Greece 2022 (3 of 3) - Two Days in Athens

Athens. The cradle of Western civilization. The birthplace of democracy. Of all things tied to education, philosophy, and the arts. But foremost, some of the best damn food around the Mediterranean!

Any journey to the Greek islands begins or ends in Athens. In our case, 2 nights at the end were just enough. You only need more than that if planning to venture out beyond. The main attractions are around the old city. The area surrounding the Acropolis, Plaka, Monastiraki, Syntagma Square, etc.

A quick 30 minute cab ride from Piraeus puts you right in the middle of the city. We stayed at a small but quaint hotel just across the street from Monastiraki Square (Athens Tower by Palladian). Nice, clean, direct views of the Acropolis, free breakfast, and a nice rooftop bar to enjoy a cool libation under the moonlight. The only inconvenience was late noise, both from the plaza below, and the several other rooftop bars across the street (A for Athens and 360 Cocktail Bar).

After a quick change, a stroll through the Monastiraki streets on the way to dinner. Sidewalk cafes. Tavernas. Music. Shops open late. Animation. Ruins of Hadrian’s library. Adrianou Streeet (was I just being honored, or did Hadrian – who made Athens the cultural capital of the Roman empire – had such an impact on the city?)… I guess we’ll never know 😉

Diner was in a picturesque setting. Several tavernas at the top of a steep alley just under the Acropolis. Tables spilling onto the sidewalk. Wood burning grills. Music. Dancing. Laughter. Excellent ambiance. We picked Geros Tou Moria, but Google managed to fool me on this one. Absolute tourist trap. Food somewhere between inedible and rubber. Overcooked and reheated “souvlaki”. Latex-like octopus. Everything else came from a frozen bag (fries) or cheap can (mussels souvlaki were just bivalves in marinara sauce). Just awful. Service was not much better either, barely seeing the waiter after he took the order, or asking for the check. Complaints to the manager were met with an indifferent shrug of the shoulders. In a city like Athens, there are infinitely much better choices than this. I feel bad for the people giving this place a stellar review. They will never know what real, authentic, quality food tastes like (unless they go to a place like Liondi, for example; more on that later)

Before bed, a nightcap on our hotel’s roof bar (Hyper Astro Bar). Greek bartenders have a tendency to make strong drinks. One was enough, after long day of travel (just earlier that morning we were enjoying the Mykonos sun). The golden glow of the Acropolis did encourage us linger a bit longer…

Good night!

Athens gets VERY hot during the summer (which is why I suggest visiting late spring or early fall) so get out early. We booked a guided tour of the Acropolis, and at 8:30 we had already met our guide. Small group (a dozen or so), headsets for audio to hear the young lady tell us all about this place. I recommend such a tour; otherwise, you’d be staring at a bunch of relics that won’t have as much significance without the stories behind them.

Of course, Athena was at the center of it all, but the Acropolis was so much more than that. Theater. Religion. Grandeur. Opulence. An opportunity to show the world how great this city was. Too bad “history” (wars, natural events and … people) took its toll on these 2,500-year-old edifices. The Parthenon is being actively restored. The Erechteion, Propylaea and Temple of Nike as well (among others). The Theatre of Dionysus (at some point housing ~20,000 people) still there in some measure. The Odeon (nearing 1,900 years old) still attracts the best in music and theatre, as one of the best open-air venues in the world. Maria Callas, Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Sinatra, Diana Ross, Elton John, Andrea Bocelli, all the way to Florence and the machine and the Foo Fighters are just a sample of names that have graced that stage. Tosca was playing next weekend.

By the end of the tour the sun was already unrelenting 94 Fahrenheit (35 Celsius). Seek cover either in the Acropolis Museum, or the shaded streets of Plaka. Souvenirs. Trinkets. Mementos. Every so often, make a quick stop into one of the tavernas for a cold drink.

Refreshed, we walked over to my arch (sure, let’s call it Hadrian’s) and peeked over the fence to the very little that’s left from the temples of Zeus, Apollo and Kronos. Beyond that, the site of the first modern Olympiad (1896): Panathenaic stadium, the only all-white-marble stadium in the world, that still holds ceremonial events today. It was built as a racehorse arena 330 years before Christ. Hosted multiple events since then and was a venue in the 2004 Olympics. Today it’s the endpoint for the annual Athens Marathon.

