Athens, Greece Highlights
The Poseidon Temple—mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey—is a timeless attraction.
Photograph by Maro Kouri/IML Image Group/DRR.net
Birthplace of drama, democracy, and philosophy, Athens today is synonymous with smog, cement, and aesthetic anarchy. But after a radical revamp for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games, Athens is enjoying a renaissance.
The clash between myth and modern-day grit is an Athenian trademark: marble busts adorn souvlaki joints, Byzantine churches nestle beside bouzouki clubs, the Parthenon reigns serene above a ragged expanse of apartment blocks. More than three million people are crammed into this loud, laid-back city.
With 300 days of sunshine a year, a 75-mile (120-kilometer) coastline, and 3 a.m. traffic jams, irrepressible Athens is a muse for beach bums and barflies, as much as classical scholars and art lovers.
Concert at the Odeon
Photograph by Maro Kouri/IML Image Group/DRR.net
Concertgoers take their seats in the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, a stone amphitheater dating to the year A.D. 160.
Dancing on Parnitha Mountain
Photograph by Maro Kouri/IML Image Group/DRR.net
Dancers join hands during a summer festival on Parnitha Mountain north of the city.
Photograph by Maro Kouri/IML Image Group/DRR.net
Dancers join hands during a summer festival on Parnitha Mountain north of the city.
Agios Kyriaki Church Interior
Photograph by Atantide Phototravel/CORBIS
Visitors get a sense of Greek history in tradition-steeped Agios Kyriaki church
Photograph by Maro Kouri/IML Image Group/DRR.net
Barker Dressed as a Tsolias
Photograph by Atantide Phototravel/CORBIS
Visitors get a sense of Greek history in tradition-steeped Agios Kyriaki church
Couple Kissing
Photograph by Maro Kouri/IML Image Group/DRR.net
Lovers kiss on a rocky outcrop with a view of the Acropolis of Athens.
Barker Dressed as a Tsolias
Photograph by Maro Kouri/IML Image Group/DRR.net
Along Varis Avenue, barkers dressed as traditional shepherds lure patrons into roadside restaurants.
Monument of the Unknown Soldier
Photograph by Yiannis Genetzakis/IML Image Group/DRR.net
A guard marches before the Monument of the Unknown Soldier at the Greek Parliament building in Athens.
Sindagma Subway Station
Photograph by Atlantide Phototravel/CORBIS
Commuters await an arriving subway train in the Athens Metro. Some metro stations display archaeological artifacts discovered during construction of the tunnels.
Monastiraki Market
Photograph by Maro Kouri/IML Image Group/DRR.net
A street vendor sells sesame rolls in Monastiraki market in the heart of old Athens.
Greek Parliament
Greek Parliament
Photograph by Maro Kouri/IML Image Group/DRR.net
Visitors feed pigeons at Athens’s Syntagma Square. In the background is the Greek parliament building.
Athens Must-See
Anafiotika
Enchanting time warp of whitewashed alleys and pastel cottages, created by migrant workers from Anafi island, who built the capital of newly independent Greece in 1841. “Houses are practically built into the sacred rock of the Acropolis, yet it feels like a Cycladic island village.”—Theodora Mantzaris, design director, 2004 Athens Summer Olympic Games. Between Lysicrates Monument and Kanellopoulos Museum, Plaka.
Nuts-and-bolts information to plan your trip, plus a checklist of essentials to include when you pack and a list of links to local media
Security: Athens is one of the safest cities in Europe. But do take appropriate precautions to keep your personal belongings safe, as pickpockets are becoming more prevalent.
Time: Greece is seven hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time.
Money: The currency of Greece is the Euro. For current conversion rates go to OANDA Currency Converter. www.oanda.com/convert/classic
Phone Calls: The country code for Greece is 30. Athens’ area code is 210.
When to Go: Winters in Greece are relatively mild, summers searingly hot. Avoid Athens in August, when many restaurants and attractions close, especially around the August 15 national holiday.
Getting There: Athens International Airport (www.aia.gr) is served by most international carriers. Olympic Airlines and Aegean Airlines operate connecting flights to many islands.
Getting Around: Driving is on the right side of the road. Public transport is extremely cheap and the fastest way of getting around the traffic-clogged city. The spotless Athens Metro (www.ametro.gr) covers most landmarks, including the airport. Buy tickets at any station and validate before boarding. A convenient way to tour the sights is the OASA 400 (www.oasa.gr) sightseeing bus—you can hop on and off for 24 hours using the same ticket. (Departure from National Archaeological Museum every 30 minutes, 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m., June-September). The tram (www.tramsa.gr) runs a slow service from central Athens to the seaside and along the coast from Faliron to Glyfada—useful for beach- and barhopping. Taxis are among the cheapest in Europe, but swindling tourists is regarded as fair game. Check that the meter is running, and if you take a taxi from the airport, confirm the price in advance. The Proastiakos or suburban railway (www.proastiakos.gr) provides speedy links to the airport and as far as Corinth.
Tourist Police: Available 24 hours, the multilingual tourist police (dial 171) will help with problems or emergencies.
