Athens – Ancient History Packed in a Modern Cityscape

So many of Todd’s and my travels are influenced by books and movies. But in the case of our travels to Athens, Greece, the cart was put in front of the horse, so to speak. It wasn’t until after our first visit to the city that a friend put several books from The Athenian Mysteries Series, written by Gary Corby, into our hands. Once I began reading the first book, The Pericles Commission, I was hooked.

I find Mr. Corby’s book series completely engaging. They are entertaining, light, and amusing books, but what I like best is his ability to weave classical antiquity into his stories so well. His plots use a combination of fictional characters – like the hero of the series Nicolaos, a detective or “agent,” working for a young Pericles who is still early in his political career –  interwoven with recurring historical figures such as Socrates and Nicolaos’ love interest, Diotima. From each book in the series, without even trying, the reader learns so much about Classical Athens – the culture and mores, issues of both local and regional politics, family life, law, social customs and hierarchy, and religious beliefs.

Having just returned from Athens when I started reading the series, I enjoyed remembering many of the ancient sites detailed in the books.  The first book begins with a dead body that falls from the Areopagus, a large outcropping of rocks near the Acropolis. In classical times, the Areopagus functioned as the main court for prosecuting homicides in Athens. As I read, I clearly remembered standing at the Acropolis with our tour guide as she pointed out the Areopagus and explained its significance. But after reading the books and returning to Athens, our time there was so much more enriched by the historical knowledge we had gained. For instance, on our first visit we had bypassed visiting the site of the ancient agora, or public meeting space and market.  On our return trip to Athens, I was very excited to finally see the space that had played a large role in many of the books, as well as to finally understand exactly what a stoa, or building where public business was conducted, looked like. In fact, Todd and I were both total nerds about seeing a stoa for ourselves on that second trip.

What to see in Athens

For many travelers, a stay in Athens is little more than a stop off on the way to, or from, a longer trip to the Greek Islands. It is so unfortunate. Ancient Greece – not the Persians, nor the Egyptians, nor even the Romans – is the cornerstone of Western Civilization. The Greeks invented science, philosophy, drama, and of course, democracy, and at the epicenter of everything that defined Greece’s contributions to the ancient world was Athens.

Today the city has so much to offer travelers. But obviously, if pressed for time, the Acropolis is the most necessary stop on any itinerary. With most of its buildings dating from the 5th century BC, the Acropolis was a fortified area of the ancient city. Located on a rocky hill, rising high above the city, are the remains of many buildings that have great historical significance. The most famous of these buildings is, of course, the Parthenon.

The Acropolis and Parthenon lit at night might just be my favorite view in all of Athens.

Visible from most parts of the city, the view of the Acropolis is a wonder. I will never forget the first time we arrived in Athens.  We flew into the city late in the evening, and took the metro to Syntagma Square, the central square of the city. From there we walked to our hostel in Plaka, the old and historic neighborhood in Athens which is built as they like to say, “in the shadow of the Acropolis.” I will always remember turning the corner onto the street where our hostel was located, and suddenly being struck by the view. Stunning.

Another favorite Athens site for us is always the Panathenaic StadiumBuilt in 1896 for the first modern Olympics, it is situated on the site of an ancient stadium constructed in 329 BC. It is a sight to see, and the entrance fee can buy you the opportunity to run a lap around a track where many Olympians have run before!

Book three of the Athenian Mysteries is set during the Games in 460 BC. Interestingly noted in the book is that all athletes competed naked and women were not allowed to be spectators nor enter the Olympic village.

Another must stop in Athens is the Acropolis MuseumAn archaeological museum exhibiting artifacts from the Acropolis, it opened in 2009. It is a beautiful and modern building that, most interestingly, has been built over a sizable archaeological site. Many parts of the museum are made of glass – including many sections of the floor – enabling visitors a view of the excavations below the building. Full of intriguing exhibits, it’s easy to lose many hours in there.

