Mavili Square is many things at once: the generously filled sandwiches from its legendary canteen; drinks that stretch late into the night at its bars, both large and small; the cheese pies and pastries from Mike on the corner of Soutsou Street; the foreign magazines stacked at its one-of-a-kind kiosk; the vine-covered greenery of Flower; the kaimaki ice cream from Epik. It is the lawyers and doctors passing through, the elegant ladies and young families lingering in the square, the pigeons gathering around the fountain, the bust of Aliki Vougiouklaki, forever youthful, and the monument to the poet Lorentzos Mavilis, from whom the square takes its name. And, of course, it is the fountain itself, flowing once again since 2021. Yet, on this ordinary Sunday morning, all that history seems to dissolve into cups of iced freddo coffee.
Children play around the fountain. Some run straight through the jets, while others wait impatiently for the next burst of water. Nearby, pigeons gather with equal enthusiasm. The cafés are full of remote workers, tourists, and Athenians in search of a little shade and a little greenery. Flower’s tables have all but spilled across the square, and those unable to find a table drift towards Athina instead. Employees from nearby shops linger outside on cigarette breaks, picking up conversations that seem never quite to end. The bus stop on Vasilissis Sofias Avenue is crowded. Together with the passers-by, even the statues appear to be waiting for something. Cars and taxis inch along Soutsou Street. The bars are quietly preparing for the evening ahead. Loras has closed. Its sign has come down. No one knows what will open in its place. Otherwise, life goes on.
