Trip Report Athens

Old Jul 9th, 2005, 07:06 PM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,439
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Trip Report Athens

This is our 6th trip to Greece and we wanted to share some stories, experiences and practical matters so that others might get a laugh or a tidbit of information that they might use in planning for a trip to Greece.
Given space limitations this report will be in three instalments: Athens, Peloponesse and Naxos. We have also posted pictures on Webshots. To find them go to www.webshots.com then click on the Community page. At the bottom of the Community page there is a 'find member' option - typed in lollypeter100 and you will come to my home page. Pictures are titled 'Greece 2005.' Hope you enjoy them. Leave me a note in my guestbook!

Athens

We departed Canada on May 19 and arrived in Athens at dinner time on May 20. This was our first opportunity to take the new metro subway line from the airport (We took the Blue line to the Monastraki). This is very convenient and a bargain at €12 compared to the taxi. The Monastraki station is a two minute walk to Hotel Attalos on Athinas St. [Hotel Attalos €60 per night double occupancy including breakfast booked through Dolphin-Hellas Travel. This was a much better rate than we could get ourselves using the internet. Although Attalos is a C class hotel, it is clean, inexpensive and has a wonderful roof top bar with a great view of the Acropolis and is perfectly suited to budget travellers.] An early evening arrival time after a transatlantic flight is just about perfect because you can head out to dinner, retire to bed and then get up the next morning ready to get into the Athens lifestyle.

We learned our lesson on our first trip to Greece and never carry suitcases again. We realized that suitcases are very heavy and have to be lugged around on subways, ferries and stairs. We travel as lightly as possible and take only two slightly oversize day packs and live by my rule of “three of each article of clothing, one on, one fresh for tomorrow and one in the wash.” I take the one in the wash into the shower with me and thoroughly stomp them in the suds. Air drying on the balcony is fast.

Unfortunately my theory was handed an immediate set back on the first morning when I found my undies had blown off the balcony and were lying in a rather ignominious heap on the roof of the building next door. Undaunted - and now with a little room in my pack for a souvenir - we explored Athens.


We did all the usual tourist stuff, wandering the Monastraki flea market shops and the Plaka. We also visited the Roman and Ancient Agoras, the Acropolis, Hadrian’s Arch, the Temple of Zeus, Syntagmata Square, the National Gardens and the Presidential Palace. We also found the ancient cemetery at Kerameikos, which we have never visited before. This is located at one of the ancient gates to the city (the Dipylion Gate) and is the site of the sacred way to the Acropolis. We spent an enjoyable couple of hours touring the site where there are many examples of Grave Steles. Another highlight for us was Hadrian’s Library. In the past we have been able to see the site through the wrought iron fence, but now it is open and best of all is free.

On Sunday we found St Andrews International Church at 66 Sima St. They have a great congregation with expats from all over. After the service we walked to Lycabettus Hill which is the highest location in Athens with a wonderful 360 degree view of the city and the sea. After all that walking we intended to stop at the taverna at the top for a spot of refreshment but fortunately the waiters ignored us long enough for us to look at the prices on the menu and we beat a hasty retreat.

We had two adventures in Athens worth mentioning;
The first involved the purchase of a ring for Laurel. We visited a jeweller recommended by Matt Barret. Since it was our 30’th anniversary I wanted to buy Laurel a ring. This particular jeweller gave us 50 % off the price provided we used cash. He told us that in Athens the merchants don’t like to pay tax so cash meant that they could offer a discount. He did advise that the local tax authority has the power to search bags as people leave a shop, so Laurel should just wear the ring. When we returned with cash, everything was in an uproar; our merchant had just received a call telling him that a tax agent was in the area and was heading his way. He was busy calling his other stores and hiding files. We virtually had to force our cash payment on him. He wouldn’t even count it, but rather stuffed it in a drawer and hurried us out of the shop. It turned out that his partner had placed the anonymous call warning of the inspector, as a joke. Those Greeks and their taxes! We’ll have to have the ring appraised in order to be sure the joke wasn’t on us. The last time we purchased Gold jewellery in Greece it turned out to be worth three times more than we paid for it so we are hopeful this one will prove to be as good a buy.

