ATHENS

These walls have survived from the ancient times and have been left intact.

This is the same Athens which 2,500 years ago created democracy by having the citizens make decisions by voting
That mighty Athenian civilisation developed the arts, theatre, philosophy, medicine, building methods and Olympic games (which encouraged people show their skills in peace not wars; their only reward was the fame they'd get all around Greece).

This is one of the skeletons found showing that this area was the burial ground for the ancient Athenians.

The downfall started when the Greeks were given concrete, and today we see its results - just grey building everywhere - as we approach Athens Airport from the plane.
But there is so much more to Athens that can be discovered by our visitors and first of all it's a unique local lifestyle.
You just need to pick up a weekly entertainment guide and you will discover in this thick publication an amazing world. Hundreds of live theatres, one tavern on every block, Greek music clubs, discotheques, and cafeterias - really classy ones with many millions of drachmas spent on decoration and the best coffee making equipment. All these places are packed, especially after 10:00 PM and in winter more than in summer.

Greeks always follow the latest fashion trends. The proof to that is hundreds of boutiques selling fashionable clothes and shoes. They dress up even for a friendly visit. And everywhere you turn you see remnants of that civilisation that brought democracy.

Some samples of ceramics were found.

Headstones of the ancient burial grounds.

Where else in the world would you dig for a metro and discover lost cities from 2,500 years ago? Extended excavations took place in stations like Syntagma, Academia and Olympieion revealing bathhouses, metal work shops, aqueducts and cisterns, ancient roads and city walls and even an enigmatic room with oil lamps decorated with erotic scenes. Many of the smaller exhibits are presented in the stations themselves, while "Syntagma" can boast a ground's section preserved to its original stratigraphy and can be seen through a curtain wall.

Metro was making news all throughout October 1997, when people witnessed, during a regular live broadcasting, a sudden disappearing of a kiosk into the ground.
So don't listen to the rumours and check it out yourself. In the daytime, go to Akropolis and museums and at night follow the locals and discover the Athens only they know about.

DEVELOPMENT IN ATHENS AND GREECE

These kiosks are everywhere and sell nearly everything. They are open all hours and are the best information centres.

Athens has great opportunities for property investments.
A very widely accepted method of exchanging titles is andiparoxi. It means the land or building will be given to the developers in exchange for a flat. You see this advertisement "Land with antiparoxi" everywhere. It means the developer only has to provide capital for the construction but does not have to purchase the property.
There are many old classical buildings deserted by the owners and at the moment they sell very cheap. Their values will increase due to the Olympic games and because Greece will adopt the single European currency in 2001.
Should you require any additional information, contact me on my e-mail address.EARTHQUAKE IN ATHENS

This old cigarette factory is deserted and would make a great shopping centre

On the 7th of September, 1999 Athens was devastated by a strong eathquake. I was there at the moment, just 5 km from the epicentre visiting some friends, so I happened to witness the destruction.
The earthquake shattered the lives of many Athenians and you still see the terror from that September day. It will probably be there for some time since some still leave in tents or temporary housing waiting for the engineers' reports. There are 200 homes to be demolished just in the suburb of Ana Liosia and thousands to be repaired.
Very few people were insured. The majority still waits for handouts or loans to rebuild their homes but unfortunately it takes a long time for the engineers to come up with new plans and get them approved.
I went back five months later and spoke to many victims and I discovered the majority of the earthquake victims were still waiting. Many of them were still in shock. They still had not recovered, and I don't know if they ever will.

This old building is close to Omonia Square. There are many like this one and they sell cheap but their values will go up very quickly (at least before the Olympic games of 2004)

My friends and old neighbours the Goudelises whom I was visiting at the time of the earthquake are a typical example of the tragedy. They built a single-storey house 20 years ago and later they added two more. When the earthquake hit, the columns, beams and walls at the ground level not strengthened previously to take the weight of the two new levels suffered extensive damages but the two floors above did not even have a crack. The building was classified as non-livable and it might have to be demolished and rebuilt for 200 million drachmas. Now they have to get a loan and the 67 year-old grandfather Yorgos has to go back to work to help repay it as well as look after his divorced daughter Martha's family.
I promised these friends that I'd try to help them, so I'm placing the story in the web with the photos and details of the family and hope to get some advice on how we could raise some money.

EARTHQUAKE IN ATHENS

	These photos show the devastation from the earthquake.

On the 7th of September, 1999 Athens was devastated by a strong eathquake. I was there at the moment, just 5 km from the epicentre visiting some friends, so I happened to witness the destruction.

The earthquake shattered the lives of many Athenians and you still see the terror from that September day. It will probably be there for some time since some still leave in tents or temporary housing waiting for the engineers' reports. There are 200 homes to be demolished just in the suburb of Ana Liosia and thousands to be repaired.
Very few people were insured. The majority still waits for handouts or loans to rebuild their homes but unfortunately it takes a long time for the engineers to come up with new plans and get them approved.

I went back five months later and spoke to many victims and I discovered the majority of the earthquake victims were still waiting. Many of them were still in shock. They still had not recovered, and I don't know if they ever will.

My friends and old neighbours the Goudelises whom I was visiting at the time of the earthquake are a typical example of the tragedy. They built a single-storey house 20 years ago and later they added two more. When the earthquake hit, the columns, beams and walls at the ground level not strengthened previously to take the weight of the two new levels suffered extensive damages but the two floors above did not even have a crack. The building was classified as non-livable and it might have to be demolished and rebuilt for 200 million drachmas. Now they have to get a loan and the 67 year-old grandfather Yorgos has to go back to work to help repay it as well as look after his divorced daughter Martha's family.
I promised these friends that I'd try to help them, so I'm placing the story in the web with the photos and details of the family and hope to get some advice on how we could raise some money.