Eleni is of Greek / Dutch origin and is the founder of the storytelling platform Guts & Tales. Our collaboration together promises to give you the most inspiring, truthful and genuine stories out there.

Eleni left her advertising career in Amsterdam and started her new life with a new home base, Athens. She is a mind trainer, coach and writer. Helps conscious entrepreneurs with finding their voice and launched her “Be Your Own Muse” 12-week online program for women. A multi-passionate entrepreneur with a big vision – all to do with living with meraki.

5 Things to Know About Eleni Meraki

• Hill of the Muses
• Dutch-Greek
• Storyteller
• Lucky number is 24
• Allergic to chit-chat

I moved at a young age from Greece to The Netherlands. Ever since I can remember I had this urge to experiment, experience and try new things. Hobbies, routes to school, studies, jobs, travels, houses. By the age of 23 I had travelled the world and had done more jobs than my age would count; from chef to stewardess and from telemarketer to waitress in traditional Dutch clothing.

"Discomfort is where the magic happens. I've always been chasing a rich life and view change as an inevitable force to embrace."

My career started in the marketing & advertising industry. I learned the art of marketing and advertising from the best in the industry, working for the biggest global brands in a variety of roles. I learned tremendously much, yet I wasn't meant to be doing that for the rest of my life. I was looking for more meaning in my life. I started my blog in this period and was getting so much satisfaction and inspiration out of doing it. Looking back it feels like listening to all these stories of people with guts, I was mentally preparing myself to do the same.

After five years of building my “career”, I decided to jump. I had an idea and a business plan of what I wanted to do and I was clear that I needed to move to my other home country, Greece. I felt I had, somehow, to be of service here. It was what they call 'a calling'. The majority of people around me thought I had gone mad. I was giving my safe life up to move to a country in despair, with only a rough idea and savings for just a couple of months of living.

Are you ready to become your most authentically confident, clear, emotionally and mentally strong you? Well then, you are just 12-weeks away from your best year, yet! 

XpatAthens contributor, Eleni Meraki of Guts & Tales, has been cooking up another inspiring platform called Be Your Own Muse that is a 12-week online coaching program designed for women.

Eleni tells us that BYOM is the biggest professional accomplishment of her life so far. She's never felt more proud, strong, committed and excited about anything else before. For Eleni personally, the last 3 years have been quite a ride, from her own career and life change, including her emigration to Greece, it’s been a journey of many changes, many fears, and innumerable obstacles to overcome – continuous falling and getting up again.

We’d like to invite you to join women from all around the planet, to take part in a 12-week program that will truly impact your life. The program will take you through 12 themes that step-by-step will get you to exactly where you need to take you, to being your own muse.

The themes you’ll explore are carefully curated to tackle the issues and questions that many women are faced with today, including:

• Being authentic.
• Managing your thoughts.
• Believing in yourself, no matter what.
• Navigating your feelings and emotions.
• Living a balanced life.
• Maintaining a positive mindset.
• Be present and patient.

The program is very clearly structured and easy-to-follow. You’ll receive one email a day with something to read, watch, listen or do. Each day of the entire program can be done while drinking your morning coffee or on your morning commute - it will take just 5 to 20 minutes of you time per day. The content is a perfect mix of practical tools, theory, inspiration and motivation with a touch of practical coaching, psychology, (neuro) science and philosophy.

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About the creator of the Be Your Own Muse program:

 

Eleni Meraki is a life coach, trainer, hypnotherapist, writer and founder of the storytelling platform Guts & Tales. Learn more about the BYOM team here.

Iliada is a born and raised Athenian, and even though she traveled a lot for my work (and still does), she never felt the urge to move abroad. She loves Athens; it's her home. Iliada studied marketing, advertising, and PR and then specialized in digital marketing, which was quite an innovative space to be in. She worked in the corporate world in different marketing positions and ended up as a wholesale manager for a big Greek lingerie brand. Then, in 2012, in the midst of the Greek financial crisis and one of the toughest periods of our Greek nation, she had a vision.

5 Things To Know About Iliada

• Connoisseur
• Digital Storyteller
• Enabling Greek Entrepreneurs
• Nature Lover
• City Pools

Besides her full-time job, Iliada started connecting with local entrepreneurs that were doing remarkable things in their fields of expertise. Her vision began to materialize as she expanded her network or truly daring people that were doing their best to move their dreams forward in difficult and uncertain times. Iliada wanted to show the world the artisans, products, and brands and the richness of Greek creativity while helping fellow Greeks build their brand presence abroad while sustaining themselves and their families. It took 6 months to turn her vision into a tangible business. Living Postcards was born.

Living Postcards started partnering with global websites and introducing the new faces of Greece to the world, through strategic product placements, followed by organizing events and global representations.

The next phase of Living Postcards is about showing the gastronomy and the local entrepreneurship of Greek cities and regions. The whole project will take place through interactive events in the form of "pop-up stores" throughout the country.

Read Iliada's full inspiring story on Guts & Tales.

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About Guts & Tales

"Athens just feels like a breath of fresh air," says Ben Jacobs as he looks over the sleeping city from the roof of his new apartment in Kypseli. Ben's work and social life in London became severly affected by coronavirus restrictions, so he started looking for cities where he could still work but enjoy a much more fulfilling existence. Athens came out on top.

Athens has been rising as a destination for digital nomads for several years now, with people of all types of professions, from artists to web developers and online marketers, deciding that the Greek capital offers a winning combination of climate, quality of life, and low cost of living. When Covid-19 struck Europe, Greece was acknowledged as one of the countries to have handled the outbreak best; the early and strict lockdown kept cases low—and as of now, Greece still has much fewer fatalities than other EU countries of comparable size.

We spoke to 'corona nomads' from a range of countries and professions about their decision to move to Athens, the experiences they've had while here, and why they recommend relocating to the Greek capital.

"I was working on a huge youth dance project, I was in multiple drag shows, I was developing a contemporary dance project and planning to take my company LADS on tour around Australia and New Zealand," Isabella recalls. "Then, corona appeared, and all of that was canceled, along with any future work."

Isabella, 29, is a performance artist and feature choreographer, accustomed to working multiple gigs, seven days a week and being regularly on the move. "Now I have just a few hours of yoga teaching per week," she explains. "The change was drastic and devastating at first. I couldn't teach, I couldn't perform and I had no-one to collaborate with. All things I adore doing. It was really hard to have it all ripped out from underneath me."

In March, she left London and returned to Nottingham to spend the lockdown with her family. Isabella is half Greek, half English but grew up in the UK, taking holidays to Greece. When her late grandmother's flat in Koukaki became available in July, she jumped at the opportunity. "Dancers can't sit still, we have to keep training," says Isabella. "After being cooped up in the UK, here I have space to train at home with the free classes that dance schools and teachers have been putting online."

Normally, Isabella would be performing at the big summer festivals and booking gigs for next year. She now faces an empty calendar stretching long into the distance. Yet, with her savings and a small income from teaching online yoga and dance classes, she's learned to enjoy a simpler life in Athens, shopping at the laiki, exploring the cool cafes of Koukaki.

 

"If there's no work, there's no reason for me to be back in London," she says. "If everything is going to be laptop-based for the foreseeable future, I might as well be here, where the Mediterranean lifestyle is more chilled, the food is delicious, the sun shines for eight out of twelve months of the year and the sea is really close. I'm quite happy to leave the rat race behind."

The Playwright Searching For A Muse—Ben Jacobs

Like Isabella, Ben, 32, works in an industry decimated by coronavirus: tourism. As a self-employed London tour guide, he ushered groups around the capital daily, passionately sharing stories and interacting with visitors from all over the world.