Where to Stay, Eat, and Be in Athens

Like any city in the world, Athens offers a multitude of lodging options in all areas of the city and at all price points. For me when it comes down to where to stay in a city, I’m all about location.  In Athens, my neighborhood of choice is always Plaka, or the old town neighborhood. I love the neighborhood’s vibrant streets with their shops, restaurants, and people. Plaka is very walk-able to everything we want to see and do, and also accessible to public transportation.

A street in Plaka outside our hostel.

The one place in Plaka we seem to continually gravitate to is the steps on Mnisikleous Street, otherwise know as the “Restaurant Steps.” It’s full from top to bottom of charming cafes and restaurants which serve until the wee hours. There is no better place in Athens to rest your feet while sipping a coffee, beer, or wine in the afternoon, and it’s an even better place to return to for dinner in the evening. We’ve eaten at several restaurants along the street, and have enjoyed some delightful meals…but the main draw is the ambiance.

You may find better restaurants in other parts of the city, but you will find no better place to delight in your surroundings.
Resting our feet at a cafe on the steps during a long day of walking – always my favorite time of the day! This cafe is a gem and evidently I’m not the only one who thinks so!
Our table view from a restaurant on the Mnisikleous Street steps.

I have mentioned before that where we choose to stay in a city is all about location for us. To facilitate that, we are willing to sacrifice any sort of opulence for a basic, clean, and comfortable room. To us, we’d rather save our funds for the experiences a city offers. I want to eat well and drink well while I travel. I can sleep well just about anywhere as long as it is clean. After all, if we are doing a city up “right,” we shouldn’t be in our room all that much anyway!

To that end, in Plaka we stay at the Students and Travellers Inn. It’s an economical choice that meets our needs well, and is steps away from everywhere we want to be. The staff is friendly and extremely helpful in navigating the neighborhood and city. We have always booked a private room for our stay rather than stay in one of the dorms. I figure there is no reason to subject fellow travelers to Todd’s snoring…or mine. I do prefer to book rooms with a private bath as well.  But during our last stay, a shared bath was our only option. We survived. The only down side I’ve encountered at the hostel is the laundry service.  The turnaround was very quick, but not much care had been taken to fold the clothes. As we were packing them in our backpacks, it really wasn’t much of an issue – just something to temper expectations.

The impact of Ancient Greece on the modern world cannot be underestimated. To be able to spend time in the cradle of civilization was both exhilarating and exciting, and being able to see the sites outlined in the series of mystery novels we read heightened our knowledge and appreciation for the contributions made by the early Greeks.  Even better, whether you want to spend time in a museum musing over classical art, the rich history or the region, and see ongoing excavation sites, or if you prefer to wile away the hours in a street-side cafe people watching and sampling Mediterranean fare, modern-day Athens has something for everyone to enjoy.

Santorini- A Beautiful Corner of the World: Part I

It’s no big secret that Santorini is a beautiful corner of the world.  It first came to my attention in the 1982 movie Summer Lovers.  Except for the fact that it is perhaps the best piece of scenic marketing ever produced for the Greek Islands, you are not missing much if you haven’t seen the movie.  The story is fairly thin –  basically American boy and girl summer on Santorini following their graduation from college.  Once there, boy is attracted to an exotic French woman and begins an affair.  The affair does not break up the young couple, but rather they eventually have the French girl move in with them.  They spend the balance of the summer as a threesome.  It amounts to a little more than ninety minutes of gratuitous nudity and sex spread across the beautiful backdrop that is Santorini.

Watching the movie so very many years ago, I remember my breath being taken away by the landscapes and sweeping vistas of the islands.  Even as a teenager, I found the island views so striking it was hard to concentrate on all the beautiful naked bodies also competing to fill the screen.  Of course, back in the 80s, superfluous nudity in movies targeted at my teenage demographic was nothing if not the norm.  We had an endless buffet of skin and sex in just about every teen comedy that came through the theaters and later landed in our local movie rental stores.  Remember Fast Times at Ridgemont High? Porky’s along with Porky’s II and Porky’s Revenge? Risky Business?  Blue Lagoon?   The list of examples of these movies is endless, although it is certainly not a movie trend we see anymore.  I suppose those teen sex-romps went out of fashion when somewhere along the line it became all important to achieve a PG-13 rating to maximize profits.  These movies portrayed a world where “boys will be boys”; an endless supply of female nudity; lots and lots of casual sex without consequences; and the girls were often not presented in the most favorable terms.  Even in Summer Lovers, both of the women become the man’s lovers, but no relationship between them was depicted.  I suppose the 80’s was not quite ready for such images on the mainstream screen.

