Mainland Greece in October-November 2020
Nov 17th, 2020, 04:12 PM
#21
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Now here is my Athens museum short-list:
“Acropolis. 8-17 h in winter. Entry € 20. Half price for all from Nov 1. Free entry first Sunday of the month, November-March. Ticket covers all sites on the Acropolis, plus N and S slopes including the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and theatre of Dionysos.
Special € 30 euro Combo ticket: Components are Acropolis (€ 20) Ancient Agora (€ 10) plus 5 other sites: Roman Forum/Agora (w/ temple of Haephaistos, circa 450 BC.), Library of Hadrian, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Keremikos cemetery, School of Aristotle.
Acropolis usually packed from 10 AM. Be first or last. Metro Acropoli on Red Line M2
Skip-the-line ticket saves queueing at ticket office but you must still queue at entrance.”
“Acropolis Museum. The Museum entrance is located at the beginning of the pedestrian walkway of Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, which constitutes the central route for the unified network of the city’s archaeological sites. The Acropolis metro station is just to the east of the Museum.
Admission is € 10 euros until October 31, then € 5 euros for all ages until Spring. Admission to the Acropolis itself requires a separate ticket.
A stunning, ultra-modern museum built to house items removed from the Acropolis, including the famous caryatids of the Erectheion (except the one pillaged by Lord Elgin, which is in the British Museum).
“National Archaeological Museum. 28th Oktovriou Street, 44 Metro: Victoria or Omonia. Entry € 12 (Half price from Nov 1) Three day Combo tkt w/ Christian/ Byzantine Museum € 15. From April until October 31st: Tuesday: 13:00 – 20:00 From Wednesday until Monday: 08:00 – 20:00 From November 1 – April: From Wednesday until Monday: 09:00 – 16:00 Tuesday: 13:00 – 20:00
The most important museum in Athens, perhaps in all of Greece. Holds many of the treasures gathered from major sites such as Mycenae. Without an audio guide you miss out on the important displays. The museum is built like a labyrinth. “We really tried to see everything but still missed several rooms and one whole exhibition.”
“Museum of Christian and Byzantine Art. Website says Mon: 08:00-20:00 Tues: 13:00-20:00 Wed-Sunday: 08:00-20:00 Entry € 8, Reduced € 4. Three day Combo tkt with Nat. Archaeological museum € 15. Off the tourist radar. Lovely villa, restful cafe in a garden.”
“Museum of Cycladic Art: 4 Neofytou Douka Street Private museum. Entry € 7 but 65+ and Mondays half price. Open Mon, We Th Fri and Sa from 10 am to 5 pm and Sun from 11 am to 5 pm. It is closed on Tuesday. Suggested Duration:1-2 hours
Also The Stathatos Mansion (Temporary exhibitions) Vasilissis Sofias Ave. & 1 Irodotou Street. One ticket for both. Numbers limited and masks essential.
A small, dynamic cultural institution that focuses on promoting the ancient cultures of the Aegean and Cyprus, with particular emphasis on Cycladic art of the third millennium BC.
The Cyclades flourished in the third millennium (2700-2300 BC). Marble carving is the most characteristic product, and the abstract forms of its figures have influenced several artists of the 20th and 21st centuries such as Brancusi, Modigliani and Giacometti. They are authentic works of art that make one wonder if they are antique or modern.
The second floor contains ancient Greek art, known for its rich iconography. Gods and heroes, myths, religious ceremonies, daily life and even the moment of death are depicted, providing us with valuable information about ancient Greek society, its organization, structure, and beliefs. It covers the history of ancient Greek art from the second millennium BC to the IV century, through the exhibition of 350 pieces.”
“Benaki museum of Islamic Art. 22 Agion Asomaton Street & 12 Dipilou Street. Metro Blue Line (M3) to Monastiraki station. Open Th Fri Sat Sun: 10:00 - 18:00 Entry: Over 65, € 7 Mostly small decorative objects.”
“Acropolis. 8-17 h in winter. Entry € 20. Half price for all from Nov 1. Free entry first Sunday of the month, November-March. Ticket covers all sites on the Acropolis, plus N and S slopes including the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and theatre of Dionysos.
Special € 30 euro Combo ticket: Components are Acropolis (€ 20) Ancient Agora (€ 10) plus 5 other sites: Roman Forum/Agora (w/ temple of Haephaistos, circa 450 BC.), Library of Hadrian, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Keremikos cemetery, School of Aristotle.
