I am an Athenian. I am urban

[alaios]

The last years many stories have been told about Athens. In my last visit I had only two hours to walk into the city. This time I would not go to the touristic areas but I was trying to capture the different vibe of a city still suffering and looking for resurrection and hope.

32 shots I felt I wanted to share.
I am an Athenian. I would always be

Alex


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[Gurdie]

Great series!

I especially like #1,7,8,17,19,20 and 23.

[kds315*]

I have a personal relationship with Athens, since I was involved in the New Athens International Airport Project many years ago and I still have friend there. Just visited a few weeks ago.

Yes, all that can be seen there, if the focus is on suffering and depression. But there is a very different Athens existing and I spoke with many people during my last visit. My impression? A very different one, lots of hope that things get better, the willingness to change for the better, a very different attitude towards foreigners, that the ever present corruption will be banned etc.

Also the city itself has changed, so much cleaner and better functioning, so much more willingness to work hard for the better and overcome the downsides of the past!

That is MY impression I got from Athens and I liked it a lot. A wonderful city with great people!!

You can be really proud alaios to be one of them!!

[poilu]

this street name sounds almost like alaios

[vroger]

great set, thanks for sharing the story as well.

[Rolf]

Nice images of course - but with the exception of those with Greek language it could be every (large) town in Europe or so.

BTW - this forum is not the right place for political statements etc. but let me say the following. Since many years we hear the same story about the Greek problems etc. but it seems nothing changed sustained.

We have in Germany about 16 % (approx. 13 Million inhabitants ) of the total domestic population living here at the poverty line. This line was defined for a single person per month approx. 970,00 Euro and for a family with 4 persons approx. 2.000 Euro per month, and that is important - many of them have 2 or 3 jobs or more to finance their life.

I hope everyone will understand my conclusion without witing here at this point.

[alaios]

Hi Rolf,
in which city do you leave in? Perhaps we can go out one day for some photo walk together? I will bring my film camera. I promise
Alex

[Rolf]

Hi Alex,

we can meet us here at Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Munic, Duisburg, Oberhausen etc. or better at many locations in smaller towns of Eastern Germany where you can take a lot of the pictures mentioned above (even after 25 years of the German reunion).

[alaios]

Hmm.. From your signature it looks like you live somewhere in NRW. I am in Germany almost 6 years now (for the record I came before the "crisis" started to do my PhD studies).
We are located currently in Neuss, travelling each day to Aachen to my university and my wife to essen for her studies too.

Regards
Alex