One of the most characteristic and wonderful elements of the Athenian summer are the open-air cinemas. Situated in gardens or the roof of a winter cinema building, they are an unforgettable experience. Surrounded by potted plants, bushes and quite often trees, gravel at your feet, the aroma of the plants mingling with that of pop-corn, occasionally looking at the stars, this is an indelible part of my childhood memories. Over the years they have gradually disappeared, lost in the past, victims of television or suffocated by modern apartment buildings. There are still a few left however. When I was a child we had an option of at least 12 to choose from, while now only two are left in our area.
We visited Cine Ria in Varkiza last night
'A Walk in the Woods' was the film on offer, Bill Bryson's attempt to walk the Appalachian Trail. The Greek title is bizarrely, 'a Trip in Alabama'.
Comfortable seating, with a few settees scattered about, a mural on our right
and cypresses on our left. I saw a shooting star as we were watching.
Bliss!
Ah happy memories! Thessaloniki used to have many such. An older cousin had a cine projector of his own, and would go from venue to venue. He would tell us of ones near the sea, so that we could go for a swim during the interval!
ReplyDeleteGoing for a swim during the interval! Wow! How innovative and what fun it must have been. And, daring - it seems daring somehow. They were such an integral part of life in the summer, were they not?
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