A Long Farewell Drink ☕🍷

One Drink? Not in Greece!

The Greek way of having a drink is very different from what many visitors expect. In Greece, one drink is rarely just one drink. It is an opportunity to talk, exchange ideas, and enjoy good company for hours. That is exactly what happened when our director, Costas, met one of Alexander Greek School’s oldest students, François, before his return to Canada.

In Greece, an invitation that starts with “What about a drink?” rarely ends with just one drink.

That was certainly true when our director, Costas, met one of Alexander Greek School’s oldest students, François, now a Professor of Philosophy in Canada. They wanted to say goodbye before François returned home.

Their meeting took place at Giantes, a charming taverna in Exarchia. The restaurant has a lovely garden and sits next to the famous Riviera Open-Air Cinema. What began as a quick farewell drink soon turned into a four-hour conversation. They only stopped because François had an early flight the next morning.

From Homer to Ithaca

As always, Greek culture and literature dominated the conversation.

They discussed Homer and the Odyssey. They also talked about Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film, Victor Bérard’s famous study of Odysseus’ return journey, and Alain Tesson’s documentary that follows the same route.

The conversation naturally moved to Alexander Greek School’s planned one-week study trip to Ithaca this October. From there, the subjects kept changing, just as they often do during long Greek evenings.

A Friendly Debate

One topic always returns whenever Costas and François meet.

How was Ancient Greek really pronounced?

Costas, who likes to remind everyone that he is “not a professor,” defended his characteristically Greek—and slightly heretical—views. François, on the other hand, supported the reconstructed pronunciation theory. Their debate was lively, respectful, and full of good humour.

Discovering Erotokritos

Later, the discussion turned to Erotokritos, the legendary 17th-century Cretan epic of more than 10,000 verses.

The topic came up after one of our recent presentations about Greek poems that became songs. François became so interested that he has already started collecting books and research material. He hopes to continue exploring Erotokritos during his next visit to Alexander Greek School.

The Greek Way

The photograph was taken just before they finally left the taverna.

As you can see, neither of them looked tired. They could easily have continued talking for several more hours.

That is the beauty of going out for “just one drink” in Greece. It is rarely about the drink itself. It is about conversation, friendship, ideas, and sharing moments that you never want to end. 🇬🇷🍷