On our last day in Athens we were determined to track down the Brettos ouzo distillery in the Plaka. We had read about it on Matt Barrett’s web site and so we set out with our trusty map and great determination. Unfortunately, there were several obstacles in the way of our quest. First of all the Plaka can be a bit confusing, with its narrow streets and lanes. Secondly, Laurel had fallen the night before and had hurt her foot. (We found out later that she had fractured a bone.) Instead of babying herself Laurel said “our daughter Leigh is a soccer goalkeeper and she always plays hurt, so I can too”. Laurel strapped on her running shoe and off we went. Our first stop of the day was at a pharmacy for Advil and of course there were numerous stops for Nescafe iced frappe in order to take time to rest the foot. There was also doubt if this distillery even existed. Most people, including the clerk at our hotel and most of the merchants on the way, hadn’t heard of the place. It was only when we realized that the letter B in Greece is pronounced V that we started to ask for ‘Verattos.’ That helped and we were able to locate it quite easily. What a wonderful shop; two walls were full of colourful bottles from floor to ceiling and the third wall was nothing but barrel after barrel of ouzo. We ordered two drinks and the proprietor poured them straight from a spigot from a barrel. This was by far the best ouzo we had on our trip. By the time we finished my tongue was numb and Laurel’s foot had stopped hurting. The bottle we brought home was worth 2.5 Euros and the drugs, frappes and sample drinks brought the total cost of the search for Brettos to something like 20 Euros.

Thus ended our Athens leg. Please see the next instalment for our driving tour of the eastern Peloponese!
stanbr is offline  
Old Jul 9th, 2005, 07:14 PM
  #2  
P_M
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 24,919
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Great report so far. I look forward to reading more.
P_M is offline  
Old Jul 9th, 2005, 07:22 PM
  #3  
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Really enjoyed your first installment. How did you get to Lycabettus Hill? taxi?
sactomama is offline  
Old Jul 9th, 2005, 07:54 PM
  #4  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,439
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
We walked. I brought a pedometer. It's 21,000 steps from the Attalos Hotel past the Parliment Building the Royal Palace and return. That might have been a bit ambitious because we had sore feet and calves the next day.
stanbr is offline  
Old Jul 10th, 2005, 02:58 AM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 814
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Stan, very much enjoying your report and looking forward to the next instalment.

billbarr is offline  
Old Jul 10th, 2005, 03:19 AM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,557
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hi

Thanks for the trip report. Brought back so many fond memories of Athens. You got a good deal with the Attalos. We stayed a few doors down at the Cecil. Yes the area is very convenient.

"Laurel had fallen the night before and had hurt her foot". Boy, that's rotten luck. Poor old thing, she's a real trooper isn't she. Don't tell me the infamous Athens paving did the damage - or did they fix it up for the Olympics?

Looking forward to the next report.
worldinabag is offline  
Old Jul 10th, 2005, 08:26 PM
  #7  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,439
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
No she actually fell walking home the last night in Naxos. It was dark and the pavement had a slight slant to it and down she went. I think the fact that she had to spend 5 hours the next day imobile on a ferry actually started the healing process. She is doing really well now and was dancing today at our Church's Pancake breakfast. It's Stampede time here in Calgary and she wouldn't miss an opportunity to dance.
stanbr is offline  
Old Jul 11th, 2005, 09:36 PM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 550
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks for the mention of the blown-away undies. I had some concerns myself, particularly in Hania, so I did some weaving through the slats of the chair on the balcony. But your message reminds me that I decided I'd take safety pins so I could loop stuff around the arms of the chairs or whatever and pin the edges together. I'll start a packing list for next year's Greek trip right now and put safety pins at the head of the list.
polly229 is offline  
Old Jul 12th, 2005, 08:45 PM
  #9  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,439
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Actually clothes pins are quite cheap and are available at every supermarket. We finally smartened up and bought a package.
It's better to travel light, purchase what you need locally and abandon stuff when you are ready to return.
stanbr is offline  
Old Jul 13th, 2005, 10:21 AM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 550
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
My drying facilities in Greece have usually been the arms of a chair on balconies, though. And clothespins don't work there. So I figured looping the socks or undies around the arm and pinning would work better - and safety pins are small and easy to carry. I used to carry a few clothespins but generally found I didn't need them or they didn't work under circumstances I found myself in.

BTW, part of my packing strategy is to take small amounts of anything I think I'll need with me. First, I hate to spend my travel time looking for basic stuff - and sometimes hate the brand(s) I find. When it's time to come home, if I need space for purchases, I can jettison some of the odds and ends I took with me. A few years ago I discovered some little bottles of bubbles like they use at weddings at the dollar store, and I found those work great for liquids once you take the wands out and rinse (and rinse and rinse ) - good, tight caps. I use zip-lock bags in various sizes for solids like detergent, pills, etc., so they reduce in size as I use stuff. Am able to get all of this plus sufficient clothing and a good-sized, sturdy Travel Pro bag for purchases on the trip crammed into a roll-aboard. Am learning to streamline pretty well as I get older and can't handle the luggage as well. (Since I have lifting restrictions, packs are no longer an option - I need wheels.)
polly229 is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Steve255
Europe
13
Jun 2nd, 2017 07:43 AM
nicenancy
Cruises
4
Jun 18th, 2010 02:49 PM
claire_david2
Mexico & Central America
30
Oct 25th, 2007 01:42 PM
cheribob
Europe
5
Jun 19th, 2006 08:23 PM
Wifeybug
Europe
6
Jan 10th, 2006 05:34 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -