Some Random Updates about Piraeus

Some totally casual and random updates from Piraeus.

Walking along Peiraiki (Akti Themistokleous), I found a new "wine pub" called Corks and Forks, close to the now- closed Karsi.

Wine bar is a good idea, because there is none in Piraeus even though it is now in fashion in central Athens. Good luck!

And I noticed that the old Costa Costa building in Marina Zeas has Birra Birra's signage board. From Costa Costa to Birra Birra.

Not sure if it is only the 1st floor or also the ground floor. Again a beer garden seems to be a good idea at least fro the summer.

I do not have photo, but also Goody's close to Public and Marks and Spencer's has reopened. I don't think I go, but I am happy because it was depressing to see such a large shop left in ruin.

This below is a photo of Plateia Pigada.

Plateia Pigada is to undergo a face-lift, and, as soon as they started, ancient ruins were uncovered. Currently archaeologists are working there.

Belle Amie and Gazi College @ Piraeus

Having read in Athenorama that a new cafe-restaurant has recently opened in Piraeus, we paid a visit to see.

It is on Angelou Metaxa Street, but in reality it is on the Piazza Kanari, because Metaxa street is closed to cars.

The new place is called Belle Amie and it now occupies a large Neo Classic building. I hever realized there was a Neo Classic here and I do not remember what there was. There was a series of cafeterias on this street, but they were old and somehow degraded.

We were seated outside, as it was a warm day and GH always prefers al fresco, but also the indoor space is beautiful.

It took a while to come to take our order and we had to call one waitress at a certain point, although there were many serving staff.

And the waitress took our ordered made a mistake and brought a freddo "metrio" (average amount of sugar), instead of freddo with little sugar that I ordered. It was, however, promptly corrected and my coffee was replaced.

Our coffees were accompanied by 3 cookies. It is a nice gesture, but I think it is not thoughtful to serve 3 cookies to 2 persons. If they don't want to serve 4, they should serve only 2.

They did not give us a full menu, but there was this sheet on every table indicating "dishes of the day". It looked interesting, but it was too early for lunch and neither us nor other patrons were not eating anything. We will stop by one day to try something out.

A freddo cappuccino cost 3.80 Euro, which is toward the expensive end of price range in the area. It was justified because of the location.

Belle Amie
Aggelou Metaxa 11, Piraeus, Greece
Αγγ. Μεταξά 11, Πειραιάς


In the same street, also Gazi College opened. There was much bigger buzz here than at Belle Amie.

We were pleased to see that the area was invigorated.

Gazi Coming to Piraeus?

When I went to Public Cafe in Public of Piraeus...

(This is a view of Passalimani from Public Cafe)

I noticed that Gazi College is about to open just in front:

Right. It is not very clear from this photo, but if you look closely, it is written "Gazi College" on the fence of the construction site.

It is good news, because the shops facing this piazza are rather old and not very exciting.

Welcome, Gazi College!

Are There Too Many Municipal Employees in Piraeus?

Today I had an opportunity to look into the status of Piraeus municipality and I want to share it with you, although probably you - if you live in Greece - know better than me.

Some weeks ago, the company I work for received a letter from the Municipality of Piraeus. It was about an unpaid fine dating back to 2008. We received two other such letters from other municipalities (Δήμοι). Evidently they are digging up old penalty records looking for anything un-paid.

Anyway, the letter was saying that the company has to pay 80 Euro at the Municipality or by sending a postal cheque, if there is no objection. In our office, there is no one who has been working since 2008, so there was no way to object.

Before I continue, I think it is worth mentioning that the two other municipalities that fined us gave us a possibility to pay at the post office. But not Dimos of Piraeus.

The letter was saying that I had to go to the 2nd floor and it was there I went first.

When I showed the letter to an employee, she told me that I had to go to the 5th floor, because the letter should be processed.

Classic. Why couldn't you write so in the letter?

I went to the 5th floor and entered the office of traffic fine. There were 5 or 6 employees inside and no one evidently was in a position to receive citizens. As there was a woman who was not doing anything (she was seated with both of her elbows on the desk and her head on her hands - not a position that anyone who is going to work would take). She shouted to her colleagues "which girl can process the letter?".

There was another woman who was seated in front of computer and chatting with a colleague, who was smoking - smoking in public space is against the law in Greece -, about the projected dismissal of municipal and other civil servants.

She told me to come to her. She took the letter from my hand, checked something with her computer and wrote 5 digit number on it. Then she told me to go down to the 2nd floor, giving it back to me.

Again at the 2nd floor, I gave the letter to another employee. She checked again something with her computer and printed 2 pieces of paper. Giving back everything to me, she told me to go to the employee next to her to pay.

