Walking in Athens with Constantine Cavafy

by Constantinos P. Cavafy, Constantine Cavafy

Renowned Greek poet Constantine Cavafy was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on 29 April, 1863. A cosmopolitan by birth, Cavafy travelled for the first time to Greece in the summer of 1901, accompanied by his brother Alexandros. His stay in Athens constitutes the topic of a new book entitled Walking in Athens with Constantine Cavafy.

Wandering through Athens with Cavafy is a fascinating experience. Readers will have the chance to discover that, despite the fact that it’s been over a century ago and with dramatic changes have taken place in the capital, the city centre has preserved the broad outline of its physiognomy. The urban grid, shaped like a large symmetrical triangle and dating from the time of King Otto (mid 19th century), is still the city’s most obvious trait, while the large public buildings that remain attractions adorning the city would have also been seen by Cavafy at the time.

The map that is attached to the publication has, among other things, the intent to introduce the reader to this dual path between the Athens of today and the Athens of yesterday, the one described by Cavafy. The game of comparisons will be a further element of discovery for the curious traveler willing to experiment. To see Athens with Cavafy’s eyes and compare it with their own experience of the modern city, will give an unexpected force to the reader’s Athenian experience, to discover a city of many faces, simultaneously the cradle of ancient civilization and a modern Mediterranean capital.

Cavafy4

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

Constantine P. Cavafy (also known as Konstantin or Konstantinos Petrou Kavafis, or Kavaphes; Greek Κ.Π. Καβάφης) was a major Greek poet who worked as a journalist and civil servant. His consciously individual style earned him a place among the most important figures not only in Greek poetry, but in Western poetry as well. He has been called a skeptic and a neo-pagan. In his poetry he examines critically some aspects of Christianity, patriotism, and homosexuality, though he was not always comfortable with his role as a nonconformist. He published 154 poems; dozens more remained incomplete or in sketch form. His most important poetry was written after his fortieth birthday.

Reviews

[Dimitris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Έχω πάντα ένα πρόβλημα με κείμενα ιδιωτικά που κάποιος συνέγγραφε για τον εαυτό του και μόνον και κάποιοι μακρυνοί συγγενείς ή «μελετητές» ξέθαψαν δεκαετίες μετά τον θάνατό του και αποφάσισαν να εκδώσουν. Ναι, ενδέχεται να έχουν πολύ ενδιαφέρον μα είναι πάντα μία παραβίαση της ζωής ενός ανθρώπου. Ο μεγάλος Καφάφης μας το είχε περάσει αυτό και με ποιήματά του ατελή, αδημοσίευτα, αποκηρυγμένα, που κάποιοι με το ζόρι εξέδωσαν προς δική τους δόξα, δεν χρειαζόταν να το υποστεί και με αυτό το τεφτεράκι που κρατούσε τον μήνα που πρωτοήρθε στην Αθήνα της Μπελ-Επόκ 38 χρονών το 1901, πριν από 125 χρόνια σχεδόν, μέσα από το οποίο μαθαίνουμε πως κάθε μέρα σχεδόν υπέφερε από το στομάχι του.

Το μόνο πολύ ενδιαφέρον για μένα είναι οι περιγραφές της Αθήνας και του Πειραιά του 1900, αυτός ο συνδυασμός του οικείου και του ολότελα ξένου πια. Δρόμων με περικλεή ονόματα που εσύ ξέρεις ως άσχημες χαρακιές στο τοπίο περιφραγμένες με τερατώδη πενταόροφα τσιμεντόκουτα και ο μεγάλος Αλεξανδρινός τους περιγράφει ως γραφικούς με ωραία σπιτάκια! Θλίψη. Όλα τα άλλα έχουν χαθεί: Τα περιβόλια στον Πειραιά, κάποια θέατρα που φιλοξενούσαν θιάσους εξ Ιταλίας που ανέβαζαν άγνωστες οπερέττες, ζαχαροπλαστεία, οι παλιές οικογένειες στα αρχοντικά τους στην Κηφισιά, το τραμ...