"London is great for making money, meeting people and going to events," he says. "But now, with so few tourists, I can't make anywhere near what I used to; while London is still as expensive as it has always been." Reluctant to face a long and dreary British winter and the significant restrictions on indoor spaces, Ben's thoughts turned to Athens, particularly its lively outdoor art scene.

"Lockdown has forced everything outdoors and that's far less restricting in an outdoors culture like Athens," he says. Aside from being a tour guide, Ben is also a writer and playwright, with several works currently in progress. Rather than burning through his savings paying rent in London—or switching careers—he decided to relocate to Athens to make his money stretch much further. He arrived in mid-September, just as new lockdowns arrived elsewhere across Europe.

"I've definitely got enough work to keep me busy here," he says. "Athens is now a throbbing and passionate metropolis; a lively stage on the edge of Europe. There's tonnes of inspiration here to create and perform new work."

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To read more, please visit This is Athens

Whether you've just arrived in town – or have been here for years – Athens always has new secrets to share! This is Athens is the official guide to this captivating city of ancient energies and booming urban culture. Compiled by a team of specialist local writers, This is Athens brings you an authentic and intimate portrait of a living Athens beyond the guidebooks – along with daily curated listings of all the best events and great weekend inspiration all-year round. From must-know neighbourhoods and emerging art hubs, to gourmet hotspots, cool shopping and the buzziest bars, This is Athens will help you to get the most out of living in Athens!

Thank you This is Athens for your contribution as an XpatAthens Partner.

As we approach our first anniversary of living with Covid-19, the word is out that Athens - with its winter sun and sea, warm nature, affordability and strategic location - makes an unbeatable base to weather the pandemic.

Some call them digital nomads. To others, they are corona refugees or lockdown migrants. In this new era where remote-working is king, Athens has become one of the hottest tickets in Europe to ride out the epidemic and hit reset on your life.

Since we first reported on this emerging trend last summer, Greece’s comparatively manageable infection rates and decisive health protocols have kept this new breed of long-haul visitor coming. And with alluring new tax incentives for any foreigner willing to move their tax base to Greece for 7 years, we predict it’s just the beginning. As 2021 gets off the blocks, it seems that everyone knows someone who’s recently relocated to Athens in search of a more fulfilling existence and a fresh start.

We asked some second wave “corona nomads” to tell us in their own words how Athens has given them the personal and professional lift they were craving and why life is so much sweeter in the Greek capital. Even in lockdown.

The Acropolis Addict
Mégane Bambagha, 29, French: Freelance Digital Marketing Consultant

I chose Athens because I am a city girl who likes to be at the centre of the action and I have a weird obsession with the Acropolis! Its history and energy are so beautiful to me. Years ago, I had a Greek boyfriend who introduced me to the neighbourhood of Koukaki. I fell in love with not just the Acropolis but the whole area and its vibe.

I moved here at the end of August from Montpelier because I know Athens has wonderful weather all year long. Even when it’s winter, it’s not really winter. Back in Montpelier, where my family and friends are, I lived just five minutes from the sea. Things were more relaxed there, and if I’m honest, they were also a bit boring.

My life in France was a lot more predictable. You wake up, you work and maybe once a week, you have dinner with friends. Here, there is so much more to see and do; places to go out. Things like parenthood don’t slow Athenians down; they keep on living.

The fact is you have everything in Athens: amazing people, a vibrant city and nightlife, the monuments and the beach. Everybody speaks English (thank God, because my Greek isn't up to scratch yet). Greek men are real gentlemen and handsome too!

The daily rhythm of working in Athens was intense at first but I've come to love it. You never know how your day is going to end here! My working schedule has definitely changed. I used to get up at 5am. Now my day rarely starts before 10 and I go to bed much later. I don’t have breakfast anymore; I have coffee. I’ve forgotten the idea of making plans. In Athens, you better be ready to have an open house at the last minute; or meet friends for dinner instead of lunch. Greek people are very creative too when it comes to entertaining themselves: you don’t need a lot of money to do that here. Athens is definitely teaching me to balance my personal and work existence better, and to stop more often to enjoy life.

My main clients are small businesses in France but I have Greek clients too now. That was another reason I picked Athens. A lot of smaller Greek companies haven’t yet jumped on the train of digital marketing which is what I do. Greece is so beautiful but not always advertised as well as it could be. I see Athens as full of possibilities and huge potential. People here are eager to try new things and experiment: an attitude we completely lack back in France.

At the moment, I’m subletting the apartment of a friend in Koukaki (Makrygianni), one street down from the Acropolis Museum. I have a little balcony and if I put myself in just the right position, I can see the Parthenon. When I’m not working, you’ll usually find me climbing up on one of the big rocks on Philopappou Hill; admiring the Acropolis and taking a moment to reflect on life.

I’ve made some great new friends; a mix of locals and expatriates. When lockdown lifts, I can’t wait to go clubbing again. I love the beach clubs like Bolivar in Alimos. Last time I went, I took my laptop and spent the whole day lounging by the sea with friends, doing some work—and then clubbing into the night.

I try to live like an Athenian. The mindset and lifestyle is different from the French. There’s more of a community feel here. You build a little daily routine of visiting your local deli and bakery, the markets. Everything just flows. Even in lockdown, the life in Athens is so amazing that I don’t feel locked in. I feel reborn.

A Family Affair
Keita Yamada, 33, Japanese: Customer Support at global remote work facilitator Doist

One day last year, while I was working in Costa Rica, an overseas colleague and I started talking about which one place we could both move to where we could work together and enjoy a better lifestyle during the pandemic. She’s Italian but her boyfriend is Greek. They chose Athens and relocated in July. My ex-wife and daughter are also Greek, so we agreed that with Covid, it would be better for us all to be in Athens too, near her parents, to have the extra family support. We bought a one-way ticket and moved in September. I’m renting an air bnb in Piraeus within walking distance of Marina Zea, with a typically Athenian view of rooftops—and a bit of the sea too. I have no plans to leave Athens anytime soon. Working for a company that promotes more fulfilling ways to work and live, I’m very grateful for my job, because it really doesn’t matter where I am—or which hours I work.

In Costa Rica, we lived with similar restrictions to Greece, but when we first arrived in Athens, things felt freer and more normal. Our daughter was able to go to daycare again and I went to work each day at Impact Hub (a popular co-working space in Psirri). Compared to Costa Rica, Athens has a good bus and train system. That has really helped me to move around and see the city, and travel to work.

Before the lockdown, one of the things I enjoyed most about my new Athens life was walking around the different neighbourhoods after work and trying out restaurants and bars that I liked the look of. I must have been to the Strange Brew Taproom in Koukaki about 4 times, sampling all their local craft beers! Now, during lockdown, I am working from home, but I can still enjoy a walk around the sea and visit open places like Marina Zea and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre parklands.

Going to my local laiki down the street to get fresh fish, fruit and vegetables—and pick up a few new Greek words with locals while I’m there—has become my new routine; and I can still get easy access to take-away souvlaki! I also enjoy watching my daughter engage with her Greek identity and the language, and spend quality time with her grandparents.

When lockdown is over, I want to get back to walking around the city; checking out all the great street art, and exploring the ruins. I’m originally from Miyazaki, in south Japan, and also lived in Tokyo for 3 years where it’s far more crowded and busy than Athens. Tourism is much more advanced here than Tokyo. Everything is available in English: signs, menus in restaurants. That’s an important advantage for the Japanese.

Because so many people speak English, compared to other European cities, getting around Athens and getting to know the city is easy. I have found the locals friendly and happy to help, once you ask questions. Any place you go in Athens they take pride in what they do, and explain things in detail. When I went to get my haircut recently, for example, the barber really threw himself into it. I can see that passion in every aspect of Athenian life.

