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17 Best Things to Do in Athens, From Hitting the Beach to Gazing at Ruins

17 Best Things to Do in Athens, From Hitting the Beach to Gazing at Ruins

As one of the world's oldest cities, there's no surprise at the sheer amount of things to do in Athens—the destination is a master of reinvention. After a dark decade on the brink of Grexit, Athens has morphed into southern Europe's capital of cool. Long weekenders are swooping in to check out the exciting food scene and check into the new wave of cool hotels in Athens. Artists and designers are settling in for good, lured by affordable rents, the promise of sunshine, and an anarchic spirit where you don't have to play by the rules. There's nothing orderly about Athens: traffic is chaotic, life is messy, the architecture a mash-up of Byzantine and Bauhaus, neoclassical and nondescript. The Parthenon still dominates the skyline—and will forever be one of the key things to do in Athens—but for most Athenians the antiquities embedded among tightly packed apartment blocks are an afterthought. It's in the graffitied backstreets and café-lined squares, the factories converted into galleries, bars hidden in arcades, and secret coves for skinny dipping where the heartbeat of Athens is racing. Beyond the classics, these are the best things to do in Athens.
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Phil Collins recovering in hospital
Phil Collins recovering in hospital

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Phil Collins recovering in hospital

Phil Collins is recovering from knee surgery. The 74-year-old musician - who admitted earlier this year that he is "very sick" - was the subject of online rumours last week that he was receiving hospice care, but his representative his confirmed to The Independent that is not the case. Instead, the former Genesis frontman is currently in hospital recuperating after having an operation on his knee. Phil - who has type 2 diabetes and ongoing complications from a 2007 spinal surgery which means he can "barely" hold a drumstick properly anymore - admitted earlier this year his health issues have meant he is no longer interested in playing music. He told MOJO magazine: 'I keep thinking I should go downstairs to the studio and see what happens. But I'm not hungry for it anymore. 'The thing is, I've been sick, I mean very sick.' The In the Air Tonight hitmaker would love to be able to drum again one day, but he devastatingly believes he's 'used up my air miles'. Speaking in the Phil Collins: Drummer First documentary, he said: 'It's still kind of sinking in a bit… I've spent all my life playing drums. To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock.' Phil picked up his first set of drumsticks aged five and he says the laborious playing has 'taken its toll' on his hands and legs. He added about his decision to retire: 'If I can't do what I did as well as I did it, I'd rather relax and not do anything. 'If I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of drumsticks then I'll have a crack at it. 'But I just feel like I've used up my air miles.' Phil has suffered for a long time with poor health since he injured a vertebrae in his upper neck while performing in 2009. Two years later, he stepped back from performing due to crippling nerve damage, which rendered him unable to play the drums, before returning in 2015. Promoting Genesis' reunion shows, he previously said: 'I'm kind of physically challenged a bit which is very frustrating because I'd love to be playing up there with my son.'

Phil Collins explains why he's in hospital and debunks hospice claims
Phil Collins explains why he's in hospital and debunks hospice claims

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timean hour ago

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Phil Collins explains why he's in hospital and debunks hospice claims

A representative for Phil Collins has assured fans that the 74-year-old music legend is not in hospice care, despite recent rumors. Instead, the former drummer and frontman of British rock band Genesis is currently in the hospital after undergoing knee surgery, his spokesperson confirmed to The Independent. Last week, unfounded rumors that the retired musician was on his deathbed went viral online. It's unclear what sparked them; however, they came months after the eight-time Grammy-winning artist revealed that he was 'very sick.' 'I keep thinking I should go downstairs to the studio and see what happens but I'm not hungry for it anymore,' Collins told Mojo magazine in February after his final concert with the group at London's O2 Arena. The concert was billed as the band's last ever together and saw Collins say goodbye to his fans. 'The thing is. I've been sick, I mean very sick,' he said. 'Phil wasn't in as great a shape as he used to be, but they did a great job,' founding Genesis member Peter Gabriel added. Though Gabriel didn't perform with the rock group, he explained: 'Me going was a rite of passage, really. I'd been part of the creation of Genesis, so I wanted to be there at the end.' Collins announced his retirement from live shows in 2022, after having previously said he can 'barely hold a drumstick' following a serious spinal injury in 2007. The injury damaged vertebrae in his upper neck and caused lasting nerve damage. 'I'm kind of physically challenged a bit, which is very frustrating because I'd love to be playing up there with my son,' he said in a September 2021 interview with BBC Breakfast. Collins' 24-year-old drummer son, Nic, filled in for his father during Genesis's final The Last Domino tour in 2021. Nic regularly drums for the band Better Strangers. Collins, who has been married three times, is also a father to four other children: actor Joely, 52; drummer Simon, 48; Emily in Paris star Lily, 36; and soccer player Mathew, 20. He was married to his first wife, Andrea Bertorelli, from 1975 to 1980, followed by his second marriage to Jill Tavelman from 1984 to 1996, and his third wife, Orianne Cevey, from 1999 to 2008. Solve the daily Crossword

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