Sunscreen: Bring a sun hat and always wear sunscreen if you’re visiting Athens in summer. The glare is especially bright at archaeological sights, where shade is usually scant.
Insect Repellent: Mosquitoes can be a problem. Greek cosmetics brand Propoline’s natural insect repellent is effective.
Greek Orthodox Etiquette: If you plan to visit churches or monasteries, dress appropriately. Women should wear knee-length skirts and avoid revealing tops. Men should wear pants, rather than shorts.
Aristotle’s account of the origins of democracy. www.constitution.org/ari/athen_00.htm
Athens News Agency
Daily news headlines. www.ana.gr
Athens Tourism & Economic Development Co.
Official website, includes useful transport and sightseeing information and maps. www.atedco.gr/en/page/welcome
Discovering Contemporary Architecture: Athens
Interactive maps of Athens’ best buildings and leading architects. www.culture2000.tee.gr/ATHENS/ENGLISH/main2.html
The Greeks
Virtual tour of the Acropolis, interactive timeline from 1400 B.C. to 337 B.C., created for a major PBS documentary on ancient Greece. www.pbs.org/empires/thegreeks/
Go Culture
Comprehensive bilingual arts and entertainment listings updated daily, profiles and features related to local culture. www.goculture.gr
Gourmed
Guide to Greek wine and food, includes recipes from local chefs and reliable Athenian restaurant reviews.www.gourmed.gr
Foundation of the Hellenic World
Comprehensive history of Athens and Greece from antiquity to modern times. www.e-history.gr/en/
Ministry of Culture
Up-to-date listings and information on cultural events, archaeological sites, and museums in Athens and beyond. www.culture.gr
Unification of the Archaeological Sites of Athens
“Grand Promenade” linking archaeological landmarks, includes heritage trails and ongoing developments. www.astynet.gr
Alternative free weekly newspaper that spawned several lesser copycats. Political commentary, interviews, lonely hearts, and entertainment listings; in Greek. www.athensvoice.gr
Athens News
English-language weekly newspaper covering Greek news, politics, business, arts, and sports, plus international news in brief. www.athensnews.gr
Athinorama
Weekly listings bible; in Greek. www.athinorama.gr
Kathimerini English Edition
Abridged English edition of Greek conservative daily Kathimerini. Distributed free with the International Herald Tribune. www.ekathimerini.com
Athens International Radio (104.4 FM)
Run by Athens Municipality for the capital’s foreign residents and visitors. Latest news, traffic, and weather, tips on where to go, music, and chat broadcast in 12 languages.
“Concerts, book launches, screenings, art performances, progressive music––the new alternative arts space in Athens.”—Fotis Georgeles, editor, Athens Voice. Vintage decor, eclectic events.
Piraeus84; tel. 30 210 342 5335, 30 210 342 5335 www.bios.gr
Bouzoukia
Known as skyladika, or doghouses, devotees flock to these temples of kitsch (many lining Piraeus Street and Iera Odos) to worship a modern pantheon of Greek pop stars. “A noisy but uniquely Greek experience. Go late for the headliner; choose the singer, not the venue—Vasilis Karras, Yiannis Ploutarhos, Natassa Theodoridou, and Katy Garby have staying power.”—Diane Shugart, author, Athens by Neighborhood.
Herodes Atticus Theater
“Sitting in this ancient, open-air theater under the Acropolis on a moonlit summer evening, watching modern dance or an opera, is one of life’s great experiences.”—Sofka Zinovieff, author, Eurydice Street: A Place in Athens. When Pausanias visited Athens, he described the ‘Herodion’ as “the finest building of its type.” Dionysiou Areopagitou; tel. 30 210 324 1807, 30 210 324 1807 www.greekfestival.gr
Open-Air Cinemas
“A highlight of summer evenings. Scented by jasmine, watched by neighbors on their balconies, attended by all ages who eat, drink, and smoke their way through the movie. You couldn’t be anywhere but Athens and wouldn’t want to be.”—Sofka Zinovieff. Venues all over town. Open May-Oct.
Stoa ton Athanaton
“Right in the central market, great for anyone who wants a rembetiko (Greek blues) experience, but is not a late owl.”—Diane Shugart. Created by disillusioned, dope-smoking refugees from Asia Minor. Sophokleous 19; tel.30 210 321 4362, 30 210 321 4362
“Relaxed local haunt, stylish but not contrived.”—Diane Shugart, author, Athens by Neighborhood. Delicious gravadlax and broccoli soup in case a quick drink turns into a long night. Platia Proskopon and Ptolemaion, Pangrati; tel.30 210 724 1116, 30 210 724 1116
Balthazar
Fabulous garden for downtown drinks on a summer night. “Like a private party in a grand old mansion. Great cocktails, glamorous older crowd.”—Theodora Mantzaris, design director, 2004 Athens Olympic Summer Games. Tsoha 27 and Vournazou, Ambelokipi; tel. 30 210 644 1215,
30 210 644 1215 www.balthazar.gr
Bar Guru Bar
“Timeless and sexy. No door policy, yet always has right blend of people; groovy musical mix and match reflects this mix.”—Kimon Frangakis, editor, Status magazine. Tasty Thai food, occasional live jazz in top floor club. Platia Theatrou 10, Psiri; tel. 30 210 324 6530, 30 210 3246530
Galaxy
“An absolute classic, with original fittings intact since the early ’70s. Immaculate bartending. Try the Manhattan.”—Angelos Frantzis, film director. One for connoisseurs, hidden in an old-fashioned arcade near Syntagma Square. Stadiou 10, Syntagma; tel.30 210 322 7733, 30 210 3227733
Magazé
Predominantly gay bar with mean mojitos, overflowing tables on pedestrian street. “Always buzzing day or night. The narrow bar stretches the length of the block so you don’t miss a trick.”—Angelos Frantzis. Aiolou 33, Monastiraki; tel. 30 210 324 3740, 30 210 3243740
Nixon
“Louche lair for architects and media types who sip martinis in red leather booths. Small, plush cinema with occasional screenings—great for watching football matches.”—Kimon Frangakis. Agisilaou 61B, Keramikos; tel. 30 210 346 2077, 30 210 3462077 www.nixon.gr
Seven Jokers
Tiny, cozy, and crammed, especially after hours when free shots are downed and inhibitions abandoned. Voulis 7, Syntagma; tel.30 210 321 9225, 30 210 3219225 .
