Places to visit in Athens Greece
For every visitor, Athens holds an undeniable fascinations many centuries spanned, so much of Western civilization rooted in a single city. The city centre, just 4 miles from the sea, is scanned by a gentle audience of hills. Crowning Athensas it has since the dawn of Greek history the Acropolis with its breathtaking Parthenon. Considering the very real ravages of man and time, the wonder is that any of the city's venerable monuments have survived at all.
They have though even if the ancients would hardly recognize Athens today. Suburbs of cement and steel sprawl chaotically over its historic basin, and the crystal like quality of Attica's light, famous since Homer, has become little more than a memory. Swollen by unrelenting floods of Greeks migrating from the countryside, Athens' population has soared.
Athens and car hire
Car hire can be booked from Athens Airport before you travel.
During the white hot afternoon hours, the city's bustle dies away, the streets are shuttered. Athens drowses in ritual observance of that most logical of Mediterranean traditions, the siesta just as it doubtless did under Pericles. When the sun starts its downward curve, the pace picks up again. Offices and boutiques reopen, often until 8.30 p. m. Shopping streets throb with activity, cafes fill up, neon blinks on, the first strains of bouzouki music are heard from the labyrinth of bars under the Acropolis.
Generally Athenians are short in stature and dark haired. Some could pass as replicas of their discus throwing ancestors who pose classically in the museums. They are a volatile, talkative and irrepressibly curious people. The Athenians' surpassing kindness to foreigners reflects the tradition of generous hospitality instinctive to all Greeks.
At the same time you'll come to respect the local business acumen: shoppers beware! First Hellenic races (Achaeans, Aeolians and lonians) descend from north and settle on Greek mainland (Mycenaean civilization). Siege of Troy (14001390 B.C.). Invasion of Dorians who destroy Mycenaean culture (1100 B.C.). 776 B. C. first recording of Olympic Games. Although city states of Athens, Sparta, Thebes and others are often at war, they share common sense of identity: they are all Greeks with same language and religion. Athens dominates entire peninsula and experiences all forms of government from monarchy to democracy to dictatorship and back to democracy. The country produces great poets, lawmakers, generals, statesmen and philosophers.
Persian wars which influenced entire history of Europe. 490 B. C. Athenians defeat Darius' vastly superior forces at Marathon. 480 B. C. a few Greek troops under Leonidas hold up enormous Persian army un der Xerxes at pass of Thermopylae long enough for Athens to be evacuated, before Xerxes plunders the city and burns all wooden constructions. In same year Greece's much smaller fleet under Themistocles renounces Persians in the bay of Salamis. In final and decisive battle at Plataea, Persians beaten and Greek independence ensured (479 B.C).
The Golden age of Athens
Athens reaches its Golden Age of art, literature, philosophy and science under rule of Pericles. Parthenon built. 431-407 B. C Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta won by latter with naval help from Persians. Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, takes political lead after battle of Charioneia (338 B. C). Macedonian troops occupy Athens in 322 and again in 262 B. C while the city continues to decline. Macedonia becomes Roman province (146 B. C). In 86 B. C Roman General Sulla sacks Athens in retribution for its alliance with one of Rome's enemies, and many Athenian treasures are taken to Rome. After visit of St. Paul (A. D. 50)
Christianity in Greece
Emperor Constantine chooses Greek colonial town of Byzantium as his New Rome and calls it Constantinople. During Byzantine rule, Athens sinks into provincial obscurity. In 529 Emperor Justinian puts definite end to Greek polytheism by closing last pagan temples and Athenian schools of philosophy.
After being ruled by adventurers from Burgundy, Catalonia and Florence, Athens and Attica fall to Turks in 1456. Venetians briefly take Athens from Turks in 1466 and again in 1687 when they damage the Parthenon. The Ottoman rule is Greece's darkest age, and only the Orthodox Church provides people with a sense of continuity with the past. With foreign help (Lord Byron has popularized cause abroad), Greeks finally win against Turks. 1834 Athens becomes capital of Greece. Great Powers install Bavarian Prince Otto as king. He and Queen Amalia deposed in 1862 and after European diplomatic bargaining, William of the Danish royal house takes Greek throne as George I, King of Hellenes, until his assassination in 1913.
