Greece
has always been my dream country. It's very close to Egypt culturally
and geographically. After all, Alexandria was named after Alexander
the Great. Funny thing is that I never got a chance to visit Greece
when I was living in Egypt.
From
Athens airport you can take a train to downtown Athens. It's about 7
Euros per ticket. The trip takes about 1 hour.
English
is widely spoken there, so you don't have to worry about the
language. And Greeks are very nice.
Being
in Athens, especially downtown and the harbor area, was a little bit
hard on me. It looked like home. Many Greeks looked like Egyptians,
it smelled like home, and the food was very close to Egyptian food.
Greece
is an absolutely gorgeous country. We visited in February, but it
felt like autumn, with bright sun, beautiful weather during the day
and a little bit of wind at night. I didn't have to wear my winter
jacket during the day in Athens.
Visiting
the Acropolis:
12
Euros a ticket from the Acropolis ticket office. They don't accept
credit cards, so make sure you have cash with you.
Open
daily Sep-May from 8:00-5:00 and from June-Aug 8:00 AM-8:00 PM.
The
closing time is 5:00pm but they kicked visitors out at 4:30.
I
recommend visiting the Acropolis after 3:00pm. It was quiet and not
crowded. Being up there is like being in the sky, you get to see
Athens from the top.
The
Acropolis Museum:
Unfortunately
we couldn't visit this one. It's closed on Monday and we didn't know
about it. I heard it's very amazing.
Cost
5 euros per ticket.
Open
Tuesday to Sunday from 8:00 to 8:00. Friday until 10:00pm.
National
Archaeological Museum:
Cost
7 euros a ticket. Opens: Tuesday-Sunday from 9:00-5:00. Monday from
1:30-8:00. May open later in the summer or close earlier in winter.
You
can spend the entire day there looking at the exhibits easily. From
ancient Greece, ancient Egypt to ancient Rome. Totally amazing.
The
Museum Garden cafe in front of the building is pricey. For cheaper
food/coffee option, just walk out of the museum for 1 minute and
you'll find a lot of cafes in the area.
Poseidon/Zeus figure
Aphrodite Beauty Divine
Sleeping in Athens:
We
stayed at Cecil hotel for our first three nights in Athens. The hotel
is located in the Monastiraki area, which is very central. It's a few
minutes away from the market, 2 minutes away from subway and about 15
minutes away from the Acropolis. And that's it. The location is all
this hotel has to offer. The wifi was broken for our 3-night stay.
The bedroom floor was squeaking every time we walked. The bed was
half broken and it almost collapsed while we were sleeping. The
bathroom was tiny and the toilet flush was broken. The walls were so
thin that I could hear everything that was happening in the other
rooms, literally. There were three guys working on different shifts
at the front disk and only one of them was nice and smiling to the
customers. The breakfast was okay.
For
our last night in Athens we stayed at the Magna Grecia Boutique Hotel
in the Plaka area. The rooms with the Acropolis view are more
expensive. The hotel is cheaper off-peak season, also we got a good
deal through Agoda. We got a room with the Acropolis view. The bed
was very comfortable, the size of the room was nice, but the bathroom
was tiny. The service was very good and pleasing. The breakfast was
good with a beautiful view on the top of the roof. The lady who
worked in the kitchen was very nice and smiled the whole time.
Eating in Athens:
My
favorite two things in the world are traveling and eating ethnic food
while traveling. Greek cuisine is simply delicious and you'll want to
eat more and more of it.
You
can get gyros, pita wraps with chicken, beef or pork and fries, everywhere in
Athens. They're delicious and cheap, and start from 2 euros.
Gyros
Eating
at O Nikitas restaurant near the Monastiraki area, such a wonderful
experience. When you walk by the restaurant and its outdoor tables,
you would think the place doesn't look like much. However, the smell
of food will stop you. You'll take a table and order food. Then while
you're eating you will want to hug the chef. I had an orzo and beef
dish, and it tasted heavenly. This dish brought tears to my eyes, it
tasted like my mom's cooking. I couldn't believe how something that
simple tasted that good. The menu was at reasonable prices. I highly
recommend eating there.
Beef and orzo, amazing taste
Grand
Dionysus cafe/restaurant/ grill-house. Downtown Athens, Patission8
and Gladstonos2. You can sit outdoors or indoors. I had the best
cappuccino in the entire trip there. The grilled meat was tasty and
the service was good. The menu offers reasonable prices.
lamb Fingers. In Egypt we call it Kofta
Lontos
restaurant in Thissio, near the Plaka area. You can dine with the
Acropolis view. Loved everything about this restaurant. The penne
pasta was cooked to perfection. The lamb chop was tender and juicy
and the moussaka was yummy. The only thing that bothered me was that
the waiter asked for a tip. We were going to give a tip anyway, I
just didn't like the way he asked for it.
Lamb Chop
Chicken Penne
Kotili
Restaurant in the Plaka area was decent and a bit pricey. It had live
music and that was the best thing about it. The moussaka there was
fantastic, better than Lontos'. The service was okay. The waiter
opened a bottle of water and brought us bread without asking us
first, and of course we had to pay for it.
Moussaka
Unfortunately
all of the restaurants in the Plaka area serve the same dishes. The
restaurants have guys who stand in the streets and try to push you to
get inside their restaurants. Be aware that those might lie to you.
My friend who visited Greece before recommended that I should have
pastitsio. So while we were walking in the Monastiraki area one of
those guys in front of the restaurants talked to us and we asked if
they serve pastitsio. He lied and said they do. We got inside to find
out they don't and we left.
Getting Around the City:
For
6 euros for adults and 4 euros for children, you can ride the happy
hour train that takes you to more than 15 ancient sights and
monuments. It's really great after a long day of walking around and
when you can't walk any more.
Churches
offer free admission and you can enjoy the amazing artwork inside.
In
Plaka and Monastiraki areas you can shop for religious items, cloths,
souvenirs and post cards, jewelry, and fancy clothes, including fur
coats.
Have fun in Athens. I miss it already.
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