This is usually a recount of the ultimate day of my journey once more in 2021. As I’m planning an similar complete journey in 2025 (nevertheless, sadly, skipping Greece), nowadays in Athens has been on my ideas.
I sigh with discount as my airplane takes off from Tirana, Albaniapositive for famed Greek capital. My departure from Tirana Worldwide Airport was a few of the nerve-wracking journey experiences I’d had. Nonetheless thankfully I’d made it. Had I missed the flight, my time in Greece would have been reduce even shorter. As a result of it was, I might have nevertheless 24 hours in Athens sooner than heading onward, once more to the U.S.
My airplane touches down on the Athens airport merely sooner than noon. I can’t wait to be strolling the streets. There’s a positive thrill that comes with having so little time to find. It immediately invigorates me. When my time is proscribed, it urges me to benefit from it.
I trek into the city center on the metro, headed for the InterContinental Athens. The 5-star lodge is sort of the digs for the one evening time. Sadly, the lodge doesn’t have a room ready, offered that it’s solely a bit after lunch.
Lunch. My stomach rumbles, reminding me that I haven’t eaten since Albania. Leaving the baggage with the desk, I select Kalamakeri, a close-by Greek restaurant solely a pair blocks from the InterContinental.
Lunch is excellent. The Greek salad hits the spot, and I benefit from consuming outdoors on this good fall day. Shortly I’m once more on the lodge and checked into my room. Now it’s time to find.
Filopappou Hill: Beginning My 24 Hours in Athens
Fairly than take the metro to the earlier metropolis, I plan to hoof it alongside Filopappou Hill. My hope is for every wonderful views, plus a major precise sight of the Acropolis. Nonetheless that should wait a bit, as my first sights consist principally of graffiti as I make my technique alongside the streets of Athens in the direction of the hill.
I uncover a path headed as a lot because the hill and am rapidly rewarded. The view of Athens stretching out sooner than me is attractive — a white cityscape, the Aegean sea throughout the background, and the distant rocky islands and shoreline rising sharply throughout the distance.
My hillside stroll is extra rewarded with my very first sight of the Acropolis. The rocky hilltop has been the center of Athens for over two millennia. I’d take into consideration the normal metropolis unfold out all through it. It’s spectacular now. It should have been way more spectacular over 2,000 years up to now.
Shortly one different Athens landmark comes into view. I do know this one by title, nevertheless nothing additional. What I’m looking at is the Aeropagus — Mars Hill, as translated into English. Nonetheless isn’t a hill the least bit. This historic meeting place is solely a rock. One would suppose that the Acropolis may very well be the pure meeting place for essential points. Nonetheless it was as a substitute the Aeropagus. It gives wonderful views of the earlier metropolis and historic ruins all through, which is the place I am headed subsequent.
The Agora and Monastiraki
With rather a lot historic previous and so little time, I settle for the simplest overview I can muster in merely 24 hours of seeing Athens. Unfold throughout the Aeropagus is the normal Greek agora, the general meeting place of the city. There are lots of ruins to see, nevertheless I don’t linger. The Orthodox church on the positioning stands out to me. Although small, it has a stupendous building. My mouth drops open after I discover it has been there for over a millennia.
A quick stroll away is the newer Roman Dialogue board. Newer is extraordinarily relative, as a result of it was moreover constructed over 2,000 years up to now. The Gate of Athena Archegetis at its entrance impresses me.
The placement is small, and I don’t spend rather a lot time proper right here. Nonetheless it is truly value a go to. I take into consideration what it might have regarded like in centuries earlier, with its columned walks. As with all of earlier Athens, the Acropolis is ever-present throughout the background, towering above the city.
My sightseeing continues earlier Hadrian’s Library and into the heart of the Monisiraki neighborhood. Whereas shut by Plaka is perhaps thought to be the earlier metropolis right, there’s nonetheless masses to see in Monastiraki. And man is it bustling late throughout the day.
I transfer by consuming locations, eyeing a variety of to consider for dinner after I head once more by. Nonetheless with dusk approaching, I make my answer to my final trip spot of the day — the Kerameikos Archaeological Web page. It’s every historic cemetery and metropolis ruins. If it is advisable select one or the alternative, the agora and dialogue board are a extra good choice (and hopefully you could have larger than 24 hours in Athens to work with). Nonetheless I nonetheless benefit from my time proper right here. I solely have a few minutes to see the museum, nevertheless it seems to be like prefer it might vastly add to the experience.
For dinner, I select one in all many many consuming locations alongside the Adrianou stroll. It’s touristy, and I actually pay means over wished. Nonetheless it provides a view of the Acropolis as a result of the photo voltaic items. Shortly the hill is bathed in artificial delicate. It’s take a look at evening time may be way more spectacular than all through the day.
