ATHENS
Athens is the bustling capital city of Greece and, in our estimation, is a “must-see” for anyone visiting Greece. Both Paul and I have “lived” in Athens (Paul in ’79 and I in ’92 for a few months). In our 4 nights and three days we were able to appreciate both what we loved about the ancient city as well as what’s new today.Acropolis Museum
One of our first stops was the new Acropolis museum. I’m sure anyone who has been to Athens since its construction in 2009 has visited this incredible museum situated at the foot of the Acropolis. It’s built over ancient ruins, and has a partial “glass bottom” floor for viewing the ancient city-state dwellings that were discovered during its construction.
Acropolis Museum glass bottom floor.
What we loved most about the museum was its curation. The descriptions were thoughtful and the layout was beautiful. As you walk in, you learn about the building of the Acropolis, which began long before the height of Pericles’ Golden age in the 5th century BC. As you proceed past this introduction, you enter a hall of white marble relics – it’s stunning. The shear enormity and number can give the Louvre, the British National Museum, and the Met a run for their money (at least when it comes to Greek treasures). The beloved Caryatides are a pride of Greece and they are displayed beautifully.
Caryatid in center from Acropolis Museum.
My personal favorite part of the museum was the top floor. This floor is dedicated solely to the Parthenon. It replicates the exact dimension and orientation of “the real thing”, which you can see through the the floor to ceiling windows. It gives you an incredible sense of appreciation for this brilliantly constructed temple, dedicated to the Goddess of Athena, patron goddess of the city.
Acropolis Museum, Replica of Parthenon Orientation
Where We Lived
Neo Faliro, near Pireaus port, is where Paul called home for a few months in 1979. After checking out his apartment, which looked exactly the same, we enjoyed an old-school fish taverna’s in Micro Limani, just down the street from his old apartment.
Paul’s apartment where he lived for a few months in ’79, Neo Faliro
As for me, we checked out my old diggs at 59 Deinokratos in Kolonaki, where I learned my best Greek speaking to the grocer/bakery underneath my apartment.
Where I lived in ’92 (and where I learned my best Greek), 59 Deinokratos Kolonaki Athens
We also made a point to engage in my favorite activity from the 90’s, people watching in Kolonaki Square, replete with our frappe gluko me pagoto (iced coffee with ice cream). Yum on so many levels!
People Watching in Kolonaki Square
While I enjoyed my frappe and fashionista watching, Paul went on to capture the faces of Athens.
Paul captured the faces of Athens on and around Kolonaki
Our most memorable evening in Athens was spent with a distant relative of Paul’s, Anna Tsiapouri and her husband, Taki. There is just something about Greeks and family that is beautiful. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been attached at the hip or have never met (which was the case with us). The fact that you are family, even if distantly related, creates a philotimo that can be incomprehensible until you have experienced it (philotimo is one of those words that’s hard to translate – it means love, not the amorous kind, but the friend/familial kind).
Perfect evening in Gazi with Paul’s distant cousin with the same last name.
Going More In Depth On Greece’s Golden Age
We both have been to the Acropolis several times. This time we used a licensed guide to try to appreciate Greece’s ancient history all the more. Koula, our guide, was a piece of work. We came to learn that if she didn’t know something, she would make it up (got to love the Greek’s ability to improvise!).
Paul asking Koula the hard questions.
That being said, we did learn some interesting tidbits.
First, the Parthenon (and other parts of the Acropolis) was made for the people to appreciate the beauty of their city.
View of Acropolis and Athens sunset from our balcony
Second, the architects used advanced mathematics to thoughtfully engineer every aspect. What you see here is a hole in each column, this hole contained wood designed to absorb the shock from earthquakes.
Parthenon column showing hole for wood support.
Third, the Parthenon appears to have been built by all walks of life. And while we herald the ancient Greeks for founding democracy, we must remember that estimates are that only 20% of the ~100K population were citizens and could vote.
Who’s that couple in front of the Parthenon!
Forth, all people could visit the Acropolis during festivals. One such festival is the celebrated Panathenaia, or the festival “of all the Athenians”. This festival occured in conjunction with the Panatheniac Games (which were different than the Panhellenic Games, which evolved into today’s Olympics). Below is a pic of the stadium built on the site of the Panatheniac Stadium, where the ancient games were held. It is in this stadium that the first modern-day Olympics were held in 1896.
Olympic Stadium – Built for 1896 Olympics on site of Panatheniac Games in Ancient Greece
Fifth, the Acropolis overlooks the “Hill of the Nymphs”, where some argue the art of government oration began; somehow I have a feeling they were a lot more effective than today’s congressmen.
Philopappou Hill/Hill of Nymphs in background (Acropolis photo)
Sixth, we also got a chance to learn about the sophisticated and even glamorous life the Ancient Athenians lived. Check out the jewels below that were worn at the time!
Jewel they wore in the 5th century. Where today’s designers get some inspiration (from Benaki Museum)
Plaka and Monastiraki
A trip to Athens isn’t complete without trips to Plaka and Monastiraki. No matter which way you cut it, the narrow streets of Plaka just below the Acropolis are the requisite dining experience; and bargaining in Monastiraki is simply quintessential Athens. We’ve loved it in the past and loved it just as much (if not more) today.
Monastiraki, market on the base of the Acropolis.
This country may be in dire straights, but you would never know it. No matter the neighborhood, touristy or Greek, people were out enjoying one another until all hours of the night. If NYC is the city that doesn’t sleep, then Athens is the city revved up on frappes and Greek coffee.
Plaka At Night
Walking Around And Mingling With the Locals
We walked everywhere. We probably got a better workout than Paul’s typical summer century rides. We had heard the graffiti was ubiquitous and we verified that truth. Everyone we encountered was nice, which was a pleasant change from experiences in the past. Whether it be waiters, hotel staff, or people on the street, we found majority interested in going the extra mile to ensure our stay was pleasant.
Athens Graffiti
After reading and hearing all the dire news on the Greek economy, our first impressions were anything but dire (in spite of the graffiti). But once you peeled back the onion, you quickly learned that reality is much different than what we initially perceived. No matter who you talked to, everyone repeated two key themes: (1) Greece is in crisis and (2) There is no solution. Paul asked many different Greeks if leaving the EU was the answer and they said “No, it would make things worse.” They feel trapped. One older man used the analogy that Greece is like a monkey that’s been partially swallowed by a snake — its head is hanging out but it can’t escape. Here’s what’s happening:
- Taxes continue to increase, e.g. there is a 24% sales tax on food
- Unemployment among the young is at 40% and those who do get jobs make 600E/mo
- Pensions are higher than working wages
- Capital controls restrict the amount Greeks can take out of their bank accounts
- The government isn’t paying its bills, e.g. my cousin runs a healthcare lab and relies on government reimbursement because that’s how the healthcare system works. He just got reimbursed for February now and they have cut the reimbursement. He was told he has no recourse in this situation.
- The result of all these measures is a cash economy. The Greeks attempt to avoid all taxation and reporting to the government. As a tourist, this manifests itself in not getting receipts at certain restaurants, i.e. bills are verbally issued. We also found the cost for food was very low, which is an attempt to entice Greeks to dine out (which will not be sustainable as their costs are going up). And with regard to all those Greeks that were hanging out at all hours of the night, they were ordering one (inexpensive) beer, wine, or coffee and sipping it throughout the night. Once we got out of Athens city center, signs of trying times became more clear. Below is a picture from our neglected hotel in Karpenisi, the mountain town where Paul’s family is originally from. Yet even within Athens, we noticed several empty store fronts and restaurants that have gone out of business.
Flag showing the run-down nature of things in Greece (taken in Karpenisi, Lecadin Hotel)
A friend of mine describes this area as “Her favorite place on earth”. Sounion is on the south-western most tip of Attica (the middle region of Greece, in which Athens also resides) and is only a short hour away from the city. Here you have the beautiful mountains juxtaposed against the deep blue Aegean. At its pinnacle is the ancient Temple of Poseidon, honoring Greek God of the Sea. Legend has it that it is at this point that the Aegean Sea was named.
Sounion sunset and our hotel
Unfortunately, however, we had only one night in Sounion and then we were off to Karpenisi, the hometown of the Chiapuris side of Paul’s family. Karpenisi is deep in the mountainous terrain of Attica and the highlight of the trip was appreciating the natural beauty and green scenery that is so different than the rest of Greece. We also loved making friends with the congenial locals in the neighboring town of Timfrostos, where they treated us to coffee and introduced us to Votana (mountain teas). Paul navigated the switch-back roads like a pro — perhaps he was envisioning was doing the climb on his bike.
Timfrostos (Near Karpenisi)
Karpenisi Square
In spite of the beautiful view, our hotel was a bit run down, a perfect example of the trying times that exist for much of the country.
