A group of people from Athens started the Freeday initiative, a group who meets every Friday night around Thissio for a long cycling session. Freeday was started about 8 years ago and what started out as a small weekend ride for cycling enthusiasts, the group has now grown to over 2,700 members! 

The ride normally starts from Thissio - Monastiraki at 21:50 and ends around 3:30 in the morning in the same area. The ride can last from 4 to 6 hours, cycling 30km to 50km, and the route is different every week! The course to be taken is not announced but its destination is posted on Facebook the day before, in the form of a puzzle. The mystery is discussed by riders along the way, bets are placed and guesses are made as part of the fun involved.

Admittedly, Athens does not possess ideal infrastructure for cycling, while, making things worse, local car drivers are not accustomed to the idea. Amid such unfavorable conditions, the power of plenty is the only solution. The ritual has been maintained over the years.

“The experience serves as a good school for learning how to get around Athens on a bicycle. You are taken into consideration by car drivers when part of a large group. Over the years, of course, progress is being achieved and group rides are nowadays organized virtually on a daily basis by groups and municipalities. It’s also a trend, a solution for tight finances, as well as a form of exercise,” noted Antonis, a regular participant of the Thissio rides every Friday night. “Cyclists and car drivers can co-exist with a bit of overall cooperation, even if cycling lanes are not available in Athens,” he added.

Fascinatingly, every Friday night, Freeday draws together individuals who are engaged in very different lines of work during the day. The ritual has established close friendships. Asked whether he could share any unique stories from the weekly rides, Spiros, one of the group’s most avid members who helps design the routes, responded: “The difficult rides during winter, when it is raining, are unique as Freeday is staged every Friday, regardless of the conditions – except for certain national holidays. We get the biggest turnout at the end of July when we organize the Tour d‘ Athenes, which covers roughly 140 kilometers and lasts all night. But you get to see a magical sunrise at the end of it. The rides to Sounio and Penteli, to its observatory, rank among the most beautiful experiences.” Asked whether the group cycling experience has changed his life, Spiros exclaimed: “It rejuvenated me,” adding that “I also met this guy,” offering a fellow rider to his side an embrace.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greece Is

Freeday Facebook Page: Click here

Or are you like me, and buy all gifts (big and small) online?

I really enjoy Christmas, I love the lights, the decorations, the crowds, the general ‘Christmas spirit’. This year will not be an easy one for many families in Athens, to be sure. But I think a lot of us get a huge kick out of the whole festive season…

As far as filling up the (small) stockings on my list, I must admit that even when I ventured down to Ermou St. or to The Mall in Marousi over the past days, I didn’t cross anything off my list. Lots of people, lots of activity, lots of Christmasy fun - but zero bags of goodies.

Appropriately enough, I’ve had lots of luck using Skroutz (‘Scrooge’). This is a site that compares 100’s of online shops across Greece, for all kinds of products – from mobile phones to kitchen accessories, from air conditioners to bicycles and baby gear. The site has a great interface, accurate price comparisons, and with a few easy clicks you’ve found, ordered and paid and sit happily waiting for your exciting delivery.

I wish everyone out there a happy holiday and an even better 2013 – let’s make it count.

Until next week,

Jack

www.skroutz.gr

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…