February-March. Greek Orthodox Carnival, with roots in ancient worship of wine god Dionysus. Two weeks of late-night revelry, pranks, and meat eating, before the 40-day fast for Lent.
Athens Festival
June-September. Artistic Director since 2006, Yorgos Loukos has introduced lower ticket prices, new venues, and an adventurous lineup of international performers, including Peter Stein, Fiona Shaw, and Bob Wilson. www.greekfestival.gr
Athens Classic Marathon
Early November. Athletes retrace the 26-mile (42-kilometer) route run by a soldier in 490 B.C. to announce Athenians’ defeat of the Persians in the battle of Marathon. He died on the spot. Finish line at Panathenaic Stadium, venue of the first modern Olympics in 1896. www.athensclassicmarathon.gr
Babel Comics Festival
June. International and Greek comic artists (Philippe Druillet, Paolo Cossi) on display at Technopolis, former gasworks converted into an arts center.
Music Day
June 21-23. Free al fresco concerts all over town, from folk musicians to Greek pop bands to music from the city’s ethnic communities. www.musicday.gr
Anafiotika
Enchanting time warp of whitewashed alleys and pastel cottages, created by migrant workers from Anafi island, who built the capital of newly independent Greece in 1841. “Houses are practically built into the sacred rock of the Acropolis, yet it feels like a Cycladic island village.”—Theodora Mantzaris, design director, 2004 Athens Summer Olympic Games. Between Lysicrates Monument and Kanellopoulos Museum, Plaka.
Benaki Museums
“Stylish, modern, and user-friendly. Admire Greek folk art and costumes at the original museum; modern design and architecture at the trendy new annex.”—Kimon Frangakis, editor, Status magazine. Both have excellent cafés and gift shops. Koumbari 1 and Vassilisis Sofias Avenue, Kolonaki; tel. 30 210 367 1000 30 210 367 1000 New wing: Piraeus 138 and Andronikou;
tel. 30 210 345 3111 30 210 345 3111 . www.benaki.gr
City of Athens Museum
“Royal memorabilia, period paintings, and prints convey an almost vanished Athens of enormous charm and innocence. Prize exhibit is an 1842 scale model of the new capital.”—Diana Farr Louis, author, Athens and Beyond: 30 Day Trips and Weekends. 5-7 Paparrigopoulou, Klafthmonos Square; tel. 30 210 324 6164 30 210 324 6164 www.athenscitymuseum.gr
Jogging Track
“If you don’t want to miss your workout, there’s a small racetrack behind the marble Panathenaic Stadium, with dazzling views of the Acropolis and Lycabettus hill.”—Kimon Frangakis. Access from Archimidous Street, Pangrati.
National Archaeological Museum
Greece’s largest museum, with over 20,000 exhibits, from prehistoric frescoes to classical sculpture. “Amazing collection of ancient vases, so simple in design, yet so technically accomplished.”—Theodora Mantzaris. 44 Patission Avenue; tel.30 210 821 7717
30 210 821 7717 www.culture.gr
Numismatic Museum
Housed in a fantastic building by Ernst Ziller, this little-visited, newly renovated museum houses some 500,000 ancient coins. Panepistimiou 12, Syntagma; tel. 30 210 364 3774
30 210 364 3774 www.nma.gr
Olympic Stadium
“Architect Santiago Calatrava’s showpiece can hold any event, but is just as impressive without the crowds.”—Theodora Mantzaris. 75,000-seat stadium hosts pop concerts and football matches. Sixteen professional courts at Olympic Tennis Center available for hire (8 a.m.-10 p.m. in summer; 9 a.m.-8 p.m. in winter). Kifissias Avenue 37; entrance from Spyrou Louis, Gate A; tel. 30 210 683 4060 61 or tel. 30 210 683 4562 3 (tennis courts). www.oaka.com.gr
The Parthenon
“Symbolizes ancient Hellenism with a touch of ancestor worship; it’s also the rock to which Greeks have clung throughout their stormy history and in which each generation and individual finds its own significance.”—Sofka Zinovieff, author, Eurydice Street: A Place in Athens. Go early morning or evening to avoid the crowds. Ticket booth above Dionysiou Areopagitou and Apostolou Pavlou; tel. 30 210 321 4172-3 www.culture.gr
Xippas Gallery
Parisian gallerist Renos Xippas has set up shop in a 1960s apartment block with a large Greek spice dealer in the basement. “The whiff of curry follows you to the second floor, where Athens’ most avant-garde gallery is hidden.”—Kimon Frangakis. Sophokleous 53D; tel. 30 210 331 9333
30 210 331 9333 www.xippas.com
My Athens By Nicholas Papandreou
I think of Athens as two separate cities, accessible via the two separate subway systems, the old one (1957) and the new (2000).
