Athens, we are in you!
Knew there was a view of the Acropolis from our hotel rooftop. Did not expect to also get a partial view from the balcony off our room. (Trust me, it’s there)
@patrickrhone not that you asked, but there are a couple of somewhat hidden but amazing places to eat right near your hotel.
@davoh Please do tell!
We had a lovely meetup with friends at a little wine/spritz bar just up the block.
@patrickrhone if you want a nice place where you can sample a lot of small dishes I recommend Scholarcheio in the Plaka. Nonna is a relatively new spot that has great food and a great atmosphere. Ergon, over by the cathedral, is also very good and I love the market/restaurant feel of the place. And a longtime fave: o tsitsigas ki o mirmigas. Also near the cathedral, modern takes on classic Greek dishes. So many great places to eat in central Athens!
@patrickrhone one more: Django, just down the hill from the Acropolis Museum, makes fresh gelato daily. Highly recommend.
@patrickrhone last one for now: Takis Bakery (Αρτοποιοτης Ο Τάκης) just down the hill from the Herodion hotel on Roberto Galli (which is next to the Acropolis Museum.)
@davoh Update: mani mani was excellent. I’m extremely full but we past Django on the way back to the hotel and are already talking about doubling back for some gelato. 🍨
@davoh Update 2: Django was awesome. Enjoyed a lovely nighttime walk around the neighborhood after.
Really appreciate the recommendations!
@davoh We are back in Athens over by Monastriaki Square (well, about a 15 min walk). Any suggestions for near here? You’ve only hit home runs so far so figured I’d ask. Hope that’s OK.
@patrickrhone apologies for the slow reply! Not sure if you’re still there. There has been a lot of turnover since I last spent significant time there. I’ve dropped in to lots of the little eateries near the Agora, and have had a lot of street food along Mitropoleos, and Adrianou. I find that as I move towards the Cathedral or towards the National Archeological Museum I wind up finding nicer places, often little hidden joints. I’ve also found the highest conentrations of skilled pickpockets right near Monastiraki and Omonoia.
@davoh Not still there but found some great joints on our own. My wife did a good wrap up of our time there. What a fascinating area!
Greece was amazing. Such warm and lovely people. Would love to return one day.
Most importantly, all of us (especially Beatrix) felt we got everything we wanted from the trip and more. Several “bucket list” items marked off.
@patrickrhone I like what you say about the people. When I started teaching there 20 years ago I went for the history. Then I started returning for the food. Now I return for the people I know, and the ones I have yet to meet.
@patrickrhone I’m glad you made it to Sounion! It’s understated and underrated, IMO. The flowers and the birds in that one little spot are amazing. And like you, I had to search for the temporary entrance to the Agora. They have moved it a number of times in my years of teaching there, but this year’s entrance was a new one for me!
@davoh Having a car made a real difference despite the challenges of Greek driving. But there’s no way we could have gotten to all we did (especially the “Mamma Mia church”) without one.
