Blogs from Pláka, Athens, Attica, Greece, Europe

From Dianne de Guzman of SF Gate: I understand that there can be a weird stigma around eating alone, but that is mostly in one’s head. What dining alone affords you — as I’ve found out over years of being seated solo at tables and bars — is chance. And there’s a lot I mean by that word, “chance.” It could mean an opportunity to meet a person next to you. To linger longer with a bartender and ask questions about the big and small things in drinking (and life). It could also mean just taking a chance to listen, whether that be to your own thoughts or to just bask in the bustle of the city. From my days of business travel, dining alone never bothered me. But wearing a suit while dining versus wearing ... read more

While still hibernating due to Covid, I did manage to have a few memorable meals. The list is quite short. Sea bass at Liondi in Athens (where my Greek brothers work) Saimin at Hamura Saimin in Kauai Chawan-mushi at Edo-Ya in Fresno Moskva Schnitt at Hotel Moskva, Belgrade, Serbia Croatian creme cake in Hvar, Croatia Pork knuckle at Munchener Stubn in Munich 2008 Quinta do Noval Port in Porto, Portugal Chicago beef sandwich at Portillo's, Scottsdale Kauai Kookies at the outlet store in Hanapepe, Kauai Turkish Deelite at the Grand Bazaar, Istanbul Lamb chops at Nittaya's Secret Kitchen in Summerlin, NV Singapore rice noodles at New Gold Medal in Oakland Chinatown Chile relleno at Los Sombreros in Scottsdale, AZ Oysters and beignets in New Orleans Croatian barbecued meats on board the cycling cruise ship in Croatia ... read more

Despite having yoghurt, muesli, fruit, juice, several pastries and coffee for breakfast I set off on my food tour. Leaving the eggs, bacon, breads etc was a good decision, well not really I’ve become so accustomed to not having that English style breakfast I no longer really even think about it. Perhaps I should have had less of everything though because a focus of the tour was on sampling. Met Trevor, an English trained chef who has lived in Athens for almost 20 years at Syntagma Square (doesn’t everyone met everyone there), and set off on the Athens Food Adventure. First stop probably 2 metres away! And that’s the tone for the tour. Little walking, lots of eating. Only 3 in the group and that’s why my take away bag was choc a block full. We ... read more

How good is Athens? Rhetorical question really. I love it. Everywhere are reminders of just how special this place is. Be it the history of the Olympics, the marathon, the Romans, the Byzantines, the great Greek thinkers (well the big 3), the Ottomans, even King Ludwig of Bavaria and particularly his son (first king of Greece) and I haven’t even mentioned the Acropolis or the Parthenon! It is so good to walk around. I’m certainly not the only one walking around, the streets are full of tourists and from all over the place. The walking tour I did had more Germans and Dutch than Aussies and they were not the only nationalities. Again the tour was pretty good. They have to be at least OK or they don’t make as much on tips. In Greece the ... read more

We can’t quite believe that today’s the last full day of our nearly three month jaunt. Half of me wants to stay here in the heat of Europe. The other half wants to go home and see our loved ones, but only if someone’s remembered to turn up Melbourne’s thermostat. Issy wants to sit on a rug in a green park. We haven’t got a rug so we settle for a thin towel and head off for the National Garden which is a couple of kilometres north of the hotel, on the edge of the CBD. We think there may well be more stray cats here in Athens than people (ordinary people not stray people) and we come across yet another flock/herd/group next to a church at the south end of the Garden. We see a ... read more