View of Karpenisi from Hotel Lecadin
Vergina was also a highlight. This museum is amazing because it is designed to be “in situ”. The museum is literally built around the tomb of King Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great, and responsible for the beginning of the expansion of the Greek empire. Philip was so revered that his remains were stored in this gold larynx. One of his wives sacrificed herself to the journey to Hades with her husband. And she received similar honors in the ante-chamber of his tomb. After our quick sojourn in Vergina, we were a hop, skip and a jump away from Thessaloniki, one of my personal favorite cities.
King Philip II Tomb and Gold Larynx and Crown, Vergina Greece
THESSALONIKI
I hold this city near and dear to my heart. I find the city layout and the people can be even more beautiful than Athens. Of course, having my family and a God daughter there gives it a special warmth. In additional to spending time with family, we caught a few sights, learned a bit about its ancient history, and assisted a Syrian Refugee relief organization.Most importantly, we enjoyed our wonderful family from Thessaloniki.
My God Daughter & Me
The Arvanitis Clan with Paul and Me
Celebrating Cleopatra’s Birthday
We took in Thessaloniki’s Lefka Pirgo (White Tower), which houses a museum dedicated to the history of the city, where we got an appreciation for the significant influence the Romans, the Byzantines, and the Ottomans had on the city.
Paul in front of the White Tower (Lefko Pirgo), Thessaloniki
The exhibit spanned from the Ancient Greeks and Romans through to today. I was touched by the section dedicated to those people who lost their land in 1922’s Treaty of Lausanne, when all the Greeks in today’s Turkey were forced to leave. They had a video that highlighted these lands, and my grandparent’s village from Turkey was included. You can view the video clip here: Saranta Eklisias, Clip from the exhibit at the White Tower
We also loved staying at the Electra Palace where my family took this same picture in 1986 with our rented Mitsubishi.
Electra Palace Hotel, Thessaloniki
RHODES
Finally, we concluded our visit Greece with a trip to an island. We chose Rhodes because of its wonderful September weather, its rich history, and its many towns and beaches. We found this 4th largest Greek island to both delight and disappoint. On the disappointing front, the island was overrun by foreign tourists, kitschy souvenir shops, and inauthentic tavernas. On the delightful front, the Old Town of Rhodes was fascinating. Its varied past includes Roman, Arab, Midevil, Byzantine, Turkish, and Ottmaman rule. We learned about the Knights of Saint John, who took over the island after the Byzantines in 1309. This group of Catholic Christians reported to Jerusalem and created the “Palace of Grand Masters”, which houses the museum you see today. And while you can’t find visible signs of the Colossus of Rhodes (from Ancient Greek times), you can’t help but hear the prideful stories of the huge Ancient Greek statue of Helios that once stood on this island 108 feet high.
Rhodes throughout history (Palace, Mosque, Church, Walls)
The most visible reminders of the island’s Ancient Greek roots is the Acropolis in Lindos. Lindos was also a highlight. Lindos is adjacent to Saint Paul’s Bay, which couldn’t have been more charming. The day we spent swimming back and forth across the bay from beach to beach was one of our best.
Beach time (and Lindos Acropolis in upper left)
St. Paul’s Bay, Lindos Rhodes (our favorite beach spot on the island)
We ended that day with a dinner at tiny beach bar in Kalithea, which was picture perfect. The one nice thing about being in an island swarming with foreign tourists is the appreciation the locals had for our speaking Greek. While we felt appreciated every where we went in Greece, we felt especially appreciated in Rhodes.
Dinner in Kalithea, Rhodes Greece
After two weeks, we were ready to move on to our next destination. Onward and eastward. Israel, here we come!
Daphne says good-bye to Greece
Fantastic! I love the piece about what is really going on with the economy. Things you just cannot decipher through news coverage. Thanks for the updates!
Love this documentary on your trip! Beautiful!
Very interesting and detailed! I will use this as a guide when I visit some day. Looks lovely and both of you look happy and carefree! Can’t wait to hear more.
I have really enjoyed reading your blog. The details and photos provide a real sense of great places you’re visiting and experiences you are having. Glad to hear that all is well and you are enjoying yourselves. Looking forward to your next post.
Your trip to Greece looks amazing! The perfect mix of people, history, food and learning. The Thessaloniki leg reminded me of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, which in turn reminds me of you, Daphne: “Rejoice always…give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Love to you both.
You are really setting the bar high! Awesome story telling that really brings the trip and locales to life.