Athens, Greece

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So here we are in Greece and I must say I was a little apprehensive at first knowing that the country is in the worst economic crisis but we have had absolutely no troubles at all… Without sounding insensitive, it has really benefited us as a tourist. The exchange rates to the euro are amazing as it is, without the prices in Greece being at rock bottom. And where do I start?! Greece, well it really is one of those hidden treasures, nestled by the Mediterranean Sea and filled with history, culture and great food… It has everything you could ever want in a holiday destination. We started by exploring Athens on foot, including the Acropolis, the Ancient Agora and Parthenon. The Acropolis is magic, a well preserved ancient citadel on the rocky edge of a huge hill overlooking the overpopulated Athens. The buildings are in relatively good condition, in the midst of some reconstruction and the view really does stretch out for miles. Then there is the Panathinaiko Stadium/arena where the very first Olympic games took place in 1896, was really nice to see its birthplace. In regards to the ancients sites, the costs compared to other countries are really good. 12 euro and you pretty much get to see all the major attractions. And the waiting times are non existant at the moment. With waiting times in Rome at over 2 hours it was a welcome relief that the Athens sites had no waiting lines at all. So it really is a great time to visit.

You also have the Monastriki and Plaka areas. The market like squares are full of everything you could possibly think of- gifts, clothes, collectable items, fresh fruits, handmade pottery, electronics and art. Makes for a very interesting few days, weaving in and out of the many stalls. And the fooooood, OMG!! Absolute heaven on earth. And must say that Greek food probably takes the top of the list in taste, texture, variety and appearance. From the Gyros, Greek salads and Mousaka, their foods are bursting with flavors! It’s a big call to make, we have eaten dishes from all over the world but everything we tried here we loved!!

We took a rather posh cruise over the Aegean Sea to the Greek islands. Just beautiful…. The small seaside villages were so nice to explore. We found some gorgeous little hand crafted easels with oil painted images of the coast. Enjoyed a swim in the crystal clear ocean waters. The cruise ship was fun, traditional Greek lunch on board, music and folk dancing. Was a really great day, despite the 40 + degree heat… Arrgghhh.... We also got to visit the Temple of Poisiedon in Cape Sounion, and the pristine beaches just outside the city Centre. But in saying that, although the beach is only 16kms away from Athens, it still takes over an hour on the tram as it makes sooooo many stops… This made for a very uncomfortable ride home in 40 degree heat, standing crammed on a poorly airconditioned tram with about 100 other sweaty people. Ewwww!!

But we enjoyed Greece immensely and know that we will be back to explore more of the beauty of this country that most are too scared or not interested enough to visit….

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