Tales in Tiles

Art Deco Apartments in Athens

Tales in Tiles

Art Deco Apartments in Athens

Apartments

Apartment

Two buildings, diagonally looking one another, in a cozy neighborhood in Athens. Both built in 1936. One of them Art Deco, the other Bauhaus. The Bauhaus one had one floor addition in 1947. The Art Deco had one floor addition in 1957. Both renovated in 2016; under two new, different, owners.

New life was brought to both, but they are still Art Deco and Bauhaus.

ARTDECO MEETS BAUHAUS

The Art Deco one is Tales in Tiles’ main building. The entrance hall (ground floor) together with the 1st floor apartment (Tales in Tiles 1) were built in 1936 and have all the characteristics of the Art Deco architectural movement of that period: Cement tile floors, high ceilings, wooden windows and elaborated railings.
The apartment on the 2nd floor (Tales in Tiles 2), an addition of 1957, has remarkably interesting terrazzo floors, marble sinks and a private roof top terrace overlooking the city.
An elegant wooden staircase connects the ground floor to the 1st and the 2nd floors of the building.
My husband Sotiris and myself have put extreme care in its renovation and the preservation, elaboration even, of these original elements.

Of the three levels Bauhaus building, Tales in Tiles operates its ground floor apartment, with its beautiful inner garden (Tales in Tiles 3). The other two floors are for the owners’ use. Just like ourselves, the owners of this building put a lot of love and attention to its renovation, sticking to the building’s original Bauhaus elements, mainly on the outside.

Two buildings, diagonally looking one another, were brought together under the Tales in Tiles family. Two families met for this purpose. Sharing the same love for old and new, but mostly, the same values for life. Cause there is people behind everything.

About the host

Who we are

Stavroula

“Having spent 15 years in Finance, I am now enjoying being a mother of two, a housewife and an airbnb host. Hosting for me can be as an exciting experience as travelling. It is all about getting together, even for just a little while, with people from different places but same values.”

Our Neighborhood

explore the area

All our apartments are designed with ❤️. Comfortable with unique decor, lots of light and space. Located at a nice area for walks, is suitable for a short or long stay.

our neighborhood

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When do we, people, really go into adulthood?

Well, most probably not at the age of 18 and certainly not only once in our lifetime.

When we lose our job? At a divorce? Every time a beloved one passes away? When our country gets burnt from fires?

Each time comes with unbearable pain, still with new responsibilities to take over.

Oh, how much it hurts seeing our country on fire the last days. And the responsibility to take over is huge.

As Nikos Kazantzakis wrote: “Love responsibility. Say: It is my duty, and mine alone, to save the Earth. If it is not saved, then I alone am to blame”.

Deeping further down into adulthood…

Stavroula ❤ xxx

We are missing the labels, a few shelves, some products and, definitely, some good photos, but…

we’ve already hosted our first clay workshops and have already sold some of the products we have.

So, I guess, yes, one can say we are open!

Let me introduce you to our Tales in Tiles _ experience store:

In my mind, it is an art space, a gift & souvenir shop and a meeting place, all three at the same time.

An art place, as one can participate in our clay workshops, conducted by Rossina, @boudourirossina, for an acquaintance with this beautiful ancient art and an own-made souvenir to take home.

Not in the far future, we plan to host exhibitions of local artists too – stay tuned.

We have very carefully selected a, not too big range of, mainly locally made, products for gifts or own use. We bring in exclusively eco- conscious/organic products and things we like to have ourselves. Some of them handmade - stay tuned again!

The store is located next to our apartments, offering our guests the opportunity for an enhanced trip experience and us the chance to get to know them a little bit better.

Still, it is addressed to all travelers who want to take a bit of Greece at home, to the locals who are embracing it already – thank you! – anyone passing by who wants to get in and, last but not least, to all our friends!

So, let’s meet in our #experience store, make art, have a drink and talk about nice things in life!

Stavroula ❤ xxx

A Rock festival in England? A music concert in Austria? Ballet in St Petersbourgh, Flamenco in Seville, Tango in Buenos Aires?

What could be more fascinating than deeping into a country’s cultural habits when travelling?

Attending an Ancient Theatre performance in one of the ancient theatres around Greece is The cultural thing to do during Summer here and something we strongly recommend to our guests as a unique experience.

I grew up in Kavala, in Northern Greece, and ancient theatre plays were (and still are) a must thing to do during summer festival taking place in the Ancient Theatre of Philippi.

Epidaurus Ancient Theatre is the one where most premieres take place during summer. The theatre in Ancient Olympia and the one in Delphi – after its recent restoration – also host theatre and music performances.

Luckily, there is an amazing theatre in Athens, right below Acropolis hill, 10- 12’ walk from our apartments. It’s the Odeon of Herodus Atticus, completed in 161 AD, during Roman era.

It is beautiful as a sightseeing, however, attending any venue that takes place here can be a lifetime experience!

The first picture of my husband and myself is in front of Herodus Atticus theatre, just before the ‘Perses by Aeschylus’ play, directed by the amazing Aris Biniaris, in 2018.

