These 'evzones', guards, are on continuous patrol here in front of the Parliament Building, by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They have a change of guards every hour on the hour; but on Sunday mornings at 11 am there is quite a spectacle with the 'Grand Change', involving the whole Guard, its officers and a military band.
Their famous uniform consists of a kind of a pleated kilt/skirt, a white wide-sleeved shirt, a fez-like hat with a huge tassel, white leggings and big, black shoes decorated with pom-poms. Apparently their shoes weigh 3 kg each!
The evzones proceeded to move about in quite an entertaining kind of slow-motion kick-dance, and once it was all done and they paraded off again, their steps echoed in the whole square thanks to the clogs on their feet striking the ground with extra force every so often.
Apparently only the tallest of the men from the Infantry Corpse gets picked for this honorable ceremonial unit. To become an evzone you have to be at least 187 cm tall.
After the ceremony we took a little stroll a bit further out from the Syntagma Square in search of a book shop. We didn't quite think that through, it was Sunday after all so nothing really was open. But we passed a few impressive buildings in neo-classical style. Here the Academy of Athens:
And the National Library of Greece. Both these buildings were designed by Danish architect Theophil Hansen.
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