A Journey from Piraeus to Kifissia with 24 maps.
In his detective novels, Petros Markaris sends Inspector Haritos through the labyrinths of Athens – this time, he takes his readers along, travelling across the city with them on Line 1 of the venerable metro. If you take the old city train, affectionately known as ›the electric‹ by the locals, you can cross Athens in less than an hour. From the disreputable harbour area of Piraeus to former working-class quarters, today's mile of culture and cuisine to the city centre and the parliament building on Syntagma Square with its stunning views of the Acropolis and Lykavettos Hill. And from there he takes us onwards to Plaka, the heart of the city's nightlife, over the lively Omonia Square and then through the poorer suburbs with their potholes and concrete blocks of flats to the pine-strewn Kifissia where the royal family used to have their summer residence. With his excellent insider knowledge, Markaris invites us on his journey. He knows where to find the last antiquarian books written in German, where the best tavernas are, the last hot-food stalls and why a ›submarine‹ is a vital part of the Athens coffee experience.