Αννίτα Χάρηκα στο Κουκάκι: Μια γειτονιά που μυρίζει αγάπη
Η Αννίτα Σπιθάκη, με τον εκρηκτικό χαρακτήρα της και ένα χαμόγελο που πάντα λάμπει, ταξιδεύει το FollowGeorge.gr και τους αναγνώστες του μέσα από το κανάλι της στο Youtube σε νέους προορισμούς κάθε μήνα. Αυτή την εβδομάδα η Αννίτα μάς ξεναγεί στο Κουκάκι, μια γειτονιά που μυρίζει αγάπη.
Περπατώντας στο κέντρο της Αθήνας αυτήν την εποχή, μια εποχή που κρατάει ακόμα μέσα της το καλοκαίρι και τον ηλιόλουστο καθαρό ουρανό, αναρωτιέμαι πόση ομορφιά χωράει ένας τόπος; Πλήθος κόσμου στη στάση του μετρό Ακρόπολη, με την εικόνα της Μελίνας Μερκούρη να χαιρετά με χαμόγελο τους περαστικούς, ερωτευμένοι πιασμένοι χέρι χέρι στα σοκάκια δίπλα από urbanιές στους τοίχους, κομψές φίλες κοκέτες άνω των 65 να παρκάρουν το αυτοκίνητο τους στο Κουκάκι και να πηγαίνουν για μεσημεριανό καφέ, με τα εντυπωσιακά και επιβλητικά σκουλαρίκια τους να δίνουν έναν αέρα αισιοδοξίας στην ατμόσφαιρα. Χρώμα, τέχνη, γκαλερί, μουσεία και πανέμορφοι χώροι εστίασης που αγκαλιάζουν τον επισκέπτη, τον απλό περαστικό και τους θαμώνες! Το Κουκάκι μυρίζει αγάπη και είμαι εδώ για να την μοιραστώ μαζί σας μέσα από εικόνες, ήχους, μυρωδιές και φαγητό!
Το Κουκάκι βρίσκεται νοτιοανατολικά του επιβλητικού λόφου Φιλοπάππου και συνορεύει με τις περιοχές των Πετραλώνων, της Καλλιθέας, του Νέου Κόσμου, της Ακρόπολης και Μακρυγιάννη και οροθετείται από τη λεωφόρο Συγγρού. Απο εκεί ξεκίνησα τη βόλτα μου, από τη λεωφόρο Συγγρού, που είναι πάντα μες στην κίνηση, που αν την περπατάς εκεί κάπου στο σούρουπο θα σου χαριστεί απλόχερο ένα μοναδικό ηλιοβασίλεμα μέσα στο αστικό τοπίο, που αν έχεις χρόνο να την εξερευνήσεις αξίζει τον κόπο να ξεκινήσεις από το Εθνικό Μουσείο Σύγχρονης Τέχνης.
Το ΕΜΣΤ στεγάζεται σε αυτό το εμβληματικό και σημείο αναφοράς ως κτήριο για την πόλη, από το 2016.Το συγκεκριμένο κτήριο αποτέλεσε εργοστάσιο της εταιρείας ΦΙΞ και σταθμό στην ιστορία του αποτελεί το έτος 1957, κατά το οποίο η οικογένεια Φιξ αποφάσισε να εκσυγχρονίσει το κτήριο και ανέθεσε αυτό το εγχείρημα στον αρχιτέκτονα Τάκη Ζενέτο. Το αποτέλεσμα ήταν πρωτοποριακό για την εποχή και επέτρεπε στο κτήριο να χρησιμοποιηθεί στο μέλλον για διαφορετικούς σκοπούς. Σήμερα το κτήριο Φιξ παραμένει σύγχρονο και φαντασμαγορικό, σημαντικό για την πόλη και τους κατοίκους, αγκαλιάζει και προβάλλει την σύγχρονη Τέχνη με έναν εξαιρετικά μοναδικό και οικείο τρόπο!
