An Athens walk from Hadrian’s Gate to Pnyka
When I first came to Athens more than 20 years ago, the road that ran along the south side of the Acropolis was a mini highway. Traffic sped down the street, and crossing over to the Makrigianni or Koukaki side was at one’s own risk. Over the past two decades, the south side of [...]
Athens Metro Tours: Art and Archeology Underground
Have you found yourself in Athens on a holiday, and the sites are closed? Or perhaps it’s a rare rainy day and you’d like to find a way to stay under cover, yet still see some sites?
How about an Athens Art and Archeology tour, by metro?
As you can imagine, digging anywhere in Athens runs the [...]
An afternoon ouzo on the Grande Bretagne rooftop
For years I had walked through Syntagma Square glancing across the Square to the beautiful façade of the Grand Bretagne hotel. I’d marvel at the fancy cars waiting out front, the handsomely dressed doormen standing guard out front, and chuckle to myself about the homeless dog who slept peacefully on the steps leading to [...]
Cooling off and chilling out in and around Athens
Summer’s here and the mercury is rising in Athens – but that’s no reason to avoid this amazing, cosmopolitan city. Plant yourself in Athens and enjoy everything the city has to offer, chill out in the shade of a streetside cafe, enjoying the cool wet air the misters provide as you nurse a Greek [...]
Free Public Transportation for Women in Greece – Sunday March 8, 2009
Women in Greece can use public transport for free on the International Women’s Day on Sunday.
All women can travel on the metro, buses and trolleys in Athens and in Thessaloniki free of charge, and travel for free with Hellenic Railways and the KTEL bus services all over Greece, said Transport and Communications Minister Evripidis Stylianidis.
“This [...]
Clean Monday in Athens, March 2009
On March 2, 2009, Clean Monday or Kathera Deftera, on Phillopappou Hill – beginning at 10 AM, the city of Athens will host a holiday dance performance followed by Tasia Veras performing traditional Greek folk songs and the Marina Christofaki dance group.
The city is holding a kite competition and the winner will receive a [...]
Apokries 2009 – Carnival 2009 – Mardi Gras in Athens
Apokries 2009 – Carnival 2009 – Mardi Gras in Athens
February 19, 2009
11 AM
Tsikno pempti celebration
Traditional celebration starting at 11 AM, with the City of Athens Philharmonic Orchestra, opening the program with holiday music. The festivities will continue with songs from the various Greek musical groups, playing rembetika, laiko (popular) and traditional Greek songs.
Varvakios Agora (Athens [...]
Easter 2009 in Athens
Greek Orthodox Easter is a wonderful time to visit Athens. Spring will have sprung and the Good Friday processional and Easter eve (midnight Saturday) service will always leave me with a tingle down my spine for their beauty. Regardless of your faith, Orthodox Easter is a beautiful time to visit Greece and the rewards of [...]
What to do in Athens on New Years Day
So here you are, three days before New Years, having traveled a great distance to visit Greece, and you’re searching the Internet because you’ve just learned that everything will be closed on New Year’s Day? Yes, the rumors are true, the gates to the archeological sites will be closed, and since it is an official [...]
Christmas in Athens: Pagrati and Thissio
Athens is a city of neighborhoods, and though the central square has historically been the focus of the city’s holiday celebrations, this year the city has scheduled performances in the neighborhood squares, bringing the joy of the season a little closer to home for residents and visitors alike. Venture beyond Syntagma to nearby Pagrati, or [...]