Athens one day
We flew into Athens to stay at the COLORS hotel for a day. Can’t say enough about this place. The more you look, the more you see. Friendly, modern, and affordable. The employees are all very helpful. Located more or less in the city and our one night stay cost around $110.
Anyway we spent the blazing hot day doing two things-eating and sightseeing.
The first place we ate at had a plethora of skewers and pitas, including pancetta, pork neck, smoked fish and buffalo. For a drink I had the apertif tsipouro aka raki (the name used mostly in Crete).
There were many people on the streets making “your name in Greek” using wire. Ris had gotten one as a necklace earlier so Joette asked us to get her one too. We had some hat pins made for the boys.
Then we went to the Acropolis Museum, a truly amazing place to see some of the relocated items from just up the hill at the Acropolis.
Not only can you see the Acropolis looking upwards out of the modern museum windows, but the museum has been built (in 2009) over the site of an ancient town which has been restored for viewing.
How unreal is that? Surrounded by history.
Next we go to the Plaka for some shopping and people watching.
Pax finally got his chestnuts. I could have had the corn I was denied in Turkey by June but I imagined it to be kind of chewy. Note the evil eye to ward off bad spirits.
June went to church just next to the Athenian Trilogy-The University of Athens, the Academy, and the National Library. Me and the boys decided to hang out in the area.
After church we went for some dinner at this popular eatery in Monastiraki Square. As we ate I could sense an underlying bitchiness that made me miss Crete.
Not sure if seeing this on the wall is good or bad:
Anyway the meal was massive and the environment was so lively between the crowds meandering by, the loud lively roving street bands, sketchy balloon and rose sellers, roasted nut peddlers and general street scum. Our meal was around €50. Good deal. Minus points for attitude.
Athens takeaways
The city reminds us of Rome, so pretty and historical with ruins everywhere. It is pretty freaking hot. The air is dry. At least water is cheap in stores and the tap water is drinkable as a last resort.
Lots of graffiti. subways, streets, anywhere really.
New York overnight
After popping back into the Big Apple, all we had energy for was a dinner stop at Ichiran, the Japanese solo-dining ramen place.
Hey Matt and Khanh, thanks for having us (again!). Btw I made copies of your apartment keys, hope you don’t mind. You’ve been great hosts!
Man all this time I thought my fanny pack was helping to hide my new cruise-gut.
The WOO family page 