Acropolis usually packed from 10 AM. Be first or last. Metro Acropoli on Red Line M2
Skip-the-line ticket saves queueing at ticket office but you must still queue at entrance.”
“Acropolis Museum. The Museum entrance is located at the beginning of the pedestrian walkway of Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, which constitutes the central route for the unified network of the city’s archaeological sites. The Acropolis metro station is just to the east of the Museum.
Admission is € 10 euros until October 31, then € 5 euros for all ages until Spring. Admission to the Acropolis itself requires a separate ticket.
A stunning, ultra-modern museum built to house items removed from the Acropolis, including the famous caryatids of the Erectheion (except the one pillaged by Lord Elgin, which is in the British Museum).
“National Archaeological Museum. 28th Oktovriou Street, 44 Metro: Victoria or Omonia. Entry € 12 (Half price from Nov 1) Three day Combo tkt w/ Christian/ Byzantine Museum € 15. From April until October 31st: Tuesday: 13:00 – 20:00 From Wednesday until Monday: 08:00 – 20:00 From November 1 – April: From Wednesday until Monday: 09:00 – 16:00 Tuesday: 13:00 – 20:00
The most important museum in Athens, perhaps in all of Greece. Holds many of the treasures gathered from major sites such as Mycenae. Without an audio guide you miss out on the important displays. The museum is built like a labyrinth. “We really tried to see everything but still missed several rooms and one whole exhibition.”
“Museum of Christian and Byzantine Art. Website says Mon: 08:00-20:00 Tues: 13:00-20:00 Wed-Sunday: 08:00-20:00 Entry € 8, Reduced € 4. Three day Combo tkt with Nat. Archaeological museum € 15. Off the tourist radar. Lovely villa, restful cafe in a garden.”
“Museum of Cycladic Art: 4 Neofytou Douka Street Private museum. Entry € 7 but 65+ and Mondays half price. Open Mon, We Th Fri and Sa from 10 am to 5 pm and Sun from 11 am to 5 pm. It is closed on Tuesday. Suggested Duration:1-2 hours
Also The Stathatos Mansion (Temporary exhibitions) Vasilissis Sofias Ave. & 1 Irodotou Street. One ticket for both. Numbers limited and masks essential.
A small, dynamic cultural institution that focuses on promoting the ancient cultures of the Aegean and Cyprus, with particular emphasis on Cycladic art of the third millennium BC.
The Cyclades flourished in the third millennium (2700-2300 BC). Marble carving is the most characteristic product, and the abstract forms of its figures have influenced several artists of the 20th and 21st centuries such as Brancusi, Modigliani and Giacometti. They are authentic works of art that make one wonder if they are antique or modern.
The second floor contains ancient Greek art, known for its rich iconography. Gods and heroes, myths, religious ceremonies, daily life and even the moment of death are depicted, providing us with valuable information about ancient Greek society, its organization, structure, and beliefs. It covers the history of ancient Greek art from the second millennium BC to the IV century, through the exhibition of 350 pieces.”
“Benaki museum of Islamic Art. 22 Agion Asomaton Street & 12 Dipilou Street. Metro Blue Line (M3) to Monastiraki station. Open Th Fri Sat Sun: 10:00 - 18:00 Entry: Over 65, € 7 Mostly small decorative objects.”
Nov 17th, 2020, 04:17 PM
#22
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Details of our Accommodation
Fri Oct 16, Sat Oct 17, Sun Oct 18:
Meli Seaside Villas, Eparchiaki, on the Odos Rizomilou-Koronis, near the village of Khránoi (between Koroni and Kalamata, in the far western part of the Peloponnese)
Manager is Stavroula – Tel.: +30 (0) 693 487 0643
On a flattish stretch of pebbly beach, cleverly inserted between olive groves, the owners have built four attached two-storey villas of slick modern design, each with a generous private terrace facing the sea. A path leads through an attractively planted (if unexpectedly weedy) flower garden to a sun deck and lounge chairs overlooking the water. We weren’t inspired to swim but the two families of hearty Germans who were staying at the same time certainly did.
The identical villas are very new and very attractively if sparely, furnished. The outside terrace, seen through an immense wall of glass, doubles the living space. There is an open kitchen that might be inadequate for a family spending a week (the fridge is a tiny bar model) but quite adequate for a couple staying three nights. There was a generous welcome pack of essentials including local products.
