Greece Travel Blog

Where does one begin to introduce Athens – a city which birthed democracy itself, that continued to shape European history and philosophy for centuries after its decline, and most importantly, continues to even today host some of the best Moussaka ever (one day I will make a shrine to this most delicious of foods).

Our time in Athens was only brief – a 20h stop en route to the Greek Islands. In retrospect, that clearly was not enough to even begin to enjoy this city. However, it was more than enough time to hoe into a few Gyros (Greek Doner Kebabs), Mousakas, and feta cheese.

After starting the day with a healthy breakfast of cheese pies and pastry, we headed to Athens’ most visited monument, the Acropolis. The Acropolis crowns a large hill that is graced with quaint old houses and cobbled streets. Its a picturesque though slightly steep walk, punctuated by old men and empty cafes. Near the top, we stopped at a rocky out-crop from which we could see a beautiful view over the city of Athens with its endless rows of dusty white buildings and tree-lined hills.

Anyway – the Acropolis. Yes, it was big and old looking and rather photogenic. But sadly, it was also under maintenance, which meant many of the really beautiful shots were marred by construction scaffolding. The site itself is not that big and is mainly dominated by the reasonably well preserved Parthenon – a marble pillared mega-structure that once served as the temple of Athena.

Next we headed down to Europe’s long pedestrian strip (3km). This is a cafe and shop lined mall that captures the quintessential culture of Greece – eating, smoking, chattering and gawking at strangers walking by. It was lunch, so indulged in truly the best Greek dish – Moussaka, as well as delicious garlicky grilled eggplant salad.

Greek food is simply delicious – though not for the oil intolerant. Forget ancient ruins and historical significance. Cheese, pastry and Mousakka are sufficient motivators to visit Athens!

By Kit and Melenie Thambiratnam; excerpts, edited by Greece Travel Blog

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