God forgives, Patission does not.


Patission is a major street connecting central Athens with Patissia. I cross this  street  daily  as
part of my work commute the last six years. As it connects "my" side of Attica with central  Athens,
it has always been a major part of my life.

I have crossed this street end to end countless times by bus, trolley, car, motorbike, bicycle,  the
biggest part of it even on foot. I know every fuckin' pothole, bump, the patterns  of  each  set  of
traffic lights.


But Patission does not forgives. Especially when it rains.


The asphalt becomes soft during the summer. Heavy vehicles, such  as  busses,  deform  the  asphalt,
mostly in the right lane, forming something like a frozen wave. These deformations stay in place for
years, as nobody cares to fix them. Another interesting  characteristic  of  Patission  is  friction
coefficient - just a bit better than glass covered with oil. Now, take this kind of  street  surface
and combine it with rain.


Sometimes I admire myself for counting only three falls while cycling in Patission. Some people will
think that I am crazy and I shouldn't ride there. I am not the only one, even in  rainy  days  there
are many cyclists on this street. Why such stubborness you may  ask?  Well,  maybe  it's  Katerina's
poem: "Up and down Patission. Our life is Patission". Or maybe because it was in Patission, where as
a kid i met Nikolas. Or even the memory of the first "Star Wars" in Radio City.


We lived Patission, we will live Patission, we may die in Patission. But still, what can you do?  We
are our memories and our history.