Day 0: Home to Athens
Day 1: The Neighborhood
Day 2: The Acropolis
Day 0: Home to Athens
The trip didn’t get off to an auspicious start. I forgot my contact lens case, my sunglass clip-ons, and my jacket. And Google’s directions to the QwikPark sent us to the middle of nowhere. So we backtracked and went the way we’d gone before. Our flight to Frankfurt was uneventful. We got very tired of hearing “Star Alliance” at Frankfurt. Our seven hour layover was long but fairly comfortable. Then there were two last minute gate changes. Boarding was kind of a mob scene. Scan yourself in; in no particular order.
Day 1: Exploring the Neighborhood
We found the X95 bus to Syntagma with no problem. It was a little difficult figuring out how to get from the square to our hotel. But it was easy once we found the street. After check-in we wandered up to Monastiraki, around Plaka. We spent some time looking for contact lens stuff. We ended up eating at O Thanasis. We almost ended up eating at the wrong restaurant. We thought the guy who grabbed us worked for Thanassis but he worked next door at an empty place. After dinner we went to Barley Cargo for Viven Imperial IPA (Belgium). We managed to stay up to 11ish. There were hordes of people everywhere and lots of lights.
Day 2: The Acropolis
We got up around 7 AM and headed straight to the Acropolis. Plaka looks very different early in the morning. Quiet, no crowds. Very few people, in fact.
After leaving the Acropolis area we went back to the hotel by way of a cafe and the flea market on Ermou. Athens has lots of stray dogs and cats. All the dogs look tired.
We asked about a pharmacy at the front desk. (In Europe pharmacies don’t tend to be open late and on Sundays, though they take turns being the “emergency pharmacy.”) The one open was near the Acropolis Museum. We stopped at an ATM and the Temple of Olympian Zeus on the way there. Yup, just pop by an ancient ruin on the way to get the contact lens stuff you forgot!
The pharmacy had just closed for siesta, said the helpful man at God’s Restaurant next door. So, we went to the Acropolis Museum, then climbed Filappopou Hill. It had great views of the city and the Acropolis. We walked a quiet street with nice houses leading to Filappopou, which had charming directional signs in the pathway.
We returned to the pharmacy and got our stuff, then had a Mythos at God’s Restaurant in thanks. Then back to the hotel for a shower and a quick nap.
We hit Tzizikas kai Mermigas for dinner. We wandered around a bit, then went back to Barley Cargo for Fix Dark.
Tomorrow we’re off to Naxos.
Essentials
Sleeping
Athens of course has a number of hotels all across the city. We chose to stay near the center, which is noiser and more expensive but convenient. The Athens Cypria Hotel was about what I expected; maybe a bit nicer. We stayed there both on our way into Athens and when we flew out. They’ve added a rooftop bar since we stayed here.
Read about how we find accommodations
Eating
Athens also has a huge number of restaurants to choose from. Our first night we kept it simple with souvlaki. Our second night we tried something special. Every place we ate was within easy walking distance of our hotel.
We started our trip at O Thanassis for souvlaki. It was good and simple. Just what we wanted. Great place to people watch. The outdoor seating for different restaurants all runs together. We stopped at Kotili for a late breakfast after the Acropolis and the Agora; we were famished. We tried Greek coffee and had a toasted sandwich and an omelette. Pleasant; nothing exceptional either way. Tzizikas kai Mermigas was the only place we ate indoors in two weeks, because there was no table outdoors. (You can now book a table online.) One of our best meals on the trip, especially the pork chops with orange and honey sauce. Barley Cargo had a great selection of craft beers.
Read about how we find places to eat and drink
Getting Around
Athens has excellent public transportation. We took the express bus from the airport into town (so we could see some of the city) and the metro from our hotel to the port in Piraeus to catch our ferry. Other than that it was pleasant to walk and see the city while visiting the ruins. (And hunting down contact lens supplies.)