Bratwurst und Bier (Bratwurst & Beer)

As usual, we try to escape the coldness of Germany any chance we get. (Actually it’s been a rather mild winter by German standards but it still sucks compared to our San Diego winters). We found an awesome deal to Athens for the weekend so off we went.

The day before we left, some idiots launched a rocket into the U.S. Embassy in Athens. Just a freak’n dandy thing for us. I called the Embassy in Athens to see if there were any travel advisories, but no one answered. The phone I was calling was probably fried to a crisp. Next I called the Consulate in Greece to ask the same question. The voicemail said they were closed that day because of the bombing and were closed on the following Monday because of the MLK holiday – no help to me. Last call was to the State Dept back in the States. Finally a real person answered and assured me that there was no need to worry. So on with the trip.

We only had less than three days to cover all of Athens. As is common in the Mediterranean, most museums and archeological sites close about 3pm on weekends. After flying and checking into our hotel it was already about 2pm. So we went exploring the oldest neighborhoods of Athens that are known for its markets, shopping, and food. We were very surprised how inexpensive it was to shop here. Prices for everything were less than Germany and way less than Italy. Finally a place where our weak dollar could be spent with minimal hemorrhaging. We decided to make this our shopping day since the next days were devoted to historical stuff. One of our favorite pastimes is to sample all the local foods are we walk…roasted chestnuts, sesame pretzel things, and other unknowns. We finished the night with a great dinner at a small hole in the wall.

We saved the archeological stuff for Sunday since all the sites were free on Sundays during the winter. First stop was the Acropolis. After a short hike, you reach the top of the hill that was the heart of ancient Athens about 100 A.D. The ruins you see today are the result of the peak of the civilization. What I didn’t know before was that this site has had human activity for about 6,000 years! The good part about going in off peak season was the absence of tourists. The bad thing was that many of the temples were under restoration so the scaffolds were getting in the way of my Pulitzer Prize winning photos. One of the temples (The Nike Temple) was completely disassembled for restoration. Anyway, were had some stunning views of the city below us and great views of the ruins from up close. There are several temples on the Acropolis but the most impressive is the world famous Parthenon. The Parthenon is a temple dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena (hence the name of the city of Athens). It’s amazing to fathom how they build these huge structures on this hilltop without any of the modern day equipment.

Next we visited Ancient Agora, which is the equivalent to the Roman Forum or the heart of everyday living. Most of the ruins are destroyed due to countless wars and pillaging. Agora is the cradle of Democracy, as we know it. Many of the ruins are the equivalent to our Capital Hill. Other sites visited were the temple of Zeus, Roman Agora (the Roman addition to Agora), Hadrian’s Arch (entrance to the Roman addition to Athens), and ancient tombs.

The day was capped off with dinner accompanied by traditional Greek music called bouzouki. Bouzouki is also the name of the guitar like instrument played. The music also ranged in tempo and style. One street we roamed had several bouzouki restaurants so some of them were mellow while others were like a scene from Moulin Rouge.

Our last day was dedicated to the National Archeological Museum, which was touted as having the greatest collection of ancient Greek artifacts. We got there at exactly 10am when the doors open. But there was a sign on the door saying that due to renovations, the museum would not open until 1pm. Disappointed, yes…surprised, no. Every country we’ve visited in Europe is plagued with short hours, non-existent hours, closing early, opening late, or any excuse to not be open. So we decided to visit the open-air food market. This market was best selection of fresh meats and seafood we’ve seen in Europe, no contest! The key difference was the selection, quality, and freshness. This was the first seafood market that didn’t smell like one. After buying some Greek produce, we were already heading back to the airport. A quick but enjoyable trip!