Athens
Victoria Square - Plateia BIKTOPIAS
Joys Hotel to Zorbas Hostel with Joe Blythe, Julian Wald, Nikki, Julie, Saija and Gerry, Steve and Peggy, Partic Axelsson and many others- man I wish that I could remember all those who sat and gathered grime on Acharnon Street. We Ran the trains from Oinoi to Larissis, from Elefsina to Peloponisso and as far as Corinthos upon occasion. The weather was hot and the Amstel was 80DRX , Dafni wine festival; furnished us with memorable exploits as did the Edelweiss Souvlakia and the Podos Areon Park by the statue of Mavromichalis ( O Petrobey). We feasted upon outrageous "tost" sandwiches. Ioakostis Guest House was round the corner as was Athens Connection and Larissiakon. All night we swayed to Jacob's fireballs in strange bars ( The Malibu on Cheyden) around Victoria to Vathis, aaaah Plateia Vathis, where the Alex Inn was one day ringing to industrial volume of murder and debauchery.
Oinoi Train Station
In those days of the late eighties and early nineties, in days of optimism pre 911 and in th absence of cheap flights to Ko Pu Ta Madre and Copcabame Europe was the prime destination for hundreds of thousands of international travellers. These eurail and interailers would generally spent a month or more wandering from eurocapital to the next without any clear indication of itinerary. It was all museums and monuments until they took faltering steps towards Dionysius himself. I can tell you that it is a crazy occurence; boarding a train in Munich ( the place is hygiene and automaton to the nth degree ) and awaking in Athens, Greece to a purrely eipcurean and randomly generated society. This is what happened. Every day thousands of travellers would pour into Athens en route from Munich, Stockholm Venice, Oslo, Copenhagen, Amsterdam Paris amd London - as well as all those from the other side of the Atlantic. These young students, travelling in their gap year, funnelled through Europe and, kind of casting off their ties, they came to a shudder at the eastern promise of the first Greek sunset they saw.
Intermigled with all of western society's future came also some of the more interesting people who somehow hiked, biked or walked their way the route away from their troubles amd into the heart of Athens amd its dark and shady streets.