Πρώτη στάση σ 'έναν χώρο που θυμίζει μητρική αγάπη, από εκείνες που σε θέλουν ονειροπόλο, αισιόδοξο αλλά και σκεπτικιστή μα πάνω απ’ολα ασφαλή και χορτασμένο με τα καλύτερα χειροποίητα φαγητά! Το Mother Vegan Cafe Bistro είναι το ιδανικό μέρος για να ξεκινήσεις και να τελειώσεις τη μέρα σου, με χειροποίητες πίτες και εξαιρετικό καφέ για πρωινό ή μεσημεριανό, με γλυκά που θα λατρέψεις και γεύσεις που σου θυμίζουν ζεστασιά και οικειότητα μα σίγουρα δεν θα έχεις ξαναδοκιμάσει.
Κατάλληλο για χορτοφάγους και καλλιτεχνικές ψυχές που απολαμβάνουν την καλαίσθητη μουσική και ηρεμούν με τη Φρίντα Κάλο στο μαξιλάρι τους. Ακόμα και η διακόσμηση του μπάνιου είναι ένα ταξίδι σε μέρη και εποχές και σου δίνει ερεθίσματα για μουσική, θέατρο, πολιτισμό! Ένας χώρος που θυμίζει καλλιτεχνικό στέκι και σπίτι ταυτόχρονα και πρέπει οπωσδήποτε να επισκεφτείς! Μην ξεχάσεις να παραγγείλεις Πίτα με κολοκύθα, χειροποίητη με αλεύρι σίτου, παρθένο ελαιόλαδο, κόκκινες κολοκύθες, κολοκυθόσπορο, άνηθο, σιμιγδάλι, καρότα, κρεμμύδι ξερό και πιπέρι για κάτι εξωτικό και ελαφρύ ή πίτα με μανιτάρια για κάτι πιο πικάντικο!
Επόμενη στάση Hippy Hippo, το all day μαγαζί στην οδό Ζίννη, με την σκανδιναβική αισθητική, το φωτεινό χώρο, τις γευστικές επιλογές και για vegan και την κεντρική τοποθεσία κάτω από τα δέντρα που το καθιστά ιδανική επιλογή, κατάλληλη για όσους θέλουν να πάρουν το laptop τους και να δουλέψουν σε μια ήρεμη γωνιά του μαγαζιού, απολαμβάνοντας τον αέρα και τον παλμό της πόλης!Minimal αισθητική, έντονα γραφιστικά στοιχεία σε τοίχους, τραπεζάκια και καρέκλες δίνουν μία πινελιά χρώματος κάνοντας το σύγχρονο και ιδιαίτερο μέσα στην απλότητα του. Απολαύσαμε το Vegan avocado toast, με φρέσκο ζυμωτό ψωμί με smashed avocado, καραμελωμένο κρεμμύδι, σωτέ μανιτάρια, αμύγδαλα και καρύδια καβουρδισμένα με το dressing από γάλα αμυγδάλου να ολοκληρώνει την απόλαυση αυτού του πιάτου και να το κάνει μοναδικό!
Το Κουκάκι είναι μια γειτονιά που σε γυρνάει πάντα πίσω, σε μεταφέρει σε μια Αθήνα μαγική που δεν έζησες ίσως και δεν θα ζήσεις ποτέ, μα ονειρεύεσαι και ψυχανεμίζεσαι μέσα από τους ανθρώπους της, από τις γωνιές της ησυχίας και της φασαρίας της, από την επιβλητική Ακρόπολη και το λόφο Φιλοπάππου που απλώνεται πίσω της, από τη “φασαριόζικη” Συγγρού που την περιορίζει και την καθορίζει και απ’ όλα όσα είναι και δεν μπορείς να περιγράψεις με λόγια και εικόνες. Κρασάκια με παρέες, καλλιτεχνικά στενά, μουσική και ταινίες, έρωτας και αποχωρισμός. Μια γειτονιά που σε κάνει να επιστρέφεις και να ανακαλύπτεις πολλά μέσα από τις αντιθέσεις της!
Είμαι η Αννίτα και Χάρηκα, μέχρι την επόμενη περιπλάνηση μας, να κοιτάτε ψηλά και να ονειρεύεστε!
Φωτογραφίες: Αννίτα Σπιθάκη
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✯𝐁𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢✯
Matt x earthyboho! Reader (platonic only!!)
