Athens Adventure

Athens, Greece

We've had a great day & a half so far in Athens, Greece. We got acquainted with the city & the area surrounding the apartment that we are renting for a few days. We are staying 3 blocks away from The Acropolis which is essentially the center of tourism for Athens. Everywhere is easily accessible either by walking or taking the metro (subway/train).

Some of the highlights:

Philopappos Hill - nice shaded walking trails leading to an awesome 360 degree view of the city

National Gardens & Greek Parliament Building - gardens with a "zoo" - ducks, geese, & a few goats. Saw the changing of the guard in front of Parliament.

Syntagma Square - area of Athens where the riots are supposedly taking place. Didn't see a single rioter but found people busily walking around & many shops selling fake Louis Vitton bags, Swatch watches, & Rayban sunglasses.

Monastiraki Flea Market - really no difference between flea markets in Greece & USA. People trying to sell their junk to other people. We saw everything from pretty jewelry to books, coins, a mannequin head, vhs & cassette tapes, & plenty other miscellaneous crap.

Acropolis - saw the Parthenon & other ancient structures/ruins during the sunshine of the day & also illuminated by lights at night. It's impressive & the pictures probably don't do it justice.

Acropolis Museum - museum dedicated to showcasing the history of the Acropolis & Parthenon. Many artifacts & statues along with a video which highlighted the different eras of Athens.

Pireus Port & Mikrolimano - port was filled with cruise ships & ferries ready to take off for the islands or other Mediterranean destinations. We will set sail from here in a few days. Mikrolimano was an area of the city surrounding the fishing harbor. We enjoyed a wonderful meal at this great little restaurant right on the water.

The food has been absolutely wonderful. Fresh salads, feta cheese, grilled meats (lamb, beef, chicken), pita bread, & seafood (best calimari ever!). We also tried the traditional Greek drink called Ouzo - tastes like black jellybeans so Cori (dislike) & I (like) were split on our opinions.