"Ambrosia" in Athens, Greece.
Home of Tara’s favourite food and the patron namesake of our dog, Athena, Athens in Greece was originally named “Coast” or Aktiki after the first king of the land, King Aktaio. Following a legendary duel between the Greek goddess of wisdom and war, Athena, and the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon, the city was later renamed Athens in favour of the goddess Athena’s gift of olive trees; which became one of the only things able to be harvested within the city’s supposedly baron land.
Travelling to Athens for the second time now, it’s interesting how familiar the city has come to feel; despite having first visited it over two years ago. With only 18 allotted hours to spend in the city this time around while en route to Cairo, Egypt, we attempted to soak up as much of the city as we could; while focusing primarily on eating some really great food!
Alas, jet lag catches up to the best of us, and we were made to find two relatively secure spots to take a nap. For those of you weary travellers out there, here are two Pro-Tip locations when trying to rest while on a budget: (1) public beaches which offer up beach chairs and bar service for a mere 10 euro per chair, and (2) Hop-on Hop-off tour busses which let you peruse the city at only 15 euro per person.
By the end of our second stay, with bellies full and hearts contented, I can safely say that Athens in Greece is a true staple for any Europe-bound explorer—just make sure to keep a close eye on your belongings while on the train, as I had almost fallen victim to a crafty pickpocket moving from one potential mark to another our way back to the airport…
Despite this small drawback, there is much to see; food to eat; and fashionable trinkets to buy in Athens, Greece. As an added bonus, Athens is also a great starting point for checkout out other majestic locations across Greece; one of which being Meteora*—perhaps the most picturesque location of all, in my opinion.
