HK 21/8/19 HK 21/8/19

Five things to do in Athens

Athens is more than a stop-over, I repeat, Athens is more than a stop-over to the Greek islands!

If you haven’t gathered already, I love Athens! I try to combine time in Athens as well as time at other destinations in Greece.

Hop-on/Hop-off Bus Tours

I wanted to take my hubby on one of these as I did it with my daughter last year, and really enjoyed the view from above. You get the chance to hop off at about 14 stops within Athens, all the main attractions like the Parthenon, the Syntagma, Monastiraki as well as other lesser know but just as important like the Cyclades Museum, Benaki museum all the while listening to a guide on your headphones. It is all day everyday and you can start yours at any of the key attractions around the city.

*Starting our bus tour here at Syntagma*

Dinner at Psyri

Just off Monastiraki there is a little suburb called Psyri. It has a real hipster vibe, a little grungy and very cool. There are many vintage shops, the odd barber shop, great street art on the buildings, heaps of beautifully fitted out bars and many, many restaurants serving food not just Greek but from many different cultures. We ate at Lithos and would gladly go back just to have their moussaka!

*The famous umbrellas outside Little Kook*

O Kostas

It doesn’t get more simple than this. Slightly cooked pita bread, barbequed pork souvlaki with just paprika and salt, strained Greek yoghurt, onion, tomato and parsley. No more no less. A tradition that has been going for 65 years all out of a hole in the wall souvlaki joint, and it is amazing! You will happy wait with the queue of people for your turn and sit on the side street and enjoy every mouthful! You can thank me later!

*the picture of Kostas looking on as people wait for their souvlaki*

Rooftop Bar – Anglais Athens

Imagine enjoying a Mojito, on a balmy summers evening, on a roof-top, watching the sunset, overlooking one of the oldest and most famous monuments in the world, the Parthenon! That’s what you will get right here, at Anglais Athens, a bit Palm-Springy in décor with a great cocktail list, makes for a really great start to the evening!

*Anglais rooftop looking away from the Acropolis*

The Archeological Excavation beneath the Acropolis

An ancient Athenian neighbourhood has been excavated and to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Acropolis Museum, it is now open to the public. A whole village preserved in time, it houses life and human activity from the 4th century BC. Streets, houses, courtyards, baths, workshops, plumbing even toilets comprise the finds.

Your entry ticket (10 Euros) for the Acropolis Museum (one of my favourites in the world!) allows you the entry to the excavations.

Highlights

All of the above - can’t choose.

Worth watching the behind-the-scenes of the excavation video at the Acropolis museums. Won’t spoil the ending but what they did to get it to this stage is amazing. Take the time to view it!

Important Tip

The Hop On/Hop Off bus has other extended tours like the Athens Riviera that take to Piraeus and Vouliagmeni, well worth going on. For the city only session its 20 euros for 24 hours in peak season.

HK 14/3/19 HK 14/3/19

Greek Salad

Let’s pause for a moment to honour the Greek Salad (horiatiki). This amazing salad is a staple at my home and every other Greek household.

Whether at a Greek taverna or at home - whatever main you have, it must always be served with a Greek salad.

Every Greek taverna has a version of this. A standard order is meze, Greek Salad, main and fruit or sweets!

All you need to recreate it at home are some red, juicy, sweet tomatoes, crisp refreshing cucumber, onion, peppers, olives and Greek feta … along with salt, olive oil and a splash of vinegar and the magic happens. There are heaps of variations - adding barley rusk and/or capers is a popular choice on the Greek Islands.

It’s amazing how something so simple tastes so good!