IN WHICH…after flaking on his friends 1 million party, Matt spends time with Chris’s girlfriend, Y/n.
WARNINGS: mentions of anxiety, self-deprecation, smoking, drinking, I think that’s it.
yall can thank @mattslolita & @thenickgirl because i didn't want this fic to see the light of day but they wanted it.
It was a late Saturday night and Y/n was currently in her living room having her annual wine night.
The sound of Pink Floyd’s money was flowing through the speakers as she danced around the living room, blunt in her mouth and wine glass in the other.
“I’m alright jack keep your hands off my st-'' She stops her singing when her phone rings. She smiles seeing her boyfriend’s name flash across the screen.
“Hi baby, everything ok?” She flops down on to her couch, wine glass still in her hand. Chris smiles seeing her in her eccentric state.
“Yeah everything’s fine I just have a favor to ask. You can definitely say no, but I thought I’d ask anyway.” She hums and takes a sip of her wine.
“So like, we have Tara’s party to go to tonight and Matt is supposed to come but he’s in a funk. He’s been like this all week and I’m positive it’s his anxiety. Do you think he could go to your tonight? I know it’s a big favor to ask because you two have never been alone, but I know you deal with anxiety and I just don’t want Matt to be alone tonight.”
The question throws her off.
She has never hung out with Chris’s brothers without Chris present. It wasn’t because she didn’t want to, she just didn’t see the need for it if Chris wasn’t there. However, Chris was asking her to do so out of love and she can’t deny him that.
“Sure, yeah that’s fine.”
The call ends after the two exchange plans and 'I love yous'. About an hour and a half later, her doorbell rings. She walks through the foyer, humming along to the fading music, and opens the door.
“Hey…” Matt trails off awkwardly. He feels bad having to show up at his brother's girlfriend's house like a child needing to be watched. He planned on staying home after dropping his brothers off, but Chris demanded that he go to Y/n's
So here he is.
“Hey, come in.”
She steps to the side and allows him inside. Usually, she would grab her stick of palo santo and cleanse him down, but she could tell that he doesn’t have a bad bone in his body and needs comfort, not an energy cleansing.
Matt kicks off his shoes and follows her through the big home. Matt looks around in amazement, he knew Y/n was a bit of a hippie, but not to this extent.
He feels safe in her home, surrounded by multiple shades of browns, greens, and oranges. The multiple paintings and posters on the walls, the vases of many shapes and sizes.
It was something out of a movie, but he loved it.
As they walk further into the house, he hears the tune of a familiar song he can’t place his finger on.
“Sorry for the mess, it’s my wine night. Did you want a glass? It’s blueberry!” Matt looks to the wine bottle on the table, accompanied by a bong, and a few other knickknacks.
“Don’t apologize, I intruded on your night. Not like you were expecting to babysit a grown man.” He mumbles.
Y/n frowns at his words, “I don’t see it as babysitting. I see it as you needing a friend. We may not actually be friends, but this is a chance to start.” He smiles softly at her comforting words. He eyes the orange beanbag in the corner and immediately wants to sit on it. It was huge and looked more comforting than his own bed ever had. Y/n sees him eyeing the bean bag and motions to it, “You can sit on it. Make yourself at home.”
Matt doesn’t have to be told twice, immediately sitting down on the bean bag. Oddly, it seems like most of the pressure on his shoulders has been released, the softness of the on-ground chair aiding in that.
Y/n watches silently as Matt closes his eyes and fades into the beanbag. She could tell he had a lot going on in his head, and she hated it for him. She knew all too well what it was like to be fighting your own thoughts, and she felt like she owed it to Chris to help his brother.
She stands up from the couch and walks over to her vinyl's, getting ready to switch them out. “You have a lot of vinyl's.” Matt’s voice rings out.
“I’ve collected a bunch over the years, I blame my mom and dad for the obsession...Chris got me a few of these as well.” A smile graces her face as she thinks about her parents, she decides to call them soon.
“Did you want to pick one?” She offers. Matt stands up from the bean and walks over to the collection of crates.