There is an attractive bedroom and a bath on the main floor. A staircase leads to a loft overlooking the living room, with more beds. Daily housekeeping is included in the rate.
The development of this stretch of the seacoast – houses, small hotels, small farms – isn’t especially interesting and the villages, like most Greek villages we saw, are dull. However, we were well placed for touring the key sights, such as Koroni, Methoni, Pylos and the magical abandoned ancient city of Messene.
We had a good dinner on the seafront of the nearby village of Agios Andreos, at the outdoor restaurant of the Akroyali Hotel. We would gladly have returned for a second night but it was closing for the season, like many other places around it.
Mon Oct 19, Tues Oct 20, Wed Oct 21:
Akrolithi Boutique Hotel, Suite Petrobeys. Technically in Oitylo but overlooking the better-known resort town of Limeni, on the western shore of the untamed Outer Mani
Tel: +30 2733 053112 or +30 6973 663184 Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
It is hard to find enough superlatives to heap on this very recent – and very stylish – nine-room boutique hotel. It comprises a line of purpose-built stone houses, all with the same exceptional south-facing view of the bay of Limeni. It’s on a steeply sloping plot of land above the main road into town. As there was almost no traffic on the road, traffic was never an issue.
Each room has its own verandah or large open terrace. On the hotel website, there are four different kinds or classes of room and a different price for each class. In reality, all rooms appear to be roughly the same size and the only significant difference is whether you have a covered verandah (with a wall to separate you from a neighbour) or an open upstairs terrace, which is more private.
We had an upstairs suite, accessible by an open stone staircase, with a high wooden ceiling and a huge, exceptionally attractive, stone-walled terrace. The room was large enough for a sofa and two armchairs. The bathroom was compact but stylish. The décor was like something out of a magazine and all the fittings were of uniformly high quality.
There is no swimming pool, an odd omission. As it was the off-season, we did not care.
In other, happier times, the hotel operates a restaurant. When we stayed, they offered bar service and an exceptional breakfast, with abundant local products, some of them (olives, baked goods, jams) produced by the owner-manager herself. The emphasis is on traditional peasant recipes of the region, such as a hearty tomato-based soup eaten before heading out to work the region’s stony land. But all the elements of a conventional hot breakfast are available, too.
The warmth and responsiveness of the owner-manager and her family was exceptional. On our departure, she even produced a gift bag with jars of local salt and oregano from her own garden.
We dined three nights in hip Limeni at Teloneio (sometimes spelled Telonio), a waterfront spot where you can choose between the pricier, full menu at the courtyard restaurant or a more limited menu in the outdoor lounge-bar. We enjoyed both.
Thurs Oct 22, Fri Oct 23, Sat Oct 24:
Mystras Grand Palace Resort, Premium Double Room w/ mountain view + half-board. Just outside the town of Sparta, 15 minutes from the historic Byzantine site of Mystras Tel. +30 (0) 273 10 21111 or 273 14 40980 Email: [email protected]
This is a large, family-oriented resort with meeting facilities, tennis courts and two pools, set in semi-rural grounds outside the bustling modern town of Sparti (Sparta). There are several bars and dining options in normal times but most were closed when we stayed there.
Accommodations are in small stone houses sprinkled around an old olive grove and the pool area. Each house holds two or three units, each with private entrance. Our upstairs unit had a large covered stone terrace.
Our high-ceilinged room had stone walls, a sitting area, a separate dressing area with abundant storage and a huge bathroom. The traditional décor, though apparently quite recent, listed toward the stodgy, lacking the hip edge of the Akrolithi hotel.
Similarly, our half-board meals at the nearly empty upstairs dining room were abundant and well presented but lacked some spark. Service was deft but formal; the whole effect was a bit old-fashioned. Weekend breakfasts were a step up – a copious buffet with a huge choice of fresh products and hot dishes.
In time, though, I came to appreciate this hotel – the quiet, the attention to detail, the availability, unfailing politeness and deference of the staff and the utter lack of the pretension and pushiness you sometimes find in upmarket places that aspire to a superior standing. As a base for visiting historic Mystras (and its smaller sister, Geraki), this is still the best option I found.
