Jewelry Museum: A cultural day out in Athens

The Ilias Lalaounis Museum is not only a cultural treasure but its also a great day out if you happen to find yourself in the city of Athens. The Museum’s permanent collection includes over 4000 pieces of jewelry and micro sculptures from over 50 collections designed by the museum’s founder, Ilias Lalaounis, between 1940 and 2000. Amongst the rich collection, find the "Dawn of Golden Art", Ilion (a collection dedicated to ancient troy) and collections inspired from other ancient civilizations (apart from Hellenic). Situated just behind the paved Irodotou Attikou street that runs under the Acropolis, with a dazzling view of the Parthenon monument, an outing to this jewelry museum combines a beautiful walk in the prettiest area of Athens and a chance to see some of the finest ancient inspired jewelry specimens from one of Greece's most respected jewelry designers.

Welcome to the GreekJewellery Blog

First entry to this new journal. Well I'm certainly not planning to keep this blog strictly Greek Jewelry so I'd like to share the brilliant voice of Eleni Tsalgopoulou as a welcoming chant. "Ego s'agapisa edo" is a love song with an earthly appeal of simplicity.



Ego s'agapisa edo,
Pou nasai tora, pou girnas..
Se pio kainourgio ourano
xhromata kleveis..

Ennoioses pali ta ftera,
Ti sou'vale xana fotia,
Se pio limani, pio stathmo
Kardia gireveis..

Pos na kratisei to kormi apopse i nihta
Tora o kosmos ehei hasei mia strofi
Ego den milisa gia thavmata, den eipa
Den sou stathike kanenas pio poli

English translation: Hmm a little of the poetry is inevitably lost but this was my best attempt.

I fell in love with you here,
Where could you be now, where are you wandering,
Which sky and where,
are you stealing the colours from?

You felt your wings again,
even though you were blazed on fire.
At which harbour, what station
are you searching for another heart

How can the night sustain the body,
Now the earth has missed a turn,
I never spoke of miracles,
No-one stood up for you more than me

I fell in love with you here
back in the moons (days) of rain
You waited so long, for a rest,
A smile from you was enough for me,
to watch you awaken.
Never did I imagine,
that you would forget.

How can the night sustain the body,
Now the earth has missed a turn,
I never spoke of miracles,
No-one stood up for you more than me

My little harsh man of honor,
wherever you are, wherever you wander
Don't ask about me there
I fell in love with you here