Two Different Places To Live Essay, Research Paper

Life is simple and peaceful in the clear air of the mountains in my village. It is a beautiful village built on a ridge of the Menalon mountain, one thousand three hundred metres above sea level. The only access is by road which passes through the central square. All narrow, paved streets start from that square, the greater part of which is shaded by an ancient plane tree. Under this shade and around a stone-built fountain the villagers sit at the iron tables, drink their ouzo or coffee and discuss the news. The church, built on one side, dominates every other building with its church tower in the village. The school is the last building on the road out. From whatever point one stands one can see forests of pine trees, where honey, the economic mainstay of the area, in thousands of bee-hives, is produced. Flocks of goats give a superb kind of cheese. On a little cliff there is a little house, the existence of which had been the dream of my grandparents’ life before it became our own dream house. We did a restoration to this old building in order to make it our dream house. It was built to give relaxation. On a natural piece of land it stands out with its walls built of the same rock as the ground; it has large windows without shutters. The rooms are spacious and furnished with just the necessary pieces of furniture such as beds, one big table, some chairs, a refrigerator and a stove; everything is functional. We can sit on the stone floors, especially when they are freshly washed with plenty of water. Starting form the edge of the cliff, steps hewed in the rock lead down to a little crystal clear water streamlet. Life is pleasant and easy there; this house is connected with my best memories. On the other hand, life is not so peaceful, pleasant and easy where I permanently live, in the center of Athens. In contrast it is very stressful and sinks into a groove. Most of the main streets are crowded with trucks which deliver their loads of merchandise, with school buses that deliver children to their school and many shopkeepers rushing to open their stores. Everything is lively in Athens, music played loudly on radios mingles with the shopkeepers’ voices praising their goods. Everyone seems to be in a hurry to catch up with the frenetic rhythm of the town, to fulfil their responsibilities. Most of people live in little narrow apartments in blocks of flats and do not have access easily to nature. They have to travel at least for one hour to go nearby the sea or to the mountains surrounding Athens. The air is not so fresh, actually it is full of suffocating pollution with toxic substances and smog. The air is not scented with honeysuckle, jasmine and gardenias like it is on the countryside. The streets are narrow and not quiet and children don’t seem to play group games out in the open as they do at my village. The only thing here in Athens that reminds me of my village, is the little garden that we have around our house. Our garden, blooming every Spring, is full of flowers, rosebushes, geraniums and carnations. Of course in Athens people are more convenient. They can find everything they ask for. Especially in material, entertainment and many different occupations. They can go to the theatre , to the cinema and many other places to pass creatively their time. Unemployment is another reason most people move to big towns like Athens.

As a result one can see how much difference there is, living in your homeland village or in the center of Athens. Both of them have their advantages and disadvantages and one has to weight his personal likes and dislikes and finally decide where is better to live.