Visiting the Poet-Sandalmaker of Athens

"The lesser hermit harbors within a forest; the great hermit harbors within the city."
-- my translation of an ancient Chinese quote

A bit of random trivia about me ... my father once majored in literature in college, and I like to think that I've inherited half of those genes. So when I first heard about an internationally famous poet disguised as an obscure sandalmaker in the alleys of Psirri in Athens, I was instantly intrigued.

Perhaps disguise isn't quite the correct word -- it can be argued that Stavros Melissinos was first and foremost a sandalmaker after all. Born the son of an Athenian sandalmaker, he took over his father's old shop below the Acropolis fifty years ago and has become a local legend since. The Beatles are said to have visited four times, followed by scores of Hollywood stars and European nobility. He has become so legendary in his own country that the priestesses at the lighting of the Olympic flame in 2004 all wore his classic handmade sandals. But his main claim to fame isn't the material comfort endowed by his craftsmanship, but his free-spirited poetry:

Apollo's horses, in a splendid dawn ascending
Breathe their flames and another night is ending
Praised be the sun ripening the grapes with his light
For the grapes yield wine putting our pains to flight



According to local legend, when asked why he chose to carry on his family's sandalmaking business when he could have easily sold his label to foreign investors and retired rich, he answered:

"A writer who does nothing but write is like the moon which gives off some light, but it’s borrowed, taken from the sun. A writer needs first hand experience, which only working in an other field can give him. Otherwise he is writing what he has read in other books."

Now THAT is wisdom and insight! This is a true hermit in the purest sense -- there's no need to live in seclusion to be set apart from the world, when true hermitry becomes a state of mind. When I visited Athens this summer, I told myself I must pay a visit to his shop, even though he was said to have retired several years ago. Besides ... Athens in late June was steaming hot and I was in desperate need for a pair of sandals.



And this is the place -- very similar to how I imagined it to be -- a chaotic artist studio right in the inner-city of Athens, flanked by graffitied walls in a working class neighborhood. Stavros the Poet had retired a few years back and has been succeeded by his son Pantelis, a artist and playwright in his own right.



Pantelis was just custom-fitting another customer's sandals as we walked in, a cigarette in one hand and a cordovan's hammer in the other. When asked by an unassuming customer if his father is the artist, he snapped back with a "No I am the artist," and somewhat annoyed. His English was perfectly American, polished from his younger years of studying and working in New York. Within the course of the short conversation, his hands flew around the anvil and finished another sandal, which he casually tossed aside into a pile.



According to the store pamphlets, Pantelis majored in painting at Parsons School of Design prior to returning to Athens to follow in his father's footsteps. Colorful murals decorate sections of the store walls not already covered up by a curtain of hanging sandals. There were 27 styles at the time of our visit, many named after the celebrities who chose the particular style. John Lennon, for instance, lent his name to Number 16, a classic style which I found a little too feminine on my skinny feet.



Which one looks better? After trying on a few pairs I really liked the minimalist style at the bottom of the picture, interestingly named after Jeremy Irons. Reasonably priced (by Western Europe standard) at 27 Euros, they actually cost more than twice the amount charged on the other side of Monastiraki Square. But all customers know that they are paying not only for the sandals, but the privilege of being fitted by the skilled hands of a Melissinos.

Well, up to this point my pair of Jeremy Irons has stood up very well in a tough two week trial through the cobblestone streets of Mykonos, Santorini, Symi and Rhodes. So if you're lacking a pair of practical sandals for your upcoming trip to the Greek islands, or perhaps just looking for a cool souvenir for lounging on the beach back home, drop by Melissinos for a pair of sandals, then walk up the street into the heart of Psyrri and discover your own favorite Ouzeri. I know I found mine, and I'll post the food photos in the next post.


MELISSINOS ART
Address: Aghias Theklas 2, Psyrri, Athens
Website: http://www.melissinos-art.com
Directions: Exit Monastiraki metro station, cross Ermou Street and turn left. You should be heading west. Turn right at the second street (Aghias Theklas) and you should see the store sign and banner of Melissinos Art.