On a recent walk through the shop-lined streets of Plaka, a visiting non-Greek friend remarked on her surprise that shops still stocked all the ‘touristy kitsch’ that has been around for decades – tacky souvenirs, fridge magnets and the replica mini-statues that are apparently everywhere.

We laughed about this briefly, but the conversation persisted, to the point that we were discussing the lack of interesting design in Athens. The question that really got to me was ‘Where’s the creativity??’  He was completely correct – the shops did seem to be mostly full of the kind of junk churned out by far-away sweatshops, stuff that has caused all of us to ask ‘Who buys this stuff?’

Truth be told, there is great design here – but I will admit that it often hides below the surface. The good news is that others have noticed – and there are numerous new shops popping up, with cool, innovative, and completely desirable products to remind visitors (and us locals!) of their time in Greece. These range from design stores to gourmet food shops and even Greek wine shops. But my friend’s comments got me thinking… What is out there in terms of cool Greece-inspired design, for the world to buy, even after they have left for home?

I decided to do some research for my friend, to show him that there are in fact some very interesting, inspiring and ‘must have’ made-in-Greece products that any nephew/neighbor/friend would love to receive! The bonus is that these are also available online – for those of us who like to click-and-buy.

So below is my (incomplete!) list of inspired Greek design, available online – the perfect antidotes to This Is Sparta t-shirts and Greek-flag shot glasses.

Do you have any more Greek design sites? I’d love to hear about them.

Here’s the list:

http://www.wecreateharmony.com/
Concept e-shop supporting young designers, with a portion of all sales going to a cause related to unemployment or a start-up seeking funding.

http://www.yolenis.com
Mediterranean Food & Taste

http://sophia.com.gr/
Design inspired by ancient Greek heritage

http://www.coolgreeksoap.com/
Natural, handmade artisanal olive oil soap.

http://www.greecerevisited.com/
Greece inspired products by wedesign.

http://www.lovegreece.com.gr/
Eco-friendly 100% “Made in Greece” tshirts.

http://afutureperfect.gr
Architecturally-inspired design products

http://m-y.gr/
Unique, printed clothing and accessories.

http://www.tourvas.gr
Custom, recycled-fabric bags.

http://www.rdesign.gr
Creative, everyday objects.

Until next week,

Jack
 

In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…

The picturesque old harbour and Dápia, a tourist and commercial centre where the heart of the island’s entertainment beats, are the trademarks of the town of Spetses. Take a romantic trip around the island in horse-drawn carriages and admire the grand mansions adorning the narrow cobbled streets of the island.

The best time to visit Spetses is during September, when “Armata”, a truly impressive re-enactment of a naval battle takes place ever since 1931. The rich history and naval tradition of the island is reflected on numerous sites that are definitely worth visiting:

• The House of Bouboulina

Built around the end of the 17th Century, the building is shaped like a Π, a detail which at that time indicated the importance of the owner. Bouboulina was a heroine that played a significant role in the 1821 War of Independence. Visit her house, which now operates as a museum to admire its wood-carved Florentine ceiling, 18th and 19th century furniture, interesting collection of old weapons, fine porcelain and rare books.

• The House of Hatzigiannis Mexis

Today the house hosts a museum exhibiting relics from the War of Independence, letters written by war heroes like Kolokotronis and Athanasios Diakos, a folk art collection and the relics of Bouboulina. The house was built between 1795 and 1798, and was donated to the Greek state in 1938 by the heirs of the Mexis family. The objects on display represent more than 4,000 years of the island’s history.

• Church of Panayia Armata

This rural church was built between 1824 and 1830 to honour the victory of the Greek warriors against the Ottoman fleet.

• Cathedral of Ayios Nikolaos

The island's Cathedral is of great historical importance as it was here where the island's Independence flag was raised on 3rd April 1821. It was also here where the dead body of Paul Bonaparte, nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte who came to Greece to fight on the side of Greeks, was kept in a barrel of rum for three whole years!

To read more, please see visitgreece.gr