A small city in between mountain and sea. Long walks with plenty of space, enjoying the breeze, sunset or sunrise, a few parks for running and small streets for exploring.
Most people know Patra for its Carnival that happens every year, with plenty of festivities and the great temperament of the local population.
Another reason to know Patra is for its port connection to Italy and also the Ionian islands.
Easy to walk, and it has plenty of possibilities to enjoy food, and high view points.
Combines the neoclassical Greek, Roman and European architecture.
Don’t miss the Castle of Patra that was built in the mid 6th century.
Saint Andreas Anglican Church
It is also famous for its great graffiti murals and it is as well friendly with new media adaptations to everyday life and in different professions.
Mood “Synergatiko”
There are also some collectively owned small restaurants – cafes that you can sure pay a visit and enjoy their food and beverages, as well the nice surroundings.
My top first is “to megalo mas tsirko” in a beautiful surrounding with plenty of trees, they offer delicious snacks and drinks, and a few times they host live concerts and festivities.
When “green hands” and pure hearts come together .. The result is just beautiful and everyone can enjoy it.
Fortunately there are quite a few possibilities for people who love gardening and harvesting their own food, even in such a big city like Athens.
Some of them were parking spaces, or spaces in a building where some could not see the possibility, a group of people saw the potential . They came together and put some seeds, and effort, and now we have a number of places to enjoy and for children to play and learn from nature and its processes.
Due to the current situation, lots of them are “sleeping” and waiting to be revitalized by willing green hands, so do have a look on the list here, and do not hesitate to express your interest directly to them.
If you have a space in the back of your house for example that would be a great opportunity to start one more edible garden!
is a self managed park, an initiative from locals who protected the park from becoming a parking lot and rejuvenated the area with garden and playground for children.
The photos are from 2019 of the 10 year celebration of the life of the self organized and community loved park.
Lampidona is a social space that contains many social community initiatives, like social kitchen, solidarity shop, and the Vegetable Garden. They also exchange seeds. Contact here and check their fb page “ta Sporia” for news and updates.
Koinsep stands for social cooperative. And MiAZo for “One more life” translated from greek. This cooperative is for reusing, upcycling, objects and materials, and providing a space for workshops and services to people that have the time and would like to embrace also a zero waste attitude. They also have a garden and they are looking for people who would like to take over and make it flourish. Read the open call here.
Is a social enterprise that strives for sharing, solidarity and fruitful interaction and is offering short term residencies, a comfortable co-working space, labs and spaces for learning mobilities. Colab House is designed to work in a collective manner as a collaborative space and a community of creative people. It has common spaces including Video/Sound studio – Co-Working space, Kitchen, recreation areas, meeting rooms and an urban garden that one can participate in different ways. Contact them directly to find out how. There is a current open call through European Solidarity Corps for residents of the EU.
The 2510 roof top vegetable garden collective served well the neighborhood of Exarcheia for a while, is currently closed, but look what a produce they had! They used to meet every Sunday to garden together and take care of the plants. You can have a look at their page and learn a lot of tricks already and try them at your balcony!
Here is a picture from early March harvest! Yes you can grow all these in pots!
Urban Gardening in Athens Online
You can inquire on more information about urban gardening, inspiration, knowledge sharing and practices on this facebook group.
A bit further away from Athens you can find the following
Ktima Arvanitis has being offering a free alternative nature school for children and adults just outside of Athens in Afidnes area. You can learn about natural and biological farming methods in theory and hands on. It functions on Sundays as well, and make sure to contact them before your visit to learn more details about the subject and methods.
alternative school of natural farming
Mali Veni in Markopoulo
Near Markopoulo area there is Mali Veni, a large stretch of land who is being now converted with natural farming methods to a more sustainable way of life for all life included. There are free natural farming workshops that take place once in a while through the guidance of Panos Manikis, a student of Masanobu Fukuoka who was the inventor of the clay ball or seed bombs method. The meetings usually happen on Sundays and people bring food to share with each other at the end of the workshop, or during the lunch break. The nature is amazing and you can also shop your organic vegetables on the way home. The place is open also for long term volunteers.
Panos Manikis is now offering online courses that you can watch for free.
You can stay up to date on workshops by following the official and the facebook page.