I did as I was told and paid the fine. End of the journey.

Leaving the Town Hall, I was asking to myself how it was possible for the municipality to need so many employees to collect 80 Euro fine from me? It was exactly a "How many blonds are needed to change a light bulb - Five" situation.

In Greece, many public jobs were created only to create employments. The country went bankrupt and the circumstances have supposedly changed, but inside some of the public offices, things are continuing unchanged.

A couple of weeks ago, I saw on TV the Mayor of Piraeus saying that his municipality was suffering from lack of workforce, because it has not been getting new employees for years. When I saw it, I felt a bit of sympathy for him, but now I have to take it back. If he could not employ new workers, he should have streamlined the bureaucracy and tried to make the best of the resources he had. Evidently he was not capable and he should not be proud of.

With so much unnecessary red tape, there shall never be enough municipal employees in Piraeus.

Crepe @ Noca, Piraeus

Crepe with chocolate, biscuit and vanilla ice cream at a cafeteria/ bar near our flat. 6 euro.

I think that the crepe itself is a bit tougher than it should be, but above average.

In Greece it is prohibited to smoke in a closed public space by law. When it was decided a few years ago, some were making comments how the law was ignored.

Now no one pays any attention. It has returned to the food old days, anyone smokes wherever they like.

Also in this cafeteria the ground floor is supposed to be non-smoking area, but on the tables, next to a plate saying "non-smoking" there is also an ash tray.

Sugar Free Cold Chocolate

I am still not totally fine due to the high temperature. However it is sad not to go out at all on Sunday, so we went for a coffee at Plateia Alexandras in Piraeus.

Plateia Alexandras (Alexandra Square) is on Zeas Marina. It has a very nice view of the Marina, but it is relatively quiet and peaceful.

We entered Stretto, one of the three cafeteria of the piazza.

There I found sugar free chocolate drinks, which can come cold or hot, black or white.

I tried cold dark chocolate.

Although it was sugar free, it was sweet due to low calorie sugar substitute. I would not have minded even it had not been sweet at all, because I do not like sweet drinks in general.

Anyway it was very cold and refreshing. If you like chocolate and want to cut sugar intake, it is an excellent choice.

3.90 Euro.

Frappe @ NAI, Neo Faliro

I am at cafeteria NAI in Neo Faliro.

The country might go bankrupt next week, but things look pretty usual here. Frappe costs 4 euro, cappuccino 4.30 euro.

Yesterday morning it look probable that a new government is being formed, but the hope quickly disappeared and now e everyone is speaking about the new election with the prediction that Syriza takes the 1st place.

I do not sympathize with communists (not that I do not sympathize with the communism which was a great ideal which tuned out to be contrary to the human nature, IMO) and I don't want them to take the lead, but, if the people wants, what can I do?

The last hope is now the presidential brokerage. Hope for the best, but they say the hope is faint.

D

Public Cafe, Piraeus

Visited the cafeteria of Public (if you do not live in Athens or else, Public is a chain of shops that sells computers, mobiles, CDs, books etc) in Piraeus. It has a view toward Passalimani, especially from the tables on the terrace, but it was too chilly for that on the day.

The shop & cafeteria were very busy due to the Christmas shoppers. In this current economic climet, you feel releaved to see people still do some shopping.



Two of us ordered a plate of club sandwich to share and a couple of drinks.



Neither in Japan or in UK (let alone Italy), I do not remember to see club sandwich on the menu so often as in Greece. I would call it one of the Greek national dishes, as well as curry or spaghetti to Japanese (this phrase makes sense only to those who knows the eating custom in Japan, I know...).

The toasted sandwich smelled of butter and the fillings were also flavourful. It wasn't like bad example of club sandwich over-filled with mayonnaise, snewey ham and plastic like chicken breast.

6.90 was reasonably price. Good fastfood while you are on shopping.

This is a slice of apple pie at Public cafe I ate on another day.



It was just OK. "I would order something else next time" OK.

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Grigoris lowered the prices of coffee.



When the VAT on cooked food went up 13 to 23%, Grigoris immediately adjusted the price (justifiably, as the money goes to the state cofer, not to their profit) and probably they regretted it, sadly (but realistically, come on, who can accept that the sandwich that cost 3 Euro becomes 3.30 Euro overnigh?)

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And something a bit Christmasy. We bought kourabiedes from a zaharoplasteio (patisserie) called Passarella on lower Piraeus street (if you know the area, it is next to Skravenitis supermarket).



They were less than 10 Euro / kg (maybe 7 maybe 9, don't remember exactly), while many bakeries charge 13-14 Euro per kg. And they tasted fine. For half kilo, we got 12 pieces.

