What I’ve Learned in Athens: My Experiences

After ten years in London, Athens was refreshingly different: a city united in the stubborn pursuit of a new version of its old self. Back then, I didn’t really understand the real depths of what the upheaval meant, but the flux of it felt very alive and very real. Only gradually did I discover the multilayered culture, which strangely seemed very un-European to me, eccentric and stubborn. However, it also made me feel at home with my own eccentricities.  

The city is fleeting, it is always changing, caught in a constant cycle of gains and losses. Athens is always being observed through a global lens. The omnipresent Acropolis looms large, while below is the noisy collage of a city, a city of strife, exhaustion and exciting change, of superficiality and also excess in a constant state of repair.  

Even though I still struggle a bit with the language, I seem to have acquired a habitus that makes the locals think I’m Greek myself – before I open my mouth. There’s a fierce energy in me that they perceive as typically Greek. The people of Athens are intelligent and gorgeous, but occasionally they can be a grumpy bunch. But who can blame them? Politicians have imposed a six-day working week, and many Greeks can no longer afford vacations due to rising prices. Tourists can do something for their hosts: Eat in local tavernas and support the owners. Respect people in service, even when you have to wait a little longer for the check. And drink raki instead of vodka!  

Athens is at its best in the fall and especially wonderful in the spring. From March to May, it’s a kingdom of flowers, with colors and green everywhere – if you happen to go for a walk in the hills. At this time of year, we understand certain myths: With the coming of spring, we realize once again that it is the abundance of life that separates the seasons – and this is exactly what the legend of the fertility goddess Demeter and her daughter Persephone is all about. 

The Eleonas Roma Flea Market is an unforgettable spectacle on Saturdays and Sundays. Take a ton of water with you! It resembles a Mad Max movie: dusty and sweaty. But it's worth it: with a little patience, you can find real treasures for very little money at the flea market. Afterwards, you can enjoy excellent seafood at affordable prices at Atlantikos. There are plenty of options in the evening: Angie Discotheque and Cantina Social if you want to go dancing. If you want a quieter evening, go to Epta Martyres, which is run by my friend Epameinondas. In his wine bar, he offers rare local and international grape varieties, as well as really delicious meze. I urge people to get out of the city. See a play in Epidaurus during summer. Go to Delphi and stay the night. In spring, visit the Spirit of Charmaena Carnival in nearby Amfissa – a terrifying but mind-blowing old pagan festival that still survives. 

Just a 30-minute cab ride from Athens is Elefsina, the beautiful European Capital of Culture 2023 and the ancient site of the mysteries of Eleusis, consecration rituals in honor of Demeter. The entrance to Hades, the underworld, is also said to have been located there.

Klaus Jürgen Schmidt moved to London at the age of 21 and became a successful textile designer there. After ten years in the UK, Schmidt moved to Athens. His studio is in Kerameikos – where he continues to work with textiles and design and now successfully creates ceramic art. He considers art, design, and fashion as an undivided cultural world.