Nea Guinea is a project that is an non-profit organization (NPO) that was initiated in 2009 with the main objective of re-appropriating everyday needs in terms of food, health, energy, shelter and clothing, as tools for increasing self-sufficiency and resilience of people and communities in Greece. Their projects’ aim is to inform, educate, encourage and support people in redefining their basic everyday needs and getting actively involved in different production processes in order to cover these needs, based on their individual or collective knowledge and their local resources. For that they offer workshops, organic farming, and database for learning.
A natural and organic farming center named after the Samothracean Goddess of the Earth. It is also part of the Food Collective that delivers a food basket of your choice once a week.
Calme Garden is open for a visit to enjoy the garden, or a music jam, or a workshop, or a walk with the horses, or a stay as a volunteer! It has plenty of space for gardening, and it’s a great idea to visit with children to enjoy the open air and view of mountain and sea! Have a look at their facebook page.
Another special garden is Antholado Dalas in Megara, a lavender paradise, where you can visit, and see how essential oils, natural cosmetics and scented water are made, also other herbal by-products such as mouthwash, and natural hand sanitizers that you can also order online.
A bit further away than Athens, in Trikala of Corinth, there is one more organic herb garden with limited production, that one can visit. It is Gaea Abat for a full on sensory experience smelling and tasting wild organic thyme and oregano.
Open Farm is a great platform – database with farms around Greece that are open to the public for a visit to learn how food is made, or just enjoy their products. You can browse through the website by area or interest and find farms all around the country and combine with a tasting trip.
There is so much more in tourism than just the common museum visit (which are definitely lovely) exhibitions, popular sites, shopping, tasting food and so on. You can go the already known way or you can go the alternative / Solidarity way. What is the Solidarity way? You can support the local economy and smaller producers, and artistic collectives, sustainable and ecologically conscious places of the city/country you will choose to visit.
Think Global , Act Local!
In this Guide I will share with you some of the tips and favorite spots of mine of the city I know so well. Athens!
–> Do check for the map at the end of the page who contains everything.
Currently available for tours in Athens in very small groups even 1 or 2 and with proper measures! message me and lets for for a walk!
Democracy came from Athens?
Solidarity flourished in Athens!
At least in the last few years, the economical crisis has set up a very fertile ground for the local people to show their solidarity to each other and a great number of social movements and collectives based on sustainability and inclusion have flourished and keep coming up. Visitors can greatly benefit from this movement and support it as well.
Goodies for Foodies and also a place to enjoy some tea?
There are different types of shops and collectives one can have a coffee, or tea, sit to read a book, meet a friend, and buy some goods, directly from the producers. In some of these shops you can buy a number of cruelty free goods supporting other networks of the solidarity movement who make these goods available.
1. One of these is lacandona, (Ipitou 4, Athina 105 57 ) Only a few minutes walk from Syntagma metro station. You can find a great variety of tea, coffee and herbs, along with pasta, nuts and honey, and other delicious goodies, handmade products from solidarity projects and some books and ceramics too! You can see some of the products here. Tip: Ask for the greek quinoa!
2.Dipolis is located just by the side of Pagrati Park, 10 minute walk from Evangelismos metro station, at Eftichidou 24, one can find in a tiny shop plenty of options, including organic, local, food products, great variety of teas and herbs, and vegan products. This is also a selling spot for ecological and natural cleaning products by VIOME, the collective run without a boss cooperative !!
3. To Diktamo in (Karaoli ke Dimitriou 63, Vironas 162 31), a grocery store, with Cretan products, including avocados, freshly made “kalitsunia” and other desserts, handmade soaps, also the greek quinoa among other lovely products and a wonderful service!
4.Katalahou in Mavromichali 9, is another gem in the center of Athens. It is a grocery store, and a cafe, with food from local producers like bananas from Crete, herbs, honey, and other great products like the Mushroom circle, and cleaning products, by VIOME. They also deliver all over Athens. Check their online shop!
5.Sesoula in Mavromichali 98, Exarcheia you will find this social cooperative shop without intermediaries, with a broad range of various organic local products.
6. At Nileos 35, Athina 118 51, near Thissio train station, you can find syn allois a grocery store where you can go with your own jars and containers and buy food and daily care products. Find there plenty of fresh vegetables from local producers based on the Fair Trade Movement.
I’ve lost counting.
If you find yourself in Exarcheia you have a lot of possibilities.
There is the farmer’s market every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month, just at the main square from 10:30-15:30 with local producers, and also “fields of solidarity” a farm run by refugees. Check their shop at Andrea Metaxa 4, Athens.
