Greece: A Long Weekend in Athens Post Pandemic
A Long Weekend in Athens Post Pandemic
I love the capital city of Greece, Athens. I have had the pleasure and opportunity to visit it quite a few times however this recent trip was post pandemic.
Athens is an easy to reach destination from the UK and serviced by multiple airports and many daily flights. We left a cold December morning and touched down in brilliant Athenian sunshine just over three hours later.
Athens airport has an updated Metro link since my last visit taking you right into the city centre where you can easily change lines to get to your destination. The ticket machine has multiple language options and the different coloured train lines are easy to follow. Our station was Thissio on the green line and just a two minute walk to our hotel Moon and Stars Boutique Hotel.
Points of Interest:
The districts of Plaka and Psiri are among the oldest areas of Athens. Our hotel was in the Psiri district which was a really fun area. This streets with small shops spilling out onto the pavement sold everything from cheeses, salamis, nuts sold by the kilo to shops selling tools, household appliances and everything in between.
Walk to Monastraki Metro station, cross the long street called Ermou and you will find yourself wandering into part of the Plaka streets. Small churches and lots of cafes and small restaurants line the narrow lanes. We had dinner at a small restaurant called A Little Taste of Home (see more below). Walk further up Ermou and you come to the flea market, fish market and food market, all bustling with shoppers looking to bring home their ‘finds’.
Places to Stay:
Our first two nights in Athens we stayed at the Moon and Stars Boutique Hotel (Agion Asomaton Square 2, 10554 Athens Tel: +30 211 412 0329). This hotel has five bedrooms, one on the terrace via a winding spiral staircase and plenty of charm. And as so many hotels in Athens has a great view of The Parthenon, especially majestic when lit up after dark.
The hotel does not have a kitchen or dining room so you fill out a breakfast request form and pin it outside your room the night before. Your breakfast will be delivered to your room at the time you have requested. Every detail was thought out. I liked the idea so much I might implement it for when we have guests stay at our house!
We had a change of scenery for the remaining three nights of our visit when we moved to the coast referred to as The Athenian Riveria. The centre of Athens is just a short ride on the red line to the outskirts and then a quick taxi ride took us to our hotel.
The hotel The Athenian Riviera (7 Danais Street, Vouliagmeni, 16671 Athens Tel: +30 210 890 0000) has a warm welcome for its guests whether you are there for the first time or returning as I was having stayed there before the pandemic.
The rooms are spacious and the beds large and comfortable. Breakfast is included and offers a wide range of items both hot and cold which are designed to get you going Greek style in the morning.
Eating out:
As I mentioned above we discovered a little gem of a restaurant called A Little Taste of Home. As we looked at the menu outside a couple sitting on the warm evening on the outside tables recommended that we eat there. They recommended the daily special which that day was slow cooked beef ribs.
We did take the recommendation and had a really delicious meal. I made the mistake of ordering soup because the portion was so huge! We both had the slow cooked beef ribs and equally struggled to finish the very generous portions. (It now made sense when the waitress discouraged us from ordering a Greek salad as she said it would be too much. She would have been so right!)
Our second night we wandered the narrow streets trying to decide where to eat. There were so many options it was difficult to pick one. Finally we settled on a small, street food style restaurant serving chicken skewers, lamb skewers and beef skewers as well as Greek salad and huge plates of those delicious Athenian fries. These photos show just some of the food we ate on our trip.
A hidden gem, Nudie Foodie Psiri, started by a friend of mine just as the pandemic started, is the first vegan cafe in Athens. Worth looking for this almost hidden gem for a delicious coffee and gluten free, vegan cakes, breakfast and/or brunch and other snacks. (Nudie Foodie Psiri, Eschilou 42, Psiri, Athens Tel: +30 210 331 1313).
Sightseeing:
The Parthenon:
Athens is full of ancient and modern sightseeing. The one that is probably the most well known and on most people’s ‘must-do’ list is to climb the Acropolis to the top where the iconic Parthenon rests in all of its glory.
As Mr R had not done the climb he set off from the bottom. I had done the climb pre-pandemic and since my last visit they had installed a lift for those with mobility issues. I decided to try this way up as my arthritic knees were bothering me. The staff were really helpful and in no time I was meeting Mr R at the top!
It’s a good idea to book your tickets in advance. There are several apps you can use. Pre-booking means you can skip the long lines at the entrance. It is also a good idea to go early morning or late in the day to avoid the crowds.
Piraeus:
If you have time a great day out is to the Port of Piraeus. You can either get the Metro all the way out or take a tram which of course offers views of the area.
This busy port is where you can get ferry crossings to some of the Greek islands however it is also a busy and vibrant town. We found a lovely looking restaurant near the water and ordered a coffee and a pudding. Mr R and I ordered the chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream. What would you expect if you had ordered this? Well the result was far beyond our imaginations and one of the best brownies I have ever had!
Social Initiative:
I was introduced to a social initiative called Shedia (56 Kolokotroni St & 2 Nikiou St, Athens, Tel: +30 213 023 1220). Originally an idea to sell a magazine similar to the UK’s Big Issue, Shedia (meaning raft) has grown into a cafe, bar, restaurant, gift shop, upcycling workshop and a place of solidarity for those who are homeless or long term unemployed.
The atmosphere at Shedia is warm and welcoming. the magazine is available in print and also in braille as well as in audio. They try not to leave any one out. The unsold magazines are upcycled in the upstairs workshop making individual and innovative gifts that are sold in the cafe offering a small but respectable income which in turns leads to the first steps of independence.
The staff at Shedia will also put you in touch with a new kind of walking tour – an invisible walking tour. This journey walks past homeless shelters and soup kitchens which are often ‘invisible’ to most people. I will be taking this tour next time I am in Athens.
Visit to a Winery:
There are several winers in the area surrounding Athens. We visited Gikas Winery (Nea Leoforos Spaton-Artemidos, Spata, Attica 19004 Tel: +30 210 663 4595).
For four generations Gikas Winery has been producing award winning wines using grape varieties such as Assyrtiko, Malagouzia, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Vradiano. The soil is a healthy clay-rich mixture and creates a unique ‘terroir’ which works extremely well with the grape varieties. They grow their wines at an elevation of 350 meters on the slopes of mountains of the North East Violia however their winery was set up over twenty years ago and is located in East Attica (Athens in part of the Attica region). The wines are extremely drinkable and smooth as well as matching very well with food. Mr Andreas Gikas is a real foodie and has matched his wines with food from all over the world.
All of the grapes used in the range of Gikas wines are harvested by hand. Some of the wines can be kept up to 30 years although most are usually destined to be kept between 3-10 years, well if you can resist drinking them! It is worth the day trip out to try the wines and to learn about the passion and the history of this delicious enterprise.
I am looking forward to my next trip to Greece. I hope you come with me via this blog! Please leave a comment if you have enjoyed this insight into a few days in Athens.
Further reading:
If you would like to read more about my previous visits to Athens and the Athenian Riveria click on the following links:
