redmess

from what i can gather, the only thing keeping order in athens is the ubiquitous street mongrel. be it in packs on the bustling city squares or as the not so silent sentinels of pre dawn crumbling alleyways, these mutts are the eyes, ears, and most certainly the voice of the city. they outnumber the siren at least one hundred to one. their immutable baying errupts in every corner of the urban sprawl. they patrol the busiest intersections, the most serene of ruins, the dingiest shitholes, posh shopping centres, and pedestrian promenades.
it's quite a spectacle.



today at syntagma square i was waiting to cross the street amidst careening trams, buses, a million motorbikes, and innumerable peds, when this one dark and surly dog who had been reclining at the street's edge suddenly leapt to it's feet, and headed straight for a car that was passing by. the car saw him and swerved to miss. i honestly don't know if the thing was merely putting the driver in his place or attempting to end the misery of life as a street mongrel. after escaping this encounter with his life intact, the dog sauntered back to it's original spot, on the corner of one of the busiest intersections in all of Athens.



this motley canine crew isn't the only thing i've fallen in love with here.




from the centre, on the ancient grounds of the akropolis, agora, and numerous other sacred grounds, the city positively glows.
it may have been the intoxicating clover, the air sweet and thick as syrup, that gave the setting a yellow tinged radiance.
who knows?















and just as there is the presence of the dog tribes, there are cats too. but they keep to themselves as cats do.



and this is one of my roommates, Cristina


there is so much more to explore. the flea market on sunday, the scene of last december's riots, the islands!

today?
topless sun-bathing FTW!!!




xoxo