After a short-lived panic attack at Athens airport (read about it here), S somewhat redeemed himself by accessing a previously downloaded offline map of Athens on Google Maps. Coupled with the detailed directions provided by our host, this proved sufficient for us to find the apartment that would be our home for the next 3 days.
And so it was, that by late afternoon, S and I found ourselves at a cosy studio in a quiet neighbourhood near the Acropolis. Tired and somewhat disoriented after the long journey, we took a couple of hours to rest and chalk out a rough itinerary.
That evening we spent just walking around exploring the area. The Acropolis Museum was nearby and the streets were lined with little bistros and cafes. We picked one at random and settled down to a very Greek meal comprising Greek salad buried under slabs of feta cheese, some souvlaki (skewered chicken), and a bottle of the house white.
Here’s S, enjoying the first of many, many glasses of wine on this trip.
We eventually made our way back to retire for the night, walking past the Arch of Hadrian, which sparked off some comments on Roman Emperor Hadrian’s progress through Europe and beyond, accurately summed up by my husband’s proclamation ‘Man, that Hadrian really got around back in the day’.
Early the next morning, we set off towards the Acropolis of Athens, which was around 1.5 km away from the neighbourhood of Glakfou. Starting from the Theatre of Dionysus at the foot of the hill, we made our way up, passing the Odeon of Herodes Atticus – a theatre carved out of stone on the southwest slope.
At the top, stood the ruins of the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Propylaia, and the temple of Athena-Nike.
Looking up at the magnificent structures against a deep blue sky, we were struck by how well-preserved these pieces of history were. Each was surrounded by a barricade, so no tourist can go right up to or inside it. Apparently, even when the newer Parthenon was constructed somewhere around 430 BC, no one was allowed to go right inside. Visitors could only come up to a point to see the now lost Athena Parthenos – a colossal gold and ivory statue of the goddess Athena that was housed in the Parthenon before it was plundered.
This ‘looky, but no touchy’ policy definitely augured well for preservation purposes. You are most unlikely to find ‘Theodoros loves Alexandra’ carved into the pillars here.
Most of the sculptures adorning the temples are now housed in the Acropolis Museum. Whatever few statues that can be seen at the site are replicas.
Replicas of the Caryatids – sculpted female figures serving as pillars – at the Erechtheion
We spent over 2 hours at the site enjoying the weather, the architecture, and the view of the city below. It was a warm and sunny day, but the wind at the top of the hill was strong – so much so that it came close to knocking me off my feet several times.
A windy day at the Acropolis
Later that evening, we headed to Monastiraki Square, a picturesque neighbourhood famous for its flea markets. The area was crammed with little outdoor restaurants, clothing boutiques, and souvenir shops for us to explore.
We’d heard of a rooftop bar called A for Athens that was famous for its views, so we decided to grab a few drinks there. Copious amounts of wine and a sunset later, we were rewarded by a stunning view of the Acropolis lit up against the night sky – a fitting end to a memorable day.
The Acropolis at night
The next morning was spent at the Acropolis museum, which is built on the remains of an ancient Athenian neighbourhood. Glass floors allow you to catch glimpses of the excavated archaeological site below.
S surveys the excavated site underneath the Acropolis
S, the architect, pointed out many interesting things such as a fairly complex network where pipes must have been laid. The museum is laid out very well with each artefact accompanied by an informative note about where it was found and what it signified.
As someone with zero understanding of art, I was very thankful that this was an archaeological museum, and the tid-bits of history and mythology made the tour very interesting.
We wrapped up the hot afternoon by enjoying a delicious Pasta Greca and Tzatziki and Bread at the very hospitable restaurant Much Butter. The very kind host, Nico, was full of smiles and good advice. He also had us try a scrumptious olive-mayo dip and a traditional Greek dessert on the house, and in all, was a shining example of the Greek hospitality.
We debated on how to spend our last day in Athens. S wanted to take a tram ride for reasons unknown. He apparently had visions of us sitting by the window gliding along and enjoying the views of the coast. I knew better, but decided to let him earn his reality check.
First, the tram ticket machine rapidly swallowed 3 euros without dispensing our tickets. A kindly local said we should board the tram anyway and that he would explain our lack of tickets should there be any checking. So, we boarded to go to a stop where we would change trams and take a ride along the coastline.
Then, far from what poor S had envisioned; the tram was hot and crowded and much like travelling in the Delhi Metro (although during the non-peak hours). We stood for an interminably long time, crammed among other commuters – me glaring pointedly at S and he, equally pointedly, avoiding my gaze.
Finally, S gave up and suggested we quickly move on to our final adventure in Athens – Mt. Lycabettus.
We decided to take a taxi to a point on the hill as it was already getting quite late. After failing to explain where we wanted to go to numerous drivers, a young cabbie finally understood and dropped us off at a point high enough on the hill. We wandered up and down meandering paths, delighted with the refreshing evening breeze and the panoramic view of Athens below.
We wished we had packed a picnic dinner as we settled down on a nice balcony-like spot jutting out of the hill. We sat on the edge with our feet dangling above the city. After stowing the cameras away, my husband and I chatted about this and that as darkness set in all around us and the city lights below began to twinkle.
Around 8.30 pm, we started our descent. It took us around 20 minutes to make our way downhill and back to the square we had started from. By then, our stomachs had begun to rumble. We decided to dine at a restaurant we’d heard much about – called The Greco’s Project, and proceeded to order a very pork-intensive meal – our last in the Greek capital.
After packing and a night’s rest, we awoke at 6 am the next morning to head to the port of Piraeus to catch a ferry for the next leg of our holiday in the Greek islands. Despite a nerve-wracking few minutes with no cabs in sight, we did make it to the port on time and joyfully boarded a massive Blue Star ferry that proved to be kind of like a floating mall/hotel. Like two excited children, we explored the different levels and made our way out onto the open deck as the boat pulled out of the port.
The sun was shining on me, the wind was in my hair and…. the camera was in my face!! I bestowed many a dirty look upon the blissfully ignorant S as he proceeded to do what he always does…click away.
Athens grew smaller and smaller in our sights as we leaned over the rails in farewell to a city that had treated us most kindly. But, we had a few more sunny days in the Greek islands to look forward to.
Next stop … Santorini!!
Red and the City 