0 Seven Tips for Your Visit to Athens

1. Do your research on a hotel. We stayed at the Athens Gate Hotel, which I strongly recommend (no, unfortunately they're not paying me).  While it is a little out of our normal price range, we were able to snag a deal Paul found online.  The incredible views of the Temple of Zeus and the Acropolis can't be beat, and the included breakfast is the best breakfast I've ever had at a hotel, and is better than most restaurants' as well.  The other upside, which is more practical?  It's just outside of Plaka, the main tourist shopping area, but close enough to still have tourist police right on the corner.  The theft-crime in Athens is quite high- pick-pocketing, bag snatching, etc., so having tourist police right outside of our hotel was a bit of a comfort.  Luckily we didn't have any issues, although we did see one incident first hand, watching an assailant run by quickly followed by a police officer.  The only complaint we had about the hotel was the street noise, although I'm not sure where in Athens you could stay without either traffic or tourist noise at all hours!

2.  Have some common sense.  As I've mentioned, the theft-crime rate is high.  It seems obvious, but don't leave your bags unattended anywhere, but especially on the Metro.  Put your wallet in a front pocket, and if you carry a bag, have a cross-body strap and a zip-top.  We didn't have any issues, but we heard a few first-hand accounts before we got to Athens that made us that much more vigilant.

3.  At least sketch out an itinerary.  Not all sites are open everyday.  The New Acropolis Museum is closed on Mondays, as is Kerameikos, the ancient cemetery.  Other places (not the more popular tourist sites) close early- it's not uncommon for them to close around 2 or 3,  reopening in the evening on certain days.  One thing you may be able to take advantage of is the free admission on Sundays in the off season (November through March) as well as the first Sundays of April-June and October to most major sites including the Acropolis.  For instance, Paul definitely wanted to see the elaborate changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, so we knew that was a priority on Sunday at 11 AM.

4. Be ready to bargain!  The souvenir shop workers make Stateside used car salesman look wimpy- they are aggressive in their sales pitches!  They will offer you percentages off, but the best bargaining tool is to be willing to walk away- you'll often get their lowest offer when one foot's out the door.

5. Use the Metro!  Be willing to use the buses for out of town excursions!  When we went to Mycenae and Nafplio we spent less than €30 total for transportation.  The organized trips we found online and from our hotel were at least €99 each, and not on our own schedule. It will take some extra legwork on your part, both figuratively- trying to find which bus to take, and literally- changing from the city bus to the KTEL bus (the ones that head out of town).  One note on the Metro- be sure, if you use it to get to/from the airport, that you have the proper ticket.  If the Metro police catch you with the incorrect ticket the fine is hefty- around €60. Also be sure to validate your ticket properly, and when in doubt, ask at a window.  We weren't sure if we validated again when changing from the Metro to the bus, and the gentleman at the window was happy to answer.

6. Learn a few basic Greek words.  Familiarize yourself with the Greek alphabet.  Paul is much better with languages than I am, so he was in charge of this, but I learned "kalispera" (good day), "efharisto" (thank you), "signomi" (excuse me, I'm sorry), and I definitely learned "spanakopita" (spinach pasty) and "koto poullo gyro" (chicken gyro!!)!!  Knowing the Greek alphabet helps because if you can identify and sound out the letters you can find most place names.  For instance, Ναύπλιο is Nafplio/Nauplio/Naflion (same place)- Nu-alpha-upsilon-pi-lambda-iota-omicron.  So when we were looking for our bus, we could recognize that.  Neither of us were in the Greek system in university, but I knew a lot of the letters from my friends' fraternity and sorority names!  Most people in Athens do have at least a little English, but as my friend who lived there says "A smile and a 'kalispera' go a long way!"

7. Try the foods!  Greek foods  are delicious, fresh, and filling. Be brave, try something new, and if you don't like it, try something else next time.  Most restaurants have pictures or English approximations in the menu, and most waiters have enough English to answer your questions.  Of course, dietary limitations are a reasonable cause for selective eating, for example, I don't eat mammals, so any lamb or pork dish was out for me, but within that parameter I was up for a bite of most anything, and discovered some new favorites!

0 Greece: Cats and Dogs of Greece

Greece is covered in cats and dogs.  Literally.  There are stray dogs running wild through both country and city areas, and cats mewling around any spot they might find food. According to Wikipedia, the dogs are called "free-ranging urban dogs" and are rampant across most cities in Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and Asia.  A biologist in Russia, Andrei Poyarkov, has studied Moscow's strays for the majority of his life.  I could have spent our entire trip photographing these animals, but since Paul preferred to see the sites I had to make do with quick shots here and there.

These cats were in the car park of the Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron.  They meowed for food constantly, one even trying to climb in our van.

These cats were actually IN the monastery (there were others as well, near the cellars).

Someone put some food down for the clowder of cats.  

This site was all too common around Athens- a large dog, sunning in the middle of anywhere.

