Trip to Athens

It is fun to go to Greece again. On 28 of August 2002 we left to Athens. In de morning we took the bus and tram to the station. The train was on time so we got strait to the airport. The flight was smooth but a little late. 40 minutes delay. At Athens George was there. My good friend George got us to the taxi place at the airport. In Athens cabdrivers are known of cheating tourists. George got us true. It was nice to meet him in this for us strange new town. After we said goodbye to George we got to our room at the Hotel “Athens Center”At Odos Sofokleous near the center of Athens and very near to the “Plaka”

At the roof garden with “Swimming Pool” we saw the Parthenon on the top of a hill. We did not more that day then going to the Plaka to find some place to eat. With the Lonely Planet Guide it was a simple task. We found two good restaurants to eat “mezedes” so first we did go to Ouzeri Kouklis at Odos Tripodon 14 to eat the mezedes. When you sit down after a warm welcome the waiter puts a bottle of water and two glasses on the table. After a while he comes with a big plate with all kinds of food.We chose, baked mushrooms, and baked eggplants, potatoes and some soutzoukakia. We took a half-kilo of red house wine. In Greece the way to order wine.It was a nice romantic place to be in this small street the warm air surrounding the place. It’s an old ouzeri with an oak beamed ceiling, marble tables and wicker chairs.The place is filled with people. Down in a near narrow street a restaurant with no customers.

 The Akropolis

Some places at the hill of the Akropolis

• Beulé gate and monument of Agrippa

• Propylaia 

• Panathenic Way

• Temple of Athens nike

• Statue of Athena Promachos

• Parthenon

• Erechteion

• Akropolis museum

• Theatre of Dionysos

• Asceipion and Stoa of Eumenes

• Theatre of Herodes Atticus

• Panagia Hrysospiliotissa

• Stoa of Attalos

• Temple of Hephaestus

• The Ancient Agora of Athens

It was an interesting place full with old artifacts. People were busy to clean the temples. Its not allowed getting in any more. Everywhere they were selling cards and brochures.

 Wandering around de Plaka

Several times we sat down at the terraces on the nice plateia Filosmenous. At evenings one of the cafeneions had live Greek music. It is special on the warm evenings nice to be. A lot of shops are selling souvenirs. Gold and silver shops are everywere. On every corner there are restaurant. Waiters are asking you to come in. The weather was sometimes not that good. Several times the rain was falling and we had rivers in the streets. It was a surprise for the Athens citizen too.

We visited several other places too. Three I will mention

Aegina

First we got in the early morning with the metro to Pireas.

Leaving from Plateia  Omonia mainly above the ground. All coupe’s filled with people. We paid only € 0,70. From the great harbour at Pireas we got with the Hydrofil to Aegina town only for € 8,50. At this little lovely town we took some coffee in a small street behind the boulevard.  After that we took the bus to visit the monastery of Agiou Nektariou.

  It seems a tourist place. There we see busses in front with tourists. We did not find that much to see. Because our time was limited and we wanted to get back before 15.00 hour we did go back to the Aegina town.

We did some window-shopping. There where little streets and narrow alleys with also little shops. We leaved the Island again by Hydrofil. The boat trip was nice and fast. Back In Pireas it rained again.

Places to visit at Aegina Island

http://www.greekislands.com/aegina/home.htm

Monastery St.Nectarius

Aegina, Saint Nektarios church

http://aigina.bravepages.com/Enghistory.html

Greek

http://aigina.bravepages.com/historyg.html

Restaurant O Glykys

This time we were eat in the Plaka again. We found the best place for reasonable prices. A little restaurant, outside of the busy streets of the Plaka. (Next to this restaurant is a restaurant with a guy in front to get you in. This restaurant is the wrong one. )

The name is «Ο Γλυκύς»

Παραδοσιακών Καφενείων

Αγγέλου Γέροντα 2

Πλάκα

“O Glykys”

Paradosiakon Kafeneion

Angelou Geronda 2

Plaka

Moni Kaissarianis

With the city bus 224 we drove from Plateia Kaningos  to the Moni it’s a 30 minutes walk up slope. Walking among the pine trees and wild flowers, one could easily forget how close the concrete urban jungle is. After visiting the monastery and wandering the slopes, we stopped at a spring, which is the source of the River Ilissos. Its waters were reputed to be sacred to Aphrodite and to cure infertility.

Perhaps this explains the signs that warn (in three languages) that the water is not drinkable.