Shopping and Beaches

Rain last night, but blue skies again this morning. First thing, we checked out two neighborhoods which are sort of strange, considered "up & coming", but still pretty "special": Metaxurgio, named for the former soap factory in the neighborhood (pic left), nowadays with some artists' co-ops and workshops and great murals, but otherwise still not very attractive. And, Gerani, the traditional immigrants' neighborhood - we will have to watch it, but right now they are no touristic 'must-sees', despite of recent enthusiastic newspaper coverage in Germany.

The Athens City Market - closeby the City Hall Square (pic) - only takes place in the morning and therefore we had to be there in time to buy our provisions. What a heaven to buy fresh fruit/olives/herbs/cheeses !!!






Also, meat and fish are incredibly inexpensive and fresh (though, it's not the place to be for vegetarians) but couldn't buy anything to take home. Instead, we bought about two kilo of different olives for the price we would have paid in Germany for not quite one pound. We bought Greek cheeses we like, Kefalotiri and Graviera, at a cheese store (see pic) on the market area and pomegranates, dried origano, tea and salvia and sultanas and pistachios on the market. The surrounding area and its streets, like Odos Athinas, is a heaven for bargain hunters: there are cheap hardware, household, garden and many other stores you won't miss.

We had to unload our purchases from the market at the hotel at noon, but then we took the tram to the waterfront again, this time to the Apollo Coast, where recently a big oil spill had taken place when a tanker ran aground. Still the fire brigade and other helpers clean up there, closeby some people sun-bathing at the beach. We went almost all the way to the end of the line in Glyfada, south of Athens, closeby to the old airport.






Before we started to explore the city of Glyfada, which is a luxurious and very popular destination for Greeks, with chic (chain) shops and boutiques, restaurants, fancy cafés and clubs, we had a late lunch/early dinner at a seafood restaurant directly at the fishing harbor. Of course, we chose fish - maridaki - with choriatiki (Greek salad) and "patates" (fries).

Back to Athens at around 5 pm we got out of the tram at the Olympieion, the Temple of the Olympic Zeus, one of the largest temples in Greece, begun in the 6th century BC accomplished under the Roman emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AC. A huge building with some of its columns still standing upright. We walked back back from there through the Plaka to Monastiraki - surprised by a couple of highly creative shops in the Plaka - and called it a day. Have to get up at 5 am tomorrow morning to get to the airport!