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Piraeus

Though you can see the Aegean Sea from Athens' handful of promontories, if you want to dip your toes in the water, it's a bit of a hike getting there. The No. 2 bus down Syngrou Boulevard will get you to Flisvos Marina, and the metro's green line (No. 1), terminating at Piraeus, will put you within a 35-minute walk of Venus Bay (people here call it Aphrodite's Bay). Metro tickets will work on the buses and trams. You can't go wrong. The sunsets are amazing and the food is great.

The Piraeus port is a common destination for immigrants lucky enough to leave dangerous, hopeless situations at home. I believe these influxes peaked in 2015-2016 during the height of the Syrian civil war when a million people passed through Greece on their way to northern Europe, but even today you can see videos on social media of little boats, mostly from Turkey, being intercepted, even fired upon. 

The immigration scene here is beyond my understanding. Many new arrivals were warehoused without services in Omonia. Tent cities were set up in parks. Some camps were official, some were not. 

Today at the water's edge, it is clear that folks have been camped out for days or weeks, if not more. I assume they have been vetted and are awaiting relatives to arrive from waystations in the Aegean. Perhaps they are unhoused Greeks! I should have put on my journalistic hat and asked them. Sorry about that. As Hyman Roth would say, I'm a retired investor living on a pension.



The area around Piraeus reminds me of Havana and Miami, which I know only through TV and movies.



These basketball and tennis courts belong to the naval academy, but it is not unusual to see well-maintained courts, lighted at night, all through Athens. It is Hoops City, as much as Bloomington or Lexington or Tucson. Late at night, the bars show NBA games. The world's most fearsome basketball player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, was born and raised in this city.



Piraeus's Holy Trinity Church is below. I have been in only three Greek Orthodox churches since arriving. All have been welcoming. Anyone can take flashless photos, attend services, or just take a seat and soak it up.


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