Athens
Top Picks

I grew up surrounding myself with the travel brochures of European capitals that my parents would take home from their vacations overseas. For a young boy of 10, it was the closest thing to being in those great cities of Europe. This was a time before Google and the Lonely Planet guidebooks and these free brochures advertising package tours were one of the few ways to imagine what it was like to travel to these foreign lands.

I still remember the thrill of staring at the photograph of the Acropolis. The Acropolis, it seemed back then, represented everything about Athens and Greece: ancient and mythical.

The childhood dream of traveling to Athens faded away as cities like Paris, Rome and London appealed to my growing adult taste for cool capitals where the food, fashion and urban lifestyles were much more exciting.

Athens, of course, has since been trying to catch up with the leading European capitals. The staging of the centennial Olympiad in 2004 showed the world that this cradle of Civilization - the very society that invented the Olympics - was set on regaining lost glory. The Athens beamed across TV sets was a noticeably sophisticated and modern capital. The symbol of the new Athens was no longer the crumbling Acropolis but its young generation of fashionable, club-hopping and consumption-driven youth.

With ticket in hand and bags in tow, this was the Athens I set out to search for. The symbol of the new Athens I encountered was a young and energetic one indeed - but also an angry and restless one.

And so went my entire week in the city: amid burning shops, torched cars, smashed windows and the aftertaste (and smell) of teargas everywhere. (This was December 2008 when violent riots rocked Athens after the killing of a teenager by the police).

Athens was burning and I was in the middle of it. Young anarchists, university intellectuals, high school-age adventurists, bored bystanders - they all hi-jacked the city and there was very little the police could do except lob teargas canisters and watch pathetically as street after street was vandalized.

The image of fun-loving and hip kids that the Athens tourism authorities tried so hard to build up was nothing more than a slick PR campaign. The kids I saw belonged to a generation betrayed by the slumping European economy where job prospects were dim and the cost of living "cool" was way beyond reach.

With modern Athens ruining itself before my eyes, I turned to the city's ancient side instead - where at least the ruins on view were far more inspiring.

My top picks:

The Acropolis.

If you only have one day in the city, skip everything else except the Acropolis. The Acropolis is a hill where the Parthenon - the temple of Athena famously stands. It is perhaps the most beautiful sight in the city - especially at night when the temple complex is lit.

Make your way up the hill - said to be where Athens was founded - because the area is surrounded by many other archaeological sites, temples and agora. There are many ways to reach the Acropolis, but don't worry because whether its from the south or north, the neighborhoods along the way are all interesting. I took the least popular path by mistake, but this brought me through the most charming cluster of bougainvillae-lined streets and white-washed stone houses overlooking the city. So, relax.

The more popular path to the Acropolis is via Plaka - the old city. Here you'll find a colorful mix of neo-classical houses, Greek Orthodox Churches, rustic cafes and tavernas. Its best to just allow yourself to get lost as each corner springs a surprise - including some of the most astounding archaeological sites you'll encounter - including the Roman Forum.


The Ancient Agora

The agora is just below the Acropolis so a visit here shouldn't require an extra day. There's little left of what was once the most important civic and commercial center in the city as war and the elements have reduced much of the complex to rubble.

It was here that democracy (invented by the Athenians) was practiced. Athenians came here to listen to speeches, to debate and even to vote. Of course, they also came here to shop and to worship their gods - like at the magnificent temple to Hephaestus.

A short walk leads you to Monastiraki Square where a more modern version of the ancient marketplace is located. Here you'll find the city's most colorful and interesting flea market. Not everything is old and used though, most market stalls sell local crafts, food, leather goods and souvenirs.



Souvenir Shopping.

If you're in the mood to shop, Monastiraki and Plaka sell affordable and high quality leather bags and accessories. There's little room for bragaining but the merchandise is first rate so don't be greedy. Go for the leather luggage as they will cost double for the same quality elsewhere in Europe.

You'll find very few souvenirs that come across as tacky tourist fluff. What you'll find are tasteful renditions of the Greek gods and heroes in plaster and traditional Athenian crafts and instruments at realistic prices.

But its shopping for traditional food products I enjoy the most. Best buys include extra virgin olive oil varieties (I find Greek olive oil the tastiest!), stuffed olives, goat cheese and baclava.

Shopping for the Sweet Tooth.

While shopping for food, seek out the many candy and chocolate stores all over Athens. The best place to do this is in the Historic Centre in the area around Syntagma square. The number of shops dedicated to all things sweet is just mind blowing.

Many of these shops are a few meters from each other so take your time and pick out the sweets you like best. Better yet, there's a cafe (or two) in every corner so take out your newly purchased stash and nibble it in between sips of espresso. Heaven.

Greek Food.

Apart from the old cafes that dot the city, tavernas - the traditional restaurants - are also a main feature of urban life and like the cafes many of them seem to have outlasted gastronomic trends and spiraling rents.

The only rule is to follow your nose. There are very few tavernas (and cafes) that cater to foreigners so all menus are in Greek! The trick is to look what's cooking in the grill and simply point to it and ask for it in rudimentary English. Getting your order wrong should be no problem because pretty much all the food is basic and delicious.

And healthy. You simply can't go wrong with a typical Greek meal that starts with a salad of lettuce, cucumbers, olives, tomatos and diced feta cheese in extra virgin olive oil. This is followed by grilled meat (lamb, beef, pork) with pita bread - like a souvlaki.

If you love Mediterranean dishes, you'll love Greek food.

Kolonaki.

Greece was one of the last Western European countries to benefit from the economic boom in the continent (and also one of its youngest liberal democracies). While the rest of Europe began to take off in the last quarter of the 20th century, Greece was mired in political turmoil and economic stagnation. So it was only when the country began to feel the benefits of integration into the European Union in the last decade, that a mainstream consumer culture emerged. Including an upscale one.

The Kolonaki district in the city centre is where you'll find this consumer culture on steroids. Most of the global high street brands can be found here along with home grown luxury boutiques, design studios and upscale dining spots.

Kolonaki is where the upwardly mobile shop, live and entertain themselves and that's what makes it such a great place to people-watch all day long. Park yourself in a corner cafe and bring out that notebook. Trendwatching in Athens starts and ends here.


Lycabettus Hill.

Kolonaki is also where the steep path to Athens' highest hill begins. The ascent to Lycabettus is strictly for those with healthy hearts and strong knees. The reward for all this climbing (through Montmarte-like steps cutting through beautiful apartments) is the most spectacular view of Athens once you make it to the top.

The stone and cement block houses of much of the city is unremarkable up close, but, when viewed atop Lycabettus, the low-rise urban labyrinthe that is Athens is simply breathtaking.

It's possible to sit and take it all in from this elevation: the domes and towers of the Greek Orthodox churches, the neo-classical government and university buildings, the noble ruins of the Parthenon atop the Acropolis - and further away in the horizon - the ancient coast and mountains of Southern Greece.

As the bells of the St. George chapel next to me start to toll, I realize that this, at last, is the Athens of my youthful imagination slowly returning to me.



Sounion.



Chances are, a trip out of Athens will be to any one of the famous Greek Islands on the Aegean. But if time and financial resources aren't on your side - stick to a bus trip just outside Athens to see the stunning Sanctuary of Poseidon at Cape Sounion along the Aegean coast.

The road trip alone is worth your euro. The road to Sounion takes you along the dramatic Southern coastline through small villages, boat yards and hillside farms.

At the end of the hour and a half long drive is the place called Cape Sounion where ancient Athenians built the temple of Poseidon - the God of the Sea.

Legend has it that the temple was built in order to placate a jealous Poseidon who, unlike his arch-rival Athena, had a temple built for her atop the Acropolis. Poseidon must have been pleased because the temple is every bit as magnificent - and even better preserved.

Come at the start of day or at sunset when the color of the sea and sky is most dramatic. There are few places on earth where paying homage to the sea comes so naturally.