This is a map of the city of Athens. Highlighted in color are the neibourhoods were the 'silent' walks took place.
I explored my my personal network and took note of anyone I thought might enjoy this experience. I started grouping people based on proximity of residence, making a map of potential walkers. The pairs started forming to include a variety of age, gender, background and nationality.
Distancing has been more prominent now since it became a protection measure for the pandemic, but it has existed in our societies for a while now. The way we experienced it this past year, it made us realise social interactions and relationships have become superficial and there is a dire need to transform them into meaningful ones. The desire for this change is connected with a change in the space interactions take place, since space can have a real impact in the quality of interactions. A change won’t become apparent however, if we insist in interacting largely via our screens. How can interaction be as meaningful and real as possible when the space it takes place is so malleable, easily distorted, frequently not representing reality?
Even though I live in the neighbourhood, the corner of the meeting point for my walk was never of big interest to me. It's a small park that you would just cross occasionally if you would be on your way to somewhere else. The first thing in my head was to focus on adjusting my walking speed, as I usually walk quite fast when I am by myself. The first five minutes were the toughest. Usually in this time when you meet someone, you would introduce yourself, ask questions... As Kallithea is mostly a residential area, the sidewalks tend to be smaller. Only when we reached some bigger streets that also have stores and commercial life, the sidewalks gave more space to pedestrians. In order to be able to walk next to each other, we had to walk on the street most of the time. This experience strengthened my belief that Athens and its neighborhoods are not always the most pedestrian friendly areas. We weren't distracted from talking to each other, so I realised this even more than I would usually. However I got to see a great potential for the future, especially as Kallithea its not a very mountainous neighbourhood compared to others in Athens, it could be great for walking if the infrastructure is improved and prioritized from the local government.
I was enjoying the calm of this silent coexistence so much, I didn’t want to reach the destination point. The absence of any verbal communication gave me the opportunity to experience intensely the surrounding space: buildings, sounds, smells, peoples’ characteristics. The experience of walking in relatively empty because f the pandemic central avenues in Athens was unique and a definite first. We passed in front of the Parliament, big speakers had been set up and loud battle sounds were playing. It was strange, we looked at each other and laughed from behind our masks. Awkwardness, quiet, calm.
It was awkward because you know you’re going to connect with this person but you know you’re not allowed to talk. I don’t know why we had to stay silent until the point we reached the end. I wouldn’t say things were different in the way I saw the city, the experience didn’t put me in a different scope to see things. In the end, it was a proper introduction, way overdue. We sat down in a raggedy couch in a community center and we talked, introduced each other; who we are, where we’re coming from, what’s happening, where we’re headed. I’m a very political being and his situation is very political so it was a proper mix for the recipe of the conversation. I imagined that he wouldn’t know how to move around the city as good as I do I was always showing the direction and asking his concession. I took the liberty to lead only because I’m a local, if he had an opposition I wouldn’t have minded, but he rolled along. It was special for me because I don’t really get to meet immigrants, they don’t really mix, most of them, you have to go where they are to find them. So it was interesting, cool to see what he is about, how he came here, what he represents. It was a fun thing to do!
The day before the walk, I visited the spot in order to know how to get there since we wouldn’t be able to talk about it. On the day, I tried to keep the person’s description in my mind to be sure to spot him among the passers-by, but he was the one that approached me first. I’ve been at the destination point 3 times since the walk. Before the walk, I hadn’t been, even though I live close by. I felt like Athens is not so big after all, and like I have more choices for beautiful places on a daily basis near home. We observed on the first floor of an apartment building a middle aged couple decorating their balcony for Christmas. They were so meticulous, it was like a ritual they waited for all year. Instantly we turned to each other and smiled. We have learned to talk a lot and not listen enough. I’d go again