Performances are now on again, with precautions. The program in Herodus Atticus this year is mainly comprised of music concerts, such a delight to attend as well, while ancient theatre plays will mainly take place in Epidaurus Ancient Theatre, about one and a half an hour from Athens. Many of our guests go there too!

What cultural events do you love attending during Summer?

Stavroula ❤ xxx

Now, need some help here. What is it that you would expect to find in the kitchen of a holiday apartment? Are you an eating in or eating out kind of guest?

Over the five years we’ve been hosting in our apartments, we’ve had all kinds of guests; people that wouldn’t even enter the kitchen, families eating most of the time in, and then famous cooks, who would combine eating out (trying different local restaurants to get inspired!) while also cooking special Greek dishes for their family.

In our kitchens one can find stoves and oven, big refrigerator, devices for 3 different types of coffees: Greek, filter and espresso and then toaster and kettle, blender, all kinds of cutlery, pans and pots and of course, plates, glasses and cups.

We also provide with some breakfast supplies for the first days: a loaf of fresh bread from @rizoselaia bakery nearby, our homemade marmalade, butter and fruits. Also, coffee, milk, sugar, coffee and tea. And then salt, pepper, herbs, oil and vinegar for those who would like to cook.

Is there something you think we are missing?

The sketch is from our Tales in Tiles 1 Kitchen made by @boudourirossina and the photos by @bill_box.

Stavroula ❤ xxx

Are you in a travel mood yet?

Greece is officially opening up to tourism as of the 15 of May and we are now getting ready to welcome our guests in our 3 apartments, in Athens.

So exciting to be having bookings again from the US and from all over Europe. We are hoping soon from all over the world.

The photos in our post are from our Tales in Tiles 1 apt and specifically its master bedroom with the en-suite bathroom, leading to a cozy back yard. They come from the recent photoshooting of this specific apt by the amazing @bill_box. You can see all photos in our Airbnb page (link in bio) and soon in our new web site.

Stavroula ❤ xxx

Oh, how I love Greek Easter. Its traditions, the church ceremonies (although not religious at all, they are indeed my meditation!), the food around it.

This is a “hard” fasting week, for those who don’t fast all the 40 days from Clean Monday to Easter Sunday. We are supposed to refrain from any meat and dairy. On Great Friday, we are not even supposed to cook (ok, that’s what our grandmothers did).

I started Great week making our special candles, #lampades. Our children get them from their godparents, and we give them to our godchildren, together with a pair of new shoes. During the past few years, I make some handmade ones for our guests in the apartments and for some dear friends.

We will light them up with the holly light on Saturday night, during the Resurrection ceremony at the church. Right after, during the Resurrection dinner, we will also have the painted eggs competition. We get separated in pairs and hit each other’s eggs. And then the two stronger eggs compete last for the win!

According to the tradition, we paint the eggs on Great Thursday. We did ours yesterday and now I am all up for cooking: today is for #tsourekia, our Easter treat, and tomorrow is for #mageiritsa, the traditional soup to have on Resurrection dinner.

Then my husband takes over for the traditional lamp to have on Easter Sunday lunch.

Will be documenting some of these in my stories, so stay tuned! And next year, you should come and see for yourself. Easter time is one of the best periods during the year for holidays in Greece.

Stavroula ❤ xxx

Absent from posts on IG for so many days, as I’ve been busy with the renovation of our new experience store. So many things to organize, so many decisions to be made, so many people to meet.

This last bit is what I enjoy the most. Meeting new people is always a pleasure. But getting together again with loved ones is my favorite.

Here I introduce you to Tasos, the Mastoras (=craftsman, in Greek) who not only preserved, but also gave prominence to our beautiful tiles and floors in our apartments. I still remember the last day – and Thank God, I took a picture! – he was polishing them on his knees. I swear I even heard him talking to them. Before that, he had to take them out, one by one, and then put them back again one by one. The result is a masterpiece and for many, many years to come.

Tasos is now polishing the terrazzo floor in our new store and I can’t wait to show you the result when it will be ready. Ι only wish I could transmit the aura that he brings in a space together with his magic hands. I so much love having him around.

Here it is! One more tale and I can’t help thinking that this project of mine is not about the tiles after all, but about the people gathered around them.

Stavroula ❤ xxx

We anticipated it would be a beautiful terrazzo floor, but I have to admit, its slow revelation under the thick dust is more overwhelming than I expected.

The video shows the floor coming out in our new space, currently under renovation.

I love floors made with the terrazzo technique, where – very simply described – marble, quartz, granite, glass or other suitable material were tossed into a wet cement surface, then another colored layer and the floor was beaten, polished and waxed.

The pictures after the videos show the floors in our Tales in Tiles 2 apartment, built in 1957. When we were renovating this apartment in 2016, terrazzo floors were not in fashion here. Most Greeks would take them out and replace them with modern tiles or wooden floors.

