Exploring Athens is not just about seeing the Ancient sites. When you are in the city you have to get to know where people hang out, where they sip that great coffee, taste authentic Kyros(Kebab) and that aromatic Greek salad. Where to get the best views of the city. I want to know the the shops are and where the entertainment hubs are as well as get the feel for how the local transportation works.
Our visit in Athens was at the time when the whole country was tense. Tense because of the voting Greece had to stay or walk away from being part of the Euro zones. This also meant there were protests and demonstrations around the city. It was all very civil and there were plenty of police around the capital. During this difficult time that the country was going through and the high unemployment and the banks being frozen, limits on account withdraws meant that transport was free for everyone in Athens, hotels and restaurants were offering discounts if you paid by cash instead of card. This was because Greek banks were all closed and Greeks were also not allowed to withdraw too much money from the bank during that crisis of last summer.
Overall we still had an amazing time in Athens and Greece in General having moved on to Santorini soon after. I would make sure to follow up with a top 10/15 things to do in Athens soon so look out for that. In the meantime below is a pictorial of our stay in the capital with my sisters.
STREET PERFORMERS IN THE TOWN CENTER AT SUN DOWN
ATHENS CHANGING OF GUARD
KOLONAKI HIGH END SHOPPING DISTRICT
