A Wonderful Week In Athens: Travel Stories From Greece

Our week in Athens: exploring the Acropolis, savoring local and international cuisine, uncovering history, and navigating a travel hiccup that led to new adventures!

We were up bright and early, heading to the Thessaloniki train station to catch our train south. After a quick breakfast at the station café, we boarded our train and settled in for the journey.

Greek trains are fantastic—comfortable, clean, and efficient. Interestingly, they’re owned by Trenitalia, the Italian railway company. The trip to Athens was smooth and enjoyable.

It had been years since our last visit to Athens, and we were eagerly looking forward to returning. Upon arrival at Athens’ main train station, we quickly switched to the metro. Within a few stops, we reached the station nearest our apartment.

Our apartment was a delightful find—small but comfortable and clean. Best of all, it was in an exceptional location, surrounded by restaurants, cafés, and bars. It was just one metro stop from the Plaka and the Acropolis or a 30-minute walk, yet blissfully far from the tourist crowds.

During our stay, we visited the National Archaeological Museum, a treasure trove of Greece’s incredible history. While the entire museum is outstanding, our main reason for visiting was to see the Antikythera mechanism—an ancient device used to predict astronomical positions and eclipses decades in advance. It could even track the four-year cycle of athletic games similar to the Olympiad. Found in a shipwreck off the coast of Antikythera, the mechanism’s advanced technology remains a mystery. Who made it, and how?

We also visited the Acropolis. Though we had been there before, no trip to Athens feels complete without seeing this awe-inspiring historical site. It was about a half-hour walk from our apartment through a charming part of Athens, dotted with cafés, restaurants, and shops.

We went early to beat the heat and the crowds—a wise decision. While it was busy, it wasn’t overcrowded, but as we were leaving, the masses began to arrive. Cruise ship passengers—always in large groups following a guide with a sign on a stick—had descended, making the site almost unbearable.

Most of our time in Athens was spent savoring its fabulous restaurants and cafés. We enjoyed Greek food in an open square, some of the best Indian cuisine I’ve had in a long time, and excellent coffee.

Alas, our time in Athens came to an end too soon. On our final night, we dined at an upscale restaurant for a special farewell meal. I had seafood-filled pasta in a seafood broth, which turned out to be a terrible decision. At 3 a.m., I woke with severe food poisoning.

I was so ill that traveling was impossible. We had to reschedule our flight, and our lovely host graciously allowed us to stay one more night. However, with another booking lined up, we had to find a new apartment for the next two nights. Fortunately, we found one nearby, and by the time we moved, I was over the worst of the illness.

In our new neighborhood, we discovered an amazing fresh food market and a charming family-run restaurant serving delicious meals on a terrace by a park. It was a pleasant way to round off our time in Athens.

The following morning, we made an early start to catch the metro to the airport. Once on our EasyJet flight, we faced an hour-long delay on the tarmac due to a shortage of air traffic control staff in Bordeaux.

This issue with ATC in France has been ongoing for some time. Despite a significant increase in airport fees for airlines, they aren’t recruiting or training enough staff, making delays and cancellations all too common—a frustrating example of inefficiency.

Eventually, we took off. After a turbulent flight (apparently caused by crossing the jet stream), we arrived in Bordeaux and headed to the nearby IBIS hotel, close to the train station.

Join us for the next and final installment of our Summer 2024 travels!