Portokalopita @ Izmirli Aile, Piraeus

The Athenians' life has been much disturbed by intermittent strikes of public transports and I had to walk many kilometers to walk home from work (not that walked all along, but about 6 km a time).

During one of these walks, I found this Turkish named place in Piraeus. It is called Izmirli Aile.



According to Google Translate Aile means family, so it is probably Izmir's family.



It says it has been since 1922, i.e. a year before the official Population Exchange, but already many of the Orthodox residents in Asia Minor were leaving their home. I am guessing the first owner of this shop was one of them. But the use of Turkish is actually unusual.

This shop was supposed to be patisserie (zaharoplasteio), but it seemed to be functioning more as a cafeteria and when we visited Saturday morning, they did not have many home-made sweets (they did have more pastries they bought in).

One of the few their produce was this orange pie (portokalopita).



It was made with fyllo pastry and served with real (i.e. not vegetable) whipped cream.



It was a very nice Oriental cake.

Coffee was average, but very cheap by Piraeus standard - 2.80 Euro for a cappuccino.



I would surely come back to see if they have some other Oriental sweets, when I happen to be there.



Izmirli Aile
Tzamadou & Zosimadon 48, Piraeus
Tel. 210 411 8541

Antiquity of Piraeus

Walking near the Cruise port of Piraeus, we saw this archaeological site. Evidently, the archaeological ruins were discovered during the construction work which was brought to halt. There is an extension of this site on the other side of the street.

We had an impression that this construction site has been abandoned for quite a while, although the archaeological remains seemed to be clearned quite recently (otherwise there should be much more weeds).

There are some quite handsome stone blocks, which I guessed were part of a public construction.

The onwer of the land should be quite desperate when he found this 'treasure'.

Taking A Walk In Piraeus

Last Saturday, the weather was very fine. We went for a walk in Piraeus taking the opportunity to go to pay the mobile bill at Wind shop.



To walk, we needed extra energy. We bought some snacks from a bakery. This is tyropita kourou. While normal tyropita (cheese pie) is made with flaky fyllo or puff pastry, kourou version is made with buscuit like dough. I like this way better, as it is less oily.



Feta inside.



A big fat door-cat on door mat.



Friendly, but not too playful.



An empty building in Marina Zea. This huge buidling was used to be occupied by the cafeteria Costa Costa. It was closed several months ago. Sign of crisis? The next door Flocafe seems to be always populated (but not that we come here to check that out during weekdays), but Costa Costa could not survive. I stopped going there, because there was no lock in the toilet. Maybe it was badly administrated, I wonder.



We had a coffee at Flocafe. Not that I like their product very much, but this cafeteria is pretty nice.



On our way back, we saw Ahinos reopened.



It was a cafeteria/restaurant standing on the sea-side of Peiraiki. It was closed a few years ago and now re-opened as restaurant.

Several years ago, all the other directly seaside resutanrants of Peiraiki were closed down & pulled down, because they were standing on the ancient wall of Piraeus. Ahinos survived it for a while, but was eventually closed down. And now revived.

I wonder what happened in between.

Pisina @ Marina Zea, Piraeus

It is boilin' hot today. Really. In our flat usually it does not get so hot, but today it is.

These are photos I took last weekend, when went to Pisina (Piscina) Cafe/Restaurant in Marina Zea with Hubby and his Bro.



As the name suggests, there is a big swimming pool (piscina in Italia) at the centre of the cafeteria. Seeing so few people actually swimming, I guess they charge for the use.

It serves food as well as various drinks, and as you can imagine from the location and setting, the price is rather high, but not intolerably so.

I ordered Freddo Cappuccino, which was around 4.50 euros if I remember well. Frappe and Espresso Freddo cost as much.



It was also a very hot day, but there was pleasant sea bleeze where we were sitting.

http://www.pisinacafe.gr/

Public in Piraeus

I guess many of you are familiar with the Public in Syntagma Square; a shop that occupies a whole building next to Everest. It sells electronics, CDs and books. And it has a cafeteria in front of it and another inside the building looking onto the square.

Later last year, the same shop opened in Piraeus, near Marina Zeas. Belatedly, we paid our first visit last Saturday.

We did not go to shop, but for cafeteria, as we were told that it has a nice view.

We were surprised to find such a large space dedicated to cafeteria.



There are many tables both indoor and outdoor. There were only few people. Maybe not so few, but in such a large space, they looked very few.

We sat at a table in the balcony and here is the view.


It is a fine, but not extraordinarily so.