I did have supporters in my persistence for the preservation of these floors; my husband and our Architect @Nafsikatzanou_. And Tassos, the master of floors preservation.

“Bumping” into terrazzo floors again in this new project of ours now, when terrazzo floors are much more appreciated, is proving very inspiring; both for the decoration of the store, but also for art to create.

So exciting.

Stavroula ❤ xxx

Trying to get my mind off the news – so many sad things going on in our small country these days – and thought to welcome March with my daughter, with our “martides”.

“Martis” is an old custom we had when we were little and was revived a few years ago. On the first day of March – “Martis” in Greek – we are to make a bracelet using red and white threads, “so that the sun won’t burn our skin”.

The custom has also evolved, and you get to buy all kinds of “martides” in the market, some of them being really beautiful.

I know in Bulgaria they have a similar custom. Do you happen to have a custom for the 1st of March in other countries? Would love it if you shared.

Kalo Mina!

Stavroula ❤ xxx

Two buildings, diagonally looking one another, in a cozy neighborhood in Athens.

Both built in 1936.

One of them Art Deco, the other Bauhaus.

The Bauhaus one had one floor addition in 1947. The Art Deco had one floor addition in 1957.

Both renovated in 2016; under two new, different, owners.

New life was brought to both, but they are still Art Deco and Bauhaus.

The Art Deco one is Tales in Tiles’ main building, with one entrance hall, two apartments (Tales in Tiles 1 & 2) and a roof top terrace for the exclusive use of the top floor apartment.

Of the three levels Bauhaus building, Tales in Tiles operates the ground floor apartment, with its beautiful inner garden (Tales in Tiles 3).

Two buildings, diagonally looking one another, were brought together under the Tales in Tiles family.

Two families met for this purpose. Sharing the same love for old and new, but mostly, the same values for life.
Cause there is people behind everything.

Stavroula ❤ xxx

Sketches by @boudourirossina

Would you go for a new project in the middle of this crisis?

Well, after a lot of back and forth I decided to go for it. An experience store, right next to the apartments.

Some say I’m crazy, some say I’m bold.

The truth is this project was, in my mind, initiated under different circumstances, when I thought there was some “stability” in my life. Well, after all this turbulence, I just came to realize that the only stable thing in life is that there is nothing stable.

So, I am going for it, feeling neither crazy nor bold, but rather excited and scared at the same time.

I also know that I don’t want to stay on hold for any longer, keeping in mind that the only thing forward is adapt, adapt and adapt.

Wishing good luck to me and all people out there trying to go on with our lives the best way we can.

Stavroula ❤ xxx

P.S. Have a look at New Project in our Highlights for work in progress...
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It is Sunday morning, about 15 years ago. Having morning coffee with 3 friends in Plaka, in the old town of Athens.

By late afternoon, our company has grown to 12 people, and after lunch, ouzo and coffee again, someone says: “Shall we climb up to Acropolis”? Ιn 15’ we were enjoying a light breeze and a full Athens view, right in front of Parthenon.

I would always enjoy my casual visits to Acropolis, but it wasn’t until many years later that I realized how lucky we are to have this amazing monument, a short walk away.

When John and his company arrived to us, from LA, in February 2017, he was amazed by the proximity of the Acropolis of Athens. “I can’t believe I saw it from the taxi on our way here!”. John was deep into Ancient Greek History. Visiting Parthenon and all the sites on Acropolis Hill was a life’s dream for him.

Next time I visited Acropolis, not long after John’s visit, was on a guided tour, with my children. It felt different that time. I was touched by how well-dressed were most of the foreign people visiting. Some of them were even dressed like Ancient Athenians. They were paying so much tribute to the site.

John’s visit also changed the way I was welcoming our guests: “You go up the stairs in front of the building, turn right and there you are, in 12’ walk!”.

There are so many pictures of Acropolis and Parthenon. I chose this picture of the temple of Athena Nike, both because I like it and also to pay tribute to Dimitris #Harissiadis, a photographer from my hometown, Kavala in Northern Greece. The photo is from the archives of @thebenakimuseum and one can find it @benakishop.

Stavroula ❤ xxx

Which spices do you mostly use for cooking?

These days I am in for a mix of oregano, thyme and throubi (Summer Savory).

We got it from an old man selling all kinds of herbs and spices, near the apartments. I use it to marinate meat, fish and chicken, and I also put it in our Greek salad.

We have many guests who love to cook in our apartments. We, thus, provide you with a variation of spices for your meals. Along with salt & pepper and the amazing Greek, organic extra virgin olive oil Ladolea @ladolea!

The photo is from our Tales in Tiles 2 apartment.

Stavroula ❤ xxx

I am not alone in this venture.

In this post I would like to introduce you to Rossina @boudourirossina.

We met a bit more than a year ago, when I was looking for someone to help me with hosting.

I am not a big fun of self check-in and prefer to welcome every single guest we are having.

Running 3 apartments, with people arriving at all times of the day and all days of the week, me living about 30’ away and having to take care of the kids, I could definitely use some help.

