

It's all very grand, but all we want is to have a swim and look at the sea when resting

It's time for us to have a shower before heading home. We're not that bothered about the shower, as we will have one when we get home, but it's important to wash the sand off our feet

The shower area is in this lovely spot

past this quiet sitting area

and then we head towards the exit.

Halfway along the sea road, we pass an apartment building with this sculpture on the roof

 

The sculpture is the work of a local sculptor, and it used to be on the terrace of her house, the sculptress' house, we used to call it, before the house was demolished and an apartment building replaced it. My sister used to be friends with her daughter and I remember their garden was full of the artist's work.

 

Further along, and before we cross the sea road to get to our street, is this statue of Thukydides, the ancient Greek historian, who used to live in our area.