Athen's highlights

Being a journalist on a research trip is not always fun, makes your feet hurt, your body sweaty and dirty and your stomach grumble... but it keeps you alive and your brain active. And, what we noticed first: Athens is by far not as run-down and inattractive as media coverage made us think. Most neighborhoods are doing o.k. and a first-time visitor wouldn't even notice that the Greeks had major problems, riots and demonstrations not too long ago.

Views from the Acropolis and of the Acropolis (Parthenon) and its South Slope with the Dionyssos Theater:


Besides visiting four (!!!) of Athen's main attractions today - the incredible, fantastic new Acropolis Museum (only 5 Euro entrance fee!), the Acropolis (which we approached from its South Slope), the Kerameikos (the former neighborhood of potters and gravesites, outside town originally), and, last but not least, the National Archeological Museum –, we walked a couple more "working class neighborhoods" like Psirri, Gazi (a former industrial district, transformed to a museum/cultural center and "nightlife hub") –, and Thissio.

Acropolis Museum from far and inside (Partheonon sculpture):


The Kerameikos excavation and closeby Gazi:

We especially liked Psirri, closeby the City Market. It is surprisingly vivid and colorful, many of the old leather shops and hardware stores are still there and at the same time, some new more fancy shops and cafés came up - a very prolific mixture of old and new! Also, the modern city around Odos Ermou, the main shopping axle, is "up and running". We found shops we already visited 20 years ago, found vendors of delicious koulouri and loukoumades (baking goods),our old Lesbos deli store (with great ouzo, cheeses and other specialities from the island) and the "bead store", we visited as students to buy komboloi (prayer chains) and cheap jewelry. We mostly skipped the market area around the main market building, because this is where we want to do our grocery shopping on Thursday before our trip back home. It's incredibly inexpensive - e.g. had an evening meal for 15 Euro for two, souvlaki me patates (meat skewers with potatoes, bread and a beer), bottled water at a kiosk costs 50 c., koulori the same, retsina from the barrel 3 Euro per liter.


Our meal and a mural closby:


Weather changed to cloudy in the afternoon and we even had a thunderstorm in the evening. But... it didn't really cool down, and it was pleasantly warm all day. Our last stop, on the way "home", was at the National Archeological Museum, which was open till 8 pm on a Monday to our full surprise. As students, we have spent hours here, especially on our first university excursion in 1983 (?). Studied each single piece, especially the sculpture, for hours with our professor. No wonder, we have avoided this museum for a long time, but now found it attractive again and an absolute must for tourists.

Too tired to write more and load up more pics,,, sorry,,, Kali nichta sas!