Newsletter May 2020

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We may have to wait a little longer to spread our wings again. But as our lives begin to gently reboot this month, we can finesse our dreams and fantasise about future escapes; for the days when the privilege of exploration is ours once more. We all need things to look forward to – and the proven boost of plotting a holiday can help us lighten the shadow of pandemic. In future, we’ll all spend more time planning, personalising, and appreciating our trips than ever before. Meanwhile, as we savour the uplifting sight of our city in splendid bloom this May, we share the best of virtual Athens to nourish mind and spirit.

Theatre, art, wine and song. Culture remains one of the best escapes open to us. From virtual museum and gallery tours to modern theatre and feel-good concerts, here’s our constantly updated armchair guide to the finest on-line arts and entertainment that culture-mad Athens has to offer. Read more

Look what’s waiting to greet us when the streets of Athens start to pulse with life again. The City of Athens has taken advantage of a cleared-out capital to plant thousands of new flowering flora across Athens’ squares and sidewalks, to beautify the city. Among the 8,500 extra blooms now brightening up Athenian neighbourhoods are geraniums, marigolds - and this buoyant May Day wreath in Syntagma Square; a heartfelt thank you to the doctors, the nurses, and all those who have worked so hard for the city and its people. Says Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyiannis: “Today, more than ever, we need colour and light in Athens.” 

Lockdown’s silver lining is that it’s granted us the stillness to dream. Let us play matchmaker and set you up on your ultimate future Athens adventure (designed for you to download and keep). Whether you’re a foodie, a culture vulture, or a lover of sun and sea, your perfect date with Athens is waiting in the wings:

• You believe that food is one of the most joyous keyholes to another culture and diving into a city’s culinary DNA is a top holiday priority? Eat your Way Around Athens in 24 Hours
• Art, fashion, & design. They’re the holy trinity of life and you’d happily spend an hour hunting down that perfect stylish lunch spot over settling for any old tourist trap? Athens for Aesthetes
• You’ve clocked the Acropolis – but now you’d rather drink cocktails on the beach than hit every museum in town? Explore the Athens Riviera

Click here to browse our full menu of Athens Experiences

On-line: Xenos by Akram Khan 
Confront the human condition in all its horror and beauty in this masterful solo performance by the fêted British modern dance choreographer, Akram Khan.
Until 16 May

Eclipse: Athens Biennale 2020 
Devised as a metaphor and now our reality, this year’s Athens Biennale pledges a timely snapshot of life in the shadows.
Sept - 29 November

Adventures of the Parthenon Marbles
Track the journeys of the world-famous Parthenon marbles in modern times in a free video exhibition from the Acropolis Museum
Until 31 May

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