Sun Oct 25, Mon Oct 26:
Kinsterna Hotel. Agios Stefanos near Monemvasia. Junior Suite. Tel.: +30 (0) 273 20 66300 Email: [email protected]
This was our “splurge” stay: two nights in a painstakingly restored and centuries-old agricultural estate in the hills outside the tourist Mecca of Monemvasia. This is a full-service resort with meeting facilities, a spa, two separate pool areas, pool bar and two restaurants, just one of which was open. The level of service, as you would expect at this price-point, is consistently high. Much is made of the agricultural past and present of the estate: there are cooking lessons, bread-making, olive harvesting in season.
Three other carloads of guests arrived at the same time we did on a Sunday afternoon. Check-in was shambolic: a locked gate, no one answering the phone, no idea how to reach reception from the distant parking lot – we dragged our luggage, as no bellboy appeared. But soon we were settled into a high-style junior suite and ready to check out the pool area. The property is set on a steeply sloping site and there seem to be few connecting staircases, so it’s all a bit of a labyrinth (to use a suitably Greek image).
We ate dinner on-site as well as breakfast and were perfectly satisfied not to have to negotiate the small country roads after dark. Restaurant staff were young, deft, attentive and charming. They took any oppressive “edge” off the opulent smartness of the hotel.
Tues Oct 27, Wed Oct 28:
Lestel 1 Eco-chic Apartment, Moschonisiotou 3, Nafplio Tel.: +30 (0) 697 697 9610
The owners have recently renovated this high-ceilinged and spacious upstairs apartment for vacation rentals. We rented through Air Bnb. It’s very well fitted for holiday travelers, with a small washing machine and a fully equipped kitchen. There’s a small balcony with a view up to the Palamidi fortress – it’s appealingly floodlit at night.
The décor is rather austere but we had everything we needed. The flat is under 10 minutes walk from the bustling, touristy historic district. Street parking is easy. The obliging owners were quick to respond to our needs, accompanying us to the nearest supermarket and delivering a supply of laundry detergent when we wanted to wash clothes. At two minutes’ distance on foot is Pidalio, a very popular taverna whose regional cooking we thoroughly enjoyed.
Thurs Oct 29:
Nidimos Hotel, Dimou Fragkou 10, in the core of the small town of Delphi Tel: 30 (0)226 50 82056 or 30 (0)226 50 83293 Email: [email protected]
Our requirements for a one-night stay were modest: we wanted a central, well-run hotel with easy parking, near to the Delphi site. Nidimos Hotel ticked all the boxes.
The hotel was likely built in the ‘70s or ‘80s and was recently renovated, perhaps with more enthusiasm than genuine taste. We had a “Sea view double room with terrace and breakfast”. The bathroom was a bit garish, the bedroom a bit austere. But we were warmly welcomed by enthusiastic, youthful staff; our huge covered terrace gave a glimpse of dramatic hillsides and the distant Gulf of Corinth; and the breakfast was abundant, varied and delicious. What’s not to like, for 73 euros? We had a good dinner across the street at To Patriko Mas.
Fri Oct 30, Sat 31, Sun Nov 1, Mon Nov. 2:
Air Bnb: Apartment “Groovy”, 8th floor, Plateia Agion Theodoron 6, Athens
Managed by Stylish Stays: Akadimias 4, Athens
Tel: +30 210 3644710 Cell: +30 6974 560511 Email: [email protected]
When the rental manager, Stylish Stays, tells you the building’s entrance is “next door to the tattoo shop”, you might question the wisdom of your choice of accommodation. Nothing in the rather dingy entrance of this narrow 10-storey building on the edge of Monastiraki prepares you for what lies behind your apartment door. “Wow!” was all I could manage to utter.
Somebody has spent a mint of money on a complete restructuring and renovation of this space. It is the ideal guy pad: neutral colours, crisp lines, wonderful custom woodwork throughout, in pale oak – a very masculine décor – with no sacrifice of comfort to achieve style.
We never saw anyone else in the building. From what I could see, the floors below ours were occupied by businesses. The two residential floors above were tightly shuttered, though we did once hear someone in the hall above us.
In the large main livingroom, an entire wall of glass delivers a show-stopping panorama of the Acropolis crowned by the Parthenon. The glass panels slide back, opening the whole room to the outdoors. Some afternoons, we came home early to peel back the windows and read in the sunshine, basking like cats. On another wall is a very stylish, Bosch-equipped strip kitchen, whose oak woodwork cleverly conceals the dishwasher and fridge.
