Hi there,

we are going to Greece in a week time for a 10 days holiday.

I have a few last minute questions, and it would be great if someone could help me.

1._ I read that the airport metro is working. Is it true? It will be great for us. We also need to exchange metro lines to get to Omonia and our hotel, do you know if it is easily done with luggage?

2._ We are arriving at lunch time on a Monday, leaving that tuesday for Santorini, coming back at lunch time on tuesday and flying out wednesday at 14:00. Which day will be better to visit the Acropolis? I don´t know if it is closed on mondays, and I have been trying to find a decent website giving me the opening times.

3._ Is it true that you cannot bring even a small handbag into the Acropolis? Do they have lockers, in that case?

4._ We will have to compromise and visit only one museum. Which one would you recommend? We love modern art, so I was thinking that maybe one with cycladic sculpture would be nice.

5._ Restaurant recommendations. We will be probably meeting with a friend on our last night who has to be there on a business trip. I´d like to find a restaurant with a modern twist, and it doesn´t need to be in Plaka. I wonder how are things in Psyrri, if it is difficult to get there and so on. I was thinking of that area because we might like to have a couple of drinks afterwards (unless it is very "dead" because we are in the middle of august, after all, and people are on holidays).

Bye, and kind regards,
Cova

Yes, the Airport Metro is running. Change at Syntagma for Omonia Square. There are luggage racks on the Metro so it's easy.

The National Archaeological Museum will give you the best and most variety of artifacts to examine. Sorry, I don't know about museums with modern art.

I can only answer question #3. When we went to the Acropolos 3 yrs ago we could not bring our backbacks up, but I could bring my purse. We just shoved everything important into my purse. I don't think they had lockers, I believe it was sort of a coat check thing. But we didn't feel safe leaving anything of value there.

I brought my purse with me when we visited the Acropolis last summer. No backpacks were allowed, however.

There are some amazing seafood restaurants in the Piraeus (port) area, which is only about 20-30 minutes by cab, depending on time of day/traffic. I will try to remember where we went in June. Many of them are restaurants plus clubs that stay open very late, and are located right on the water. Lots of fun!

I was actually worried about not being able to get the purse in. I don´t usually visit with a backpack, just a small across the shoulders purse and maybe a cloth bag inside (just in case there is some shopping to be done).

Thanks a lot, Cova

4 and 5: I think the Museum of Cycladic Art would be just what you're thinking of: www.cycladic.gr. It's fairly central and not huge, so you might also have time to include the beautiful Benaki Museum, which is close by. http://www.athensinfoguide.com/wtsmu...nakimuseum.htm

Psyrri certainly shouldn't be 'dead' in August, and there are some great restaurants there. I don't think you can do better than browse through the restaurant section in Matt Barrett's famous website: www.Athensguide.com. We seem to share a lot of favourites – you can totally trust his descriptions: tavernas, cafes, pie shops, etc.
I have recently discovered one quite new place which I don't think he's included : it's called myrmigki kai tzitziki (the ant and the cicada): I think the name is only in Greek, but the menus are in English too. You can't miss it, it's in Mitropoleos St - near the top, on the right if you're coming down from Syntagma Square. The location isn't so great, as it's right on the street with some of the tables outside – no view, but there's a very good ambience and the food is delicious, with some unusual dishes. It's not very expensive, either.
have a wonderful time!

I had completely forgotten about Matt´s site. Thanks for reminding me !

The Cycladic Art Museum sounds like what we were thinking of. We´ll try to go and visit it.

Thanks to all !

Cova

NikolettaG: The restaurant on Mitropoleos - are you talking about O Tzitzikas ke O Mermingas? I think we are talking about the same place near Syntagma Square, but that's how I've written it in my notes. No view and on a busy shopping street, but it was very good and easy to find, and full of people speaking Greek, which was a nice change of pace from all the places in the Plaka.

cova: We visited the Acropolis on a Monday in May, so I don't think it closes on Mondays, although iirc, it opens later. We went in the afternoon around 3-5:30 and it was a great time to be there. We were one of the last people "shooed" off, and we got many great photos with practically nobody else around.

Cheryl, that timing sounds quite good to me. We are landing at 12:30 aprox in the morning, so between getting into town, picking up ferry tickets and drop bags at the hotel, it would be nice to get to the Acropolis in the afternoon ( with lots and lots of water, of course ...).

Bye, Cova

cova: That sounds like a good plan. I think it's best to try to see the Acropolis on your very first day, that way, if something happens and things don't go according to plan, you can fit it in later.

I had a hard time finding opening hours also, but even when we did find them, they were just plain wrong. Our info was that the Acropolis closed at 7pm, but at 5:30, we were literally getting "shooed" off. So don't trust the opening hours as gospel and always allow some time cushions in your schedule. If we'd arrived at 5pm hoping for two hours to explore the Acropolis, we would have been upset (as some people were who were also getting shooed).

You can see Cycladic art in the national archeological museum, as well as Minoan art and some extrordinary other finds that I think appeal enormously to a lover of modern art (like myself). You aren't obliged to visit the other galleries, but I think the national archeological museum is a real opportunity to explore an astonishingly varied collection, which for all its intelligence, the museum of Cycladic art isn't.

Zeppole, I have already been to the National Archeological Museum.

We only have one afternoon/evening and one morning in Athens, and we will probably end up not visiting any museums, but I was looking for something small and handy that would appeal to us.

We had thought of visiting a couple of art galleries, but they are supposed to be closed down in August.

Thanks again, Cova

Apart from Psyrri you could also visit Gkazi or Gazi (i think it's in the Keramikos metro station). There are lots of restaurants and bars there as well!! It's an area that has been developed a lot the last 4-5 years so there are several trendy and not so trendy spots to hang out!!

cheryllj - Yes, that's the one! There are different ways of spelling those words, and I couldn't remember exactly what was over the door. We seem to have had a similar experience there - if a place is full of Greeks it does suggests the food will be good. I also liked the little glass of tsipouro (I think) which came as soon as we sat down!

Can't answer them all, but here is my take:

2) I would go to the Acropolis upon arrival in Athens on Monday - it is open on Mondays...Just in case you have any flight issues and end up getting back later than expected, it would be a shame to miss this spectacular site!

3) When at the Acropolis this past June, my husband had a backpack and I had a decent sized handbag. We had no issues...I saw others with backpacks as well and noone was checking.

OK, I am beginning to write my report :

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35157200

Bye, Cova