The price of the coffees is rather high, not surprisingly so in Marina Zeas.

Hubby ordered a frappé and I ordered a waffle.


The basic order includes a waffle and a scoop of ice cream. Everything else commands supplement charge, in my case, for example, chocolate sauce. Even so the price was about 4.70 (I am a bit hazy here, but was definitely less than 5), so it is all right.

It was crispy on the outside, and fluffy in the inside. Very right and pleasant, but chocolate sauce and ice cream were mediocre.

They offer also light meal options and it seems to be a nice place for lunch.

When we visited the shop - not only the cafeteria, but the whole building - did not have much people even if it was Saturday afternoon. I wish they can keep up the operation in Piraeus, where so many shops are closing down lately, unfortunately.

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To the Gate to Greece website, I uploaded a review of the trattoria Peccati di Gola in Glyfada.



It was good, but thinking that we would have paid half the price in Italy, it will take some time for us to go again to Italian restaurants.

Exotic Piraeus

Yesterday was a big strike day. Not being able to get out of Piraeus, I went for a shopping nearby.

Roads were still full of garbage.



Today they started to collect garbage, but it wasn't possible to dispose of all the garbage of the past 7 days and streets are still full of garbage and smelly as well. I wish not to see worms on the street...

First I stopped at Multi Trading, Indian grocery store.



The owner is an Indian from Punjabi and he sells various Indian and non-Indian products. Comparing to Indian/Pakistani shops in Birmingham, the range of products he has is very narrow, but, still, essentials are here and the price is fairly good.

Speaking about Indian, there are at least two Indian restaurants nearby. This is one of them. It is pretty old, 5 or 6 years at least.



We have never had courage to venture into. The other one is even more scarey (although it might not be scary at all).

I would rather try two Thai restaurants in the same neighborhood.

There are also Egyptian/Arabian shops around.

Then, I went to International Mini Market (Σαχτούρη 15, Πειραίας) and bought some Chinese and Thai stuff.



Again, it is not very specialised, but has food from all over the world (mainly from Thailand, Philippines, China, Japan, South America, Eastern Europe and Russia). The price again is reasonable.

Now that I have ingredients, am looking forward to Indian curry and Chinese stir-fry!

What These Pakistani Are Doing?

Going down toward Marina Zea for a coffee, I saw some Pakistani playing...



Cricket!

It was a familiar view when I was living in UK, but in Greece it is a rare sight.

In Piraeus, I cannot say there are so many Pakistani as there are in Birmingham, but still, I know some who work here. Those who I know are very hard workers and friendly guys (I don't see many Pakistani women). Interesting thing is that the Pakistani here look physically a bit different from those I used to know in Birmingham: they are shorter and usually do not have beard or mustache. I wonder if they are from a different region.


And this is a dog I saw at Flocafé in Marina Zea.



He was over-joyed when he found a half-eaten chicken nuggets in paper package. So excited that he was trying to eat the package without noticing the chicken had already fallen off from! Not very clever, I must say. :)


Then I enjoyed a cheese cake with 'kerasi' cherries in Flocafe.



It was Sunday.

Then on Clean Monday, I decided to fast sugar during the Lenten period, without, however, giving up animal protein. I am already suffering from the lack of sugar. Let's see how it goes.

Kathari Deftera and Hartaetos

Today, 15 February 2010, was Clean Monday (Καθαρή Δευτέρα) for the Orthodox and holiday for the Greeks. From this day till Easter, the Orthodox are not supposed to eat meat, dairy and egg.

About the Greek customs for this day, I wrote about it last year, so I won't repeat IT.

This year we did not do anything particular, except for the traditional kite flying.

Kite is called hartaetos (χαρταετός) in Greek, meaning paper eagle.

Weather was very fine today and was relatively warm.



It was however quite windy. Many people were trying to fly their kites, but the wind was so strong that it was really difficult to take control of them.

But there were some able guys who were doing it right.

Hubby - inexperienced kite flyer - tried it for a while, but his kite disintegrated in 10 minutes or so.

To be honest, I was not enthusiastic about the prospect of kite flying and started to observe the Peiraiki restaurants. Although not many Greeks observe the Lenten diet any more, everyone - even the non-observers - is eager to eat squids, octopus, and shellfish on this day. For this reason, fish restaurants all over the Greece do great business on Clean Monday and the fish restaurants on Peiraiki coast are no exception.

I noticed two new restaurants opened.

These premises had been restaurants even before, but now they opened with different names: Εν λευκώ and Ανέμες.

Hubby, being a bad loser, wanted to buy another kite, but most of the shops were closed (obviously) and even the open ones had run out of it. Not that I felt pity. :)