Sarrinikolaou, a journalist, who migrated to New York at the age of ten revisits his native city Athens. He ambles around his favourite joints, the places that brought joy to him. Lot has changed since the days of his boyhood. He finds it a place of greed, racial discrimination and violence. History seemed to have taken the back seat. Everything seems to have changed for the worse. The only silver lining is, Parthenon’s everlasting creations are still in place but Athens lacks the earlier charm and attraction. He blames it all to the working class moving into the suburbs, while the city is left to tend for itself. Sarrinikolaou finds the city chauvinistic although not intolerant more due to the Albanians refugees crossing the border. The writer – journalist finds it disquieting the aloofness of the Athenian aristocracy while the working class scampered home in hordes in overcrowded buses. Public transport just cannot support the growing populace. Sarrinikolaou touches every aspect of the city’s changed scenario over the years – student politics, soccer, and protest by the Archbishop against exclusion of religion in identity cards. The writer, despite all its shortcomings, draws a solemn picture of the city well supported by lively photographs.

No tags