καλωσορίζω στην Αθήνα

We got to Athens on Sunday, August 10th, 2014. We flew Aegean Air from Warsaw which was a very nice and comfortable flight. There was so much legroom that at first we thought we got upgraded but after a quick look around I realized that this was the case throughout the entire plane. During the 3 hour flight we were given a snack and a meal. American airline companies could learn a thing or two from this airline. It was one of the most comfortable flights during our travels. 

Athens greeted us with very high temperatures of 98F (37 Celsius). Thankfully we had a big apartment with a huge balcony to relax on. And because we stayed in Athens longer than planned (6 nights) we had enough time to explore the city and relax. Sightseeing certainly takes a toll especially since we like to explore by foot so we've learned to plan for some days of downtime.

Athens surprised us from the start. It was not as pretty as I had pictured it. It's probably because no one really shows photos of Athens streets but rather of the impressive ancient ruins such as the Acropolis. Walking around Athens we got the impression that Greeks sort of threw in the towel on the upkeep of their city. It's as if they said "You know, we've done enough for the civilization a few thousand years ago, we paid our dues. Now we will just sit back and relax. And take 3 weeks off in August". The city definitely needs some TLC. 

We got to Athens during the time when most Greeks go on vacation to the islands. Many stores and business were closed with signs informing that they will remain closed for 2-3 weeks. Good for them. But on the other hand, that type of a lifestyle can somewhat explain why a country can go bankrupt. 

Aside from chilling on our humongous balcony, we did some sightseeing of the ancient ruins such as the Acropolis, Temple of Zeus and Agora. The Acropolis is the hill on which the Parthenon and other ancient ruins are situated. Climbing up the hill in 100 degree weather was a bit draining. We were glad that we wore sneakers and had lots of water with us (there are also few water fountains on the top, surely to prevent tourists from dying there). The view from the Acropolis was stunning as we saw the entire city of Athens around us. It was also very impressive and somewhat humbling to see the overpowering and gigantic structure of the Parthenon, which construction started in 447 BC. How were they able to build something so monumental without the technology we currently have? And how did they work in such heat? Incredible. 

Tip: Ticket to the Acropolis and other Greek ruins costs €16. If you buy it make sure not to miss other attractions it covers: Temple of Zeus, Agora etc. 

Here are some quick facts about Greece and Athens before we get to the photos. 

Geography: Greece is situated in Southern Europe on the tip of the Balkan Peninsula

Population:  about 11 million in Greece, 789 thousand in Athens making the Capital of Greece the country's biggest city

Demographics: vast majority is Greek, minorities include Albanians, Roma, Turks, Bulgarians

Currency: Euro €  where 1 Euro = 1.35 USD

Religion: mostly Greek Orthodox 

Best Known for: Ancient culture; considered cradle of Western Civilization; birthplace of Democracy, philosophy, Olympics, mathematical principles, drama; ancient ruins (Acropolis; Parthenon, Temple of Zeus); most recently bankruptcy; beautiful islands; meandering border; great mediterranean cuisine. 

What We Noticed: Loud crickets; clean subway system with AC and classical music playing in stations; buildings need some TLC; phyllo dough, sweet and savory pastries; delicious olives and feta cheese; reckless and fast driving; blue evil eye talismans.

For more photos of Athens, check out the Gallery page.  

We flew Aegean Air from Warsaw to Athens and it was a very enjoyable flight. Not only there's tons of legroom but they also feed their passengers! We were shocked. In a good way of course. 

Our apartment in Athens was vary spacious and with lots of character.  The balcony was humongous. We spent lots of time there eating our meals, reading, relaxing and exercising.   View from the balcony provided for beautiful sunsets.  

Our Greek grocery shopping. We ate greek salad with delicious olives and feta every day. Grocery shopping in Greece is affordable. A block of feta was less than 2 euro; container of olives cost about the same; large water bottles were less than 50 cents; beer cans around 1 euro. Aside from avocados, vegetables and fruits were also inexpensive.

Gyros are popular fast food in Greece; they usually cost between 3 to 7 euros depending on size and restaurant/stand. This one came with fries inside! Aside from that, sit down restaurants in Athens start from around 10 euro per dish.  

The city was pretty empty when we got there as many Greeks go on vacation in August. Also Greeks are pretty religious and many businesses are closed on Sunday which was the day we landed. We had to wait until the following morning to get some groceries. 

City baby.

Super creepy shells shed by insects that make extremely loud sounds everywhere in Athens. I think they are crickets.   Athens subways are clean and modern. 

Train stations are spacious with classical music playing in each.

Vlad got a haircut in Athens. Despite not sharing any common language with his barber, it turned out better than we expected.  There are lots of souvenirs to buy in Athens. Most are very inexpensive.  Evil Eye talisman, which I always associated with the Middle East, is very popular in Greece. 

We started our first day of sight seeing with a visit to the Panathenaic Stadium where the first modern day Olympic Games were hosted in 1896. It was constructed from the remains of an ancient stadium and is the only one in the world built entirely out of marble. 

View of the stadium. 

Having lots of days in Athens we decided to take it easy and after visiting the stadium went for a walk in a nearby park. We came across a pond filled with turtles.  Poor turtles could not catch a break from the annoying pigeons who fancied themselves a turtle ride. Asshole birds!  View of the Acropolis in the back. This little hike in 98 degree weather sure got our heart rates up.

Odeon of Herodes Atticus - stone theater structure located on the South side of the Acropolis hill, built in 161 AD.   View on part of the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and the city of Athens. 

Here we are in front of the Parthenon where construction began in 447 BC and is dedicated to the goddess Athena whom the people of Athens considered their patron. 

View from the Acropolis hill on Temple of Zeus (bunch of columns) which we visited later that day.  Nope, it was not raining that day ;-)

The Caryatid porch of the Erechtheion. Caryatids are columns or pillars sculpted as female figures.  Some ruins are more attractive than others. There was quite a bit of scaffolding around the Greek ruins when we were visiting. In my photos I try to show not only the pretty parts of the places we visit but also everything else. This way you get to see different views of those places, not only the prettiest photos shown in guidebooks which oftentimes lead to disappointments.  Peekaboo - walking down from the Parthenon. 

View of the Acropolis hill from Areopagus Hill which is a huge white rock that is very slippery. The view from here is spectacular.  Vlad overlooking the city from the Areopagus Hill. The long building on the left is the Agora which we visited on another day but of which I can't seem to find any photos! I think I accidentally deleted that day's album. :-/

Temple of Zeus is an ancient temple in Olympia dedicated to the mythical god Zeus. It was built between 472 and 456 BC. Acropolis hill is in the background.  Me and a bunch of columns ;-)

Young photographer in training. Another beautiful Athenean sunset. 

For more photos of Athens, check out the Gallery page.