Handbags and Manbags in Athens
Posted by Joe Hallwood - 08:52 on 13 July 2009
The taxi driver was explaining that the Athens of the 90s was a lot
different than that of the naughties, or words to that effect.
It's true. Athens has trams, a bus service and a metro it just didn't
have when I was last here. So, we decided to experience them at first
hand on our quest to get to the ancient relics of Athens. After a short
walk to the bus route, we hopped on. We only had a short, but crowded,
journey to connect with the metro. No one took any money for tickets or
looked like they wanted to and then we got off. We got to the modern
and clean metro. Here though, it was obvious where to get tickets and I
reached into my manbag for my wallet. It was gone. My first time being
pickpocketed anywhere in the world.
Though, technically, I was pickmanbagged. My wife thought the fault lay
in the way I carried my manbag. You see I'm a manbag virgin and didn't
get the need to have it in front and not behind. I am grateful that it
has been pointed out to me now though. So all cards, driving licence
and fair bit of cash gone. After an hour or so spent cancelling cards I
went to the local cop shop to practise my Greek further and get a
report done. It took a while but we got there.
We decided to pretend it hadn't happened and left the hotel for the
second time. This time we avoided the bus and walked to the metro, with
manbag in front. My wife paid for the tickets since well, I was a
little short. We only had 2 stops on the metro. The kids being from the
Highlands,were unaccustomed to standing up on moving vehicles so we
kept them falling over until some seats became vacant. Whereupon my
wife announces that her purse has been lifted from her handbag.
It is difficult in some situations not to use language that would make
your kids feel embarrassed, but I like to think we managed quite
successfully to redden a few faces. So, what do you do? First day of
holidayy, no cards of any description, a few hundred euros lighter and
no driving licences. You guessed it, you have lunch.
Wine heals all wounds. Its true. In fact, we took a tour of Athens to
prove it. Ok, we can't hire a car tomorrow and only have the remaining
cash. But, hey there's always public transport and cheap rooms in
Nafplio. Reminds me of when I was an English teacher.
So, as this taxi driver was taking me to a different cop shop in a
different part of town and making me feel a lot better by explaining
that Athens wasn't the town it once was, he advised me that I should
avoid the metro. Again, much appreciated advice.
Next stop Nafplio, civilisation and no more manbags.
Back to Greece
The Road to Athens
An Awakening City
Handbags and Manbags
Speaking the Lingo
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