The adjacent bedroom has built in headboard and side tables in oak; custom louvered oak doors shut off a dressing/ sitting area with sofa and built-in wardrobes. Sliding glass doors open to a small, open terrace with a view onto the square of Agion Theodoron (you’re perched directly above the historic Byzantine chapel, which is entirely swathed in scaffolding at present). This space also gives access to the opulent windowed bathroom, with huge open shower stall.
This rental was very attractively priced at 130 euros/ day, with a very generous cancellation policy. The rental managers, Stylish Stays, whom we dealt with entirely through WhatsApp, were obliging and responsive when we needed to extend our booking by one night. There is some street noise and music on weekends (at least, when Athens is not under curfew) but closing the bedroom/livingroom door largely fixed that. Highly recommended.
Fri Oct 16, Sat Oct 17, Sun Oct 18:
Meli Seaside Villas, Eparchiaki, on the Odos Rizomilou-Koronis, near the village of Khránoi (between Koroni and Kalamata, in the far western part of the Peloponnese)
Manager is Stavroula – Tel.: +30 (0) 693 487 0643
On a flattish stretch of pebbly beach, cleverly inserted between olive groves, the owners have built four attached two-storey villas of slick modern design, each with a generous private terrace facing the sea. A path leads through an attractively planted (if unexpectedly weedy) flower garden to a sun deck and lounge chairs overlooking the water. We weren’t inspired to swim but the two families of hearty Germans who were staying at the same time certainly did.
The identical villas are very new and very attractively if sparely, furnished. The outside terrace, seen through an immense wall of glass, doubles the living space. There is an open kitchen that might be inadequate for a family spending a week (the fridge is a tiny bar model) but quite adequate for a couple staying three nights. There was a generous welcome pack of essentials including local products.
There is an attractive bedroom and a bath on the main floor. A staircase leads to a loft overlooking the living room, with more beds. Daily housekeeping is included in the rate.
The development of this stretch of the seacoast – houses, small hotels, small farms – isn’t especially interesting and the villages, like most Greek villages we saw, are dull. However, we were well placed for touring the key sights, such as Koroni, Methoni, Pylos and the magical abandoned ancient city of Messene.
We had a good dinner on the seafront of the nearby village of Agios Andreos, at the outdoor restaurant of the Akroyali Hotel. We would gladly have returned for a second night but it was closing for the season, like many other places around it.
Mon Oct 19, Tues Oct 20, Wed Oct 21:
Akrolithi Boutique Hotel, Suite Petrobeys. Technically in Oitylo but overlooking the better-known resort town of Limeni, on the western shore of the untamed Outer Mani
Tel: +30 2733 053112 or +30 6973 663184 Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
It is hard to find enough superlatives to heap on this very recent – and very stylish – nine-room boutique hotel. It comprises a line of purpose-built stone houses, all with the same exceptional south-facing view of the bay of Limeni. It’s on a steeply sloping plot of land above the main road into town. As there was almost no traffic on the road, traffic was never an issue.
Each room has its own verandah or large open terrace. On the hotel website, there are four different kinds or classes of room and a different price for each class. In reality, all rooms appear to be roughly the same size and the only significant difference is whether you have a covered verandah (with a wall to separate you from a neighbour) or an open upstairs terrace, which is more private.
We had an upstairs suite, accessible by an open stone staircase, with a high wooden ceiling and a huge, exceptionally attractive, stone-walled terrace. The room was large enough for a sofa and two armchairs. The bathroom was compact but stylish. The décor was like something out of a magazine and all the fittings were of uniformly high quality.
There is no swimming pool, an odd omission. As it was the off-season, we did not care.
In other, happier times, the hotel operates a restaurant. When we stayed, they offered bar service and an exceptional breakfast, with abundant local products, some of them (olives, baked goods, jams) produced by the owner-manager herself. The emphasis is on traditional peasant recipes of the region, such as a hearty tomato-based soup eaten before heading out to work the region’s stony land. But all the elements of a conventional hot breakfast are available, too.
The warmth and responsiveness of the owner-manager and her family was exceptional. On our departure, she even produced a gift bag with jars of local salt and oregano from her own garden.
We dined three nights in hip Limeni at Teloneio (sometimes spelled Telonio), a waterfront spot where you can choose between the pricier, full menu at the courtyard restaurant or a more limited menu in the outdoor lounge-bar. We enjoyed both.