And there is one more farmer’s market called “laiki” in greek, every Saturday in Kalidromiou Street. There is a great feeling whenever I am in Exarcheia, I really feel the closeness of the neighborhood, and a totally different human vibe, than other areas.
Oh yes, here we go again.. !
7. Then there is Svoura in Spirou Trikoupi 21. A cooperative that promotes alternative and solidarity economy. There you can find a selection of food products and not only. You can even handbags, some clothes and detergents by VIOME. There is a price list here. They also deliver at home.
8. A few steps away in Stournari 14, there is sympetheroi shop with traditional Cretan products, homemade sauces and drinks. There is one more shop Sympetheroi Vol. 2 at Formionos 141, Vironas 162 31!!!
9. I would also like to mention Aloē organic food store, in Ilisia, Papadiamantopoulou 50, Athina 173 41
10.Ta kaloudia grocery store, in Neos Kosmos/ Nea smirni, at Mitrou Sarkoudinou 145, Athina 117 44
and
11.Kafeneio Akadimia Platona, in monastiriou 140, just by the park of the Plato’s Academy, a place with a long history of beautiful projects, workshops and festivals, that is now offering vegetarian take away.
“We create small businesses that employ refugees and migrants in Athens, Greece.”
zaatarngo.org is s social coperative that 100% of the project’s profits are recycled into creating permanent jobs and apprenticeship opportunities for migrants and refugees in Greece. Here are two examples of that. Project Layali (is now closed, and the space is used by acupuncturists without borders ) and Tastes of Damascus is open and running, visit for great falafels and more.
A great initiative is the mpostani which is a farmer’s market in Kypseli market, opens twice a week (wednesday 16:00-20:00 and every 1st and 3rd Saturday 9:00-15:00) (please check with them on facebook, for the current opening times, since they may change according to the current situation) .
A group of friends that happened to also be organic farmers responded to the call for making a community market with natural and organic food, local, fair trade, in real and digital e-shop”, have formed this collective in order to make their products really accessible so you can go there with your own bag too, to avoid plastic waste. There you can start a talk with them, as they are very friendly and learn about their natural farming methods, how to grow mushrooms, or about vegetables and seed bombs, or how to make essential oils and so on.
The Food Kollektiva stops in its current form for different reasons. We hope, the idea of the kollectiva to inspire other producers, while for us it was a valuable experience. We thank those who have supported this effort so far. From now on, you can contact the producers of the collective separately.
Re-Use Re Cycle Up Cycle
In Aristotelous 84, Chalandri 152 32, you can find MiAZo which name stands for “One more Life” in greek. It’s a space where anyone can visit, to donate clothes, books, and other objects, to create and participate in workshops, shop and support people in need. There you can go with your empty bottles, and get a refill of cleaning products, or repair things, use the sewing machine, and give a new life to something that you would not use, and help in this way to reuse and upcycle, to have a circular economy.
Want to Volunteer? or just make a visit
Volunteer for “food for life” or support with your donations, a lovely initiative, feeding people in need.
Khora is a collective created to support refugees and other people in need, it is volunteer based, and provides lot of activities for people to evolve and share in community, including music jams(before covid), free kitchen, and the free shop, where you can give away clothes in you have something that could be appreciated again! Lovely people to meet and get an insight about the diverse people of Athens.
More information on social economy and cooperatives can be found here.
Your Laptop Broke down?
Stin Priza Collective is there for you! Fair Prices and excellent service. It is a flat hierarchy, means no hierarchy collective, that works with equal rights for its members and offer valuable help in times of need! Currently they are collecting laptops to offer to kids in refuge camps for free.
Want to be more sustainable?
Then get your reusable cup and get a discount in your drink, in a number of shops that participate in the initiative called “sto potiri mou“. You can find a list and a map of companies that offer the discount, in order to reduce one use cups, in this link.
Zero Waste Greece, and Zero Waste Athens.
More and more people are becoming aware of the zero waste movement, and there are plenty of ways one can contribute, by changing little by little, daily habits. A great place to start is the facebook group, or get some information online, about how single use products affect th environment, tips and tricks, and hacks one can do, to always find new uses for old stuff, and tinker with your creativity daily.
You can also visit the zero waste shop plastikourgeio in exarcheia, for beautiful products and solutions and sillage in Chalandri .
Forest bathing!
The most important part of Athens, is its nature! Yes there is plenty, although a big city, there are plenty of parks, trees and nature corners for one to appreciate.
