Goodbye old neighborhood x

This is my last day at the apartment I've been living for the last three years. Tomorrow morning the transporters will move my stuff to a much smaller flat I rented in order to reduce my cost of living.

My balcony is on a very busy street and I'm not going to miss the view that much. In contrast, I'll miss Kostas who - no matter if it's cold or hot, rainy or snowy, stands behind his bench selling flowers from early in the morning 'till late in the evening every single day.

But who buys flowers now days in Athens? "Almost no one" he says. " It's the hardest time ever. I can't even pay my rent. How am I supposed to live my family? I wish I had the money to go back to my father's village and grow the land".

Kostas is a hard-working man and father of a 14-year-old boy. Last year his son didn't want to go back to school because his clothes were old and worn. He feels embarrassed for not being able to do much for his child.

" It has never been easy but the last couple of years is a nightmare" he says.
"Last year we moved into a smaller basement apartment and still we can hardly make it. Look around! There's no people on the streets anymore. To whom am I supposed to sell flowers?".

"To me! I'll keep on buying flowers from you" I promised him.

The truth is that I'm not going far but just on the other side of Kolonaki which - to be honest- I like much better. I found a small but very cute flat with big balcony and affordable rent and I know everything's going to be fine.

Earlier I said goodbye to Julia , too. She's my next-door neighbor and I absolutely love this woman. Julia is in her late 80s but people like her don't know what time is. "I know how old I am but I feel young" she always tells me.

Julia studied logotherapy in Germany, moved to Paris with her husband and two kinds and then to Athens where she's been living in the same flat since 1953. If you're in Kolonaki it's very possible to meet her since she loves walking around. She also loves poetry and on the 12th of June she'll present her new personal poetic collection.