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To read more, please visit This is Athens

Whether you've just arrived in town – or have been here for years – Athens always has new secrets to share! This is Athens is the official guide to this captivating city of ancient energies and booming urban culture. Compiled by a team of specialist local writers, This is Athens brings you an authentic and intimate portrait of a living Athens beyond the guidebooks – along with daily curated listings of all the best events and great weekend inspiration all-year round. From must-know neighbourhoods and emerging art hubs, to gourmet hotspots, cool shopping and the buzziest bars, This is Athens will help you to get the most out of living in Athens!

Thank you This is Athens for your contribution as an XpatAthens Partner.

 

Some call them digital nomads. To others, they are corona refugees or lockdown migrants. In a time where remote-working is king, Athens has become one of the hottest tickets in Europe to ride out the epidemic and hit reset on life.

This is Athens asked some second wave “corona nomads” to tell us in their own words how Athens has given them the personal and professional lift they were craving and why life is so much sweeter in the Greek capital, even in lockdown.

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The Acropolis Addict
Mégane Bambagha, 29, French
Freelance Digital Marketing Consultant

I chose Athens because I am a city girl who likes to be at the centre of the action and I have a weird obsession with the Acropolis! Its history and energy are so beautiful to me. Years ago, I had a Greek boyfriend who introduced me to the neighbourhood of Koukaki. I fell in love with not just the Acropolis but the whole area and its vibe.

I moved here at the end of August from Montpelier because I know Athens has wonderful weather all year long. Even when it’s winter, it’s not really winter. Back in Montpelier, where my family and friends are, I lived just five minutes from the sea. Things were more relaxed there, and if I’m honest, they were also a bit boring.

My life in France was a lot more predictable. You wake up, you work and maybe once a week, you have dinner with friends. Here, there is so much more to see and do; places to go out. Things like parenthood don’t slow Athenians down; they keep on living.

The fact is you have everything in Athens: amazing people, a vibrant city and nightlife, the monuments and the beach. Everybody speaks English (thank God, because my Greek isn't up to scratch yet). Greek men are real gentlemen and handsome too!

The daily rhythm of working in Athens was intense at first but I've come to love it. You never know how your day is going to end here! My working schedule has definitely changed. I used to get up at 5 am. Now my day rarely starts before 10 and I go to bed much later. I don’t have breakfast anymore; I have coffee. I’ve forgotten the idea of making plans. In Athens, you better be ready to have an open house at the last minute; or meet friends for dinner instead of lunch. Greek people are very creative too when it comes to entertaining themselves: you don’t need a lot of money to do that here. Athens is definitely teaching me to balance my personal and work existence better, and to stop more often to enjoy life.

---

Photos: Thomas Gravanis

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My main clients are small businesses in France but I have Greek clients too now. That was another reason I picked Athens. A lot of smaller Greek companies haven’t yet jumped on the train of digital marketing which is what I do. Greece is so beautiful but not always advertised as well as it could be. I see Athens as full of possibilities and huge potential. People here are eager to try new things and experiment: an attitude we completely lack back in France.

At the moment, I’m subletting the apartment of a friend in Koukaki (Makrygianni), one street down from the Acropolis Museum. I have a little balcony and if I put myself in just the right position, I can see the Parthenon. When I’m not working, you’ll usually find me climbing up on one of the big rocks on Philopappou Hill; admiring the Acropolis and taking a moment to reflect on life.

I’ve made some great new friends; a mix of locals and expatriates. When lockdown lifts, I can’t wait to go clubbing again. I love the beach clubs like Bolivar in Alimos. Last time I went, I took my laptop and spent the whole day lounging by the sea with friends, doing some work—and then clubbing into the night.

I try to live like an Athenian. The mindset and lifestyle is different from the French. There’s more of a community feel here. You build a little daily routine of visiting your local deli and bakery, the markets. Everything just flows. Even in lockdown, the life in Athens is so amazing that I don’t feel locked in. I feel reborn.I try to live like an Athenian. The mindset and lifestyle is different from the French. There’s more of a community feel here. You build a little daily routine of visiting your local deli and bakery, the markets. Everything just flows. Even in lockdown, the life in Athens is so amazing that I don’t feel locked in. I feel reborn.