The old subway line starts in Kifissia, runs beneath Athens, and comes out in the ancient port of Piraeus. Before it dips into the earth, it passes olive groves, cypress trees, a motley jumble of apartment buildings, and the new Olympic Stadium, with its rib-like polycarbonate roof built by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. The structure is now a fixture of the city’s bright nightscape.
The passengers of the old subway system are primarily working-class people, so the whole setting is grittier, dirtier, with greater opportunities for mingling and being surprised. Today I find a young Gypsy boy, no older than eight or nine, playing a small bouzouki. A well-dressed woman in her 50s, looking like a high-school marm, sings a high-pitched Bulgarian folk song.
If Constitution Square, the Parliament, and the Grande Bretagne are the heart of the new upscale Athens, then Omonia is the heart of the old. From here the colorful districts of Psiri, Metaxourgeio, Monastiraki, and Plaka are all within walking distance. I take Athinas toward Plaka, a bustling street, a perpetual marketplace. Here everything is tinged with the exotic: Along the way are open satchels of pistachio nuts, white coconut sliced into small boats, small signs indicating the price per kilo. Hundreds of cheap shoes crowd a wheel cart; a gruff-looking man sells wooden staffs carved by shepherds from the Greek highlands.
Somewhere in the middle of Athinas Street I stop. I lift my gaze. I can almost feel the goose pimples.
There it is. The Acropolis.
I am seeing it for the first time. Again. I like to pretend I am a tourist who has never before been here. The monument is sometimes gray, sometimes white, and sometimes yellow. At night it is orange. Whatever its color, the Acropolis is queen of the city. She cannot be ignored. Like a voyeur I am drawn to it. Today, a balmy October afternoon, a thicket of cranes rises above the temple, because certain segments are being moved to the new Acropolis Museum.
I pause in front of the city’s largest meat market. Bovine heads hang from hooks. A man in a white apron hacks a lamb to pieces. For six euros you get a small glass of ouzo, a bowl of tripe, and a seat at his greasy butcher's block. At the fish market, next door, an octopus is splayed out on a wire, its dried suckers big as a bathroom plunger. The fish are beautifully arranged along ice-packed crates, their eyes in an even row like beads on a string. A man tries to sell me two kilos worth of shrimp wrapped in a paper funnel. Another with a moustache stretching from ear to ear lifts a glass of ouzo to my health, then downs it in one gulp.
I take the new subway up to Constitution Square, right below the Parliament building. The passengers speak in hushed tones. Today, there are no peddlers; the sound system is playing Vivaldi; the granite floors are shiny clean. This experience belongs to the other Athens, the Athens rebuilt for the Olympics.
This Athens built the new Acropolis museum designed by Bernard Tschumi, refurbished the Numismatic Museum on Panepistimiou Street, and united all the archaeological sites so that they are accessible on foot alone, rediscovering the grand designs imagined by the city’s original planners. This tour starts across Hadrian’s Arch in the old town of Plaka, continues down into Psiri with its infinite taverns and restaurants, and, depending on which way you turn, ends at the retrofitted former industrial area of Gazi or at Monastiraki and its bizarre bazaar. The cobbled roads are built from stones and marble from the Cyclades. Each stone is a thick cube ten centimeters deep, wide, and long.
It’s in the thoroughly modern Syntagma Square metro station, with displays of the archaeological finds discovered during its construction, that the two cities finally meet. I am taking the escalator into the depths. Four or five Gypsies hesitate in front of the moving stairs. People pile up behind them. I realize suddenly they are adults who have never seen moving stairs before. Worried that their feet might get caught in the metal teeth, the way I used to worry when I was a kid, they jump onto it from a distance, then prepare themselves to leap off at the end. Two of them take the stairs, sticking to tradition.
NICHOLAS PAPANDREOU is an Athens-based novelist who also does social commentary on Greek television and in print.
Address Code. Greeks use the formal plural pronoun (sas) when addressing older people or strangers.
Talk to the Hand. Avoid raising an outstretched palm to a person; this is an offensive gesture known as the moutza.
Eating Etiquette. Greeks are not sticklers for table manners. At home and especially at tavernas, everyone at the table shares foods, with diners dipping bread into dishes to soak up olive oil or sauce.
Siesta Time. Many Greeks still take a midday siesta, so don’t phone friends or play loud music between 2-5 p.m.