Thurs Oct 22, Fri Oct 23, Sat Oct 24:
Mystras Grand Palace Resort, Premium Double Room w/ mountain view + half-board. Just outside the town of Sparta, 15 minutes from the historic Byzantine site of Mystras Tel. +30 (0) 273 10 21111 or 273 14 40980 Email: [email protected]
This is a large, family-oriented resort with meeting facilities, tennis courts and two pools, set in semi-rural grounds outside the bustling modern town of Sparti (Sparta). There are several bars and dining options in normal times but most were closed when we stayed there.
Accommodations are in small stone houses sprinkled around an old olive grove and the pool area. Each house holds two or three units, each with private entrance. Our upstairs unit had a large covered stone terrace.
Our high-ceilinged room had stone walls, a sitting area, a separate dressing area with abundant storage and a huge bathroom. The traditional décor, though apparently quite recent, listed toward the stodgy, lacking the hip edge of the Akrolithi hotel.
Similarly, our half-board meals at the nearly empty upstairs dining room were abundant and well presented but lacked some spark. Service was deft but formal; the whole effect was a bit old-fashioned. Weekend breakfasts were a step up – a copious buffet with a huge choice of fresh products and hot dishes.
In time, though, I came to appreciate this hotel – the quiet, the attention to detail, the availability, unfailing politeness and deference of the staff and the utter lack of the pretension and pushiness you sometimes find in upmarket places that aspire to a superior standing. As a base for visiting historic Mystras (and its smaller sister, Geraki), this is still the best option I found.
Sun Oct 25, Mon Oct 26:
Kinsterna Hotel. Agios Stefanos near Monemvasia. Junior Suite. Tel.: +30 (0) 273 20 66300 Email: [email protected]
This was our “splurge” stay: two nights in a painstakingly restored and centuries-old agricultural estate in the hills outside the tourist Mecca of Monemvasia. This is a full-service resort with meeting facilities, a spa, two separate pool areas, pool bar and two restaurants, just one of which was open. The level of service, as you would expect at this price-point, is consistently high. Much is made of the agricultural past and present of the estate: there are cooking lessons, bread-making, olive harvesting in season.
Three other carloads of guests arrived at the same time we did on a Sunday afternoon. Check-in was shambolic: a locked gate, no one answering the phone, no idea how to reach reception from the distant parking lot – we dragged our luggage, as no bellboy appeared. But soon we were settled into a high-style junior suite and ready to check out the pool area. The property is set on a steeply sloping site and there seem to be few connecting staircases, so it’s all a bit of a labyrinth (to use a suitably Greek image).
We ate dinner on-site as well as breakfast and were perfectly satisfied not to have to negotiate the small country roads after dark. Restaurant staff were young, deft, attentive and charming. They took any oppressive “edge” off the opulent smartness of the hotel.
Tues Oct 27, Wed Oct 28:
Lestel 1 Eco-chic Apartment, Moschonisiotou 3, Nafplio Tel.: +30 (0) 697 697 9610
The owners have recently renovated this high-ceilinged and spacious upstairs apartment for vacation rentals. We rented through Air Bnb. It’s very well fitted for holiday travelers, with a small washing machine and a fully equipped kitchen. There’s a small balcony with a view up to the Palamidi fortress – it’s appealingly floodlit at night.
The décor is rather austere but we had everything we needed. The flat is under 10 minutes walk from the bustling, touristy historic district. Street parking is easy. The obliging owners were quick to respond to our needs, accompanying us to the nearest supermarket and delivering a supply of laundry detergent when we wanted to wash clothes. At two minutes’ distance on foot is Pidalio, a very popular taverna whose regional cooking we thoroughly enjoyed.
Thurs Oct 29:
Nidimos Hotel, Dimou Fragkou 10, in the core of the small town of Delphi Tel: 30 (0)226 50 82056 or 30 (0)226 50 83293 Email: [email protected]
Our requirements for a one-night stay were modest: we wanted a central, well-run hotel with easy parking, near to the Delphi site. Nidimos Hotel ticked all the boxes.
The hotel was likely built in the ‘70s or ‘80s and was recently renovated, perhaps with more enthusiasm than genuine taste. We had a “Sea view double room with terrace and breakfast”. The bathroom was a bit garish, the bedroom a bit austere. But we were warmly welcomed by enthusiastic, youthful staff; our huge covered terrace gave a glimpse of dramatic hillsides and the distant Gulf of Corinth; and the breakfast was abundant, varied and delicious. What’s not to like, for 73 euros? We had a good dinner across the street at To Patriko Mas.