Cretan politician Venizelos, several times prime minister, helps Greece regain Macedonia, most of Aegean Islands and Epirus. Under population exchange agreement with Turkey (1922), many repatriated Greeks flood into Athens. 1934-40 Greece under dictatorship of Metaxas. During World War 11 Greece invaded and controlled by Germans, until freed by Allied forces in 1944. 1947-49 Civil War which ends with Communist defeat. 1967 Military dictatorship seize power forcing King Constantine into exile. 1974 regime of the colonels crumbles. With King Constantine still in exile, popular referendum abolishes monarchy, and democracy with free elections is
restored.
Piraetts and Modern Athens
But you can still find local colour especially at Tourkolillano (officially called Mikrolimano). Here you can eat at one of the enticing seafood restaurants ringing the tiny yacht basin, and watch the fluffing of brightly coloured canvas and the bobbing of masts. Included in your outdoor dining programme will be a stream of gardenia vendors, fortune tellers, guitar players strumming Theodorakis tunes, pistachio salesmen.
None will press too hard. The only thieves you'll encounter on this enchanting waterfront will be the overfed cats (if you give something to one, you'll end up with 30 or 40 around you).
In Athens, you can get your bearings from the two great squares: elegant Syntagma and dowdier Omonia. They're perhaps a ten minute stroll apart, linked directly by two major streets, Stadiou and Venizeziou.
On Syntagma (its name celebrates the March 1844 Greek constitution) are deluxe hotels, expensive cafes, and tall glass and concrete buildings containing air terminals, travel agencies, banks, post offices and international business concerns.
Across the upper, east side of the square is Greece's Parliament, until 1935 the royal palace. Soldiers in traditional uniform guard a memorial to the nation's unknown warrior in the forecourt.
The oldest quarter of Athens and by far the most charming is the Plaka. People have lived continuously for more than 3,000 years in this picturesque maze huddled against 51 the northern slope of the Acropolis. Ancient ruins, Byzantine churches, shops, cafes, hotels, bars and nightclubs are packed into less than one quarter of a square mile.
Athens and The Acropolis
This I0-acre (4ha.) rock rising 300 feet (90 m.) above the plain of Attica was the making of ancient Athens. Battered and incomplete though it may now be, the Acropolis possesses such majesty that it still ranks among the world's true wonders. The name means high town, from the Greek acro (highest point) and polis (town or city). Alternately it means citadel, which it was originally place of defence shared by gods, kings and heroes.
The visitors' entrance is the Beule Gate (a 3rd centuryA. D. Roman addition named after the French archaeologist who discovered it in 1852). The Propylaea. Six Doric columns mark this monumental entranceway to the Acropolis.
The Propylaea was planned by Pericles and his architect Mnesicles as the most spectacular secular building in Greece, more complex than the Parthenon which it was designed to complement. Construction began in 437 B. C. but was halted five years later by the Peloponnesian War and never finished.
The central and largest of the gateways was for chariots and approached by a ramp; steps lead up to the four other entries destined for lesser mortals. The well preserved building on the north (left) side
The Temple of Athena Nike
Housed a gallery of paintings by famous artists offered to Athena. The Temple of Athena Nike. High on a terrace off to the right (southwest) of the Propylaea perches this enchanting temple, the work of architect Callicrates. It enjoys a glorious panorama of the sea and distant mountains. Tiny compared with the Parthenon towards which it points, the temple of Athena Nike (also called Wingless Victory) now standing is a piece by piece modern reconstruction of what remained after the Turks tore down the original in 1687.
Passing through the Propylaea, you emerge onto the great sloping plateau of the Acropolis. Try to imagine what it was like 2,400 years ago, when these masterworks of architecture and sculpture were gong up. Scores of stone cutters, carpenters, founders and others swarmed over this site.
Dominating the immediate foreground was a gigantIc bronze statue of Athena under another guise Athena Promachos, the Defender. This statue of the goddess holding shield and spear was created by Phidias to honour the victory at Marathon. The great statue stood here for 1,000 years, until it was carted off to Constantinople in the 6th century A. D.
The history of Athens
Emperor Hadrian in A.D. 132. It had 104 Corinthian columns, each 56 feet (17 m.) high and more than 7 feet (2 m.) thick. Today only 15 remain upright. To mark the separation of his own Athens from the ancient city of Theseus, an arched gateway was erected facing the temple. Relatively modest in size, Hadrian's Arch is thought to have been a donation from the people of Athens. The Agora. The Agora is almost as old as Athens itself. Originally the word meant a gathering together, later the place where people met and conducted business. Sprawling under the northern walls of the Acropolis, it was the heart of the ancient lower city, the marketplace and civic centre.