Personal Space. Greeks are very tactile. Greeks greet people they know with a kiss on both cheeks and frequently make physical contact.
Smoke Signals. A nonsmoker’s nightmare. Despite smoking bans in stores, restaurants, public buildings, and banks, smokers puff away at will and bristle if asked to stop.
Παρακαλώ Parakaló: Please/You’re welcome. Pronounced pa-rah-ka-LO.
Ευχαριστώ Efharistó: Thank you. Pronounced ef-harry-STOW.
Ναι Néh: Yes. Pronounced Neh.
Όχι Óxi: No. Pronounced O-hee.
Πάμε Páme: Let’s go! Pronounced PA-meh.
Έλα Éla: Come here, come on. Pronounced Eh-la.
Συγνώμη Sygnómi: Sorry/excuse me. Pronounced see-GNO-mee.
Πόσο κάνει αυτό Póso kánei aftó?: How much is this? Pronounced PO-sa KA-nee af-TOW?
Τι κάνεις Ti káneis?: How are you? Pronounced TEE KA-knees. Plural, TEE KA-nete?
Πολύ καλά Poli kalá: Very well. Pronounced po-LEE ka-LA.
Εντάξει Entáxi: OK. Pronounced En-TAX-ee.
Δεν μιλάω ελληνικά Den miláo elliniká: I don’t speak Greek. Pronounced DHEN mee-LA-ow ell-ee-ni-KA.
“Stylish, modern, and user-friendly. Admire Greek folk art and costumes at the original museum; modern design and architecture at the trendy new annex.”—Kimon Frangakis, editor, Status magazine. Both have excellent cafés and gift shops. Koumbari 1 and Vassilisis Sofias Avenue, Kolonaki; tel. 30 210 367 1000 30 210 367 1000 New wing: Piraeus 138 and Andronikou;
tel. 30 210 345 3111 30 210 345 3111 . www.benaki.gr
City of Athens Museum
“Royal memorabilia, period paintings, and prints convey an almost vanished Athens of enormous charm and innocence. Prize exhibit is an 1842 scale model of the new capital.”—Diana Farr Louis, author, Athens and Beyond: 30 Day Trips and Weekends. 5-7 Paparrigopoulou, Klafthmonos Square; tel. 30 210 324 6164 30 210 324 6164 www.athenscitymuseum.gr
Jogging Track
“If you don’t want to miss your workout, there’s a small racetrack behind the marble Panathenaic Stadium, with dazzling views of the Acropolis and Lycabettus hill.”—Kimon Frangakis. Access from Archimidous Street, Pangrati.
National Archaeological Museum
Greece’s largest museum, with over 20,000 exhibits, from prehistoric frescoes to classical sculpture. “Amazing collection of ancient vases, so simple in design, yet so technically accomplished.”—Theodora Mantzaris. 44 Patission Avenue; tel.30 210 821 7717
30 210 821 7717 www.culture.gr
Numismatic Museum
Housed in a fantastic building by Ernst Ziller, this little-visited, newly renovated museum houses some 500,000 ancient coins. Panepistimiou 12, Syntagma; tel. 30 210 364 3774
30 210 364 3774 www.nma.gr
Olympic Stadium
“Architect Santiago Calatrava’s showpiece can hold any event, but is just as impressive without the crowds.”—Theodora Mantzaris. 75,000-seat stadium hosts pop concerts and football matches. Sixteen professional courts at Olympic Tennis Center available for hire (8 a.m.-10 p.m. in summer; 9 a.m.-8 p.m. in winter). Kifissias Avenue 37; entrance from Spyrou Louis, Gate A; tel. 30 210 683 4060 61 or tel. 30 210 683 4562 3 (tennis courts). www.oaka.com.gr
The Parthenon
“Symbolizes ancient Hellenism with a touch of ancestor worship; it’s also the rock to which Greeks have clung throughout their stormy history and in which each generation and individual finds its own significance.”—Sofka Zinovieff, author, Eurydice Street: A Place in Athens. Go early morning or evening to avoid the crowds. Ticket booth above Dionysiou Areopagitou and Apostolou Pavlou; tel. 30 210 321 4172-3 www.culture.gr
Xippas Gallery
Parisian gallerist Renos Xippas has set up shop in a 1960s apartment block with a large Greek spice dealer in the basement. “The whiff of curry follows you to the second floor, where Athens’ most avant-garde gallery is hidden.”—Kimon Frangakis. Sophokleous 53D; tel. 30 210 331 9333
30 210 331 9333 www.xippas.com
My Athens By Nicholas Papandreou
I think of Athens as two separate cities, accessible via the two separate subway systems, the old one (1957) and the new (2000).
The old subway line starts in Kifissia, runs beneath Athens, and comes out in the ancient port of Piraeus. Before it dips into the earth, it passes olive groves, cypress trees, a motley jumble of apartment buildings, and the new Olympic Stadium, with its rib-like polycarbonate roof built by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. The structure is now a fixture of the city’s bright nightscape.
The passengers of the old subway system are primarily working-class people, so the whole setting is grittier, dirtier, with greater opportunities for mingling and being surprised. Today I find a young Gypsy boy, no older than eight or nine, playing a small bouzouki. A well-dressed woman in her 50s, looking like a high-school marm, sings a high-pitched Bulgarian folk song.
If Constitution Square, the Parliament, and the Grande Bretagne are the heart of the new upscale Athens, then Omonia is the heart of the old. From here the colorful districts of Psiri, Metaxourgeio, Monastiraki, and Plaka are all within walking distance. I take Athinas toward Plaka, a bustling street, a perpetual marketplace. Here everything is tinged with the exotic: Along the way are open satchels of pistachio nuts, white coconut sliced into small boats, small signs indicating the price per kilo. Hundreds of cheap shoes crowd a wheel cart; a gruff-looking man sells wooden staffs carved by shepherds from the Greek highlands.
Somewhere in the middle of Athinas Street I stop. I lift my gaze. I can almost feel the goose pimples.
There it is. The Acropolis.
I am seeing it for the first time. Again. I like to pretend I am a tourist who has never before been here. The monument is sometimes gray, sometimes white, and sometimes yellow. At night it is orange. Whatever its color, the Acropolis is queen of the city. She cannot be ignored. Like a voyeur I am drawn to it. Today, a balmy October afternoon, a thicket of cranes rises above the temple, because certain segments are being moved to the new Acropolis Museum.
I pause in front of the city’s largest meat market. Bovine heads hang from hooks. A man in a white apron hacks a lamb to pieces. For six euros you get a small glass of ouzo, a bowl of tripe, and a seat at his greasy butcher's block. At the fish market, next door, an octopus is splayed out on a wire, its dried suckers big as a bathroom plunger. The fish are beautifully arranged along ice-packed crates, their eyes in an even row like beads on a string. A man tries to sell me two kilos worth of shrimp wrapped in a paper funnel. Another with a moustache stretching from ear to ear lifts a glass of ouzo to my health, then downs it in one gulp.
I take the new subway up to Constitution Square, right below the Parliament building. The passengers speak in hushed tones. Today, there are no peddlers; the sound system is playing Vivaldi; the granite floors are shiny clean. This experience belongs to the other Athens, the Athens rebuilt for the Olympics.
This Athens built the new Acropolis museum designed by Bernard Tschumi, refurbished the Numismatic Museum on Panepistimiou Street, and united all the archaeological sites so that they are accessible on foot alone, rediscovering the grand designs imagined by the city’s original planners. This tour starts across Hadrian’s Arch in the old town of Plaka, continues down into Psiri with its infinite taverns and restaurants, and, depending on which way you turn, ends at the retrofitted former industrial area of Gazi or at Monastiraki and its bizarre bazaar. The cobbled roads are built from stones and marble from the Cyclades. Each stone is a thick cube ten centimeters deep, wide, and long.
It’s in the thoroughly modern Syntagma Square metro station, with displays of the archaeological finds discovered during its construction, that the two cities finally meet. I am taking the escalator into the depths. Four or five Gypsies hesitate in front of the moving stairs. People pile up behind them. I realize suddenly they are adults who have never seen moving stairs before. Worried that their feet might get caught in the metal teeth, the way I used to worry when I was a kid, they jump onto it from a distance, then prepare themselves to leap off at the end. Two of them take the stairs, sticking to tradition.
NICHOLAS PAPANDREOU is an Athens-based novelist who also does social commentary on Greek television and in print.
Must and Don'ts
Time Difference. Don’t fret if someone shows up late for a date. “To enjoy Athens, you must follow the pace of life. Stay up late. Forget lunch at noon and dinner at 6 p.m.—you’ll miss all the action.”—Diane Shugart, author, Athens by Neighborhood.Address Code. Greeks use the formal plural pronoun (sas) when addressing older people or strangers.
Talk to the Hand. Avoid raising an outstretched palm to a person; this is an offensive gesture known as the moutza.
Eating Etiquette. Greeks are not sticklers for table manners. At home and especially at tavernas, everyone at the table shares foods, with diners dipping bread into dishes to soak up olive oil or sauce.
Siesta Time. Many Greeks still take a midday siesta, so don’t phone friends or play loud music between 2-5 p.m.
Personal Space. Greeks are very tactile. Greeks greet people they know with a kiss on both cheeks and frequently make physical contact.
Smoke Signals. A nonsmoker’s nightmare. Despite smoking bans in stores, restaurants, public buildings, and banks, smokers puff away at will and bristle if asked to stop.
Phrase Book
Γεια σου Yia sou!: Hello/goodbye. The formal or plural version is Γειά σας Yia sas. Pronounced yee-a-SOO.Παρακαλώ Parakaló: Please/You’re welcome. Pronounced pa-rah-ka-LO.
Ευχαριστώ Efharistó: Thank you. Pronounced ef-harry-STOW.
Ναι Néh: Yes. Pronounced Neh.
Όχι Óxi: No. Pronounced O-hee.
Πάμε Páme: Let’s go! Pronounced PA-meh.
Έλα Éla: Come here, come on. Pronounced Eh-la.
Συγνώμη Sygnómi: Sorry/excuse me. Pronounced see-GNO-mee.
Πόσο κάνει αυτό Póso kánei aftó?: How much is this? Pronounced PO-sa KA-nee af-TOW?
Τι κάνεις Ti káneis?: How are you? Pronounced TEE KA-knees. Plural, TEE KA-nete?
Πολύ καλά Poli kalá: Very well. Pronounced po-LEE ka-LA.
Εντάξει Entáxi: OK. Pronounced En-TAX-ee.
Δεν μιλάω ελληνικά Den miláo elliniká: I don’t speak Greek. Pronounced DHEN mee-LA-ow ell-ee-ni-KA.
Nuts-and-bolts information to plan your trip, plus a checklist of essentials to include when you pack and a list of links to local media
Planning
Entry Requirements: U.S. citizens need a valid passport to enter Greece, and can stay 90 days or less without a visa.Security: Athens is one of the safest cities in Europe. But do take appropriate precautions to keep your personal belongings safe, as pickpockets are becoming more prevalent.
Time: Greece is seven hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time.
Money: The currency of Greece is the Euro. For current conversion rates go to OANDA Currency Converter. www.oanda.com/convert/classic
Phone Calls: The country code for Greece is 30. Athens’ area code is 210.
When to Go: Winters in Greece are relatively mild, summers searingly hot. Avoid Athens in August, when many restaurants and attractions close, especially around the August 15 national holiday.
Getting There: Athens International Airport (www.aia.gr) is served by most international carriers. Olympic Airlines and Aegean Airlines operate connecting flights to many islands.
Getting Around: Driving is on the right side of the road. Public transport is extremely cheap and the fastest way of getting around the traffic-clogged city. The spotless Athens Metro (www.ametro.gr) covers most landmarks, including the airport. Buy tickets at any station and validate before boarding. A convenient way to tour the sights is the OASA 400 (www.oasa.gr) sightseeing bus—you can hop on and off for 24 hours using the same ticket. (Departure from National Archaeological Museum every 30 minutes, 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m., June-September). The tram (www.tramsa.gr) runs a slow service from central Athens to the seaside and along the coast from Faliron to Glyfada—useful for beach- and barhopping. Taxis are among the cheapest in Europe, but swindling tourists is regarded as fair game. Check that the meter is running, and if you take a taxi from the airport, confirm the price in advance. The Proastiakos or suburban railway (www.proastiakos.gr) provides speedy links to the airport and as far as Corinth.
Checklist
Sightseeing Tips: Many museums and sights close at 3 p.m. in low season, so get an early start to avoid missing out. If you plan to visit several archaeological sites, buy a $17 multiple entry ticket valid for the Acropolis, Ancient Agora, Keramikos, Temple of Olympian Zeus, and Roman Agora.Tourist Police: Available 24 hours, the multilingual tourist police (dial 171) will help with problems or emergencies.
Sunscreen: Bring a sun hat and always wear sunscreen if you’re visiting Athens in summer. The glare is especially bright at archaeological sights, where shade is usually scant.
Insect Repellent: Mosquitoes can be a problem. Greek cosmetics brand Propoline’s natural insect repellent is effective.
Greek Orthodox Etiquette: If you plan to visit churches or monasteries, dress appropriately. Women should wear knee-length skirts and avoid revealing tops. Men should wear pants, rather than shorts.
Web Links
The Athenian ConstitutionAristotle’s account of the origins of democracy. www.constitution.org/ari/athen_00.htm
Athens News Agency
Daily news headlines. www.ana.gr
Athens Tourism & Economic Development Co.
Official website, includes useful transport and sightseeing information and maps. www.atedco.gr/en/page/welcome
Discovering Contemporary Architecture: Athens
Interactive maps of Athens’ best buildings and leading architects. www.culture2000.tee.gr/ATHENS/ENGLISH/main2.html
The Greeks
Virtual tour of the Acropolis, interactive timeline from 1400 B.C. to 337 B.C., created for a major PBS documentary on ancient Greece. www.pbs.org/empires/thegreeks/
Go Culture
Comprehensive bilingual arts and entertainment listings updated daily, profiles and features related to local culture. www.goculture.gr
Gourmed
Guide to Greek wine and food, includes recipes from local chefs and reliable Athenian restaurant reviews.www.gourmed.gr
Foundation of the Hellenic World
Comprehensive history of Athens and Greece from antiquity to modern times. www.e-history.gr/en/
Ministry of Culture
Up-to-date listings and information on cultural events, archaeological sites, and museums in Athens and beyond. www.culture.gr
Unification of the Archaeological Sites of Athens
“Grand Promenade” linking archaeological landmarks, includes heritage trails and ongoing developments. www.astynet.gr
Local Media
Athens VoiceAlternative free weekly newspaper that spawned several lesser copycats. Political commentary, interviews, lonely hearts, and entertainment listings; in Greek. www.athensvoice.gr
Athens News
English-language weekly newspaper covering Greek news, politics, business, arts, and sports, plus international news in brief. www.athensnews.gr
Athinorama
Weekly listings bible; in Greek. www.athinorama.gr
Kathimerini English Edition
Abridged English edition of Greek conservative daily Kathimerini. Distributed free with the International Herald Tribune. www.ekathimerini.com
Athens International Radio (104.4 FM)
Run by Athens Municipality for the capital’s foreign residents and visitors. Latest news, traffic, and weather, tips on where to go, music, and chat broadcast in 12 languages.