To read more, please visit This is Athens

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Whether you've just arrived in town – or have been here for years – Athens always has new secrets to share! 

This is Athens is the official guide to this captivating city of ancient energies and booming urban culture. Compiled by a team of specialist local writers, This is Athens brings you an authentic and intimate portrait of a living Athens beyond the guidebooks – along with daily curated listings of all the best events and great weekend inspiration all-year round. From must-know neighbourhoods and emerging art hubs, to gourmet hotspots, cool shopping and the buzziest bars, This is Athens will help you to get the most out of living in Athens!

Thank you This is Athens for your contribution as an XpatAthens Partner.

Some call them digital nomads. To others, they are corona refugees or lockdown migrants. In a time where remote-working is king, Athens has become one of the hottest tickets in Europe to ride out the epidemic and hit reset on life.

This is Athens asked some second wave “corona nomads” to tell us in their own words how Athens has given them the personal and professional lift they were craving and why life is so much sweeter in the Greek capital, even in lockdown.

A Fashionable Life On The Athens Riviera
Burak Cakmak, 46, Turkish
Global Fashion Executive for Kering (Gucci Group), Swarovski, Gap Inc.

I’d been living between London and New York when I came to stay with a Greek friend in Varkiza one summer. That’s how I discovered the Athens Riviera. I decided it would be a great spot to have a place along the Mediterranean coast. When I factored in the affordability, culture and hospitality I’d enjoyed in Athens, it struck me as a smart city to invest in. The minute travel started opening up again last June, Greece felt like the best place to be. I was able to return to finalise the purchase of an apartment right near the Varkiza esplanade, about half a block from Yabanaki beach.

London wasn’t doing very well with Covid, and with my tenure as Dean of Fashion at Parsons School of Design in New York officially finishing, there was no reason to be back in NY. I was building mini-businesses and already doing everything remotely so it made sense to stay and enjoy the extended summer here. I convinced my London business partner to come over too and she’s now renting nearby in Vouliagmeni. My life partner is originally from Crete so it’s wonderful to have a place together in Athens now. Over summer, the restrictions weren’t too tough and it was an exciting time. On weekends, the place was abuzz with Athenians coming down to enjoy the beaches and hardly any tourists.

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 Photos: Thomas Gravanis

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I would wake up every day and put on my swimsuit. I wouldn’t even take a towel with me. I would just walk across the street, jump in the water for half an hour and then drip dry on my way back home, before starting work. It was perfect. To be able to do that in a big city is incredible to me. And when I want to feel the “real Athens” atmosphere, the city is just a 25-minute drive away. I was able to attend events like the Athens Democracy Forum in late September, and reach out to creative local fashion brands. Athens is a great city for being able to mix business and pleasure.

It’s unbelievable what you can do sitting in your own house around the world now. Currently I’m building a digital fashion education platform with two partners whom I’ve never met in person—both British nomads—one lives in Portugal, the other in Brussels. I’ve turned one of our bedrooms into my study and ordered new equipment for digital recordings. It’s easier to be in your own place rather than a co-working space or office. You have more control over your environment and don’t have to worry about masks.

The Athens Riviera is incredible because the weather is around 15-18 degrees in winter and most days it’s sunny. It’s not that crowded, so you can find peace within yourself.

The crazy thing is I never planned to be in Athens full-time. I just wanted to spend the summer here because everything everywhere else was shut down. But when I returned to London briefly, I soon realised that the lifestyle here was so much better during a pandemic. I don’t see any reason to leave now. Is lockdown better in Athens? One hundred percent.

 

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Whether you've just arrived in town – or have been here for years – Athens always has new secrets to share! 