Today only rubble and foundations remain of the marble or stone altars, temples, law courts, state offices, public archives, shops, concert hall, dance floor and gymnasium that stood here. A panoramic, pictorial reconstruction on a pedestal by the main entrance on Odos Adrianou helps you visualize the Agora in its golden days.
The Olympic Stadium. In the hollow of Arditos Hill, the modern Olympic Stadium is on the site of the stone original built by Lycurgus in 330 B. C. In the 2nd century A. D. Emperor Hadrian introduced Rome's favourite sport here: he imported thousands of wild animals to be pitted against gladiators. The stadium, built for the first modern Olympics in 1896, seats 70,000 people. Its length is just over 600 feet (180 m.) or one stadion. In form it's identical to the ancient U shaped stadiums at Olympia and Delphi. Poseidon's renowned temple crowns this promontory 45 miles (70 km.) south of Athens, as beautiful a place to watch the sun set or rise as there is in the Aegean.
The marble temple, with 15 of its original 34 Doric columns now standing, was built about 444 B. C. Another of stone had been started in this obviously commanding location, but the Persians destroyed it in 490 B. C. The precipice is a sheer 197foot (60m.) drop to the sea. Lord Byron, whose name you'll see carved on one of the pillars, was so inspired by the union that he wrote a famous poem about it.
Eating Out in Athens
Although Athens can hardly claim to be a gourmet's paradise, you'll find eating here very satisfying, perhaps even exciting and often in a pleasant outdoor setting. Most restaurants will serve the following specialities: Appetizers - a baked aubergine puree flavoured with garlic, onions and herbs. Dzadziki: a yoghurt dip of sliced cucumber, flavoured with garlic. Tararnosalata: a spread of lararna (grey mullet roe), mashed potatoes, bread, olive oil and lemon juice. Dip bread in it as an appetizer or have it on lettuce as a salad. Soup Soupa avgoernono: a soup of chicken or meat, eggs and rice, flavoured with lemon.
Fish in Greece
Aslakos: spiny lobster; barbouni: red mullet; fagri: sea bream; garides: prawns; glossa: sole; kalamaraki: squid; kefalos: grey mullet; lilhrini: spotted bream; marides: similar to sprats; chtapodi: octopus.
Meat dishes in Greece
Dolmades: grape leaves stuffed with lamb and rice, seasoned with wine, grated onion and herbs. Often served hot with lemon sauce. marrow (zucchini) stuffed with rice and meal. Kefledes: meatballs, flavoured with onion, cinnamon, oregano, mint and wine. Baked or deep fried in oil and served with a sauce. Osaka: sliced aubergine and minced meat, baked with a white sauce and grated cheese.
Greek Salad
Don't miss the delicious village salads (salata chorialiki), sliced vegetables lopped with feta, a cheese made from sheep's milk.
Wine in Greece
The first time you sip Retsina, you may get a shock; it's flavoured with resin and has a turpentine like taste but it rarely causes hangovers and helps digest rich, oily foods. Of the undesignated wines Demestica, white or red, is popular, and Santa Helena and Pallini are pleasant, dry whites. Reds are Naoussa and Santa Laoma, and some refreshing lighter roses can also be found.
National drinks in Greece
The national aperitif is ouzo. a clear, aniseed flavoured spirit. Greek brandy is sweet and quite agreeable. Metaxa is the best known; Kamba is a little drier. Greek beer (bira) is excellent.
Snacks in Greece
Ask for souvlakia. meat and vegetables grilled on a skewer; picy sausages (giros) and doner kebab, meat cooked on a spit, or sollvlaki me pilla, grilled meat, tomatoes, peppers and onions in a Oat bun (pi Ita). Try not to buy on impulse: things are not always what they seem in Greece. The best bet is to stick to handmade items. Labour costs are still low, and the quality of rural and island handicraft remains high. Rugs and Carpets.
Flokali rugs priced by the kilo (a square metre weighs about 2'1, kilos) come machine made or, preferably, hand oven. They are made of pure sheep's wool shag, spun from fibres into yarn and then luoped together to be processed under water. Furs. If purchased intelligently, fur coats, stoles, capes , and hats made from pelts hand sewn together can be a handsome bargain. You'll find mink, muskrat, beaver, red, stone marten and Persian lamb.
The secret of the pelt strip coat lies in the sewing, which varies in quality. Shop carefully around Syntagma, and verify the quality and origin of the pelt. Jewellery. Reproductions of museum jewellery in gold and silver are definitely worth a second look.
