Athens - ancient and modern - side by side
Written: Oct 24 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: There are some beautiful areas of the city.
Cons: Pollution is a huge problem.
The Bottom Line: Athens is a huge city with a few areas you want to focus your time and attention on.
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| azielinski's Full Review: Athens |
Back in September I wrote a review of Lufthansa (which most of you seemed to like) but I never got around to writing a review on my destination. My destination was (drum roll, please) Greece.
My adventure started in Athens. I arrived at the new Athens airport (I will write a review – I promise) after two long flights with about 3 hours of sleep. Once the doors of the airplane opened, all I wanted was to get my luggage, get to my hotel, get a shower and some non-airline food and go to bed.
With that in mind, the first thing I did was to go find my bag. It took a while to turn up on the baggage merry-go-round but it did turn up and in excellent condition. I then exchanged money (not the greatest rate in the world but it is a captive audience and the charges could have been far worse) and got in line for a cab.
While I was researching my trip, I read all sorts of horrible things about the Athens cab drivers that you meet at the airport. “Thieves” was the nicest word used and I approached the cab line with some trepidation. (I had taken the precaution of asking the lady at the change place what the cost should be to get to Omonia Square. She told me that it should be 25 to 30 Euros.) I was ready to be very firm and insist on the meter. I showed my drive the name and address of the hotel and he turned on the meter without a word from me. As we drove, he asked if it was my first time in Greece and I said yes. He asked me if I was alone and I said I was meeting friends. We chatted a little more and by the time we got to my hotel the meter read 27 Euros.
Omonia Square is a large modern square that is pretty ugly. It is however, within walking distance of Plaka (which is the district at the foot of the Acropolis) and the Parliament Building in Syntagma Square (which is where Greek soldiers perform the changing of the guard ceremony). We stayed at Hotel Mirage – which is clean and safe and has some really 70’s décor. It is also right next to a little restaurant street which is where I got something before I went back to my room and slept for 12 hours.
The next morning we headed to the Parliament Building to watch the changing of the guard. The guard is changed every hour. The guards wear what look like wooden clogs, tights (for lack of a better word), a tunic with a pleated skirt and a round red hat with a long black tassel. It was August when I was there and just looking at them in those heavy uniforms made me sweat. The changing of the guard ceremony involves a lot of elaborate marching and turning but is over fairly quickly.
Once that was done we explored Plaka – which is the old Turkish district of Athens. Plaka is filled with restaurants and shops and if you pause anywhere a salesman or waiter will engage you in conversation and try to have you come into their establishment. It is fairly high pressure but if you say that you are just looking or no thank you, they will leave you alone.
Unfortunately, the National Archeological Museum is closed right now with a scheduled re-opening date of April 2004. I would have liked to go there but did see museums on the islands. Also Athens is being dug up, rebuilt and having new things built at a furious pace – for the 2004 Olympics. Still as you walk around Plaka and towards the Acropolis, you see old temples and buildings and ruins so it is pretty exciting if you like that sort of thing.
I didn’t buy much in Athens. I got a few postcards and some olive oil soap (it is really great stuff). I was in Athens before I went to the Cylades and then just before I left Greece and I preferred the things I found on the islands. However, Athens has all sorts of stuff to buy – from olive oil and honey, to olive oil soap and natural sponges, to fur coats and jewelry.
While I can’t say that Athens is my favorite city, I will make the time to stay there a little longer when I go back to Greece. There is just so much more to explore.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Friends
Best Time to Travel Here: Sep - Nov
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Epinions.com ID:
azielinski
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 - Top 500 |
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Location: Boston, MA
Reviews written: 341
Trusted by: 174 members
About Me:
Just started a new job...I'll be writing again soon.
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