See?  Completely unfazed by the traffic.

Syntagma Square had several canine residents.  Probably feline, too, but they generally darted around out of sight until dusk.

This dog got himself locked into one of the ruins sites.  Hopefully he'd had his fill of dropped gyros and roasted lamb.

This dog was in Nafplio- he was alive, I watched him breath.  While Sloan does sleep like this on our bed at home, I am amazed that this dog is comfortable enough on the busy pedestrian roads to sleep this way.  It is his home, though, and maybe this spot of grass is his favorite bed. 

Most of the pet dogs we saw walking around were tiny little things, Yorkies or other small terriers.  The only large dogs we saw attached to humans were the working herding dogs in Larisa.  I watched this little boy and his puppy walk down the street near us and cross the square we were in, and it was no different than any other little boy and his puppy, so obviously there are large dogs as pets, too.  It was refreshing to see the affection this puppy received, after my heart breaking for all the other heads that rarely got more than a perfunctory pat or quick scratch.

This lounger was on the steps on the Acropolis leading up to the Parthenon.  Most of the dogs in Athens were definitely NOT starving.  In fact, obesity was rampant among these tourist-restaurant scavengers.  Gyros and and saganaki may be delicious, but a diet made up primarily of scraps of fried cheese and dropped french fries?  Not the most healthy.

This handsome old man was at the entry to the Temple of Zeus.  I gave him a good few minutes of head/ear scratching (don't worry, germophobes, I quickly found a sink with soap).

You weren't expecting this guy, were you?!  He and his buddy below were hanging out in the courtyard at the National Archaeological Museum.

So it's not all cats and dogs!

Seriously, though, these animals, while well (overly) fed, don't get any consistent, full-on-affection or attention, and only a few lucky ones (they wear ID tags) get bare-bones medical care (basic vaccines and neutering- I'm still not sure what they do about fleas!).  So if you go to Athens, take some glucosamine (I can't tell you how many hip/knee issues we recognized- thanks, Max!), maybe some lowfat biscuits, and some wet wipes/antibacterial.  Cause they're mostly friendly, and all willing to be loved.

0 Greece: Athens (modern)

The Zappion, an exhibit hall near the National Gardens.

Some churches.  The frescoes covering the interiors of the churches are definitely the best features, but, as those can't be photographed, you'll have to do with the exteriors, which are interesting and beautiful in their own right.

Socrates...

and Plato greet you as you walk up to the Academy of Athens.

 The Academy of Athens, part of the Neoclassical Trilogy of Theophile Hansen, along with the University of Athens and the National Library.

The pediment depicts the birth of Athena.

Side wing of the Academy.

Other side wing.

Athena, goddess of wisdom, overlooking the Academy.

Apollo, god of truth and light, overlooking the Academy.

Ceiling of the porch of the Academy.

Fresco over the central entry to the University of Athens showing King Otto surrounded by the arts and sciences.

National Library.

Anyone want a run-down building?  It's got great features, a lot of potential!

A pretty street.

A pretty building.

Below are some signs and graffiti we saw in one corner of Plaka.  Enjoy.

This gentleman was walking around in front of Parliament on Sunday, the day of the elaborate changing of the guards.  He had a seemingly trained pigeon on him or following him the whole time, and was selling bird seed to feed the pigeons. 

The most important thing you'll find in Greece- GYROS!! Mine is on the left: chicken, tzaztiki (yogurt, garlic, cucumber), lettuce, and french fries.  Paul's is on the right: pork, lettuce, french fries.  The french fries are a normal addition... YUM!!

0 Greece: Athens (ancient )

Large clay silos used in Byzantine times for storing cereals, found in...

the ruins of an old Roman bath.  This bath was discovered and excavated when a ventilation shaft for the Metro was being dug.  Needless to say, the ventilation shaft was moved.

Pieces of history in the National Gardens.

Pillar bases found in...

the Southeastern Exedra of the Library of Hadrian.

I'm not entirely sure what this tower is; I was fairly caught up with the dog sleeping near it.

Detail of above tower.

The Athens Gate, or the Arch of Hadrian.   The northwest side, facing the Acropolis, is inscribed "This is Athens, the ancient city of Theseus", while the southeast side, facing the Temple of Zeus/Olympeion reads "This is the city of Hadrian, and not of Theseus."

The upper portion (attic) represents Greece with its Corinthian columns...

while the lower portion represents Rome, as a traditional triumphal arch.

These four images show remnants of antiquity near the Amphiteatre of Dionysus.

These excavations are in front of and under the New Acropolis Museum.  The museum was built with a clear floor so visitors can see the excavations take place.

We walked over to and took the tram up Mount Lycabettus, the highest point in modern Athens.  When the Parthenon was built, this lay outside of the city walls, therefore the Acropolis was the highest point in antiquity.

These are the views from the top.   The Panathenaic Stadium.

The Acropolis.

The Olympeion, or Temple of Zeus.