Greece is the word! Part 1: Athens

The last few times we have been on holiday, my family has asked, "Mum, are you going to blog about this one?" It's felt like an overwhelming task. For a start, we now have FOUR phones with photos on, rather than one digital camera. Also, I regularly write quite long blog posts about three-hour walks. How on earth will I summarise a full week's holiday?

But this time, I thought I should try. It's one of the most enjoyable holidays we've had in a while, and I've definitely done too many Peak District posts recently. Everyone needs a change of scenery. So here we go, jetting off to Athens.

Day 1

We landed at Athens airport in a looming thunderstorm, but the worst of the rain held off until we'd made it safely to our apartment. Graham had earmarked a nice little restaurant called Lolos for dinner - eating shell-on prawns in tomato sauce was a deliciously messy experience - and we went to bed early after our 3am start.

Day 2

Next day we climbed Philopappos Hill, which we were surprised to find had no crowds and an excellent view of the Parthenon and the city. There were a few more people at the top of the hill, by the Philopappos monument.

A short distance away we found Agia Marina church. Inside, every inch was painted - it was amazing. It was built over a pre-Christian grotto which was still visible. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take photos inside.

The Central Municipal Market had eye-boggling quantities of raw fish and meat, all laid out on ice. Outside were stalls selling fruit and veg, olives and nuts. We somehow acquired about a kilo of olives and cherries.

A keen restaurant owner hustled us into his taverna, where Theo ordered a sea bass which came complete with head, tail and bones. He wasn't daunted. I had moussaka and Graham and Toby ate gyros.

The temperature was quite reasonable, but it felt very hot on top of the Acropolis. All that polished rock reflects the sun right back at you. There were crowds, of course, but it's still an impressive place. The Parthenon is so well-proportioned that it doesn't really look big. And then you realise that it's HUGE.

We descended the South Slopes, where there was an amphitheatre and various bits of three-thousand-year-old architecture just kind of casually lying around. 

The next thing we wanted to appreciate was an ice-cold drink. Fortunately, there were plenty of cafes nearby which were eager to serve us one.

Day 3

The next morning, we set off for a Museum of Illusions. We walked past the Roman Agora (marketplace) on the way. 

Metro line through archeological site

The museum was great fun. There was a spinning tunnel which made you feel as if you were turning upside down, a room which actually was upside-down, some other rooms with very peculiar dimensions, and mirrors which made us into multitudes. We spent a very happy ninety minutes there, and came out with our brains scrambled and our eyes crossed.

We were revived by some excellent sandwiches from "Guarantee" sandwich shop, a tiny family-run business which sells fresh juice and about a thousand sandwich combinations. Given our complete lack of Greek vocabulary, we didn't go for anything too exotic. But they were very good.

In the evening we walked to the Botanic Gardens. There was a Red Bull event being set up outside of Zappeion Hall, with a guy doing wheelies on a motorbike. And a more peaceful part with parakeets flying between the trees, and a small lake.

We were heading vaguely for the Plaka, the oldest part of the city, aiming to be there by sunset. On the way we passed the Holy Metropolitan Church of the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary. There's a title for you! This is the Greek Orthodox equivalent of a cathedral. We didn't go in, but it certainly looked suitably grand from the outside.

icon shop

Exploring a bit further, we climbed the Escaleras de Mniskleous. The stairs had been turned into seats for the restaurants on both sides. People were sat on cushions sipping drinks and toying with tapas. As the sky got darker, we got some nice photos.

We made our way round to Monastiraki Square. Sometimes there is a flea market there, but it wasn't on that night. It was a great place to people-watch though, with all ages and nationalities mingling there. Some Greek dancing was going on in one of the restaurants. We'd done a lot of walking, so we got the Metro home.

Day 4 - to be continued

photo from a final morning walk

It didn't feel as if we'd seen half of what Athens had to offer. We were a little sad to be leaving our apartment (especially Toby, who had enjoyed a double bed and a TV in his room!). Picking up the hire car was not altogether a stress-free experience, but finally we were on the road. And soon we were not missing Athens at all...

this is the life!