Imagine the excitement of receiving this call from your husband when he announced that he was being transferred to the European Department! Yes, we lived in Athens, Greece for six glorious years of adventure. Having majored in history at college, combined with my passion for travel, it was the icing on the cake for me! This was several years ago now, but I have returned to Greece a few times to reunite with friends and the wonderful culture and land we grew to love.
Our first arrival is etched in my brain forever. Descending in over the beautiful blue sea dotted with water skiers after leaving a chilly Calgary climate to land at the Athens’ airport was fairytale material for sure. The old airport was located just off of the beach area of Glyfada, which is now an upscale part of greater Athens. The new Eleftherios Venizelos Airport opened in 2001 and is becoming one of Europe’s busier airports.
Athens is the capital and the largest city in Greece. Nestled in the central plain of Attica, it is surrounded by four mountains. Mount Parnitha to the north is the one we frequented the most often. It has a large national park complete with hiking trails and picnic areas. My fondest memory of this area was driving up to the park after a rare snowfall to throw snowballs at each other and watch the enthusiastic joy the locals were having with the snow. It also has a large casino at the top for those looking for that type of entertainment. The other mountains are Mount Penteli to the N.E., Mount Aegaleo to the west and Hymettus to the east. We enjoyed many exploration trips to these too.
Athens has a sub-tropical Mediterranean climate with very hot dry summers and mild wet winters. Driving from the airport to downtown Athens, the magnificent Acropolis becomes front and center very soon. One of two UNESCO world heritage sites in Athens, this is a must see on everyone’s list. You can book a guided tour to see this sight and have some explanation of the history that goes with the Acropolis. My daughter and I just walked up the hill and paid our way in on our last trip as we have been there a few times. The Parthenon is impressive and stands out as the main feature, but the Propylaea at the entrance and the Temple of Athena Nike all adds to a fascinating journey through centuries of Greek history. Many of the ancient pieces are now housed in the new Acropolis Museum located on the south east slope of the Acropolis hill, less than 300 meters from the Parthenon. This modern new facility opened in 2009. There are two theatres visible from the hill too. Take time to look down on the southeast side for a magnificent view of the open-air Dionysus Theatre. This is the larger of the two ancient facilities and not as well preserved. The smaller Odeon of Herodes Atticus was once a covered concert hall and is still used for outdoor concerts during the summer. The Acropolis site has been undergoing a restoration for many years now. You will also want to make time to visit the National Archeological Museum located in central Athens beneath the Acropolis. It has a huge collection of artifacts from several eras in Greek history and is one of my favorite places to spend time.
On our last visit, my daughter and I stayed at the Electra Hotel and it is an excellent location for sightseeing and shopping. It is at the top of Ermou Street just off of Syntagma Square, in the centre of Athens. Syntagma is adjacent to the Greek Parliament building which was formerly the Royal Palace. A popular event is the ceremonial changing of the guard with the Evzoni at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They change every hour on the hour and have a grand guard change on Sunday mornings. We would watch the ceremony and then feed the pigeons that flock here knowing food is always available. There is a large park beside the Parliament buildings and we visited this park a lot when we lived there. With lots of trees and quiet sitting areas it was a cool retreat on hot summer days.
After a day of history and ruins you will need a more relaxing diversion and shopping is always a good way to unwind. Ermou Street runs from Syntagma Square to Monastiraki and is full of brand name fashion and international shops. The Plaka is also very close and a fantastic place to shop and dine. There are lots of taverna-style eateries and coffee shops in this part of the city. It is a wonderful place to stop for a drink and just people watch for a while. Monastiraki has a train or metro station so it is convenient to go from the downtown area to other neighbourhoods of this big sprawling city. The metro system had a huge renovation for the 2004 Olympics so we found it to be quite modern and up to date from our previous memories. You can take this form of transportation right through to the port at Piraeus and spend some time there too. Another highlight in Athens is Mount Lycabettus which is the tallest hill in the city. One can take the funicular rail up to the top from Aristippou Street in Kolonaki or you can hike up the pathway. The view from the top is well worth the climb as you can see across the plain of Attica to the Aegean Sea on a clear day. The Chapel of Saint George is near the top where the funicular stops and there is a pleasant little café as well. It is expensive though. The Kolonaki district at the bottom of the funicular is a trendy high-end shopping area.
One of our favorite pastimes was always going to the beach and Athens has some fantastic beach areas very close by. Vouliagmeni is a lovely seaside area about 20 km south of Athens. One must pay to get onto the beaches here but they are well maintained and very popular. There are several hotels in this part of the city including the luxury Astir Palace Hotel. Our other enjoyment was finding little out-of-the-way tavernas to eat out and experience the great Greek cuisine. When we lived in Athens there were no outside fast food places, but now McDonald’s and Pizza Huts are everywhere. It is a shame but the way of progress, I guess. Be adventurous though and move away from the high tourist traffic locations to experience tasty Greek culinary delights.
The summer months of June, July and August are very hot and Athenians flood to the islands to escape the heat. The constant singing of the cicada in the hot weather was very irritating and they seemed to become louder with the rising of the temperature. A much pleasanter sound was the hooting of the Little Owls in the evenings. These cute little birds were sacred to the goddess Athena, being the symbol of wisdom and can be found on many ancient coins. The best time to go to Greece is mid-May to early June or September as it is still beautiful weather, but not quite so hot. Be sure to spend a few days in Athens as it is a great city to visit, rich with history and fascinating culture. A good start would be a city tour to get the layout and see the highlights then spend a day or two just walking through the Plaka and central area. A Greek salad in Greece is so much more flavorful, so stop and enjoy the warmth and ambience. Hop the train and explore some of the outer neighbourhoods to really immerse yourself in the city. The Greeks in downtown Athens usually speak English, but the language barrier can present itself in some areas. It is all part of the adventure though! Everything shuts down about 1-2 pm and reopens around 5pm when the day begins to cool. This proved to be a habit hard to break when we returned to Canada as I was always rushing to finish shopping before the siesta time started!
Our experiences in Greece were too numerous to tell in one short story, but I would be happy to share what I know and help you plan your Grecian vacation.