Fri Oct 30, Sat 31, Sun Nov 1, Mon Nov. 2:
Air Bnb: Apartment “Groovy”, 8th floor, Plateia Agion Theodoron 6, Athens
Managed by Stylish Stays: Akadimias 4, Athens
Tel: +30 210 3644710 Cell: +30 6974 560511 Email: [email protected]
When the rental manager, Stylish Stays, tells you the building’s entrance is “next door to the tattoo shop”, you might question the wisdom of your choice of accommodation. Nothing in the rather dingy entrance of this narrow 10-storey building on the edge of Monastiraki prepares you for what lies behind your apartment door. “Wow!” was all I could manage to utter.
Somebody has spent a mint of money on a complete restructuring and renovation of this space. It is the ideal guy pad: neutral colours, crisp lines, wonderful custom woodwork throughout, in pale oak – a very masculine décor – with no sacrifice of comfort to achieve style.
We never saw anyone else in the building. From what I could see, the floors below ours were occupied by businesses. The two residential floors above were tightly shuttered, though we did once hear someone in the hall above us.
In the large main livingroom, an entire wall of glass delivers a show-stopping panorama of the Acropolis crowned by the Parthenon. The glass panels slide back, opening the whole room to the outdoors. Some afternoons, we came home early to peel back the windows and read in the sunshine, basking like cats. On another wall is a very stylish, Bosch-equipped strip kitchen, whose oak woodwork cleverly conceals the dishwasher and fridge.
The adjacent bedroom has built in headboard and side tables in oak; custom louvered oak doors shut off a dressing/ sitting area with sofa and built-in wardrobes. Sliding glass doors open to a small, open terrace with a view onto the square of Agion Theodoron (you’re perched directly above the historic Byzantine chapel, which is entirely swathed in scaffolding at present). This space also gives access to the opulent windowed bathroom, with huge open shower stall.
This rental was very attractively priced at 130 euros/ day, with a very generous cancellation policy. The rental managers, Stylish Stays, whom we dealt with entirely through WhatsApp, were obliging and responsive when we needed to extend our booking by one night. There is some street noise and music on weekends (at least, when Athens is not under curfew) but closing the bedroom/livingroom door largely fixed that. Highly recommended.
Nov 17th, 2020, 06:34 PM
#23
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A masterpiece of a trip report tedgale, beautifully written and with so much essential information for visitors. I’ve travelled to Greece for more than five decades and visited many of the places you mention. Thank you for bringing back to me so very many happy memories.
Nov 18th, 2020, 03:06 AM
#24
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A masterpiece of a trip report tedgale, beautifully written and with so much essential information for visitors. I’ve travelled to Greece for more than five decades and visited many of the places you mention. Thank you for bringing back to me so very many happy memories.
Nov 19th, 2020, 09:41 AM
#28
Terrific report. We're planning (tentatively, due to Covid) a trip to mainland Greece in the spring. I've already bookmarked some of your suggestions. It is very well written and detailed -- Thanks!
Nov 20th, 2020, 02:43 AM
#29
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I was hoping it would be useful to someone planning a trip! Thanks for the kind remarks.
Nov 21st, 2020, 06:24 PM
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Thank you for taking the time to write your report, and I also love your photos! We hope that our next big trip to Europe will be Greece. I am hoping for possibly the fall of 2021. I don't hold much faith in being able to travel internationally in the spring of 2021.
I visited Greece in 1972!!!! Yes, a very long time ago. I was there for a week, and was based in Athens with a tour group. We took day trips to Cape Sounion, Delphi, and also visited Hydra and Aegina Marina. My husband has never been to Greece, so we are hoping to plan a trip to a few islands, perhaps Santorini and Naxos, and also the Peloponese Peninsula and ending with a few nights in Athens. What were your favorite places? I think we will only have 2 to 2.5 weeks. So we won't be able to see as much of the Peloponese Peninsula as you did. Sounds like you had nice weather. Is this the norm for October/November? I think our trip will be September and/or October.
