After checking into our room at the Moxy, we headed out to explore Athens. Our first order of business was lunch, so we headed across the square to Café Veneti for lunch. They had a wide variety of pastries, sweets and baked goods on display inside, and it felt like a candy store filled with bread.
We opted for a table outside with table service off of a menu. We split some pastries and a hamburger with fries before starting out to see the sights.
Our first stop was at Hadrian’s Library, the ruins of which were located right in the middle of the city. While the ruins were interesting, it seemed odd to me that there were 60’s era apartment blocks overlooking the ruins. These are the things you don’t see in the guidebooks.
After leaving Hadrian’s Library, we started the long, steep climb up the hill towards the Acropolis. As we climbed, the views kept getting better and we found ourselves at the base of the Acropolis park area where we paid our entry fee and then headed inside.
On our way up, we passed by the amphitheater and then found ourselves at the base of the Propylaia which was undergoing some work.
Passing through the gate of the Propylaia, we found ourselves at the top of the Acropolis. Though there is extensive work happening to many of the structures, it was impressive getting to see these ancient landmarks up close. The Parthenon was especially impressive.
We also had great views out over the city and even got a special flyover treat as the Greek Air Force was flying formations near us.
After leaving the Acropolis, we started to make our way back to town via a wide pedestrian walkway on the west side of the Acropolis. As we got further down the hill, we came across a collection of cafes and decided to stop in for an afternoon snack.
We had a couple of beers and some appetizers while relaxing and enjoyed the views from the café back towards the Acropolis. We also spotted some kittens living in a nearby tree who seemed very curious as to what we were eating.
We finished our snack and then headed down to the grounds of the Temple of Hephaestus which was a cool, quiet green area in the middle of the city. Surprisingly, there were multiple large tortoises wandering around the grounds.
We walked back to the hotel to freshen up and get ready for dinner. On the way, we passed this crazy looking street covered with lots of brightly covered items suspended between the buildings. This ended up being for the Little Kook café, though we didn’t stop and try anything.
On our walk back to the hotel, we passed a small plaza, Plaza Iroon, that was bustling with people surrounded by cafes. We decided to come back here for dinner and managed to get a table at Taverna Orea Penteli on the square.
Since this was the final meal of our honeymoon, we sat back and tried to enjoy it. First we had a round of drinks and some fritters.
Followed by some fish. It was good, but it didn’t hold a candle to the fish we had in Santorini. It did however pique the interest of another neighborhood cat.
After dinner, we weren’t quite ready to call it a night so we wandered through the neighborhood and came across another cool street lined with bars and cafes.
We grabbed a table at the Kalimeres Bistro which had an upbeat vibe and ordered drinks. We sipped on our drinks and watched the people living in the area go about their evening routines. It was a Friday and the weather was gorgeous so everyone was out and about.
Finally, around 9:00p, we started to make our way back to the hotel. We would have stayed out longer if we didn’t have a transfer to the airport scheduled for 3:45a the next morning. Along the way, we stopped and grabbed some ice cream for one final treat before getting back to the Moxy and packing our bags for the long trip home.
Summary
While we enjoyed Athens, we felt that the one day we spent there was more than sufficient. Many of the historic sights are within walking distance of one another and the old city itself is quite small, with suburbs expanding out from it. While I’m not going to go out of my way to avoid it, we both agreed that we don’t have any desire to return to Athens in the near future.