He sees a few familiar artists, never listening to their music but recognizing their faces. “I’ll be honest, I don’t really know any of these people.” She hums and looks at the crates before looking back to Matt, “Did you want to hook your phone up and play music? I won’t mind but, I will request something soft. I’m not a fan of loud music when it’s late.” Matt nods and the two immediately hook his phone up.
He clicks on a playlist and the soft sound of Fleetwood Mac fills the room. “Oo good choice. I love Stevie Nicks.”
Matt lets out a sigh of relief hearing her words. He was a bit self-conscious when playing music for other people, scared they would judge him. It wasn't like he listened to rap every day, he tended to branch out at times, finding solace in the slower songs.
“Did you want a glass of wine?” She offers once again, already pouring herself another glass. “Sure, I don’t think I’ve ever had wine before.” He says sitting up.
Y/n pours him a glass before handing it to him, “This is my favorite. It’s cheap but it tastes like juice.” He smells it before taking a sip, humming at the sweet taste.
A few glasses later the two are laughing and talking, the conversation flowing easier now that their heads are heavy and their bodies are light.
“How come you didn’t want to go to Tara’s party?” It’s as if her words flip a switch in Matt’s brain, his body tensing as he falls silent.
“Why are you asking? I know Chris told you why.” His words come out a bit snappy making Y/n tap her leg anxiously. “Well, he did... But I want to hear it from you…I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable or like I was all in your business.”
The two sit in a pregnant silence before Y/n speaks up once again. “Do you want to talk about it?”
It takes a moment for Matt to speak,
“I'm sick and tired of fighting. I wasn’t born to fight, maybe a small part of me is but I can’t do it anymore….I want to run away from the thoughts in my head and the problems in life but it's like I'm stuck, my legs no longer working, leaving me to be crushed.”
Y/n listens closely to his words, not wanting to interrupt him. She figures it’s best for him to speak his mind since it seems like he’s never able to.
“I wanted to go to Tara’s party tonight, but I just freaked out. The idea of being around so many people who are screaming, drinking, and smoking just made me want to vomit. I haven't always been like this but at the same time, I have. I used to be able to go out with Chris and Nick when we were in Boston, sometimes getting anxious...But it seemed like when we moved to LA, it just got worse. I feel like I’m putting my friends and family through hell by not wanting to do certain things or go anywhere all because of this fucking anxiety.” He rubs over his face in exhaustion, just the thought of being in a crowded room with drunks taking a toll on his body.
“I understand completely. I’m not much of a party person either so I usually stay in the solitude of my own home. Although I’m not living it up like every person in LA, I think what I’m doing is considered living. You’re only ruled by the vibe you’re serving yourself. Don’t feel bad about it.”
He listens to her words closely, finding them to be comforting but also confusing. “But is it considered living? When you hear people say they are living life, you don’t picture someone in their home, you picture parties and trips.”
Y/n takes another sip of wine, “that’s true, but everyone has their own perceptions of things. What I may consider living, others might not. But like I said, you’re only ruled by the vibe you’re serving yourself.”
“But what does that mean? Ruled by the vibe of serving yourself?” He sits up on the bean bag, crossing his legs and arms as he only becomes more confused.
“It means that if you are content and happy by being alone and doing what you want to do, aka serving yourself, then that’s all that matters." Matt furrows his brows.
He doesn’t know if it’s the wine making her not make sense or if her words truly aren’t adding up.
“That doesn’t make sense though. I’m not happy staying inside because anxiety is what’s making me do it. It’s not like I’m choosing to be alone, I want to go out like everyone else and have a good time.”
“And that’s the issue-" she pointed at him.
“You’re not living by your own means, and let’s face it, that’s normal considering you’re a 20-year-old influencer in LA. You feel like you need to go out like everyone else, or else they are going to think you’re weird, or boring. You have this urge to fit in and that isn’t serving you by any means because that’s when the anxiety shows its face.”
It all starts to slowly make sense to him.
“So you’re saying by me trying to force myself to fit in and go to parties and go out, I’m making my anxiety worse?” He tries to clarify.
“Not worse per se, that sounds bad. Anxiety doesn’t have to be a bad thing, but it’s not a good thing either. Some people are just natural introverts, but when they force themselves to do things they won’t enjoy, they get anxious and freak out. That’s when I think anxiety is good because it’s telling you to stop forcing yourself through something that’s just going to drain you.”