Adrian at Hadrian's Arch

Small parenthesis around Olympiad dates. As you noticed, 1896 was the first one in the modern era. 100 years later, Athens – naturally – wanted to host the centenary edition. It made perfect sense and would have been poetic. It came head-to head between Athens and Atlanta, and after 5 rounds of voting Atlanta prevailed. Conspiracy theorist, however, allege that Coca-Cola (among other sponsors) being based in Atlanta had a heavy hand in that outcome. " The Olympic flame will not be lit with oil, but with Coca-Cola" wrote an Athenian paper at the time. Not unfathomable. Money, power, influence will often trump romantic concepts, especially since the economic impact is measured in billions!

Poetic justice, however, the soccer semi-finals and final were hosted at Sanford stadium in the city of ATHENS, Georgia! Over 86,000 in attendance to witness Nigeria win the gold medal over Argentina under the whistle of one Pierluigi Collina (soccer geeks would know, but I’ll save you a google search – he was the best referee of all times and quite a character). Also in that last 4: Ayala, Zanetti, Sensini, Crespo, Diego Simeone (for Argentina) Dani, Nuno Gomes, Vidigal (Portugal) Tabayaro, Taribo West, Amuneke, Jay Jay Okocha, Kanu, Amokachi (Nigeria) Dida, ZeMaria, Aldair, Roberto Carlos, Flavio Conceicao, Rivaldo, Bebeto and Ronadlo (Brazil). Looking at all those names, makes the Nigerian victories over Brazil and Argentina that much more impressive! 

Obviously, I get significantly more excited by soccer glory days than Hellenic history…

Back on the busy streets of Plaka, on the way back to the hotel, a quick stop at Church of Panaghia Kapnikarea. One of the oldest in Athens (circa 1050 AD) but extremely well preserved. Interesting how it survived surrounded by all the commercialization surrounding it!

After a bit of cooling off at the hotel, time for a late lunch. In a city known for gyros and souvlaki, you’d be remiss not to try it. O Thanasis was a good recommendation. Bairaktaris is an institution, but again, only if you want a tourist trap. Efcharis is great. But most locals swear by Kostas – a no-frills hole in the wall, with barely any seating, and a very limited menu, but a constant waiting line. Being in the business for over 75 years means they’re doing something right. After a finger-licking lunch, we can attest to that!

From there, head over to Syntagma square for the changing of the guard. On the way, if souvlaki is not your thing, try a fish cone at Zisis. Fried anchovies, sardines, sandsmelt, shrimp, squid, cod or crab claws in a nice cornet. Interesting, at the least…

The guard at the Monument to the Unknown Soldier changes every hour. Funny looking uniforms. Odd movements. But the tradition and level of training resemble the ones at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington. If weather permits, stroll through the National Garden and Botanical Museum, right next to the Parliament building. But if it’s 95, head back down Ermou, or Athinaidos street and have a cocktail instead at Louis Bistrot.

Refreshed, time for some more shopping, this time in the Monastiraki Flea Market. I thought this would offer some authentic Greek souvenirs; instead, a lot of “cheap crap”. And as the heat was already becoming too much, the consensus was to take a break in the air-conditioned comfort of the hotel, just across the street. We absolutely loved the convenience of the hotel location, literally in the middle of everything!

On the way to dinner, later on, a quick visit to the imposing Metropolitan Cathedral, then more shopping in Plaka. Adrianou and the adjacent streets offered a lot of quality options. And shopkeepers that go out of their way to make a sale. One has to appreciate that level of customer service!

Last dinner in Greece was memorable. Maiandros, Taverna Klimataria, and Liondi all came highly recommended. After a bit of debate, we settled on the last one. TripAdvisor ranking (#14) was the decider, and it did not disappoint. The waiter was super positive about the food. I figured he was either cocky or confident. Turned out to be the latter. Octopus was spot on. Moussaka (self-proclaimed #1 in Athens) just dreamy. Potent cocktails. Excellent wine. Left there full and tipsy! Yamas and Efharisto!

Before calling it a night, one last cocktail under the imposing sight of the Acropolis, this time at A for Athens, just next door from our hotel. Packed, even on a Wednesday night, tourists and locals alike. Good vibes, a great DJ, delicious food, awesome cocktails, What’s not to love about this life!!!

Kalinikta & Ta leme!

That’s it for Athens. An extra day would allow for a deeper exploration of the historic sites (if drawn to that) or one of those hop-on-hop-off tours that are quintessential in all big cities. For us, quick breakfast, a 30-minute cab ride, and a dreadful 11.5-hour flight back to Atlanta.

Fantastic trip. Expectations exceeded. Wonderful memories. Can’t wait to make it back!



Other links for the Greece trip: Santorini or Paros + Mykonos

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Details and further reading:



Athens Tower Hotel: https://athenstowerhotel.com/

Acropolis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acropolis_of_Athens

Changing of the guard: https://www.greeka.com/attica/athens/sightseeing/changing-of-guards/