I hop on the metro and return to the InterContinental. My final stop of the evening is Première, the lodge’s rooftop bar, the place I benefit from a view of the city spherical me. It’s the right answer to wind down my first half day in Athens. With an Acropolis tour booked for the next morning, I eagerly slip into mattress and drift off to sleep.
Morning on the Acropolis
Morning begins early, and I sit down for breakfast on the InterContinental. I’d booked the earliest tour I’d uncover, allowing me to maximise my remaining hours. They’re treasured few. I scarf down my plate from the buffet and head out the door.
I make a mistake very very first thing. Anticipating the highway tram to obey the right-hand-rule is a mistake on my half. I sprint all through the platform to catch the next one headed throughout the acceptable path. Fortunately, I make it to the tour meeting degree merely in time. My tour is with a relatively small group, and the data is partaking. She piles the rich historic previous of Athens on her eager viewers as we make our technique up the hill in the direction of the Acropolis. First stop: the Odeon.
Constructed by the Romans as a formidable amphitheater, the Odeon continues for use as such. I can’t help nevertheless take into account Yanni’s “Dwell on the Acropolis” stay efficiencya soundtrack that incessantly serenaded my childhood. I can see why the Odeon is such a draw. It’s spectacular.
Then it’s time for the climb. We wind up and spherical onto the Acropolis itself. If I assumed the view from Filopappou Hill was good, that is significantly better. Athens rapidly spreads out spherical us on all sides. I can see why this was the center of life throughout the historic metropolis.
The stylish metropolis is immense. When Greece state was reestablished throughout the early 1800s, Athens was home to solely 9,000 people. Now its metropolis house accommodates a variety of million. The change is wild.
Up Shut and Personal with the Parthenon
My journey reaches its zenith — every truly and figuratively — on the Parthenon. The normal temple stood on the spot for tons of of years, dominating the city. You’ll be able to have seen it from all angles. Nonetheless in the end falling into disrepair, it turned a spoil.
Greece is working to revive the Parthenon, which is a mission that have to be painstakingly sluggish. We don’t assemble constructions like this anymore.
I’m lower up on whether or not or not restoration is an effective suggestion. Whereas seeing the development because it might have stood two thousand years up to now, is an outstanding thought, restoration will lose one different piece of the historic previous.
Our tour data turns us free to find. Furthermore circuiting the Parthenon and seeing the excellent metropolis views to all sides, there are totally different constructions to admire. Identical to the Parthenon, they’ve been constructed to honor totally different mythological Greek gods. The Erechtheion might be primarily essentially the most attention-grabbing of the bunch.
It’s insanely troublesome to get photographs with out people. Nonetheless I am determined to get a variety of. Attempting once more, I bear in mind the effort value it. If in case you could have solely 24 hours in Athens like I did, the Parthenon and totally different sights on the Acropolis are a ought to.
Moussaka and Making an Exit
I head down from the Acropolis, passing by just a few of the similar ruins that I observed the day gone by. I pay Monastiraki a second go to, taking a second to step contained within the Metropolitan Cathedral. Compared with each factor else I’ve seen, it’s terribly new. It hasn’t even had it’s two hundredth birthday however. I’m not Greek. Or Orthodox. Nonetheless I do benefit from visiting beautiful Christian church buildings after I journey. Although fairly, I’m always reminded that the precise church is God’s people, not a establishing. They’re beautiful constructions. Nonetheless they aren’t the place He dwells.
I wander for a bit longer, making my technique into the Plaka neighborhood. That’s the guts of the earlier metropolis. I profit from the quiet streets nearer to the Acropolis mount. Nonetheless it’s an entire vacationer entice. I wander for a bit, trying the storefronts and grabbing a cup of tiramisu gelato. Which I didn’t know is an element. It makes me hungry for an exact lunch, the ultimate merchandise on the agenda sooner than I return to the InterContinental.
I resolve I need one factor every new and quintessentially Greek. Although I’m one in all many earliest patrons throughout the restaurant, they’re very comfortable to serve me an outstanding slice of moussaka. I’ve not at all had the dish. It’s delectable. A bit like an eggplant lasagna, nevertheless with a far fully totally different combination of spices and a great deal of meat.
On the Road As soon as extra
I can’t linger. My coronary coronary heart wants to stay and see additional of the city, nevertheless I’ve a airplane to catch. My transit plans are disrupted as properly, as I can’t return using the metro. The precept roads throughout the center of Athens have been closed, as was a portion of the metro, due to the Acropolis Rally. A taxi takes me to the airport, which costs €45 and takes 45 minutes. Nonetheless I make my first Emirates flight with time to spare.
As I sit an wait to board, I replicate on my short-term time throughout the capital of Greece. What’s for positive is that 24 hours in Athens isn’t anyplace close to adequate. A go to this transient is form of jail. I barely scratched the ground of what the city as to produce.
There are lots of areas I nonetheless want to go to on the planet, nevertheless Greece is extreme on the guidelines for a return journey.