Y/n lets her words sink into Matt, watching as his face goes through different emotions as he deciphers her thoughts.
“I think I understand? So what you’re trying to say is that I’m most likely an introvert, and by forcing myself into situations that don’t benefit me, I’m making my anxiety flare up. And that my anxiety is trying to warn me to take it easy?”
A small smile forms on Y/n’s face, “and?”
“And that I need to start living life by my means and what makes me happy, because living life by society's means doesn’t benefit me?”
Y/n claps excitedly, “yes! Exactly! You got it! Live your own life and you will be happy!” Matt lets out a breath of air now that he understands her words.
The conversation helped him understand himself a bit more and his thoughts, no longer feeling bad about ditching Tara’s party. And now that he no longer feels bad, all that internal pressure that was ready to burst out of his body is gone.
“I feel so much better now, Christ you have a way with words…I’m sorry for getting snappy earlier.” Y/n waves him off and giggles.
“It’s fine, I tend to do the same at times, but you just need to work through your thoughts and feelings.” She stands up from the couch and claps her hands.
“Now, after that long conversation, I think we deserve a dance break!” Y/n holds her hand out waiting for Matt’s phone. He unlocks it and hands it to her, the girl immediately going to Spotify and loading up a queue of songs.
Y/n immediately bobs her head to the song, twirling around the living room.
“You’ve got to press it on you- Come on Matt everyone knows Gorillaz!” She dances over to him and pulls him off the bean bag.
Matt laughs out as he begins to dance and sing along to the infamous song with the girl.
“It’s coming up it’s coming up, it’s dare!” They shout the lyrics at the top of their lungs, not having a care in the world about how crazy they look.
they were having fun and that's all that matters.
This goes on for about an hour, the two dancing and singing their hearts away. They even recorded a few snaps that were posted of them dancing and singing.
The two collapse onto the couch, out of breath and tired from the workout. “That was tiring. I don’t know if I want to eat or sleep.” Y/n giggles and points to her kitchen, “Well luckily for you, food is next. You good with pasta? I made ravioli from scratch."
“That sounds amazing.” Y/n bounces into the kitchen leaving Matt alone in the living room. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees a brown ball trotting into the living room. He gasps seeing the small ball of fur, and immediately picks her up. “You are so cute, what is your name?”
He looks at the collar and chuckles seeing the name
“Janelle meownet”.
He’s heard of the singer and with Y/n’s vibes, it made sense for her to like her.
He sets the kitten on the couch and begins to play with her, his phone soon interrupting them. He answers seeing it’s Chris and smiles at the camera.
The loud sound of the party fills his ears before Chris speaks, “Hey you good?”
Matt nods, “I’m good, I’m having a good time with Y/n.” He answers. Chris smiles, happy that his brother and girlfriend are getting along.
“That’s great! You feeling ok?” Matt nods once again.
“Yeah, Y/n and I had a talk and she really helped me see things differently it was nice….I really like her for you Chris.”
Chris smiles brightly, finding solace in Matt’s words. He knew his brothers liked Y/n, but hearing that at least one of them thought she was perfect filled Chris's heart with joy.
The phone is taken by Tara, " Matt I wish you were here!" He smiles softly and talks to Tara for a minute.
Chris takes the phone back and demands to speak with Y/n. Matt rolls his eyes and hands the phone to the girl who just walked back in the livingroom.
"Hi, are you enjoying the party?" She asks Chris.
The two talk for a few minutes before Chris lets her know that him and Nick are going to come over after. They get off the phone and Y/n hands the device back to Matt.
"The food should be done, ready to eat?"
They walk into the kitchen and Matt's mouth waters at the site of the ravioli in alfredo sauce.
They sit down and dive into the food, Matt scarfing his down. It wasn't every day he had a homecooked meal, especially ravioli from scratch.
The night ensues with more wine, painting, doing puzzles, and talking.
Matt felt himself genuinely forgetting about all his worries and problems that once held all the weight of the world on his shoulders. He enjoyed his night with Y/n, she was truly a breath of fresh air.
"This might come out weird, but I can see why Chris likes you."
Y/n looks up from her diamond painting, a curious look on her face.
"What do you mean?''
"It's no secret that most people in LA aren't...normal? Everyone is either trying to be famous, or they are famous and want to use people to climb to the top. Their personalities are fake, and they don't care about other people....You're different. You actually care about people, you're actually nice, you don't care about fame or money... you're a breath of fresh air..... Chris deserves that."
Y/n finds comfort in Matt's words, enjoying the friendly praises. "At first Nick and I were worried about you, scared that you were only going to hurt him, use him to get higher in social situations…But we realized you aren’t like that at all, and tonight confirmed that even more for me. You could have told Chris no when he asked if I could come over, you could have been rude to me all night, but instead, you welcomed me with open arms.”
She smiles softly at Matt, the same smile being returned to her.
“I had no reason not to welcome you with open arms. Besides the fact that you’re Chris’s family, I could tell you needed a friend. I know you and I aren’t that close, but I wanted to be another person you know you could count on when times got rough. Thank you for trusting me tonight….and thank you and Nick for trusting me with Chris as well.”
“Thanks for being another person on my team….I hope you and Chris last. I’ll actually beat his ass and disown him if he fucks this up.”
Y/n falls out laughing, Matt joining in as well.
The two adults fall into a comfortable silence, the only sound being the soft voice of Sade. This lasts for about 20 minutes before her front door is pushed open, Chris and Nick walking into the living room.
Chris’s eyes immediately land on the two adults sitting on the floor, "well you two look cozy." Chris drops his bag on the couch and sits down next to Y/n, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She turns to him and smiles, realizing how much she missed his presence.
"Did you guys have a good time at the party?" Nick goes on a tangent about the party and how he got irritated a few times, but overall had a good night.
Not long after the tangent, Nick and Chris join in on the diamond paintings.
"I think this is the most silent Chris has been," Nick jokes. Hearing his name he looks up, putting his tongue that was sticking out in concentration back in his mouth. "Shut the hell up Nick, your painting looks like ass anyway! Right Y/n?" When the girl doesn't answer, Chris looks down only to see the girl sleeping, her hand propping her head up.
He smiles softly at her sleeping frame, "I'm going to get her in bed. There are blankets in that bin over there if you guys want to sleep in the living room. Otherwise, there's a spare room next to the kitchen." The other two boys nod and go back to talking quietly as Chris picks Y/n up, carrying her to her room.
He lays her down on the bed, changing into spare clothes he's left and climbing in next to her. He pulls her close, wrapping his arms around her tightly. Y/n hums and nuzzles her head into his chest. Chris could tell her eyes were open by the way he felt her lashes tickling his chest softly.
“Did you and Matt have a good time? I saw the wine on the table and multiple snap stories.” Her soft and sleepy giggles make Chris smile, his grip on her waist tightening. “It was really nice, I like Matt."
“That’s good, I’m glad…Thank you for helping out. I know I just kind of threw this at you last minute, but I’m really grateful you could help. I know you struggle with anxiety and I just thought you and Matt could work on things together.”
She looks up and gives a dopey smile at his words, “Don’t thank me for doing the bare minimum...I love you."
He trails a hand up her side before gently caressing her face, "I love you too baby-" He plants a soft and delicate kiss on her lips, enjoying the soft moment between the two of them.
He feels her slowly stop kissing back, making him pull away. He chuckles seeing she fell back asleep that quickly. " I got to put you on a wine limit."
He kisses her nose before falling into a deep sleep.
i hate this fic sm im so sorry if nothing makes sense. i did my best to explain my personal feelings towards anxiety and ik it doesn't make sense at times.
𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐨 𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 🍑: @mattslolita @thenickgirl @guccifrog @luverboychris @zayyluvz @mrsmiagreer @chrisssluttywaist @78yaz @hoesformatt @freshloveforthefit @3lizaluvs @mattsturniolosgirlfriend @jetaimevous @luxy-nyx @ts-is-my-spirt-animal @iihrtsturniol0 @idontexistman @katw4shereee @madisturn @starlace111 @zivall @adoreindie @imwetforyourmom @sturnsxplr-25 @sturncakez @theyluvme-2315
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