Rossina lives just around the corner from the apartments, she speaks English and French fluently, she is communicative and willing. Her art background has helped us produce our little thank you gifts inhouse. Perfect match.

Going through all the peaks and throughs of the past year together - cancellations, insecurity, new bookings, being hysterical about cleaning, following protocols and then… Re-belief in what we do - Rossina’s proved to be a lot more than that to me.

We may have 20 years of age separating us, but we do share the same passion and values. And all the rest is just complementary.

Having managed to still be herer, we can now dream of more things to do together. Things we wouldn’t be able to do each of us on our own.

So much looking forward to it.

Stavroula ❤ xxx
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Decorating our apartments has proved such a creative process.

Even though, trying to keep a balance between guessing what our clients would like and how I would like the apartments to be, was a big challenge I faced in the beginning.

It was only when I gave in to the idea that our guests will have “no choice” but experiencing my personal narrative of life in Athens, that things started to flow.

Judging from their feedback, it proved to be a good one.

But then again, isn’t it what I also want it to feel like when on holiday?

Staying at a place with “personal touch” makes the hell of a difference to me, to even a perfect, but “all the same” decorated hotel room or any type of accommodation.

It seems easier to find it in a family run or a small type of accommodation, although I must say I’ve recently seen a magnificent swift in the hotels industry towards that direction – my favorite at the moment being @sohohouse hotels.

This picture is from the master bedroom in Tales in Tiles 1 apt. The chair is from my mother’s notary office, the pillow from @jamevar_wonderful_home, in the center of Athens, the photo on the wall is by @yiorgoskordakisart and the book on the table from Goulandris Museum in Athens @begoulandrisfoundation.

Stavroula ❤ xxx
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I am a map lover and, thus, so grateful for this one that @elenibakagianni designed especially for us.

I love it for its linear design.

I also love it for enclοsing the whole of our neighborhood:

. The super market.

. Our bakery @rizoselaia – honestly one of the best, if not the best, in town.

. The metro and the trolley stations.

. All our beloved restaurants in the neighborhood:

@lelos_cafe, open all day, for coffee, lunch or dinner - cooked by my beloved Afrodite - drinks and music in its beautifully lighted square, till late at night.

@Kouvelos - a traditional Greek cuisine and recipes from all over the country. One can enjoy these delicious dishes in a beautiful inner garden set up.

Park Bench, @parkbench.ath – the more recent arrival in the area, which has gained our heart with the kindness of its people, the amazing food – Greek with a twist! – and the beautiful set up, inside and outside!

Krikos @kafeneio_krikos - the alternative choice. Small menu, but so delicious. The guys there buy directly from, carefully selected, producers.

Also on our map:

@Acropolis of Athens. You walk up the small street, go round Filopappou Hill and, in 12 min walk, you will see it just there!

We can’t wait to show you around.

Stavroula ♥ xxx

P.S. We'll be hosting more of our map pins in our stories.

If you ever make it to Athens for New Year’s, we shall treat you with Vasilopita, our New Year’s Day cake, a lucky charm and a pomegranate and introduce you to Greece’s New Year’s traditions.
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Right after midnight, kisses, wishes, and fireworks, we sing a special song about the Year that’s just left and the Year that’s just arrived.
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We then cut the Vasilopita. It is our special cake for the day, inside which, a coin is hidden – slipped into the dough before baking. Each member of the family gets its own piece and whoever finds the hidden coin is said to be the lucky one for the New Year and gets a lucky charm as a present.
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Vasilopita is named after Saint Βasil of Caesarea. The tale says that Basil called on the citizens of Caesarea to raise a ransom payment to stop the siege of the city. Each member of the city gave whatever they had in gold and jewelry. Basil is said to have talked into the enemy to called it off. Basil, then, had no way to know which items belonged to which family, so he baked all the jewelry into loaves of bread and distributed the loaves to the city, and, by a miracle, each citizen received what they had offered.
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In my family, we also have the pomegranate tradition.
Whoever is to enter the house first in New Year, is given a pomegranate, which they have to throw and break at the door entrance for good luck.
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Do you have any special traditions in your country or your area that you would like to share?
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Wishing you all a Happy, Happy, New Year.
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Stavroula ❤ xxx

Browsing through the year’s photos, my eyes, mind and heart were caught up by those of last summer. A unique summer, in so many ways, but most of all, a quiet Summer.

There were contradictory feelings; we felt numb trying to conceive the impact of such a hit to the Tourism industry, but also felt overwhelmed by the beauty of the nature. Reminisces of our childhood came up.

We can’t and we don’t want to live without tourism. We like to have people over as much as we like people having us over in any part of the world.

But what if we changed a bit the way we all travel? What if we started travelled more wisely? How?

Low season travelling is the first thing that comes to my mind. It could mean better prices, better quality and a balanced energy consumption throughout the year.

Greece, for example, is such a better Summer destination in May, in June, in October, rather than in July and August. It is also a gorgeous Easter destination – wow, you have to trust me on this! And a beautiful winter destination with mild weather, so much culture in the city and so picturesque villages in the mountains.

