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The Outdoor Cafe

The Outdoor Cafe

By Jay

We find ourselves wondering what it is that draws us to foreign countries, wanting to leave the familiarity of the good old U.S. and our friends and family. It certainly can't be difficult languages and currencies, confusing transportation systems or unfamiliar food. It must be something that is uniquely enjoyable and difficult to find at home. One of these things might be the outdoor or sidewalk cafe.

The outdoor cafe is an institution in many countries we visit; one of the most intriguing things that we love and look for in our travels. These places are fun to be in and to watch. People gather here in a relaxed mood or engaged with others. Coffee, Cappuccino, Wine; with snacks or cheese or other accompaniments attract the pallet, people make up the rest of the experience. It is a small price of admission to a live theatre.

Most outdoor cafes would have a difficult time with the strict regulations imposed on eating and drinking establishments and traffic standards in the U.S. It is quite common here to be seated curbside with cars and motorbikes whizzing by your elbow. In many cases a restaurant or cafe will have tables that are on opposite sides of the street with waiters negotiating the traffic carrying trays of drinks and food. Adjacent establishments will often distinguish their territory with different colored chairs, tables and umbrellas. Most will have a chalked menu on a sandwich board or attached to a post or wall. In some heavy tourist area they may have menu displays in multiple languages. This is rare in France but we do see menus with pictures occasionally. It pays to have a modicum of understanding of a country's customs and preferences when ordering food or drink. What you read or interpret on a sign or menu may or may not be even close to your actual experience and the more close that the item matches a literal meaning in the U.S. is cause to be especially careful. We had a most unpleasant "Cheeseburger" in Paris on our last visit there. It was more like Steak tartare smothered with a gooey harsh cheese and mayo...served cold. French fries, in almost any country will come close to a familiar texture, shape and flavor, but don't count on it. We have had some pretty ugly imitations.

One thing that we notice in Europe, France in particular, are the number of people smoking. This can be a distraction (along with the dog poop) especially when people are smoking at an adjacent table. It is particularly disturbing to see the young people smoking and imagining their future health problems.

Relaxing in an outdoor cafe may be the penultimate form of voyeurism. We hear quiet, thoughtful conversations and because we do not understand the language we can only speculate as to the relationship between the couples or group of people we see sharing a table. In France it seems to be O.K. for public displays of affection; not so in many other countries. Viva la France!

We sometimes see very animated discussions and by the tone and expressions it is difficult to determine if there is anguish, conflict or something else going on between the participants. They, at least,  take their time about it; in fact people in France seem to relish free time and you can read much about the workforce in France and their propensity for long periods of non-work. Another "Viva la france!"

Brief essay on Greek history

Author's note:

I do not pretend to be a scholar or perfect in any way about Greek history but I find the period from 500 BC and the 7th century AD fascinating. It reflects the emergence of democracy and Christianity. I write the following as I understand it.  My apologies for any inaccuracies or misrepresentations of fact.

One kilometer from our apartment here in Athens is the birthplace of democracy, the ancient Agora of classical Athens; "Agora" meaning "gathering place", the center of the Athenian artistic, spiritual and political life, established in the 5th and 4th century BC. Solon, Peisistratos and Cleisthenes each played a role in forming the government of Athens that gave citizens more say in their daily lives. Cleisthenes is credited with being the author of Athenian democracy. In 508 BC in unsettled times decided he needed support from the people and devised a system of voters and districts. His determination was intended to reduce slavery and diminish control by the aristocracy that was prevalent after the Persian wars. These voters were selected by lottery and distributed to (originally four and expanded later by Solon to ten) districts (50 in each district) and all adult male citizens were subject to serving for specified terms. The democracy was direct, not representative. All laws and rules were devised and voted on by these people. Apparently abstention was not an option and any voter who quit the assembly suffered serious consequences which were passed on to that person's family and heirs.

This democratic system was interrupted several times over the years by wars with Sparta, Rome's domination of the world and a period that followed the Herulian (German) invasion of AD 267. Wars and periods of occupation by foreign powers have been unfortunate for the Greek culture.

Temples like the Parthenon were built honoring various gods over the years and served Athenians and people of the surrounding parts of Attica. Another type of structure that we see here is the "Stoa", a place of assembly and shelter for entertainment, merchandising and political activity. The "Boule" (government assembly) met and held court here in the Tholos, a round structure of which only the foundation survives.

In the 1st century AD the Apostle Paul sought refuge in Athens, having been run out of Thessalonica and other parts of Northern Greece. He was stunned by the presence of idols representing pagan believes and deities. He began to preach here in the Agora and was called to task by the high court at Areopagus where he gave the speech which is recounted in Acts 17:16-34.The Apostle Paul had a significant influence in bringing Christianity to Greece, later reinforced by Rome's conversion.

Near the Stoa, at the foot of the Acropolis, stands the Church of the Holy Apostles, which can be dated to the 2nd century AD, built on the original site (actually directly on top of) a Roman Nympherium. Prophetic? This church has been preserved and restored in recent years and is open to visitors. I've attached a photo of the dome's ceiling, one of my personal favorite depictions of Jesus and have seen in other locations. Christianity came to Greece at a cost, not unlike many other places in the world.

Footnote: Women did not get to vote in Greece until 1952 (That is not a typo).

Sent from my Galaxy Tab® S2

Retirement

I occasionally hear speculation from friends and relatives that I might not be "Retired for Good" as my Facebook page announces. Therefore a little self-examination and research are in order. Using the Google search engine I found the following definitions of "Retired"

"Having left one's job and ceased to work."

"Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely."

"Not working anymore."

While it is true that I have not received a "pay check" in the previous three years, I haven't given up "thinking" and certain "projects" that come to my attention intrigue me to the point that I might be lured into some activity that resembles work. I am not seeking employment.

Further study on the subject revealed these definitions:

"Having ended one's working or professional career."

"Withdrawn from or no longer occupied with one's business or profession."

Does "thinking" negate the concept of retirement? Does one have to give up thinking to be "Retired for Good"? Are there activities that benefit from one's former training and experience that are worthy of pursuit? Am I relegated to limiting my decisions to "Paper or Plastic?" at the grocery store?

Still pondering. In the meantime, we will continue exploring the world, visiting different cultures, enjoying the sights, people, food and transportation and looking for fire stations.