Greece – Athens

{ January 17, 2010 @ 10:06 pm } · { Food, Recipes, Travel, Travel Greece }
{ Tags: Acropolis, Athens, Greece, Greek Food, Pantheon, Temple of Zeus, Travel, Travel Athens, Travel Greece }

There’s so much history in Greece, with Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, Greek Mythology and the Greco/Roman history and architecture. This piqued our interest  in going to Greece and as an added benefit, we got a taste of the Greek cuisine, which we have gotten to know and love, and also got a chance to experience the Mediterranean, which was absolutely beautiful. We started our journey in Athens….and on approach (from the airplane), it appeared very much like Hawaii, with its volcanic terrain. However, it seemed a bit more arid, with limited vegetation. In addition, the buildings were monochromatic, with the Mediterranean ‘white’ architecture.

We arrived in the early morning in Athens, just in time for us to begin our full day of sightseeing. We were able to sleep on the plane, so when we arrived, we were fresh and ready to go. We were very excited, like kids in a candy store. Our first attraction, of course, was the Acropolis, which in many ways was fascinating. How were they able to build these monstrous structures with limited tools? How were they able to get the marble to the top? How…? What…? Where…?  Question after question came to our minds. The trip to the top hill where the Pantheon was located, which would be on foot, looked a bit daunting at first, but it was a piece of cake. The walk to the top was very interesting, having passed ruin after ruin (an open air arena and a few temples). The ruins were amazing. The intricacy of the carvings high atop some of the structures were awesome. The Greeks have been renovating the grounds of the Acropolis, including the construction of a museum worthy of antiquity, particularly the Pantheon, for some time now. And in doing so, they want England to ‘return the marbles’.  With the opening of the museum, the pressure would be on the British Museum to return the missing marbles.  “Return the Marbles” can be seen on cruise ships and everywhere.  We walked around for a couple of hours, astounded, taking photo after photo….and loving the architecture. One word of advice is to take some water, which we did since it was relatively hot in early June, and wear shoes that are comfortable, as the grounds are not even and to experience it all, is to do it on foot!!

From there, we ate a late lunch in the Plaka district, a quaint area adjacent to the Acropolis. This and the Monastriaki are great areas to eat and shop. The cafes have some of the most wonderful Greek foods – Greek salads, giros and baked lamb of sorts. There are a number of souvenir shops and a large open flea market, where you can find the ‘evil eye’, olives and some cotton wear. Although I didn’t realize it before going to Greece, I have since learned that the best cotton and olives are grown in this area — the climate makes it ripe for the picking.  There are 2,000 year-old olives trees around, ones that predate the Holy Roman Empire.  If the trees can live that long, the olives MUST be good for you! Unfortunately, the olive-making process includes having to brine the olives — and with that, it will have an adverse effect on your blood pressure. The advice then is probably to eat olives in moderation….it can’t be all that good for you!

The area around the Acropolis is full of ancient ruins, including the Temple of Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch, Tzistarakis Mosque and Fetiye Mosque. We also witnessed a few archelogy students unearthing the ruins in the area. Having watched them for a half hour or so, it’s a very arduous process, using brushes, small picks and dustpans. It’s very important to preserve the ruins, so large sledge hammers and demolition tools are not used.

That evening, we ate our dinner under the stars at a roof-top restaurant below the Acropolis. We ordered Greek salad, lamb and some red wine. It was heavenly. The goat cheese in Athens is very smooth, unlike the cheese that you can buy in the US. Normally, we eat rather quickly, but we were told that the night lights of Athens would be quite a sight to. So, we ate slowly and enjoyed the ambience…and waited for the sun to set. It couldn’t have been more perfect. The weather was great and it was a beautiful sunset…well worth the wait! Once the sun set below the horizon, the lights of Athens illuminated the city…and the Acropolis. First, the structure atop the Acropolis lit up in a gold tone. After a few minutes, the base lit up in a greenish tone, lending contrast to the golden hue of the building. And finally, everything turned golden, contrasting the dark skies of the night. It was magical…..and we captured, in pictures, the changing colors.  What a perfect end to our first evening in Greece. We took the subway back to our hotel, fully sated and eagerly awaiting our cruise to the Greek islands and Kusadasi the following morning.

Our version of some great Greek recipes:

Greek Salad:

Four Tomtoes (Cut in Half Lengthwise and Sliced); 1 Large Cucumber (Cut in Half Lengthwise and Sliced); 2T Olive Oil; 1 Lemon (Squeezed); Goat Cheese (3″x3″x1″ – Crumbled at the last minute); Fresh Oregano (3 sprigs)

Yogurt Condiment and Dessert

1 Pint of Plain Yogurt (use a cheese cloth to take out most of the water – yogurt will be very thick in consistency); 1-2 Cloves of Fresh Chopped Garlic; 1T Red Wine Vinegar; 1 Cucumber (1/4″ cubes) – Mix everything together and enjoy….

1 Pint of Plain Yogurt (use a cheese cloth to take out most of the water – yogurt will be thick in consistency); Top it with 4T Honey