When I need a change, rather than walking by the sea in Alimos, which is where we live, I take the tram, get off at Edem and start walking towards the Floisvos Marina. It takes me about an hour. It's a nice walk, and it's something different, but it's next to a main road, so it's not something I do very often.
This area on my left, has been planted and it looks really good
A bit further on, a children's play area
Faliron beaches are not as nice as ours, but the palm trees enhance this one
Roast chestnuts and corn-on-cob, plus nuts, are being sold here - the smell is overwhelming as you walk past
The trams run regularly, every 15 minutes
Another beach on my left
and I continue...
past the exercise area
a small harbour, with no way in from the sea - they must haul the boats in over the sand
a winter swimmer
and here she is, coming out
meanwhile, the sun trying to get out in the distance
most of this stretch is undeveloped
it's a Sunday which is when most people who want to learn how to sail go for their lessons - you can see all the sails of the boats in the distance
the chess players
another tram
I love walking by the sea
I have reached Floisvos
There used to be a sculpture of a boy peeing into the fountain when I was little - it used to always fascinate me
The Vloisvos cultural centre
and now I turn left, away from the main road, and it's much quieter
Two groups painting the sea and/or the rocks
Pireus in the distance seems to be getting nearer
an old submarine commemorating the sailors who fell during WWII
Is this flag always here? I am not sure. Today is the Sunday of the demonstration in Athens against the naming of our neighbouring country Northern Macedonia. I had planned to go to Athens, but knew there would be tear gas, so instead chose to walk here
A park for dogs to run around
I have reached Floisvos marina
where rich people's playthings are moored
it's a nice area, and lots of people come here to either walk around or sit in the numerous cafes and restaurants.
Your walk and photos roused my curiosity. I realised that this year is the sixtieth ! anniversary of the last time I walked anywhere on that coast. It is of course completely unrecognisable. We used to go en grande famille for bathing at Glyfatha in the early morning, then on to the ruins at Sounion to a restaurant for lunch. On the way back to my uncle's in Nea Smyrni we would stop somewhere along the coast for a stroll. How full of landscape and empty of development it was then.
ReplyDeleteI did go back to that area in 1985 when my brother lived in Voula and got married thereabouts - but we went straight back to central Athens without seeing much of the surroundings at all. I do remember being shocked at how built up it was all the way out. I suppose that's progress.
Gosh! That is a long time. We moved to Kalamaki (now extended and renamed Alimos) 66 years ago when I was one. I have experienced the changes gradually, so am used to the area as it changed and developed.
DeleteThe coast in Palaion Faliron is unrecognisable, as you say. The town(?) itself is also unrecognisable, full of 6-8 storey apartment blocks - I would not like to live there.
Alimos' coastline has changed the most. The colonels during the junta decided to extend the coastline, so lots of earth and sand were moved, pushing the coastline further into the sea. We now have a pay beach (free to residents) which is lovely, another lovely beach which is free, a big cafeteria, and one of the biggest marinas in Greece. It's the area where I walk the most, photograph the most - in fact I have another set of photographs waiting to be turned into a post.
The area of Ellinikon has not changed much and is not nice at all. Since the airport was moved nothing much has been done. We were promised a large park to compensate for the lack of parks in Athens, but the government changed its mind, surprise, surprise, and now they're going to build apartment blocks, casinos, hotels, etc. Work is meant to start soon. We don't know how the sea road, the main and only road that leads to Sounion, will cope with the additional traffic which is already pretty bad.
Due to the American Forces that were stationed in Pireus in the 60s and 70s, Glyfada is totally unrecognisable. It's full of restaurants and designer shops, mainly clothes and shoes, so that one does not need to go to Athens to do that kind of shopping. O.k. if you like that sort of thing. The beaches, five of them, have not changed much and they are not that good: mainly earth and gravel, rather than sand. I would not like to swim there, even though lots of people do, they have no choice. The five or six restaurants and bars that were by the sea were closed down last year (only one remains) with the aim of upgrading them: most people won't be able to afford sitting there anymore. But, nothing has been done about it, so they sit there, abandoned and wrecked, a real eyesore.
Because we don't have a car, and the tram stops at the end of Glyfada, and the bus service after Glyfada is not very good, we don't venture much beyond Glyfada - laziness, really. Vouliagmeni is beautiful, with lovely beaches and good bars and restaurants, but we only go with family and friends in their cars, so our visits there are rare.
As you say, the whole of the area is unrecognisable to someone who has not visited for so long. Your trips when you were little, sound idyllic.