All these many years later, I don’t even remember how Summer Lovers ends or if the characters came to any resolution.  Because even as a teenager, and with the naked bodies filling the screen, I couldn’t miss what was the real star of the movie for me:  Santorini.  It took me another almost 35 years to visit, but it was certainly worth the wait.  It turns out- just as I’d suspected as a teenager and regardless of what the movie’s plot would have you think- engaging in a threesome while visiting is really not needed to enjoy Santorini.

A spring morning enjoying the beauty of Santorini

 Located in the Aegean Sea, Santorini (or Thíra) is actually a small group of islands in the southernmost part of the Cyclades, and includes Thíra, Thirassiá, Asproníssi, Palea and Nea Kaméni.  The Santorini islands were formed from very intense volcanic activity beginning hundreds of thousands of years ago, and are still classified as an active volcano today.  A unique feature of the volcano is that its crater- or caldera- is in the sea.  Its last “big” eruption was some 3600 years ago and destroyed the prehistoric civilization that flourished in the local area, and the most recent volcanic activity on the island was recorded in 1950.

Getting to and from Santorini

Arrival by Air:  On our first trip, Todd and I found ourselves unexpectedly traveling in Greece without a solid itinerary or much prep work.  See:  Europe Without Reservations.

After spending several wonderful days on Crete we decided to move on to Santorini.  This first trip to Greece was in March and certainly “off-season.”  However, that afforded us the opportunity-even last minute-to take advantage of inexpensive fares on the low-price regional airlines that service Europe.  Had we been traveling during the busy season, we perhaps could have booked passage on a ferry taking us directly to Santorini from Crete.  But the low-season ferry schedule did not permit this.  Our only real choice was to fly through Athens.  We were able to book the tickets a couple of days before we flew for about 50 euro each on Aegean Airlines.  Depending on the times of the year, and when you book your tickets, you can find much lower available fares.

Tips and notes:

  • The airport at Santorini is small and crowded during scheduled arrivals and departures.  The airport internet is easily overwhelmed and of little use.   I was glad that I had taken the time to write down the necessary contact information for our lodging before leaving the Athens airport.  We were arriving after 10 pm, and without a useful internet connection at the Santorini airport, we would have been lost upon arrival without my notes.  Instead, we were easily able to connect with our hotel driver once we arrived.
  • Depending on where you are staying many hotels arrange transportation to and from the airport for an additional charge.  Beyond that, your options are to use the public bus service or shuttles/taxi services offered by transportation companies on the island.  Via the bus, you can travel to all towns and villages on the island.  It is the cheapest way to travel, but you can also spend a good deal of time waiting.  Bus tickets are issued inside the bus during the trip.
  • Car rental services are available in the airport arrival area.

Arrival by Ferry:  During our second trip to Greece we were traveling in May.  While still not the “high season” travelers encounter in July or August, many more folks were certainly coming and going between Athens and Santorini.  Once again, we made a last-minute booking originating in Athens, but decided to take a ferry from the Athens port in Piraeus.  The idea of a ferry ride seemed like a romantic notion at the time, and in the end it was an overall positive experience.  But at the same time, I wouldn’t necessarily do it again:

Our ferry ride to Santorini

Tips and notes:

  • There are many companies to choose from, but we opted for Blue Star Ferries.  The ferry from Athens for Santorini leaves at 0730 necessitating arrival at the Blue Star ferry terminal around 0630.  It made for an early morning.  We traveled from our hostel in Plaka (old town Athens) via the Athens metro which was easy enough to navigate.  The metro trip took the better part of an hour.  The walk from the metro stop in Piraeus to the terminal for our ferry was easily a couple of miles according to our pedometers.  With our backpacks in tow we hiked it, not understanding what we were getting ourselves into.  It didn’t look that far on the map!  I would take a cab the next time to ensure an on time arrival at the ferry.
  • The particular spring day we traveled to Santorini via ferry was  a very chilly morning.  We had booked economy passage on the ferry and it was a VERY cold and damp ride.  The main section of the economy ticket seating areas of the ferry was also the designated smoking section.  I wouldn’t make that mistake again.  However, as I explored the other areas of the ferry, I don’t believe any were much better off.  Sure the seating provided was more plush and there was less draft, but it was very crowded anywhere you went on the ferry.  I did get a peek at the “business/first class” sections of the ferry which looked like the place to be.  However, unless I was traveling with a car that necessitated a ferry trip-for the ticket price-I would much rather fly instead.
  • Once the day warmed up a bit, Todd and I spent a good deal of time enjoying the sea views the ferry ride afforded us from outside deck chairs.  The trip took most of the day, and the ferry made several stops on other islands on its way from Athens to Santorini.   We passed the time reading books and playing cards.  The lunch available from the on-board restaurant was tasty enough.
Views from the deck at an island ferry stop on the way to Santorini. This ferry trip made me want to go island hopping around Greece one day.
  • On arrival at the port in Santorini, we were met with a wall of people, cars, and buses in every direction.  While planning for the trip, we had carefully studied which city bus we needed to get ourselves on for the ride to the main bus terminal in Fira and found it easily enough.  We rode to the bus terminal where our daughter and niece, who were traveling with us, were able to walk to their hostel.  Todd and I took another bus to the village of Emporió where our Airbnb was located.
Daughter and niece at the bus terminal in Fira…on the way to their hostel.
  • This particular trip to Santorini with our daughter and niece was a leg of a larger journey designed to teach them how to travel throughout Europe as frugal twenty-somethings.  I’m glad to have experienced traveling by ferry around the islands with them.  But in the future, I think I’d rather stick to flights in and out of Santorini.  Although someday I might try the more expensive high-speed ferry options….It was a beautiful day at sea.

Departure:  We have departed by air both times we’ve traveled to Santorini.  In both instances we took flights in the evening arriving in Athens late.

Tips and notes:

  • On our first trip we happened to be staying in Fira and easily arranged for airport transportation at the taxi stand in the town’s main square.  It was slightly cheaper than what our hotel could arrange for us.  However, it is easy to call a taxi for pick up from other areas of the island.  Fares depend on pick-up and drop-off locations.
  • As mentioned, the Santorini airport is small and crowded during times of arrivals and departures.  It’s very important to arrive with plenty of time to get through security and to your gate.  Once you arrive in the small gate area, seats can be at a premium.  It’s not uncommon to have to stand or stake out a place on the floor to sit and wait for your flight to be called.  There is an outdoor deck area for waiting as well, where we enjoyed card games.   Options for snacks and drinks in the airport beyond security are minimal.
  • On both our return trips from Santorini, we were routed through Athens.  Once in Athens, before we were able to board a plane for the next leg of our journey, we had to again be screened through airport security.  European airlines are much stricter about carry-on luggage size than you find in American airports.  Also, be mindful of the liquids in carry-on luggage.  Todd has had his “travel size” contact solution taken away from him more times than he cares to be reminded of when passing through Athens.
  • When shopping for low regional fares on airlines such as Aegean or Ryan Air, the lowest fares are, of course, for early morning and late evening departures/arrivals.  Athens is a very convenient airport for late arrivals.  In one instance, we were able to take the metro into Athens arriving at our hostel in time for a lovely midnight dinner in the neighborhood.  The last train leaves the airport at roughly 2330.  The buses run 24 hours, however.  On another occasion we were able to take a bus from the airport arriving at our hostel and our much needed beds at 0300.

Santorini  continued:  Part II….    LINK