Dance, Theater, and Music
Bios“Concerts, book launches, screenings, art performances, progressive music––the new alternative arts space in Athens.”—Fotis Georgeles, editor, Athens Voice. Vintage decor, eclectic events.
Piraeus84; tel. 30 210 342 5335, 30 210 342 5335 www.bios.gr
Bouzoukia
Known as skyladika, or doghouses, devotees flock to these temples of kitsch (many lining Piraeus Street and Iera Odos) to worship a modern pantheon of Greek pop stars. “A noisy but uniquely Greek experience. Go late for the headliner; choose the singer, not the venue—Vasilis Karras, Yiannis Ploutarhos, Natassa Theodoridou, and Katy Garby have staying power.”—Diane Shugart, author, Athens by Neighborhood.
Herodes Atticus Theater
“Sitting in this ancient, open-air theater under the Acropolis on a moonlit summer evening, watching modern dance or an opera, is one of life’s great experiences.”—Sofka Zinovieff, author, Eurydice Street: A Place in Athens. When Pausanias visited Athens, he described the ‘Herodion’ as “the finest building of its type.” Dionysiou Areopagitou; tel. 30 210 324 1807, 30 210 324 1807 www.greekfestival.gr
Open-Air Cinemas
“A highlight of summer evenings. Scented by jasmine, watched by neighbors on their balconies, attended by all ages who eat, drink, and smoke their way through the movie. You couldn’t be anywhere but Athens and wouldn’t want to be.”—Sofka Zinovieff. Venues all over town. Open May-Oct.
Stoa ton Athanaton
“Right in the central market, great for anyone who wants a rembetiko (Greek blues) experience, but is not a late owl.”—Diane Shugart. Created by disillusioned, dope-smoking refugees from Asia Minor. Sophokleous 19; tel.30 210 321 4362, 30 210 321 4362
Nightlife
Aerostato“Relaxed local haunt, stylish but not contrived.”—Diane Shugart, author, Athens by Neighborhood. Delicious gravadlax and broccoli soup in case a quick drink turns into a long night. Platia Proskopon and Ptolemaion, Pangrati; tel.30 210 724 1116, 30 210 724 1116
Balthazar
Fabulous garden for downtown drinks on a summer night. “Like a private party in a grand old mansion. Great cocktails, glamorous older crowd.”—Theodora Mantzaris, design director, 2004 Athens Olympic Summer Games. Tsoha 27 and Vournazou, Ambelokipi; tel. 30 210 644 1215,
30 210 644 1215 www.balthazar.gr
Bar Guru Bar
“Timeless and sexy. No door policy, yet always has right blend of people; groovy musical mix and match reflects this mix.”—Kimon Frangakis, editor, Status magazine. Tasty Thai food, occasional live jazz in top floor club. Platia Theatrou 10, Psiri; tel. 30 210 324 6530, 30 210 3246530
Galaxy
“An absolute classic, with original fittings intact since the early ’70s. Immaculate bartending. Try the Manhattan.”—Angelos Frantzis, film director. One for connoisseurs, hidden in an old-fashioned arcade near Syntagma Square. Stadiou 10, Syntagma; tel.30 210 322 7733, 30 210 3227733
Magazé
Predominantly gay bar with mean mojitos, overflowing tables on pedestrian street. “Always buzzing day or night. The narrow bar stretches the length of the block so you don’t miss a trick.”—Angelos Frantzis. Aiolou 33, Monastiraki; tel. 30 210 324 3740, 30 210 3243740
Nixon
“Louche lair for architects and media types who sip martinis in red leather booths. Small, plush cinema with occasional screenings—great for watching football matches.”—Kimon Frangakis. Agisilaou 61B, Keramikos; tel. 30 210 346 2077, 30 210 3462077 www.nixon.gr
Seven Jokers
Tiny, cozy, and crammed, especially after hours when free shots are downed and inhibitions abandoned. Voulis 7, Syntagma; tel.30 210 321 9225, 30 210 3219225 .
Festivals
ApokriesFebruary-March. Greek Orthodox Carnival, with roots in ancient worship of wine god Dionysus. Two weeks of late-night revelry, pranks, and meat eating, before the 40-day fast for Lent.
Athens Festival
June-September. Artistic Director since 2006, Yorgos Loukos has introduced lower ticket prices, new venues, and an adventurous lineup of international performers, including Peter Stein, Fiona Shaw, and Bob Wilson. www.greekfestival.gr
Athens Classic Marathon
Early November. Athletes retrace the 26-mile (42-kilometer) route run by a soldier in 490 B.C. to announce Athenians’ defeat of the Persians in the battle of Marathon. He died on the spot. Finish line at Panathenaic Stadium, venue of the first modern Olympics in 1896. www.athensclassicmarathon.gr
Babel Comics Festival
June. International and Greek comic artists (Philippe Druillet, Paolo Cossi) on display at Technopolis, former gasworks converted into an arts center.
Music Day
June 21-23. Free al fresco concerts all over town, from folk musicians to Greek pop bands to music from the city’s ethnic communities. www.musicday.gr
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