Carolina and her memories of Exarchia*

15 Φεβρουαρίου, 2021

Story

Α touching story from Carolina and how she beautifully experienced Exarchia. 
One of her favourite places is Mavromihalli street and the corner in Valtetsiou street where there is that musical shop that she is connected with emotionally that she used to stop and stare outside the shop for a long time without getting bored. 
In exarchia there was that Moroccan musician playing the mandolin- and following his track in exarchia was utterly exciting for her. 
One happy memory is a walk in strefi hill feeling the connection with the city and making new friends. 
One sad memory is when she was coming out over a relationship walking in Mavromihalli street with teary eyes: She encountered some people from the neighbourhood, had a little talk with them and had felt a welcoming back in the place with a warm effects. 
The Saturday mornings in Kallidromiou Street where is the Open-Air Market which is very high so you can see the whole stretch of Kalidromiou street -it is like going down in the valley 
Leading to Strefi Hill up to the six stairs where you can enjoy The View feeling you are on the top of the world somehow. 
Having festivals, parties and gatherings especially exarchia had become like a meeting place for old friends to come together again after a long time 
There is a special place called in Greek “to steki mas” for habitual meeting – so there is no need even to mention the name, just say “we meet at 4 pm” or “the party starts at 10” and everyone knows where we meet. 
the local people are very much connected with each other 
being part of the place and part of the community at the same time 
there is a very strong sense of community in exarchia that brings people together 
certainly, it's a contested area with a feeling, it is like a theatre Stage for different interests 
because Carolina is away, she has a few different levels of missing, 
missing the experience of being there 
missing the sense of freedom in Exarchia 
Exarchia features changing from being local to become glocal or global . 
If she is given the choice to come back to exarchia? “oh yeah in a heart beat” 
 
*The interview was taken into the context of SaBarBar project. The action is part of the co-Athens implemented by the European pilot program of the Municipality of Athens Curing the Limbo. The program is co-financed by the ERDF under the UIA program.