Organised Chaos in Athens

It really isn’t fair to reflect on experiences in Athens from a chic and gracious hotel room in Paris -  the undisputed culture capital of the universe.  But let’s face it, these two cities are chalk and fromage! Not that we didn’t enjoy Athens but two days of chaos was plenty.

Athens is basically the Acropolis/Parthenon which is shared with thousands of other visitors slipping and sliding on dangerous, uneven marble paving, broken concrete and rubble. The site has a commanding view over the city and beyond if the pollution level is reasonably low. Fortunately earlier rain had cleared and we were able to commune with the ancient gods under azure skies.

For us, the crowning glory of Athens is not so much this famous "mound” but the new Acropolis Museum.

This stunning architectural masterpiece was originally mooted in 1989 but planning permission, land acquisition and 130 million euros in funding was completed only in the last 10 years. It has attracted 5 million visitors in three years – more than the Acropolis – and entry fees easily cover running costs. Bill Bleathman and the TMAG crew, eat your hearts out! It houses what’s left of the valuable artifacts (friezes, statues, etc) in the most wonderful, spacious display. It certainly puts into context everything viewed on “the mound” and heightens your disdain for the ignorance of the tour groups who hound the Acropolis security guards with dumb questions like: “So what is this place anyway?” and “Is that building down there bigger than this one?”

The ancient Agora (market place)

There is still a lot of repair work being done on the Acropolis and scaffolding is everywhere. Renovations will continue forever as preservation techniques are constantly changing and improving.

 The paved promenade around the foothills of the Acropolis is lovely and a favourite haunt of Athenians who spend their evenings strolling and chatting with friends and family. The promenade links the area with other historic spots including the ancient Agora and the stadium where the first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896.

Our meanderings also took us to the “”must see” National Archaeological Museum and the noticeably less peaceful fish and meat market. This colourful and noisy place was probably on the nose but, as so many of the butchers and fishmongers were smoking, all we could smell was cigarettes! Fish is a staple in Athens and the variety on sale was amazing. The octopus, squid, anchovies and sardines were squirmingly fresh. The fresh meat market next door specialized in sheep heads and rabbits with the tail and paw fur still attached.

The fresh fruit was astounding and cheap with lots of pomegranates, melons and grapes!

We happened upon the changing of the guard at the Greek Parliament. Now we know where John Cleese received the inspiration for the Ministry of Silly Walks. How these guys maintain their composure while slowly raising their knee and then kicking out their leg is beyond me. The crowds watching the spectacle cackle and clap and the guards’ pompom-topped shoes clatter on the paving and the tassles on their hats waver about. It is so comical and it occurs every hour on the hour!

We did our best to help the Greek economy and there were a lot of visitors in the city but our hotel guy reckons the country still has a long way to go. While government employee numbers have been slashed and at least one politician is in jail for receiving kickbacks, things are still in turmoil. There are demonstrations and ad hoc strikes.  The German company which owns the new Athens airport (built for the Olympics) still won’t grant any concessions so it still has the highest landing charges in the world. 

The Greek taxi drivers have a dreadful reputation for ripping off tourists and we were constantly warned about pickpockets on the Metro in Athens. The Greek Government could take a leaf out of the Turks' book and "educate" their countrymen about how to encourage and look after visitors.

Having said that, we experienced no problems at all. 

Our hotel guy took us to the airport at 6.30am for the same price as an honest cab driver because he did not want  us to leave the country a bad impression.

We loved Greece, especially the islands on our wonderful cruise. What a way to visit off the beaten track places. It was a real privilege to do that. And our stays on Santorini and Mykonos? Absolutely unbeatable...........