This is Athens is the official guide to this captivating city of ancient energies and booming urban culture. Compiled by a team of specialist local writers, This is Athens brings you an authentic and intimate portrait of a living Athens beyond the guidebooks – along with daily curated listings of all the best events and great weekend inspiration all-year round. From must-know neighbourhoods and emerging art hubs, to gourmet hotspots, cool shopping and the buzziest bars, This is Athens will help you to get the most out of living in Athens!

Thank you This is Athens for your contribution as an XpatAthens Partner.

Some call them digital nomads. To others, they are corona refugees or lockdown migrants. In a time where remote-working is king, Athens has become one of the hottest tickets in Europe to ride out the epidemic and hit reset on life.

This is Athens asked some second wave “corona nomads” to tell us in their own words how Athens has given them the personal and professional lift they were craving and why life is so much sweeter in the Greek capital, even in lockdown.

---

A Family Affair
Keita Yamada, 33, Japanese
Customer Support At Global Remote Work Facilitator Doist

One day last year, while I was working in Costa Rica, an overseas colleague and I started talking about which one place we could both move to where we could work together and enjoy a better lifestyle during the pandemic. She’s Italian but her boyfriend is Greek. They chose Athens and relocated in July. My ex-wife and daughter are also Greek, so we agreed that with Covid, it would be better for us all to be in Athens too, near her parents, to have the extra family support. We bought a one-way ticket and moved in September. I’m renting an air bnb in Piraeus within walking distance of Marina Zea, with a typically Athenian view of rooftops—and a bit of the sea too. I have no plans to leave Athens anytime soon. Working for a company that promotes more fulfilling ways to work and live, I’m very grateful for my job, because it really doesn’t matter where I am—or which hours I work.

In Costa Rica, we lived with similar restrictions to Greece, but when we first arrived in Athens, things felt freer and more normal. Our daughter was able to go to daycare again and I went to work each day at Impact Hub (a popular co-working space in Psirri). Compared to Costa Rica, Athens has a good bus and train system. That has really helped me to move around and see the city, and travel to work.

Before the lockdown, one of the things I enjoyed most about my new Athens life was walking around the different neighbourhoods after work and trying out restaurants and bars that I liked the look of. I must have been to the Strange Brew Taproom in Koukaki about 4 times, sampling all their local craft beers! Now, during lockdown, I am working from home, but I can still enjoy a walk around the sea and visit open places like Marina Zea and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre parklands.

---

 Photos: Thomas Gravanis

Going to my local laiki down the street to get fresh fish, fruit and vegetables—and pick up a few new Greek words with locals while I’m there—has become my new routine; and I can still get easy access to take-away souvlaki! I also enjoy watching my daughter engage with her Greek identity and the language, and spend quality time with her grandparents.

When lockdown is over, I want to get back to walking around the city; checking out all the great street art, and exploring the ruins. I’m originally from Miyazaki, in south Japan, and also lived in Tokyo for 3 years where it’s far more crowded and busy than Athens. Tourism is much more advanced here than Tokyo. Everything is available in English: signs, menus in restaurants. That’s an important advantage for the Japanese.

Because so many people speak English, compared to other European cities, getting around Athens and getting to know the city is easy. I have found the locals friendly and happy to help, once you ask questions. Any place you go in Athens they take pride in what they do, and explain things in detail. When I went to get my haircut recently, for example, the barber really threw himself into it. I can see that passion in every aspect of Athenian life.

To read more, please visit This is Athens

---

Whether you've just arrived in town – or have been here for years – Athens always has new secrets to share! 

This is Athens is the official guide to this captivating city of ancient energies and booming urban culture. Compiled by a team of specialist local writers, This is Athens brings you an authentic and intimate portrait of a living Athens beyond the guidebooks – along with daily curated listings of all the best events and great weekend inspiration all-year round. From must-know neighbourhoods and emerging art hubs, to gourmet hotspots, cool shopping and the buzziest bars, This is Athens will help you to get the most out of living in Athens!