You can either take a walk to the well known hills of Lycabetous or Filopapou in the center of the city, and even forget that you are in the capital, and enjoy the wonderful view, including a secret gorge! Or you can drive a little further and explore the surrounding mountains.
Always leave nothing behind but your appreciation! Save Your Hood is an initiative started by Vassilis Sfakianopoulos and locals who care to see nature free from human impact and has been cleaning all areas around Athens and quickly spread all over Greece!
and don’t forget that without nature we would not be here, so take plenty of time to enjoy and soak in it.
It is never enough!
And because I cannot reveal you everything in this blog (like my favorite place to get real chocolate) , you can also write us a message and book an Alternative Solidarity Tour with me or someone else to show you around all the great places, or make a route together and share all the goodness! Just write to me!
I could not leave you like this, even if it is fun to explore, now it’s much easier, and more practical to have all things neat and organized to the following map, you can see if it’s some of these places near you already and how long it takes to get there, along with opening hours and such.
And please, please, enjoy!
It is so valuable to take some time to savor, and appreciate the moment. All these places mentioned here, are places created with love, and each product, coming from small producers, really loving what their doing and their products.
Thank you for reading so far!!
Take care, and see you soon!
Love,
Your Alternative Solidarity Tourist Athens Guide
This is a project made with love, and is not receiving any funds.
If you would like to fund this project you can use this link.
Traveling doesn’t necessarily have to cross the country’s or the city’s borders, as long as you dare to cross the borders of your habits and go for something different.
At first it may not sound as exciting, but it is a great step, a step away from your comfort zone. Well that day I chose to take the bus and just go wherever it took me. The only plan was to go to the beach. I dreamed to go even further, but as it was a Sunday and a bit late in the day, the routes were scarce so I got off a bit earlier.
First thing I did when I got off the bus, I walked on the beach and touched the water, washed my face as a cleansing and thank you ritual for letting me arrive here in this beautiful scene. I continued my walk, feeling the vibe of the neighborhood. Locals playing with their children on the playground by the beach, or just biking and strolling cheerfully.
I had something to eat and continued to walk, as the sun had already set, I decided to give in to the good vibes coming from a coffee place, where I chose a nice table, and ordered a very smooth and warm hot chocolate.
While I sat down, my gaze went up, to see her Majesty, full beauty rising behind the mountains, covered in a golden light, saying Hi, I see you, I welcome you. I am here for you!
I feel grateful for deciding to stay. I had a little talk with the lady of the cafe and then I enjoyed Her(The moon) light and Her presence, while sipping my chocolate. I had some time to read as well, and when the time was right, I got up and moved on.
Buses took longer than I thought this time so I had a lot of waiting in the cold in the bus stop, and instead of going back home, I continued to the city center. Once I was there I found out there was a concert of one of my favorite band. I needed that too. So I went for it.
Not so many pictures today, as I felt more for the other senses But here She is in all her glory although I couldn’t go close enough and the color was way more golden than the picture.
Traveling is like dancing. And it doesn’t have to be to another country, city or place. It can even happen where you are. The traveler’s mind set is something that allows joy to flow and curiosity, something like the beginner’s mind. Why not keep this attitude wherever you are, even in the place you were raised or spent the most of your years? Most of us are often looking forward to new places and leaving the old embracing the new, but that doesn’t mean to go miles and miles away, although it can happen too.
I have been dreaming of traveling all over the world as far I can remember myself, but also enjoying the simple joys of life, like a flower, a bird, the sky, sounds around me and whatever is there to caress my senses and accompany me in this journey of life.
Often I found my self scared of going for a long journey, but why stop myself? I can start here now and embrace the travelers attitude wherever I am, whatever I am doing, as much as life allows me to enjoy her simple beauty and treasures.
By starting this blog I commit to myself to embrace this attitude and stay open and explorative, to make one small step at a time. It is more about traveling throughout the day and returning home in each moment. To tell you the truth, it is also a way of tricking my mind to my dream destination.
So I will be sharing with you, how this day to day trip is going, surprises I meet on the way and I will also share tips and tricks and experiences of beautiful places I have been so far, and you hopefully feel inspired too, or simply feel like a passenger on this journey!
As the journey is not only to this foreign country, but the journey walked each day together with the moon and the sun when we all move with each other in harmony, and return more and more to the self, to love, simplicity and beauty!
This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.
One Step At A Time 