You'll find the best jewellery shops in the Voukourestiou and Panepistimiou area. Gold and silver are sold by weight; each item should be weighed in front of you. Some gold rings are made from two different purities; check for hollowness and correct weight price equivalents. Enamel cannot be graded for quality, so cast a suspicious eye on anything which seems too spectacular.
They have though even if the ancients would hardly recognize Athens today. Suburbs of cement and steel sprawl chaotically over its historic basin, and the crystal like quality of Attica's light, famous since Homer, has become little more than a memory. Swollen by unrelenting floods of Greeks migrating from the countryside, Athens' population has soared.
Athens and car hire
Car hire can be booked from Athens Airport before you travel.
During the white hot afternoon hours, the city's bustle dies away, the streets are shuttered. Athens drowses in ritual observance of that most logical of Mediterranean traditions, the siesta just as it doubtless did under Pericles. When the sun starts its downward curve, the pace picks up again. Offices and boutiques reopen, often until 8.30 p. m. Shopping streets throb with activity, cafes fill up, neon blinks on, the first strains of bouzouki music are heard from the labyrinth of bars under the Acropolis.
Generally Athenians are short in stature and dark haired. Some could pass as replicas of their discus throwing ancestors who pose classically in the museums. They are a volatile, talkative and irrepressibly curious people. The Athenians' surpassing kindness to foreigners reflects the tradition of generous hospitality instinctive to all Greeks.
At the same time you'll come to respect the local business acumen: shoppers beware! First Hellenic races (Achaeans, Aeolians and lonians) descend from north and settle on Greek mainland (Mycenaean civilization). Siege of Troy (14001390 B.C.). Invasion of Dorians who destroy Mycenaean culture (1100 B.C.). 776 B. C. first recording of Olympic Games. Although city states of Athens, Sparta, Thebes and others are often at war, they share common sense of identity: they are all Greeks with same language and religion. Athens dominates entire peninsula and experiences all forms of government from monarchy to democracy to dictatorship and back to democracy. The country produces great poets, lawmakers, generals, statesmen and philosophers.
Persian wars which influenced entire history of Europe. 490 B. C. Athenians defeat Darius' vastly superior forces at Marathon. 480 B. C. a few Greek troops under Leonidas hold up enormous Persian army un der Xerxes at pass of Thermopylae long enough for Athens to be evacuated, before Xerxes plunders the city and burns all wooden constructions. In same year Greece's much smaller fleet under Themistocles renounces Persians in the bay of Salamis. In final and decisive battle at Plataea, Persians beaten and Greek independence ensured (479 B.C).
The Golden age of Athens
Athens reaches its Golden Age of art, literature, philosophy and science under rule of Pericles. Parthenon built. 431-407 B. C Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta won by latter with naval help from Persians. Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, takes political lead after battle of Charioneia (338 B. C). Macedonian troops occupy Athens in 322 and again in 262 B. C while the city continues to decline. Macedonia becomes Roman province (146 B. C). In 86 B. C Roman General Sulla sacks Athens in retribution for its alliance with one of Rome's enemies, and many Athenian treasures are taken to Rome. After visit of St. Paul (A. D. 50)
Christianity in Greece
Emperor Constantine chooses Greek colonial town of Byzantium as his New Rome and calls it Constantinople. During Byzantine rule, Athens sinks into provincial obscurity. In 529 Emperor Justinian puts definite end to Greek polytheism by closing last pagan temples and Athenian schools of philosophy.
After being ruled by adventurers from Burgundy, Catalonia and Florence, Athens and Attica fall to Turks in 1456. Venetians briefly take Athens from Turks in 1466 and again in 1687 when they damage the Parthenon. The Ottoman rule is Greece's darkest age, and only the Orthodox Church provides people with a sense of continuity with the past. With foreign help (Lord Byron has popularized cause abroad), Greeks finally win against Turks. 1834 Athens becomes capital of Greece. Great Powers install Bavarian Prince Otto as king. He and Queen Amalia deposed in 1862 and after European diplomatic bargaining, William of the Danish royal house takes Greek throne as George I, King of Hellenes, until his assassination in 1913.
Cretan politician Venizelos, several times prime minister, helps Greece regain Macedonia, most of Aegean Islands and Epirus. Under population exchange agreement with Turkey (1922), many repatriated Greeks flood into Athens. 1934-40 Greece under dictatorship of Metaxas. During World War 11 Greece invaded and controlled by Germans, until freed by Allied forces in 1944. 1947-49 Civil War which ends with Communist defeat. 1967 Military dictatorship seize power forcing King Constantine into exile. 1974 regime of the colonels crumbles. With King Constantine still in exile, popular referendum abolishes monarchy, and democracy with free elections is
restored.
Piraetts and Modern Athens
But you can still find local colour especially at Tourkolillano (officially called Mikrolimano). Here you can eat at one of the enticing seafood restaurants ringing the tiny yacht basin, and watch the fluffing of brightly coloured canvas and the bobbing of masts. Included in your outdoor dining programme will be a stream of gardenia vendors, fortune tellers, guitar players strumming Theodorakis tunes, pistachio salesmen.
None will press too hard. The only thieves you'll encounter on this enchanting waterfront will be the overfed cats (if you give something to one, you'll end up with 30 or 40 around you).
In Athens, you can get your bearings from the two great squares: elegant Syntagma and dowdier Omonia. They're perhaps a ten minute stroll apart, linked directly by two major streets, Stadiou and Venizeziou.
On Syntagma (its name celebrates the March 1844 Greek constitution) are deluxe hotels, expensive cafes, and tall glass and concrete buildings containing air terminals, travel agencies, banks, post offices and international business concerns.
Across the upper, east side of the square is Greece's Parliament, until 1935 the royal palace. Soldiers in traditional uniform guard a memorial to the nation's unknown warrior in the forecourt.
The oldest quarter of Athens and by far the most charming is the Plaka. People have lived continuously for more than 3,000 years in this picturesque maze huddled against 51 the northern slope of the Acropolis. Ancient ruins, Byzantine churches, shops, cafes, hotels, bars and nightclubs are packed into less than one quarter of a square mile.
Athens and The Acropolis
This I0-acre (4ha.) rock rising 300 feet (90 m.) above the plain of Attica was the making of ancient Athens. Battered and incomplete though it may now be, the Acropolis possesses such majesty that it still ranks among the world's true wonders. The name means high town, from the Greek acro (highest point) and polis (town or city). Alternately it means citadel, which it was originally place of defence shared by gods, kings and heroes.
The visitors' entrance is the Beule Gate (a 3rd centuryA. D. Roman addition named after the French archaeologist who discovered it in 1852). The Propylaea. Six Doric columns mark this monumental entranceway to the Acropolis.
The Propylaea was planned by Pericles and his architect Mnesicles as the most spectacular secular building in Greece, more complex than the Parthenon which it was designed to complement. Construction began in 437 B. C. but was halted five years later by the Peloponnesian War and never finished.
The central and largest of the gateways was for chariots and approached by a ramp; steps lead up to the four other entries destined for lesser mortals. The well preserved building on the north (left) side
The Temple of Athena Nike
Housed a gallery of paintings by famous artists offered to Athena. The Temple of Athena Nike. High on a terrace off to the right (southwest) of the Propylaea perches this enchanting temple, the work of architect Callicrates. It enjoys a glorious panorama of the sea and distant mountains. Tiny compared with the Parthenon towards which it points, the temple of Athena Nike (also called Wingless Victory) now standing is a piece by piece modern reconstruction of what remained after the Turks tore down the original in 1687.
Passing through the Propylaea, you emerge onto the great sloping plateau of the Acropolis. Try to imagine what it was like 2,400 years ago, when these masterworks of architecture and sculpture were gong up. Scores of stone cutters, carpenters, founders and others swarmed over this site.
Dominating the immediate foreground was a gigantIc bronze statue of Athena under another guise Athena Promachos, the Defender. This statue of the goddess holding shield and spear was created by Phidias to honour the victory at Marathon. The great statue stood here for 1,000 years, until it was carted off to Constantinople in the 6th century A. D.
The history of Athens
Emperor Hadrian in A.D. 132. It had 104 Corinthian columns, each 56 feet (17 m.) high and more than 7 feet (2 m.) thick. Today only 15 remain upright. To mark the separation of his own Athens from the ancient city of Theseus, an arched gateway was erected facing the temple. Relatively modest in size, Hadrian's Arch is thought to have been a donation from the people of Athens. The Agora. The Agora is almost as old as Athens itself. Originally the word meant a gathering together, later the place where people met and conducted business. Sprawling under the northern walls of the Acropolis, it was the heart of the ancient lower city, the marketplace and civic centre.
Today only rubble and foundations remain of the marble or stone altars, temples, law courts, state offices, public archives, shops, concert hall, dance floor and gymnasium that stood here. A panoramic, pictorial reconstruction on a pedestal by the main entrance on Odos Adrianou helps you visualize the Agora in its golden days.
