We like to visit this massive cultural centre which comprises the Greek National Opera, the National Library, an exhibition space, a Michelin starred restaurant, as well as various cafes and a further restaurant. We furthermore love to visit the park which is wonderful. On this particular occasion we went for a long walk in the park and then saw an exhibition. This post is about the park and our walk.
This is the Agora where one can sit, have a drink or a meal, listen to music played by various buskers and
We started walking immediately
along the canal
it's long and narrow and seems to go on forever
at the end of the canal there is a cafe - good views but we prefer the one in the park.
The park is massive
with long avenues, all leading to the building.
Cypress trees, olives, lots of bushes and herbs - in the spring the scent is overpowering: lavender, thyme, just to name two.
Eucalyptus trees as well
We reached the music-making area and we always stop and play
either by jumping up and down here
or listening to other people playing
or hitting this massive rock
Further along, is the chess playing area: you can play on huge boards, or 'proper' boards on tables
We had reached the fountain
and then walked through the children's playground
which is quite extensive.
Leaving the playground behind us we noticed that some of the thyme bushes are flowering
lovely planting.
cabbage
more cabbage
We turned right and came across something we had not seen before
a running track
and an outdoor gym
which is extensive and well-equipped
I would come here too but we don't have a car in Greece and the Niarchos Centre is not that easy to get to.
We continued on our way and when we got to the labyrinth we decided to have a go as surprisingly, no one else was using it at that moment
Ken reaching the centre. It took us 12 minutes to get there.
We continued uphill until we reached the side of the building
Good views of the sea, the marina and Piraeus from here
but we knew they would be even better from the terrace of the building itself, so we retraced our steps
and took the path that leads to the building
We reached the building - one of the lifts that spans its five floors
past the area that serves as an open-air cinema in the summer
a better view of the marina
I noticed that there is braille on it, with information about everything we can see standing here - how cool is that?
we moved on to the back of the building
zooming in - the Acropolis and Lycabettus hill
had a quick look at the reading room - this is not part of the library, it's just a room where people can go and read, look at their phones or generally chill out
Then down the hill again
there's always spectators here.
It was time for a drink - coffee for Ken and a bottle of water for me
we enjoyed the sunshine as we people watched.
We left the park. The other cafe was very crowded
we walked on the other side
of the canal
we decided to take a different route, one we had not taken before so we walked straight on
past the Faliro sports centre
the sea ahead
and we arrived at the Faliro marina
a different view of the sports centre
The warship Averoff which is a museum now, and then we took the bus home.
look at the fountains of the canal.
We then noticed something new: they have started planting a vegetable garden
beetroot
not sure what that is.
you can exercise every part of your body. I talked to the guy who is sitting on the bench and who had just finished his workout, and he said he comes along almost every day.
According to information displayed on the side, 'a labyrinth appears around the world and throughout history not only as a design motif, but as a playfield for the heart and mind, a reprieve from the clamour of this world. Unlike a maze, designed to create a sense of disorientation, a labyrinth has only one path that leads to the centre. Walking a labyrinth, one is drawn nearer the centre and then away, until one finally arrives at the heart of the pattern. By its very design, labyrinth is a symbol of unity and continuity, of coming together at a central common spot.
One of the earliest mentions of a labyrinth comes on a Mycenaean clay tablet from Knossos, Crete, dated 1500 BC. The labyringh also appears on many ancient Greek coins. In its first mentions a labyrinth is thought to have been used in Greece as a motif for a public celebration - a dance. Since that time,trough art, oral history and literature, the motif's influence has spread widely, and can be found in Christian, Jewish, Islamic and Native American spiritual traditions. It is also a healing tool: many hospitals include labyrinths in their outdoor spaces so that patients, visitors and staff may find calm in walking them. The labyrinth is, in a way, a beautiful symbol of Athens: always building and growing on its rich history, sometimes further from it, sometimes closer, but with the history always there at the centre'.
The National Opera, the National Library and the car park are covered with a special substrate and planted with Mediterranean plants. This makes the building warmer in winter and cooler in the summer.
As I was holding on to the railing,
to look at views of Athens
Stopped at the open area where people can play various games, like football
rather than leave the way we normally do
on the bridge that goes over the main sea road
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