Athens
November 2018
3 Days
To see the previous stop on this trip, go here to Madrid.
The second stop on our trip was to Athens, another location none of us had been to plus my dad like history and it doesn't get much older than Athens. I had heard a lot of people say they didn't like Athens because of how crowded, dirty, and hot it is. We visited in November so we didn't have any of that and I actually really enjoyed our time in Athens. I also found it really helpful that we paid for a tour guide for the Acropolis and some other sites as he was able to tell us about the history and all of the Greek Mythology behind what we were looking at. Without that, it might have felt like we were just looking at some really old ruins.
Contents
Daily Itinerary
Visit the bustling Monastiraki Square
Walk under the stars along Polignotou to a nightime panorama of the city
Greek home cooking at Palea Athina
Watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Start your historical day tour at the National Gardens
See the remaining columns of the Temple of Olympian Zeus
Ascend the Acropolis of Athens, ending at the Parthenon
Souvlaki lunch break
More history in the Acropolis Museum
Dinner in the historic neighborhood of Plaka
Walk through the ruins of the Ancient Agora of Athens
Visit the Temple of Hephaestus
Flights
United Airlines Economy ORD-EWR-MAD-FRA-ATH-FRA-ORD: 60,000 United miles roundtrip with excursionist perk + $138 taxes & fees
Hotels
We stayed at an Airbnb for this trip, just near the Syntagma Metro Station
Food
To Kafeneio (8.6) - Located in the lively Plaka neighborhood, eating here felt like eating a home cooked meal in someone's house. The 400+ year old build actually served as a residence for many years. The food was delicious and I recommend this restaurant to everyone visiting Athens.
The Greco's Project (6.0) - Located near our Airbnb, we had a couple meals here since it was fast and pretty good. Serving mainly souvlaki, this restaurant felt like a bit more modern take on the traditional pita sandwhich.
Palea Athina - A restaurant we just walked into serving traditional Greek food. The food was simple and tasty. Sadly, it seems this restaurant closed not long after our visit.
Full Itinerary
Day 1
Monastiraki Square
We flew Lufthansa from Madrid via Munich, and by the time we got to Athens it was already evening. Our Airbnb host had helped us to arrange a driver to meet us at the airport for 40€. He was excellent, friendly, and helpful so we had him take us back to the airport as well when we were leaving.
Just a few minutes' walk away was Monastiraki Square, one of the largest and most popular squares in the center of Athens. Looking up, you can see the Acropolis and the Parthenon lit up against the night sky. Around the square were many restaurants and shops, so we ended up doing our souvenir shopping right away.
Monastiraki Square - Athens, Greece 2018
Polignotou
Starting at Thission Open Air Cinema, you can find Polignotou, a dark path which runs along the Acropolis. For a while, we weren't sure we were on the right path as it was quite dark, lit only by the stars and the light of the Acropolis. Eventually, we came upon Areopagus Hill, which offers an excellent nighttime view of Athens and Mount Lycabettus in the distance.
View from Areopagus Hill - Athens, Greece 2018
Palea Athina
After our nighttime walking adventure, we found a restaurant near our Airbnb called Palea Athina. It was nearly empty and definitely a "no-frills" restaurant, but with great food at a reasonable price.
Palea Athina - Athens, Greece 2018
Day 2
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
On our only full day in Athens, we opted to join a tour of Athens and the Acropolis. While normally I am not the biggest guided tour fan, I was really glad we had a guide for this day.
Athens is one of the oldest cities in the world and in addition to the history, there is also the whole world of Greek Mythology. Since I know virtually nothing about either subject, it was great to have a guide who could tell us both the historical significance and also the Mythological Stories. Our guide, Thanasis, was an archaeologist for his day job and probably could have given us a month-long tour if we had the time.
Our first stop of the tour was the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where you can see the perfectly choreographed changing of the guard every 30 minutes (every hour in the winter).
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - Athens, Greece 2018
Temple of Olympian Zeus
Next up was a quick stroll through the National Garden, emerging at The Zappeion, a hall originaly built for the first modern Olympics held in 1896.
Further past the Zappeion is the remains of the Temple of Olympian Zeus. With construction first started in the 6th century BC and not completed until the 2nd century AD, it was the largest temple in Greece at the time.
Temple of Olympian Zeus - Athens, Greece 2018
Theatre of Dionysius
Upon beginning the climb to the top of the Acropolis, the first stop was the Theatre of Dionysus, built in the 6th century BC and considered the birthplace of the Greek drama.
Theatre of Dionysius - Athens, Greece 2018
Odeon of Herodes Atticus
A much more modern theatre is up next, built 8 centuries after the Theatre of Dionysus in 161 AD.
Odeon of Herodes Atticus - Athens, Greece 2018
Parthenon
On finally reaching the top of the Acropolis, there are a handful of ancient structures, the Parthenon of course being the most famous and most prominent.
Parthenon - Athens, Greece 2018
Erechtheion
The Erechtheion is another temple on the top of the Acropolis. The five Caryatids (the female sculptures) here are replicas. The originals are in the Acropolis Museum with the sixth in the British Museum in London, having been removed in 1800.
Erechtheion - Athens, Greece 2018
Acropolis
On the far East side of the Acropolis is an observation deck offering views of the sprawling city of Athens.
View from the Acropolis - Athens, Greece 2018
Souvlaki
After a morning and early afternoon of walking all over Athens and learning a lot of history, we found a Souvlaki shop to get a quick bite to eat.
And thus began my food modeling career.
Souvlaki - Athens, Greece 2018
Acropolis Museum
The Acropolis Museum houses all of the artifacts from the Acropolis and many of the original statues and other sculptured pieces, which have been replaced outside by replicas.
Acropolis Musem - Athens, Greece 2018
Plaka
At the base of the Acropolis, the neighborhood of Plaka is home to many small restaurants lining the streets.
Plaka - Athens, Greece 2018
A friend had recommended the restaturant To Kafeneio to us, located in the Plaka neighborhood. A small and cozy restuarant was made even cozier by the fierplace directly next to our table.
The food made up for the heat of the fireplace and then some. We ordered a number of dishes to share and all were phenomenal. I highly recommend this restaurant if you are looking for some good Greek food.
To Kafeneio - Athens, Greece 2018
Day 3
Ancient Agora of Athens
The morning of our final day before our flight, we visited the Ancient Agora of Athens. While very little actually remains standing, it is quite a feeling to walk through the ruins and picture what it might have looked like a couple thousand years earlier.
Agora - Athens, Greece 2018
Temple of Hephaestus
The Temple of Hephaestus is at the North end of the Ancient Agora of Athens and is one of the most well-preserved Temples of the Classical Period of Ancient Greece (5th and 4th centuries BC)
Temple of Hephaestus - Athens, Greece 2018
Overall
I found Athens to be different than many other cities because of how much history there still is there. Since we went in the winter, the weather was definitely not a problem. And I love Greek food, so all in all I would absolutely return to Athens given the chance. I would, however, like to visit some of the Greek Isles in the summer as I have heard amazing things.
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