The Olympic Stadium. In the hollow of Arditos Hill, the modern Olympic Stadium is on the site of the stone original built by Lycurgus in 330 B. C. In the 2nd century A. D. Emperor Hadrian introduced Rome's favourite sport here: he imported thousands of wild animals to be pitted against gladiators. The stadium, built for the first modern Olympics in 1896, seats 70,000 people. Its length is just over 600 feet (180 m.) or one stadion. In form it's identical to the ancient U shaped stadiums at Olympia and Delphi. Poseidon's renowned temple crowns this promontory 45 miles (70 km.) south of Athens, as beautiful a place to watch the sun set or rise as there is in the Aegean.
The marble temple, with 15 of its original 34 Doric columns now standing, was built about 444 B. C. Another of stone had been started in this obviously commanding location, but the Persians destroyed it in 490 B. C. The precipice is a sheer 197foot (60m.) drop to the sea. Lord Byron, whose name you'll see carved on one of the pillars, was so inspired by the union that he wrote a famous poem about it.
Eating Out in Athens
Although Athens can hardly claim to be a gourmet's paradise, you'll find eating here very satisfying, perhaps even exciting and often in a pleasant outdoor setting. Most restaurants will serve the following specialities: Appetizers - a baked aubergine puree flavoured with garlic, onions and herbs. Dzadziki: a yoghurt dip of sliced cucumber, flavoured with garlic. Tararnosalata: a spread of lararna (grey mullet roe), mashed potatoes, bread, olive oil and lemon juice. Dip bread in it as an appetizer or have it on lettuce as a salad. Soup Soupa avgoernono: a soup of chicken or meat, eggs and rice, flavoured with lemon.
Fish in Greece
Aslakos: spiny lobster; barbouni: red mullet; fagri: sea bream; garides: prawns; glossa: sole; kalamaraki: squid; kefalos: grey mullet; lilhrini: spotted bream; marides: similar to sprats; chtapodi: octopus.
Meat dishes in Greece
Dolmades: grape leaves stuffed with lamb and rice, seasoned with wine, grated onion and herbs. Often served hot with lemon sauce. marrow (zucchini) stuffed with rice and meal. Kefledes: meatballs, flavoured with onion, cinnamon, oregano, mint and wine. Baked or deep fried in oil and served with a sauce. Osaka: sliced aubergine and minced meat, baked with a white sauce and grated cheese.
Greek Salad
Don't miss the delicious village salads (salata chorialiki), sliced vegetables lopped with feta, a cheese made from sheep's milk.
Wine in Greece
The first time you sip Retsina, you may get a shock; it's flavoured with resin and has a turpentine like taste but it rarely causes hangovers and helps digest rich, oily foods. Of the undesignated wines Demestica, white or red, is popular, and Santa Helena and Pallini are pleasant, dry whites. Reds are Naoussa and Santa Laoma, and some refreshing lighter roses can also be found.
National drinks in Greece
The national aperitif is ouzo. a clear, aniseed flavoured spirit. Greek brandy is sweet and quite agreeable. Metaxa is the best known; Kamba is a little drier. Greek beer (bira) is excellent.
Snacks in Greece
Ask for souvlakia. meat and vegetables grilled on a skewer; picy sausages (giros) and doner kebab, meat cooked on a spit, or sollvlaki me pilla, grilled meat, tomatoes, peppers and onions in a Oat bun (pi Ita). Try not to buy on impulse: things are not always what they seem in Greece. The best bet is to stick to handmade items. Labour costs are still low, and the quality of rural and island handicraft remains high. Rugs and Carpets.
Flokali rugs priced by the kilo (a square metre weighs about 2'1, kilos) come machine made or, preferably, hand oven. They are made of pure sheep's wool shag, spun from fibres into yarn and then luoped together to be processed under water. Furs. If purchased intelligently, fur coats, stoles, capes , and hats made from pelts hand sewn together can be a handsome bargain. You'll find mink, muskrat, beaver, red, stone marten and Persian lamb.
The secret of the pelt strip coat lies in the sewing, which varies in quality. Shop carefully around Syntagma, and verify the quality and origin of the pelt. Jewellery. Reproductions of museum jewellery in gold and silver are definitely worth a second look.
You'll find the best jewellery shops in the Voukourestiou and Panepistimiou area. Gold and silver are sold by weight; each item should be weighed in front of you. Some gold rings are made from two different purities; check for hollowness and correct weight price equivalents. Enamel cannot be graded for quality, so cast a suspicious eye on anything which seems too spectacular.
Labels: Athens and car hire
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