We arrived mid afternoon which gave us some time to explore the city. Nearby there was a recommended restaurant where we had a couple drinks and some appetizers. This is my preferred way of eating, but I do not get a sense this is how many Europeans eat. It seems more a full meal wherever you go. This provided us the nourishment needed to stroll through Athens. We went first to the National Garden, which was beautiful and good to be in the shade on a toasty day. We then went through the Plaka neighborhood to Monastiraki Square. A lot of people out and a lot of shops. We embraced the European custom of dining late with a 9pm reservation at the hotel restaurant. Great meal, but having a full dinner prior to going to bed is just a bad idea. Maybe the Europeans don’t go to bed right after a 9pm dinner.
We had a tour guide the next day to see the Acropolis followed by a food tour. The Acropolis is impressive when you think about the different occupiers and its habitation of over 3 millennium. The food tour was really good with pies, kababs, a wine tasting and pastries. Our guide was more than happy to share what it is like for everyday Grecians. Grocery prices for example will be similar across the EU, but salaries in Germany will average 3 times the average salary for a Grecian. It was also interesting to hear her perspective on the Greek financial crisis (2009 - 2015). She was young and felt it did not have an effect on her, but she can remember the adults freaking out. She also provided a couple recommendations for places to go near our hotel which was helpful later on.
After the tour we returned to the hotel for a quick nap and swim. We then strolled through the Kolonaki neighborhood. This felt less touristy and able to see a bit of what normal Athenian life is like. We stopped into a book store noting the price of books seemed half of what they were in the US. The food seemed similarly priced to the US, so it made me wonder where price difference were. We followed that up with a couple glasses of wine at a corner wine bar (Warehouse). Our main destination was Lycabettus Hill, the highest point in Athens, for a partial view of the sunset as some clouds rolled in.
For the last day we simply meandered through Athens. Started by heading up to Areopagus Hill, where St Peter spoke to Athenians before heading to visit the Corinthians - I believe he had some letters for them. On the way we ended up stumbling on a flea market, which I found really interesting to see all the used items each vendor was trying to sell. We last traveled as a family to Europe 11 years ago and in Paris on a Sunday we also stumbled on a flea market, which I also found interesting. As if I was participating in a local’s daily life.
After selfies on Areopagus with the Acropolis in the background, we continued on through the neighborhoods stopping for a beer at what felt like a Sunday hang out for the neighborhood pensioners. We made our way back into Plaka finding a random place for some apps and wine, which were both rather tasty. Then we were on a mission for halva. Our tour guide made a recommendation for Wild Souls. The halva, which is dessert like but not sweet - think of the inside of a butterfinger in consistency, was really good and the first thing on the trip I felt I wanted to take back.
After a quick dip at the hotel pool we decided it might be fun to try a bar crawl. We started out at the Clumsies where they claim their Augean Negroni was the 2019 Worldwide Best Cocktail. It was a damn good cocktail, but I do not drink many cocktails so I will not weigh in on the validity of the claim. Cross central Athens we went to Bretto, which was a cool place where they were making their own liquors, including Orzo. We wrapped up the night with some Greek frozen yogurt (not much of a bar crawl), which was fine, but I’ll admit I am not a fan of frozen yogurt and the Greek version just amps up the tang. Glad I tried and also glad to be going home after 2 weeks. Great trip, but looking forward to home.