Εντύπωση πολύ άσχημη μού έκανε, τέλος, η μικρή αυτή έκδοση με τον ανώνυμο μεταφραστή (ο Καβάφης για κάποιον λόγο κρατούσε αυτό το ταξιδιωτικό ημερολόγιο στα Αγγλικά!) Η γλώσσα δεν θυμίζει σε τίποτα Καβάφη ούτε γραπτό του 1901, το σημερινό μονοτονικό, ακόμα και η καθημερινή θερμοκρασία των Αθηνών που σημείωνε με επιμέλεια έχει αφεθεί σε ξένο σύστημα (Φαρενχάιτ;) και είναι άχρηστη για μας: «78 σήμερα. Πολλή ζέστη 86, το απόγευμα έπεσε στους 82 βαθμούς.» Δεν έχω ξαναδεί τέτοιο πράγμα.

[Alessandro Caltabiano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interessante leggerlo se siete appassionati di biografie e collezionate "cimeli" di scrittori e artisti in generale. Mi ha un po' deluso perché mi aspettavo un diario di sensazioni [contando che Kavafis visitò la Grecia per la prima volta a 38 anni], invece è un diario in cui annota le cose fatte o le persone incontrate nelle sue giornate.
Ho ritenuto giusto dargli 3 stelle perché mi piacciono i diari, e perché l'introduzione e l'appendice contengono comunque informazioni carine che mi hanno permesso di contestualizzare un po' meglio l'autore e i suoi pensieri.

[Ivana]

Cavafy's diary that reads like an itinerary - down to listing the streets he walked on a particular day. Not really interesting to casual readers as he does not expand on any type of topic, doesn't offer much in way of descriptions of sights or his opinions of them - but could be useful to those that wish to recreate his very walks in Athens (map is provided as well in this edition) or someone interested in making a documentary about this visit. Nice historical photos included as well.

[Helene Barale · Rating 1 out of 5]

Questo libro di poche pagine si legge velocemente e rappresenta il diario di viaggio, giorno per giorno, dell'autore durante uno dei suoi viaggi ad Atene.
Sono rimasta delusa dalla lettura perché mi aspettavo di leggere racconti dei luoghi visitati, impressioni e aneddoti mentre l'autore si limita ad elencare temperatura del giorno, suo stato di salute e gli innumerevoli nomi delle persone che incontra, con cui pranza o discorre giorno per giorno.

[chiara_librofilia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Da questo libricino forse mi aspettavo qualcosa di diverso (più lirismo e più poesia) ma si tratta principalmente di una sorta di cronaca telegrafica dei luoghi che visita durante il suo soggiorno ad Atene, delle persone che incontra e della temperatura registrata.
C'è poco altro di rilevante se non l'osservare come, in tutto questo tempo, la città si sia, per alcuni aspetti, radicalmente modificata mentre per altri sia rimasto tutto esattamente com'era.

[Marios Alexandrou · Rating 1 out of 5]

Από την μικρή περίληψη στο πίσω μέρος του μου μικρού και συμπαθητικού αυτού βιβλίου, ο αναγνώστης διαβάζει για το απίθανο αυτό βιβλιαράκι - ημερολόγιο του Κ.Π.Καβαφη, κατά την πρώτη του επίσκεψη στην Ελλάδα. Πέρα από ένα κατεβατό ονόματα και την καθημερινή ενημέρωση της θερμοκρασίας ανά κάθε ώρα. Το ημερολόγιο αυτό δεν είναι παρά μια αναφορά σε ποιους δρόμους περπάτησε ο Καφαφης, γραμμένο λες και διαβάζουμε το ημερολόγιο ενός έφηβου.

Τρομερά απαγοητευμένος!

[DANAI · Rating 4 out of 5]

Του άρεσε να γράφε τι καιρό έχει κάθε μέρα και να κάθεται στου Ζαχαράτου

[Elodie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una cronaca abbastanza scarna delle giornate di Kavafis ad Atene fra passeggiate, teatro, caffè e incontri con conoscenti e letterati.
Sin dalla prima pagina il poeta avverte che questo sarà un diario di fatti dal sapore cronachistico.
Il lettore non cerchi quindi in questo libro informazioni sull'attività poetica di Kavafis o impressioni di carattere sentimentale.