Then what if we spend more time in one place? Over the years, we’ve had hundreds of guests spending one night in Athens before starting island hoping. There hasn’t, honestly, been one of them not to sayt: “We only wish we had spent more time here”.

Giving each place the time and respect it deserves to be discovered, translates to a better travelling experience. It also means lower energy consumption – among others, fewer sheets changes and lower amenities waste.

So, my wish for the coming year, is to first start travelling again and, when we do, to do it wisely. Have a better travel experience and make this world a better place.

Stavroula ❤xxx

Wishing you all

Happy Holidays 🌲⛄🎉

Stavroula ❤️xxx

Our guests during Christmas period will find two traditional Christmas sweets, in our apartments. That is Kourabiedes – the white snowballs - and Melomakarona. We would usually buy them from the bakery nearby – btw, one of the best bakeries in town.

This year, however, I made my first attempt of making my favorite of the two, Melomakarona, myself. Beginner’s luck! They came out delicious.

Melomakarona are believed to be derived from the ancient treat “makaria”, that used to be eaten during funerals. The recipe gradually changed and came to the addition of dipping them into “meli” - the Greek word for honey - and are now eaten during Christmas period only.

There are nowadays quite a few different versions of the melomakarona recipe, but I went for the traditional one with flour, sugar, orange juice, cognac, cinnamon and olive oil, syrup of honey and sugar, and walnuts for decorations. I found it at sweetly.gr by @ioannastamopoulou and followed directions thoroughly, except:

1. At the end, I dipped the hot melomakarona into cold syrup – instead of vice versa (there is two different “schools” on this. Next year I am trying the “cold into hot” one), and

2. I doubled the quantities and guess what: this wasn’t enough either. I made one more double dose of them yesterday. The first one was gone within less than a week’s time!

We can’t wait to share them with you, next Christmas. In the meantime, DM if you would like the recipe in English.

Stavroula ❤ xxx

Is it just me or do you also feel overwhelmed by the messages coming in for donations?

I know for a fact that for many good-cause organizations, Christmas is the time they will make their expenses for the full year. It is at that time of the year that most people will spend for good cause.

I can’t help wondering what is it we could do to take some of the pressure off these organizations - whose work in Greece has been of tremendous help in the society during the past decade. And off ourselves, as a result.Something other than remembering to donate in different times of the year, too.

I had an interesting discussion with Ellie, the woman behind @meetmarika, about this, the other day, saying that in our grandparents’ time – smaller societies, structured differently- the habit of “donating” was part of their being.

Now, how could we incorporate this every-day reaching out practice in our busy modern life? What if each one of us added one “good cause” action to our daily to-do-list?

What would you include in such a list?

There are two ingredients for this idea’s success, in my view: Do it with love and start with the close ones.

Cause making good can be… contagious too.

Stavroula ❤ xxx

Although in the city center, the church in front of our apartments makes our little neighborhood look like a tiny village, where everything is centered around the temple.

It is an active church, with morning ceremonies being held on Sundays, while its people also organize the regular feeding of those in need.

Then it is the size and the beauty of the temple, initially built in 1922, in Byzantine style.

I do recommend to our guests to pay a visit and admire the inner of the temple or even listen to the chants during a ceremony. It is a beautiful experience.

Then, the apartments in our main building have this amazing view of the church.

It is incredible how many of our guests have been inspired, especially, by the dome view from the top floor apartment and the roof top terrace.

The first sketch came from Constantin, our guest from Germany, who was visiting in May 2017, to attend Documenta. I can still remember how touched I felt when he gave me this present. It is now hanging on the living room wall.

And many more sketches followed.

I love them all.

Stavroula ❤ xxx

Anyone up to for some good Greek literature?

I have to admit I am very Greek when it comes to reading. I've been reading foreign literature since very young, however, if I really want to indulge myself with a book, that will most of the times be from a Greek author.

I have my preferences, and Karagatsis, among the novelists of Greece’s gen¬eration of the Thirties, is the winner of my heart.

“The Great Chimaira” is then the favorite book of my favorite author.

“[…]A story of a woman finding her pleasure in adverse conditions, told without judgment, even with a certain vindication, wraps the reader up in its windy nights on the isle of Syros. We are the woman as she walks down the hill to the port, seeking solace from a sea captain who is not her husband[…]”, says Karen Van Dyck, Kimon A. Doukas Professor of Hellenic Studies in Columbia University.

Ι was so thrilled to find an English version of the book, while having coffee in Little-Tree book and coffeshop, not very far from the apartments.

When I, then, visited publications Aiora, I found more treasures of Greece literature or poetry in English, French and German.

That means you can now enjoy reading “The Great Chimaira”, “The Flaw” of Antonis Samarakis, Poems of Cavafy, Papadiamantis and many, many more, while drinking your morning coffee in any of our apartments.

The pictures are from Tales in Tiles 1 apartment.

Happy Sunday!