I visited Greece in 1972!!!! Yes, a very long time ago. I was there for a week, and was based in Athens with a tour group. We took day trips to Cape Sounion, Delphi, and also visited Hydra and Aegina Marina. My husband has never been to Greece, so we are hoping to plan a trip to a few islands, perhaps Santorini and Naxos, and also the Peloponese Peninsula and ending with a few nights in Athens. What were your favorite places? I think we will only have 2 to 2.5 weeks. So we won't be able to see as much of the Peloponese Peninsula as you did. Sounds like you had nice weather. Is this the norm for October/November? I think our trip will be September and/or October.
Nov 22nd, 2020, 02:02 AM
#31
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Thank you for taking the time to write your report, and I also love your photos! We hope that our next big trip to Europe will be Greece. I am hoping for possibly the fall of 2021. I don't hold much faith in being able to travel internationally in the spring of 2021.
I visited Greece in 1972!!!! Yes, a very long time ago. I was there for a week, and was based in Athens with a tour group. We took day trips to Cape Sounion, Delphi, and also visited Hydra and Aegina Marina. My husband has never been to Greece, so we are hoping to plan a trip to a few islands, perhaps Santorini and Naxos, and also the Peloponese Peninsula and ending with a few nights in Athens. What were your favorite places? I think we will only have 2 to 2.5 weeks. So we won't be able to see as much of the Peloponese Peninsula as you did. Sounds like you had nice weather. Is this the norm for October/November? I think our trip will be September and/or October.
I visited Greece in 1972!!!! Yes, a very long time ago. I was there for a week, and was based in Athens with a tour group. We took day trips to Cape Sounion, Delphi, and also visited Hydra and Aegina Marina. My husband has never been to Greece, so we are hoping to plan a trip to a few islands, perhaps Santorini and Naxos, and also the Peloponese Peninsula and ending with a few nights in Athens. What were your favorite places? I think we will only have 2 to 2.5 weeks. So we won't be able to see as much of the Peloponese Peninsula as you did. Sounds like you had nice weather. Is this the norm for October/November? I think our trip will be September and/or October.
If I had to choose just one destination, it would probably be the Mystras/ Mani one. But you could have a good time in any of these spots.
We traveled in the second half of October and the locals commented on how unusually fine the weather was this year. Usually October has 5 or 6 days with some rain. The month starts warm, then cools down. Early September can still be awfully hot.
Late Sept/ early Oct sounds ideal to me. It's shoulder season -- the best of both worlds. It's the period I would have chosen, except that I refused to leave Canada before we saw the autumn colours (happily the leaves turned early this year and we got the full Fall display before we left).
Nov 23rd, 2020, 05:49 AM
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Tedgale, thanks for your descriptions. We will have limited time in the Peloponnese, so we would probably choose Nafplio as a base because we are interested in Ancient Greece. Also, I have read many posts on this forum about Greece, and it seems that many people consider Nafplio the most beautiful village/town in Greece.
Nov 24th, 2020, 02:48 AM
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Tedgale, thanks for your descriptions. We will have limited time in the Peloponnese, so we would probably choose Nafplio as a base because we are interested in Ancient Greece, I have read many posts on this forum about Greece, and it seems that many people consider Nafplio the most beautiful village/town in Greece.
Nov 28th, 2020, 03:07 PM
#34
Thank you so much for transporting me back to this special part of the world. We hope to return to the Peloponnese and your beautifully written and detailed report will be very helpful as we plan that trip. Your description of the mountain roads brought everything back to me! My Greek friends call Napflion and Chania, Crete, Greece’s most beautiful towns, and we want to visit both again. I am glad your timing worked well for you, pulling off a wonderful trip during COVID. It was wonderful to be reading a real, current trip report!
Oct 3rd, 2021, 02:46 PM
#36
Wonderful and very helpful report. Planning Greece, primarily Peloponnese so your TR is perfect. While seeing the sites we enjoy scenery and small villages so your TR gives us a better idea of what is what. Going to check out your rental in Athens for starters. Thanks so much for taking the time to write such a detailed TR. Hope you're enjoying France - looks like you are.
Nov 24th, 2023, 08:14 AM
#37
Fabulous trip report! I’m planning a trip for spring 2024 and there is an abundance of useful information in this report! And I’ve got my booking at Akrolithi Boutique guest house - looks so beautiful!
Nov 25th, 2023, 03:17 AM
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Glad you enjoyed the reporr, Paule. You cannot go wrong in the Peloponnese
