I visited Athens on a four-day trip. Ideally, I would have liked to visit some of the beautiful islands that I’d pictured for many years such as Santorini. Unfortunately, I was on a strict schedule due to my travelling companion’s timetable. I can give my traveller perspective as both a single person and as a couple. My first and last day was spent as a single person, with two days in between as a couple.
Prior to visiting Athens, I had been warned by various traveller sites that it would be in excess of 40 degrees during the period I would be there. I was probably used to walking around in the searing heat at 30 degrees, so I knew that 40 degrees would take some preparation. So for two weeks prior to my trip, I took to walking for two hours in the Mediterranean sunshine, ahead of my vacation. That was one travelling tip that for sure I was grateful for, as it made my time there so much more pleasant as I didn’t find myself constantly feeling drained by the Sun’s intense heat.
Now it’s important to say at this point that I visited Athens in 2006, so I am sure that a lot may have changed since then. I stayed at a 4* hotel just off the main road ‘Leof. Posidonos’, I generally try to stay away from a noisy city centre or main roads when choosing a hotel. The hotel I found was just off the main road but in what I would consider a residential area. The rooms were on the smallish side, but that’s city centre hotels for you. It was quite pleasant, with its own toiletries and slippers (always a nice little touch). My arrival was in the late afternoon, just enough time to find the hotel and grab an early dinner close to the hotel. My first impressions upon walking to the hotel along the main road were initially that it seemed a little run-down, as I spotted a few adult stores and graffiti leading up to the hotel. I spotted a restaurant and grabbed a bite to eat. When walking back to the hotel as I passed a man, he sort of grabbed my arm as we passed. When you are a tourist and a single woman, that can be a little alarming. I hurried back to the hotel and didn’t wander out again that evening.
My travelling companion was arriving the following day, it was very easy to get around the city. I took a bus to the Port and then a taxi back. We then moved hotels, this was partly due to my experience the previous evening and in part that we wanted a more upscale hotel. The following nights were spent at the Athens Marriott Hotel. This hotel was a much more elaborate interior these days, but back then it was quite dated and had a 70s vibe. It’s leading qualities was that it was closer to the stores, had a nice lobby and restaurant and the rooms were larger.
From a historical perspective, Athens has some amazing must-see sights for the avid traveller – The Acropolis, The Roman Agora & Hadrian’s Library, Olympieion: Temple of Olympian Zeus and Panathenaic Stadium & Olympic Stadium. For a short weekend, it is possible to do lots of wandering around the city The Pláka and Anafiotika Neighbourhoods.
I found some of the restaurant hosts quite rude, some of them as they saw we were tourists didn’t want to even give is the time to view the menu’s outside and tried to brush us aside if we were just looking and rushed tourists inside who didn’t want to both checking out the menu first. The food from memory didn’t disappoint, I am generally not a fan of Greek food, ie. Taramasalata and Huumus/Houmous, but I always like the idea of a Meze style meal. I really liked that every restaurant as you were seated presented you with a well-needed glass of water, even before they handed you the menu on some occasions. I think this is a really great idea.
As we travelled around during the daytime, it was difficult not to miss all of the wonderful Cow sculptures, these were designed by established and up-and-coming artists. They were a great addition to the tourist experience, as you were never quite sure where one would pop up next. They were at the airport, main squares, at the top of buildings and side streets.
On my final day, I spent it alone walking around the town centre and doing some last-minute shopping. Now before you read the next statement, bear in mind that I have travelled to many cities alone and I also was raised in a busy city. I visited a large department store and when I tried to make a purchase, the assistants were very impatient to the point of rudeness when they sharply told me that I wasn’t allowed to make a purchase if I didn’t have an ID card or passport. That seemed the most ridiculous thing that I’d heard. I explained that I was a tourist and my passport was back at the hotel. They wouldn’t listen and did not let me purchase my items. Obviously nowadays shopping in Athens must have changed quite a bit, but the experience left me quite unhappy. I’d never experienced something like that travelling to any other city in my life.
As I made my way back to the hotel and through the square, I witnessed the bizarre ‘cat and mouse’ chase by the Police and the illegal street sellers. They would put their fake designer bags on a cloth in the square and the Police would hide around the corner, then start walking towards them and two of three of the traders would quickly grab the items and run to get away. From a tourist onlooker’s point of view, I found this really unsettling, as I witnessed it about 5 times. It can be quite scary if you see a group of men just running at great speed towards you on frequent occasions.
Summary
I wouldn’t rush back to Athens due to my personal experiences, but I would one day like to visit some of the beautiful Greek islands, you can travel across from Athens via ferries or private boat hire.