Sundays are special in Athens. Sunday is the day that some headliners perf orm in the middle of the afternoon (rather than the middle of the night). En Moschato is one such taverna. Well, it’s so crazy loud, some might say it wants to rival a bouzoukia — but it’s definitely a taverna. Being a sola traveler, I don’t bother with reservations, I usually make out well — even if I sometimes need to negotiate a seat.
I arrived a half hour late, so naturally, the show hadn’t yet started. The waiter and I greeted one another within earshot of a gentleman who jumped in to ask where I am from. He also lived in the States previously, he said. I excused myself to check out the table being offered me. It was in Timbuktu, so I asked for a better location. Waiter shook his head and said they are all full — and I could see that they were. So I returned to the cosmopolitan gentleman and asked whether I can join him at his table. It was my luck that he was dining alone. He knows the female vocalist but she’s mostly on the floor. We had a great time together. I am guessing he spent 7 or 8 decades on this earth and has been everywhere. We even know some of the same people/places.
And guys, I don’t know why I didn’t think to do it — why didn’t I capture this female vocalist sing the absolute best שבחי ירושלים I ever heard. It was a pleasure to also note her perfect pronunciation and enunciation. Another guest promised to send me the video. I’m still waiting. Meanwhile, here’s the male vocalist: