I set the bar really low for Athens, since pretty much everybody who had been said it was underwhelming. I am happy to report back that it’s not that bad! In fact, it was a wonderful city oozing history, plus good food and drink. We had the pleasure of stopping through the city on both ends of our Greek vacation. The only downside (other than losing all the wonderful pictures I took on my camera and therefore using iPhone pics here) is that we arrived the night before a big national holiday. So, many restaurants and shops were closed the following day. All the tourist attractions were still open, so it didn’t slow us down too much.
The closures really made me think about how we celebrate holidays in the U.S. Nowadays, stores are starting Black Friday sales ON Thanksgiving. Can’t we just have one whole day with zero ‘to-do’s’, sales to hunt down, or places to be? It’s refreshing to have nothing to do but spend time with family, and I wish Americans would slow down and realize that.
Anyway, back to Athens, what you came here for.
WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK:
On a mission to have all the cappuccino freddos in Greece!
Six Dogs: It’s a little hard to find, but wander through the deserted alley, down the fun stairs, and enter the garden oasis! While I absolutely loved all the Greek salads during our trip, we were excited to eat something different for this meal. Also, they have dogs on-site.
Just looking at this spread is making me hungry.
Las Ramblas was a winner. Also, when your work follows you around the world! What can I say, I am dedicated to the job.
Named one of the best cocktails bars in the world, it did not disappoint. The drink menu is written in invisible ink, so you are given a special flashlight to view it.
Sauerkraut syrup and Ancho Reyes Verde made for a really unique drink. Work continues to follow me!
Telaro: This provided some respite from the baking sun. And there was a resident cat, so of course we stopped to say hi.
While this is not a restaurant recommendation, it is a strong suggestion to go find quince, as shown above in Greek yogurt. It tastes like honey, but has a delightfully chewy texture. I am on the hunt to find it in the U.S., but not having any luck.
WHAT TO DO:
There are ancient ruins everywhere, even hidden in the sidewalk.
Since there is so much to see, buy a pass to see the Acropolis along with about 20 other sites in the city. If you are short on time, the Acropolis is the big one to see. If you have a little more time to explore, stop into some of the other attractions included on the ticket.
The Acropolis translates to ‘the highest point of the city’ and encompasses a number of structures on the hillside. Some parts have been restored, due to damages from war and weather, but the bones have withstood the test of time.
Below are locations included in the Acropolis ticket, but found in other parts of the city.
If you forgot the history of the Roman Empire, here’s a quick refresher. Hadrian is kind of a big deal in Athens. He ruled the Roman Empire and was considered one of the ‘Five Good Emperors’.
It was truly incredible to see structures dating back to 50 BC and still standing today. Below is the Tower of the Winds, which is considered the world’s first meteorological station. It has a sundial, weathervane, and water clock.
In another part of town is the Panathenaic Stadium. While we didn’t make it inside, the Panathenaic Stadium hosts THE marathon. How cool is that? In case your Greek mythology knowledge isn’t up to date, the term marathon came from a Greek soldier, Pheidippides, who ran from the Battle of Marathon to Athens to report victory. The part of the legend that is less talked about is that he then collapsed and died. Long distance running is just not worth it, I tell ya!
Aside from all the history, there is shopping, too.
This store only sells products made by Athenian artists.
Cats! I always find the cats on vacation.
And hidden dogs.
Street art is around every corner.
WHERE TO STAY:
We stayed in Athens on both ends of our trip, and in different neighborhoods each time. On the front end, we stayed within walking distance of the Acropolis near the Plaka, and on the back end we stayed in a high rise apartment building.
How amazing is this patio space? AirBnB success!
TRANSPORTATION:
As mentioned in my other Greece recaps here and here, our accommodations offered to book us cars to and from the airport. Our driver took us right to the AirBnb, and then we proceeded to walk everywhere. It was quite the workout!
On another note, the flight to get to Greece was fantastic. I was on the fence about booking with Turkish Air, due to a layover in Istanbul (and my last experience in Istanbul involved a serious bout of food poisoning). It all turned out just fine, and the airport lounge was like nothing I have ever seen before. That was the best 3 hours I have ever spent in an airport! They had lockers for your bags, and 2 floors of food and drink.
Authentic Turkish delight, Turkish tea and coffee, hot food, cold food, you name it!
Another point to mention is the safety video on the plane. Does anyone ever really pay attention? Well, on Turkish Air you do, because the Lego people perform it as a song and dance in both Turkish and English. Highly entertaining.
Check out my handy dandy map with all the food, drink, sightseeing spots and more. Just zoom to see Athens!
To read more about our Greek summer vacation, check out my recap of Santorini and Naxos.