Thank you This is Athens for your contribution as an XpatAthens Partner.

Some call them digital nomads. To others, they are corona refugees or lockdown migrants. In a time where remote-working is king, Athens has become one of the hottest tickets in Europe to ride out the epidemic and hit reset on life.

This is Athens asked some second wave “corona nomads” to tell us in their own words how Athens has given them the personal and professional lift they were craving and why life is so much sweeter in the Greek capital, even in lockdown.

The Sun Seeker
Safiya Mary Rose, 35, British-Indian
Conscious Copywriter & Creatress

One of the main reasons we wanted to get out of the UK was the low light levels. I’m a sun worshipper, so Athens is perfect for me. There are so many days like today with flawless blue skies. It opens up something inside me creatively and makes me want to go for nature walks and gaze at ancient temples and buildings. London can make you want to huddle indoors; Athens inspires you to go out and become more expansive.

In London, I was working in ethical finance in a very corporate setting and felt very removed from the real world so I decided to go freelance about 2 years ago. Now I do copywriting and editing and my focus is on ethical organisations and individuals working to make a difference in the world. I also have a textiles practice, do embroidery, make clothes and paint. My partner is Indian and works with medicinal spices from India, so he can do that remotely from anywhere.

Even though we had never stepped foot in Athens before, when we saw a short window between lockdowns in the UK and Greece, we decided to jump through it. We’d wanted to relocate to Europe for a while, and while we visited many places in France, Italy and Spain, we never really found ‘our place’. Athens felt a bit below radar, but we’d heard some great things about it from people who’ve been. So in late October—simply guided by an inner intuition that Athens might just be the city for us—we packed up our stuff and drove all the way here to escape the London winter.

We are renting a gorgeous neoclassical flat in Thissio near the Acropolis Museum, with two big bedrooms and a banana tree outside our window, for half of what we were paying in Crystal Palace in London. Our place is so nice and spacious, we don’t need to go hunting down cafes or co-working spaces. I do think we have the lockdown to thank for that. Otherwise it would have been full of air bnb guests.

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Photos: Thomas Gravanis

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I love wandering around Athens during lockdown. You can somehow feel the architecture more and connect with the monuments on a deeper level. Athens is full of light and colour—even in the winter, even in quarantine! The creative energy is palpable: from the street art to the cafe culture and galleries. It’s an inspiring and highly multicultural place: with all the modernity of a capital city, yet there are ancient temples literally peppered all over the place. There’s also this deep sense of history, culture and spirituality. I love seeing people sitting together, drinking coffee, playing music or chess. For me, the sun, blue skies and all those olive trees provide endless creative inspiration. The lower cost of living also means there’s more time and space to breathe.

It’s brilliant to have the central food markets of Athens so close to us with all their wonderful flavours, textures and spices. We cook every day. My morning walk right up to the top of Philopappou Hill with my coffee to receive the light of the sun also makes me feel like a proper Athenian. Being able to see the wide horizon and the sea eases that feeling of enclosure that lockdown gives us all. I go up there on the full moon and new moon as well to get a sense of time passing. Summer will return and when it does, we’ll be in a really beautiful place.

My parents and sister are still back in the UK. It can be quite overwhelming at times to know how much more difficult things are back home. But we both just got our residency permits last week so we’re planning to stay in Athens until at least the spring. Then we might check out some parts of the mainland; buy a place and settle down.

To read more, please visit This is Athens

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Whether you've just arrived in town – or have been here for years – Athens always has new secrets to share! 

This is Athens is the official guide to this captivating city of ancient energies and booming urban culture. Compiled by a team of specialist local writers, This is Athens brings you an authentic and intimate portrait of a living Athens beyond the guidebooks – along with daily curated listings of all the best events and great weekend inspiration all-year round. From must-know neighbourhoods and emerging art hubs, to gourmet hotspots, cool shopping and the buzziest bars, This is Athens will help you to get the most out of living in Athens!

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