I am and have always been a big fan of public transportation. Having lived in cities with terrible public transport, like San Francisco and DC, it is a pleasure to experience all forms of Athens' Public Transportation network. However, this has not always been the case and convincing Athenians to use public transport has sometimes proved difficult as people love their cars - a lot!

The Athens gleaming clean and efficient Metro consists of three lines totaling 91.7 kilometres (57.0 miles) and 66 stations: Line 1 (Green) is 25.7 kilometres (16.0 miles) long with 24 stations, Line 2 (Red) is 18.7 kilometres (11.6 miles) long with 20 stations, and Line 3 (Blue) is 47.3 kilometres (29.4 mi) long with 24 stations. What is so striking about the system is that besides its efficiency are the ancient ruins displayed at many stations and excellent public art, including the work of the talented Stephen Antonakos.

‍Stephen Antonakos (Greek: Στυλιανός Αντωνάκος; born November 1, 1926 in Agios Nikolaos, Lalonia Greece – died August 17, 2013 in New York City) was a Greek-American sculptor most well known for his abstract sculptures often incorporating neon. At the very busy Ambelokipi Metro station one can experience a full on show of Stephen's works. Placed high above the corridors and escalators of the station you might not even notice his work at first but there is something about the soft glow of the neon and the warmth of the colors chosen that soothes the weary traveller.

I am always seeing and experiencing something new when I enter or exit this station. So take the time to appreciate the work of this great artist the next time you have the good fortune to travel on the Athens Metro.

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