Stavroula ❤ xxx

While trying to find pictures for our web site, currently under construction, I bumped into this one, of a Saturday afternoon in May ’17, when my husband, myself, and our guests Michael and Liz, visited the 1st street food festival in Athens. It was so much fun that day.

You don’t get to connect the same way with all guests. Depending on timing, schedules, availability and common interests, you may get to connect a little bit more with some of them. I believe Michael’s open heart and the reason he visited Athens were the main reasons we got connected and stayed in touch.

Michael was here to voluntarily participate in a program of a Greek NGO for the refugees that have been arriving to Greece since ’14. He kept coming all the way from San Francisco to Athens and helped with the successful conclusion of, one part, of this program, aiming to give younger ones tech skills that would enable them to find a job.

All of these years, there has been so much discussion here on the issue of refugees and its political, financial and social ramifications on a local, European and global level. So much about the role of NGO’s, bigger or smaller, and the volunteers. I’ve been trying to understand the fine lines and how complicated a solution to the problem is.

On a day to day level, however, while the weather is becoming a little bit colder here, with COVID-19 harsher than the previous months and the lockdown limiting the resources available, there is still people staying in the camp, others packed in designated hotels and many staying God-knows-where, in the country.

Although the problem now seems to being dealt with more and more on a governmental level, meaning we are having fewer and fewer volunteers, in case any of you is coming over to volunteer, for the refugees or any other reason, please don’t forget to mention that in your communication, so that we can help in any way we can.

And don’t be scared. That doesn’t mean you will have to hang out with us on some food street festival 😊.

Stavroula ❤ xxx

Athens is full of Museums: the National Archeological Museum, the Acropolis Museum, the Numismatic Museum, and the list goes on.

I am in for the smaller ones and, lately, a new museum has climbed to the top of my list, and that is the B&E Goulandris Μuseum, hosting, mainly paintings, of famous foreign and Greek artists.

B&E stands for Bassilis & Eliza, a worldwide famous couple of their time, with Bassilis Goulandris having been one of the biggest shipowners worldwide. They were both passionate art collectors, and although they lived abroad for most of their lives, they contributed to their country, establishing first a museum in the island of Andros.

Unfortunately, none of the two made it to see the realization of their dream for a museum in Athens, which opened its doors on the 6th of March 2019, in a beautiful neoclassical building, renovated by the Goulandris Foundation.

Wondering around the first two floors, you can admire, gathered together, unique paintings of Cézanne, van Gogh, Gauguin, Monet, Degas, Rodin, Toulouse-Lautrec, Bonnard, Picasso, Braque, Leger, Miro, Giacometti, Balthus.

What I love even more is the walk on the 3rd and 4th floors of the building, with the superb collection of Greek painters such as Parthenis, Bouzianis, Vassiliou, Hatzikyriakos – Gkikas, Tsarouhis, Moralis and Tetsis.

The photo is of the amazing museum book (Volume 1), which our guests can, currently, find in Tales in Tiles 2 apartment and soon in the rest of our apartments. The Museum is located in the city center, about 20’ walk from us.

Another sketch by Rossina showing our kitchen at Tales in Tiles 2 apartment.

It was a strategic decision, at the time of renovation, to preserve the kitchen as it, originally, was.

Ok, no question about the marble sink. We would have kept it, anyway. But we also kept the cupboards.

The carpenter did a lot of work with the cupboards and so did the painter. We then changed the knobs. And then, I deliberately chose the white, old-fashioned, electric range and fridge, to fit the whole concept.

The result, in my mind, is a tribute to the 50’s style kitchens, when this flat was originally built; it also reminds me of my grandmas’ kitchen, where all those delicious dishes of my childhood were cooked.

I don’t rule out the possibility of a total refurbishment in the years to come, however, in the meantime, our guests - from professional chefs, to amateur cooks or fathers enjoying some holiday cooking for the family - they have all fully embraced it.

Stavroula ❤xxx

@Boudourirossina

We very often host families with babies or young children in our apartments. Families seem to find them comfortable due to their size, their layout and their location. We also provide them with as many as possible children amenities as we can: Baby cot, baby sheets, baby chair, baby cutlery and plates, baby phone.

We recently added a basket full of toys and books for babies and toddlers in all our apartments.

This picture is from our Tales in Tiles 1 apartment. We placed our toys basket in the 3rd bedroom, at the back of the apartment, since many families choose to have their kids sleep there. There are two beds, the one below the other. We take the second one out whenever needed.

This room used to be the kitchen of this apartment when initially built. This was one of the very few changes we made in the apartment’s layout, transforming this room into a bedroom, for children or adults, mainly due to its brightness and its access to the backyard.

And, of course, also due to its beautiful tiles floor!

And yes, there is a tale in these specific tiles, too! We can’t wait to tell you in person – or perhaps in another post.

Stavroula ❤ xxx

Had it not been for Covid-19, today, we would be hosting the 38th Athens Classic Marathon here in Athens, which takes place in the 2nd weekend of November every year.

The Marathon race is inspired by the Ancient Greek legend of Pheidippides, a messenger who is said to have run 42 Km from Marathon to Athens to bring news of the Greek victory over the Persians at the Battle of Marathon, in 490 BC.

The actual 42 km course starts from Marathon town and ends in Panathinaikon ancient stadium Kallimarmaro, presented in the sketch, about 20 min walk from our apartments.

Last year, Marathon classic attracted more than 60,000 runners in total, 20,000 of which run the 42.195 Km course. 12.000 of them were foreigners.

This year, the Athens Marathon Organizing Committee is running a virtual marathon during which Participants may choose between the distances of Marathon, 10km or 5km, and run any course of that distance, anywhere around the world, with whatever pace, indoor or outdoor, alone or with a friend, any day between the period that this virtual run lasts from today till the 22nd of November.

On this day we would normally be in Kallimarmaro, to applaud for the runners who finish the Marathon. Amongst them guests from our apartments. We do have Marathon runners every year. The picture with Florien, from the Netherlands, in Kallimarmaro is from 2016. A moment to treasure, when we met her with my son after she finished the 42 km race. Another guest, Christian, from the UK, run in 2018 and the whole family came over to support him.

So glorious days. Although the virtual Marathon is a great alternative, I can’t wait for the actual race to take place again.

Stavroula ❤ xxx

Sketch by @boudourirossina

It’s Friday today and we don’t forget to buy fresh flowers and fruits for our guests and for our home, from “laiki”, just around the corner from the apartments.

Laiki is our vegetables and fruits market, where you can also find flowers, plants, olives, fresh eggs and many more.

I love my visits there. The smells, the colors, the producers calling “pare, pare, pare” – (meaning, take, take, take), the crowd looking for the best products in best value. A walk there and you know which flowers, fruits and vegetables are in season. Producers will even give you cooking tips.

So funny many of our foreign guests ask me if there is a “laiki” nearby, before they book the apartments.

But then again, I also make all the effort to find all kinds of open markets during my trips abroad. Looking backwards, I believe my favorite one is a farmer’s market I went to in a village near Aix-en-Provence in South France, many years ago.

Do you have a favorite open (farmer’s or not) market you would like to share with me?

Btw, the bag in this photo is also from an open - Art’s - market in Thission, in the old town of Athens, nearby.

Stavroula ❤ xxx

Feeling a bit blue today, as Greece has as of yesterday entered a 2nd lockdown, partial in some places, total in others. Without underestimating the virus itself, I am at this very moment very worried about the financial side effects of the situation.

Greece had only started recovering from a decade of financial crisis just before coronavirus came out. During those years we saw our community changing tremendously, from having homeless for the first time, to seeing friends leaving the country seeking a better life abroad.

On a positive note, I have been enjoying discussions with our new guests at the apartments now, mainly Greeks who had left during the deep crisis and are now back, working from distance for their foreign companies.

I have been enjoying their narratives about their lives abroad; I enjoy that with all our guests anyway! But what I love more is the fresh look they bring over about life in Greece. They talk about warmth in personal relationships, the beautiful weather, and, in many ways, an easy everyday life – Oh, I remember how I felt the same when I returned to Greece after a couple of years abroad, sometime ago.

Christina, who stayed with us for a while in the Summer, has now rented on a yearly basis another apartment nearby and decided to stay permanently. “Life here is too sweet to leave again”.

I suspect a few of them may decide to stay permanently after all. Job finding here for them could prove not too difficult at this point, as Greek corporations have, in the meantime, severely suffered from the “brain drain” of that period.

Such a development could do so good in so many aspects. Starting from perhaps having some of our friends back here.

Feeling a bit better now. Hope you find something positive to cheer you up a bit, if not very happy these days.

Stavroula ❤ xxx

Greek coffee anyone? Or maybe Turkish? When I was a kid, in my hometown Kavala, in Northern Greece, you would order it either way, Greek or Turkish.

The people of the town were a mixture of Greeks and Greek emigrants from Minor Asia, many of them from Smyrna, following the population exchange in 1923. So were the people in many other areas, in the mainland and the islands of Greece.

The result of this cohabitation was an amazing marriage of two cultures brought together and was apparent in food, culture, but mainly in the soul of its people. So many years have passed, however, one can still sense here the admiration when referring to “Smyrnies”, Greek women from Smyrna, who brought with them the Greek/Turkish cultural blend they had practiced in their everyday life there.

It’s been many years you wouldn’t order this type of coffee as Turkish, in Greece, anymore, still, my thoughts while drinking my morning coffee today are with Greeks in Samos and Turkish people in Smyrna, Izmir, who are still recovering from last Friday’s severe earthquake.

The photos are from Tales in Tiles 2 apartment.
Photo credit @boudourirossina.
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#Greekcoffee #kavala #kavalacity #Smyrna #welcometoourhouse #makeyourselfathome #shorttermrentals #vacationrentals #holidayhome #airbnbhost #superhost #athenscity #thisisathens #exploreathens #discovergreece #travellikealocal #authentictravel #athensvibe #escapetheordinary #koukaki #citybreaks #citytravel #citylove #citiesofeurope #amazingcity #citytrips #siteseeing

This sketch, by my beloved Rossina, represents the façade of our main building, hosting Tales in Tiles apartments 1 & 2.

The building is comprised of the entrance hall (ground floor), which together with the 1st floor, were built in 1936, and have all the characteristics of the Art Deco architectural movement of that period: the cement tile floors, high ceilings, wooden windows and shutters, elaborate railings.

The apartment on the second floor was an addition of 1957, with remarkably interesting mosaic floors, marble sinks and a private roof top terrace overlooking the city.

An elegant wooden staircase connects the round floor to the 1st and the 2nd floors of the building.

When we bought the building, it was in an almost derelict condition. Together with my husband Sotiris, an engineer in profession and “a craftsman in soul” - as our kids call him, we put extreme care in its renovation and the preservation, elaboration even, of these original elements.
And we continue to make improvements in any way we can and consider necessary.

You have probably figured by now I love to put our guests’ input in almost everything I write, so, in my view, the result of this renovation could not have been better described than it has been by Ramon, last August: “This place is made out of pure love”. It is indeed and I am so glad it’s coming out.

Stavroula ❤xxx

Sketch by @boudourirossina
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The first picture is a close-up of the cement tiles floor in the entrance hall of our Tales in Tiles 2 apartment, in our main building. There is cement tiles of different patterns in other parts of this apartment: the main corridor, the kitchen floor and the floor in the 3rd bedroom at the back.

These original Art Deco tiles of 1930’s were one of the main reasons why we decided to buy this place back in 2000.

When we began discussions about the renovation of the building quite a few years later, in 2014, the main topic was what do we do with the tiles. There were works that needed to be done underneath the floors, and guess what: the tiles had to be taken off.

What you can see now, when walking in, is the result of hard work, a lot of effort and a lot of love. These tiles were taken out one by one and then put back, again one by one. They were then polished by hand!

Few of them broke while they were taken out and needed to be glued, some had to be cut on their edges to fit the new dimensions, but the result is what I always wanted to be: the preservation of these gorgeous original elements, in a way that the building’s new needs are met. “In here, you can feel and breath old Athens, in a modern set up”, as Bill, one of our guests, nicely put it.

Stavroula ❤ xxx
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Hello. This is Stavroula calling from Athens, Greece.

Only 6 months ago, no way could I imagine I would be able to take a selfie like this. Let alone post it on Instagram.

Only 4 years ago, no way could I imagine I would be taking such a pleasure in hosting YOU people, from all over the world, in our 3 beautiful apartments in the center of Athens.

Only 6 years ago, no way could I imagine there would be a time I would have dropped finance and corporate to pursue creativity and deep-down hidden dreams.

The journey hasn’t been easy. The main difficulty in tearing down the well-established image of the “strong”, corporate woman and replacing it with “something” new, more artistic in many ways, and yet unpretentious and more ME, was… Myself.

Only last night, I got to answer again to the question, coming from the wife of a friend: “why did you give up corporate”. I am not sure the “it wasn’t fulfilling anymore” answer convinced her or anyone around, but the:

“Here I am, in my mid 40’s, happier than ever - despite the difficult circumstances - in doing something I love”, definitely convinces me by now.

So excited to be sharing this with you, on-line, and even more, when you can make it, again or for the first time, to Athens.

Stavroula ❤xxx
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#welcometoourhouse #makeyourselfathome #hospitalitylife #shorttermrentals
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#authentictravel #athensvibe #escapetheordinary
#koukaki #citybreaks #citytravel #citylove
#citiesofeurope #amazingcity #citytrips
#siteseeing

The Area

Explore the neighborhood

Climb up the stairs in front of the building. On the main street, turn right and walk round Filopappou hill. In 12-15’ walk you will find yourself at the foot of Acropolis hill. Do walk up to see Acropolis (open from 8:00 till 20:00 every day). Do go either very early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid the heat and crowds.

The Area

We are here for you

They said about us

This place was so comfortable. It was very clean, nicely decorated, lots of light and space. The garden was great with the fruit trees. We made pomegranate juice most mornings using pomegranates from the tree in the garden (and the food processor provided in the excellent, well-stocked kitchen). Nice area for walks. It really has everything you could want. Awesome place for a short or long stay.

Jeff

Santa Barbara

Stavroula and Rosina have been the best hosts I have ever had. There was so much love for detail in everything (facemasks, homemade marmelade). The apartment itself is just stunning: Classy, huge and with all the amenities one could wish for. If ever again in Athens, then only at this place. Thank you

Michael

Berlin

I think.. this is the best Airbnb expreince I had. Everything is well thought... you just need to bring your suitcase. The host team are over the top. From tips to be avaliable to help with the small things. If you are looking for intimate place in the middle of Athens. You found the right place.

Tzhah

Tel Aviv

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